Reynolds isn't used to losing
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
February 6, 2004

UVa freshman guard J.R. Reynolds estimates that during his high school career - a five-year high school - he lost no more than 15 games.

So far in his first season at Virginia, Reynolds has suffered through seven losses in just his team’s past 11 games.

“It’s tough as a freshman. I think the team’s confidence really goes down when we are losing and it’s tough to come back sometimes, especially after a close loss. We just have to keep working hard and things will hopefully change,” said Reynolds, who played four seasons at Roanoke Catholic and one at Oak Hill Academy. “I was at Oak Hill last year and we lost four times and that was considered a down year there. … We just have to keep working hard and turn it around.”

The 6-foot-2½ Reynolds has certainly been a bright spot of late for the Cavaliers (12-7, 2-6 ACC), who host N.C. State today at 3 p.m.

Reynolds has notched a career-high 15 points in two of the last three games and has reached double figures in three of the last four. Reynolds has been in and out of Virginia’s starting lineup.

“Beginning in the middle of January I just started feeling more comfortable. I had a thumb injury early on and that’s healed and I just started becoming more confident on the court,” Reynolds said. “Whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, I just try to stay positive.”

Reynolds came to Virginia with the reputation of a strong outside shooter, having connected on 14 treys during one game last season at Oak Hill. Reynolds, however, struggled with his shot early on. Maybe it was the thumb injury, a virus/rash that kept him out of two games or maybe just trying to find a comfort zone, but Reynolds has found his touch recently.

Entering today’s game, Reynolds has connected on 10 of his last 24 3-point attempts.

“It has something to do with being more comfortable but it also has to do with me coming in early and taking extra shots before and after practice,” Reynolds said.

One of Reynolds’ greatest assets is his court savvy. He never appears to get too rattled on the court and seems to possess what observers label a “high basketball IQ.”

“J.R. has played great,” UVa coach Pete Gillen said. “He’s a tough guy, and he’s willing to do whatever you need him to do on the court. He’s strong for a freshman, and has played well for us this season.”

With Reynolds’ recent emergence, he is the second guard from Roanoke that is impacting the ACC this season. The other is Duke sophomore J.J. Redick, who graduated from Roanoke’s Cave Spring High School.

The two were rivals, to some extent, in high school but Reynolds tries not to focus too much on continuing that rival at this level.

“There is talent everywhere. It just happened that we were both playing well and both from the same place,” Reynolds said. “I really just try to stay focused on what the team needs and not the individual stuff.”

Reynolds also implied that the rivalry between him and Redick was always something that others tended to hype more than the two players did.

“It was a big game for us but all the people in the area we’re like, ‘It’s J.J. against J.R.’ It was a big rivalry for Roanoke but I don’t think we ever let it get to us too much,” Reynolds said.
 

Trading recruits? The pros do it
Cavs announced Bradshaw signing
By DOUG DOUGHTY
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Fridays

More college sports, including Doug's College Notebook from The Roanoke Times

For some reason, I find myself wondering if the Virginia and Virginia Tech recruiting classes would have been more well-rounded if the Cavaliers had signed Westfield High School wide receiver Eddie Royal and the Hokies had signed Robinson defensive end Olu Hall (instead of the reverse).

As it was, the Hokies wound up with a class that was heavy on offensive players, particularly wide receivers, and UVa’s class was weighted toward the defensive side.

If this were the NFL draft, draft-day trades would be possible, although I'm not sure you’d find either state schools wanting to swap its top in-state recruit. Hall was rated the No. 1 recruit in Virginia by The Roanoke Times and Royal was No. 2.

The Hokies weren’t crestfallen over the loss of Hall, mostly because they had known for several weeks that they were trailing. Tech did sign a pair of promising linebackers in Andrew Bowman and Maurice Greevey, although, after some time in the weight room, Hall might have emerged as a defensive end.

Hall is projected as an outside linebacker by the Cavaliers, who will have the luxury of redshirting him as a redshirt freshman -- as recommended by Robinson coach Mark Bendorf -- because they have Darryl Blackstock on one side and a combination of veteran Dennis Haley and redshirt freshman Jermaine Dias on the other.

Virginia needs wide receivers, but the Hokies signed four of them -- all with some in-state connection. Royal and Jeremy Gilchrist from Landstown were fellow All-Group AAA selections, while Joshua Morgan and Justin Harper came from Fork Union and Hargrave, respectively.

Returning Tech wide receivers include Justin Hamilton, David Clowney, Chris Clifton, walk-ons Mike Malone and Josh Hyman, who was redshirted this past season.

Virginia's returning wide receivers are Ottowa Anderson, Michael McGrew, Deyon Williams, Fontel Mines, Ron Morton, Scott Robinson and Emanuel Byers.

The Cavaliers will be looking for a slot receiver if Marques Hagans is their quarterback, which could make for an interesting decision if it's close between QBs Hagans, Chris Olsen, Kevin McCabe and Anthony Martinez in the spring.

Hagans was good enough in the slot that the Cavaliers might be tempted to return him to receiver, although Byers has similar size and speed.

THERE ARE FEW similarities between the Tech and UVa recruiting classes except in their proximity in the recruiting rankings. According to rivals.com, Virginia was 40th and Virginia Tech was 41st; Allen Wallace of SuperPrep had the Hokies 15th and the Cavaliers 17th.

