UVa continues road slide
FSU outscores Cavs 49-30 in second half
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
February 18, 2004

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Virginia’s “momentum” lasted for about a half.

Three days after knocking off then-No. 15 Georgia Tech, the Cavaliers returned to their old ways - particularly away from home - as they were easily dispatched by the Seminoles,

76-57, on Tuesday at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.

The Cavaliers (13-10, 3-9 ACC), who have now lost six of their past seven games, were tied with the Seminoles at 27 at the half but were wiped out by a 71.4 percent shooting effort by the Seminoles in the second half.

It marked the second straight contest which the Cavaliers, now losers of 18 of their past 19 ACC road games, allowed an opponent to shoot better than 60 percent in the second half. Georgia Tech shot 62.1 against the Cavaliers in Saturday’s 82-80 loss at University Hall.

“We played good defensively in the first half but weren’t able to sustain it and we also couldn’t score and make shots,” said Gillen, whose team shot just 36.4 percent from the floor in losing its fourth contest in its last five games here. “In the second half, our defense was very poor, we couldn’t rebound and still couldn’t make shots.”

Alexander Johnson had 16 points for Florida State (18-8, 6-6 ACC), which is now 15-1 at home. Adam Waleskowski, who punctuated the victory with a final-minute trey as the shot clock wound down, had 15 points. Nate Johnson, who entered the game with just five points in his past six games, finished with 13, eight of which came in a key 11-0 spurt to start the second half.

Elton Brown was the only Virginia player in double figures with 16. Todd Billet and J.R. Reynolds each added eight for the Cavaliers, who have now assured themselves of a third straight losing ACC campaign.

Virginia’s momentum evaporated quickly in the second half and essentially vanished on one play in the second half.

Even after the Seminoles had opened the second half on an 11-0 run, the Cavaliers managed to cut the lead back to four, 49-45, on a 3-pointer by Gary Forbes with 9:40 remaining.

On its next possession, Florida State had an in-bounds play and Todd Galloway found a wide-open Waleskowski for an uncontested layup. That play spurred a game-breaking 17-6 run as the Cavaliers would get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.

“We were in a certain defense and one guy wasn’t. There was a lack of communication. … Somebody didn’t do his job and I don’t want to mention who but he didn’t do his job and it was a layup. We had some breakdowns.”

In many ways, the play is indicative of where Virginia frequently falters on the road. First there is a mental error or a missed shot that results in a made shot at the other end and that leads to a run that decides the game.

It appears that Virginia’s mental psyche is so fragile that one play, one simple play, can knock them into a confused state that has no visible cure.

“We’re just not good mentally in those type of situations. We really have to do a better job with that. We rush shots and fall apart and unfortunately, good teams don’t do that,” Brown said.

The teams were tied at 27 at intermission as both teams struggled shooting from the field. Virginia shot 36 percent compared to 34.4 percent by the Seminoles. The shooting woes were particularly apparent from the 3-point arc, as the Cavaliers were 0 for 6 and the Seminoles just 2 of 15.

Despite the scoring problems, Virginia and Florida State managed to take six and five-point leads, respectively, during the opening 20 minutes.

Virginia led 17-11 with 8:53 left before halftime and the Seminoles opened a 27-22 advantage with 2:14 before halftime.

Brown essentially kept the Cavaliers in the game with 14 first-half points on 6-for-7 shooting. Without Brown’s efforts, Virginia was a combined 3 of 18 from the floor.

“Elton was the only guy scoring. No one else could buy a basket,” Gillen said.

Virginia returns to action when it travels to Clemson on Saturday.

 

No surprise: Cavaliers fold again
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
February 18, 2004

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.

Virginia hit the ACC road hoping to unload a huge monkey from its back on Tuesday night. Fresh off an upset over 15th-ranked Georgia Tech, the Cavaliers packed a load of confidence on its trip to Florida State but they left their offense at home.

The result was all too familiar to Coach Pete Gillen as the Cavaliers dropped their 18th ACC road game in the last 19 trips with a 76-57 loss to the Seminoles.

Leon County Civic Center is not the most intimidating setting in the basketball-rich league, so if the Cavs were going to steal one on the road and hold on to momentum built by last Saturday’s win, this was as good a place as any. Switching defenses from a triangle-and-two, to a box-and-one, to a zone, with some man-to-man mixed in, helped confuse the Seminoles for the first half as UVa fought FSU to a 27-27 standstill.

