Groh excited about new crop of Cavaliers
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
February 3, 2005

Virginia coach Al Groh believes his latest crop of football recruits is on par with the best class the Cavaliers signed even though this one might not feature all the flash and glitter of the recruiting class of 2002.

The Wahoos welcomed all 22 expected signees on national signing day Wednesday with no surprises. Roanoke linebacker Darryl Gresham, who had reneged after committing early to the Cavaliers, officially signed with Florida, while Hampton wide receiver Todd Nolan remained unsigned.

“That first class [2002] produced some dynamic players,” said Groh of a group that included D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Wali Lundy, Ahmad Brooks, Kai Parham, Michael Johnson and others. “I think this class has the potential to be the equal of such. The overall profile of the class is very strong.

“At every spot we had a specific model in general and by position that we were trying to work toward,” Groh said. “We’re very pleased with it and I think we will see a lot of these players come in and add to the talent level and help us early.”

The early reviews on Virginia’s effort by some national recruiting services was good.

Scout.com, which combines the talents of several national recruiting analysts, ranked the Cavaliers No. 15 nationally, while Rivals 100 rated UVa No. 20.

The Cavs dropped two spots from 13th during signing day after Florida State made a big splash during the afternoon, jumping from No. 14 to sixth. Miami was 11th and Virginia Tech 18th in the Scout.com rankings.

FSU leapfrogged from ninth to fourth in the Rivals ratings, while Miami was seventh, Virginia Tech 15th and Maryland 18th.

Groh was equally pleased over the strong academic standing of the class. The coach noted that when he presented the academic resumes of each prospect to John Blackburn, the school’s dean of admissions, that Blackburn noted it was the strongest group he had seen in 26 years on the job.

“We got a lot of players in this class who are 6-4 to 6-6,” Groh said. “They’re rangy, can run, they’re athletic and tough. Nature is going to determine where they end up. We’ll see how big they get, then we’ll know who develops into a lineman, linebacker or a tight end.”

It is that versatility that Groh likes best about this class, and that was by design.

“The Cavaliers went after two specific traits - big framed guys with plenty of room to grow along the offensive and defensive fronts, along with several speed players and that created a great mixture,” said Miller Safrit, a regional recruiting analyst for Scout.com. “The two quarterbacks are athletic players who have the ability to run, but both look to throw first and each look great throwing the ball with fantastic pocket promise.”

Those quarterbacks are Gretna’s Vic Hall, who broke practically every total offense and passing record in state history, and Jameel Sewell, a left-handed dual threat from Richmond’s Hermitage High School.

Obviously the cream of the crop is big Eugene Monroe, a Parade All-American from Plainfield, N.J. The 6-foot-6,

318-pound offensive lineman was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the nation at any position by SuperPrep and the No. 3 overall recruit by Rivals.

“He’s something special,” Groh said. “He’s a tremendous kid. He has great ambition, a great personal sense of direction. This is a big kid, who is light on his feet and very athletic. He is certainly a player that we would expect to significantly challenge for playing time next season.”

Other standout prospects in the class include Mike Brown, a cornerback/running back from Jersey City, N.J.; Pennsylvania tailback Mikell Simpson, Durham, N.C., wide receiver Brandon Woods and a couple of holdovers from last season, massive lineman Brandon Albert and linebacker Olu Hall, both of whom committed last season but spent this past year at Hargrave Military Academy to upgrade their academics.

The Cavaliers will likely add running back Andrew Pearman later in the year. The younger brother of All-ACC tailback Alvin Pearman, spent this past season as a red-shirt freshman at Hawaii but chose to transfer at season’s end. The Charlotte, N.C., native wants to transfer to UVa, where he would have to sit out this season and lose a year of eligibility.

“It is his wish and our wishes that he [transfer],” Groh confirmed. “It is dependent upon some academic work he’s doing this spring. It’s not a deficiency, but some things he wanted to add in the spring so that he can be here in the fall.”

Groh said that while Pearman could count on either this class or next season’s recruiting class in terms of scholarship, that he will likely be counted in the current class as the 23rd member.

Highlight clips of each Cavalier recruit can be viewed at the following Web site: Virginiasportstv.com.

Gold List prospects fill Cavs', Hokies' rosters
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
February 3, 2005

Virginia landed quantity. Virginia Tech’s coaching staff thinks they pulled in quality. Boston College and Florida dipped into the top 10.

And that’s just the buzz surrounding the fates of the players who earned spots on The Daily Progress’ annual Gold List.

Ten of the 25 members of this year’s Gold List signed national letters-of-intent with UVa on Wednesday.

Virginia Tech landed nine members of the Gold List, including three of the top-five ranked players in the state.

Florida landed Roanoke native Darryl Gresham Jr., the No. 8 player on the List, and Boston College received a signing from Pat Sheil - the No. 4 player in the state.

Of all the players on the Gold List, only one - wideout Todd Nolen (Hampton) - failed to sign on Wednesday.

Nolen, the sixth-ranked player in the state, is planning to visit Penn State on an official visit this weekend before making his decision. Nolen is considering North Carolina, Penn State, UVa and Virginia Tech.

The top-ranked player on the Gold List - Victor “Macho” Harris - signed to play for coach Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech. Harris, who played at Highland Springs, finished his career as the career yardage leader (5,320) in the Central Region.

Beamer has indicated that Harris will start his career at defensive back for the Hokies.

Virginia Tech also landed No. 3 Elan Lewis (RB), No. 5 Steven Friday (DE) and No. 7 Deveon Simmons (LB).

“Over the last few years, we have been able to get a lot of the top 10 players in the state, and this year we are especially pleased to get four of the top five,” Beamer said. “I’ve always said if we get the best kids in the state of Virginia, we will always be able to compete at a high level.”

