'Hoos Can't Capitalize on Home-Court Advantage
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/06/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- By foot or by vehicle, nearly 6,000 spectators made it to John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday, braving snowy streets to witness UVa's basketball game with ACC rival Wake Forest.

The fans were treated to a thriller that had an unhappy ending for the home team.

For the second time in 10 days, the Wahoos scored in the final minute to force overtime at JPJ, only to lose in the extra period.

Virginia Tech beat Virginia 76-71 on Jan. 28. The Demon Deacons prevailed 64-61 before 5,988 hardy fans Saturday afternoon to sweep the teams' regular-season series.

"I want to say thanks to the fans that came with the weather we had. That was unbelievable," first-year coach Tony Bennett said. "That meant more to me and our team than you'll ever know, and I'm beginning to understand more and more what Virginia fans are about, that they would come out in that weather and support us and cheer like they did.

"It was a home-court advantage because of them, so I say thank you to them and sorry we didn't do our part."

As he had when these teams met Jan. 23 in Winston-Salem, N.C., Wake point guard Ishael Smith bedeviled the Cavaliers (5-3, 14-7) on Saturday.

At Lawrence Joel Coliseum, Smith totaled 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the Demon Deacons' 69-57 victory. At JPJ, Smith had 15 points, 7 boards and 5 assists and, as usual, scored on a variety of floaters and runners.

Smith scored Wake's final two points in regulation and last three in overtime Saturday.


"He is the straw that stirs the drink for us," Deacons coach Dino Gaudio said. "We just try to put the ball in his hands at the end of the game, and most of the second half for that matter. He just made plays."

Count the Cavaliers among Smith's admirers.

"He's just so fast, and he's able to get pretty much anywhere he wants on the court," UVa sophomore Sylven Landesberg said. "And when he gets there, he's very unselfish. He's willing to give the ball up to the open teammate on every play, and that's what makes him so tough."

For much of the game, Jontel Evans guarded Smith, and the 5-11 freshman from Hampton impressed Wake's coach.

"I am going to tell you something -- Jontel Evans is as good a defender as we have had on Ishmael Smith in a long time," Gaudio said. "That kid can really guard."

Evans said: "I tried to focus in and play the best defense I could, but he's just a good player. He finds a way to get to the rack and get his teammates open."

Another problem for Virginia was Wake's dominance on the backboards. The taller Deacs had 18 second-chance points to only 7 for UVa, largely because they outrebounded Bennett's team 46-34.

Wake's frontcourt includes 7-0 Chas McFarland, 6-11 Tony Woods, 6-11 David Weaver and 6-9 Al-Farouq Aminu.

"One after another, they roll big guys out there, and it's definitely a challenge," said UVa's starting center, 6-9 Jerome Meyinsse, "because they come in with fresh bodies and they just bang and bang. You just have to do your best to keep them off the boards and limit their paint touches and effectiveness."

Landesberg, who led all scorers with 28 points, said, "Wake Forest is an elite team in the ACC. This was going to be a tough game no matter what. I think we came out, we competed, we gave it our all. We just didn't get the result we wanted."

Landesberg scored the final points of the second half, on a layup that Aminu goaltended with 14.5 seconds left, to pull UVa to 55-55.

In OT, the Deacons led 63-59 with a minute left, but Virginia rallied and had an opportunity to extend the game again. With 20.9 seconds left in the game -- and 14 on the shot clock -- UVa called its final timeout trailing 64-61.

The ball, to the surprise of no one in the building, ended up in the hands of Landesberg, but he had no path to the basket and settled for a contested jump shot that missed.

Teammate Will Sherrill grabbed the rebound with 11 seconds left, but the 6-9 junior mistakenly thought time was running out. Sherrill hurriedly dribbled to the left corner, where he launched an off-balance 3-point attempt that didn't hit the rim. The Deacons came down with the airball and then ran out the clock.

"I wish we'd have gotten a cleaner look than that, but certainly we'll learn from that," Bennett said. "Not to take consolation in the loss, but we played better, and I told our guys, 'Keep your heads up, and it's about the quality.' It was a better performance."

Indeed, the Cavaliers played dramatically better than they had Jan. 23, when they trailed by 24 with eight minutes left.

Before the rematch, Bennett challenged his players. "I said, 'Don't you let them do what they did at their place,' and I thought for the most part we didn't. But the second half offensively was a struggle."

That's an understatement. Virginia, which made 13 of 27 field-goal attempts in the first half, was 9 for 38 from the floor in the final 25 minutes.

