London Adds Final Piece to Staff
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/02/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A little less than two months after Mike London took over as UVa's football coach, his staff is set.

London's final hire is Scott Wachenheim, who'll coach the Cavaliers' tight ends. From 2006 to '08, Wachenherim was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Liberty University, where his boss was former UVa assistant Danny Rocco.

Wachenheim, 47, coached the Washington Redskins' tight ends in 2009, but found himself looking for work when Jim Zorn was fired early last month.

"Obviously I wasn't looking to leave the Washington Redskins, but I wasn't looking to leave Liberty University either," Wachenheim said Tuesday afternoon at the McCue Center. "This is to me an exciting new adventure."

Also Tuesday, London announced his assistants' assignments, some of which already were public knowledge.

UVa's defensive staff comprises coordinator Jim Reid and Jeff Hanson (linemen), Vincent Brown (linebackers), Chip West (cornerbacks) and Anthony Poindexter (safeties).

Hanson also serves as recruiting coordinator, and Poindexter supervises special teams.

Leading the offensive staff is coordinator Bill Lazor, who's also quarterbacks coach. The other assistants on that side of the ball are Wachenheim, Shawn Moore (wide receivers), Mike Faragalli (running backs) and Ron Mattes (linemen).

Mattes, who like Poindexter and Moore starred for George Welsh at UVa, technically is a graduate assistant. Helping Mattes will be another GA, former UVa offensive lineman Gordie Sammis, and Wachenheim has extensive coaching those positions.

Mattes and Sammis will be on the field during practices. London's other graduate assistants, former UVa players Josh Zidenberg and Brennan Schmidt, primarily will work with video.

In D.C., Wachenheim was reunited with Zorn, with whom he'd worked at Utah State.

"My experience in the NFL was extremely positive," Wachenheim said. "I learned a tremendous amount from the NFL."

From Zorn, Wachenheim said, he learned about showing "poise under pressure." From legendary offensive-line coach Joe Bugel, "how to come to work every day as a professional."

Working with talented tight ends such as Chris Cooley and Fred Davis, Wachenheim said, provided immediate feedback on his coaching.

Wachenheim isn't the only member of UVa's staff with ties to the NFL. Mattes, Brown, Poindexter and Moore played in the league, and London, Lazor and Reid are former NFL assistants.

Wachenheim was not always sure he'd end up in Charlottesville. Shortly after the Redskins dismissed Zorn, Wachenheim spoke to London, who indicated his new staff appeared to be set.

Late last month, however, Wachenheim was in Mobile, Ala., site of the Senior Bowl, when London called to see if he wanted to talk about a position at UVa.

Wachenheim didn't hesitate. Rocco raved about London, whom Wachenheim had watched running position drills at UVa and with the NFL's Houston Texans.

"I was just impressed with his passion and enthusiasm and energy," Wachenheim recalled.

His admiration grew when he saw how London carried himself after leading the University of Richmond to the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision title in 2008, and Wachenheim never forgot the advice he once received from Ken Hatfield, one of his mentors.

"He told me, 'Scott, it's not where you work, it's who you work with.'"

Wachenheim, who has a bachelor's in civil engineering, is a 1984 graduate of the Air Force Academy, where he was a four-year starter on the offensive line.

He and his wife, Karla, have two sons. Kyle, 19, is a sophomore at Liberty, from which he plans to graduate in three years. Tyson, 16, is a junior at Loudoun County High School. The family plans to move to the Charlottesville area as soon as possible.

Wachenheim has coached at six schools -- Air Force, Arkansas, Colorado, Utah State, Rice and Liberty -- and worked in a variety of offensive systems.

At Rice, where he spent 12 seasons with Hatfield, the last five as offensive coordinator, Wachenheim ran the triple-option.

"At Utah State, we ran the one-back or no-back and threw it 40 times a game. At Liberty, we ran a pro-style offense," Wachenheim said.

"I'm comfortable with any system. I think coaching's coaching and teaching's teaching."

UVa returns its top three tight ends from 2009: Joe Torchia, Colter Phillips and Paul Freedman. Among them, they caught 21 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

 

London Names Wachenheim as UVa Tight Ends Coach
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 02/02/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Virginia head football coach Mike London has announced that Scott Wachenheim has joined the Cavalier football coaching staff. He becomes the ninth member of London's staff. He will coach the tight ends position. Wachenheim brings 21 years of collegiate coaching to UVa after spending the 2009 campaign as the tight ends coach with the Washington Redskins.
"I had met and known about Scott for the last couple of years when he was on Danny Rocco's staff at Liberty," said London. "He has a very good background as the tight ends coach with the Redskins and has been an offensive coordinator and has coached the offensive line. It was important for me to get another coach on our staff who could lend their expertise to the run game and the passing game. I think Scott and (graduate assistant coach) Ron Mattes will work well together. Together they will add up to one really big benefit. I am excited about what Scott brings. This is the last of the positions to fill and, if you look at it from top to bottom, these are good men of character, good coaches and good teachers."
Wachenheim returns to the Commonwealth where he spent three seasons (2006-08) as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Liberty in Lynchburg, Va., under former UVa associate head coach Danny Rocco. Prior to the 2007 campaign, Rocco increased Wachenheim's responsibilities, naming him assistant head coach.
"With Mike London, it goes all the way back to when I was coaching at Rice," Wachenheim said. "Mike was the defensive line coach at the Houston Texans and I remember going to watch practice to see the offensive line drills and I could not help but notice the defensive line drills because of the intensity of the coach running them and that happened to be Mike. His intensity there is a memory that has been stuck in my mind.
"I followed Mike when he came back up here and Danny Rocco brought our Liberty staff up here to observer practice. I also followed his Richmond teams closely. I was always impressed with how he handled himself and his teams and the type of character he represents. I had already seen the type of coach he was by watching him coach his position drills. Watching his interviews after Richmond won the national championship, it was very clear that he knew what was important in life. I have always wanted to work with a guy like that. I've been blessed to work for coaches like that in Danny Rocco at Liberty, Ken Hatfield at Arkansas, Bill McCartney at Colorado, Charlie Weatherbie at Utah State and Jim Zorn at the Redskins, so this is an exciting opportunity."
As the offensive coordinator at Liberty in 2008, the Flames went 10-2 on the way to a second straight Big South Conference championship, while averaging 33.7 points and 446.7 yards per game. The latter total ranked ninth in the Football Championship Subdivision and marked the second year in a row Liberty led the conference in total offense as they averaged 429.6 yards a game in 2007, while scoring 42.6 points per contest.
Also in 2008, the Flames topped the 30-point mark in eight of their 12 contests, including scoring at least 42 points on four occasions. In addition, Liberty boasted the conference's leading individual passer, rusher and receiver.
In 2007, Liberty's offense showcased incredible balance, running the football for 215.91 yards per game, while passing the football for 213.73 yards per game, in route to shattering the school and Big South record for points scored in a season (469).