Virginia coach Al Groh landed seven of the Top 20 players from the Gold List, including a pair of teammates from Hermitage High in Richmond - No. 9 Jeffrey Fitzgerald (DE) and No. 19 Jameel Sewell (QB).

“They’re both very athletic players for their position and they have a good sense of winning,” Groh said. “They’re two of the guys that really fit the model of what we’re looking for.”

Virginia also inked another quarterback (No. 2 Vic Hall) and two highly touted defensive ends from Virginia Beach - No. 14 Antonio Appleby and No. 15 Jason Fuller.

The Gold List also featured the Sleeper of the Year, Cordarrow Thompson from North Stafford High. Thompson, who had originally committed to play for Syracuse, signed to play at Virginia Tech.

Providence torches Virginia
Friars hit 14 treys in easy victory over Cavs
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
February 3, 2005

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Virginia coach Pete Gillen insisted there would be changes Wednesday night against Providence.

So that meant better defense against the 3-point shooting? Nope. So that meant better shooting for the Cavaliers? Nope. So that meant no second-half collapse? Nope. So that meant no quick-trigger timeouts? Nope. So that meant a win? A big nope to that.

Instead, the Cavaliers were stuck in their rendition of Groundhog’s Day on, well, Groundhog’s Day and about the only tangible change for Gillen, who previously coached at Providence, on Wednesday night was that he was on the visitor’s bench.

Donnie McGrath tied an NCAA record by going 9 for 9 behind the arc for 27 points while Ryan Gomes added 20 as struggling Providence easily toppled reeling UVa, 98-79, at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Dwight Brewington had 17 for the Friars (10-11), who were coming of a 20-point loss at Pittsburgh on Monday that left them 0-7 in the Big East. Tuukka Kotti finished with 15 for Providence, who torched the porous Virginia defense with

57 percent shooting, including 72 percent - 72 percent - in the second half.

Devin Smith had 22 for the Cavaliers (10-9), who have lost seven of their last eight games. J.R. Reynolds added 15 and Elton Brown had 11 but that duo combined to make just eight of their 25 shots from the field with Brown missing six of his nine attempts from the line. Virginia played without freshman Adrian Joseph, who tore the right quadricep in his right leg and may be out for the year.

McGrath’s perfect performance matched a mark set twice previously but he did establish a record for most treys made by a UVa opponent.

“I just felt that wherever I was, I just was going to make it,” said McGrath, whose last swish came with one minute to play with the game firmly in hand. “I think we attacked the zone pretty well and found the gaps. … They probably could have been a little more aggressive.”

That final part would not be disputed by anyone who watched the game and anyone who has followed the Cavaliers recently.

The Friars’ 14 of 25 effort from behind the arc means that Virginia’s has allowed its last four opponents to shoot 49 of 95 on 3-pointers.

“It’s tough to go 9 for 9 but you have to contest them. We couldn’t stop anybody. … We went zone and they shot the ball great,” Gillen said. “We have to contest it better. To shoot, 9 for 9 that’s tough to do with no one in the gym.”

Gillen walked into that one but it’s too easy: his team’s defense is like no one being in the gym.

The Cavaliers trailed 40-39 at halftime after they once held an eight-point lead in the opening 20 minutes.

In what is now predictable, the Cavaliers deficit quickly increased at the start of the second half. The Friars pushed the lead out to 66-56 with 11:39 left on a 3-pointer by guess who? McGrath.

This time, Virginia clawed back into the game and cut the margin to 68-65 with 7:49 remaining. What happened then? Gillen might describe it as bing, bang, boom.

McGrath, against that defense that could have been “more aggressive,” nailed back-to-back treys and that spurred a 16-4 Friar run that essentially ended the game and made Gillen’s return to Providence no different than his last few games in Charlottesville and other ACC locales.

“We need to play better and fight back in those second halves when the other team starts a run. They played well but we have to play better. We came up short again,” freshman guard Sean Singletary said. “You can’t just give up. We have to get stronger mentally. … They shot the ball real well but we got a little lazy.”

As for the changes, Gillen offered the answer that might be expected by a coach going through a freefall.

“I thought we played harder than the other night. … We still have to evaluate and look at different things. The bottom line is you always have to look at things,” Gillen said.

At this point, Gillen and his team are looking at Groundhog Day game after game after game.

Cavs' defense nonexistent in road loss
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
February 3, 2005

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - When Pete Gillen returned to his old haunts Wednesday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, he didn’t expect that the hole in the middle would be Virginia’s defense. It was nowhere to be found.

As a result, the Cavaliers were blown out, 98-79, by Gillen’s old school, Providence College, the worst team in the Big East Conference. For UVa, it was the seventh loss in the last eight games and left the struggling, no, the exasperated Cavs 10-9 for the season.

Defense, that trusty old pak-yak that used to be the staple of Virginia’s basketball program, was missing in action as the Friars (10-11, 1-7) scored

58 points in the second half and shot an eye-popping 57.4 percent (31-54) for the game.

On fire

Pouring salt in the wound was Providence guard Donnie McGrath’s record-breaking performance. No one in NCAA Division I basketball history has ever enjoyed a better shooting game than did McGrath, who turned the Dunkin’ Donuts Center into his personal shooting gallery.

McGrath hit all nine of his shots, all from 3-point range, matching the best effort ever from Bonusphere.

But then again, it’s a little easier when the other team forgot to pack its defense for the trip.

“We knew from our scouting report how [Virginia] was giving up something like 88 points in ACC play, so we knew we had to attack them,” said McGrath, who scored a career-high 27 points.

