Dominion dominance at stake
UVa looking for 5th straight win over Va. Tech
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com
February 10, 2007

This week, Virginia coach Dave Leitao, who usually plays things close to the vest, said two things that were a bit uncharacteristic.

First, he admitted that today’s game at Virginia Tech has more meaning than a typical conference game.

Then he agreed that his team is having a very good season.

“Our guys know the importance of the game; our fans know about it,” Leitao said. “So as much as I can say it’s a one-game-in-a-16-game thing - it really isn’t. It’s a state rivalry and both teams are having really good years, so that just adds to it.”

Throw in the fact that UVa (16-6, 8-2) defeated Virginia Tech three times last season - twice in the regular season and once in the ACC Tournament - and the game has even more juice.

“They’re going to be extra fired up,” said Virginia guard J.R. Reynolds. “We just have to try to take the crowd out early and keep throwing punches for 40 minutes.”

With its seven-game conference winning streak - its longest in 25 years - the first-place Cavaliers are practically a lock for making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.

But Leitao said he hasn’t talked about that prospect with his players yet.

“What we concentrate on is day by day - what we have to do to be successful come the end of the season,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll be naïve to [it] and just look the other way like it doesn’t exist, but on the other end I don’t think we need to talk a whole lot about [it].”

Leitao said he doesn’t worry about his players getting sidetracked by March Madness hype.

“If I’m able to trust them in terms of their maturity and the way they can handle things, then I have to be able to trust that they can handle that as well,” he said. “It’s a little easier said than done because it’s something a lot of guys haven’t been through in terms of handling, so we’ll talk about it.

“We’ve talked about other distractions that can divert your attention. We’ve handled those pretty well and I’m sure we will with this, too.”

Besides, first thing’s first.

Virginia Tech (16-7, 6-3) is coming off losses to N.C. State and Boston College. However, the Hokies have beaten Duke and North Carolina this season. They also beat Appalachian State - a team Virginia lost to in the San Juan Shootout - by 32 points.

Plus, they have one of the best backcourts in the ACC in Jamon Gordon and Zabian Dowdell. Their matchup with Reynolds and Sean Singletary should be fun to watch.

Remarkably, Virginia will be looking for its fourth consecutive conference road win. Until its victory on Jan. 24 over N.C. State, UVa hadn’t won a road game outside the commonwealth in the Leitao era.

“In that game we were able to overcome adversity and come away with the win,” Leitao said. “But I’ve always thought and have tried to preach to the guys about playing the right way and playing with confidence. If you do that, it doesn’t matter where you play - you can be successful.

“I think in that game and the games following that, that’s what we’ve been able to do - play with some poise and some character. If you do that, you allow some of your strengths to come and have a much better chance of being successful.”

In the game in Blacksburg last season, Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg got on the courtside microphone - to Leitao’s dismay - and incited the home crowd.

On Thursday, Leitao almost sounded giddy as he talked about today’s contest - and facing the Hokies again on March 1.

“When you have [this] kind of matchup, it makes for great drama,” he said. “We had three really good games against them last year and it came down to some final plays. I’m sure it will be the same with the upcoming [games].”

Dunks

Virginia leads the all-time series 77-46. ... Leitao said Singletary’s injuries - he has a bruised elbow and shoulder - are nothing serious. “We monitor that closely,” Leitao said. “Him being rested, particularly on days off is very, very important. … I think he’s good. Everyone has their bumps and bruises right now, but I don’t think it prevents him from playing at a high level.” … The Hokies’ small forward tandem of Deron Washington and A.D. Vassallo are averaging a combined 22.5 points - on 48-percent shooting - and 8.9 rebounds. … Dowdell has scored in double figures in 36 straight games. … Today’s contest is part of the Commonwealth Challenge, a competition between the schools in several sports. So far, Virginia is leading 5.5 to 3.5.

 

Who has the state's best backcourt?
By Jerry Ratclifffe / jratfliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
February 10, 2007

After withstanding the pressure of Clemson’s athletic guards on the road and outshining Duke’s backcourt at home, Virginia’s J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary will face an entirely different challenge from another pair of basketball gunslingers today in Blacksburg.
The Cavaliers’ tandem is arguably the best backcourt in the ACC and even perhaps the nation. Arguably, because some folks will present the case that Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon have raised the Hokies’ hoops profile to as equally lofty heights as Singletary and Reynolds have for the Wahoos.

