National Signing Day: Recruiting rout
The road leads to Blacksburg for most of state's top high school players
Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 - 12:10 AM
By DARRYL SLATER AND JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS

Virginia Tech has battered the University of Virginia on the football field for most of the past decade, and the Hokies are about to pound their archrivals again. This is national signing day, and Tech's haul of in-state recruits will overwhelm Virginia's.

Of the 30 players expected to sign today with Tech, 22 are from the state. U.Va. expects to add 18 recruits for 2008, only three of whom are in state.

Virginia offered scholarships to far fewer in-state players than the Hokies for 2008. Even so, U.Va.'s struggle in the state is sobering news for a program whose most celebrated alumni include Virginians Terry Kirby, Chris Slade, Shawn Moore, Tiki and Ronde Barber, Thomas Jones, James Farrior, Heath Miller, Jamie Sharper and Chris Long.

Of U.Va.'s three in-state recruits, only Norview High's Klinton Ruff received a scholarship offer from Tech. The Hokies' class, meanwhile, will include seven state players who had offers from the Wahoos: Randall Dunn, Marcus Davis, Peter Rose, Antoine Hopkins, Isaiah Hamlette, Jake Johnson and Vinston Painter.

"It was a year that Tech got hot, and Virginia for some reason didn't get hot," said John Shuman, the longtime postgraduate coach at Fork Union Military Academy in Fluvanna County.

Other U.Va. targets from the state who are headed elsewhere include Mike Glennon (N.C. State), A.J. Price (Penn State), Kerry Boykins (Maryland) and Jimmy Bennett (Connecticut). And then there's Kyle Long.

Long, a senior at St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville, might be the best football prospect in the state, and had the 6-7, 280-pound lineman chosen to play college football, he almost certainly would have picked Virginia, for which his brother Chris starred at defensive end. But Kyle Long signed in November to play baseball at Florida State.

Even by Tech's standards, it enjoyed remarkable success in the state this year. In three of the previous four recruiting classes, at least half of the Hokies' players came from Virginia, the exception being 2006, when just six of 21 were in-state players.

Tech recruiting coordinator Jim Cavanaugh said then that he thought that was an anomaly. Similarly, Cavanaugh said recently, "I think this is an abnormally high number."

Several factors have contributed to Tech's in-state dominance, Cavanaugh and high school coaches said: continuity on head coach Frank Beamer's staff, the Hokies' recent success on the field and, in certain cases, their early interest in players.

Beamer came to Tech in 1987 and has been able to retain his top assistants. Running backs coach Billy Hite and defensive coordinator Bud Foster have been with Beamer since'87. Offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring came in 1990, Cavanaugh in 1996.

Cavanaugh recruits Hampton and Newport News, areas that have proved fruitful for Tech, producing Michael Vick, Xavier Adibi and Jimmy Williams. Cavanaugh's roots in the area date to the early 1970s when he was a high school coach in Newport News.

Tech offensive line coach Curt Newsome, who recruits the Norfolk side of Hampton Roads, also has deep roots in the 757 area code. Newsome was raised in Hampton and later coached in the Peninsula District for 14 years before moving to James Madison University as an assistant.

Eight players from the 7-5-7 are expected to sign today with the Hokies: Xavier Boyce, Davis, Dunn, Lyndell Gibson, Tony Gregory, Joe Jones, Painter and Dyrell Roberts.

Smithfield High's Roberts picked Tech -- Penn State was second, Virginia third -- for reasons more specific than its coaching-staff continuity or recent success. Roberts simply connected with the Hokies from the 757 area code. The Tidewater area isn't nearly as well-represented in U.Va.'s program.

"Even though I'm going four or five hours away, it's like never leaving home," Roberts said. "The players would really be the biggest difference [between Tech and Virginia]."

University of Richmond assistant Scott Burton, who until last month was coach at Highland Springs High, said it "definitely helps when [players] go on their official visit and there's a familiar face there, no doubt about it. It's like a breath of fresh air to see a face you know."