Nobody struggled more than Mike Scott. The 6-8, 239-pound junior was 5 for 5 from the floor in the first half. The rest of the way, he was 0 for 10 from the floor and 0 for 1 from the line.

With 7:42 left in the first half and Virginia leading 22-17, Scott picked up his second foul, and went to the bench. He'd been unstoppable to that point, but when Scott finally got back on the court, to start the second half, he didn't look like the same player.

Did the Deacons (6-3, 16-5) do anything differently on defense?

"Nah," Scott said. "I was just missing shots."

Virginia, which led 34-29 at the break, had the ball first in the second half, and Bennett, hoping to get a third foul on Aminu, called a play for Scott.

It worked seemingly to perfection, as Scott drove down the lane toward an unguarded basket. But instead of laying the ball in, Scott tried a one-handed dunk that ricocheted off the rim and out of bounds.

"That would have been a nice one to have," Bennett said.

He was referring to Scott's shot but could have been talking about the game.

With a win, UVa would have finished the day second in the ACC, a half-game behind Duke. The loss leaves the 'Hoos tied with Virginia Tech for fourth, with four of their next five games on the road.

"It's a huge challenge," Meyinsse said. "As hard as it is to win at home, it's even harder on the road, when the crowd is against you. We have a big challenge ahead of us, and we have to do our best to come out on top."

Landesberg and Scott were the only Wahoos to score in double figures. Starting guards Evans and Sammy Zeglinski were a combined 2 for 12 from the floor. Sherrill and junior guard Mustapha Farrakhan each contributed 7 points off the bench.

The Deacons didn't take their first lead until the 14:36 mark of the second half, when guard C.J. Harris's free throw made it 36-35.

Wake won despite making only 11 of 23 free throws. Smith, who came in shooting 48.4 percent on foul shots, was 1 for 4 from the line, and the Cavaliers might have erred by not putting him there more often.

UVa never took Smith out of his comfort zone Saturday. About the only thing that rattled the 6-0 senior was the announcement that came over the P.A. system with 13:19 left in the first half.

The University thanked fans for their efforts to get to JPJ by inviting them to move to better seats if they so desired.

"It kind of bugged me, kind of made me mad when the announcer said that everybody could come down, because that made the crowd even more raucous," Smith said. "But it was a great atmosphere."

 

Postgame Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 02/06/2010

Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett

Opening Statement…
“I want to say thanks to the fans that came in the weather. That was unbelievable, that meant more to me and to our team than you will ever know. I am beginning to understand more and more what Virginia fans are about – that they would come out and support us in that weather and cheer like they did, it was a home court advantage because of them. So I say thank you to them, and sorry that we did not do our part. We battled hard, there is no question.”

On the slow-down in Virginia scoring in the second half and OT…
“That was a hard-fought game, defensively there was a lot of slugging going on and there were not easy shots to come by. We got some good looks, especially at the start of the second half. We ran a little set to try and take advantage of their foul situation, and we got a little stagnant early and had some breakdowns. Sylven [Landesberg] was certainly terrific with his ability to score, but they are really stacking the deck on Sylven. When he is making that next pass we are getting some looks and some inside touches, but it was not enough. Then I look at the second-chance points – with what [Ishmael] Smith did and the way they got on the glass late in the game – that was the difference.”

On Wake Forest’s performance and whether he sees his team playing similarly in the future…
“Defensively, they are tough. I thought we were much better this time than we were the first time defensively. We played the way we needed to for the most part. We could not keep Ish [Smith] out of the lane late, and then we did not get bodies on people for their shots. I have seen them do it to everyone in the league. We did a good job on a few possessions to get the shot clock down, and then either a foul or a play was made late. I need to look at the tape to really look at it, but yes, what Wake did defensively and what we did for the majority of the game is what I envision. And then continue to try and get the good shots – you need to make some shots. To play defense against a team of their caliber, you have to win it with both [defense and shooting], there has to be some balance.”

On the defensive strategy to stop Ishmael Smith…
“We fouled him that one time, we were getting close to getting a stop. But when he did miss he just put it back, and they were climbing the glass. Again, we fouled him the one time but it was either going to the zone or fouling him. He is so clever and so quick. That flat ball screen gave us some trouble – we were good early against it, but they went to that the majority of the time in the second half. When Smith did miss, we did not capitalize and get our rebound. So it was a double-edged sword.”