Second-half collapse

Things changed drastically in the second half when Florida State became more patient and Virginia lost its poise. Trailing by four (49-45) with 9:38 to play, the Cavs imploded and were outscored 18-6 over a six-minute stretch.

Ball game.

“We just couldn’t score,” Gillen said. “Nobody could score but Elton.”

But even Brown was effective for only the first 20 minutes when he scored 14 of his 16 points. No other Cavalier scored in double figures and outside of Brown’s 7-for-10 shooting performance (all inside the paint), the rest of his teammates combined to hit only 13 of 45 field-goal attempts.

However, offense wasn’t the only thing Virginia lacked in the second half.

“Our second-half defense was poor and we couldn’t rebound the ball. We had some breakdowns and lack of communication,” Gillen said.

All that translated into a 49-point second half for the Seminoles, who shot 71.4 percent the final 20 minutes.

“You’ve got to defend for 40 minutes and we defended for 20,” said Gillen, who has had as difficult a time discovering how to win on the road in the ACC as anybody.

ACC road woes

The Cavaliers are 9-37 on the ACC road in Gillen’s five-plus seasons at the helm.

“Veterans have to make more plays,” the Virginia coach said of what it takes to win away from home in this tough conference. “You have to be physically tough and mentally tough. You’ve got to dig a little deeper. We haven’t done that yet.”

Virginia is now faced with four remaining regular-season games and at least one ACC Tournament game. Standing at 13-10 overall and 3-9 in the league, the Cavaliers are right where they were predicted to be in the conference’s preseason media poll at eighth place.

Gillen threw everything including the kitchen sink at FSU in hopes of ending the road plague. He used junk defenses. He used 10 players. Nothing seemed to work as the monkey that used to rest on his shoulder has grown to

King Kong proportions.

With another road game at Clemson on Saturday, it may be the Cavs’ last chance to snap out of their spell. They close the regular season at Maryland where they will be underdogs.

Sandwiched in between will be home games against North Carolina and Wake Forest, both of which have losing ACC road records.

Sometime between now and the weekend jaunt to Tiger Town, the Cavaliers better learn how to play defense for more than 20 minutes. Virginia might want to take note. They still play 40.
 

Groh adds 3 assistants to UVa staff
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
February 18, 2004

When Virginia football coach Al Groh met with the media earlier this month on Signing Day, he announced that Anthony Poindexter had been promoted to a full-time assistant position working with the wide receivers but said he had “other ideas about what [Poindexter] will do.”

Those ideas become public knowledge Tuesday as Groh announced the hiring of John Garrett to coach the wide receivers and switched Poindexter’s duties to coaching the Cavalier running backs.

The announcement came on the heels of a story Tuesday in the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger that reported Virginia had also hired Mark D’Onofrio from Rutgers as an assistant coach.

D’Onofrio was linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Rutgers but the Star-Ledger story indicated that he had accepted only a general position as an assistant after meeting with Groh on Friday.

“I definitely enjoyed my time at Rutgers,” D’Onofrio told the Star-Ledger. “The program is headed in the right direction. Greg [Schiano] is doing a great job [as Rutgers head coach]. But sometimes you have to make tough decisions if you feel you have a better opportunity.”

All three newcomers bring impressive resumes to Groh’s coaching staff, which lost Kevin Ross (to Army), Andy Heck (to the Jacksonville Jaguars) and Corwin Brown (to the New York Jets) after the season.

Garrett, 38, graduated from Princeton in 1988 and played professionally with the Cincinnati Bengals as a wide receiver in the 1989 season. He was on the Buffalo Bills roster two years later.

After his playing career, Garrett worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (‘92-‘94), the Bengals (‘95-‘98) and the Arizona Cardinals (‘99-‘00). After coaching the quarterbacks in Arizona, Garrett returned to the Bengals in 2000 as an offensive assistant and worked mainly with the tight ends coach. Last season, Garrett was a scout with the Bengals organization.

Garrett comes from a football family. His father, Jim, played in the NFL from 1970-84 and is currently a scout with the Dallas Cowboys. His brother, Jason, played quarterback for the Cowboys from 1994-99 and for the New York Giants in 2000-01. His other brother, Jud, is currently an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins.

Poindexter, 27, had worked as a graduate assistant the past two seasons for Groh and worked mainly with the wide receivers last year. Poindexter, who played safety at UVa from 1995-98, earned All-American honors as a junior and senior.