Up until the game, Gillen’s return to Providence had been a good one. Several familiar faces dropped by to see the former coach who led the Friars for four years before leaving this ocean city for Virginia.

Gillen struggled afterward to come up with the names of some of the well-wishers, but that was understandable.

“I’ve been getting whacked so much that I can barely remember my own name,” Gillen said after watching another frustrating effort by his Cavaliers.

Nothing new

Defense has long been a problem with Gillen’s program at Virginia even though his players showed some signs of life in that department in November and December when they were 6-1 and held their first five opponents to 60 or fewer points.

That’s when Elton Brown and his teammates took pride in their defensive effort. In fact, Brown boasted in early December about how the Cavaliers spent more time working on defense than anything else.

Something changed drastically somewhere along the way. Even before last night’s embarrassing collapse down the stretch (UVa trailed by a mere three points with 7:49 to play in the game), the Cavaliers were ranked next-to-last in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.495) and dead last in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.442).

In fact, Virginia opponents have made good on 49 of their last 95 attempts from beyond the arc.

“We did a very poor job defensively,” Gillen said in the understatement of the year. “The bottom line is that we’ve got to defend. We’ve got to dig down, suck it up and guard somebody. That’s my biggest

disappointment.”

It could be the embattled coach’s biggest downfall.

Frustrated Wahoo fans thought they had seen the program hit rock bottom last Saturday at home when North Carolina threatened to shove the Cavaliers off the planet in a 105-64 loss, the third-worst home setback in the program’s history.

While Gillen believed his team gave a better effort on this night, the results were almost the same.

After drawing to within three with 7:49 to play, Providence outscored the Cavaliers 32-16 the rest of the way as the Friars shot a mind-blowing 72 percent in the second half.

As fans grow more restless and Virginia’s athletic administration grows more impatient with each mounting defeat, Gillen promised to keep up the fight.

“We’re going to keep swinging,” Gillen said.

But this basketball team is swinging wildly like a blinded boxer, throwing misguided punches without making any contact. Some critics believe the Cavaliers have already thrown in the towel, while others wish somebody would stop the fight before things get any worse.

“We’ve got one third of the season left,” said the coach.

That’s a lot of misery if something doesn’t change. A gut check on defense might be the place to start.

Virginia's incoming class looks much as UVa expected.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

Although the quality of Virginia's 2005 football recruiting class has been validated by various services and publications, its most distinguishing characteristic was the timing of its commitments.

Almost all of the class was in place by the end of last summer and, when Jersey City, N.J., running back Rashawn Jackson announced on Oct. 3 that he had chosen the Cavaliers, Virginia had 24 oral commitments.

When the letters-of-intent came across the UVa fax machine Wednesday, Virginia had 22 signees - a number that did not change in the last week.

The Cavaliers lost three players who had committed, including Timesland defensive player of the year Darryl Gresham from William Fleming, but added SuperPrep All-American running back Mikell Simpson from Harrisburg, Pa., on Jan. 26.

Groh's previous four recruiting classes had all contained a player who had escaped the attention of the so-called recruiting gurus, but there were no surprises Wednesday.

"Players within this group have gone through a pretty specific evaluation," said Groh, who could have brought as many as 25 signees to preseason camp. "Picking up guys this late, you lose some of the discipline of those evaluations."

Gresham announced Wednesday in Atlanta that he was signing with Florida. Earlier, linebacker Lamont Robinson and offensive lineman Matt Lowry had decommitted to Virginia and committed to Oklahoma and Penn State, respectively, but Groh rejected the notion that rival schools had "swooped in" once the players had declared for UVa.

"They might have been swooped up or they might have been swooped out by us," Groh said. "That's certainly something that goes with [the early commitments]. We didn't set out and say, 'We're going to have X amount of players committed by a certain point.' We were going to get our work done early."

The Cavaliers might have found Lowry expendable after getting commitments from other offensive linemen, including 2004 surprise signee Branden Albert, who is enrolled at Hargrave Military Academy, and 6-foot-6, 315-pound Eugene Monroe from South Plainfield (N.J.) High School.

Monroe was rated the No. 1 prospect in the country by Allen Wallace of Scout.com/SuperPrep.com.

Monroe is special, Groh said.

"He's a tremendous kid," Groh said. "He's got great ambition, a great personal sense of direction. He knows where he wants to go."

Wallace ranked UVa 15th nationally on Scout.com/SuperPrep.com. Rivals100.com had the Cavaliers 19th when it announced its final rankings of the day. Tom Lemming of ESPN.com ranked Virginia 14th.

After saying that he did not anticipate any subsequent signees, Groh was reminded that unsigned, uncommitted Hampton High School wide receiver Todd Nolen has an offer from the Cavaliers.

"That's a different situation," Groh said.

Hampton High School coach Mike Smith has acknowledged that Nolen may need to spend a year in prep school in order to meet NCAA eligibility guidelines. Groh indicated that all 22 signees are expected to be eligible.

"When I presented each one of these players' academic credentials to the dean of admissions, Jack Blackburn, he remarked that it was the strongest group [of football recruits] he had seen in 26 years," Groh said.

Andrew Pearman, a transfer from Hawaii and the younger brother of All-ACC tailback Alvin Pearman, was not listed with the signees but probably will count toward the 2005 scholarship quota, Groh said.

Friars go long on Cavaliers

Providence's Danny McGrath ties an NCAA record by hitting all nine of his 3-point attempts.
By Doug Doughty
981-3125
The Roanoke Times

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - They must be reading books at Providence College, specifically the one that says Virginia can't - or won't - defend the 3-pointer.