Carrying their teams
You can trace the success of both state rivals directly to the backcourt play. Both coaches would agree that you could also trace the success to the fact that three of the four guards are seniors and that Singletary, the lone junior of the group, plays like a senior.
Regardless, today’s 4 p.m. tip at Tech’s Cassell Coliseum should be a hoop junkie’s dream. In one of the country’s most underrated rivalries, viewers will discover four guards letting it all hang out. Don’t expect anything to be left on the court when these backcourts collide.

Among the league’s best
Reynolds, who grew up in nearby Roanoke, is having a banner year. He’s elevated his game on all levels and ranks third in the ACC in scoring, just ahead of Singletary (fourth) and Dowdell (sixth).
Like all good guards, these guys are about much more than simply scoring.
Singletary is fifth in assists, second in free-throw shooting, second in 3-point percentage.
Reynolds is ninth in assists, fifth in free-throw percentage, seventh in 3-point shooting.
Dowdell is sixth in free-throw percentage. Gordon is sixth in assists.

Hold on to the ball
Most eye-catching to Virginia is that the two Tech guards rank first and third in the ACC in steals, which is an indication of how aggressive the Hokies play defense.
“They gamble a lot on defense,” Singletary said of today’s counterpart. “I think Clemson was the very best we’ve faced in straight-up ball pressure. We know that Gordon and Dowdell are very solid, but when you get past them, they’re going for steals, so we have to be solid, too.”
This one could be pitted as the Cavalier duo’s shooting touch vs. the Hokies’ quick hands on defense. During the last dozen games, the Wahoo guards have been nearly unstoppable, averaging a combined 42.7 points in one of the most impressive stretches in UVa history.
The media will try to personalize today’s matchup as a battle of the league’s best guards, a battle for state backcourt supremacy. While Singletary and Reynolds have received most of the plaudits in that department this season, particularly during Virginia’s seven-game winning roll, the Hokie guards have been asking, ‘Hey, what about us?’
Today they’ll get an opportunity to show their mettle.
Virginia’s guards say they’re not buying into the hype.
“In terms of our preparation, J.R. and I are taking it as another game,” Singletary said. “We don’t want to get caught up in all that stuff. We play against good guards every day in the ACC. We realize [Tech’s guards] are going to be tough, especially in their own gym.”
While Singletary brushes off the notion that this is more than another day at the office, Reynolds begs to differ. Well, slightly.
“That makes it a little bit special because we’re all in the same state,” Reynolds said. “The fact we’re state rivals puts the topping on it. That’s the only thing you need to say, that we’re playing Virginia Tech.”
Reynolds is more familiar with the Hokies. He has known Dowdell for quite some time and spent time with Gordon at the Nike camp last summer.
That aside, the foursome teed off against each other three times last season, Virginia getting a clean sweep of the trifecta, a flame that has kept the Hokies stoked for this meeting for nearly a year.
UVa coach Dave Leitao is well aware of the damage that Tech’s quick guards can inflict upon his game plan.
“It’s a challenge unique to just about any other team that we face in this league,” the Cavalier CEO said after Thursday’s practice. “They’re both experienced and both understand their strengths and weaknesses.
“I think for us specifically, they’re both big (Dowdell and Gordon are each 6-foot-3; Reynolds 6-2 1/2, Singletary 6-0) and have long arms and get into the interior of our defense. That makes them very dangerous. I think as a pair they’re as good as any two defenders you could face.”
Playing on their home court, the Tech guards will be particularly aggressive. Dowdell has scored in double figures in
36 straight home games and is the second-leading active career scorer in the conference (Reynolds is third). Gordon is the only active player in Division I basketball that has scored 1,100 career points, compiled 500 rebounds, 400 assists and 250 steals.
That’s a lot to contend with.
“They’re both big-time players,” Leitao said. “But we feel like we have two big-time players on our side, so we kind of just look forward to that matchup.”
So will the rest of us.

 

Cavs open with a bang
From staff reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
February 10, 2007

CONWAY, S.C. - It was exactly the start Brian O’Connor had feared.

With his team’s ace, left-hander Sean Doolittle, on the mound, Virginia’s fourth-year coach watched a throwing error open the door for a three-run inning just 10 minutes after the 2007 season had officially started.

Luckily for O’Connor, that’s where the complaints stopped.

Virginia, ranked ninth in the nation, pounded out 12 hits and used a two-run homer from senior Brandon Marsh to rally past Elon for a 10-3 season-opening victory in the first game of the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament.