On the last Virginia possession…
“We drew up a play, but our timing was off on it. We were looking for a three, and then if it was not there to attack and get a score. Will [Sherrill] made a great hustle play and lost track of the time and we did not have any time outs left. I was trying to use our time outs to get Jontel [Evans] in on defense to handle that ball screen because I thought he did a good job, and then Sammy [Zeglinski] in offensively. I wish we had gotten a cleaner look. Certainly we will learn from that. We did play better, and I told our guys, ‘keep your head up, it is about the quality,’ and it was a better performance. I really challenged them hard to not let them do what they did at their place, and I thought for the most part they did not. But the second half defensively was a struggle and we missed some easy ones, too.”

On five of seven losses by five points or less…
“You cannot leave points on the board. On the front end we missed a few free throws, we were 12-16, but I have said before that in order to win you have to eliminate losing. And what will get you beaten? Second-chance points, silly turnovers, giving up transition baskets, which we did not do, but looking at those second-chance points I see 18-5 and that hurts. The games we have won we made our free throws and have been solid and tonight we had a chance. When we were down we fought back – it was an emotional game. Mike [Scott] had such a great first half but they did a great job defensively and you have to earn what you get against them. For this game it was two pretty solid defensive teams going at it.”

On the differences between the first and second games against Wake Forest…
“I thought we were a little bit on our heels against them the first time. I think we were more aggressive in terms of how we attacked, and how we ran our offense to score early. Certainly some guys made some shots – that always helps. But I thought we had better positioning – they had so many inside touches on us the first time but we worked hard on that leading up to this game to make it hard for them to score inside. We did a good job until that action happened late with the ball screen. That was hard for us, but I told the guys this was much better and to learn from it, and keep being about quality. We have to play on Wednesday, this league is so good; it is time to learn from it and move on.”
________________________________________

Virginia Sophomore Guard Sylven Landesberg

On the loss
“Wake Forest is an elite team in the ACC, so we knew it would be a tough game no matter what. I think we came out, competed, and gave it our all. Unfortunately we just did not get the result we wanted. We cannot hang our heads on this one. We have to learn and get ready for Wednesday [at Maryland].”

On facing Wake Forest Guard Ishmael Smith
“He is so fast and is able to get anywhere on the court. He is very unselfish. He tries to give the ball to an open teammate on every play. He can score and find the open player. Everyone on the team can score, so he makes it really tough.”

On lower second half scoring
“They practice the same type of defense we do, so we know how difficult it can be to score against that. Plus, I do not think we were executing too well on the offensive end in the second half.”

On his final shot in overtime
“I probably could have pulled it out and got a better one, but I was afraid the shot clock was going to run out so I hoisted it up. I thought I had a pretty decent look and that I should have made it. I didn’t and we got a good rebound, but we just didn’t have enough clock at the end.”

On preparing for Maryland
“Maryland is a great team in the ACC. They are dangerous. We have to prepare for them like we would any other team. I think we will be a lot hungrier for that one than we were for the one we just played. Coming off a loss we just want to get back in the win column.”

On fan support in bad weather
“Even though we did not have a lot of fans here due to weather, I think the people who did show up did a great job. It felt like the arena was sold out at some points, so I want to thank all the fans for showing up.”

Virginia Junior Forward Mike Scott

On crowd support
“We had a great turnout. People came out, supported us, and gave us a sixth man.”

On improvements against Wake Forest
“We got more aggressive on defense and got more offensive rebounds. We just had some defensive breakdowns that hurt us at the end. Coach Bennett told us not to keep our heads down. We lost to Virginia Tech then went on to beat North Carolina, so we are looking towards Maryland.”

On playing Maryland on Wednesday
“We have to watch some film, hit the gym, and work hard.”

Virginia Freshman Guard Jontel Evans

On preparing for Maryland
“We have to bounce back quickly. We have to focus in after a day off tomorrow to get ready for the Terrapins.”

On lower second half scoring
“We moved the ball and took good shots in the first half. In the second half, it felt like we were going down and trying to hit the home run by taking a lot of quick shots.”

On guarding Ishmael Smith
“It is difficult. He is a great player with a lot of experience. He is quick, he has good vision, and he can slice through the defense. He does everything and has experience to go along with it. He is a good player and knows what to do on the court. This time we pressured him to see what he would do, but he did the same thing he did at Wake Forest so hats off to him.”
________________________________________

Wake Forest Head Coach Dino Gaudio

On the overtime victory
I thought it was a really hard fought ACC game - we are very fortunate to win. I thought Virginia’s kids played really hard, I thought our kids played really hard. Coin toss anyone could have won that basketball game, we are fortunate to win.

