Groh sees bright side of class
State content low, but U.Va. coach is pleased with talent
Thursday, Feb 07, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE - In a perfect world, University of Virginia football coach Al Groh said yesterday, he would fill his program every year with recruits from within the state.

"If we could stock our team with players from Richmond, Lynchburg, Salem, Hampton, wherever it might be, that would be our preference," Groh told reporters at Scott Stadium.

For various reasons, the Cavaliers fell well short of that goal this year. Yesterday was national signing day, and U.Va. announced the addition of 18 recruits. Only three are from the state, including Highland Springs High tight end Rod Wheeler.

Groh dismissed the notion, held by some, that U.Va. doesn't place enough emphasis on recruiting the state. "That priority doesn't change," he said. "It doesn't change whether there's 100 percent of the players from Virginia or a lesser percentage than that. That's our top priority. That's where we'd like the players to come from. There's a number of circumstances that dictate that, plus competition. It's not like it's a closed market."

U.Va. offered scholarships to seven state prospects who opted to sign with Virginia Tech. Other state targets of U.Va. chose such schools as N.C. State, Maryland and Penn State. But there were many talented prospects in the state whom U.Va. couldn't recruit for academic reasons.

"The pool that we were able to operate in this particular year wasn't as broad as it's been in other years," Groh said.

Recruiting analysts ranked Virginia's 2008 class among the ACC's worst, but Groh, not surprisingly, pronounced himself pleased with his haul. The class jewels include tailback Torrey Mack (Stratford, Conn.), defensive lineman Klinton Ruff (Norfolk), safety Ausar Walcott (Hackensack, N.J.) and linebacker/tight end Cameron Johnson (Greenbelt, Md.).

"There are players in this class at each position that are as talented as any players who have preceded them," said Groh, whose team finished 9-4 last season after losing in the Gator Bowl.

Groh noted, too, that U.Va. has raised its visibility in the D.C. area, especially at schools such as DeMatha, Good Counsel, Gonzaga and Georgetown Prep. Four of the players who signed yesterday live in Maryland.

"You could say, 'Well, you didn't get as many players from Virginia as you would prefer.' That might be the case," Groh said. "But you could also say, 'You guys really cleaned up on the Maryland beltway. What a positive trend that is.'"

Three players who had committed to U.Va. for 2008 later backed away from those pledges. Two of them - linemen Ugo Uzodinma and Corey Lewis - signed yesterday with Illinois.

Notes
U.Va. announced last month that four football players - quarterback Jameel Sewell, cornerback Chris Cook, wideout Chris Dalton and linebacker Darnell Carter - were not enrolled in classes this semester. Groh said he doesn't expect them to be at U.Va. in the fall, either, because academic suspensions at the university usually last two semesters.

But all four have indicated they would like to return in 2009. "We've had discussions with all of them to try to lay out the groundwork for how that might be possible, what the criteria for it would be, from our standpoint as well as from the dean's standpoint," Groh said.

Also, Kevin Crawford, who showed promise in 2006 as a reserve defensive lineman, has expressed an interest in re-enrolling at U.Va. this summer, Groh said. Crawford left school last summer.

 

Future Cavs make their pledge
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
February 7, 2008

At some point early Wednesday, Virginia football coach Al Groh caught a television interview featuring analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

When asked about his thoughts on national signing day, which was observed Wednesday by college football programs, Herbstreit offered a popular opinion, citing that the event was “over-hyped.”

That belief was not completely shared inside the McCue Center as 18 high school seniors faxed copies of the National Letter of Intent to the Cavaliers’ staff, signaling the first official step in their respective careers as football players at the University of Virginia.

“I don’t know that I would necessarily stick that quote on it,” Groh said of the over-hyped charge, “because the acquisition of talent is significant for any program.”

Signing future student-athletes and “the development of talent,” Groh added, “are the two things that are an on-going process each year, every day.”

Despite lacking the star power to excite national recruiting services and the in-state depth to appease many, Groh and his assistants were thrilled to obtain players from eight states that geographically extends from Ontario, Canada to Plano, Texas.

“The acquisition of talent for the ‘09 class was at least as energetic in our office as the finalization of the ‘08 class,” Groh said.

The Class of 2008, however, left lots to be desired on the national radar - Virginia finished ranked No. 62 by both Rivals and Scout. Both also ranked Virginia’s efforts among the bottom two or three in the ACC.

It was drastically different from the Class of 2007, which was ranked 25th-best in the country by Rivals and No. 32 by Scout.

Virginia, of course, enjoyed some late misfortune as three-star offensive lineman Corey Lewis and two-star defensive end Ugo Uzodinma de-committed late.

Lewis, without taking an official visit, selected Illinois on Wednesday. Uzodinma picked Illinois late last month, citing Virginia’s loss of former defensive coordinator Mike London as the chief reason.

“We had been suspect of that situation while Mike was still here,” Groh said of Uzodinma’s uncertainty with his verbal to UVa. “Had Mike remained with us, there was the potential for that anyway.”

London, considered Virginia’s top recruiter, took over as head coach at the University of Richmond last month, which Groh admitted “didn’t help.”

