Cavaliers shut down Hokies in Allen’s absence
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 20, 2009
Virginia’s Mike Scott has known Virginia Tech’s Jeff Allen for some time — both
players attended Hargrave Military Academy.
So when Scott saw the Hokies’ 6-foot-7 forward slumped on the bench in street
clothes at John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday night, he could empathize. Allen
was serving a one-game suspension for making an obscene gesture during Tech’s
loss to Maryland on Saturday.
“I saw it on his face — I know he was bummed,” Scott said, “but that’s just the
way things happen.”
Scott and Virginia didn’t waste any time in taking full advantage of Allen’s
absence during their huge 75-61 victory. “It kind of hurt them,” Scott said.
“He’s definitely an inside presence.”
Without the burly big fella wreaking havoc on the interior, Tech was forced to
play more outside-in than usual. Virginia (9-13, 3-8 ACC) did a great job of
making the Hokies beat them from the perimeter.
UVa coach Dave Leitao cited the work of Calvin Baker, Jeff Jones and Sylven
Landesberg in putting the clamps on Tech’s leading scorer Malcolm Delaney, who
was held to just 11 points on 3 of 13 shooting. He also committed five
turnovers.
“We did a good job of taking his space away,” Leitao said.
Meanwhile, Allen’s replacement, J.T. Thompson, started the game strong but
didn’t produce much in the second half.
The competitor in Scott “most definitely” wanted to see Allen on the court.
However, Scott — who has performed well in his last few games off the bench —
was just glad that the Cavs were able to get another win.
“It felt great,” he said. “They beat us twice last year — once at home on a
last-second shot. Just to beat them convincingly feels really good.”
Open mic night
In the last four years, microphones (of all things) have been a part of the
Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry.
Virginia fans likely remember the game in Blacksburg during the 2006 season when
Tech coach Seth Greenburg grabbed the courtside mic and urged his crowd on.
Virginia won the game, 54-49.
On Wednesday, Greenberg said that Leitao’s speech after the team’s previous win
over Clemson had likely made for a better homecourt advantage against the Hokies.
Sylven shines (again)
Leitao was hardly surprised by Sylven Landesberg’s stat line on Wednesday: 19
points, nine rebounds, six assists.
“His first game here was 28, eight and eight,” said Leitao, alluding to
Landesberg’s debut against VMI. “He has that [well-roundedness] in his game.
“I think what has happened is that he’s realized that he he’s been getting keyed
on a whole lot more and has growing confidence in the people around him — that
he can make plays and give people the ball…he can make people better as much as
he can score.”
Tunji Time
Until the last few games, most Virginia fans had written Tunji Soroye off. Not
so fast.
The fifth-year senior was a huge factor in Wednesday’s win, scoring an ACC
career-high six points. He also grabbed two rebounds and blocked a shot.
“He’s had a little bit of an awakening,” Leitao said. “He’s had much more pep in
his step and has been more aggressive and back to the trusting defender that we
had when he’s been healthy. It’s great to see that for him.”
U.VA. NOTES
By Staff Reports
Published: February 20, 2009
Improbable hero
The feel-good story Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena -- at least from
Virginia's perspective -- was the play of reserve center Tunji Soroye, who's
competing as a graduate student this season.
Soroye enrolled at U.Va. in 2004, but injuries limited him to two games in
2007-08, and the NCAA granted him another year of eligibility. The 6-11,
250-pound Nigerian didn't play in 10 of Virginia's first 18 games this season,
in part because of nagging injuries, but Soroye sparkled Wednesday against
Virginia Tech.
He scored five of his six points in a late flurry to help the Cavaliers close
the first half with a 10-0 run that gave them a 39-29 lead. U.Va. went on to win
75-61.
"It means a lot to me," Soroye said. "I want to do everything I can to help the
team get a win."
Soroye, who started 23 games as a sophomore and 11 as a junior, has moved back
into U.Va. coach Dave Leitao's rotation in the past four games.
"He's had a little bit of an awakening," Leitao said late Wednesday night. "He's
had much more pep in his step, and he's been more aggressive, and he's been back
to the trusting defender that we've had when he's been healthy.
"It's great to see that for him. Obviously tonight was great for us to get that
lead and be able to play off that in the second half."
Virginia (3-8, 9-13) visits ACC rival N.C. State (4-7, 14-10) tomorrow at 1 p.m.
No passing fancy
Freshman Sylven Landesberg has had at least three assists in each of his past
five games. He had six against the Hokies, a record for him in an ACC game, and
turned the ball over only once in 38 minutes.
"I think that's the part of his game that's growing," Tech coach Seth Greenberg
said. "I think that he's so good off the ball screen, he changes speeds and
changes directions so well, that you've got to commit and try to string him out
a little bit. That opens up passing lanes."
Point guard Sammy Zeglinski, a redshirt freshman, leads U.Va. with 79 assists.
Landesberg is second with 61.
Glory days revisited
The 25th anniversary of U.Va.'s most recent trip to the Final Four is looming,
and members of that team will be honored Feb. 28 at John Paul Jones Arena.
The 1983-84 Cavaliers, who were coached by Terry Holland, will be recognized at
halftime of the U.Va.-Wake Forest game that afternoon.
Several players and coaches from the'84 team are expected to attend the
ceremony. Holland's players that season included Rick Carlisle, Kenton Edelin,
Kenny Johnson, Ken Lambiotte, Dan Merrifield, Jim Miller, Tim Mullen, Olden
Polynice, Tom Sheehey, Anthony Solomon, Ricky Stokes and Othell Wilson.
Holland's assistants were Jim Larranaga and Dave Odom. Seth Greenberg, Jeff
Jones and Tom Perrin were graduate assistants.
In 1984, Virginia, seeded seventh in the East Region, advanced to the NCAA
semifinals before losing in overtime to Houston in Seattle.
Chalk talks
Al Groh and his staff will put on four coaching clinics around the state in the
coming months. The first will be at U.Va.'s McCue Center on March 10, the second
at Hermitage High in Henrico County on March 17, the third at Bishop O'Connell
High in Arlington on April 27, and the fourth at Maury High in Norfolk on May 4.