“There is going to be adversity that comes about in every game, and that’s why it was great to see our guys not panic after a rough first inning,” O’Connor said. “Elon has a good ball club, a great veteran ball club, so that makes it a good first win for us.”

Doolittle, who bounced back from the forgettable first inning, retired 12 of the last 14 batters he faced to record the win. The defending ACC Player of the Year was pulled after nearing his pitch count (he threw 84 pitches in five innings); he allowed four hits, one earned run and fanned six Phoenix batters.

More importantly, Doolittle minimized the damage early.

“It was the same old thing. I knew that if I could hold it at [3-0] that our offense was going to chip away and our defense was going to tighten up and make some plays behind me,” Doolittle said. “It really was more or less of the fact that I had to concentrate on not letting things get too far out of hand.”

The Cavaliers scored lone runs in the first and third, before Marsh helped chase Elon starter Jesse Lewter (0-1) from the game in the fourth inning.

After sophomore shortstop Greg Miclat doubled home rookie Tyler Cannon, Marsh worked the count against Lewter into his favor.

“I went to 2-0 and I was going to focus on one pitch,” Marsh said, “but then I realized that I was just going to look for something to hit hard.”

Lewter, a lefty, complied and Marsh connected on the third homer of his Cavalier career, which gave UVa its first lead, at 5-3.

“He threw me an up-and-out fastball and I connected with it on the barrel,” Marsh said. “The wind helped me out, but I’ll take it. It was definitely a 2-0 cut compared to something conservative.”

O’Connor was excited with the blast from his No. 2 hitter, mainly because where it landed: over the right-field wall.

“He hit it the other way, which was great to see,” O’Connor said. “A lot of his hits come on the pull side, so it was good to see him go that way with the ball.”

UVa, which got three two-out RBI in the game, added another run in the fourth on a run-scoring single from Brandon Guyer, giving Doolittle all the insurance he needed on the mound.

“In the beginning, I feel like I was trying to be a little too fine,” Doolittle said, “and then as the game progressed and I got comfortable and rid of the jitters, I was able to concentrate on spotting up and starting to emphasize location over velocity and not trying to do too much. I just stayed within the system.”

The Cavaliers tacked on two more runs in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively, as relievers Andrew Carraway (3 IP, 2 BB, 2 SO) and Jeff Lorick (1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) allowed only two Phoenix runners to advance to second base.

David Adams and Marsh tallied two hits apiece for the Cavs, while Cannon delivered a three-hit performance in his debut.

“[Cannon] swung the bat really well and, combined with Brandon Marsh, they carried the load for us,” O’Connor said. “That’s why I like our offensive ball club - our run production can come from anywhere 1 through 9.”

It helped that seven of the eight leadoff hitters for the Cavaliers reached base in the contest.

“You do that and you are going to have a chance to have a 10-run day,” O’Connor said. “Some of the guys were not swinging the bat well and that is to be expected. It’s just nice to know that you have a number of guys that can pick each other up.”

Virginia will play North Florida today at 3:30 p.m. before closing out the tournament against host Coastal Carolina at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Sophomore Jacob Thompson is scheduled to pitch for UVa today. On the mound for the Ospreys will be sophomore righty Tyler Stohr.

 

Sports Focus: Virginia-Virginia Tech
Will stars shine brightly? Expect an unexpected hero if neither teams' guards can take control
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Feb 10, 2007

The best players on the court at Cassell Coliseum today will wear Nos. 44 and 2 for Virginia and Nos. 22 and 1 for Virginia Tech: guards Sean Singletary, J.R. Reynolds, Jamon Gordon and Zabian Dowdell, respectively.

Reynolds, Gordon and Dowdell are four-year starters. Singletary is a junior who "might be the best guard in America right now," according to Hokies coach Seth Greenberg.

If U.Va.'s starting backcourt is not the ACC's finest, then Tech's probably holds that distinction.

"When you have that matchup, it makes for great drama," said Dave Leitao, the Cavaliers' second-year coach. "In saying that, what it means is that a lot of times the game will be decided by somebody else other than those four guys."

That's what happened Jan. 15, 2006, the last time these teams met in Blacksburg. Singletary and Reynolds scored 16 points apiece, but Adrian Joseph made the pivotal shot. Joseph's 3-pointer with 45 seconds left put the Wahoos ahead to stay, and they came away with a 54-49 victory.

