Brooks' father expects him to stay with U.Va.
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Feb 20, 2006

The father of University of Virginia football standout Ahmad Brooks said yesterday that he expects his son to play for the Cavaliers this coming season.

"Absolutely," Perry Brooks said by phone from his home in Woodbridge.

A Web site, citing unidentified sources, reported Friday that Brooks had been dismissed from the team and would try to get drafted by an NFL team this year. CavsCorner.com, which is not affiliated with U.Va., said Brooks' dismissal stemmed from a recent "off-field incident" on which its sources would not elaborate.

U.Va. officials responded Friday by saying that Brooks is still a member of the football team. Cavaliers coach Al Groh told The Times-Dispatch the same thing Saturday.

Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said yesterday that Brooks' "status has not changed. Nothing is imminent."

Sources told the T-D, however, that Brooks has unspecified issues that must be resolved if he is to play again at U.Va. Groh declined to talk specifically about any problems Brooks might be facing.

Brooks remains enrolled at U.Va., his father and Groh said.

In a brief interview yesterday, the elder Brooks said he was shocked to learn of the Internet article that reported his son had been kicked off the team. A former NFL defensive lineman, Perry Brooks encouraged his son to return to U.Va. for his senior year.

Ahmad Brooks, a 6-4, 260-pound inside linebacker, led U.Va. in tackles as a true freshman in 2003 and again in 2004. He was a Butkus Award finalist and an all-ACC pick as a sophomore. Injuries marred his junior season, however, and Brooks decided last month against entering the NFL draft early.

 

Injury affecting Bannister's meager output
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
February 20, 2006

Virginia guard T.J. Bannister had an interesting revelation after his team's 76-62 loss to Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee.
The 5-foot-10 junior, who has been hampered by a sports hernia injury all season, said he recently thought about taking a medical redshirt. The idea would have been to rest for the remainder of the season, and still have two years of eligibility remaining.

"I went and talked to coach [Dave Leitao] about it," Bannister said, "but when I did, he told me it was too late because I had already played [too many] games."

To earn a medical redshirt, players cannot have played in more than 20 percent of their teams' games.

Bannister has played in nine of Virginia's 23 games.

Because of his injury, which he has aggravated twice, Bannister's contributions have been sporadic.

It was kind of hard to stop on defense and push the ball hard," Bannister said, "which was tough because that was all part of my game."

Bannister, who is averaging a career-low 2.5 points and 2.1 assists, said it's been frustrating. However, he's not letting it get him down.

"It's all a part of life," he said. "Things happen sometimes. Everything happens for a reason."

Now, Bannister said his body's feeling pretty good.

"I have a little bit of soreness after the games," he said, "but I was expecting that."

However, Bannister has felt good enough in games to express some flair.

For the second straight game, Bannister attempted a behind-the-back pass that drew the ire of Leitao.

Leitao yanked him from the game after the play, which occurred in the first half, but put him back in a short time later.

Bannister agreed with just about everybody's assessment of Saturday's loss.

"Coach said they were a different team at home, and they proved it," he said. "They played with a lot more energy and toughness and things like that."

Virginia (13-10, 6-6) plays host to Boston College on Tuesday night.

 

Sources say Cavs star Brooks off team this spring
After failed drug test, All-American linebacker will not practice with Virginia this semester; status with squad for next fall to be determined
Jeremy Root, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Virginia football linebacker Ahmad Brooks, a 2004 All-American and Butkus Award candidate, failed a drug test within the past two weeks and will not be practicing with the team this spring, according to two sources close to the team.

Sources told The Cavalier Daily that Virginia coach Al Groh informed the team Brooks would not be with the squad this spring, and his status for the fall had not yet been determined.

On Friday the Athletic Department responded to an Internet story on Cavscorner.com claiming Brooks was going to be dismissed from Virginia.

Athletic department spokesperson Jim Daves told the Cavalier Daily Sunday, "It's no different than the other day. I talked to coach Groh on Friday afternoon and [Groh] informed him that Ahmad Brooks's status had not changed -- meaning he's a member of the team."