The clinics are open to high school and youth coaches. The cost is $16 per
person for each clinic. For more information, or to register, call Kirsten
Weimer at (434) 982-5923 or e-mail her at kirsten@virginia.edu.
Smart player
The 40 players on the ACC's all-academic football team for 2008 include U.Va.
tight end Andrew Devlin.
To be eligible for consideration, a player must have earned a 3.0 grade-point
average for the previous semester and have a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Devlin was a redshirt freshman last season, when he started two games and caught
three passes for 22 yards. -- Jeff White
UVa Insider, The Column - Doug Doughty
With the unanticipated return of the Virginia men’s basketball
to the win column, people have been asking me all week if fourth-year head coach
Dave Leitao is “safe.”.
I would have thought that Leitao was in big trouble if the Cavaliers’ losing
ways had continued and they had finished 1-15 in the conference.
Not so.
Leitao would have kept his job no matter how the season ended. That’s what I was
told by somebody who would know.
Of course, nobody can estimate how much indignation or apathy would have been
generated by a season-ending, 17-game losing streak, but UVa’s athletic leaders
felt it was only fair to bring back Leitao for a fifth season.
The thinking was, if football coach Al Groh got another chance, so should Leitao.
That’s what I was told prior to the Cavaliers’ game Sunday with Clemson. My
immediate thought was that the football team remained competitive until the end
of the season. Going into the Clemson game, the men’s basketball team was only
marginally competitive.
One thought about the football season remains imbedded in my mind: On the final
Saturday, UVa lost by three points on the field of the eventual conference
champion, Virginia Tech.
But, the Cavaliers did lose, and that’s seven losses in Groh’s eight games
against the Hokies.
When media gadfly Jeff White and I were discussing Leitao’s fate several weeks
back, he suggested that a lopsided defeat in the Cavaliers’ second game with the
Hokies could impact his future. Virginia went into Wednesday night’s game with
four losses in its last five games with Tech, including three in a row.
I really don’t believe that the people who would make the decision on Groh or
Leitao – i.e., Littlepage and school president John Casteen – would place a
heavy emphasis on the Tech-UVa games. I told Littlepage at a recent luncheon
meeting that there is a perception that he is “soft” on the Hokies and he
mentioned the rivalry in a letter mailed to donors, but I don’t think Leitao’s
fate is riding on it.
Of course, Leitao’s team has won two games in a row and looked fairly impressive
in the process. A similar thing happened last year, when UVa went 1-9 in its
first 10 ACC games, then took four of six down the stretch.
It’s a trend that is begging for analysis. UVa’s record from Jan. 1 until Feb.
15 over the past two seasons is 2-19, including 1-17 in ACC play. From Feb. 15
on, the Cavaliers are 8-4, with six ACC victories.
Why is that?
Off the top of my head, I’d say it’s a case of Leitao shortening his rotation.
This year’s turnaround dates to the second half of a Feb. 4 home game against
Boston College. That night, Leitao used 11 players in the first half and fell
behind 42-22.
He used the same five players for the first 18-plus minutes of the second half
and saw the Cavaliers trim the deficit to 68-61 before losing 80-70.
Mamadi Diane and Jerome Meyinsse haven’t played in the last three games.
Mustapha Farrakhan has played once, for three minutes at Florida State. UVa has
been using nine players, but it’s essentially an eight-man rotation, with
Solomon Tat starting but playing no more than 3-4 minutes at the start of each
half.
In Diane’s case, it’s a sad way to end what has been a respectable career. If
Diane were part of an eight-man rotation, maybe would have discovered his
long-lost shooting stroke, but he’s played more than 300 minutes and made 10
starts. He’s attempted 31 3-pointers and made two. He had his chances (but
here’s hoping he gets to start his final home game against Maryland).
It amounts to a youth movement, but I don’t think Leitao stopped using Diane
because he was senior. Fifth-year post man Tunji Soroye played double-figure
minutes in three consecutive games before a seven-minute outing Wednesday
resulted in six points, two rebounds and one blocked.
ALL I CAN SAY about Al Groh’s one-voice policy is that Bobby Diaco spent three
seasons on the Cavaliers’ football staff and I never spoke to him once.
That’s not counting our phone conversation Monday night, when he invoked Groh’s
one-voice policy even though the UVa staff had been informed over the weekend
that he was leaving for Cincinnati.
The above-mentioned Jeff White said he remembers having a brief conversation
with Diaco one year on meet-the-team day, although Diaco told me earlier this
week, “I haven’t talked to Jeff White. I don’t know Jeff White.”
White said he wants that on his epitaph.
When Groh and I stop playing phone tag, I’m going to ask him how he felt about
Diaco going to Cincinnati only two months after Groh elevated him to defensive
coordinator.
Diaco had been responsible for the linebackers and special teams for the past
three seasons and while the linebackers have been pretty good, I wonder how much
that had to do with Groh’s personal touch and how much had to do with Diaco. The
special teams were – sorry about this – nothing special.
As a recruiter, Diaco was no Mark D’Onofrio, whose departure for Temple
following the 2005 season created the opening that Diaco filled.
Maybe Diaco feels that Groh is in trouble and that there’s more security at
Cincinnati, but I wonder how attractive he would have been to Bearcats fans as a
Virginia position coach instead of the defensive coordinator, short-lived as his
tenure was.
Cavaliers confident after wins
By Norm Wood
February 20, 2009
It's amazing what two wins can do for a team's confidence in the
ACC. With its first winning streak since December to brag about, Virginia's
players have a new outlook.
Despite Wednesday night's convincing 76-61 win against Virginia Tech, nobody
expects U.Va. (9-13 overall, 3-8 ACC) to run the table the rest of the way, but
the next five games don't represent the Cavaliers' most daunting stretch of the
season. Building momentum early in games for a change has helped U.Va.'s
confidence heading into Saturday's matchup at North Carolina State.
"We're high on ourselves right now," said freshman guard Sylven Landesberg, who
had 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Tech, and 23 points last
Sunday against Clemson. "We're real confident. Our mind-set is we're going to
get this win.
"We're feeling real good right now. I guess I'd say better than we've ever
felt."