“With the addition of John Garrett as wide receivers coach and Anthony Poindexter as running backs coach, we have increased the experience level of our offensive staff while maintaining the energy level that has been a big part of our offensive team’s performance,” Groh said in a statement.

Groh did not announce the hiring of D’Onofrio, who would be reunited with UVa defensive coordinator Al Golden. The two were roommates and teammates at Penn State.

D’Onofrio’s experience as Rutgers’ recruiting coordinator could pay off for the Cavaliers as they continue to go after recruits from the north, primarily from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Virginia’s current roster boasts seven players from Pennsylvania and seven players from New Jersey.

 

UVa halfway there on road
The Seminoles shoot 71.4 percent from the field in the second half of a game that was tied at halftime.
By Doug Doughty
doug.doughty@roanoke.com
981-3129

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Another ACC road game, another lopsided loss.

That's been a way of life for Virginia for most of the past three basketball seasons.

Even when the Cavaliers played Florida State to a first-half standstill, UVa couldn't keep it close Tuesday in a 76-57 loss at the Leon County Civic Center.

Virginia (13-10, 3-9) has lost 18 of its past 19 conference road games, 16 by 10 points or more.

Florida State (18-8, 6-6) has won 15 of 16 home games this season and showed why during a second half in which the Seminoles shot 71.4 percent from the field.

Both teams shot less than 40 percent in the first half. The Cavaliers did not warm up, hitting 36.4 percent for the game. Junior center Elton Brown was 7-for-10 from the field, and the rest of the team was 13-for-45.

With 16 points, Brown was the only UVa player to score in double figures, and he had two points in the second half. His frustration was evident when he was assessed a technical foul for elbowing with 4:34 remaining.

"I didn't get that many touches in the second half," said Brown, who had three field-goal attempts after intermission. "It was nothing they [the Seminoles] did. They did a good job of fronting me, but we weren't patient at all in the second half and that killed us. We'd make two passes and take a shot. It's hard for a big man to take over a game. The ball's got to come to him."

The Seminoles took control with an 11-0 run to start the second half that was fueled by senior point guard Nate Johnson. Johnson, who had scored a total of five points in his previous six games, scored 11 of his 13 points in the first 6:45 of the second half.

"We knew he could hurt us," said UVa coach Pete Gillen, aware that Johnson had scored 19 points against Wake Forest in a January game. "He's a senior and he's done it before, so we weren't surprised."

Freshman guard J.R. Reynolds scored seven points during a 10-2 Virginia run that cut the deficit to 40-37, and the Cavaliers were still alive after a Gary Forbes 3-pointer that made it 49-45 with 9:40 remaining.

On the subsequent possession, the Cavaliers played good defense for 20 seconds but fell asleep on an inbounds play and gave up a wide-open layup by Gary Waleskowski.

Freshman center Alexander Johnson led the Seminoles with 16 points, and Waleskowski added 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds off the bench.

A 9-2 Florida State spurt sealed the outcome and lifted the Seminoles into a third-place tie in the conference. Florida State's sixth conference win matched the Seminoles' high since the 1992-1993 season.

It was the sixth loss in seven games for the Cavaliers, who failed to build on the momentum of an 82-80 victory over 15th-ranked Georgia Tech on Saturday in Charlottesville.

Freshman point guard T.J. Bannister, who had 15 points and seven assists against the Yellow Jackets, missed his first five shots Tuesday. He did not have an assist in 30 minutes Tuesday and had four turnovers, all before halftime.

"The game might have been a little too big for some of our young guys," Gillen said.


 

Marcus Vick faces 4 charges
Hill, Imoh also charged with misdemeanors
By Norm Wood
Daily Press
Published February 18, 2004

Marcus Vick, Brenden Hill and Mike Imoh - all Virginia Tech football players - were charged with multiple counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Montgomery County Commonwealth's Attorney's office.

The charges resulted from allegations made by two teenage girls that Vick had sex with their underage friend and that they were provided alcohol and posed for pictures Jan. 27 at Vick's apartment in Blacksburg. Vick, a Warwick High graduate who plays quarterback for Tech, was charged with four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor, the statement said. Hill, also a Warwick graduate who plays wide receiver, and Imoh, a tailback, were both charged with three counts of the same crime, authorities said.