If the guards cancel each other when U.Va. (8-2, 16-6) and Tech (6-3, 16-7) meet today, then the game figures to turn on the play of someone usually cast in a supporting role. Possibilities include Coleman Collins, Deron Washington, Markus Sailes and A.D. Vassallo for Tech and Joseph, Mamadi Diane, Jason Cain and Tunji Soroye for Virginia.

"Everybody's got to be ready to play, because you never know when you're going to be called on," Reynolds said.

Soroye got the call Tuesday night in College Park, Md., and the 6-11 junior from Dugbe Ibadan, Nigeria, answered with an inspired 25-minute performance. Soroye had played only 12 minutes in Virginia's previous two games, totaling two points and one rebound, but he pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds and blocked four shots in a 69-65 win over Maryland.

"We told him, as well as everybody, 'You never know when it's going to be your time,'" Leitao said. "The Maryland game was his time, and fortunately for him and us, he stepped up."

Virginia went 3-0 against Tech last season, but more than bragging rights are at stake today for rivals that will meet again March 1 at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Both have put themselves in position to receive serious consideration for at-large entry to the NCAA tournament, but each has more work to do.

The Cavaliers' résumé probably is stronger than that of Tech's, if only because of their standing in the conference. U.Va. has won seven straight games and shares first place in the ACC with Boston College. The fourth-place Hokies aren't far behind, but they've dropped two games in a row and have visits to North Carolina and N.C. State looming.

Greenberg said his players "know that this is an important game. It's an important game for both teams, but they know you've got to win your home games."

He doesn't have to mention the NCAA tourney to his players, Greenberg said. "They know. They know our RPI is [good]. They know we've probably got to win three more games. It's real simple: You're going to go if you win games. There's no rocket science to it. They know. They listen. They watch. They're fans."

Virginia has seven regular-season games remaining. Four are at the JPJ, where Leitao's team is 12-1. Playing well at home is nothing new for the Cavaliers, but their improved play on the road is the main reason they're poised to reach the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2001.

After losing nine of its first 10 conference road games under Leitao, U.Va. has won its past three, beating N.C. State, Clemson and Maryland. The confidence gained from those victories should help Virginia today at Cassell.

"When you go into a hostile environment, we know that those players and that coaching staff and those fans right behind [the U.Va. bench], that's all we have, and we're just going to stick together," Singletary said.

 

Backcourts are key for Tech, UVa.
Guard play is extra special for both UVa and Va. Tech.
By Mark Berman
981-3125

Virginia Tech's Jamon Gordon frequently talks on the phone with J.R. Reynolds and exchanges e-mails with Sean Singletary.

Reynolds also talks with Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell now and then.

Today, the friends will again be rivals.

Two of the nation's best starting backcourts square off when the Hokies host the Cavaliers at 4 p.m. (WDBJ).

"This is one of those games we marked on the calendar [because of the backcourt showdown]," said Dowdell, Tech's senior point guard. "There's a bit of hype behind this game with their guys and our guys and the amount of pride that's taken in doing what we do. There's definitely some competition there."

Dowdell, Gordon and Reynolds consider the UVa and Tech tandems among the nation's best. So does TV analyst Dan Bonner.

"They would be in the discussion with any backcourt you'd want to name," said Bonner, who works for CBS, Fox Sports Net and on the ACC's syndicated telecasts. "You'd be hard-pressed to name a backcourt that's better."

Both backcourts are the reasons their teams are among the top four in the ACC standings. UVa (16-6, 8-2) is in first place and Tech (16-7, 6-3) is in fourth.

"Both guard tandems are the basis of what each team is able to do," Bonner said. "The Virginia guards are both people who are really capable of putting the ball in the basket; they're shooters. Jamon Gordon isn't a shooter, but he's a tough guy who is able to guard a couple different positions and rebound, and he gets out and makes plays.

"The Virginia backcourt is a very difficult matchup because they can do so many things offensively. The Virginia Tech backcourt is probably a little more limited offensively, but they present matchup problems for the Virginia guys because Gordon is so big and strong."

Reynolds, a senior who once starred at Roanoke Catholic, ranks third in the ACC in scoring (18.7 ppg). Singletary, a junior point guard who made the All-ACC first team last season, ranks fourth in scoring (18.6 ppg).

"It's like guarding yourself," said Gordon, a senior. "It makes it easy for me. You know what they're going to do. ... They're going to shoot jumpers and they're going to go to the hole and they're going to try to make plays, just like we would do. ... Just keep a hand in their face."