Slumping Danny McGrath, averaging fewer than eight points over his previous seven games, tied an NCAA record Wednesday night when he went 9-for-9 on 3-pointers in the Friars' 98-79 victory at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Providence had lost seven games in a row and remains winless in the Big East.

It was the eighth loss in 10 games for Virginia, which gave up 58 points in the second half. In their most previous outing, a 110-76 loss to North Carolina on Saturday, the Cavaliers had given up 62 points in the first half.

"He's a streak shooter," said UVa coach Pete Gillen, when asked about the Cavaliers' scouting report on McGrath. "Once he hits two or three, he can go crazy. And, he did. He went nuts.

"He shot deeper and deeper. He was way the heck out there. You've got to take your hat off when anybody goes 9-for-9. That's tough to do with nobody in the gym."

On the other hand, the Friars (10-11) weren't the first team to exploit the Cavaliers' passive match-up zone. Providence was 14-of-25 on 3-pointers as a team, marking the third time in the last four games that a UVa opponent has made at least 13 3-pointers.

Cavalier foes have shot 51.5 percent (49-of-95) from behind the arc over that span.

"We went zone a lot because [Ryan] Gomes is an All-American and he's tough to guard," said Gillen, who was the head coach at Providence from 1994-98. "He can take over a game and we didn't match up too well with him.

Gomes scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half, when the Friars shot 72 percent from the field. After rallying from a nine-point deficit to take a 40-39 halftime lead, the Friars hit their first seven shots of the second half, scoring 21 points in less than six minutes.

At that point, Providence was leading 61-51, but Virginia (10-9) hung around and closed to 68-65 following a pair of T.J. Bannister free throws with 7:49 left.

McGrath responded by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers, the second in transition following a UVa turnover. Providence outscored the Cavaliers 30-14 over the final 6:55.

"They probably could have been a little more aggressive with their zone," McGrath said, "but wherever I was on the floor, it didn't seem to matter. My teammates seemed to find me."

McGrath, a 6-foot-4 junior with 170 career 3-pointers, had made five 3s last year in an 86-74 Providence victory at Virginia.

"That was one of the things that Coach Gillen told us on the bus coming over here, that we had to look out for this guy," Bannister said.

Gillen had promised changes after Saturday's 34-point loss, but his options were reduced when freshman Adrian Joseph suffered a torn quadriceps muscle Monday in practice.

Joseph, most likely gone for the season, was seventh on the team in scoring with 5.1 points per game. The Cavaliers already were without sixth-leading scorer Jason Clark, a senior who has been declared academically ineligible.

"That's the tale of our season," UVa freshman point guard Sean Singletary said. "A lot of problems, a lot of people banged up. We're just going downhill. We just need a win, a win against a good team. We've got to stay resilient."

Cavs come back to earth after stratospheric recruiting start
By ED MILLER , The Virginian-Pilot
© February 3, 2005

The University of Virginia did its shopping early this year. No last-minute running around for coach Al Groh and his staff, who had the bulk of their 22-member football recruiting class committed before the season even started.

“This recruiting class looked like it was shot out of a rocket,” said Bobby Burton, national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. “They were at 20-plus commitments before anybody else was at 10.”

Click here Virginia was the talk of the football recruiting world, and, for a while anyway, its class was at or near the top of the national rankings.

It was fun while it lasted. As higher-profile schools began snatching up players, it was inevitable that Virginia’s class would drop in the national rankings. It was also likely that the Cavaliers might lose a player or two along the way.

Both scenarios came to pass. Still, what Virginia was left with, as recruits signed national letters of intent Wednesday, was a class that Groh said is as solid as any he’s recruited at Virginia.

HEAD OF THE CLASS

Eugene Monroe, OL, 6-6, 325; S. Plainfield (N.J.). Massive, mobile, dominating lineman rated the nation’s No.1 player by SuperPrep, No. 3 by Rivals.com. Could step in immediately and replace All-American guard Elton Brown.

Vic Hall, QB, 5-9, 168; Gretna. Explosive athlete who compiled 13,770 yards of offense in high school. The SuperPrep All-American will get a look at QB but may play elsewhere.

Mike Brown, DB, 5-9, 170; St. Peter’s Prep (Newark, N.J.); Rated one of the top 100 players by Scout.com. Brings needed speed to the secondary and could challenge for time immediately at CB.

Olu Hall, LB, 6-3, 222; Hargrave Military (Fairfax); Signed in ’04 and prepped last year prepping at Hargrave. Rated the No.6 prep school player by Rivals.com. Was considered by many to be top high school player in Virginia in 2004.

Mikell Simpson, RB, 6-0, 185; Harrisburg (Pa.) Another SuperPrep All-American generally considered one of the top 10 players in talent-rich Pennsylvania. Averaged nearly 9 yards a carry last season.

THE REST

Branden Albert, OL, 6-7 340, Hargrave Military (Glen Burnie, Md.)

Antonio Appleby, LB/TE, 6-4, 240, Salem

Will Barker, OL/DL, 6-7, 276, The Haverford School (Bryn Mawr, Pa.)

Denzel Burrell, LB, 6-4, 205, Columbia (South Orange, N.J.)

Aaron Clark, LB/TE, 6-5, 233, Rockbridge County (Fairfield)

Chris Cook, DB, 6-2, 188, Heritage (Lynchburg)

Maurice Covington, WR, 6-4, 189, Southern Durham (N.C.)

Kevin Crawford, OL/DL, 6-3, 275, Gar-Field (Woodbridge)

Alex Field, TE/DE, 6-7, 251, Broad Run (Ashburn)

Jeffrey Fitzgerald, OL/DL, 6-3, 245, Hermitage (Richmond)

Jason Fuller, LB/TE, 6-5, 224, Kempsville

Rashawn Jackson, RB, 6-1, 245, St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.)

