Regaining the touch
Better practices, screens key Billet's recent success
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
February 23, 2004

Todd Billet had to chuckle at the question. Moments after his 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining lifted Virginia to a 58-55 win at Clemson on Saturday, Billet was asked when exactly was the last time he hit a shot in such a situation.

To his credit, Billet understood the semi-sarcastic tone in which it was asked.

“I guess it’s been a while,” said a laughing Billet, who connected on a 3-pointer just last Saturday to defeat Georgia Tech. “These are memories you want to have when you are older.”

Billet netted 21 points, dished out five assists and had just one turnover against the Tigers. It was the first time that Billet notched double figures in over a month.

“I had two really good practices the last two days. I wasn’t being aggressive enough and that’s something the team needs me to do,” Billet said.

While the extra practices may have allowed Billet to rediscover his stroke, there were two other factors that had a significant impact on Billet’s day.

To the naked eye, Virginia was setting significantly more screens and picks to free both Billet and J.R. Reynolds. Or perhaps it was simply the screens were better executed, such as the one set by Donte Minter that sprung Billet on the game’s decisive play.

“We were trying to get them the ball. … I thought we screened better and executed better in the second half,” Gillen said.

Added Billet: “The guys were setting great screens. The key then is for us to cut sharply off them.”

Saturday’s game marked the fourth-straight start for freshmen point guard T.J. Bannister. Gillen has opted to start Bannister along with Billet and Reynolds in a three-guard lineup. While Bannister’s play has been a tad inconsistent at times, his role as the primary ballhandler has relieved Billet from those duties and moved him into more of pure shooting guard role.

“Having T.J. in there helps Todd immeasurably. Todd is a two guard trapped in a point guard’s body. He’s not a pure point guard. Todd is more of a catch-and-shoot guy,” Gillen said. “T.J. gives us quickness and he’s really helped us a lot.”

With both Bannister and Billet around 5-foot-10 and Reynolds standing at 6-2, the Cavaliers have a size disadvantage with that lineup. On Saturday, Virginia was outrebounded 47-31.

“We got punished on the boards and you can win often when you get beat on the boards like we did today,” Gillen said.

Note. Saturday’s victory marked Gillen’s 100th at Virginia. Gillen is now 100-75 in nearly six seasons at UVa.

 

Va. Tech and Miami are adding warts to the ACC
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 23, 2004

Miami and Virginia Tech haven’t wasted any time making their presence felt in the ACC. The two big football “gets” in the raid on the Big East recently illustrated a special talent for grabbing headlines.

The Hurricanes made news when it was revealed that their top recruit, linebacker Willie Williams, has been arrested 11 times. The 19-year-old was on probation for stealing $3,800 worth of stereo equipment 18 months earlier when he was busted for assorted mischief on a recruiting trip to Florida.

Virginia Tech also created a stir when Marcus Vick was charged last week with four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. According to police, Vick and two teammates served liquor to three underage girls at Vick’s apartment. Vick also is accused of having had sex with one of the 15-year-old girls.

These stories are doing wonders for the ACC’s image. Who is the conference’s public relations director, Gary Barnett? You think ACC commissioner John Swofford might be feeling chagrined?

Before Miami and Tech have played a game in their new conference, they’ve embarrassed their partners. And they’ve given critics of expansion one more reason to rue the day the ACC, in the name of larger football revenue, tried to fix a basketball league that wasn’t broken.

So now I’ve given myself away. I’ve followed a slightly circuitous route to the crux of the essential expansion complaint. It’s the pebble in the shoe of everybody who thinks the ACC’s greatest value is as a basketball conference that was envied from coast to coast.

Now it’s about to become a cumbersome basketball league with parts that don’t seem to fit, a Ferrari with snow chains and a rifle rack.

The current bad news coming out of the Miami and Tech football programs afflicts the ACC. It also dredges up memories of a period not that long ago when law enforcement officials were intimately familiar with both football programs.

The revelations about Williams remind us of Miami players who seemed to revel in their reputations as desperados, while the potential scandal at Tech involving a celebrated figure like Vick, brother of the great Michael, threatens to undo some of Beamer’s good work.