Singletary ranks second in the ACC in both 3-pointers (2.5 per game) and 3-point field-goal percentage (40.1 percent). He ranks fifth in assists (4.8 apg).

"Singletary might be the best guard in America right now," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said.

Singletary also ranks second in free-throw percentage (89.1 percent). He is 139-of-156 from the line.

"When he is healthy and playing well, I don't think there's a better guard in the country than Sean Singletary," Bonner said. "His ability to get to the free-throw line is very, very impressive, You don't see guards ever shoot that many free throws. That means he's ... attacking the basket. He's been so successful at that this year that that is what has placed him head and shoulders above other guards in the conference."

Reynolds has averaged 24 points during UVa's current seven-game winning streak.

"He's playing at a level in the last three weeks that has rarely been played at recently in our conference," Greenberg said. "He's almost impossible to stop."

Dowdell ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring (18.1 ppg). If Bonner were to vote this week, he said he would include Dowdell on his All-ACC first team.

Gordon averages 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. He ranks sixth in the ACC in assists (4.4 apg).

"They're both big and long-armed, so they post us up and they get into the interior of our defense," UVa coach Dave Leitao said.

Gordon is the only active player in Division I with at least 1,100 career points, 500 career rebounds, 400 career assists and 250 career steals. Gordon leads all active ACC players in career assists (462) and ranks fifth among active ACC players in career rebounds (539).

Dowdell and Gordon are the chief reason the Hokies lead the league in turnover margin. Dowdell ranks second and Gordon sixth in assist-turnover ratio. Gordon leads the ACC in steals (2.5 spg), with Dowdell ranked third (2.3 spg).

"They bring, probably as a pair, as good ... defenders as any team can face in terms of what they can do to stop you from scoring, and obviously they steal the ball very well," Leitao said.

"They're both big-time players, and we feel like we've got two big-time players on our side, so we just kind of look forward to that matchup."

Which backcourt is better?

"You'll see on Saturday," Reynolds said.
 

Hokies must make most of the situation they are facing
Aaron McFarling

Let's play a little game. I'll give you some quotes from the past month, you tell me who said them.

n "Our intensity wasn't there the whole game."

n "It seemed like we weren't ready to play."

n "Our intensity on defense ... wasn't there."

n "They came out and played harder than us tonight."

n "They just came out with a little bit more fire than we did."

n "We didn't have enough energy. They definitely wanted it more than us."

Got your guess ready? That's right! These are the thoughts from Virginia Tech's basketball team -- Virginia Tech's veteran basketball team in the thick of a tight ACC race -- after recent losses to Boston College, N.C. State and Florida State.

Crash Davis would be proud of those quotes, but the Hokies shouldn't be.

An occasional effort letdown is certainly forgivable. These are college players, after all, with classes and study hall and travel burdens and personal problems all threatening to drain their energy and fuzz up their focus. But three times in 18 days, all against conference competition? Not good.

Here's what is good, though: Today. Actually, today is better than good -- it's fantastic.

Because today, any excuses about a lack of effort would ring hollow.

Today, we find out what the Hokies are all about.

The Virginia Cavaliers come to town this afternoon. These are the first-place Cavaliers, owners of a seven-game winning streak and four straight victories against Tech.

In other words, it's absolutely impossible to lack energy or focus when playing them.

If the Hokies are indeed NCAA tournament-worthy, they'll win today. If they lose, they still can make the bracket, but they'll have to dig pretty deep for any kind of explanation other than: "We're not as good as we thought."

Think about it. The Hokies have had six days off since that humbling loss at BC. That's plenty of time to rest after a grueling stretch that saw Tech battle its way into The Associated Press Top 25 and then tumble out.

They return home to a sold-out Cassell Coliseum, where fans, spurred by their hatred for an in-state rival and more than a decade of longing to get back in the tournament, will no doubt bring their best.

The Hokies will be favored. They'll be fresh.

And they need to produce.

That goes double for Tech center Coleman Collins, the biggest enigma on either team. The "good" Coleman, as the productive version of Collins is known to coach Seth Greenberg, gives the Hokies a decided edge over UVa, a versatile post presence that the Cavs cannot match.

But the "other" Coleman -- the one who's scored six total points in the past two games -- could easily get outplayed today by Jason Cain or even Tunji Soroye.

Collins understands this. So if he looks rough, you can bet effort will not be the culprit. Skill will. And that would be a harrowing realization for Tech, which starts freshman Lewis Witcher alongside Collins in the paint and desperately needs a complement for its outstanding guards.