But while Groh was considering replacements as defensive coordinator, perhaps even himself since he did handle defensive calls the past two years, the staff saved face with a late recruiting push, landing two-star quarterback Rico Smalls (Plano, Texas), three-star linebacker Steve Greer (Solon, Ohio) and two others in the final week.

“That’s what you have to do, keep digging, turn over rocks and until you find those guys that fit the parameters that you set out for,” Groh said.

Virginia could have issued even more late offers (the NCAA allows 25 scholarship players to enroll each year), had the staff known that four veteran players, including cornerback Chris Cook and quarterback Jameel Sewell, would be suspended for two academic semesters after the Gator Bowl.

“We probably would have expanded the pool,” said Groh, while pointing out that all four suspended players would like to return.

For now, however, Groh’s thoughts lied solely in the newest group of Cavaliers and how those newcomers addressed several of the team’s needs.

Virginia added three-star defensive lineman Buddy Ruff from Norfolk, three mammoth offensive linemen - Austin Van Kuiken, Matt Mihalik and Fork Union standout Austin Pasztor - and four versatile players that could be slotted at tight end (Cameron Johnson, Colter Phillips, Bill Schautz and Rod Wheeler).

Having lost Chris Gould and Ryan Weigand to graduation, Virginia also had a need for a punter. The Cavs hope they found that in two-star Jimmy Howell, the expected starter against Southern Cal in the season opener.

The incoming class also includes potential secondary help with Rodney McLeod, Ausar Walcott and Devin Wallace. Greer or Johnson could also push for eventual playing time at linebacker.

While efforts to land depth at wide receiver proved fruitless, the Cavaliers added Javaris Brown, a wideout from Macon, Ga. Needing further depth and skill, the Cavaliers will push - yet again - for play-making, pass-catching talents in the Class of 2009.

“[Landing wide receivers] seems like it has been a position of emphasis every year,” said Groh, who noted that he talked to “two or three“ current juniors Wednesday.

Looking forward to the Class of 2009 brought an obvious smile to Groh’s face, and rightfully so, but it paled in comparison to the response given when pressed about the lone four-star recruit that signed on Wednesday.

Running back Torrey Mack, the top player in Connecticut, impressed Groh early on during film study and was the only ball-carrier in the class.

“I don’t see too much pressure,” Mack told reporters Wednesday. “Coach Groh’s exact words were, ‘I’m going to put the ball in your hands and its up to you to decide what you are going to do with it.’”


 

UVa looks outside of the state
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com
February 7, 2008

As far as Al Groh is concerned, the fact that his Virginia football program signed less than a handful of players from this state on Wednesday, is just a matter of semantics, if not geography.

The Cavaliers did sign three in-state players: Klinton “Buddy” Ruff, a defensive lineman from Norfolk; lineman Mike Price from Chesapeake; and tight end Rod Wheeler of Highland Springs. And, oh, yeah, one semi-Virginian in Fork Union Military Academy offensive lineman Austin Pasztor, who actually hails from Ontario, Canada, eh.

All eyes on Maryland

That UVa signed four more players from just over the border is just as good in Groh’s view.

“You could say, ‘You guys didn’t get as many players from Virginia as you would prefer,’” Groh stated during a National Signing Day press conference at Scott Stadium. “You could also say, ‘You guys really cleaned up on the Maryland Beltway and what a positive trend that is.’”

Groh said that over the past two years, his coaches have made significant inroads with some of the quality high schools in that area: specifically DeMatha, Good Council, Gonzaga and Georgetown Prep, all a good Peter Lalich deep throw from the state line.

“If all those schools were on the other side of the river (the Virginia side of the Potomac), people would be shooting off rockets,” Groh said. “They just happen to be on one side of the river as opposed to the other. We need to do business with those schools because they are schools that should be very good for Virginia in that the play really good ball.”

Academics play a role

Those schools also feature some pretty good academics, which is a huge issue with Virginia football.

In fact, due to recent attrition of several Cavaliers due to academic issues (a fact that rival coaches use against UVa in recruiting), it’s a bigger deal than usual.

Groh alluded to that several times during the press briefing on his 18-player class, ranked 10th out of 12 teams in the ACC by Scout.com.

When asked about the lowest number of in-state signees in his seven years at Virginia, Groh made some insightful comments.

“It would be our preference that all of this could be done every year in Richmond and Lynchburg,” the Cavs’ coach said. “If we could stock our team with players from Richmond, Lynchburg, Salem, Hampton, wherever, it would be our preference.

“But each year brings its own set of circumstances in terms of talent available at the positions we’re looking for, or the academic circumstances,” Groh said. “By the same token, we have to take what we need to get, wherever it might come from.”

He went on to point out that the talent pool available to his program in this state, this year, “wasn’t as broad as it was in other years.”

Translation: not as many prospects would have cut it academically.

This columnist remembers the day Groh was introduced as Virginia’s new coach and a specific question I asked about whether his goals of contending for a national title were realistic under the academic restrictions that accompany coaching at UVa.