U.Va. coach Al Groh returned to his alma mater after the 2000 season. The only assistants left from Groh's first staff are his son Mike Groh and Bob Price. One of Virginia's top recruiters, Mike London, recently left to become coach at Richmond.

The Cavaliers have "changed over their strength coach, they've changed over their staff," said Shuman, whose son Ryan plays center for Tech. "They've had a lot of changeover. That gives rival coaches some more ammo."

Moreover, when many high school seniors began seriously considering their college options during the 2006 season, Virginia was slogging to a 5-7 record. Uncertainty surrounded Groh's future, and that may have affected prospects, especially in-state players who were closest to the speculation.

"There was a little bit of doubt about what direction the program was going in: Am I going to commit to this place, and is there going to be a change?" said Smithfield High's Chris Fraser, who coached Roberts, a receiver whom U.Va. was the first school to pursue.

"There's always been talk about that, and that's not going to happen down at Tech. Coach Beamer's not going anywhere."

Whatever changes have occurred in the recruiting game over the years, the bottom line remains: Winning sells. Tech has won at least 10 games in each of the past four seasons, going 42-11 over that span, during which the Hokies twice played in the Bowl Championship Series.

"I think maybe one thing that goes along with it, too, is exposure, and right now Virginia Tech is kind of on the side where they get more exposure nationally," said Jeff Berry, who coached Hamlette at Brooke Point High in Stafford. "If you click on ESPN you're more likely to see Virginia Tech on TV right now than Virginia."

Tech has beaten U.Va. in eight of the past nine seasons. Jim Prince, the coach at Ocean Lakes High in Virginia Beach, said the Hokies will dominate in-state recruiting "until Virginia can start to beat them. If you continue to win 10, 11 games a year, you're going to continue to win the battles. I think Tech will always be the big dog as long as they keep getting Virginia [high school] kids."

Or, as Fraser simply put it, "I just think they have a better product right now."

Fraser grew up a Virginia fan and later worked as a high school assistant under Ken Poates, who was one of Groh's teammates at U.Va. in the 1960s. In his office, Fraser still has a football signed by former Cavaliers coach George Welsh that he hides whenever Cavanaugh stops by.

"If Virginia Tech can convert me, imagine what they're doing to a 17-, 18-year-old kid," Fraser said.

For Ocean Lakes' Dunn, his decision to pick Tech over Virginia hinged on clicking with the guys who would be his teammates. Dunn said it also helped that Tech was the first school to recruit him.

As a junior, Dunn played just five plays in five games. But Prince told Tech about him and Newsome watched Dunn play basketball shortly after football season ended.

Virginia's recruiting coordinator Price began pursuing Dunn at the beginning of his senior year, but by that time, Tech already had a leg up. "You always remember that first kiss, you always remember that first date," Prince said.

The Cavaliers already have a commitment for 2009 from Harrisonburg High tailback Alex Owah, and they're well-positioned with many other Virginians in the junior class. Most recruiting analysts expect the Wahoos, who are coming off a 9-4 season and a trip to the Gator Bowl, to fare much better in the state in '09.

"I just think it's a one-year thing," FUMA's Shuman said.

At least one Tech recruit, however, isn't so sure.

"With the way we're going now," Roberts said, "with the [younger] kids that I know that I've talked to, everybody pretty much wants to come to Tech."
 

UVa staff closes out recruiting efforts
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
February 6, 2008

Barring unforeseen events from either end of the spectrum, Virginia coach Al Groh expects to receive 18 National Letters of Intent today at a fax machine in the McCue Center.

Groh’s eighth recruiting class will be considered one of his weakest, at least in the eyes of national recruiting services.

The crop will include only one in-state player ranked among the 30-best prospects in Virginia. Collectively, the class is ranked No. 61 in the country by Scout and No. 62 by Rivals.

And when compared to the classes landed by other ACC schools, the Cavaliers are near the bottom. Scout considers the class the 10th-best in the league, ahead of Wake Forest and Duke, and Rivals has Virginia’s efforts - which include one four-star and seven three-star recruits - edging out only Duke.

But as they did in 2007, the Cavaliers’ recruits boast flexibility and height. Eleven of the 18 commitments stand at 6-foot-4 or taller and numerous players could be slotted at multiple positions on defense or offense.