The time to figure things out has passed. By this point, Collins either is an asset or he isn't, and the Hokies are either ready to take the next step or they aren't.

A loss today can never take away those earlier landmark victories over North Carolina and Duke, but it could temper their long-term relevance. It also would put Tech on a three-game skid heading into Tuesday's game in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Effort? It'll be there. We'll find out today if that was ever really the problem.
 

'Hoos got the best backcourt?
By ED MILLER , The Virginian-Pilot
© February 10, 2007

Who has the best backcourt in the ACC? It's not a discussion Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg thinks needs to take place.

"Everyone wants to say the best, the best the best," Greenberg said this week. "I think there are just a lot of good guard combos and on a given night, certain guys play at a high level and their team wins."

Agreed. But that won't stop the debate - or at least one ranking of the top backcourts in the conference, from one through six. (Hey, someone's got to do it.)

1. Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds, Virginia.

For sheer offensive firepower and game-changing ability, you can't beat these two, who rank 3-4 in the league in scoring, can get a shot anytime and have carried the Cavaliers to seven straight wins and an unexpected 8-2 conference record. Singletary gets more national exposure, but as Greenberg said, "Reynolds is playing at a level the last three weeks that few have played at recently in our conference." Indeed he is, averaging 25.5 points over his past six games.

2. Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon, Virginia Tech.

These seen-it-all seniors do not score as much as Reynolds and Singletary, but take care of the ball and are probably better defensively. Ask Duke or North Carolina, teams whose young backcourts were schooled by Gordon and Dowdell. They rank 2-3 in the league in steals, and Dowdell is the ACC's top scorer on the road, at 21 points per game.

3. Tyrese Rice and Sean Marshall, Boston College.

Formerly just a 3-point bomber, Rice has made a seamless switch to point guard. He has taken the league lead in assists, while also averaging 17.5 points in ACC games. The 6-foot-6 Marshall (15 ppg ) dropped 25 pounds and has improved his quickness and stamina to become one of the league's more difficult match-ups.

4. Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson, North Carolina.

Lawson has come on recently and can go from end to end as fast as anyone in the league, other than maybe Singletary. He gets to the rim, and surprisingly for someone listed (generously) at 5-11, can finish in traffic. Ellington ranks third on the team in scoring and leads the Tar Heels in 3-point baskets made. Both benefit from playing on the league's deepest team, allowing them to go all-out whenever they're on the floor.

5. Greg Paulus and Jon Scheyer, Duke.

Paulus is much-maligned, will probably never be a huge scorer and has had games he'd rather forget, such as a zero-point, six-turnover effort against Virginia Tech. But he's improved recently, and had zero turnovers in 37 minutes against North Carolina on Wednesday. Scheyer had a breakout performance with 26 points against the Tar Heels and is Duke's top 3-point threat.

6. Vernon Hamilton and Cliff Hammonds, Clemson.

Hammonds leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, which makes up for the not-so-sure-handed Hamilton - a pest on defense but a woeful 44.2-percent shooter from the free throw line, a huge liability for a guard. The scoring of K.C. Rivers off the bench adds juice to this backcourt.
 

Tech tries to put end to struggles
BY NORM WOOD
247-4642
February 10, 2007

After giving his team two days to stew over a week of failures in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg had the perfect way to welcome his players back to practice.

He took his team to the movies on Tuesday. Nothing like a little rest and relaxation in front of the big screen to get the mind right heading into today's critical conference game against rival Virginia (16-6 overall, 8-2 ACC). The only problem was Greenberg had a horror twin bill in mind, and it was something Tech's players had already seen: video of last week's losses to North Carolina State and Boston College. Every uncontested low post move against N.C. State and every unguarded shot from the perimeter against BC were on display.

"It's pretty disappointing," Tech forward Deron Washington said. "We know we're a better team than this. We're struggling right now. It's kind of like we hit a wall."

Senior guard Markus Sailes provided his own review of the film. Tech had won 12 of 14 games and climbed into first place in the ACC before its two-game losing streak.

"We were a little greedy," said Sailes, who was forced to sit out last Saturday's 80-59 loss to BC because he said he missed a meeting with an academic advisor. "We were feeling good about ourselves and we got lazy. We weren't humble and it turned into a big problem. We knew after we lost we didn't even play close to what we were capable of."

State and BC used different strategies against Tech (16-7, 6-3), which has played six of its last nine games on the road. Both methods were equally as effective.