One of the reasons for U.Va.'s resurgence has been better play in the first half
of recent games. After failing to have the halftime lead in seven consecutive
games, U.Va. has had the advantage in each of its past three games. Now, the
Cavaliers must prove they can do it on the road, where they are just 1-7 this
season.
"My confidence is growing in addressing the issue that was plaguing us before,
which is a slow start, an unemotional start," said U.Va. coach Dave Leitao,
whose team also plays Miami, Wake Forest, at Clemson and Maryland before the ACC
tournament. "We have addressed it, and they have done a good job of making sure
we are ready to go."
Resurgent Cavaliers travel to Raleigh Saturday in ACC tilt
Revitalized team hopes to continue climb out of conference cellar, extend
two-game ACC win streak; first-half statistics, defense steadily improve
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Friday, February 20 2009
Junior forward Jamil Tucker notched 13 points and two assists against Virginia
Tech Wednesday night. He was 3-5 from the three-point line.
Looking at the remainder of the Virginia men’s basketball team’s schedule two
weeks ago, many wondered if the Cavaliers would pull off another win the rest of
the season. Saturday’s road match-up at N.C. State appeared to be one of the
more winnable games left on the Cavaliers’ slate.
A couple weeks later, however, the landscape has totally changed. Virginia
(9-13, 3-8 ACC) comes off its first conference winning streak of the season
going into Saturday’s contest. By the same token, the Wolfpack (14-10, 4-7 ACC)
appear to be a much stiffer challenge than they were earlier in the season as
well; they are 3-2 in February, including an 82-76 win against Wake Forest at
home Feb. 11 and an 86-65 blowout victory at Georgia Tech Feb. 14. N.C. State’s
only loss this month was against North Carolina Wednesday 89-80 at Chapel Hill.
And for the Cavaliers, there is the added question of whether they can carry
over their strong play from the last two games to a hostile environment.
“It’s definitely gonna test where this team really is now,” sophomore guard Jeff
Jones said.
Both individually and collectively, Virginia has shown signs of life. Jones has
been a consistent contributor since playing in the starting lineup Feb. 7
against North Carolina, averaging 11.8 points per game his last four games.
“As [Jones] gets more and more comfortable, he makes more shots,” coach Dave
Leitao said, adding that Jones has started to contribute in other offensive
categories as well.
Freshman Sylven Landesberg also has continued to add to the scoring column, and
his overall growth has been noticeable, particularly in Virginia’s most recent
win against Virginia Tech. Landesberg put in 19 points — including several
midrange jumpers, which he said has been a point of emphasis in his development
— and added six assists and nine rebounds.
“He’s realized, one, that he’s getting keyed on a whole lot more,” Leitao said,
“And two, growing confidence in the people around him that he can make plays and
get people the ball, and they can finish or make plays from there.”
As a whole, Virginia’s offense has been much more fluid, even prior to their
latest two-game win streak. The Cavaliers have averaged 15.8 assists during
their past four games, compared to 10.9 per game previously against conference
opponents.
“Before you can change the score, you have to change the way you do your
business,” Leitao said. “We’ve been working on execution a whole lot more, and I
thought our screen-setting and our timing off the screens allowed us to get some
more open shots than we had been getting.”
On the defensive side, Virginia finally showed that it can get stops when it
needs to, both in the 3-2 zone and in man-to-man. Leitao effectively used both
against the Hokies Wednesday.
“For the most part, I thought it looked like a defensive team out there,” Leitao
said.
Unlike Virginia Tech, though, the Wolfpack are driven by their frontcourt. A
year after junior forward Brandon Costner and senior forward Ben McCauley
experienced off years while playing in the shadow of then-freshman and current
Cleveland Cavalier J.J. Hickson, the two have combined for 27.4 points and 14
rebounds per game this year. Sophomore forward Tracy Smith’s game also has been
a pleasant surprise for coach Sidney Lowe of late; Smith has averaged 15 points
and 10 boards his last three games.
For Virginia, perhaps the most telling statistic has been first half production.
Time and again early in the conference season, Virginia stumbled to double-digit
first half deficits. Since Leitao began starting the unusual lineup of
Landesberg, Jones, junior guard Calvin Baker, freshman center Assane Sene and
junior forward Solomon Tat, however, Virginia has led at halftime in three of
its last four games. The only game in which it trailed at the break was against
North Carolina in Chapel Hill, in which the team faced just an eight-point
deficit.
“My confidence is growing in addressing the issue that was plaguing us before,
which was the slow starts,” Leitao said. “I think there’s an importance right
now with Solomon starting, and Assane starting, and Jeff starting ... but at the
same point in time, it’s a collective mindset that’s allowed us — win, lose or
draw — to come back in a positive way.”
Now, as the Cavaliers look at their schedule, they might feel more optimistic
that they can pick up one more win and avoid becoming the first Virginia team
since 1967 to win fewer than 10 contests.
“We’re just trying to build as much momentum as we can,” Baker said.
Cavs make early statement in tennis
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
To the casual University of Virginia sports fan, some decline in the Cavalier
men's tennis program would have been understandable following the graduation of
two-time national champion Somdev Devvarman.
Coach Brian Boland never thought that way.
"Not at all," Boland said Wednesday. "Not for a second."
The Cavaliers had an opportunity to be the hunters this year, but they'll be
hunted again after winning the ITA National Team Indoor Championships this past
weekend in Chicago.
"But we wouldn't want to be anywhere else," said Boland, who took off on a
recruiting trip after watching Virginia defeat Georgia 4-1 in the final. "It's a
great place to be, and I think it's something our program has been able to
embrace."
Virginia entered last year's NCAA outdoor championships with a 32-0 record and
the No. 1 seed but lost to Georgia in the semifinals. The Cavaliers also had
fallen to then-No. 1 Georgia in the 2007 semifinals.
Both teams sustained significant graduation losses this year but Georgia was
ranked third and Virginia was fifth going into last weekend's tournament.
Vital for UVa was the performance of two freshmen, Steven Eelkman Rooda from the
Netherlands at No. 5 singles and Drew Courtney from Clifton, Va., at No. 6.
Rooda could not play until Jan. 31, due to the red tape that frequently develops
from international recruiting but has posted a 4-2 record.
Courtney, who is 6 foot 5, was a three-time Group AAA champion for Robinson High
School and may have a greater upside than some recruits because he does not come
out of a tennis academy.