 The Flames' offense ranked among the nation's top 20 teams in nine categories. In 2006, Liberty's offense also ranked in the nation's elite in eight categories.
Liberty offensive success was aided by physical play from its offensive line. Liberty's entire starting five offensive line garnered Big South all-conference honors in 2007, while in 2006 three Flame offensive linemen were selected all-conference. Additionally, Stephen Sene signed a free agent contract with the NFL's St. Louis Rams organization.


Highlighting Wachenheim's offense during his three years at Liberty was three-year starting running back Rashad Jennings, a seventh round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2009 NFL Draft. A Walter Payton Award finalist and consensus first-team All-America selection, Jennings set Big South career records for rushing yards (3,633), attempts (633) and touchdowns (42).
Prior to his days with the Flames, Wachenheim spent 12 years as a member of Ken Hatfield's coaching staff at Rice in Houston, Texas. He spent the last five years with the Owls as offensive coordinator.


Wachenheim helped Rice build a dominant ball control offense which ranked among the nation's best during his tenure.


During the 2004 season, Rice led the nation in rushing offense (306.5 yards per game), and the Owls' 2003 squad ranked second in the country, racking up a school record of 3,800 rushing yards. In 2001, Wachenheim's direction enabled Rice to break the school record for points scored (333) and total offense (4,846 yards).


Prior to joining the Rice staff, Wachenheim served as recruiting coordinator, offensive tackles and tight ends coach at Utah State (1992-93). He culminated his tenure at the school with a Big West Conference title and a Las Vegas Bowl victory in 1993.

Wachenheim got his collegiate coaching career started in 1984. After graduating from the Air Force Academy with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, he served as offensive coordinator of the Air Force Academy's junior varsity squad. He then went on to complete his military requirements.


Wachenheim returned to the coaching ranks at Arkansas in 1989-90, helping the Razorbacks to a Southwest Conference championship and a Cotton Bowl invitation. Additionally, Wachenheim earned his master's degree in athletic administration from the school in 1991.


Wachenheim spent the 1991 football season at Colorado under the leadership of head coach Bill McCartney, helping the Buffaloes win the Big 8 Conference championship and earn a berth in the Blockbuster Bowl.


As a player, Wachenheim was a four-year starter (1980-83) on the offensive line at the Air Force Academy. He earned first-team All-Western Athletic Conference and honorable mention All-American honors his senior year. The 1983 Falcons finished with a 10-2 season record, were ranked second in the nation in rushing offense, and were tabbed as the nation's 13th-ranked team overall.


A native of Woodland Hills, Calif., Wachenheim and his wife, Karla, have two sons: Kyle and Tyson.
In addition to Wachenheim being hired as the tight ends coach, London also announced the position assignments for the previous appointments to his staff. Jim Reid will act as defensive coordinator. Bill Lazor will be offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Jeff Hanson will be the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Anthony Poindexter will coach safeties and special teams. Vincent Brown will coach the linebackers and Chip West will coach the cornerbacks. Mike Faragalli will coach running backs and Shawn Moore will handle wide receivers. Graduate assistant coach Ron Mattes will coach the offensive line and be assisted by graduate assistant Gordie Sammis. Rounding out the staff are video graduate assistants Josh Zidenberg and Brennan Schmidt. Mattes, Sammis, Zidenberg and Schmidt all played at Virginia.

 

Signing day comes again for Moses
By Michael Phillips
Published: February 3, 2010
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A year ago, Morgan Moses was the headline act among Richmond-area recruits on signing day.

He waited until then to make his decision, ultimately deciding to stay in-state and play for the University of Virginia.

The 6-7, 330-pound offensive tackle was sure to make an immediate impact. But a year later, he still isn't enrolled as a student on the Grounds.

His story underscores the nature of signing day, which is more like the major-league baseball draft than the NFL's. Most top-tier recruits take a redshirt year, and their impact may not be seen for another few years.

For Moses, his road to college football was detoured when he was unable to qualify academically at U.Va. Instead, he went to Fork Union Military Academy, where he could work on his academics while continuing to practice for a strong postgraduate football team.

By going to FUMA, though, he was no longer bound by his national letter of intent, so this year other schools came calling, hoping to pounce on the uncertainty involving the Cavs coaching situation, and steal Moses away to their schools. Among the suitors making a big push were South Carolina, LSU and Ohio State.

Despite that, when he holds his signing day ceremony today, he's expected to stick with his original choice.

He won't be headed to Charlottesville right away, instead wrapping up at Fork Union this spring.

The other local recruit who committed to Virginia a year ago, Deep Run's Jake Snyder, took a redshirt year and will see his first game action this upcoming season.

When head coach Mike London announces his first recruiting class this afternoon, he'll have at least two Richmond-area players on the list.