Groh said that from his previous view in the NFL and noting all the talent that had come into the league from the state of Virginia, that if he could lure that talent to Charlottesville, the answer was that it could be done.

Some followers of Wahoo football would argue that some of that talent that made the transition from UVa to the NFL, might not gain admission into Virginia nowadays. That’s up for debate and I don’t pretend to have those answers.

However, it is clear that academics play a major role in the ups and downs of Cavalier football.

Asked if the academic requirements were more of a challenge than he might have thought when he took the job, Groh pondered the question carefully.

“It creates some challenges, yes.”

That’s one of the reasons Virginia hit the recruiting trail outside of the state in this particular year, having signed players from Ohio, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Connecticut, New Jersey, and the Maryland/D.C. area, as well as Canada.

“Obviously, when you see where the players come from it would be ridiculous to say that, no, we haven’t expanded geographically where we’re looking,” Groh said. “But that’s kind of the byproduct of what we’re doing. What we have been able to do over the course of our tenure here is for our staff to come up with a very clear model of what works here.

“What kind of players we’re looking for at each particular position; what kind of transcript and resume is going to gain admission; what type of background is going to be successful,” Groh explained. “Wherever we need to go to fill those criteria, that’s what we have to do. It would be great if all those guys were in Richmond and Lynchburg. But if we have to look broader to find those players, then we’re trying to establish the avenues to do so.”

Of course, it’s tough being No. 2 in a state where there’s only two Division I-A schools and your rival happens to be the hot one. Virginia Tech has been a force in the ACC since it joined and has done a terrific job in recruiting the state.

Because Virginia is such fertile recruiting ground, particularly the so-called “757,” other powerhouse schools are often tromping onto the Commonwealth’s soil in an attempt to get a foothold in the state’s recruiting.

“Our strategy remains the same,” Groh said. “[Recruiting in-state] is the top priority. There’s a number of circumstances that dictate that, plus competition. It’s not like it’s a close market. There’s a lot of competition for players.”

Some recruiting observers have suggested that half of the state’s top 25 prospects would not have gained admission into UVa because of academic shortcomings. Certainly there’s no evidence readily available to prove that claim.

However, if that is true, then it is somewhat understandable that Virginia had an off-year in the state, something that isn’t the norm.

Still, there is at least a perception out there among fans, recruiting fanatics, and even high school coaches in the state that the Hokies own in-state recruiting and kicks Uva’s fannies in the process, academics or no academics.

That’s a perception that Groh must find a way to end or the Cavaliers might never overcome the stigma of being the state’s “other” football program.

 

Groh full of optimism about Cavs' 18 signees
Posted to: College Football Sports
Roanoke Times
© February 7, 2008
By Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE

When it comes to winning and losing games, Virginia football coach Al Groh is not one to search for silver linings.

On the subject of a U.Va. recruiting class that was ranked 11th in the ACC, Groh was willing to look on the bright side Wednesday.

"There are players in this class at each position that are as talented as any players who have preceded them," Groh said. "There is a very good level of athletic ability within the class."

The Cavaliers released the names of all 18 players whose signed letters-of-intent arrived in the U.Va. football office. There were no last-minute additions or subtractions.

"Way back in the beginning, we were aiming at between 17 and 19," Groh said.

It turns out, the Cavaliers could have exceeded those early projections because four scholarship underclassmen are not enrolled for the second semester and will miss the 2008 season, including quarterback Jameel Sewell.

Also, the Cavaliers lost four recruits who had committed to U.Va. but signed with other schools, including a pair of linemen landed by former defensive coordinator Mike London, now the head coach at Richmond.

"We had been suspect of that situation while Mike was still here," Groh said. "Had Mike remained with us, there was the potential for that issue anyway. (London's departure) certainly didn't help."

Virginia's recruiting class was ranked 62nd in Division I-A by rivals.com. Only Duke, which ranked 66th after a coaching change, was below the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers signed only three players from Virginia, only one of whom - Norfolk defensive lineman Buddy Ruff - was rated among the top 25 prospects in Virginia by The Roanoke Times.

"If we could stock our team with players from Richmond, Lynchburg, Salem, Hampton (or) wherever it might be, that would be our preference," Groh said. "Each year brings a set of difference circumstances in terms of talent available at the position that we're looking for, the academic circumstances and whatnot.

"By the same token, we have to get whatever we need, wherever it might come from. The pool that we were able to operate in this particular year was not as broad as it's been in other years."

On the other hand, Virginia made offers to many of the 21 in-state players who signed with Virginia Tech.

"This isn't really a Virginia-Virginia Tech forum here," Groh said. "This is about the players we got.

"You might say, 'You didn't get as many players from Virginia as you would prefer.' That might be the case. But you might also say, 'Hey, you guys really cleaned up on the Maryland beltway.'

"If all those schools were on the other side of the river, people would be shooting off rockets."

 

Class pleases Groh, not critics
By MELINDA WALDROP | Daily Press
11:38 PM EST, February 6, 2008
 

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia's 2008 signing class included little in-state talent and didn't include some who got away. But Cavaliers coach Al Groh expressed satisfaction Wednesday with the 18 players who signed national letters of intent with U.Va.