"He went about it in a very mainstream sense," Boland said. "Drew Courtney has
developed as much as any player I've ever seen in the last six months. I think
he's going to do some great things for Virginia tennis. His potential has yet to
be tapped into."
Virginia, which is now 44-1 over the past two seasons, should be ranked No. 1 in
men's tennis when the new rankings are released today.
More non-revenue
The Cavaliers also are ranked No. 1 in one of the two men's lacrosse polls.
Virginia improved its record to 2-0 with a 10-4 victory Monday over Bryant
University of Smithfield, R.I. Bryant is making its Division I debut in its
second season under former Duke coach and Washington and Lee alumnus Mike
Pressler.
Radford University senior Martin Sayer, who has represented Hong Kong in Davis
Cup competition, recently recorded the 100th victory of his college career.
Second on the Highlanders' all-time list is Raschid Benjalloun, whose last year
was 1994. Benjalloun also was Radford's last Big South player of the year before
Sayer.
In addition to Sayer, a three-time Big South player of the year, Radford has two
tennis players from Croatia and one apiece from Serbia and Morocco. Assistant
coach Arthur Vasarevic, who played for the Highlanders, also hails from Croatia.
Recruiting
West Virginia has taken a football commitment from Quentin Spain, a 6-foot-6,
330-pound offensive lineman from Petersburg High School who was rated the No. 14
junior in Virginia by The Roanoke Times.
Spain was recruited by WVU running backs coach Chris Beatty, who took Landstown
High School of Virginia Beach to the Group AAA Division 6 state championship in
2004. Beatty recruited three players out of Virginia last year, although one of
those, Phoebus quarterback Tajh Boyd, later signed with Clemson.
Around the ACC
New San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary has said he would be interested in
former Virginia Tech star Michael Vick if the Atlanta Falcons place him on
waivers, according to Sporting News Today. Vick is expected to be released from
a federal prison before the 2009 season.
New Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley, previously the offensive coordinator of
the Arizona Cardinals, has elected to retain Chiefs' offensive coordinator Chan
Gailey. Gailey previously was the head coach at Georgia Tech.
Transfer mill
Quarterback Steven Threet, who transferred from Georgia Tech before to Michigan
in 2007, said earlier this week that he will transfer to a third school after
receiving a release from his scholarship with the Wolverines. Threet's transfer
to Michigan occurred prior to the selection of spread advocate Rich Rodriguez as
head coach, although Threet started eight games.
It seems unlikely that Threet would go to a I-A school and sit out another year.
One-time UVa recruiting target Patrick Devlin, the back-up quarterback for Penn
State last season, has transferred to Division I-AA Delaware and will have
instant eligibility with the Blue Hens.
'Gentle giant' out of U.Va. is physical in trenches
Posted to: College Football Sports Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson
Virginian-Pilot columnist
Read Articles
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 20, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS
They tell Eugene Monroe he needs to be meaner. Needs to be tougher. Needs to be
more, you know, physical.
The scouts and draft experts who say these things don't say them to Monroe's
face. Monroe is listed at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds by nfl.com. He is a University
of Virginia graduate with bulging potential at an important NFL position, left
offensive tackle, a mover of other large and mean men.
Monroe will be a first-round draft choice in April, perhaps the first pick
overall, depending upon who and how he impresses at this week's NFL Scouting
Combine.
It is hard to look up at a man who can seemingly squish you between his thumb
and forefinger and tell him he needs a greater capacity for meanness. There is
something contradictory to it. Monroe finds bemusement in it.
"I suggest those people watch some tape of me," Monroe said Thursday after a
10-minute group interview at the combine, "and see that I am a physical player."
Although he doesn't spout stuff like Baylor's Jason Smith, another top tackle
who crowed Thursday, "When I'm on the field I take a lot of pride in physically
assaulting somebody," Monroe still developed a reputation as the most
well-rounded of this year's top-heavy class of tackle prospects.
That is, Monroe is known as a decent run blocker but more so an outstanding pass
blocker, which is where he'll make his money.
Left tackles in most cases protect the blind side of quarterbacks, because the
majority of quarterbacks are right-handed. NFL teams like protecting the blind
side of people they are paying many millions of dollars to throw footballs and
win games.
Two collegiate pass rushers slipped past Monroe last season and sacked U.Va.'s
quarterback. Overall, Monroe was asked Thursday, could he count the sacks he
yielded in his career on one hand? Two hands?
"I believe I could," Monroe agreed cryptically, and left it at that.
"Gene's a thoughtful kid, very soft-spoken, someone you'd call a gentle giant,"
Virginia coach Al Groh said. "But he's pretty competitively tough, a very
competitive player. We'd sure like to have him back."
Here's the thing. Scouts are paid to pick, break down and isolate. To find "the
despite" in a player, as Groh called it. As in, "That guy's pretty good,
despite..."
They don't necessarily know what ticks inside a man like Monroe, the baby of a
family of 16 from New Jersey, though that's not what you think. He didn't grow
up elbowing out four people for the mashed potatoes every night. The siblings,
he explained, were primarily half-brothers and half-sisters who were gone during
Monroe's formative years.
They don't necessarily know off-hand that Monroe usually gets what he seeks,
that he habitually sets goals, points his 300-plus pounds right at them, and
commences grinding.
Groh smiles at this story: As a touted high school player, Monroe told Groh
during his recruitment that he would pull himself into the top 10 academically
in his class. "One day when I was in my car, the phone rang," Groh said. "It was
Eugene calling to say the new postings were out... and he was ninth."
And they don't necessarily know that Monroe, this specimen, wasn't in the best
shape when he got to U.Va. and was displeased about it.
"I wasn't put together as well as I could've been," Monroe said. "You can't be
the complete package unless you do things like take care of your body, so I made
it very important to myself that I got that taken care of."
The combine experts do know, though, that after a broken knee cap hindered
Monroe's sophomore season, he basically bolted to the top of his field in two
years, playing along side future first-round linemen D'Brickashaw Ferguson and
Branden Albert, and practicing every day against defensive end Chris Long, the
second pick in last year's draft.
"I've still never played against a player as good as (Long)," Monroe said.