These issues, though, as mortifying as they should be, will pass. Williams and Vick will stay and play. Or they’ll be asked to move on. Either way, each football season will be followed by basketball and the realization that ACC hoops is stuck for the long haul with Miami and Virginia Tech.

The Hurricanes are 13-14, 3-10 in the Big East. The Hokies are 11-12, and 4-8 in conference. Records aside, neither program has a heartbeat that can be heard off campus.

Now I don’t want to go off on a rant here, but what do Miami and Tech bring to the ACC basketball culture except mediocrity and apathy? As for Boston College, the 12th member, the Eagles’ admission to a league of southern schools is a worse fit than John Kerry in a stock car.

The newcomers warp the league’s historical symmetry. They obliterate the round-robin, home-and-home scheduling that sets the conference apart from others and identifies a true regular-season champion.

Expansion means more teams ACC fans do not care about. More games between schools with no mutual tradition. It will turn the ACC tournament into an overgorged festival of even more meaningless exercises.

What’s the up side to basketball expansion? More teams Virginia can beat?

Take time, then, to savor the ACC the way it is now. After headlines about roguish football players have come and gone, the changes made to the country’s best basketball conference will seem like more of a crime.
 

Virginia wins in season opener
In Philadelphia, Virginia triumphs easily over Drexel with 11 different scorers, begins defense of last year's national championship
Becky Piedel
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

The defending national champion Virginia men's lacrosse team opened its regular season Saturday against Drexel in Haverford, Pa. The Cavaliers used a balanced offensive attack and solid defense to defeat the Dragons, 15-4.

"We're happy to get the win certainly," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "I thought it looked a little bit like the first [preseason] game with a lot of new people on the field, so there were times when we weren't as sharp as we'll need to be when we get on, but that's why you have a first game. There was some good and bad, but we're certainly happy to get a win and prepare for the next one."

Junior attacker John Christmas got the scoring started for the Cavaliers at 10:09 in the first quarter, whipping a shot from the left side past Drexel goaltender Ryan Harney for a 1-0 lead.

Led by sophomore attacker Matt Ward, who notched two goals and an assist, 10 other players also scored goals for Virginia.

"On my first [goal], [Christmas] made a good dodge," Ward said. "I just popped out in the crease and happened to find the back of the net. On the second one it was Joe [Yevoli] with a great hustle play in just setting it up. Today I had two assisted goals, so I've got to give credit to the guys who got me the ball."

Junior midfielders Nathan Kenney and Ted Lamade also added two goals each for the Cavaliers, and sophomore midfielder Kyle Dixon contributed two goals and an assist.

Also scoring for Virginia against Drexel were Matt Poskay, Newton Gentry, Mike Abbott, Justin Mullen and Hunter Kass. Yevoli tallied a goal in addition to his assist on the Ward score.

The Virginia offense was well-supported by the defense, led by senior Brett Hughes and goalkeeper Tillman Johnson. Johnson allowed only two goals on seven shots in 46:34 before being replaced by red-shirt junior Ryan Thompson.

The Dragons tried to settle the tempo early on, slowly passing the ball around the perimeter looking for a shot and trying to test the Virginia defense. But the defense remained unyielding, not allowing a Drexel goal until early in the second quarter.

"Coaches prepare us every week that [defense] is a matter of patience," Hughes said. "We go out there and pressure them, but also practice patience and don't try to do too much but let the game come to us."

Following last Sunday's preseason loss to Georgetown, the Cavaliers came out ready to play on Saturday.

Hughs and Ward attributed the Georgetown loss to unenthusiastic play in both the game and in prior practices and said the team practiced with increased intensity after the defeat.

"Coaches had been telling us the week before [Georgetown] that our practices were just flat," Ward said. "And you practice like you play, so we made a point to come out this whole week and practice hard. Everything was full speed and everyone was pumped for practice, and it translated over into the game."

The Cavaliers next travel to Colorado this weekend for contests at Air Force and Denver.