"There are players in this class at each position that are as talented as any players that have proceeded them," Groh said. "There's a very good level of athletic ability within the class."

Several players, including Norview lineman Klinton "Buddy" Ruff, Great Bridge lineman Mike Price, defensive back/wide receiver Rodney McLeod of DeMatha (Md). and punter/quarterback Jimmy Howell of West Florence (S.C.), played more than one position in high school. Cameron Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 220-pounder out of Gonzaga in Washington, D.C., played wide receiver and defensive back but is expected to grow into a linebacker or a tight end at Virginia.

Quaterback Riko Smalls, who committed to the Cavaliers just last week, threw for 2,985 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior at Plano East (Texas) and also rushed for 322 yards and three TDs.

"Were Ohio State and USC and Texas recruiting him?" Groh said. "No, but he had a good number of opportunities to go play someplace else. ... He's got that personality that would lead us to believe other players are going to say, 'We can respond to this guy. We're ready to follow this guy.' "

Recruiting services, though, were less than impressed. Rivals.com ranks U.Va.'s class 61st in the nation, while scouts.com pegs it at 62nd. U.Va. was hurt by the de-commitment of defensive end Ugochukwu Uzodinma, who reneged after Cavaliers defensive coordinator Mike London left to become Richmond's head coach. And offensive lineman Omoregie Uzzi, a high-profile Cavalier target, chose Georgia Tech.

Groh said Virginia was "suspect" of Uzodinma's commitment before London left.

"He's not with us, so he's out of sight, out of mind," Groh said.

Just three of U.Va.'s 2008 signees are from Virginia -- Ruff, Price and Highland Springs tight end Rod Wheeler. Virginia Tech signed 22 in-state players, including seven who had offers from Virginia.

"If we could stock our team with players from Richmond, Lynchburg, Salem, Hampton, wherever it might be, that would be our preference," Groh said. "Each year brings a different set of circumstances in terms of the talent available at the position we're looking for, the academic circumstances and whatnot. ... We have to get what we need to get around here, wherever it might come from."

Groh said Virginia wanted to sign between 17 and 19 players, in order to leave room for talented 2009 players -- including some wide receivers he spoke with on Wednesday -- in the Cavs' 25-per-year scholarship allotment.

Price, a two-year starter at defensive end, committed to U.Va. this week after a renewed interest from the Cavs, who he said hadn't been in contact with him for a month or two.

That changed a few weeks ago -- about the time reports surfaced that defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald might leave Virginia. Fitzgerald is still enrolled at U.Va., the school said Wednesday.

Price doesn't care how his shot to play for the Cavs materialized. He's just glad to have it.

"(My high school coaches) have been telling me I have the potential to play at this level, and I think I have the potential to play at this level," he said. "Getting the chance is just really exciting."

 

Top U.Va. signee draws attention with feet
Torrey Mack really can run, no matter which of his many sneakers he wears.
BY MELINDA WALDROP | mwaldrop@dailypress.com
4:14 PM EST, February 6, 2008
 

Fear was one heck of a motivator for Torrey Mack.

Mack grew up playing basketball, the sport his dad loved and introduced to him. When he first decided to give football a shot, he was wary.

"I was scared to play football a little bit," Mack said. "I was scared to get hit at first. I think that's why I run so fast."

He may not have yet had 4.48 speed in the 40-yard dash in Pop Warner ball, but it was immediately clear he had potential. Mack's first football memory is his 60-yard touchdown run as a 9-year-old.

"They used to call him Man Child because he was bigger than the other kids and he was running all over the field at will," said Mack's father, Torrey Sr. "He just loves the contact and loves that game."

Apparently.

Mack, 17, is the headliner in Virginia's 2008 class, the only Rivals.com four-star player in a group that also includes three-star defensive lineman Klinton Ruff of Norview High in Norfolk and three-star wide receiver Rodney McLeod of DeMatha (Md.).

As a senior at Stratford (Conn.) High, Mack, 6 feet and 190 pounds, rushed for 1,177 yards after piling up 1,689 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior.

That junior season, which also saw Mack make145 tackles as a defensive back, produced Stratford coach Duane Shirden's most enduring memory of his star player. On Thanksgiving Eve against arch-rival Bunnell, Mack reeled off a 75-yard touchdown run that came back on a penalty. The next play, Mack went 90 yards for the score.

"He didn't miss a snap on defense either," Shirden said. "For him to be the talent that he is, he always stayed humble. He never let it get to his head, and he always thought of team first before any statistics."

Mack's dad said his son had 15 scholarship offers from Division I schools, including Penn State, Michigan and Florida. But Mack "felt at home" at U.Va., he said, and committed to the Cavaliers last June.

Mack hopes to make an immediate impact in a backfield that will include senior Cedric Peerman, returning from a foot injury that ended his junior season after he rushed for 585 yards in six games, and junior Mikell Simpson, who rushed for 570 yards and led the Cavs with 402 receiving yards.

"(U.Va. coaches) said that the best players play, so depending on how I do, I could be competing for a starting spot," Mack said. Even if Mack doesn't attract attention on the field right away, his feet are still bound to get him noticed.