"Practicing against someone like that every day just forces you to accelerate
your game."
You see? Monroe puts his head down and goes, that's all. Does what he needs to
do, shows up where he needs to show up. He's come to the combine to work out, by
God, not to just talk or only let them X-ray him.
"I've got nothing to hide," Monroe said. "I'm gonna do every drill... Not many
people get this opportunity to have these teams really learn about them. I love
it."
Here's something that's not tough - appreciating how much Monroe appreciates the
adventure before him.
Recruit Atkins puts Virginia at top of list
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 20, 2009
Just as the Virginia men’s basketball team is picking up steam on the court, it
also seems to be doing so off of it.
Thursday, Eric Atkins — one of the top guard prospects for the class of 2010 —
told The Daily Progress that Virginia is at the very top of the list for his
services.
Recently, it was believed that the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder would wait until the
summer to make his college choice, but Atkins says he will do so at the end of
this month.
The four schools on Atkins’ list are Virginia, Notre Dame, Massachusetts and
Vanderbilt.
“In order, it would probably be like a toss-up between UVa and Notre Dame,”
Atkins said, “but UMass is right there after and also Vanderbilt.”
Atkins, who attends Mount St. Joseph’s High (Baltimore, Md.), said that location
will be a very big factor in his final decision — obviously a check mark in
Virginia’s favor. “I want to be close to home,” he said. “I live in Maryland, so
[UVa] is right there.”
Atkins, considered a combo guard, has played alongside some of the more talented
players in the region, including former high school teammates Dino Gregory (now
at Maryland) and Henry Sims (Georgetown). AAU teammates for the D.C. Assault
include Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston, both of whom are headed to Duke.
Atkins says he is really fond of the Virginia coaching staff — especially lead
recruiter Bill Courtney, and, of course, head coach Dave Leitao.
“We’re always on the phone for a long time,” Atkins said, “and my mother has
gotten to know [Leitao].”
Atkins, who can light it up from the outside, would fit in well with Sammy
Zeglinski and 2009 signee Jontel “Bub” Evans. Zeglinski is a pass-first guard,
while Evans is known for his strong defense.
Atkins, who grew up in Connecticut, looked up to NBA player Ray Allen as a kid —
another check mark for Virginia, given Leitao’s ties to the UConn program as a
former Huskies assistant.
“My style is that when I have the ball — I’m always attacking the defense and
trying to keep them on their heels, and always pressuring the ball on defense,”
Atkins said.
“But I also try and get everybody involved on the offensive end.”
Virginia also remains one of the frontrunners for Miller guard Mychal Parker. If
UVa were to land Parker and Atkins to pair with Evans and fellow 2009 signee
Tristan Spurlock, Wahoo fans would have reason to be giddy.
Renardo update
Contrary to a recent update on Rivals.com, sources close to the Virginia program
said that Renardo Sidney — considered one of the top high school players in the
Class of 2009 — has not eliminated UVa from contention. The sources, however,
weren’t optimistic about getting Sidney.
Sidney, according to Rivals, also has USC, UCLA, UNLV, Mississippi State and
Texas on his list. The
6-foot-11 Fairfax High (Los Angeles, CA) senior will be making his official
announcement on Sunday.
UVa drops nameplates, focuses on team first
By Jay Jenkins
Published: February 20, 2009
Game day programs at Davenport Field could be a hot commodity today and beyond.
Focused on what is on the front of the jersey and not what had been splashed
across the back in recent years, Virginia baseball coach Brian O’Connor elected
to remove the last names from the team’s uniforms.
It serves as a central theme for a team attempting to play just as that: a team.
With the new mantra in place, the quest to play in a sixth straight NCAA
regional begins today against Bucknell at 4 p.m. The teams will meet twice on
Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and in a single game on Sunday at
1 p.m.
“So far in the fall and the preseason, this has been a fun group to coach. Our
staff has really enjoyed it,” said O’Connor, who is 216-89 in five years. “Our
players have a lot of energy and they really play well together. It feels like
they are all pulling on the same side of the rope.
“Truly there is a lot of great team unity, which is rare with a lot of new
players. It feels like it is not about the individuals — it is about the team.
That is going to bode well for us throughout the season.”
Virginia, off a 39-23 campaign that included a trip to the ACC championship
game, welcomed 13 rookies to the program. O’Connor hopes that a collection of
veterans and the family-like atmosphere will make up for the loss of five
underclassmen in the 2008 MLB draft.
“Really, since we have been back we have made a conscious effort to make
everything about the team and to do everything every day to help a teammate
out,” O’Connor said. “It is amazing when you do that how it comes back to you.”
With the losses from last year’s team, a normal occurrence with premiere
programs, the Cavaliers will showcase a new-look infield. Tyler Cannon, last
year’s third baseman, is expected to shift to shortstop and a combination of
players including rookies Danny Hultzen, Steven Proscia, Keith Werman, Jared
King and veterans Phil Gosselin and Monticello product Corey Hunt will join him
in the infield.
As was the case a year ago in the infield with
now-departed players such as David Adams, Jeremy Farrell and Greg Miclat,
Virginia now boasts experience in the outfield. John Barr, David Coleman, Danny
Grovatt and Jarrett Parker combined for 106 RBI in their rookie seasons.
O’Connor also has two viable options at catcher for the first time in his tenure
with highly-touted rookie John Hicks from Goochland, who is capable of splitting
time with junior Franco Valdes.
With balance from both sides of the plate, O’Connor has the luxury of tinkering
with the lineup early in the season.
“I say from 1 through 9, and even guys that aren’t going to be in there [today],
we are definitely capable of producing,” said Grovatt, who hit .324 as a rookie
last year. “We have so much hitting depth this year. It will all be determined
on the field, but we will be fine and I think hits can come from about anywhere,
so it will be exciting.”
Its pitching staff, however, will likely determine Virginia’s success in the
ACC.
O’Connor said he will start Andrew Carraway, who is 11-3 in his career, in
today’s opener and follow with three left-handed pitchers (Hultzen, Neal Davis
and Jeff Lorick) to close out the four-game series. Rookie Will Roberts is
expected to start Tuesday.