All three players were released on bond Tuesday, the statement said.

Two girls allege Vick, 19, had sex with their 15-year-old friend Jan. 27, according to a Blacksburg police search warrant. Vick provided the girls - ages 14 and 15 - with vodka and rum at his apartment, according to the document. Two of the girls said one of Vick's roommates took pictures of the three girls "as they danced and stripped from their clothing."

Police searched Vick's apartment Jan. 29 for two liquor bottles, a digital camera, pictures of the girls, bedsheets and a used condom, according to the warrant.

Joey Showalter, the Montgomery County Commonwealth's Attorney, wouldn't comment after he issued Tuesday's statement.

"As in all criminal cases, these are pending charges and no further comment will be made by the Commonwealth's Attorney nor the Blacksburg police department," the statement said.

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor carries a maximum sentence of a year in prison and/or a $2,500 fine. Attempts to reach Marc Long, Vick's attorney, were unsuccessful.

Virginia Tech's Comprehensive Action Plan will determine the playing status of the three student-athletes.

The plan provides a wide range of penalties based on the nature and severity of criminal involvement.

A player is not automatically suspended for misdemeanor charges, but a conviction would force Jim Weaver, Virginia Tech's athletic director, to review the situation. Weaver would then determine their playing status.

Larry Hincker, a university spokesman, wouldn't comment on the charges. Calls to Vick were forwarded to John Ballein, Virginia Tech's associate director of athletics for football operations. Ballein didn't answer the phone.

Vick played in 11 games last season as a redshirt freshman. He was suspended for Virginia Tech's game on Sept. 6 due to a violation of team policies. Imoh, 19, played in 12 games last season as a sophomore. Hill, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman last season, did not play in any games.

 

FSU pours it on late
Johnson scores 16 as 'Noles win 18th game
By Jack Corcoran
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Tim Pickett's supporting cast came through in terrific fashion Tuesday for Florida State.

The Seminoles shot 71.4 percent from the field in the second half - and needed only one basket from Pickett after the intermission - to pull away for a 76-57 triumph over Virginia in front of 9,065 fans at the Civic Center.

Point guard Nate Johnson, breaking out of a 1-for-18 slump, hit three 3-pointers and scored all 13 of his points in the second half. Alexander Johnson contributed a team-high 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Adam Waleskowski added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

"They stepped up and showed character," said Pickett, who was slowed by foul trouble in the first half and finished with nine points. "They showed they don't have to depend just all on me."

They displayed unselfishness, too.

The Seminoles piled up 19 assists, including 11 in the second half to fuel the 15-for-21 surge. Von Wafer's penetration helped him record a season-high five assists against only one turnover. Michael Joiner had four assists. And Nate Johnson padded his assist-to-turnover ratio with three setups and no miscues.

"We played without any ego," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We just wanted to get the ball to the person that was open."

Taking another step closer to the NCAA tournament, FSU reached the 18-win mark for the first time since 1997-98. The Seminoles (18-8, 6-6 ACC) also returned to .500 in league play, moving into a three-way tie for third place with Georgia Tech (18-6, 5-5) and Wake Forest (15-6, 5-5).

"I think everybody who played today contributed," backup point guard Todd Galloway said. "Not just scoring but defensively. That's how we have to win."

The Seminoles, befuddled early by Virginia's switching defenses, shot only 34.4 percent from the field in the first half. They missed 12 of 13 midway through the half and went into the break tied 27-27. Nate Johnson got them going. He scored eight points in an 11-0 run to start the second half.

The outburst was a long time coming for Johnson, who had been shut out in four of the Seminoles' previous five games. He capped the flurry with his second 3-pointer, capitalizing on a slip by Todd Billet to give FSU a 38-27 lead.

After Virginia pulled to within 49-45 on a 3-pointer by Gary Forbes, FSU answered with an 11-2 spurt.

Galloway checked back into the game and promptly found Waleskowski wide open off an inbounds pass. Waleskowski returned the favor after Alexander Johnson connected on a jumper. Galloway took advantage of a perfect screen from Waleskowski to hit from 3-point range.

Alexander Johnson set up baskets by Waleskowski and Pickett to make it 60-47 with 5:25 remaining.

"They were definitely confusing us in the first half," Waleskowski said. "We were getting lost on where to go out on the floor and who we were screening for and everything."