"I like to dress, so I keep a lot of sneakers," he said.

He estimates he has about 85 pairs -- not counting the ones he's outgrown. About 30 of those are in a regular-wear rotation. "It depends on how I'm feeling that day," Mack said. "If it's looking like it's gonna rain, I'll probably throw on an older pair that still look good."

Such a fashion fetish can be hard on a dad who also pays his son's car insurance.

"All those Air Jordans -- you know how they come out every other week," the elder Mack said. "He's got to have them. I try to do the best I can, but bills come first."

But Mack told his son to worry about his grades, not holding down a job. And the financial strain will be a distant memory when he watches his son play college ball, at every U.Va. home game and as many road games as he can make.

"I'm so happy for him. I'm so proud of him," he said. "He just took (football) to another level I wasn't expecting."

 

Fashionable grayshirts
Starting school in January — early or late — is an option, known as grayshirting, that U.Va. now can use.
By Melinda Waldrop
247-4634
February 6, 2008

Nick Marshman played tight end in high school — in a wishbone formation.

He wasn't immediately ready to move to lineman in Virginia Tech's more complicated, senior-laden offensive system. So the Hokies' coaching staff proposed a solution — grayshirting.

"I didn't even know there was a thing called a grayshirt," Marshman said.

An explanation soon followed.

Instead of enrolling at Tech in the fall of 2003 after graduating high school, Marshman waited until January 2004. His NCAA eligibility clock didn't start until he was a full-time student, and while he wasn't a part of the 2003 season, he went through spring practice and summer conditioning in 2004.

"Coming in in January, when it's a little bit slower and they're not just looking at the guys that are going to play, gives the coaches a little more time to work with you one-on-one, and to get into the system and learn the plays," Marshman said. "The learning process is a little bit slower. It's not as frantic as it is during the season."

Grayshirting worked out for Marshman, who emerged as the Hokies' starting left guard in 2007. And it's an option that now will be available to athletes at Virginia for the first time.

U.Va, which previously had allowed mid-year enrollment only in rare instances, announced last month that it had modified its policy to consider such enrollments each January on a case-by-case basis.

Some grayshirts, such as Marshman, defer enrollment until the January after high school graduation. More commonly, others elect to graduate high school in December and enroll in college the following month.

Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage said academic concerns had kept the school from considering mid-year enrollments. But careful consultation with the school's admissions and academic departments, along with a growing realization that other schools throughout the country were relaxing similar policies, led to the change.

For example, Boston College adjusted its policy last year, admitting football player Anthony Castonzo in January. Castonzo, who once drew recruiting interest from Virginia, started at offensive tackle for BC last season, a rarity for a true freshman. He was named first-team freshman All-America by The Sporting News.

"I would say five years ago, there was very little of it done nationally," Littlepage said of grayshirting. "The environment of recruiting has changed a little bit. There were schools that were providing the option, and the students were benefiting by that early entry into the university. ... The coaches felt as though it was one element that would allow them to remain competitive from a recruiting standpoint."

Other schools have embraced grayshirting.

Along with providing an extra semester for a recruit to get stronger and learn a new system, it allows schools to accept more oral commitments than the NCAA-allotted 25 scholarships per year. Grayshirts don't count toward a school's scholarships total until the following fall.

In 2006, for instance, Texas Tech accepted 34 oral commitments, and has continued to use the grayshirting option. Red Raiders wide receiver Lyle Leong enrolled last January and played in 11 games last season, catching 14 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown — including one for 11 yards against Virginia in Texas Tech's 31-28 Gator Bowl win.

"This essentially just provides a more productive career," Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said. "(Players) don't have to compete for a job while their eligibility's beginning to expire."

Leach said grayshirting is especially effective for offensive linemen, who often need time to bulk up, and quarterbacks, who benefit from extra playbook study.

Coaches must choose potential grayshirts selectively, Leach said. An immature player who can't be counted on to go to class on his own isn't an ideal candidate, nor is a high school hot shot who's convinced he'll earn a starting spot in fall practice as a freshman.

"You need a sharp individual as a player and a sharp set of parents to sell the thing to," Leach said.

Jim Cavanaugh, Virginia Tech's recruiting coordinator, sometimes writes eligibility dates on a legal pad to show recruits they won't end up missing any playing time.

"They don't totally understand the concept," Cavanaugh said. "Most people are ingrained about coming in August."

There's also a perception that grayshirting allows schools to give a recruit with questionable grades time to become academically eligible, or to stockpile players at a position, leaving them waiting, sometimes without a scholarship, for a spot to open up.

Marshman, out of Turner Ashby High in Harrisonburg, said the Virginia Tech coaches made it clear that he factored into their eventual plans. He said they were in constant contact with him while he took classes at Blue Ridge Community College during the fall of 2003.

"They definitely didn't just get your commitment and throw you in the dark until January," he said.