The first pitch could have easily been given to left-hander Matt Packer as well,
but O’Connor wants to maximize the junior’s worth to the team early on as a
closer to solidify a great start from a loaded bullpen. It could mean in due
time, however, that the southpaw that led the nation in ERA gets pushed into the
rotation.
“You need somebody at the end of games that has composure and has good stuff and
he has all those qualities,” O’Connor said. “He has pitched in so many big games
for us. That situation is not going to faze him.”
To challenge for an ACC title in a league boasting numerous top-tier programs
including North Carolina, Florida State, Miami and Georgia Tech, Virginia will
lean on a host of sophomores out of its bullpen. Kevin Arico, Robert Morey and
Tyler Wilson are expected to land an increased workload. Redshirt freshman Sean
Lucas also appears vastly improved after an offseason as a Cavalier.
“It is a deep pitching staff, but I still think there is a lot of inexperience,”
O’Connor said. “A big factor on the success of our team is how our second-year
players have matured on our team. We need them to step up, no matter what role
it is, to take on more significant roles this year. That will be really
important.
“We are going to run out good starters. Packer is an experienced guy at the end
of games, but how are we going to bridge that gap. A lot of it is going to be
based on that group of second-year pitchers and how they have matured from last
year.”
Davis added: “We have a lot of guys that can contribute this year, and it comes
from every class. Before we got here it seemed like it was just [Michael]
Schwimer and Casey [Lambert] and now we are 10, 12, 14 guys deep. It is
unbelievable. It is great to know that you can trust guys coming in behind you
if you are a starter.”
Cavs step up to plate, get set to take on Bison
Weekend series against Bucknell opens season for young Cavalier starting nine
JP Stroman, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Published: Friday, February 20 2009
Senior left-hander Neil Davis posted the team’s second-best bullpen ERA last
season at 1.58. It’s February, and tomorrow’s high temperature is forecasted at
40 degrees. The Virginia baseball team, however, could not be more excited to
get to the ballpark.
“For five months, they’ve been competing against each other,” coach Brian
O’Connor said. “When there’s somebody else in the other dugout, it means a lot
more.”
The Cavaliers confidently head into their season-opening series against Bucknell.
Senior righthander Andrew Carraway will start the opening game Friday after
coming off an impressive season in which he finished 4-3 with a 4.06 ERA.
Freshman Danny Hultzen earned the highly sought-after position of Saturday
starter, and will open one of the games of the early-season doubleheader.
Players also expect the remaining underclassmen to make important contributions.
“I like [the team] a lot,” junior lefthander Matt Packer said. “The younger guys
we have, the sophomores, that played a lot last year — they’re really hitting
well and playing well. We’re really coming together as a team.”
Bucknell’s pitching staff also will rely on several young players. While the
Bison’s opening-day starter, sophomore righthander Dylan Seeley, is coming off a
season in which he posted a 4-4 record along with a 4.77 ERA, the team’s other
three starters combine for only seven career starts between them.
In past seasons, Virginia has focused mainly on hitting for average and less on
hitting for power. Only one player, the now-graduated Jeremy Farrell, hit more
than six home runs for Virginia last season.
“Our park’s not really built for a lot of home runs,” sophomore infielder Phil
Gosselin said. “We’re going to have to manufacture runs and hit balls in the
gap, and steal bases, and do a lot of those kind of things.”
The Cavaliers do have some hitters who could add some power to the lineup.
Sophomore rightfielder Dan Grovatt leads all returners with a .481 slugging
percentage, which included 22 doubles and three home runs on the year. Gosselin
ranked third on the last season’s team with a .433 slugging percentage.
“Our emphasis is never gonna be on hitting homeruns, but it just so happens that
in this preseason, we’ve hit quite a few,” O’Connor said. “We’ll see as it moves
a long, but I think there’s some guys that really have a chance to do some
damage.”
Bucknell also boasts several talented batsmen, but will have to deal with the
losses of Jason Buursma and Mark Angelo, who both graduated last year. Buursma
led the team in home runs and the two shared the top spot in team RBIs. Among
returning players, senior infielder Dane Grandizio led the Bison with a .333
batting average last season.
Heading into the spring, the Cavaliers are seeking to reverse a negative trend.
Virginia has qualified for the playoffs in each of the last four years, but has
not advanced past the regional round once.
O’Connor, however, remains confident about his team’s ability to break its
losing streak in the playoffs this year.
“We don’t worry too much about getting over the hump of the regional,” O’Connor
said. “You’ve gotta get to that hump first is what I tell the players, and if we
consistently make a run at the NCAA tournament, eventually that will happen to
this program, and I believe it’ll happen this year.”
Squad aims to hurdle Stony Brook
Top-ranked Virginia heads north to faceoff with Stony Brook Saturday as
Orangemen loom
Sam Adams, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Published: Friday, February 20 2009
Junior midfielder Brian Carroll scored a career high three goals in the
Cavaliers’ victory against Bryant. Coming off two straight home victories to
open the season, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team will travel to Long Island to
face a solid Stony Brook squad. With a 2008 national semifinal rematch against
Syracuse looming next week, the Cavaliers must remain focused Saturday to stay
undefeated.
Neither Drexel nor Bryant posed much of a challenge for Virginia, as the
talent-heavy Cavaliers easily dispatched both, and Stony Brook, despite being a
respectable opponent from the America East Conference, will play the underdog
against Virginia. Still, the Cavaliers are only a week away from the heart of
their difficult schedule and need to be firing on all cylinders if they want to
take down the defending national champions next Friday.
Stony Brook’s scouting report is incomplete because it has not yet played a
regular season game, but the Seawolves return 18 letter-winners from a team that
finished 7-7 last year. Stony Brook is led by sophomores Jordan McBride and
Kevin Crowley, who ranked first and second on the team in scoring in 2008,
respectively. McBride and Crowley are just about the only returning firepower
for the Seawolves, however; Stony Brook’s next six leading scorers all graduated
last spring.
Most of the players Virginia will take on Saturday will be inexperienced,
something on which Virginia should be able to capitalize. The Cavaliers,
however, will certainly have to weather a storm of enthusiasm and excitement
from Stony Brook, as a home opener against the No. 2 team in the nation could
bring out the best in the Seawolves’ players and fans.