Numerous players from the class also claim that a strong bond is already in place among the players, which was solidified over the last month during numerous official visits.

“The official visit was incredible and I had so much fun with all my fellow commitments,” said Bill Schautz, a three-star tight end from New Jersey. “It solidified everything and we all gelled together greatly.”

While the class was plagued by numerous de-commitments - a growing trend nationally - Schautz said he, like others, never wavered, allowing him to relax in the weeks leading up to today’s events.

“It will be a big relief that the whole college thing is over with,” Schautz said. “It is more of a relief that it is over, but I didn’t really feel any stress from other teams recently anyway since I told them to back off a while ago.”

Programs did not back off of several players that committed before the untimely departure of former defensive coordinator Mike London, who was named the head coach at the University of Richmond in January.

Ugo Uzodinma, a two-star defensive end from Dunbar High in Washington, D.C., changed his mind after London’s decision, electing to de-commit from UVa for an offer to play with familiar faces at Illinois.

Offensive lineman Corey Lewis, who played two years of football at Christchurch before moving to Pennsylvania, was wooed late by Illinois and Penn State and is expected to pick one of those programs over Virginia today.

The Cavaliers also lost commitment Matt Zubyk, a punter from San Diego, to Stanford, but recovered - and possibly improved - by landing South Carolina native Jimmy Howell, who was ranked as the nation’s 21st-best punter.

The Cavaliers, thanks to the collective efforts of his assistant coaches, also enjoyed late success closing out the class. They beat North Carolina and Oklahoma State for three-star and All-Ohio linebacker Steve Greer on Thursday.

“It all comes together [today],” Greer said. “I am really happy about my opportunity at Virginia. It’s what you are working towards your entire high school career.

“Once you are signing it will feel like you are taking off and getting your college education paid for.”

Late offers to Georgia defensive end Tory Allen and in-state dual lineman Michael Price in the past week also filled two needs. And fearing the loss of junior quarterback Jameel Sewell for at least one season due to academic woes, Groh found and secured two-star quarterback Riko Smalls last week out of Plano East High in Texas.

Without question, the class is headlined by SuperPrep All-American Torrey Mack, considered one of the nation’s top running backs.

By taking only 18 commits, Virginia also boasts the ability to entertain late additions as it did with linebacker Darren Childs in the months that preceded the 2005 season.

And with scholarship flexibility, the coaching staff will likely award scholarships to wideouts Staton Jobe and Cary Koch.

Regardless of today’s events, many experts feel that Virginia will enjoy greater recruiting success in 2009 on the heels of a 9-win season and a trip to the Gator Bowl.

Virginia has a head start - one in-state talent, Harrisonburg running back Alex Owah, already picked the Cavaliers over rival Virginia Tech.

That is of no concern, however, to the 18 players expected to be signedsealed and delivered to UVa today.

“I just know that I will sleep a lot better when it is over,” Greer said.

 

Deke alters his plans, returns to Cavs' fold
Scott Deke, UVa's third-string QB in 2007, will be a grad student.
By Doug Doughty doug.doughty@roanoke.com 981-3129

The absence of one Virginia quarterback has caused another Cavaliers' QB to rethink his 2008 plans.

Scott Deke, who had intended to bypass his final season of college eligibility, said Tuesday that he will be returning to the team as a graduate student.

Jameel Sewell, the Cavaliers' starting quarterback in their last 23 games, is not enrolled in school this semester. Virginia cites privacy laws in not commenting on Sewell's status, but there has been no discussion of a return in 2008.

"I was not going to return as long as Jameel and Pete [Lalich] were both going to be playing next year," Deke said, "but the change in circumstances definitely changed things for me. Now, I will be returning and definitely competing to play."

Deke was in the UVa football complex at the time that Virginia announced that four underclassmen, including Sewell, were not enrolled.

"I spoke with Coach [Al] Groh at the time and then we kind of played phone tag for a while," Deke said. "When he got back off the road, we were able to sit down and talk and come to a decision."