Kevin Ogletree, WR, 6-2, 180, Holy Cross (St. Albans, N.Y.)

John Phillips, TE, 6-6, 240, Bath County (Warm Springs)

Jameel Sewell, QB, 6-2, 196, Hermitage (Richmond)

Patrick Slebonick, OL/DL, 6-5, 293, North Stafford (Stafford)

Brandon Woods, WR, 6-2, 203, Southern Durham (N.C.)

Groh compared it favorably with the class of 2002, which produced, among others, linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham, tailback Wali Lundy and tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

“I think this one has the potential to the equal,” he said.

Rivals.com rated Virginia’s class No. 19 in the nation. Scout.com rates Virginia No.15.

The class is heavy on big, rangy players who can play several positions, so it wasn’t surprising that Groh listed versatility as one of the strengths of the class.

“There are a lot of kids at 6-5 or 6-6 who are lean right now,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure where they’re going to end up, but they’re always going to be athletic, they’re always going to be tall, and they’re always going to be tough.”

The biggest name in the class is 6-foot-6, 325-pound offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, rated the top player in the nation by SuperPrep and No. 3 by Rivals.com. Monroe, from Plainfield, N.J., is the highest-rated player to commit to Virginia since Terry Kirby, the national Player of the Year at Tabb High School in 1988.

“He’s a powerful player,” Burton said. “There are not many times when you don’t see him dominate whoever he’s going up against.”

Monroe, who committed in June, is expected to challenge for a starting spot immediately, probably at guard. Virginia returns both starting tackles, Ferguson and Brad Butler.

“I like to get out and run and make blocks in open space,” Monroe said. “At Virginia, I’ll get a chance to use all of my abilities.”

Monroe graduated from high school in January and is already taking courses at a community college. Groh said he expects all 22 signees to qualify academically.

“When I presented each one of these players’ academic credentials to our dean of admissions ... he remarked that it was the strongest group he’s seen in 26 years,” Groh said. Nearly a third of the class — seven players — are listed as either linebackers or tight ends, critical positions in the Virginia system. The Cavaliers employ a 3-4 defensive scheme and often use two tight ends on offense.

Speed was probably Virginia’s biggest recruiting need, especially at wide receiver and defensive back. Heading the list there are cornerback Mike Brown, a SuperPrep All-American from Newark, N.J., and Kevin Ogletree, a receiver generally considered one of the top 10 players in New York. Brown and Ogletree were 2 of 7 players U.Va. signed from New Jersey, New York or Pennsylvania.

“There are a lot of teams going south to places like Florida and Texas,” Groh said. “But we’ve chosen to go in a northern direction.”

The Cavaliers lost three players who had committed . Linebacker Lamont Robinson signed with Oklahoma after initially telling Virginia he would play for the Cavaliers. Offensive lineman Matthew Lowry reneged on his commitment to sign with Penn State. And linebacker Darryl Gresham of Roanoke signed with Florida.

“They might have been swooped up or they might have been swooped out by us,” Groh said. “That’s certainly something that goes with it.”

Groh said the Cavaliers have no plans to sign any other players. Virginia was thought to be in the running for Hampton receiver Mike Nolen, who did not sign Wednesday and is scheduled to visit Penn State this weekend.

If Virginia is truly done with the class of 2005, there’s one question recruiting mavens will wonder, given the Cavaliers’ history of working quickly:

How long before the first commitment from the class of 2006?

Boone, Hall stand out in '05 class
Published February 3 2005
David Teel

Football recruiting leaves me cold. Fargo-in-February, Stone-Cold-Steve-Austin cold.

I know, it's a dreadful character flaw, much like my affinity for the Bee Gees and Shania Twain. But I can't help it.

Why should I get worked up over the signing classes Virginia, Virginia Tech and other Division I-A programs unveiled Wednesday? At best, most won't play until 2006, when Britney's on hubby No. 5; most won't start until 2007, when Hillary, heaven help us, is locking up the nomination.

Basketball recruiting? That's different. In basketball, one freshman (North Carolina's Marvin Williams this year, Duke's Luol Deng last year and Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony two years ago) can a title contender make.

That said, two members from the class of '05 stick out. One is headed to Virginia Tech, one to Virginia. Both are quarterbacks from in-state. Most intriguing, both defy convention.

Say hello to Greg Boone and Vic Hall.

Boone, from Chesapeake's Oscar Smith High, is Blacksburg-bound. Last season he passed for 1,285 yards and ran for 949, leading the Tigers to their first playoff bid.

In the Group AAA Division 6 Eastern Region final, Oscar Smith and Landstown staged the game of the year. Boone passed for 202 yards, ran for 132 and accounted for five touchdowns (four rushing, one passing). But with less than two minutes remaining, Boone came up inches shy on a 2-point conversion run, and the Tigers lost 40-39 to the eventual state champions.

According to Oscar Smith coach Richard Morgan, Boone chose Virginia Tech instead of West Virginia, Maryland or North Carolina because Tech coach Frank Beamer promised him a chance to play quarterback. Other suitors apparently balked at such an assurance.

The reason? Boone stands 6-feet-3 and weighs 260 pounds.

The height is ideal. The weight is not, unless Boone fancies himself a tight end, defensive end or linebacker.

A 260-pound college quarterback? The classic case study is Jared Lorenzen.

Lorenzen was a 6-3 University of Kentucky southpaw with a big-league arm and appetite to match. The Pillsbury Throw Boy, folks called him.

Lorenzen threw for 10,354 yards and 78 touchdowns before completing his eligibility in 2003. But his weight, 270 pounds before breakfast, scared away the NFL on draft day. He signed a free-agent deal with the New York Giants but failed to show up for training camp.