In addition to defeating a motivated opponent, Virginia has some tactical issues
to sort out, particularly in the midfield, where Virginia coach Dom Starsia has
been rotating a number of different lines and players.
“I don’t think there is a timeline,” Starsia said. “I don’t think there
necessarily has to be. It’s harder for me on the sideline to orchestrate the
bodies, but I like what it does for us; it creates some different matchups out
there.”
Although he said the midfield variation is beneficial, Starsia also said he
expects a core of five or six players to emerge as the top choices in the
midfield. He also added that he will continue to work to improve the team’s
scoring, both from the midfield and the attack.
“I see [scoring] as a continuing process,” Starsia said. “We are not where we
want to be exactly, but we’re going to get there. Rhamel [Bratton], Shamel
[Bratton], John Haldy — they’re young. They’re sophomores and they’re just kind
of figuring it out.”
Though the scoring may be behind schedule, Monday’s matchup against Bryant
showed that the defense is ahead of the learning curve. After playing together
all of last season, Ryan Nizolek, Ken Clausen and Matt Kellys are familiar with
each other and Virginia’s schemes, providing an advantage against less
experienced opponents.
“I think the defense played really well,” junior midfielder Brian Carroll said.
“They’ve been playing really well together, getting used to each other.”
Sophomore goalie Adam Ghitelman also has been performing well this season.
Ghitelman has 18 saves in two games, including 12 against Bryant while limiting
the Bulldogs to just four goals.
“Obviously that’s good, anytime you only let in four goals,” Carroll said.
Ghitelman initially won the 2008 starting position, but was later benched for
fifth-year senior Bud Petit. This season, though, he is firmly entrenched as the
starter, and has played with poise.
As the season continues, the Cavaliers will look to gain more confidence at each
position. Stony Brook will be another important test that will help determine
how the team needs to play to keep moving forward. For Virginia, preseason
rankings predict a Final Four appearance in Foxborough, Mass., but the focus
must remain on steady improvement and taking its tough schedule one game at a
time.
Team hopes to lasso Broncos, top Eagles
Cavaliers ascend to top spot in rankings following National Indoor title
performance
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Friday, February 20 2009
No. 1 singles player senior Dominic Inglot lept from No. 43 in the national
standings to No. 6. Number one in the nation — a title every sports team aspires
to claim.
After winning the National Indoor Championships last weekend, the Virginia men’s
tennis team has reassumed the coveted position and is well on its way to taking
a stab at a national crown. The grind toward the NCAA tournament for Virginia
(12-0, 1-0 ACC) starts with an out-of-conference match against No. 29 Boise
State and an ACC contest against Boston College (6-1) Saturday at the Boar’s
Head Sports Club.
In an enticing matchup against Boise State (5-3), Virginia senior Dominic Inglot
will no longer have to look up at a higher-ranked opponent in the singles after
vaulting in the standings from No. 43 to No. 6. Inglot faced four top-20 players
during the past three weeks. He defeated the first two and was on the verge of
beating then-No. 10 Arnau Brugues of Tulsa in the first round of the National
Indoors before Virginia clinched the match with other singles’ victories.
His victories confirmed what Inglot already knew: He is a top-10 caliber player.
“I believed I had the potential to be a top-10 player at the beginning of the
season,” Inglot said. “I knew it wasn’t going to happen automatically, but I
knew I could build myself into a top-10 player because I got there before. I
think I deserve to be where I’m at.”
Inglot has grown accustomed to playing against top-notch competition and added
that his new rank will not change his outlook.
“Every week in, week out you’re playing against the best guys,” Inglot said.
“Before I was playing against guys who were higher-ranked, and now I’ll be
playing against guys who are lower-ranked, but I don’t think that will make any
difference. I want to go out there and impose my game on them and show them that
I deserve to be here.”
Inglot’s first singles match at No. 6 in the country will come against Boise
State’s No. 62 Clancy Shields.
“Clancy Shields is a good player,” Inglot said. “He’ll be a tough battle. All
those guys on the Boise team fight like lions — real hard.”
The two teams played a like opponent earlier in the season in then-No. 4 UCLA.
Boise State won both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles against the Bruins, but
dropped the remaining matches to lose, 1-6.
Unlike the Broncos, Virginia showed superior depth, winning at the top-three
spots as well as at the No. 6 position in singles to clinch the quarterfinals of
the National Indoors tournament, 4-3.
A critical factor in the Virginia win was the play of freshman Drew Courtney,
who has excelled in the No. 6 slot for the Cavaliers. Courtney compiled a 3-0
singles record in the tournament and was named to the all-tournament team.
“Honestly, I expected to have success,” Courtney said. “As a freshman, it’s kind
of weird to have so many great things happen so soon, but it’s awesome.”
Coach Brian Boland was ecstatic about — though not surprised by — the freshmen’s
early success.
“I certainly knew they had the potential,” Boland said. “I think it’s hard to
say both as a team or individuals how quickly they’ll develop. You’ve seen the
incredible strides with all our players, but in particular [freshman] Steven
Rooda and Courtney have come a long ways in a short time.”
Perhaps it is because of this accelerated rate at which Courtney and Rooda have
adjusted that Virginia has managed to seize the college tennis limelight. The
Cavaliers are now situated in a familiar position: number one in the nation.
“Last year, everyone expected it of us,” Inglot said. “Everyone looked at our
team and thought this was the best team on paper in college ... There was a big
bull’s eye on our back. It might now become like that again, but I don’t think
as much so ... We got a little bit overconfident last year. We just thought we
were going to get it, whereas here we know we have to work for it.”
Although Virginia appreciates the No. 1 ranking, Boland added the team has not
lost sight of its most pressing concerns.
“Certainly you’re honored, particularly in college tennis when there’s so much
depth and so many great programs out there,” Boland said. “At the same time,
it’s not something we focus on every day.”
Inglot said he does not believe the team will become too confident because of
the ranking, adding that the competitiveness of ACC play should help them
maintain their intensity.
“It can be [a step down] if you let it be,” Inglot said, noting that upcoming
competition will not be quite as prominent as it was over the weekend. “The
temptation will be, ‘Oh, well we’re playing Boise or Boston College.’ It’s easy
to take the foot off the pedal. But this team is really disciplined. I think
myself and [junior] Houston [Barrick] as captains will make sure everyone
understands [that].”