The only scholarship quarterbacks currently in the program are Lalich, Deke and Marc Verica, who has not played in a game.

Deke, who made his first college appearance in the waning moments of Virginia's 44-14 victory over Pittsburgh, will graduate this spring with a major in economics and minor in history. As the No. 3 quarterback this past season, he had a full-time job signalling plays when UVa was on offense.

Deke, a 6-foot-3, 216-pounder from Palisades Park, Calif., briefly lived in Roanoke after graduation from high school and is the son of former VMI athlete Daryl Deke, who ran track and played football for the Keydets.

"Previous to this, I was looking to graduate and be a grown-up [and] get a job," Deke said, "but I've been back for a week now and going at this full force."
 

U.VA. NOTES
Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008 - 12:07 AM Updated: 06:52 AM

Scott likes Tech's faith in freshmen
Of Virginia Tech's 12 scholarship basketball players, six are freshmen, including the team's only point guards: Hank Thorns and Malcolm Delaney. Hokies coach Seth Greenberg has no choice but to rely on his first-year players, on whom Virginia freshman Mike Scott looks with some envy.

Scott played last season at Hargrave Military Academy with Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson, who are now freshmen at Tech.

The Hokies' freshmen "have a lot of confidence, playing with Seth Greenberg," Scott said Saturday after U.Va.'s overtime loss in Blacksburg.

"He gives them a little more leeway. If they make a mistake, they just get through it. They still stay on the court, whereas we don't have enough time to make a mistake. If we make a mistake, we're coming out. They have a lot of confidence. That's why they're so composed."

U.Va. has four scholarship freshmen, of whom only Scott has played much in ACC games. He's started the past 11 games at center.

Point guard Sammy Zeglinski is out with a season-ending ankle injury. Jeff Jones started the first 13 games at shooting guard before losing the job to sophomore Calvin Baker. Mustapha Farrakhan averages about 6 minutes as a reserve shooting guard.

Jones has hit 'wall' in shooting, Leitao says
Jones missed an open layup in overtime against Virginia Tech. In his past seven games, he's 1 for 11 from the floor. He hasn't made a 3-pointer since Nov. 17, when he buried five treys in Virginia's win at Arizona.

Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao said yesterday that Jones, like many freshmen do, has "hit that wall."

When that happens, Leitao said, a player must "find a way, emotionally or otherwise, to climb over it. And it's been a lot more difficult for Jeff to do that. It's almost like every time there's a play, whether that layup [against the Hokies] or any open jump shot that doesn't go in, it adds -- or it seems like, anyway -- more weight to his shoulders. And it's that one jump shot or layup that does go in that will probably take the weight off him."

Two U.Va. players earn academic honors
The ACC's all-academic football team for 2007 includes two players from U.Va. -- tight end Tom Santi and wide receiver Staton Jobe.To be eligible, a player must have earned a 3.00 grade-point average for the fall semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative GPA during his academic career.

For Santi, this is his third straight year on the team. He also was the 2007 recipient of the Jim Tatum Award as the top student-athlete among the ACC's senior football players. Jobe, a walk-on from Austin, Texas, started as a redshirt freshman in 2007.

Drawing wide receivers problem for Cavaliers
Virginia's football staff had no trouble identifying talented wide receivers in the Class of 2008. Landing them was another matter.

Among the wideouts it pursued, U.Va. lost Dyrell Roberts and Randall Dunn to Virginia Tech, Kerry Boykins to Maryland, A.J. Price to Penn State and, yesterday, Derek Winter to Auburn.

Of the 18 players expected to sign with the Cavaliers tomorrow, only Rodney McLeod and Javaris Brown are considered candidates to play wide receiver, and McLeod may well end up at cornerback.For the short term, at least, Virginia is well-stocked at wideout.

U.Va.'s corps of receivers in 2008 figures to include Jobe, Kevin Ogletree, Maurice Covington, Dontrelle Inman, Cary Koch, Jared Green and Kris Burd.

Rubeor injures kneecap again
Conspicuous by his absence in the men's lacrossse team's first scrimmage was senior attackman Ben Rubeor. Rubeor twice dislocated his right kneecap late last season, and he recently suffered the same injury, Virginia coach Dom Starsia said yesterday.