Deep Run's Conner Davis, a 6-5, 285-pound offensive lineman, will commit, as will Collegiate quarterback Jake McGee, who is following London from the University of Richmond to U.Va.

Today will be the first time London is allowed to speak publicly about the recruiting class, which he can't do until a letter of intent is signed.

McGee could end up at a position other than quarterback -- U.Va. has recruited a handful of players at that position, one of the team's greatest needs right now.

Earlier in the recruiting period, Miami's Michael Strauss chose Virginia over Tulane, and last week Liberty Christian-Lynchburg's quarterback, Mike Rocco, picked Virginia instead of Louisville. Georgia's Miles Gooch will also sign today.

It's just part of the fun of recruiting day -- several players will be touted, but only a handful can become starters.

. . .

Note: London yesterday announced his position coaches for the upcoming year, as well as the hiring of Scott Wachenheim as tight ends coach. He will have graduate assistant Ron Mattes coach the offensive line, and has promoted Anthony Poindexter to special teams coach. The full list of assistants is available at TimesDispatch.com, keyword "Sports blog."

U.Va. football fans shouldn't expect instant recovery
Posted to: Bob Molinaro Sports
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot sports columnist
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The Virginian-Pilot
© February 3, 2010

On national signing day for college football recruits, I wonder what Virginia's Mike London is thinking.

Maybe a little part of him regrets that he isn't a basketball coach.

With a calm, sound approach, a fresh voice in the gym and a little duct tape and string, a basketball program can make unexpected strides almost overnight.

By contrast, a decent recovery for a fallen, undermanned college football team is a painfully slow, more complicated process no matter who's at the helm.

Tony Bennett's Cavaliers are proof of the initial premise, whereas it appears that U.Va. football can anticipate a lot more pain before London's administration gains traction in Charlottesville.

The Cavaliers' incoming football class does not offer great, if any, hope. It's ranked 10th in the ACC and 64th in the nation by the people who want us to believe recruiting is an exact science.

Didn't London arrive from Richmond with the reputation as a highly persuasive recruiter, especially in the 757?

Yes, but...

By the time he took over for Al Groh in December, it's unlikely many choice recruits were undecided.

So while Virginia Tech claimed 11 of the Top 30 state players - and four of the top 10 - U.Va. is expecting today to sign the 26th-ranked prospect.

The day he took the job, London was playing catch-up. Now it looks like he's being lapped. What can you say? Groh's legacy is the gift that keeps on giving.

Meanwhile, a plucky, surprising basketball team is momentarily distracting U.Va. fans from their football issues.

Bennett picked a good year to get his feet wet in the ACC. The conference is a muddled mass of mediocrity with an ill-defined pecking order. It's a league with a reputation that's being kept on life support by ESPN.

But give Bennett a lot of credit. Already this season, the seeds of what's to come are being planted.

U.Va.'s 4-2 ACC record - good enough for a second place tie in an uninspired conference race - is not as impressive as the disciplined, intelligent way the Cavaliers go about their business.

At Washington State, Bennett's close-to-the-vest approach often frustrated superior teams. You can already see that at work in ACC games, but his impact should be even more dramatic starting next season, when he brings in freshmen that fit his system.

For what it's worth, Bennett's first U.Va. recruiting class is ranked No. 18 in the country. Sounds promising, but according to what I've read, six ACC schools are ranked ahead of U.Va.

Regarding recruiting, opinions and ratings differ. Swallow them all with a large grain of salt.

In any case, when it comes to acquiring football talent, there are seldom any quick fixes. And teams must live with their mistakes for years.

Bennett inherited Sylven Landesberg, last season's ACC freshman of the year. Not a bad player to build a season around.

London, meanwhile, is without a proven quarterback. And even if he did have a reliable passer, it wouldn't be enough.

London's disadvantage is even more obvious because his Cavaliers are knocking heads with an in-state rival - a football school - with an impressive BCS resume.

In Blacksburg, the beat goes on. Virginia Tech's recruiting class goes into signing day ranked No. 18 in the country, third in the ACC.

February's scoreboard must have London thinking about all the ground he has to make up.

Virginia lands Swanson
By Jay Jenkins
Published: February 2, 2010
Updated: February 2, 2010
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It was expected that faxes from seven different states would flood the McCue Center today.
While the states in play change, it is an annual process.
An eighth, however, came into play as National Signing Day arrives today as Texas tight end Zachary Swanson verbally committed late Monday night to Virginia coach Mike London.
While other newcomers could follow, Virginia now maintains 18 commitments for the upcoming class, including one four-star recruit and 12 three-star players.
Landing Swanson, who is
6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, brought the latter total to its current figure.
Virginia had help in landing Swanson.
A one-time commitment to Stanford, the tight end was asked to grey shirt by Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh, meaning he would not enroll until January 2011.
To land Swanson, the Cavaliers also beat out Baylor and Colorado. Swanson had hoped for an offer from Miami, but one never came.
Swanson helped guide Katy High School this season to its third-straight appearance in the state title game. While the team leaned heavily on a ground attack, Swanson managed 25 catches and two touchdowns.
Most eyes today, however, will be on four-star offensive lineman Morgan Moses. Originally a commitment for the Class of 2009, Moses is currently enrolled at Fork Union and has been linked over the past few weeks to Ohio State and Virginia Tech, but has remained publicly solid in his commitment to Virginia.
 

Virginia coach sticks to his plan despite successful season
By Michael Phillips
Published: February 3, 2010
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Even as the team's record is trending upwards, Virginia coach Tony Bennett maintains that he's not looking at the standings to measure how things are going.

Entering the season, he said that his first year would be about teaching players the BennettBall style of basketball - tough, pack-line defense, limiting turnovers and playing with intensity on every possession.