Boone's progress is worth watching, especially in a program stocked at quarterback. Marcus Vick has two more years, Sean Glennon three and redshirt Cory Holt four. Plus, 6-4, 200-pound Ike Whitaker signed with the Hokies on Wednesday.

With nearly 1,000 yards rushing, Boone can only be so slow. And he won't be the heaviest quarterback around. The Minnesota Vikings' Daunte Culpepper, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, checks in at 6-4, 264.

Like Culpepper and Boone, Hall lacks a prototype's build. He committed to Virginia as a junior at Gretna High, led his team to Group AA Division 3 state titles as a junior and senior, and amassed crazy numbers: 2,833 yards passing and 1,951 yards rushing just this season; nearly 14,000 combined yards in his career.

Still, the question has remained: Will Hall play quarterback in college? Gretna listed him at 5-10, 175 pounds, while some scouting services added an inch and a few pounds. Regardless, Hall is small for a quarterback.

Yes, Virginia's incumbent, Marques Hagans of Hampton, is 5-10, 211. But head coach Al Groh clearly prefers more size under center. Matt Schaub, the Cavaliers' starter in 2002 and 2003, is 6-5; Jameel Sewell, another Wednesday signee, is 6-4. Mike Groh, Al's son and quarterbacks coach, played the position at Virginia, and he's 6-3.

Hall appears more than talented enough to thrive at other positions. Ditto Boone. But given their high school exploits, a crack at quarterback is in order.

Cavaliers follow a familiar script
Once again, Virginia is burned by the 3-point line. And once again, the Cavaliers fall apart in the second half.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published February 3, 2005

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- It was a different setting and an unfamiliar opponent. But for Virginia, the same old problems surfaced, leading to the same old result.

With uncanny shooting from the 3-point arc, Providence profited from yet another Cavalier collapse in the second half and broke a seven-game losing streak with a 98-79 blowout in the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Guard Donnie McGrath matched an NCAA record by going 9-of-9 from the 3-point arc as the Friars won for the first time since Jan. 3.

Virginia, now 2-8 since New Year's Day, grows more weary and bewildered by the day.

"I'm sure we're all searching for answers," point guard Sean Singletary said. "But we can't put a finger on it."

Here's one thought: The Cavaliers (10-9) aren't guarding the shooters. Providence (10-11) hit 14 of its 25 3-point attempts, and before you write that off as a fluke consider that Virginia's last four opponents are 49-of-95 (51.6 percent) from the arc. McGrath's 9-for-9 night matched the NCAA accuracy record previously shared by Evansville's Markus Wilson and Old Dominion's Mark Poag.

Here's how bad Virginia's 3-point defense was: Freshman Jeff Parmer, a backup forward, was 2-of-3. He entered 2-of-6 in his career.

"Everybody's shooting great against us," sophomore T.J. Bannister said.

"But we're not guarding them. We've got to do a better job of guarding them."

Another recurring theme was the second-half meltdown. Providence led by one at halftime but outscored the Cavaliers 58-40 from there.

In its first 10 possessions of the second half, the Friars scored 21 points and didn't miss a shot. In its last eight games, Virginia has been beaten by an average margin of 10 points in the second half.

"We're resilient enough when we're down late in the second half," Singletary said, "but by then it's too late."

After falling behind by 10 with 11:36 remaining, Virginia did manage to make it a three-point game on Bannister's free throws nearly four minutes later. Then came the dooming sequence: After Singletary was called for a walk, McGrath nailed his seventh 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down and Cavalier forward Donte Minter lunging at him.

Singletary missed a 3 on the other end, and with the long rebound Providence caught the Cavs in transition. McGrath got open from the left wing and ... well, you know. In a matter of 21 seconds, McGrath had turned a three-point lead into a nine-point lead.

"It was one of those nights when I felt wherever I was, it didn't matter," McGrath said. "Everything felt pretty good tonight."

Not for Virginia coach Pete Gillen, who spent Monday and Tuesday in practice preaching to his perimeter defenders the importance of not leaving McGrath.

"Nine-for-nine - that's tough to do if nobody's in the gym," said Gillen, who for much of the night tried a match-up zone. "He kept shooting them deeper and deeper. We just lost Donnie McGrath and he went crazy. You've got to have an awareness of where the shooter is."

Virginia's injury list added another name this week in practice: freshman forward Adrian Joseph, who missed the game with a torn quadriceps muscle. With Jason Clark having flunked off the team, Gillen had nine scholarship players available Wednesday night.

Gillen said he is unsure when Joseph, probably his most-athletic player, will return.

Wednesday night's game was a homecoming of sorts for Gillen, who spent four of his 20 seasons as a head coach in Providence. He won 72 of 125 games from 1994-98, advancing to the NCAA's regional final in '97.
 

Flexibility is key for U.Va.'s class
Virginia's 2005 football recruits can play different positions, which is just what coach Al Groh was looking to gain.
BY NORM WOOD
247-4642
Published February 3, 2005

Signing Day was anticlimactic for Virginia coach Al Groh. He already had a good idea what his football recruiting class was going to look like by Halloween, and he didn't get any surprises Wednesday.

U.Va. added 22 signees to its roster, including its annual raid of the state of New Jersey and some promising skill players. The common thread in U.Va.'s class, which was almost complete in early October, is flexibility. Groh and his staff got plenty of it.

"We wanted to accumulate a large number of players of a similar type," Groh said. "If you have too many that can be slotted into certain positions, your team doesn't have enough versatility."

The recruiting class was ranked No. 14 in the nation by ESPN.com's Tom Lemming. The Rivals100.com football recruiting Web site had it rated No. 19.