Rubeor, a first-team All-American in 2007, is out indefinitely but isn't expected to require surgery, Starsia said. Without Rubeor, U.Va. rallied to beat Navy 10-6 in Charlottesville three days ago.

"We were a little disjointed offensively," said Starsia, who was also missing midfielders Jack Riley and Steve Giannone, both of whom are likely to return from injuries this week.

Virginia's second and final scrimmage is Saturday at 1 p.m. at Georgetown. U.Va. opens the season Feb. 17 at Drexel. -- Jeff White and Darryl Slater

 

Scott addresses lack of confidence
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
February 5, 2008

Lucky for Mike Scott, Virginia coach Dave Leitao says he hasn’t been reading the newspaper.

After Sunday’s overtime loss to Virginia Tech, Scott made some remarks that may not have gone over very well with the fiery Leitao.

“They had a lot of confidence,” Scott reportedly told the Washington Post. “Playing with [coach] Seth Greenberg gives them a chance, a little more leeway when they make a mistake. They make a mistake, they just get through it, and they still stay on the court, whereas we don’t have enough time to make a mistake. If we make a mistake, we’re coming out. They have a lot of confidence.

“You see [guard Dorenzo] Hudson, you see [forward Jeff] Allen, you know they’re going to stay in through mistakes,” Scott continued. “That’s what it’s all about - confidence. If somebody scores on me, just let me play through it. Don’t take me out. That’s what I would like to see.”

Scott, who has started the last 11 games at center, had nine points, three rebounds and three turnovers in 28 minutes of action.

The freshman from Chesapeake may have been speaking as much about his teammates as himself. Sophomore Jamil Tucker seemed to be playing one of his better games, but then made a turnover and hardly saw the court again.

Leitao, who has always kept players not named Sean Singletary on a short leash, said he hadn’t talked to Scott about his comments since he hadn’t seen them.

“One thing I think I’ve done a great job of - no disrespect - but I haven’t read the paper in a long, long time,” Leitao said. “I think we’re all frustrated. Losing, as opposed to winning, brings about that.”

Leitao, whose team will try and snap a four-game losing streak when it hosts Clemson on Thursday night, said he didn’t expect Scott’s ankle - which was re-sprained in the loss to the Hokies - to be a lingering problem.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Leitao said.

 

New players rise into the low post
Virginia relies on strong perimeter game, hopes to strengthen inside presence and awaits return of Soroye and Mikalauskas from injuries; Scott, Meyinsee look to contribute more
Anders Sleight, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Jason O. Watson | Cavalier DailyIf a team lives by the sword, it often dies by the sword. This mantra has held true this season for the Virginia men’s basketball team. This season, the Cavaliers have relied heavily on 3-pointers, and while this tendency has often carried Virginia to victory, it has also led to defeat. With this in mind, Virginia coach Dave Leitao has placed an emphasis on developing low-post and inside play. Leitao’s focus on low-post play has led to a marked improvement among Virginia’s frontcourt players. Most notably, the play of sophomore forward Jerome Meyinsee and freshman forward Mike Scott has improved considerably, leading to more minutes and participation in games for them. Scott and Meyinsee are “two guys in the post who have the best touch,” Leitao said. “What I’ve tried to get [Meyinsee] to do, is stop always taking it into the teeth of [the] defense. He’s got a terrific turnaround jump shot and he can face up and shoot the ball.” One reason Virginia has struggled offensively is because it has sustained several injuries to the frontcourt. Senior center Tunji Soroye has missed the whole season to date, and junior forward Laurynas Mikalauskas has been injured for the past several weeks. Such injuries have depleted Virginia’s low-post options and have forced perimeter players to pick up the slack. Soroye’s injury has forced Scott to step in and fill the void at center, despite the fact that Scott is traditionally a power forward player. “It is tough; we’ve had a tough break at the five spot this year,” senior forward Ryan Pettinella said. “Mike’s a natural power forward, he’s playing center now, so when Mike and I and Jerome are in there, it’s tough, especially when one of us gets in foul trouble or one of the guys gets injured.” Scott, in particular, has stood out. The freshman forward has worked his way into the starting lineup and has shown flashes of strong potential. In fact, Scott’s increased minutes this season may lead to a breakout sophomore season, especially following his successes filling Soroye’s void despite his inexperience. “It’s tough, but I just stick it out, use my quickness and my athletic ability to play against stronger players,” Scott said. “You’ve got to play harder every night.” There is little doubt that Virginia’s current group of front court players is untested. Meyinsee received little playing time in his first season and has only just begun to see his minutes increase. Scott is still in the midst of his first collegiate season and did not see much action during the non-conference schedule. There is no doubt, however, that both players have steadily improved and are developing into low-post presences. Only the future will tell how the careers of Meyinsee and Scott turn out, but for the present, things look bright. “In practice every day we work on our post moves,” Meyinsee said. “I try to get to practice early so I can work on my post moves, because when the opportunity presents itself, we have to be ready to take advantage of it.”