Lots of coaches say things like that, especially if they're anticipating a less-than-stellar year, but Bennett is standing by it. Even after the program's biggest margin of victory ever at North Carolina, he said that there aren't any goals that involve hovering near the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"I didn't really have expectations in terms of wins and losses," he said. "I want it to be about quality, and I want these guys to get a feel that when they play defensively the right way, they have a chance to be in games."

He did allow that the recent string of victories is giving the players more confidence in the system and showing them what they're capable of.

Tonight against North Carolina State, the Cavs get their first rematch game of the season, following up on a 70-62 victory in Raleigh that kick-started the ACC schedule. The Wolfpack are still there, but don't expect the Cavs to let their newfound success inflate their egos.

"Anybody can beat anybody on any day," center Jerome Meyinsse said of this year's ACC. "Top to bottom, every night, you've got to come ready to play. If you don't, the other team will beat you."

That nearly happened in Raleigh the first time around, as U.Va. fell behind by 10 points in the second half before rallying to victory.

During that game, Virginia closed out by making 17 consecutive free throws down the stretch. The Cavs remain the second-best team in the conference at making free throws, converting at a 75 percent rate. Duke is hitting 77 percent of its shots from the charity stripe.

Bennett emphasizes free throw shooting, but says that it's the players who are putting in the extra work on them.

Virginia eyes second win against Wolfpack
Team set to play N.C. State at home tonight, hopes to build on third-place ACC standing
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor
Featured / Men's Basketball / Sports
February 3, 2010 0

After reaching what was perhaps the lowest point of their season, the Virginia men’s basketball team — having let the possibility of a 4-1 start in the ACC slip away at the hands of arch-rival Virginia Tech — experienced the ecstasy of a rare win at Chapel Hill against North Carolina Sunday night, earning a relaxing ride home to Charlottesville.

“Guys were tired, ‘Gladiator’ was on,” coach Tony Bennett said. “I don’t know what meal we had, but guys had their headphones on and were either sleeping or watching ‘Gladiator,’ and we rolled in at about 2:30 in the morning.”

The team will try to channel its inner warrior spirit as it returns to ACC action tonight against N.C. State (14-8, 2-5 ACC), which Virginia (13-6, 4-2 ACC) defeated in its first conference game, 70-62 Jan. 9 in Raleigh.

That win gave the Cavaliers their first road victory of the season and — at the very least — reflected the preseason ACC media poll, which ranked Virginia 11th and N.C. State 12th.

A Virginia victory was anything but inevitable in that contest, however, as the Wolfpack led by 10 points with just more than 12 minutes remaining in the game. It took a couple of timely three-pointers from sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski and junior guard Jeff Jones to spark a 12-3 Cavalier run that cut the deficit to one.

Virginia’s efficient 5-for-11 shooting from behind the arc and exceptional performance at the free throw line — converting 19-of-20 attempts — powered the Cavaliers’ double-digit comeback. N.C. State junior forward Tracy Smith fought hard for baskets and rebounds inside and led his team with 18 points and nine boards but was ultimately unable to prevent a Cavalier victory.

Since then, Virginia has gained further legitimacy in the ACC with notable wins against then-No. 20 Georgia Tech at home and the aforementioned 75-60 beat-down of North Carolina on the road, which vaulted the team into a tie for second place in the conference standings. But although the latter victory felt particularly sweet for Virginia, as the program had not tasted success in Chapel Hill for eight years, Bennett emphasized the need to cool down from the elation that had reinvigorated his team just three days prior.

“The challenge will be to bring ourselves down from the high of that,” Bennett said. “That’ll be a great challenge to play against a team that we were fortunate to beat, when we played N.C. State the first time.”

Indeed, though the Wolfpack currently dwell in the cellar of the ACC standings, it did pick up a road win against then-No. 25 Florida State following its loss to Virginia and notched its marquee victory of the season at home against then-No. 6 Duke Jan. 20. Five players scored in double figures for N.C. State during that game — a marked improvement from its home loss to the Cavaliers, during which Smith and senior forward Dennis Horner were the only significant offensive contributors.

And though Bennett is aware of N.C. State’s progression, he said Virginia must make sure its own house is in order before the team can begin to prepare for its opponent.

“At this point in the year, it’s so much about yourself,” Bennett said. “You have a grasp having played the other team and there are certainly going to be wrinkles that each will put in and adjustments will be made.”

One such adjustment may be increased playing time for senior guard Calvin Baker, who, after not even traveling to Winston-Salem two weeks ago when Virginia played Wake Forest and riding the bench the entire game against Virginia Tech, logged 18 minutes against North Carolina Sunday. His sole basket of the game came with 11:05 remaining in the first half when he nailed a three from the left wing to give Virginia an 18-15 lead. He finished the game with one assist and three turnovers.

“Against Carolina, I thought we needed [Baker’s] experience,” Bennett said. “When he was out there, there was a couple miscommunications early, but I thought he steadied us and made some good decisions.”

How Bennett splits playing time among his quartet of guards — Baker, freshman Jontel Evans, sophomore Sammy Zeglinski and junior Mustapha Farrakhan — should be an interesting storyline both during tonight’s game and for the rest of the season.

Farrakhan in particular has struggled as of late, making 23.8 percent from the field on 5-for-21 shooting during the last four games.

Whether Bennett elects to stick with his best on-the-ball defender in Evans, along with the conference leader in three-point field goal percentage in Zeglinski, or opts for a more experienced backcourt remains to be seen.

But if Evans and Co. continue to disrupt the opponent’s offensive rhythm with tenacious defense and sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg, who was named ACC Player of the Week for his 29-point effort against the Tar Heels, continues to light up the scoreboard, the Wolfpack may find difficulty in exploiting any individual matchups in Charlottesville.

Meyinsse works to improve game during senior season
With Bennett at helm, two-time All-ACC Academic sees contributions, playing time increase after warming bench with former coach Dave Leitao
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor
Men's Basketball / Sports
February 3, 2010 0

Prior to this season, Jerome Meyinsse had little to brag about. Sure, he twice won All-ACC Academic honors, but Meyinsse also had only started one game during his three-year tenure at Virginia and had made only 35 field goals in that entire span.