State attacked inside, with forward Ben McCauley punishing Tech's Coleman Collins for 20 points and seven rebounds. The 'Pack shot 53 percent from the floor in its 70-59 win. BC attacked Tech from the perimeter, with forward Jared Dudley scoring 30 points, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and guard Tyrese Rice added 20 points, including 4 of 10 on 3-point shots.

U.Va. is more likely to attack Tech using BC's tactics. U.Va., led by guards Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds, is atop the ACC in 3-point field goals made per game (8.1). Singletary is second in the conference in 3-point field goals made per game (2.5), and Reynolds is seventh (1.9).

Tech will counter with its own guards. Seniors Jamon Gordon and Zabian Dowdell need to be sharper than they were last week. They were a combined 19 of 52 (36.5 percent) from the floor against State and BC. A.D. Vassallo is Tech's best perimeter weapon (averages 1.9 field goals made from 3-point range per game), while Sailes will provide defensive help on Singletary and Reynolds.

"I think we're similar," said Greenberg when comparing his team to U.Va.'s. "I think they've got a little bit better depth in terms of number of bodies. I think we both rely on trying to get stops and then creating offense. We both think that we're pretty tough. I'm not sure (Tech) can validate that after last week, but I think we both think we're pretty tough and I think we're both trying to re-establish our programs. I think we're both a little bit of a mirror image of each other."

No denying U.Va. game is huge for Tech
BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Feb 10, 2007
 
Let's not beat around the basket support.

The Hokies gotta win this one.

No ifs.

Ands.

Or buts -- especially the but that goes: But it's early February, and it's only a regular-season game with a bunch of regular-season games to go, and what really matters is March and the tournaments and the brackets and . . .

Stop.

This one counts. Counts for momentum. Counts for Selection Sunday. Counts for steadying a campaign that's suddenly veered off-course. Counts for state-terrain traction. Counts for ego gratification. Counts for one coach's resume. Counts for bragging rights.

Counts, in other words, for a whole lot.

Beat Virginia at home today, and Virginia Tech blunts erosion and gives itself a reprieve heading into a stretch run that's nothing if not rugged. Lose, and the Hokies could descend into a tailspin that might cost them a favorable NCAA seed at best and a bid itself at worst.

We are talking major implications here. We are talking dicey itinerary -- even as Hokies coach Seth Greenberg resists sizing up the campaign through a telescope.

"I've said all along, even when we were playing well, that we've got to stay in the present," Greenberg observed. "March will take care of itself. I'm not Kreskin. I can't predict the future."

And yet . . .

A week and a half ago, Tech was atop the ACC standings -- the perch U.Va. occupies now. Then came a home date with N.C. State and a trip to Boston College. Poof times two. Now the Hokies are 6-3 in the league and a little bit up against it. They still have road tests at North Carolina, N.C. State and U.Va. and home games against BC, Miami and Clemson.

Miami is the only gimme in the bunch. The margin for error is slimmer than Scooter Libby's fan club. And Tech has only itself to blame for this predicament.

Look, losing at BC is no sin. Showing up inert and losing by three touchdowns is. Ditto falling to State in Cassell Coliseum. Yeah, the Pack is spunky and improved now that Engin Atsur is healthier and back as primary ballhandler -- but please. If you have serious designs on March, you don't tumble on your own floor against those guys and get clobbered by 21 at BC.

But Tech did. And did. It was outrebounded in each outing. Its defense was lit up for 50 percent marksmanship. Backcourt mainstay Jamon Gordon was a combined 8 for 23 and center Coleman Collins a combined dud (six points and six rebounds in 43 minutes). These are not uplifting numbers. Maintain them, and today will be a long 40 minutes.

Speaking of trends, Tech lost three times to the Cavs last season, and Greenberg is 1-5 against them since his arrival in Blacksburg, and those, too, are numbers to fret about. Virginia is the hot team with the up-and-coming coach and the fancy new arena. Tech is the football school with three seniors in the starting lineup and no sure-thing replacements in the pipeline, and it can't afford to be submerged by its rival in what was looking like a banner year just two weeks ago.

"It is a big game," Greenberg acknowledged. "It's a big game 'cause it's at home. It's a big game 'cause they got us three times last year. It's a big game 'cause we've lost two in a row. You can't shy away from it."

And so, tipoff and gut check approach. Tech will have the crowd. Whether it'll have game and backbone, whether it'll get Gordon and Collins in gear, whether it'll get a handle on U.Va. guards Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds -- those are the looming issues for a pivotal afternoon.