On how important Ishmael Smith is to the Wake Forest team
He is the straw that stirs the drink for us - we just try to put the ball in his hands at the end of the game and most of the second half for that matter – he just made plays. I am going to tell you something - Jontel Evans is as good a defender as we have had on Ishmael Smith in a long time. That kid can really guard, he is a really good defender.

On how important Wake Forest’s rebounding margin was
That is important for us -Tony’s kids are a terrific box out team. They don’t give out too many second shots. Tony Woods came in and gave us really good buckets off of second shots. We have our shortcomings, we are not a great free throw shooting team as was evident today – we are not a great shooting team, which was evident against Miami on 3-of-12 from threes. We just find a way to make up for that, it needs to be on the backboard – it needs to be with our defense and I thought those two things were strong points for us today.
________________________________________

Wake Forest Senior Guard Ishmael Smith

On the difference between this game and the first meeting with Virginia…
“We know that Virginia is a really good team, they weren’t number one in the ACC for no reason…I feel like we did a great job of playing pretty good defense and weathering the storm early because they got up eight a couple of times. But obviously, ACC you go on the road, it’s going to be tough.”

On the atmosphere in John Paul Jones Arena…
“The atmosphere was pretty good. It kind of bugged me, kind of made me mad when the announcer said that everybody could come down, because that made the crowd even more raucous. But it was a great atmosphere.”

On going into the overtime without Chas McFarland and Tony Woods…
“It always hurts when you lose the key components to your team. But we gutted it out and we got a good win.”

Wake Forest Freshman Guard C.J. Harris

On the overtime win…
“It just shows how tough we are. We came in at the end and played great defense, finished the possessions off of rebounds, and just did a great job of getting to the basket.”

On Wake Forest’s defense…
“We just locked into our game plan, focused in on the shooters. We wanted to make the shooters drive and make Landesberg take the toughest shots he could.”

On Wake Forest being 4-0 in overtime games…
“We’re tough and we’ve got four seniors on the squad. They’ve been through everything, so an overtime game is just another game for them.”
 

VIRGINIA BASKETBALL
Postgame Notes
Wake Forest 64, Virginia 61 (OT)

Team Notes
• Virginia’s second overtime game this season (Lost 76-71 vs. Virginia Tech on Jan. 28)

Individual Notes
• Sylven Landesberg (28 points) scored in double figures for the 20th time this season and the 43rd time in his career
• Landesberg had his eighth 20-point game of the season and the 20th of his career
• Mike Scott (10 points) scored in double figures for the 15th time this season and the 35th time in his career
• Mike Scott (10 pts, 10 rebs) had his fifth double-double of the season and the 15th of his career (second consecutive)
• Will Sherrill scored an ACC career-high seven points
 

Wake Forest slides past Virginia in overtime
WAKE FOREST 64 VIRGINIA 61
Next:U.Va. at Maryland
Wednesday:7 p.m., ESPNU
By Michael Phillips
Published: February 7, 2010
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CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Jontel Evans has made a name for himself by frustrating opponents this season.

When he steps up to defend the other team's point guard, he'll poke and pester at an unrelenting pace that drives him mad.

That wasn't going to happen yesterday against Wake Forest's Ishmael Smith.

"I tried to in the first half," Evans said. "But he's been there, he's got experience, and stuff like that doesn't bother him."

Smith and the Demon Deacons used that experience yesterday in a wild 64-61 overtime game between two teams near the top of the ACC standings.

There were 5,988 fans who braved the winter weather to attend the game, and after they were invited to fill the lower-level seats, they created a raucous atmosphere on a day when nobody knew exactly what to expect.

"That was unbelievable," coach Tony Bennett said. "That meant more to me and our team than you'll ever know, and I'm beginning to understand more and more what Virginia fans are all about."

The Cavaliers and Deacons gave fans their money's worth with a fast-paced first half, a defensive struggle in the second, and a wild overtime period that came down to the last possession.

With the Cavs trailing by three and a 6-second difference between play clock and shot clock, Bennett drew up a play to look for a game-tying shot, and, if not, to attack and get the score. The Deacons defended well, though, and Sylven Landesberg found himself with the ball.

"I was afraid the shot clock was going to run out, so I had to hoist one up," he said of his jumper. "I thought I had a pretty decent look at it -- shoulda made it."

When that missed, Will Sherrill grabbed the rebound, and thinking time was about to expire, hustled toward the corner to try a quick 3-pointer. He put the ball up from within the arc and missed with 8 seconds still on the clock.

"Will made a great hustle play, then lost track of the time," Bennett said.

But it was ultimately Smith who stole the show in the final minutes, driving to the basket and demonstrating his all-around ability.