“I always knew I had talent and I always felt like I could have contributed more,” Meyinsse said.

Part of his lackluster performance might be attributed to the decisions of former coach Dave Leitao, who did not play Meyinsse during last season’s final 10 games.

“My basketball hopes were kind of dashed” after the 2009 campaign, Meyinsse said.

But this year, as Virginia has vaulted into a tie for second place in the ACC, Meyinsse has vastly stepped up his game with new Virginia head coach Tony Bennett. He has started 12 contests and has drained 34 field goals on the year.

In Meyinsse, Bennett saw someone who could play a key role for the Cavaliers. Following practices last fall, Bennett recalled telling his assistant, Jason Willorford, “You know, he’s not that bad — maybe he just hasn’t played a lot.”

And so Bennett gave him the ball. Meyinsse saw the floor more frequently and Virginia’s start in ACC play jumped from 0-8 in 2009 to 4-2 so far in 2010.

But it seems even with his increased responsibility on the team, Meyinsse maintains his academic aspirations.

“I’ve applied to various grad schools but as kind of a safety net,” he said, “I’m also looking for finance jobs in New York. I’ll have some decisions to make when the season ends.”

Meyinsse, an economics major and math minor, said his two most challenging classes to date have been Linear Algebra and Basic Real Analysis.

“I get made of fun of a little bit for being the smartest on the team but not in the geek sense,” Meyinsse said. “I am the biggest person on the team, so not too many give me too much about being smart.”

Meyinsse, however, does not see his intelligence and his success with the game of basketball as mutually exclusive talents. He said he has always had a knack for memorizing plays and excels at analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of opposing players.

But although he has always loved the game of basketball, Meyinsse said his affinity for the game waned with the leadership of Leitao.

“I think it was a little bit on both sides,” Meyinsse said. “I don’t think there was as much communication as there needed to be which was a fault of both sides. It just wasn’t the greatest situation.“

But Bennett has provided Meyinsse with an opportunity he was not given during Leitao’s term, and the 6-foot-9 forward appears to be thriving with his new mentor.

“I got a new opportunity, a new chance,” Meyinsse said, “and it’s been going well.”

The art of war
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Columnist
Sports
February 3, 2010 0

One year ago, in March, Dave Leitao was fired from his post as the coach of the Virginia men’s basketball team for a number of reasons. A big one, though, was that during the two previous years, he couldn’t get his team to play defense.

Eleven months later, with largely the same group of players, the Cavaliers roughed up defending champion North Carolina in Chapel Hill Sunday evening and held the high-motor Tar Heels to a season-low 60 points in the process.

There are a number of reasons why Virginia has already won as many conference games and three more games total through January than it did all of last season. (The Cavs currently sit at 13-6 with a 4-2 record in the ACC; all of last year they were 10-18, having gone 4-12 in the ACC.) But arguably the biggest reason is the improvement on the defensive end, where the philosophy has totally shifted from Leitao’s conventional man-to-man defense to new coach Tony Bennett’s pack-line defense.

You have probably heard the term “pack-line” associated with Bennett. His dad, Dick Bennett — who Tony Bennett played for at Wisconsin-Green Bay and later assisted both at Wisconsin and at Washington State — is the system’s inventor. In this column, I decided to break down what the system is and why it worked against the Heels.

The pack-line is based in a man-to-man look but is very different from the type of defense you probably learned at summer camp. The basis of the pack-line is evident from the name itself: There is an imaginary arc, drawn 16 to 17 feet away from the basket — or just inside the three-point line — which serves as a boundary for players off the ball. The player guarding the ball applies pressure. Every other player, however, must remain inside this line, otherwise known as the pack-line. On the Cavaliers’ practice court, this line is in fact taped on the floor. This principle contrasts with a high-pressure defense like Duke, where defenders are taught to deny players who are one pass away from the ball on the perimeter.

Then, there is another subtle difference between the pack-line and conventional man-to-man: The player on the ball never wants to give up baseline penetration. Conventional wisdom says, force baseline, such that help can trap the dribbler as he reaches the out-of-bounds line there. The pack-line, however, wants to force middle — where the “pack” waits.

Based on these principles, the main point of this defense is obvious: Deny lanes to the basket. Any time an offensive player drives middle, there should be a sea of jerseys waiting to help. If that player kicks to a shooter, then the defense still should have a player able to close out in time — again, making sure to protect the baseline in case the shooter tries to up-fake and drive. The Cavaliers did an outstanding job of preventing dribble penetration against the Tar Heels, allowing just 16 points in the paint. Virginia also did an excellent job closing out on shooters, particularly during the second half; the Heels missed seven of their first nine three-pointers after halftime, largely because the Cavaliers contested many of them.

But there are more nuances, and this is where the defense gets intriguing. The pack-line also puts emphasis on not letting a post player get points. This starts with the post defenders fighting like crazy to deny good position, something at which forward Jerome Meyinsse has excelled this season. Once the post player gets the ball, however, Bennett’s system often doubles the post with two big men — one is already guarding the ball, while the other comes across the lane to apply the trap.

When I first saw this principle of Bennett’s system, I was skeptical. I have never liked doubling the post with two big men. For one, it relies on the weak-side guard to make an immediate rotation down to the block to prevent a quick pass to the vacated offensive big man. And even if the weak-side guard gets there in time, it creates a matchup problem — both in keeping his man from getting the ball and in keeping him off the glass. It’s not exactly an easy job for sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski to box out Wake Forest forward Al-Farouq Aminu, for example.

But the fact is that this trap, for the most part, has worked. One of the biggest keys to the trap is that it comes hard — and with two big men making the trap, it is ensured to be long, such that it is difficult for the post player to make a clear pass out of it. For those who may be wondering why Will Sherrill receives so much playing time, this is one of the reasons — Sherrill is the best on the team at timing the trap and using the most out of his length to deny passing lanes.