While grayshirting always has been an option, Cavanaugh said NCAA limits on scholarships (in addition to 25 per year, teams are only allowed 85 total) have made it a more attractive one. However, he said it's not something schools use with great frequency, estimating that he's signed three players who ended up grayshirting in his coaching career, and Littlepage expects only half a dozen or so grayshirting inquiries each year.

"It's not for everybody," Littlepage said. "(But) kids are much more sophisticated in their evaluation of schools. They're making decisions earlier and earlier, sometimes by their junior year in high school. They're pretty much committed to the institution, and they feel a desire to be there."

Linebacker Alonzo Tweedy, of Richmond's Hermitage High, grayshirted at Tech this January, while Hermitage quarterback Joseph Clayton will enroll next January.

"I think it's a great option, from a football standpoint," Hermitage coach Patrick Kane said. "When you come in as a freshman in the fall, (coaches are) worrying about winning that first game. They don't have a lot of time to teach freshmen what's going on."

Marshman, 6-foot-5 and 357 pounds, redshirted the fall after his grayshirt year before playing sparingly in 2005 and 2006. While he wasn't active on the field, he was busy in the weight room, transforming into a member of the Super Iron Hokies and squatting 690 pounds. After splitting time at tackle and guard because of injures last season, he's projected to start for the second year as a senior in 2008.

"I have no regrets with getting grayshirted," Marshman said. "To have time to slow it down, learn the plays, learn the techniques, learn the terminology — I wouldn't change any of that."

 

Of UVa's 18 recruits, only three from in state
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
February 7, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE - A quick glance at the 18 letters of intent the Cavaliers received on National Signing Day on Wednesday would suggest nothing about the location of the school to which they were being sent. There weren't more than three from any one state, including Virginia.
Coach Al Groh doesn't care. They were the players he felt best fit UVa's system.

"What we've been able to do in our tenure here is to come up with a very clear model of what works here," Groh said. "Wherever we need to go to fill those criteria, that's what we have to do."

The Cavaliers' 2008 class, which lacks acclaim from national recruiting sites, ranked 62nd nationally and 11th in the ACC by Rivals.com, has just three players from Virginia - lineman Mike Price (Chesapeake), defensive lineman Klinton "Buddy" Ruff (Norfolk) and tight end Rod Wheeler (Highland Springs).

Virginia got an equal number of recruits from both Maryland and Ohio.

"It would be our preference if we could stock our team with players from Richmond, Lynchburg, Salem, Hampton, wherever it might be," Groh said. "Each year brings a different set of circumstances in terms of the talent available at the positions we're looking for, the academic circumstances and what-not. So that would be our preference, but by the same token, we need to get what we need around here, wherever it might come from."

Virginia's three Maryland recruits - linebacker/tight end Cameron Johnson, defensive back Rodney McLeod and tight end Colter Phillips -all hail from the D.C. area.

"Over the course of two seasons, we've cracked into some schools that should be really good schools for Virginia - Good Council, DeMatha, Gonzaga, Georgetown Prep - schools that play really good ball that are going to provide profile students for us," Groh said. "If all those schools were on the other side of the river, people would be shooting off rockets."

The gem of the class appears to be running back Torrey Mack, the only four-star recruit of the group. The 6-foot, 190-pound Mack averaged over 13.7 yards and scored 20 touchdowns last season for Stratford (Conn.) High, and is "a little combination of both Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy," Groh said.

Riko Smalls, a late commit out of Plano East High in Texas, gives Virginia a different kind of quarterback. The 6-foot-1 Smalls has been timed at 4.4 seconds in the 40 but still threw for more than 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns last year.

His addition will be even more important if quarterback Jameel Sewell, who is not enrolled this semester, cannot get back into the school. Smalls has already impressed in the leadership category.

"He's got a lot of spunk," Groh said. "He'd light the room up if he were here right now. He's got that personality that would lead us to believe that other players are going to say, 'We can respond to this guy. We can follow this guy.'"

Predictably, Virginia's class was flush with three tight ends and linebackers. Groh expects the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Johnson, who played wide receiver and safety in high school, to grow into a tight end or a linebacker.

The three players listed strictly as offensive linemen - Matt Mihalik, Austin Pasztor and Aaron Van Kuiken - all are at least 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds (Pasztor and Van Kuiken both top 300).

McLeod, a three-star recruit from DeMatha, sees himself as a defensive back but could play receiver at UVa depending on need.

Of the players added Wednesday, 6-foot-6 punter Jimmy Howell may have the best chance to contribute right away. Ranked as the No. 6 punter by Scout.com, Howell, who attended UVa's camp the last two years, averaged 43 yards per punt his senior season at West Florence (S.C.) High and should be in the mix to replace Ryan Weigand, who graduated.

Virginia planned to take 17 to 19 recruits because it was close to the NCAA's 85-scholarship limit. While the class is largely unheralded, Groh was still pleased with the haul.

"I think there are players in this class at each position that are as talented as any players that have preceded them," he said.


 

Glass half full to reeling Cavs
Joseph, Singletary see tough schedule as a second chance
Thursday, Feb 07, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Inside the visitors' locker room at Virginia Tech's Cassell Coliseum, senior forward Adrian Joseph did his best to remain positive last Saturday afternoon.