 

This is not your typical Virginia-Virginia Tech meeting
By Nathan Warters
Lynchburg News & Advance
February 9, 2007

Yes, Virginia, there is good basketball in the commonwealth. For years, North Carolina schools have dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference. This season, one of Virginia's two major Division I basketball programs could raise the championship trophy come March.
Virginia Tech hosts Virginia today at 4 p.m. in a game that has ACC championship implications for both teams. Moreover, the Cavaliers and Hokies are each jockeying for spots in the NCAA tournament.

"As much as I can say it's a one game in 16 thing, it really isn't," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "It's a state rivalry and both teams are having very good years, so that just adds to it."

It's been more than a decade since UVa and Tech played a game with so much on the line. It's been even longer since both teams actually made the NCAA tournament in the same season.

Four of Virginia Tech's players weren't even born when the 'Hoos and Hokies last made the NCAA tournament together in 1986.

"That's surprising, but at the same time, it's one of those things where you have to take advantage of the opportunity," Tech starting guard Zabian Dowdell said. "I think both teams are in a unique position. Speaking of us, I think we just have to be ready to grasp the moment and just take advantage of it and be thankful for what we've accomplished so far, but continue to work for our future."

Entering today's game at Cassell Coliseum, UVa (16-6) is tied with Boston College atop the ACC standings with an 8-2 mark. Virginia Tech, 6-3 in the ACC, was in first place two weeks ago after completing a road sweep of Miami and Georgia Tech. Since then, the Hokies have lost two straight, and they have a difficult remaining slate that includes games at North Carolina, N.C. State and Virginia.

It may seem that the Hokies have more at stake today, considering they are playing at home and in the midst of a mini-slump. But the Cavaliers, who last made the NCAA tournament in 2001, can ill afford to lose the momentum that has spurred them to seven consecutive wins.

Tech was the hottest team in the ACC two weeks ago, but all it took was one loss to send it reeling.

"Obviously, we had a rough week. We didn't play at the level we expect to play nor have played during the course of the season," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "I think every team has some type of hiccup, and unfortunately we picked a bad time to do it."

The Hokies are still in the ACC's top four, which would make them a virtual lock to make the NCAA tournament if the season ended today.

But seven games remain, and Tech (16-7) has some work to do to get to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996.

"I feel that if we get 20 wins, we'll get in, but we won't be satisfied with just 20," Hokies senior guard Markus Sailes said. "We want to make history. We want to try to win as many games as possible."

The Cavaliers can punch their NCAA tournament ticket with two more conference wins, which doesn't seem too tall a task with their remaining schedule.

UVa, 12-1 at John Paul Jones Arena this season, has upcoming home games with Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, and road games against ACC cellar-dwellers Miami and Wake Forest.

If both Virginia and Virginia Tech take care of business, they'll be in the NCAA tournament together for only the fourth time.

"That's like, wow," Sailes said. "(Virginia's) a traditional school. I remember watching them when I was young, like Harold Deane, Junior Burrough and all those guys. Just to hear that with that school and this school with the tradition we have with Allan Bristow, Bimbo Coles and Ace Custis, that we both didn't make the tournament (at the same time) in over 20 years, that's crazy.

"It would be big for both schools, and I know it won't do anything but increase the chance of recruits staying in Virginia."

Talk of the ACC usually begins and ends with North Carolina schools. UNC, Duke, N.C. State and Wake Forest have dominated the league for half a century. One of those four schools has won or shared the conference regular-season title in 46 of the league's 53 years.

But this year, the attention has shifted, although only slightly, to the Virginia schools and Boston College.

If Virginia maintains its spot atop the ACC standings, it would be only its second outright ACC title (1981 was the other), though the Cavaliers have shared the conference title three times ('82, '83 and '95). Virginia Tech, which has been in the league for only three seasons, has not won an ACC championship.

While they've been focused on their own fate this season, many Hokies players said they can appreciate what the Cavaliers have accomplished. Some Tech players would like to see both teams make the NCAA tournament.

"Those guys went through a struggle, (guard J.R.) Reynolds especially," said Sailes, who played against Reynolds in AAU ball. "He's been there four years and finally he's benefiting just like we have. It would be a great reward for both of us because we've all seen the ugly and now we're seeing the brighter things."

Reynolds was less diplomatic when asked if he would like to see the Hokies succeed.

"I like to see Virginia do well," he said. "That's the only team I worry about."