This aspect of the pack-line worked wonders against North Carolina. The key to the effectiveness of the trap is to mix it in with other looks; sometimes, Virginia will merely “choke” the post, whereby the same-side guard can double-down instead of the weak-side forward. North Carolina forwards Ed Davis and Deon Thompson never looked in-sync against the Cavaliers offensively, as Bennett mixed up double teams on the block with “choking” and simply leaving them one-on-one. During the second half, Thompson and Davis combined to take just three shots and missed all of them.
Another area in which the Cavs excelled against the Heels is in transition defense — which is a must for the pack-line. It is imperative to force the opposing offense into a half-court set for the pack-line, even more so than for a traditional defense. The Tar Heels are well-known for both their primary and secondary breaks, but scored just four points in transition — the Cavaliers often had two to three players back as the Heels came down with a defensive rebound. In losses to Wake Forest and Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers struggled getting back — Ishmael Smith torched Virginia before it could set its defense, while several of the Hokies’ most critical buckets came in transition — particularly on three-point field goals from Dorenzo Hudson.

Finally, the defending of screens is somewhat unique and this is the area with which Virginia has struggled the most. For starters, players in the pack-line, for the most part, never switch screens. Players must be strong, therefore, in fighting through screens and the player guarding the screener must initially help while the screened man recovers.

Where the Cavs have struggled often is on ball screens. In other systems — including Leitao’s — the player guarding the screener is taught to hedge hard on the ball, dogging him for several steps before retreating to find his man. In the pack-line, however, the hedge is softer — the screened player hedges the ball initially, trying to get in the path of where the ball-handler wants to go, but then immediately retreats as his teammate recovers more quickly. The Cavaliers looked better on ball-screens against North Carolina — though, admittedly, the Tar Heels do not have a dynamite screen-and-roll threat like Virginia does in Sylven Landesberg. In other games, Virginia has been caught hedging too hard — like during the Leitao days — resulting in the opposing ball-handler finding the rolling screener open in the lane.

There are, of course, more subtle principles to the pack-line — how to close out, where to stand off the ball based on where the ball is, etc. — but these are the basics.

They are the basics of a system that Virginia has still yet to master. But they also are the basics that have catalyzed the Cavaliers’ ascension to the top tier of the ACC and to a road win against the defending national champions.

Since Bennett arrived, he has insisted that this Virginia team is a work in progress.

I’d call that progress, wouldn’t you?

Cavs ready for rematch with Pack
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 2, 2010
Updated: February 2, 2010
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“Fortunate” is the word that Virginia coach Tony Bennett has used on several occasions to describe his team’s win at N.C. State on Jan. 9 in its ACC opener.
“Disappointing” is the adjective N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe recently went with when recalling the game.
Tonight, the schools meet again when Virginia hosts State at the John Paul Jones Arena.
UVa is walking on air — the college basketball version of Taylor Swift, if you will — after beating North Carolina in the Dean Dome on Sunday. The Cavaliers (13-6, 4-2), who were picked to finish 11th in the 12-team conference, currently sit in a second-place tie with Maryland.
“The challenge will be to bring ourselves down from the high,” said Bennett, whose team has already matched its league win total from last season, with 10 games still to play.
N.C. State (14-8, 2-5), meanwhile, has had a topsy-turvy go of it. After the collapse against Virginia, the Wolfpack rebounded with a win at Florida State, then lost to Clemson before bouncing back with a victory over Duke. But State has lost its last two ACC games to Maryland and North Carolina and is in 12th place, right where it was predicted to be.
In the meeting in Raleigh, Virginia trailed by 10 points in the second half before rallying. The Cavaliers were aided big time by State’s ineptitude from the free-throw line down the stretch.
The Pack were just 16 of 26 from the stripe. Virginia, on the other hand, missed just one free throw the entire game, knocking down its final 17 to close things out.
“We had a stretch where we made some poor decisions — take nothing away from them, I don’t want to do that,” Lowe said. “They certainly stayed solid, but we turned it over a few times, missed some shots and made some bad decisions, and then they made all the right decisions…
“We weren’t mentally strong enough to make the right decisions in that ballgame, as we shown in some others — and they did. They made every shot. They made every big shot. It was very disappointing, no question about it.”
Sylven Landesberg continues to lead the way for the Wahoos. The sophomore, even with the
opposition honing in on his every move, has led the team in scoring in 14 of the team’s 19 games. Landesberg had 23 in the first meeting against State, despite being under the weather.
“What you’re seeing is one of the best players in our conference in Landesberg taking over games,” Lowe said. “He’s doing exactly what the best players do — they take over games and they make big plays.
“[Landesberg’s teammates] all feed off of that and they’re just playing with great confidence right now.”
Dunks
Virginia trails in the all-time series, 80-54, but has won four out of the last six meetings. ...Wolfpack point guard Javier Gonzalez did not start in the team’s last game against N.C. Central because he broke a team rule. Gonzalez was scoreless in 16 minutes after reaching double figures in his previous three games (15.7 points per game), including a season-high 19 in the loss to North Carolina.
 