Brooks announced Jan. 14 that he would be returning next fall for his senior season, citing his desire to graduate from Virginia and help the Cavaliers win a league championship.

"I came to Virginia to earn my degree and help Virginia become a great team," Brooks said in January. "I still have a lot of unfinished business to meet my goals. When I do walk into a NFL locker room, I want to do it with my degree. I am looking forward to getting my game in top shape and helping my teammates win an ACC Championship."

Brooks' father, Perry Brooks, who played professional football for the Washington Redskins, declined to comment for this story and referred all inquiries to the Virginia athletic department.

One of Virginia's prized recruits, the 6-foot-4, 259-pound linebacker from Woodbridge, Va. led Virginia in tackles his freshmen and sophomore years. He spent the 2002 season at Hargrave Military Academy and was therefore eligible to participate in the 2005 NFL Draft after his prolific sophomore season, when he was selected as one of the top three linebackers in the nation. He was projected as a lock for a first-round draft pick, but surprised some when he announced he was returning for his junior season.

Brooks underwent off-season knee surgery in March 2005 and his slow recovery kept him out of the first three games of last season.

He returned for the fourth game versus Maryland, but twisted his ankle and was held out of the next contest at Boston College. Brooks played in the next five games, but did not participate in Virginia's season finale and the 34-31 triumph over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl due to a back injury.

Brooks played in just six games overall and finished with just 27 tackles -- tied for 12th on the team.

Because Brooks originally elected not to enter the 2006 NFL Draft by the Jan. 15 deadline, if he wishes to participate in the 2006 NFL season, he will have to enter the Supplemental Draft, which generally takes place in the summer.

To select a player via the Supplemental Draft, NFL teams must submit a request and list a round to the NFL office. If its bid is successful, the team would lose an equivalent pick in the following draft.

Thirty-two players have been taken in the past 26 Supplemental Drafts.

Brooks also has the option to petition the NFL to gain entry in the NFL Draft, to be held Apr. 29 and 30.

Brooks was charged with possession of marijuana in May 2003 but pleaded no contest and the charges were dismissed Jan. 2004.

 

Plagued by feelings of despair in the ever-persistant cave of dissapointment

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Tallahassee has become my personal den of disappointment. In the fall of 2004, I traveled here on the Team Cavalier bus to witness Florida State's 36-3 drubbing of Virginia in Doak Campbell Stadium. This past Friday, a friend and I made the 13-hour trek in my beautiful Hyundai Elantra to cover the men's basketball game. Saturday's loss, however, left me once again facing a long return journey to Charlottesville accompanied by an empty feeling of despair.

I do not want to sound cranky, but Virginia did nothing deserving of praise during the contest. The Cavaliers came out flat and never displayed the fire that would have been required to win this critically important ACC road game in Tallahassee. It is clearly gut-check time for Virginia and its effort Saturday was not a good sign. If the Cavaliers cannot bounce back quickly and win Tuesday night's home match-up against Boston College, things could go rapidly downhill. The loss to the Seminoles definitely dimmed Virginia's chances of going dancing in March.

What made the loss more frustrating was the fact that this game was a winnable one. Coach Leonard Hamilton's Seminoles are a solid -- but not great -- team, and yet they have now beaten Virginia twice this season. That has got to stick deep in Virginia coach Dave Leitao's craw.

The Cavaliers allowed themselves to be beaten by one man -- the one-dimensional three-point sharpshooter Andrew Wilson. All 11 of Wilson's shots came from behind the perimeter and the junior knocked down seven of them. Florida State often put four players on the perimeter against Virginia's 2-3 defense. Leitao credited Florida State's excellent ball movement as one of the decisive factors in the game.

Virginia's lack of depth also manifested itself Saturday. Sean Singletary committed two early fouls, forcing Leitao to rely heavily on backup guard T.J. Bannister. Singletary ended up notching only 27 minutes of playing time while shooting zero for five from behind the three-point line. He was definitely taken out of the groove that Virginia fans are so used to seeing him in. J.R. Reynolds played a solid game, leading the Cavaliers with 18 points, but could not do everything by himself.

Virginia's post players also faced a stern test after freshman forward Laurynas Mikalauskas went down with a little more than nine minutes left in the first half after being elbowed in the face by Alexander Johnson. Jason Cain recorded eight points and 12 rebounds but had relatively little impact on the game as he did not impose his will in the paint. Tunji Soroye was a complete non-factor, fouling out of the game with zero points and zero rebounds.

Virginia's road conference record dropped to 1-5, which evenly counters its 5-1 conference home record. Jason Cain was at a loss for words when asked to explain Virginia's road woes. His candor is striking.

"I have no idea," Cain said in the post-game locker room. "I don't know what the hell is going on."

The road ahead is not an easy one for Virginia. Four conference games remain and the Cavaliers could finish with a conference record ranging from 6-10 to 10-6. It is extremely hard to make predictions about this team because its margin between success and error is so small. When Singletary and Reynolds are firing on all cylinders and Cain is aggressive in the post, the Cavaliers can compete with almost anyone on a given night. When any little thing goes wrong, however, Virginia can also lose to anyone (i.e. Fordham).

I may be disappointed about the result of my second trip to Tallahassee but the painful memory could be easily forgotten if the Cavaliers pull themselves together and go on a run through late February and into March. If Virginia limps through the rest of its schedule, however, Saturday's loss will likely be remembered as the turning point where things went wrong.

 

Cav baseball sweeps Towson
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
February 20, 2006

When Virginia baseball coach Brian O'Connor strolled to the mound on Sunday in the top of the third inning, the least of his worries involved the frigid, blanket-hugging temperatures at Davenport Field.
The Cavaliers were trailing by two runs and Towson's leadoff batter had just reached on a walk.

O'Connor had seen enough. While he didn't want to, and he admitted that he never does, the coach had to make a pitching change. O'Connor wanted a three-game series sweep, one which would be the 14th (out of 24) of its kind since he arrived prior to the 2004 season.

The move proved magical.

Pat McAnaney, who struggled while giving up five runs in a loss to Old Dominion earlier in the week, pitched five scoreless innings in relief of Robert Poutier and Virginia used 16 hits to rally for a 13-3 win over Towson (0-3). The Cavaliers (5-1) scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth and blew the game wide open with five more in the sixth.

Completing the sweep made it easier for O'Connor and the Cavaliers to deal with playing baseball at near or below freezing temperatures.

"It was the coldest ball game that we have had in the last three years, but you have to do everything that you can to get the games in," O'Connor said. "If the sun is out and the field is dry, you have got to play baseball. We are out here anyway, whether it is 28 degrees or 58 degrees.

"They all count the same.

In the end, when it's [NCAA Tournament] selection time, they don't give a disclaimer for the temperature. Our guys were ready to play today and did everything that we had to do to win, no matter what the circumstances were."

Virginia backed itself into a corner early after Poutier struggled to find the strike zone, a rarity for the sophomore. Poutier, who walked just 18 batters in 49 innings last year, walked four of the 12 Towson batters that he faced Sunday.

"Robert just didn't have his good stuff," O'Connor said. "His command was not there. He gave up some free walks and Towson took advantage of it. After that first inning, he just didn't have his command that he needs to win."

In opposite fashion to Wednesday's game, O'Connor took the ball from Poutier and handed it to McAnaney.

After allowing an RBI single to Ryan Santmyer, McAnaney retired 13 of the next 15 batters that he faced, striking out seven of them.

"Pat McAnaney came in and threw the ball very well," O'Connor said. "That's what is great about this game of baseball.

There is always the next game and Pat took advantage of his opportunity today after a tough outing on Wednesday against ODU."

While McAnaney was far from lobbying for a spot as a reliever, he said it helped that he was thrown into the game out of the bullpen.

"On Wednesday, I was just sort of shell-shocked right off the bat and once that happened, I sort of lost my mental edge and I was thinking rather than just going out and pitching," the sophomore said. "Today, I really didn't have time to think."

As McAnaney dazzled on the mound, Virginia's offense came to life as a number of heroes emerged, some of which were unlikely.

Backup catcher Matt Bernstine not only registered the first hit of his Cavalier career, but finished 3 for 3, with three runs scored and two RBI. Two other newcomers to the program - right fielder Brandon Marsh and second baseman David Adams - also had three hits, while combining to knock in four runners.

O'Connor said it was vital for his new-look team, which includes 15 fresh faces, to rally early in the year for a win before ACC play starts.

"It is so important to fall behind at some point in a game and to have to come back," O'Connor said. "It takes a certain something inside of you to realize as a team that it can accomplish that, and that was good to see today.

"I told our team after the game, you can't panic if a team gets out on you 2-0 or 3-0. You just have to continue to play the game," O'Connor said. "Fortunately we did, and we strung a bunch of hits together and we put pressure on them by running the bases."

 

Virginia Athletics Roundup
UVa women's tennis topples Hokies
From staff reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
February 20, 2006

BLACKSBURG - The Virginia women's tennis team cruised 6-1 over Virginia Tech in its ACC opener.
Kristen James, Lori Stern, Lindsey Pereira and Amanda Rales all won singles matches in straight sets. Rachel DelPriore rallied to take a three-setter 1-6, 6-3, 6-0.

The Cavaliers boosted their season record to 5-1, and dropped the Hokies to 4-2, 0-1 ACC.

At No. 1 singles, Tech's Inga Beermann gained a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Douglas Wink.

In doubles, Wink and DelPriore won 8-3 and Caroline Hammond and Pereira clinched the lone team point by winning 8-4.

"Obviously, we are pleased with the victory, not only to open the ACC season, but to get another point for UVa in the Commonwealth Challenge," first-year Virginia coach Mark Guil said. "Our team ? played very seriously, and very focused.

"We are looking forward to returning home to play Marshall on Wednesday [at 3 p.m.]."


WOMEN'S LACROSSE WINS OPENER: In Nashville, Tenn., Virginia captain Nikki Lieb scored the game-winning goal to highlight a 10-9 victory over Vanderbilt.

Tyler Leachman scored three goals in the season opener for the fifth-ranked Cavaliers. Blair Weymouth added two goals and two assists. Megan Havrilla scored two goals.

Virginia converted eight 8-meter shots, including Lieb's game winner.

The Cavaliers led 23-17 in shots and had two more ground balls (20-18) than Vanderbilt.

Leachman sparked an early 4-0 lead with three goals. Jess Wasilewski scored UVa's ninth goal.


MEN'S LACROSSE AT HOME TODAY: Coach Dom Starsia showcases the Virginia men's lacrosse team before a home crowd today. The fourth-ranked Cavaliers play host to Denver at 4 p.m. at the University Hall Turf Field.

Starsia owns a 9-4 record in his UVa home openers.

On Saturday, the Cavaliers dominated their regular-season debut as nine different players scored to beat Drexel 15-7 in Philadelphia.


MEN'S TENNIS TEAM LOSES AGAIN: In Seattle, the 11th-ranked Virginia men suffered their second setback in two days. Arkansas beat UVa 4-2 late Saturday in the second round of the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

The Cavaliers have lost three in a row for the first time since 1973, and carried a 7-5 season record into Sunday's match against Colorado.

UVa won the doubles point against Arkansas (8-2), but Darrin Cohen was the lone victor in singles, winning 6-2, 6-4 at No. 6.

Somdev Devvarman, Doug Stewart and Treat Huey all lost in straight sets. Marko Miklo lost in three sets. Rylan Rizza was ahead in the third set when his match was discontinued.


GOLFERS SHOOT 307 IN FIRST ROUND: In Miami Lakes, Fla., the Virginia women trail by eight strokes after the opening round of the Papa John's Collegiate Championship.

The Cavaliers shot 307 and are in eighth place among 12 teams at the par-73, 6,319-yard layout at Don Shula's Golf Club. The College of Charleston leads with a 299 and Alabama carded 301.

Leah Wigger shot a team-best 73 for UVa. Other Cavalier scores were: Jennie Arseneault 76, Lauren Mielbrecht 79, Rachel Smith 79 and Carly Truitt 83. Sally Shonk shot a 75 as an individual entry.

Wigger is one shot behind the two individual leaders.