Despite the strong rankings, the class didn't include linebackers Darryl Gresham, who signed at Florida, and Lamont Robinson, who signed with Oklahoma. Both highly recruited players were U.Va. commitments at one point.

Receivers Kevin Ogletree and Marcus Covington will help U.Va. in its biggest area of need. Brandon Woods, a teammate of Covington's at Southern High in Durham, N.C., could also get a shot at receiver.

Vic Hall and Olu Hall, who are unrelated, were two of U.Va.'s most sought after in-state signees. Vic Hall, a quarterback from Gretna High who set a Virginia High School League career record in total offense (13,702 yards), is only 5-feet-10 and 175 pounds, but Groh plans to keep him at quarterback for now. Vic could win up at receiver or cornerback.

Olu Hall, a 6-5, 220-pound defensive end, signed with U.Va. last February, but spent the year at Hargrave Military Academy. He was considered the state's top recruit by most recruiting analysts last year.

Antonio Appleby, a 6-4, 240-pound signee, may get an opportunity to play defensive end or tight end. He was a standout at Salem High in Virginia Beach at both positions.

U.Va. got three signees who could play early from New Jersey, a state that has been profitable for Groh and his staff since they arrived at U.Va. four years ago. Cornerback Mike Brown, fullback Rashawn Jackson and offensive tackle Eugene Monroe were all rated in the top 15 in the nation at their positions by Rivals100.com. U.Va. also picked up linebacker Denzel Burrell from Maplewood, N.J.

"Certainly, that (Interstate) 95 New Jersey Turnpike was very fruitful for us," said Groh, who had seven players on his roster from New Jersey last season. "That's a high population density area with very good football players. We really did set out to work that area very aggressively. There's a lot of teams going South (to places) like Florida and Texas, but we've chosen to go the northern direction."

U.Va. didn't have any signees from the Peninsula area. Both U.Va. and Virginia Tech are awaiting the decision of receiver Todd Nolen from Hampton High, who is taking an SAT test and visiting Penn State this weekend. He is considering U.Va., Tech, North Carolina and Penn State.

Cavaliers' recruiting haul brings memories of 2002
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Feb 3, 2005

When national signing day dawned, the University of Virginia football team had non-binding pledges from 22 players, all but two of whom had committed before September. All 22 returned their letters of intent yesterday.

If the Cavaliers suffered no last-minute defections, they didn't pick up any last-minute additions, either. U.Va. had hoped to add Darryl Gresham to its 2005 recruiting class, but the all-Group AA linebacker from Roanoke's William Fleming High signed with Florida.

Nationally, this is considered a top-20 class, and Virginia coach Al Groh was in high spirits when he spoke to reporters on a teleconference late yesterday afternoon. The group figures to get stronger this summer when tailback Andrew Pearman, a transfer from the University of Hawaii who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, joins the program.

"I think this one has the potential to be the equal" of the 2002 class, Groh said of a group that included D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Kai Parham, Darryl Blackstock, Wali Lundy and Jason Snelling.

The jewel is Eugene Monroe, whom SuperPrep ranks as the nation's No. 1 recruit. Monroe is 6-6, 318-pound offensive lineman from South Plainfield, N.J.

"He's something special," Groh said. "Certainly this is a player we'd expect to significantly challenge for playing time at some position next year."

Monroe is one of five SuperPrep All-Americans in Virginia's class. The others are linebacker Antonio Appleby from Virginia Beach's Salem High; all-Group AA quarterback Vicqual Hall from Gretna High; tailback Mikell Simpson from Harrisburg, Pa., and cornerback Mike Brown from Jersey City, N.J.

Twelve of the 22 recruits are from this state, including Hermitage High seniors Jameel Sewell and Jeffrey Fitzgerald. Sewell was the All-Metro quarterback. A torn ACL prematurely ended the senior season of Fitzgerald, an explosive defensive end, but he's expected to be ready for training camp in August.

"They're both very athletic players for their position," Groh said of the Panthers, "and they have a good sense of winning. They're two of the guys that really fit the model of what we're looking for."

Two members of the class offensive lineman Branden Albert and linebacker Olu Hall -- first signed with U.Va. last February. Neither met NCAA eligibility standards coming out of high school, so they enrolled in Hargrave Military Academy's postgraduate program.

Three players who committed to U.Va. last spring or summer -- offensive lineman Matt Lowry and linebackers Gresham and Lamont Robinson -- later reneged and signed elsewhere yesterday. Lowry is headed to Penn State and Robinson to Oklahoma.

The Cavaliers have placed special emphasis on recruiting New Jersey, assigning three assistants (Al Golden, Mark D'Onofrio and Mike Groh) to that state. Each played high school football in Jersey, and their efforts helped Virginia land four players from the Garden State, including St. Peter's Prep teammates Brown and Rashawn Jackson.

"Certainly that 95/New Jersey corridor was very fruitful for us, as we hoped it would be," Groh said.

Groh took over as Virginia's coach after the 2000 season, and his previous recruiting classes have included at least one player who had to detour to prep school before enrolling at U.Va. This group may not have any academic casualties.

When "I presented each one of these players' academic credentials to the dean of admissions, Jack Blackburn," Groh said, "he remarked that it was the strongest group he'd seen in 26 years."
VIRGINIA SIGNEES

Branden Albert, L, 6-7 319, Glen Burnie, Md.; Antonio Appleby LB/TE, 6-4 240, Virginia Beach; Will Barker, L 6-7 276, Bryn Mawr, Pa.; Mike Brown, DB/RB, 5-9 170, Newark, N.J.; Denzel Burrell LB 6-4 205, South Orange, N.J.; Aaron Clark, LB/TE, 6-5 233, Fairfield; Chris Cook, DB, 6-2 188 Lynchburg; Maurice Covington, WR, 6-4 189, Durham, N.C.