Elton Brown led Virginia with 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Seminoles improved to 15-1 at the Civic Center, matching the school record for home victories. FSU went 15-1 at home in 1974-75.

Three of FSU's final four regular-season games are on the road. The Seminoles, who have lost 21 straight ACC road games, visit No.16 North Carolina on Saturday.

FSU didn't need a big scoring night from Pickett to put away the Cavaliers (13-10, 3-9).

"Pickett can beat you by himself," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "He could have got 30. The first time we went man-to-man, he faded out of bounds and banged in a 3. I remember that one in the left corner. So we couldn't guard him man-to-man. He's like Batman here. He's got a cape on and just flies around. We wanted to take him out. We slowed him down a little bit. We didn't stop him, by any means."

They didn't stop his teammates, either.


 

Young, old work to create dynasty
Seven pre-season All-Americans lead Virginia squad that faces difficult title defense, tough schedule including many championship contenders should help Cavs prepare for postseason
Joey Mancini
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

They are at it again. Whereas most Virginia students returned to their second semesters focused on classes and social life, the Virginia men's lacrosse team returned to Charlottesville with a loftier goal -- to win a second consecutive NCAA championship.

Spring practice opened with the resumption of classes a little over a month ago, yet this year's lacrosse squad has been together since August preparing to defend their title. The 2004 Cavaliers, however, are a conspicuously different team than their predecessors.

Virginia does return four of the eight 2003 All-Americans who catalyzed the team's success. The Cavaliers do have seven players who were named 2004 pre-season All-Americans by the "Face-Off Yearbook." In the cage, the Cavaliers retain All-American goalie Tillman Johnson, the stalwart leader of the defense. Protecting the goal they also return second-team All-American defenseman Brett Hughes, a senior who has started every game of his college career. Leading the offensive attack once again is the athletic trio of juniors John Christmas and Joe Yevoli and sophomore Matt Ward.

"Yevoli was our leading goal scorer as a freshman and our leading assist man as a sophomore," coach Dom Starsia said. "He and Matt are sort of the quarterbacks of our offense. Joe is going to be a more natural leader of the attack."

Aside from the obvious stars, Virginia will rely on a strong core of young talent to fill the gaps left from last year's graduates. While several of these young players did perform important roles in the 2003 championship, most are entering full-time starting roles for the first time.

With three of last season's star midfielders gone, a huge role needs to be filled at this position. Junior Ted Lamade, returning from two seasons on the sideline with an ankle injury, has been elected a tri-captain this fall, an honor which speaks to both his ability and the respect he receives from his teammates. Lamade and sophomore Kyle Dixon will perform important roles as midfielders.

The two defensemen to accompany Hughes will in all likelihood be sophomores Steve Holmes and Mike Culver, each with enough experience to compete with the best on the college level.

"We have some new faces out there -- fortunately last year I could get my feet wet a little bit," Culver said. "Steve and Brett are teaching us the way -- it's going pretty well. We're starting to become a cohesive unit."

Starsia, now in his 12th season at Virginia, will once again be expected to shape a team that is filled with both refined All-American leadership and young, raw talent. In his tenure leading the Cavaliers, Starsia has won 125 games, taking home victory in nearly 75 percent of his 167 contests.

In attempting to bring the third NCAA championship since 1999 to Virginia, the Cavaliers will face one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Through the season, the team will host contests at Klockner Stadium against Princeton, Syracuse, Johns Hopkins and Duke -- all perennial NCAA contenders.

"Every game is a big game, and that's why people come to this school," Johnson said. "Looking at the schedule we have, every game is an important game, and playing the Syracuses, Hopkinses, Princetons, you just have to fight through it."

Despite the fact that young players will be filling half of the starting positions for Virginia, the story for the 2004 Cavaliers is not inexperience. Instead, Virginia has experienced elder statesmen that have the opportunity to mold a team.

"Something really important to me is that [Coach Starsia] emphasizes how special it is," Hughes said. "Not just the fact that we are defending the title, but just the fact that we are all 40 kids, pushing for one thing. And how many times in life does that happen that 40 kids are all ready to give up so much to really push for something? That is really amazing."

Though no one would admit it during the first few weeks of practice, the tale of the 2004 season is of a team who currently holds the national title and intends to defend it with vigor. For Virginia, this year is about a unique opportunity. Despite the obvious goal of working to defend a hard-earned title, the Cavaliers also stand on the brink of creating a Virginia dynasty.