"The season ain't over yet," Joseph said, "so we just got to bounce back strong."

A few minutes later, a few feet away, the University of Virginia basketball team's other co-captain echoed that comment.

"The season's not over," senior guard Sean Singletary said after the Cavaliers' third overtime loss in three weeks.

That's become the mantra of the ACC's last-place team, and Joseph and Singletary are correct on at least one front. U.Va. (1-6, 11-9) has nine regular-season games left, so there's still time for third-year coach Dave Leitao's team to reverse its fortunes. But the season is fast slipping away from the Cavaliers, who were picked to finish fifth in the conference.

"We've got to find a way to rally ourselves," Leitao said.

Virginia has five regular-season games left at John Paul Jones Arena, starting tonight with Clemson (4-3, 16-5). The Tigers are one of two ACC teams yet to play at the 14,593-seat arena, which opened last season. The other, North Carolina, comes to town Tuesday.

Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said he's been told that the JPJ is "a comfortable place to play. Obviously, it'd be a lot more comfortable if everyone in there was in Clemson orange, but they're not going to be."

A season ago, Virginia was all but invincible at home, winning 16 of 17 games. The Wahoos already have lost three times at John Paul Jones Arena this season, and crowd support often has been lackluster. Still, the ever-optimistic Singletary sees upcoming home dates with Clemson, North Carolina, N.C. State, Duke and Maryland as excellent opportunities for the Cavaliers to revive their postseason hopes.

"We've got a favorable ACC schedule in that we play the better teams at home," Singletary said.

Clemson, like many ACC teams, should have a decided advantage inside against U.Va., which has been without three of its top post players - senior Tunji Soroye, junior Laurynas Mikalauskas and sophomore Will Harris - for much of the season.

The Tigers' top big man, 6-7 sophomore Trevor Booker, is recovering from an ankle injury, but he's expected to play tonight. Virginia center Mike Scott turned his ankle against the Hokies, but he was able to finish the game and should be fine, Leitao said.

Scott, a 6-8, 233-pound freshman, created a stir with comments he made Saturday in Blacksburg. After the game, Scott said he wished Leitao, who's known as a taskmaster, would give U.Va.'s freshmen the freedom that Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg gives his first-year players.

"If they make a mistake, they just get through it," Scott said. "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."

Asked Monday night on his radio show about Scott's remarks, Leitao noted that everyone associated with U.Va.'s program is frustrated.

"I don't really think it's a concern from a team standpoint," Leitao said. "It's just one young freshman answering a question going through the middle of a difficult stretch."

 

Desperate Cavaliers claw with Clemson
Virginia hopes to turn fortunes around after having dropped four consecutive ACC contests
Antonio Luis Perez, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Jason O. Watson | Cavalier DailyThe Virginia men's basketball team's season has continued to unravel, and the Cavaliers are searching for a way to salvage it. They have another opportunity to do so tonight when the Cavaliers take on Clemson at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Cavaliers (11-9, 1-6 ACC) come into the game having dropped four straight and seven of their last eight games, including four straight in the ACC. The skid has landed Virginia in last place in the ACC and has the team urgently searching for a solution. Some players are trying to focus on the little things to win.

"We just [have to] play harder," freshman forward Mike Scott said. "If you're not scoring, then defend and rebound. If you're doing both, then just keep doing it more. That builds more confidence up."

Despite the Cavaliers' struggles, they have managed to keep games close. With the exception of the losses on the road at Xavier and Duke, all of the team's defeats have been by 10 points or fewer, including three overtime losses, two of which were against archrival Virginia Tech. Some of the close losses could be attributed to the youth and inexperience of the team, as some of the young players have yet to become comfortable playing in Virginia coach Dave Leitao's system.

"We're not playing with confidence," Scott said, adding that the higher confidence levels of Tech's freshmen played an important role on the court.

"Sometimes we're walking on eggshells, as people say," he said. "You don't want to mess up, you don't want to get out of the game, and I think that's hurting us."

The Cavaliers will face some tough tests at home to close out the season, including No. 1-ranked Duke, No. 2-ranked North Carolina and the game tonight with Clemson. The team sees this as an opportunity to get back on track.

"We've got a favorable home schedule, and we can make something of it," senior guard Sean Singletary said. "Those teams that come in here, they're probably top-40 teams, a couple of top-10 teams, so if we can get them, then we'll be in good shape."

Virginia's future success may depend heavily on its ability to find a consistent number-two scorer to supplement Singletary, something the team has not been able to achieve all season after the loss of graduate J.R. Reynolds. This has put a vast amount of pressure on Singletary, who also has been playing hurt for most of the season.

"[Singletary's] a warrior," Leitao said. "I don't know on God's green Earth that I've ever met a warrior like him. Most people wouldn't be out there."

The Tigers (16-5, 4-3 ACC) come into Charlottesville having cooled down after a red-hot start. Clemson is 6-5 in its last 11 games after having won its first 10 to start the season, putting them in a tie for third place in the ACC. Included in those five losses, however, is a 2-point overtime loss to North Carolina and a closely contested match at Duke that the Tigers lost 93-80. Most recently, Clemson is coming off a convincing win against Boston College Saturday.