Ex-NFL coach Reeves is Virginia’s newest fan
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: February 2, 2010
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Scattershooting around the ACC, touching a little football, a little basketball, while noting that UVa has a new fan ...
Dan Reeves, who coached the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons to success, has now become a new fan of the Wahoos after Virginia coach Mike London hired one of Reeves’ old protégés, new Cavalier offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.
“I’m excited about Bill being at Virginia,” Reeves said in a conversation from his home in the Atlanta area. “I’m going to become a Cavalier fan to watch him.”
Reeves gave Lazor his start in the NFL in 2003 when he hired Lazor from the University of Buffalo to become the Falcons’ offensive quality control coach.
“When I hired Bill, he impressed me as one of the brightest young coaches I had been around,” Reeves said. “He picked up things so quickly, the terminology, everything. His knowledge of the game was second to none.
“You hire some people for quality control and they do their job, but Bill was always wanting to do more,” Reeves said. “Because of his work with the quarterbacks, I watched him closely with us and afterward with the Redskins and Seahawks.”
Reeves said in his opinion that Lazor did the best job of coaching Redskins’ quarterback Jason Campbell of anyone who has worked with Campbell.
“I am proud of what Bill did after he left Atlanta,” the former NFL coach continued. “Coaching under Joe Gibbs and Mike Holmgren gave him a good background.”
While Lazor hasn’t called plays since he was offensive coordinator at Buffalo back in 2001 and ‘02, he noted he would have to practice to regain his old form. Reeves said he has complete confidence that Lazor will do a good job for UVa.
“With the knowledge Bill has, I think that’s the reason he’ll be a head coach in the future,” Reeves said. “He has a great feel for the game. I think a guy who has played quarterback, it just makes you qualified to be able to [call plays]. Certainly, if I had stayed in coaching, I would have leaned on Bill to do a lot of things with my quarterbacks and I had a lot of confidence in him to call the plays.”
Not a bad endorsement.
On the dotted line ...
Speaking of London, he and his new Virginia coaching staff will be welcoming 17 or so new recruits today, the first day of the National Signing period.
The Daily Progress will feature complete coverage of UVa and local high school recruiting in Thursday’s edition.
While today is the college equivalent to the NFL Draft day, Cavalier fans may not be jumping up and down with excitement.
National recruiting analysts from Rivals.com ranks UVa’s incoming class No. 65 in the country and 10th in the ACC, just ahead of Wake Forest and Duke.
The Cavaliers have one 4-star recruit, Fork Union Military’s Morgan Moses, a 6-foot-7, 340-pounder, and 11 3-stars. FUMA officials have insisted that Moses is still coming to UVa while rumors swirl about him going elsewhere due to academic shortcomings.
Stat of the week
Virginia freshman Jontel Evans has made an immediate impact on the Cavaliers, somewhat unexpected, because all of the early hype was on UVa’s other freshman, Tristen Spurlock.
Evans has worked his way into a starting spot because of defense, patience and a hunger to follow directions and stick his nose into the fray. Spurlock, a gifted offensive player, has hardly gotten off the bench all season.
Here’s one reason why Evans is prized by his coaches:
The rookie leads the ACC in assists-to-turnover ration (2.6:1) in conference games only.
Quote of the week
North Carolina coach Roy Williams after losing by 15 at home to underdog Virginia:
“This is the worst day of my life.”
Wahoo trivia
This week is the 55th anniversary of the first “triple-double” by a Virginia basketball player.
Who was the Cavalier to first accomplish that feat?
The answer will be at the end of today’s column.
Cupcake city
A couple of ACC teams devoured the cupcakes on their schedule over the weekend, with N.C. State obliterating North Carolina Central by a 77-42 count, and Georgia Tech hammering Kentucky State (frankly, I had never heard of Kentucky State before), 98-50.
Because of the snow, but perhaps more because of the opponent, only 2,271 fans showed up at Raleigh’s RBC Center for the N.C. State game, meaning there were about 17,000 empty seats. N.C. Central came into the game with a 4-18 record.
How those fans stayed awake during the first half, when State was ahead only 27-20 at the break is beyond me.
At least Georgia Tech got something out of their rout over Kentucky State, coached by former Yellow Jacket Clarence Moore.
Following the game, Moore gave an honest critique of what he saw in his alma mater’s squad.
“I’ve seen a few [Georgia Tech] games this season and I don’t see a leader out there,” Moore said. “To me, it looks like guys are trying to find themselves. You have to have a vocal leader and someone who is willing to get on guys and know that he’s going to catch it at some point down the line as well ... If they start holding each other accountable as a team, they’ll definitely be on their way.”
Tech coach Paul Hewitt listened intently to his former player, who was a leader on the Yellow Jackets’ squad that went to the Final Four in 2004, Hewitt’s first year on the job and noted that his team does need leadership and the accountability that Moore pointed out, but noted that this team doesn’t quite understand that yet.
Where’s Richard?
Former Virginia basketball star Richard Morgan was an assistant coach for Appalachian State the past three years but left when Buzz Peterson returned to coach the Mountaineers.
So, where’s Richard?
Morgan is the head coach of the Bluefield (W.Va.) Ramblin’ Rams, who had a three-game winning streak going and were 10-11 on the season last time we looked.
Morgan’s chief assistant is another familiar name to Central Virginia hoops fans: Keith “Mister” Jennings, who was The Daily Progress two-time Central Virginia Player of the Year both his junior and senior seasons at Culpeper High School.
Jennings, at 5-foot-7, was a second-team All-American at East Tennessee State, where he led the Bucs to the NCAA Tournament his senior season and was selected as the Naismith Award winner, given annually to the best player in the country under six-foot tall.
Update
Last week, we mentioned that Maryland owned the ACC’s longest win streak over another league opponent with eight straight against Georgia Tech and six in a row against N.C. State, and that North Carolina owned a pair of six-game streaks as well, against N.C. State and against Virginia.
Well, the Tar Heels stretched that streak to seven over the Wolfies, but the Cavaliers ended UNC’s streak on Sunday night.
Wahoo trivia answer
On Feb. 1, 1955, Bill Miller had a triple-double, the first in Virginia history, in a 98-91 loss to sixth-ranked N.C. State.
As far as we can tell, there have been only two other triple-doubles by a Cavalier since, both by Ralph Sampson.
Bill, and his lovely bride, Jell, still reside in the area.
 

Baseball: Virginia opens practice with high expectations

Last Thursday marked the first official day of practice for Virginia's baseball team, which enters the season ranked as high as No. 2 in preseason polls.