 

Miclat set to return
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
February 5, 2008

The pain was almost unbearable.

As finals approached last year during the spring semester, Virginia shortstop Greg Miclat’s right arm, a weapon previously capable of firing precise fastballs across the infield, was essentially useless.

“All over exam-week, I couldn’t pick my arm up at all,” Miclat said. “I could not pick it up. I didn’t practice at all.”

Painfully, both physically and emotionally, Miclat was eventually shut down, landing an invitation to see specialist Dr. James Andrews.

“That whole decision was extremely, extremely difficult,” Miclat admitted. “I almost looked for someone else to make it for me so I wouldn’t feel guilty, because I did feel like I was letting the team down.”

Without Miclat, Virginia still entered the four-team Charlottesville Regional as the favorite. But after season-ending injuries beset left fielder Brandon Guyer and right fielder Brandon Marsh and back-to-back losses to Oregon State, Miclat was left pondering what might have been as he toted his surgically-repaired arm in a sling.

The months of rehab and the countless days in the dumps that followed for Miclat, now a junior, taught the program’s stolen base leader a valuable lesson in life.

“It is tough to stay positive and keep from spiraling downward, but you have to look at the big picture and be proud of how you have gotten to where you are,” Miclat said after Friday’s first official spring practice.

“I know there were several times where I didn’t do a very good job of that either.”

Miclat was pointing at the fall practice period, when he was able to bat and play outfield without being allowed to throw the ball in live situations.

After torching opposing pitchers for a .376 average as a sophomore, Miclat struggled to regain his form at the plate in the Orange & Blue World Series.

“I remember coming in from an at-bat and telling [freshman] Phil Gosselin, ‘Dude, I really stink,’” Miclat said. “You try to stay positive to set a good example, but there are times where you fail and you don’t do such a good job of having that poker face that nothing is going to bother you.”

In January and thus far this month, Miclat has stayed on the emotional roller coaster. Chilly weather and a strict rehab have limited Miclat’s availability at times, and Virginia coach Brian O’Connor has hinted the North Carolina native could spend time as his designated hitter or as an

outfielder early on.

Miclat would rather man shortstop in every game, as any competitor would want, but the memories of watching the NCAA Tournament in street clothes lingers.

“It is a lot better for me to come out and show improvement,” Miclat said. “I expect myself to be 100 percent and that’s the way I play the game. I always play 100 percent and ask questions later.

“With this injury, I might not have to change my style of play, but I might have to keep in mind the bigger picture. I might have to keep in mind that I don’t need to throw as hard as I can every single throw, every single time.”

Regardless, Miclat said Virginia fans should expect to see the same level of intensity that has made the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder a favorite at Davenport Field.

“I have and will always played the game as if I had a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “There are names that are more recognizable than my own, and I understand that, but I always like to play the game with a chip on my shoulder.

“This injury has definitely made me appreciate every single opportunity to practice. There are times where your feet just won’t move out there and you feel sluggish with stuff, but having the field taken away from me, when you feel like this, you don’t take it for granted. You have enough motivation to do something about it.”

Virginia opens its season on Feb. 22 against Lehigh.