That was a little high, I thought.

"Who knows?" Wallace said. "Maybe I'll knock 'em down. I'm still compiling info that will affect these things."

AT MID-AFTERNOON Friday, Virginia released a list of signees that included Graham High School running back Ahmad Bradshaw, the 2002 Group AA player of the year. Bradshaw explained that the delay was the result of bad weather that kept him out of school.

PULASKI COUNTY defensive lineman Shaun Branscome, who had committed to Clemson on Christmas eve, did not sign with the Tigers. Turner said Branscome remains committed to Clemson but will spend the first semester of the 2004-2005 school year at Hargrave Military Aademy, mostly for developmental reasons.

FIRST-TEAM All-Group AA defensive lineman Nathan Bryant and his Liberty (Bedford) teammate, Chris Spinner, signed letters of intent with Division I-AA Tennessee-Martin.

Spinner, rated the No. 42 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times, received an offer from Maryland during the summer but elected to wait on other options before the Terps stopped recruiting him. Bryant was rated the No. 62 prospect in the state.

OTHER ROANOKE TIMES Top 100 prospects whose commitments had not previously been reported include Dexter Manley, a wide receiver from Oscar C. Smith in Chesapeake, who signed with James Madison. Manley, an All-Tidewater choice, was rated 55th.

ARMSTRONG HIGH SCHOOL coach Dennis Harris said Thursday that All-Richmond Metro wide receiver Larry "L.C." Baker had decided to sign with JMU. Baker, a 5-7, 165-pounder, had a Central Region-leading 71 receptions for 1,305 yards.

Virginia had brought in Baker for a visit and there was some thought the Cavaliers would step up their efforts after losing Royal, but Harris said Baker "did not get good vibes" from Virginia, presumably meaning that a scholarship offer was not forthcoming.

SOME PEOPLE FELT that 2002 UVa signee Stefan Orange would have helped an injury-depleted Cavaliers' secondary this past season, but Orange did not return to school after redshirting as a freshman. He resurfaced this week on JMU's signing list and is enrolled for the second semester.

DUKES' COACH MICKEY Mathews (gee, this is a lot of JMU notes) said he returned from the Nike camp in Blacksburg last spring with the feeling that, if he had a choice of any in-state quarterback he saw that day, he would have taken Tallwood's 6-3, 210-pound Rodney Landers.

If Landers had Division I-A offers, as reported, that’s news to me. But, Matthews clearly got his guy when Landers signed Wednesday. Other in-state quarterbacks at the Nike camp included Westfield's Sean Glennon, who was injured; Colonial Forge’s Randy Hippeard; Bath County’s Jacob Phillips; Nottoway’s T.R. Jones, and Joe Taylor from Washington-Lee in Montross.

If there's any question about the talent at the Nike camp, consider some of the out-of-state quarterbacks and where they signed: Jordan Steffy (Maryland), Brian Savage (Wisconsin) and Chris Crane (Boston College). The Nike camp will be held in Charlottesville this year.


 

Sherrill says Wolfpack won't rest on any laurels
Win over Virginia would be State's second in a row on road
By Bill Cole
JOURNAL REPORTER

N.C. State has won two straight big games, has stormed back from 18 points down in its most recent win, has a two-game cushion for second place in the ACC and doesn't see a minute's worth of rest coming anytime soon.

The conference is too powerful and unforgiving this season for any team to feel satisfaction, according to guard Scooter Sherrill of N.C. State. Sherrill said the only course of action is keep pushing and fighting for every advantage.

"After you get a great win, you've got to put it behind you," Sherrill said. "The sun's going to rise tomorrow and you've got to be ready to go again. You've got to keep a level head and realize that you've got another game."

So it will be today for Coach Herb Sendek and his players. N.C. State will play at Virginia at 3 p.m. and seek a second consecutive ACC road win and keep chasing front-running Duke.

N.C. State is 13-5 overall and 6-2 in the ACC. Virginia is 12-7 and 2-6 and has fallen into a tie with Clemson for last place in the ACC. Virginia has lost three consecutive games and its problems seem to increase each game.

Sherrill said he doesn't want N.C. State to make the same mistake it did Wednesday against Wake Forest. Still enjoying a win at Maryland three days earlier and drained, N.C. State had little intensity at the start and Wake Forest was the aggressor.

Wake Forest led by 16 points at halftime, before Sherrill, Marcus Melvin and Julius Hodge led a rally that produced a close win.

"I actually thought about that during the game," Sherrill said. "We were down 14 at one point and I asked myself on the court. We were coming down and we were coming down on a slow break and I asked myself, `Why are we so sluggish?' And I thought about the Maryland game."

It seemed to Sherrill that no one for N.C. State was hustling, himself included. No one was playing hard. Sendek got on his players at halftime. The players got on themselves.

The order of business against the Cavaliers is to avoid a similar start. The Wolfpack is playing better on the road, but it still isn't strong enough to win consistently on the road.

And with the Cavaliers struggling, there's no sense giving them any confidence by allowing an early lead that would also fire up the University Hall crowd, which is starved for a victory.

"You've got to focus and continue to bring it," Sherrill said. "And that's my job. Me, being a senior captain, it's my job to get the guys going and not let them get overwhelmed and too content or satisfied with these two victories.

"They were two great wins but at the same time we can't be happy. We've got another dogfight coming up. It's my job to get the guys ready for it."