This is unprecedented territory for the Cavaliers, serving both as a testament to the program Coach Brian O'Connor has built and the expectations bestowed upon the team months after reaching the school's first College World Series.

"I think it's a great honor that people feel that way about the program," O'Connor said. "I've never been one to say that you should shy away from it. I think as a team, I talk to my team about this all the time, they need to wrap their arms around it and do well with it. I think you make a big mistake trying to push it away. It's nice they come out. But once they're out, you go to work."

O'Connor's honest approach is refreshing in coaching, as many coaches play down preseason rankings. He has candidly discussed the rankings with his team. After the Cavaliers returned from Omaha last year, O'Connor talked with the team about the way the program is now viewed.

Junior outfielder Dan Grovatt said he has not yet seen the rankings, but understands that the expectations exist. Grovatt was among the players who participated in the prestigious Cape Cod League during the summer, and other college players were more aware of the Cavaliers.

With the first weekend series less than three weeks away, though, they're quickly turning their minds from the rankings to the practices.

"The coaches talked to us about them a little bit," Grovatt said. "The way we prepare, what we do here, practicing, where we are ranked is not going to have any effect on how we prepare. But it's definitely an honor to be considered a top team going into the season."

By Zach Berman

Behind the Scenes with ... Matt Barnhart
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/02/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- On the eve of national signing day, few people in the UVa football office are as busy as Matt Barnhart.

He's the Cavaliers' assistant recruiting coordinator, and the 16 or so letters of intent faxed in Wednesday will represent the culmination of more than a year's work by Barnhart and the rest of the football staff.

Barnhart, 28, stopped by University Hall on Tuesday afternoon for a quick visit. VirginiaSports.com likes to check in periodically with members of the athletics department who play vital roles while operating outside of the public eye, and here's a little about one of the football program's unsung heroes:

Hometown: Born in Bethesda, Md., where his father, a heart surgeon, was working at the National Institutes of Health, Barnhart spent most of his childhood in Virginia Beach.

Education: A graduate of Norfolk Academy, Barnhart earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Bridgewater College in 2003 and a master's in athletic administration from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland) in 2005. He played on the tennis team at Bridgewater, where he also started (and then edited) the school newspaper, the Veritas, and launched a website devoted to Bridgewater football.

Family: Barnhart's wife, Lauren, is a graduate student in UVa's nursing school. Already a registered nurse, she's studying to become a nurse practitioner.

Career path: After getting his master's, Barnhart returned to Bridgewater as an assistant sports information director. In addition to those duties, he spent a lot of time working with Bridgewater football coach Mike Clark and "helping put together recruiting materials," Barnhart says. "Doing what I do here, but on a much smaller level." In August 2008, he made the jump from Division III to Division I, accepting a job on then-coach Al Groh's staff at UVa. During the 2008 and '09 seasons, Barnhart worked closely with recruiting coordinator Bob Price, also Virginia's tight ends coach. On Mike London's staff, the recruiting coordinator is Jeff Hanson, who also coaches the defensive line.

Well-oiled machine: A dozen students help with bulk mailings and other aspects of UVa's recruiting operation. And then there's Roxann Markey, whose desk is across from Barnhart's in the office they share at the McCue Center. Markey is Virginia's administrative assistant for recruiting, and she preceded Barnhart on Groh's staff. "I definitely could not do it without her," Barnhart says. "When I got here in 2008, she was able to teach me everything I know."

Rules and regulations: The NCAA allows Barnhart to send e-mails and regular mail to prospects, but he can't call or text them (though he can receive calls and texts from them). He communicates regularly with high school guidance counselors, from whom he gets prospects' transcripts. Now that London has completed his staff with the hiring of Scott Wachenheim as tight ends coach, Barnhart is back in his former role with its customary restrictions. During the transition from Groh's staff to London's, however, Barnhart's status was changed to that of a coach, and he was allowed to contact prospects by phone.

24/7: This is the busiest time of year for Barnhart, with "signing day and making sure kids are eligible with the NCAA and getting all the stuff sent to [UVa] admissions." Also, many prospects take their official visits in January, and Barnhart is charged with making sure those weekends come off as planned. He helps schedule the visits and come up with the itineraries, communicates with prospects and their coaches, and attends the various functions during the weekend. Such weekends start on Friday morning for him and end Sunday evening when the staff meets to discuss how things went with the prospects. Barnhart also helps plan the Cavaliers' junior days -- unofficial visits by groups of 11th-graders.

Middle man: Barnhart acts as a liaison between recruits and UVa coaches, recruits and UVa's compliance office, recruits and athletics director Craig Littlepage, recruits and Virginia's academic advisors for football, recruits and UVa admissions, and recruits and the NCAA Eligibility Center. Once the recruits are declared eligible by the NCAA and officially admitted to UVa, Barnhart's focus turns to the next class.

On the radar: Each fall, UVa contacts high schools to request transcripts for prospects who are in the 11th grade. In 2009, Barnhart says, Virginia got about 300 transcripts back. Those players are being tracked in the Class of 2011 data base, from which names are regularly added and deleted.

Off the clock: "I used to have hobbies before I started working here," Barnhart says with a smile. The demands of the job notwithstanding, he still manages to play tennis and poker and spend quality time with his wife and their golden retriever, Gracie.


Job satisfaction: Barnhart has no desire to become a coach, but the administrative side of athletes appeals to him. And he enjoys building relationships with the coaches, administrators and players with whom he has regular contact. The best part of his job? "I just like the feeling I get when I know that what I've produced or organized helps a coach with what he's doing," Barnhart says. "Whatever I can do to take a load off the shoulders of the coaches. It's gratifying when a coach says thanks."

Signing day: VirginiaSports.com is the place to check Wednesday for updates on the Cavaliers' football recruits. Video bios of and other information about the players will be posted as their letters of intent come in.

-- Jeff White