Boland said the team is grounded and prepared for this weekend’s slate of games.
“The national indoors brings together the best teams in the country,” Boland
said. “But the ACC is a league we have a great respect for, as well as our
non-conference. Boise State is a great team, and any ACC match like Boston
College you have to be ready to play.”
Littles’ ‘circus shot’ sparks UVa
By Jay Jenkins
Published: February 20, 2009
With one of the most ridiculous “circus shots” in the history of Virginia
women’s basketball, senior Lyndra Littles saved the day and perhaps the season.
Trailing by two points with just 3.8 seconds left, the forward glanced to floor,
banged into Miami’s LaToya Cunningham and tossed up a leaning jumper from beyond
the free-throw line.
Magically, the shot banked off the glass and sliced through the net to force
overtime. It also provided Virginia with a well-timed 84-75 victory that gave
coach Debbie Ryan her 22nd 20-win season at the university.
“The clock was winding down, I was looking to get the foul and at the same time
get the ball off and it just banked in,” Littles said.
Virginia’s second-leading scorer learned that the improbable shot went in from
the reaction from the 2,922 fans inside John Paul Jones Arena that had been
nearly lulled to sleep with a regretful first-half display that included just 24
points on 17.9 percent shooting from the field.
“Let me be honest with you, I really thought that was going to go in,” said
Ryan, shortly after her team improved to 20-7 overall and 6-5 in the ACC.
“Lyndra makes circus shots all the time. She makes circus shots all the time.
“It was touch. It was just meant to be tonight.”
Once the game reached overtime, Virginia created separation quickly as rookie
point guard Ariana Moorer nailed a jumper and Littles splashed in a 3-pointer.
Miami (13-13, 2-9) trimmed its deficit to three at 76-73 on a
3-pointer from Epiphany Woodson, but the Cavaliers iced the game after Britnee
Millner answered with a 3-pointer with 3:06 left following an inbounds play.
“Britnee Millner showed a lot of character tonight,” Ryan said. “Britnee Millner
is really hurt. She got whiplash in practice the other day and she couldn’t
practice [Wednesday].”
The win ended a two-game losing streak for the Cavaliers and helped keep the
program alive for a possible first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.
“Tonight we found a way to win. We did,” Ryan said. “Once we got it into
overtime we really showed what we can do. We showed a lot of character.”
For the game, Virginia shot 40.3 percent from the field (25 of 62), but had a
decisive advantage at the foul line, connecting on 30 of 44 attempts. Miami,
which was called for 27 fouls, made just 12 of 18 from the charity stripe.
Littles, who played 44 of the game’s 45 minutes, finished with a game-high 27
points. Monica Wright added 21 points and six of Virginia’s 41 rebounds.
Miami’s Shenise Johnson
finished with 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Virginia has its final home game on Sunday at 5 p.m. against Boston College.
No. 21 Virginia braves scoring storm to tame ‘Canes in thrilling
overtime battle
Littles’ off-balance jumper with four seconds remaining in regulation forces
extra period of play; Cavs shoot 18 percent in first half, outscore Hurricanes
14-5 in overtime to escape third straight ACC loss
Mallory Denniston, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Published: Friday, February 20 2009
Freshman forward Chelsea Shine saw 11 minutes of action against the Hurricanes
last night and netted three points on 1-3 shooting in the game. It was as if
Sean Singletary were back on the court in John Paul Jones Arena last night. With
four seconds remaining in regulation against Miami, senior forward Lyndra
Littles sank a shot that was reminiscent of No. 44’s game-winner against Duke
two seasons ago.
“I don’t have any words for that shot,” Miami sophomore guard Epiphany Woodson
said. “I can’t believe she made that shot.”
Littles forced the game into overtime with the basket, and the No. 21 Cavaliers
(20-7, 6-5 ACC) were able to pull out an 84-75 victory against Miami (13-13, 2-9
ACC).
After trailing for the majority of the game, Virginia managed to tie the score
with just 59 seconds remaining. Woodson scored with 29 seconds left to give the
Hurricanes the edge, but Cavalier junior guard Monica Wright answered right back
with a two-pointer of her own. With 13 seconds remaining, a foul was called on
senior guard Britnee Millner to put Shenise Johnson on the line. The freshman
forward made both of her free throws, leaving Virginia little time to cover the
deficit.
With four seconds left, however, Littles made an off-balance jumper to tie.
“Sometimes I practice the no-look shot,” Littles said. “I was looking to get the
foul, and at the same time put the ball up. It binged off and went in. I didn’t
even see it go in.”
Following the end of regulation, the Cavaliers came out of the huddle fired up
and were able to outscore the Hurricanes 14-5 in overtime. Miami never led in
the extra period — a stark contrast from the way in which the Hurricanes played
during the first 40 minutes.
Virginia got off to a dismal start in the first half, shooting only 18 percent
from the field. The only thing keeping the team in the game was their
performance from the free throw line, as the Cavaliers went 14 of 22 from the
stripe.
Coach Debbie Ryan said she was not satisfied with her team’s performance during
the first half.
“I felt like I was coaching an alien team in the first half,” Ryan said. “I feel
like we left Raleigh and started the same game.”
The trio of Littles, Wright and senior center Aisha Mohammad was responsible for
the team’s rally, scoring 48 of their 64 combined points after the break.
Freshman guard Ariana Moorer also was able to provide a spark, adding 12 points
and exercising uncommon leadership for a rookie.
“Ari showed some leadership today,” Ryan said. “She scored and that’s what we
were looking for. I was really proud of her. She gave me a solid 35 minutes.”
The Hurricanes’ attack, meanwhile, was led by the McDonald’s High School
All-American Johnson. Like Moorer, Johnson also showed maturity beyond her years
in handling the tough task of playing a ranked team in a hostile environment.
She recorded a double-double, posting 25 points and 10 assists.
The Cavaliers got a must-needed conference victory after losing their past two
ACC matchups against Maryland and NC State. Littles’ shot to save the Cavaliers’
NCAA tournament chances should give the team added confidence as it attempts to
get back on track as the regular season draws to a close.