Clemson will be without freshman starting point guard Demontez Stitt, who is out after having arthroscopic knee surgery. The loss of Stitt is only the latest in a string of injuries that has hit the Tigers this season. Senior forward James Mays has been battling a hip injury and a fracture in his left hand, and his frontcourt counterpart, sophomore Trevor Booker, sprained his ankle during a 75-72 loss at Miami in late January. A key for victory for the Cavaliers could be exploiting the battered-up Tigers.

The game tonight is crucial for the Cavaliers, who desperately need a win to get on a roll and climb out of the ACC cellar. The friendly confines of John Paul Jones Arena just might be the place to start, as Virginia is looking for a little home cooking.

"Just go home -- hopefully the fans are still with us -- get JPJ real loud, just get out there and do our thing," Singletary said. "It's been proven in our league that every team is beatable. We can do it, we've just got to gel and put it together."

 

Cavs look to regroup
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
February 7, 2008

A year ago, Virginia came back from 16 points down in the second half to win on the road at Clemson. The victory was the impetus for a seven-game winning streak and subsequent ACC regular-season championship.

Man, wouldn’t Virginia love to reel off seven wins right about now.

Tonight, UVa (11-9, 1-6 ACC) will be looking to snap out of the worst funk of the Dave Leitao era when it hosts Clemson at John Paul Jones Arena.

Virginia, which is riding a four-game losing streak and has dropped seven of its last eight, has looked nothing like the team that made it to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

“Personally, I’m very frustrated because you know I hate losing - everybody knows that,” said Virginia senior Sean Singletary. “We haven’t played to the best of our ability.”

Virginia better do so tonight. It may only be early February, but if UVa has any postseason hopes - even the NIT - losing to Clemson is not an option. The Cavaliers play three of their next four games on the road. The lone home game is versus No. 3-ranked North Carolina on Tuesday.

Clemson is no cupcake. The Tigers (16-5, 4-3) are coming off a 22-point shellacking of Boston College on Saturday.

“Clemson, in the three years that I’ve been here, has been a difficult team to prepare for because they stretch the floor out over 94 feet and it causes [you], in preparation, to take [you] out of the normal course of action during practice,” said Virginia coach Dave Leitao. “We’ve got to spend some time talking about their [defensive] pressure. We’ve got to spend some time talking about their interior. They’ve got great contributions from people on the exterior.”

Clemson has the type of well-balanced attack that Leitao would kill for.

Big men Trevor Booker and James Mayes are averaging a combined 23 points and 15.2 rebounds, while guards Cliff Hammonds, K.C. Rivers and freshman Terrance Oglesby all have scoring averages in double figures.

Hammonds and Rivers are menaces on the defensive end. Each has notched more steals than turnovers this season.

Clemson will be playing its first game in John Paul Jones Arena.

Tigers coach Oliver Purnell knows Virginia has been struggling, but that didn’t stop him from comparing the Cavaliers’ offensive attack to Duke’s.

“They’re a quality team with great guards,” Purnell said.

“They’re a team that comes at you a little bit like Duke in that they keep the floor spread and have skilled perimeter guys. That’s tough to guard. It’s not just Singletary - the other guys like [Calvin] Baker and [Mamadi] Diane can hurt you with the 3-point shot.

“They’ve chosen a very effective way to play. They’ve just been in a bunch of close games. This looks to be another.”

One of the bigger mysteries this season for Virginia - given its depleted frontline - has been Jerome Meyinsse.

The 6-foot-8 sophomore from Baton Rouge, La. has seemed to perform well in limited minutes, yet hasn’t been able to crack Leitao’s rotation.

Meyinsse is shooting a team-leading .750 percent (18-24) from the field.

“What we’ve been able to see from him is flashes and those flashes have to continue to be more consistent,” Leitao said. “He’ll make a good stop. He’ll take a charge, then the next time down he won’t…having more belief in himself - and his teammates in him - would allow him to extend his minutes more.”

Guard Jeff Jones has also been an enigma. After the Arizona win, the freshman looked like he was on his way to having a special

season. Instead, he went into a downward spiral that is still spiraling.

“I think it’s much more mental than physical,” said Leitao, when asked about Jones. “I think when you hit that wall - everybody does - you have to find a way, emotionally or otherwise, to climb over it. It’s almost like every time he has an open jumpshot that doesn’t go in, it seems like it adds more weight to his shoulders.

“It’s that one jumpshot that does go in that will probably take the weight of the world off of him.”

A midseason surge by Virginia would hardly be unprecedented. Last season, Maryland rebounded from a 3-5 start to win seven of its final eight games and qualify for the Big Dance.

“We’ve just got to dig down,” Leitao said, “and find a way to rally ourselves and be able to play well.”

Dunks

Virginia leads the all-time series, 65-47…Purnell said the ankle injury that Booker sustained against Miami is not a problem. “He should be OK barring any re-agitation,” he said…The Tigers’ Hammonds needs just two points to become the fifth player in ACC history to have 1,300 points, 400 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals.