UVa needs to play to its potential
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
February 21, 2006

The argument could be made that at least three members of the Virginia basketball team played their worst game of the season in the loss at Florida State on Saturday.

Sean Singletary didn't score in the first half. Jason Cain had six turnovers. Tunji Soroye had no points and no rebounds before fouling out.

The only Cavaliers to play halfway decent were J.R. Reynolds and Adrian Joseph.

If Virginia has any hopes of going to the four-letter postseason tournament (NCAA) - as opposed to the three-letter one (NIT) - it can't afford too many more performances like the one in Tallahassee.

"We can't absorb any of our guys not having games they're capable of having and expect to win basketball games against good teams," said Virginia coach Dave Leitao.

"Sean's got to play better. Adrian [Joseph] has to play better. [Mamadi Diane] has got to play better. ? Jason's got to play better - in order to give ourselves a fighting chance."

Virginia (13-10, 6-6 ACC) is tied for fifth in the conference with Maryland and Florida State, but the Cavaliers are winless in three games against the Terrapins and Seminoles.

Tonight, UVa plays host to No. 13 Boston College (21-5, 8-4). The Eagles, third in the ACC, have won 10 of their last 11 games with the only loss during that stretch coming by two points to Duke on Feb. 1.

"We understand they're not only one of the best teams in America, but one of the hottest teams in America," Leitao said, "and a team that plays extremely well together and shows its experience.

"They're led by two terrific players in [Jared] Dudley and [Craig] Smith. Hopefully by playing at home, we can reenergize ourselves and try and take away some of the things that Boston College does well."

The Eagles are coming off a 65-54 home win over Miami on Thursday. They went on a 27-4 run during a stretch in the second half of that victory.

"In the first half, we mishandled the ball, which led to a lot of turnovers and lot of scores for [Miami]," said Boston College coach Al Skinner. "Then in the second half, we only had three or four [turnovers]. I think our improved ball handling made a difference in the ball game."

Cain will have the unenviable task of trying to defend Smith, one of the best big men in the country. Dudley, a versatile forward, presents matchup problems for almost everybody.

The availability of freshman Lauris Mikalauskas, who suffered a broken nose and concussion against Florida State, will be a key factor for Virginia. On Monday, Leitao said Mikalauskas' status was uncertain.

"The doctors have looked at him and will continue to look at him," Leitao said. "We won't make a decision until we get the final word from the doctors. It's not [Lauris'] decision or my decision whether he'll be ready to play. It's in the hands of the doctors and the trainers."

Without Mikalauskas, Virginia's only scholarship post players would be Cain and Soroye - and Soroye has been battling a groin problem for the last two months.

With just four games left before the ACC Tournament, Leitao admitted that postseason thoughts are starting to creep into his players' heads.

"I don't think our guys don't read the paper or understand what our record is and that we're coming to the tail end of the regular season," Leitao said. "There are certain other things that are at stake now that we didn't talk about before.

"I'm not going to cloud our thought process or change the way we've been approaching everything at this time of the year. That kind of stuff will take care of itself if we continue to work on the things that we have been day in and day out."

One of the biggest areas of emphasis will be defense. Virginia allowed Florida State to shoot 52 percent from the field, including a whopping 55 percent from 3-point range.

"[We've] got to bounce back," Leitao said, "something we've been able to do on different occasions."

DUNKS: A week after saying that - if pressed - he would choose J.J. Redick over Adam Morrison for National Player of the Year, Leitao wavered. "My bias in the ACC gave the nod to Redick," Leitao joked, "but I think Morrison probably heard me and went out and scored 37 in the second half [against Loyola Marymount], which obviously changes my opinion real quick. I think both of them are very special." ? Skinner and Leitao are close friends from Leitao's days as an assistant at Connecticut. "He's someone I feel comfortable speaking openly with," Skinner said. "We've sat down and talked X's and O's and strategies and philosophies, and probably more important - just attitudes in this profession."

Another late surge lifts Cavs
UVa tops Denver in home opener
By Jim Furlong / Daily Progress staff writer
February 21, 2006

On a chilly day, the Virginia offense gradually warmed up.

Coach Dom Starsia appeared somewhat satisfied, but not delighted Monday night after his Cavalier men's lacrosse team controlled its home opener, a 13-7 victory over Denver.

Sophomore attacker Ben Rubeor scored a game-high four goals, and UVa defenders limited the Pioneers to four goals in the first 45 minutes.

"Not a work of art ? but we are 2-0," Starsia said. "I was pleased we won and sustained effort, but we are a team that is better offensively then we have shown. We need to be more efficient."

Just like its season opener Saturday at Drexel, fourth-ranked UVa mostly sputtered offensively in the first half against No. 22 Denver. The Cavaliers, with many wild shots and several turnovers, struggled to a 3-2 lead in the the opening 26 minutes. Shortly before halftime, however, Matt Poskay, Garrett Billings and Matt Ward each converted a shot to build a 6-2 advantage.

"[A slow start] seems to be a trend for us," said Ward, a senior co-captain. "We have come out flat, but we have been resilent. Once everybody settled down and once we got the ball moving, we have so many good players we will get points on the board against anybody."

In the third quarter, just like the eight-goal surge they produced against Drexel, the Cavaliers erupted for six goals, including two by Rubeor.

UVa finished with a 58-36 shot advantage on its Turf Field, and the Denver goalkeepers, Jeb Hollingsworth and Austin Konkel, combined for 19 saves.

"I think we have had a number of opportunities in the first two games to score more goals, but we haven't cashed in enough good scoring opportunities," Starsia said. "This is a game we could have put away earlier if we shot better."

Another UVa co-captain, senior defender Michael Culver, predicted sharper shooting in future games.

"It took more shots than usual [against Denver], but eventually it worked out," Culver said. "I have a lot of faith in our offense. They will go through some rough times, but, in the end, they will be productive."

With 684 chilled spectators watching, Denver never really threatened and trailed 12-4 entering the final quarter.

In the last 15 minutes, the Pioneers built a 21-8 margin for ground balls, and ended with a 53-46 edge.

"Ultimately, we didn't end up getting some breaks we needed to get an upset," said eight-year Denver coach Jamie Munro. "Virginia has a great team and we tried to take it to them. ? We played hard. They played hard."

The Pioneers, who made a 1,600-mile trip to visit the UVa campus, never appeared to back down, and their defenders were rugged and tenacious in the first half. But UVa's superior team speed and stick skills, along with more precise passing, became more obvious as the game went along. Each team won 11 faceoffs.

Cavalier goalkeeper Kip Turner (11 saves) often made accurate passes - short, medium and long - to clear the ball and help ignite a potential attack.

Besides his four goals, Rubeor added two assists. Ward finished with three goals, and Poskay and freshman Garrett Billings each scored twice.

Freshman Danny Glading contributed four assists and has six assists in his first two college games. Ward also has tallied six assists.

NOTES: The Cavaliers return to action Saturday with the second of four consecutive home games, hosting Stony Brook (N.Y.) at 1 p.m. ? Starsia owns a 10-4 record for his UVa home openers, and the Cavaliers have won 16 of 17 games on their Turf Field. ? In the first two games, Robeor has scored a team-high seven goals on 19 shots. ? UVa stands 4-1 in the series against Denver, which hosts North Carolina on Sunday.

Finding a way to make NIT worse
Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress Sports Editor
February 21, 2006

Scattershooting around the ACC, while wondering if J.J. Redick's conference scoring record will ever be broken ...

The Duke senior has 2,557 career points and needs 31 to break the ACC's all-time scoring mark of Wake Forest's Dickie Hemric, who scored 2,587 from 1952-55. Hemric, of course, did not have the benefit of the 3-point shot.

Hemric also set his mark in 104 career games. Redick has already played in 130 games and has several more to go this season. Even more amazing about Hemric is the fact that not only has he remained the ACC's all-time scorer for 50 years, but he is also the league's all-time rebounder, averaging 17.3 a game (1,802).

That's about five more a game than Tim Duncan and about six more than Ralph Sampson, both of whom dominated the boards during their days in the ACC.

All of this begs the question about Redick's feat. Considering it took 50 years to break Hemric's mark, will it be another 50 or more for someone to approach Redick's? Consider that not only will someone have to be a big-time scorer and remain healthy, but have to stick around for four years. How many players with that scoring ability will elect not to turn pro before their senior seasons?

Just a little something to ponder over your morning coffee.

Miami's Guillermo Diaz is convinced. After trying to guard Redick on Sunday night, the Hurricanes' guard had this to say:

"That man can shoot," Diaz said. "It's hard to play against a player like that. If he gets the ball and throws it up, it's probably going in."

Say it ain't so

Sadly, we report that the NIT, if it weren't a bad enough tournament to begin with, has decided that teams no longer have to have .500 records to be selected for its 40-team field.

Are you kidding me?

The NIT's new committee, made up of former Division I coaches Dean Smith, C.M. Newton, Don DeVoe, Reggie Minton, Jack Powers and Carroll Williams have stated that the tournament will guarantee berths for regular-season champions of the 31 Division I conference that aren't selected in the NCAA's field of 65.

"The committee was unanimous in its view on this matter," Newton said. "It formalizes what postseason basketball should be - a reward for success throughout the regular season."

So, we guess it's not hypocritical to then turn around and vote to accept teams with less than a .500 record into the event?

Among the other changes in the NIT, the 40 teams will be seeded and the higher seeds will host games as they advance ... except in cases of extenuating logistical circumstances, or perhaps (our opinion on past experience) cases of extenuating poor gate circumstances.

Quote of the Week

Maryland coach Gary Williams on his team turning the ball over a combined 52 times in two games against Clemson and Georgia Tech last week:

"That wasn't a bug, that was bird flu," Williams said. "You get 26 turnovers in a game, there's not a lot of things you can do about it."

Pain in the ...

North Carolina's Roy Williams has coached in pain ever since early December when his back went out prior to the Tar Heels' game against St. Louis. It's all about the sciatic nerve, which bothers him every day.

"If there's ever been a statement that's true, it's a pain in the rear," Williams said. "But it's also a pain in the hamstring and a pain in the calf. Come May 1 that sciatic better be better or I'm going to fire some doctors."

May 1 is when Williams generally begins playing golf, his second love to basketball.

"I've got a chiropractor I'm seeing; I'm taking acupuncture," Williams said. "I've got a witch doctor that I talk to once a week. I'm getting more treatment than anybody other than Tyler Hansbrough. Except I'm not getting in that dadgum ice tub like he does. If you told me that was the only way I could play golf, I would, but that's the only way."

Ever wonder why ...

We write so much about football recruiting in The Daily Progress? Because readers love to read about recruiting.

Consider that Rivals.com had more than 58 million page views on National Signing Day earlier this month, 20 million more than its previous high. Now, you might remember in 1999 when Victoria's Secret's website crashed under intense traffic ... well, that was about 1.5 million users.

In fact, signing day was such a big deal this year for Rivals, that the company actually signed a sponsor to present the signing day showcase on the web: Circuit City.

And just what schools drew the most traffic? Shouldn't surprise us that it was Florida State, which has the most rabid fan base of any ACC school, let alone nationally. Other top sites behind FSU on signing day were, in order: Nebraska, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia.

Call him scoop

Virginia Tech basketball player Coleman Collins sometimes writes columns for the Hokies' school newspaper, and one of his pieces will appear in an upcoming feature about him in Sports Illustrated.

Collins said he has been touched by the sportsmanship and support he has received from the ACC teams and fans during his father's recent struggle with cancer. Jackson Collins died a week ago.

"The fans have been great," Coleman Collins said. "I get 20, 30, 40 letters every day, 10 e-mails. Every time I go somewhere, people are real supportive."

N.C. State players went out of their way to be kind to Collins after the Wolfpack win over Tech last Saturday.

"We all wanted to show our support, just pat him on the back and wish him the best," said State's Tony Bethel. "We're all a big family in the ACC, even though we compete hard."

Injured list

Virginia fans will keep a close eye on Clemson's Vernon Hamilton, the Tigers' starting point guard who missed the Maryland game.

Hamilton sat on the bench with his left arm in a sling due to a chipped bone in his elbow and a sprained thumb he received in a loss to Boston College a few days prior. UVa plays at Clemson on Saturday and, with Hamilton leading the ACC in steals, his presence is always a big deal.

Meanwhile, N.C. State has been somewhat secretive about the foot injury to senior forward Ilian Evtimov, who missed the Wolfpack win over FSU. The injury has been termed a sprained Lisfranc ligament in his left foot.

The Lisfranc ligament is named for a surgeon in Napoleon's army, Jacque Lisfranc, because it is the ligament that was injured when soldiers were thrown from their horses during battle and their feet got caught in the stirrups.

Ah, nothing like a little history lesson in the old sports column, right? Certainly, that ought to be worth a beverage when you meet up with your chums tonight.

Free throws ...

... Jeff Jones told this columnist last week that his American University basketball team will play at Virginia's JPJ Arena next season, marking the return of the former Cavalier player and coach. ...Wake Forest's six home losses this season match its total number of home defeats during Skip Prosser's first four seasons at the helm. ... And, just why won't those Prosser-to-Cincinnati rumors go away? ...When J.J. Redick won ACC Player of the Week honors for the 11th time of his career on Monday, it put him only one behind former UNC star Antawn Jamison's 12 for the honors. It was the sixth time Redick has been named player of the week in the league this season, also one behind Jamison's record seven. ... Meanwhile, UNC's Tyler Hansbrough won the conference's Rookie of the Week honors for the eighth time this season, trailing only former Georgia Tech star Kenny Anderson, who won it 10 times en route to ACC Rookie of the Year honors in 1990. ...

... Don't look now but N.C. State coach Herb Sendek, often criticized during his career by Wolfpack fans, is one win away from tying State legend Everett Case for 14th place on the ACC's all-time coaching win list. ... Boston College has won 10 of its last 11 games. ... UNC has shot 50 percent or better in five of its last seven games and is 5-1 on the road, the only loss coming at Virginia. ... Miami's Guillermo Diaz, Robert Hite and Anthony Harris, being called by some as "Lethal Weapon 3," are averaging 47.9 points per game. ... Virginia Tech's last five games have been settled by a total of 13 points. ... Virginia's backcourt of Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds is averaging 33.8 points, 7.9 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per contest. ... Wake Forest wore throwback jerseys on Sunday, replicas of those worn by the 1962 Final Four team (Billy Packer was on that team, by the way), but it didn't help the Deacs snap their losing skid.

Leitao's focus is small things
Postseason prospects are low priority with Eagles visiting U-Hall
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Feb 21, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Four regular-season games remain for the University of Virginia men's basketball team: two at University Hall and two on the road.

Win one or two of those games, and the Cavaliers almost certainly will end up in the National Invitation Tournament.

Win all four? U.Va., which was picked to finish last in the ACC, might find itself in the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years.

Virginia fans may enjoy discussing the various scenarios, but bracketology appears to be the least of Dave Leitao's concerns as March approaches. U.Va.'s first-year coach hasn't brought up postseason possibilities with his players yet, and he's not planning to start now.

Leitao is more concerned with trying to improve the Cavaliers' defense, which was porous Saturday at Florida State, and their offensive execution. He wants his players to focus on the small things, he said, and "let the bigger things take care of themselves."

Virginia's 76-62 loss to the Seminoles dropped the team's record in ACC road games to 1-5. At U-Hall, however, the Cavaliers are 5-1 in conference games. They'll need all the home-court advantage they can muster tonight against 11th-ranked Boston College.

U.Va. (6-6, 13-10) is one of three teams tied for fifth place in the ACC. BC (8-4, 21-5) is tied for third with North Carolina. The Eagles have won 10 of their past 11 games, losing only to Duke, by two points, during that span

"We understand that they're not only one of the best teams in America," Leitao said yesterday, "but one of the hottest teams in America."

The Eagles' leader is powerfully built forward Craig Smith. The 6-7, 250-pound senior averages 16.7 points and 8.5 rebounds and shoots better than 57 percent from the floor. Trying to contain Smith will be a U.Va. team that has only three post players, one of whom suffered a broken nose and mild concussion in the first half against FSU and didn't return to the game.

Asked yesterday if 6-8, 241-pound freshman Laurynas Mikalauskas would play tonight, Leitao was noncommittal.

"It's not Lars' decision or my decision whether he'll be able to play," Leitao said. "It'll be in the hands of the doctors and the trainers."

In 2004-05, the Eagles' final season in the Big East, they won their first 20 games. BC's inaugural campaign in the ACC didn't start as smoothly. Al Skinner's club dropped its first three conference games.

But Skinner didn't panic, not with players such as Smith and Jared Dudley in his lineup. Dudley, a 6-7 junior, had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists Thursday night as the Eagles rallied at home to whip ACC foe Miami 65-54.

"Their best player, to me, is Jared Dudley," Hurricanes coach Frank Haith said yesterday.

Skinner, who's in his ninth season at BC, will need no introduction to his U.Va. counterpart tonight. He and Leitao are longtime friends with deep roots in New England. Before taking the Boston College job, Skinner coached at Rhode Island. Leitao, a former Connecticut assistant, spent two seasons in the '90s as coach at Northeastern, his alma mater.

He's 0-2 as a coach against Skinner. Rhode Island beat Northeastern 78-66 in November 1994 and 78-61 a year later.

"I respect him a ton and think the world of him," Leitao said of Skinner.

Poised on cusp, Virginia looks to turn season
After a 76-62 road loss to Florida State, Cavaliers desperately need victory to hold onto hopes for bid in NCAA tournament
Martin Barna, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

If there ever were a time for this year's men's basketball team to take a stand to salvage its season, this evening's home contest against No. 13 Boston College (21-5, 8-4 ACC) would be it.

After suffering a disheartening 76-62 loss in Tallahassee to Florida State over the weekend, the Cavaliers (13-10, 6-6 ACC) have fallen back into a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference. Saturday's surprising double-digit defeat -- the team's fourth-straight road loss -- makes tonight's contest a virtual must-win. With a home game against Maryland and two tough road matchups in Clemson and Chapel Hill looming in the final two weeks, a loss tonight could be the fatal blow to the team's fading hopes for an NCAA Tournament bid.

As poorly as this year's squad has played in road games, the team has been almost unstoppable on their home court. In the last month alone, Virginia has won five straight at U-Hall, including three particularly impressive showings against North Carolina, Miami and Virginia Tech. The team has dropped only two home games all year, the most recent coming at the hands of Florida State Jan. 11.

On the other side of the scorer's table, the Eagles have been riding a recent hot streak of their own, winning 10 of their last 11 and five straight on the road. The team has relied on the talented frontcourt duo of senior Craig Smith (16.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and junior Jared Dudley (16.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg) in big wins over North Carolina, Clemson and Miami.

If Virginia is to have an answer for the conference's third-best team, it may come from junior guard T.J. Bannister. Bannister, who has missed the better part of the season due to a sports hernia, logged 14 minutes in Saturday's loss and could be a major factor in the final four games of the season.

"Since I got healthy I've just been trying to prove myself," Bannister said. "Coach [Leitao] gave me a chance, and I'm trying to take advantage of it."

Bannister's offensive spark should help shift attention away from Sean Singletary as the Cavaliers attempt to penetrate a Boston College defense that has allowed only 57 points per game in its last four outings. Moreover, as a co-recipient of last year's "Hardest Worker Award," the junior guard also exhibits the intangible skills that appear to have made the difference during the team's last few big losses.

"We're going to have to play with a ton more energy than we did today," Leitao said after Saturday's loss.

If nothing else, the return of Bannister may be a step in the right direction for a team in desperate need of a win.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. this evening at University Hall.

Virginia Roundup
Groh rounds out his staff
From staff reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
February 21, 2006

For the second straight year, Virginia coach Al Groh has hired a coach off Joe Novak's football staff at Northern Illinois.

On Monday, Groh announced the hiring of Steve Bernstein as the program's secondary coach.

The hiring gives Groh a full staff for the first time since the end of the 2005 regular season.

Bernstein, who spent the past two seasons at NIU coaching the secondary, worked one year with Levern Belin, Virginia's defensive line coach in '05 and current linebacker's coach.

The position coaching Virginia's secondary has been vacant since former defensive coordinator and secondary coach Al Golden took over Temple's football program in early December.

In addition to losing Golden, Ron Prince and Danny Rocco were named head coaches at Kansas State and Liberty, respectively.

Mark D'Onofrio joined Golden on his staff at Temple as the defensive coordinator.

Groh welcomed back Mike London as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach and hired Dave Borbely (offensive line) and Bob Diaco (linebackers and special teams).

Bernstein is no stranger to the Commonwealth, having coached under Bill Dooley at Virginia Tech from 1978 to 1984.

The California native also coached in the ACC at Wake Forest (1973-1977).

For his career, Bernstein has also coached at Utah State (1970-72), Colorado (1985-87), Illinois (1988-91), Texas (1992-97), LSU (1998-99) and Arizona (2001-03).

While Groh did not release a statement and is out of town for the week, Novak raved about Bernstein when he hired him in 2003.

"[Coach Bernstein] has some great teaching credentials and contributed to some excellent football programs over the years," Novak said.

"Steve has worked for some of the best head coaches in the country. ... He's an excellent coach and a top-notch recruiter."

Bernstein was a running back at Occidental College for legendary coach Jim Mora and was an All-District performer as a senior in 1967.

Bernstein is married to the former Carolyn Maddy of Christiansburg, and the couple has one adult son, Todd.

VIRGINIA BASEBALL TO HOST VCU TODAY AT DAVENPORT FIELD: UVa sophomore Sean Doolittle will make his first start of the season on the mound today against Virginia Commonwealth at 3 p.m.

Doolittle, who also plays first base, has not allowed a runner to reach base in 3.1 innings of work.

Last year, Doolittle made just one start, but pitched 21 times in relief.

The New Jersey native finished 3-2 overall with an impressive ERA of 1.64 (49.1 IP, 9 ER, 66 K's, 16 BB's).

Virginia, fresh of a three-game sweep of Towson, stands at 4-1 on the season.

VCU (3-1) was picked to finish second in the CAA by the league's coaches.

"VCU has a very good baseball program," said UVa coach Brian O'Connor. "They have a strong tradition of going to the NCAA Tournament. I have a lot of respect for their coach and the way that they play the game.

"I am sure that they will be eager to play us. We haven't played VCU in two years since I have been the coach here, and we have worked it out to play over the next couple of years. I am sure there will be a good crowd out here and it will be a good baseball game."

All general admission tickets for today's game will be on sale for $2.

JONES WINS ACC WRESTLING AWARD: In Greensboro, N.C., Virginia freshman Brent Jones was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after helping the Cavaliers secure a 24-14 win over Maryland on Feb. 17.

Jones, who wrestles at 197 pounds, earned his eighth fall of the season after pinning Jerry Afari of Maryland in just 37 seconds.

Jones finished the regular season with a 20-11 record and a 3-2 mark versus ACC competition.

CAVALIERS CLIMB FOUR SPOTS IN WOMEN'S GOLF: In Miami Lakes, Fla., the women's golf team shot a 10-over 298 in the second round of the Papa John's Collegiate Championship to move into fourth place.

After two days of play at Don Shula's Golf Club, Virginia trails N.C. State by eight strokes.

Individually, Virginia junior Leah Wigger is tied for second, three strokes behind Florida's Christina Jones.

LIEB NAMED TOPS IN ACC: In Greensboro, N.C., Nikki Lieb was named Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Lacrosse Player of the Week after leading Virginia to a 10-9 win over No. 14 Vanderbilt in the season opener.

Lieb scored the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute of action and won the ensuing draw to secure the road win.

CAVALIERS REBOUND FOR WIN OVER COLORADO: In Seattle, the Virginia men's tennis team snapped a three-match losing streak with a 4-0 victory over Colorado on Sunday night in the last match of the USTA-ITA National Indoor Championship.

With the win, Virginia improves to 8-5 on the season and tied with Penn for 13th place in the 16-team event.

Georgia won the event with a 4-0 win over Pepperdine in the title match.

Against Colorado, Virginia won the doubles point and three singles matches in straight sets to secure the win.

Doug Stewart won at No. 2 singles, Darrin Cohen won at No. 6 and Somdev Devvarman won at No. 1.

UVa returns to action on Friday with a doubleheader at the Indoor Tennis Stadium at the Boar's Head Sports Club.

The Cavaliers will open ACC play against Boston College at noon and battle in-state foe Old Dominion in the nightcap (6 p.m.). Admission is free.