Kevin Crawford, L, 6-3 275, Woodbridge; Alex Field, TE/DE, 6-7 251, Ashburn; Jeffrey Fitzgerald, L, 6-3 245, Richmond; Jason Fuller, OLB/TE, 6-5 224 Virginia Beach; Olu Hall, LB, 6-3 222, Fairfax; Vic Hall, QB, 5-9 168, Gretna; Rashawn Jackson, RB, 6-1 245, Jersey City, N.J.; Eugene Monroe L 6-6 318 South Plainfield, N.J.; Kevin Ogletree, WR, 6-2 180, St. Albans, N.Y.; John Phillips, TE, 6-6 240, Warm Springs; Jameel Sewell, QB, 6-2 196, Richmond; Mikell Simpson, RB, 6-1 185, Harrisburg; Patrick Slebonick, L, 6-5 293, Stafford; Brandon Woods, WR, 6-2 203, Durham, N.C.

UVa signs Hall, Cook, 20 others
By Andy Bitter / Lynchburg News & Advance
February 3, 2005

Apparently it pays to get your work done early. The University of Virginia landed one of its best recruiting classes Wednesday, securing 22 recruits on national signing day, including Gretna's Vic Hall and Heritage's Chris Cook.

The Cavaliers, who with a surge of early verbal commits at one time ranked at the top of most recruiting lists, finished consistently in the teens in national recruiting rankings on various Web sites when letters of intent were actually signed yesterday.

"We didn't set out and say we wanted to have X amount of players committed at a certain point," said Virginia head coach Al Groh, who likened this class to the one produced by his first full year of recruiting in 2002, a group that eventually included Ahmad Brooks, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Darryl Blackstock, Wali Lundy and Kai Parham.

"What we said was that we were going to get our work done early. ? The sooner you get it done to make your evaluations, the sooner you can decide who your early-offer candidates are going to be. If you want them and they want you, then the relationship gets solidified."

Both Hall and Cook were pursued early by Virginia, which had all but one of its verbal commitments before the end of the regular season. The two, who are cousins, were recently roommates on an official visit on Virginia's campus.

They are the latest in a line of Lynchburg-area players to sign with UVa, a list that includes Cedric Peerman (William Campbell, 2004) and starting right tackle Brad Butler (E.C. Glass, 2002) among others.

For Hall, the Virginia High School League's all-time yardage leader, the question now becomes QB or not QB?

Asked if he saw some of UVa's 5-foot-10 starting quarterback Marques Hagans in the 5-foot-9 Hall, Groh said: "Obviously, we saw a great deal of Vic Hall in Vic Hall. ? Our feeling on quarterbacks is they come in all sizes and all shapes and all forms. ?

"I think you get in trouble when try to find quarterbacks if you just say there's just a certain type of quarterback who you're interested in."

Hall said he wants to play quarterback, but added, "I'm not stuck on just playing quarterback because, you know, it might not work out that I'll play quarterback.

"I'm willing to play whatever position I can play to help the team."

There is a precedent for that at UVa. Hagans spent his first two seasons backing up Matt Schaub and seeing time at wide receiver and as a punt returner.

"I think if he's a good enough athlete that ? I wouldn't be surprised if he was on the field in other ways, like they did with Hagans," Gretna head coach Rob Senseney said.

There are also options aplenty for Cook, who said UVa coaches have told him he will most likely play safety.

Cook, who caught the eye of many big schools after running a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at a Nike Camp last spring, bounced around on offense this season from tailback to wide receiver to quarterback and spent most of his time on defense at cornerback. He did play some safety, however.

"The thing about Chris, he can play anywhere," Heritage head coach Chris Jones said. "I'm not so sure that he wouldn't have been the best quarterback that I've ever coached, and that's saying a lot. He's got tremendous skills."

Does Cook have a preference?

"Not really," he said. "As long as I get to play."

Cook joins fellow Heritage alum Mario Moore on Virginia's roster. Moore, a walk-on, was a backup cornerback last season as a redshirt freshman.

Virginia's class is headed by prized recruit Eugene Monroe, a 6-foot-6, 318-pound offensive tackle from South Plainfield, N.J. The only five-star recruit in the class, Monroe has been ranked by several publications as the top incoming offensive lineman in the country.

Monroe has already graduated from high school and is taking community college courses to get a head start on the next academic year.

"He is something special," Groh said. "This is a player that we would expect to significantly challenge for playing time at some position next year."

Monroe was one of seven recruits from the Northeast. Groh is a native New Yorker, and three assistants (quarterbacks coach Mike Groh, defensive coordinator Al Golden and tight ends/special teams coach Mark D'Onofrio) earned a certain degree of fame in the region from their high school and college playing days.

"That 95-Jersey Turnpike corridor was very fruitful for us, as we had hoped that it would be," Groh said. "We really set out to work that area very aggressively. ? There's a lot of teams going south to places like Florida and Texas, but we've chosen to go in the northern direction."

Hall, defensive back Mike Brown, running back Mikell Simpson and a pair of Hargrave Military Academy attendees, offensive lineman Branden Albert and linebacker Olu Hall, were all four-star recruits.

The Cavaliers also expect running back Andrew Pearman, the younger brother of tailback Alvin Pearman, to join the team next fall. Andrew, who is currently doing some academic work to gain admission to UVa, backed out of a Virginia commitment last season and signed with Hawaii before becoming homesick.

Pearman would have to sit out next year as a transfer and would have three years of eligibility left beginning in 2006.

Groh doesn't expect to add any additional signees to this year's class.