He finished with 15 points to lead the Deacons, complementing that with five assists.

"He's quick, he has good vision, he can slice through a defense," Evans said. "And he's got the experience that goes with it, too. He's a great player -- knows what to do out there."

Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio said afterward that Evans was "as good a defender as we have had on Ishmael Smith in a long time."

That defensive effort was especially evident in the first few minutes, as the Cavs sprinted out to a 12-4 lead behind a strong effort from Mike Scott, who made his first five shots.

But coming out of the locker room in the second half, things went south. Scott missed the final 10 shots he took, and was replaced by Jerome Meyinsse for most of the overtime period. Defense kept Virginia in the game, as Wake couldn't do much offensively in the second half either, but shooting 21 percent in the second half was the Cavs' downfall.

"Against a team of their caliber, you have to win it with both," Bennett said of mixing offense and defense. "There has to be some balance."

Both teams also fought through foul trouble. Wake Forest had to play the overtime period without big men Chas McFarland and Tony Woods, while Virginia found itself in enough trouble that Sherrill had to play with two fouls in the first half.

Complicating the substitution patterns for Virginia was that guard Sammy Zeglinski was under the weather, and had to be given IV fluids before the game.

Before the game started, Director of Athletics Craig Littlepage took to the court and thanked the fans who found their way to the game -- including a large number of students. There was also a moment of silence to mark the passing of "Bullet" Bill Dudley.

Wake Forest's Deacons feast on their 2nd helpings against UVa
Wake Forest outscores Virginia 18-7 on second-chance points to beat the Cavaliers.
Staff reports | Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Tony Bennett began his post-game remarks Saturday by thanking the 5,998 fans, mostly students, who braved a 10-inch snowstorm to attend the Virginia men's basketball game with Wake Forest.

"It was a home-court advantage because of them," Bennett, the Cavaliers' first-year coach, said. "Sorry, we didn't do our part."

Virginia sophomore Sylven Landesberg scored a game-high 28 points but got little support in a 64-61 overtime loss to Wake Forest.

It was the second loss in the last three home games for the Cavaliers, both in overtime. Virginia squandered a 10-point lead late in a Jan. 28 game with visiting Virginia Tech and lost to the Hokies 76-71 in OT.

This time, the Cavaliers (14-7, 5-3 ACC) led by as many as eight points on three occasions in the first half but trailed for much of the second half after Wake Forest took its first lead at 36-35 with 14:36 remaining in the game.

After shooting 48.1 percent from the field in the first half, Virginia missed its first 10 shots of the second half and was 2-for-20 at one point.

However, UVa twice erased five-point Wake leads, the last time after the Deacons had gone ahead 53-48 with 3:43 left, but the Cavaliers were unable to grab the lead.

Virginia was able to force an overtime when Wake was called for goaltending on a Landesberg runner with 15 seconds left in regulation, but the Deacons jumped ahead 58-55 to start the overtime on a 3-pointer by freshman Ari Stewart.

Stewart got a wide-open look after teammate Al-Farouq Amini controlled a rebound of a shot by Wake's C.J. Harris.

That was the story of the game for Wake, which outrebounded Virginia 46-43 and scored 18 second-chance points, compared to seven for the Cavaliers.

UVa did get the offensive rebound following a 3-point miss by Landesberg that would have tied the game with 10 seconds remaining in overtime, but Will Sherrill's off-balance try from the wing didn't come close with six seconds left.

There was a 6.9-second differential between the shot clock and the game clock, but Landesberg's miss hit the rim, at which point the shot clock was turned off.

"Will made a great hustle play and lost track of the time," Bennett said. "We didn't have any timeouts left. I was trying to use our timeouts to get Jontel [Evans] in on defense."

Evans, a freshman, had the assignment of guarding Wake senior point guard Ish Smith and received a thorough schooling.

After a Landesberg basket that cut the Deacons' lead to 61-59 in overtime, Smith made Evans' knees buckle on a crossover and also eluded Sherrill before dropping a floater over 6-foot-9 Jerome Meyinsse.

Smith had 15 points and led the Deacons (16-5, 6-3) in scoring. Aminu had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

"We couldn't keep Ish out of the lane late," Bennett said, "and then we couldn't get bodies on people. I've seen them do it to everybody in the league."

Mike Scott was the only UVa player to join Landesberg in double figures, but it was not an afternoon Scott will want to remember. He made his first five shots from the field and had 10 points before he picked up his second foul with 7:42 remaining in the first half.

As has been Bennett's pattern, Scott came off the floor and sat for the remainder of the half.

He was not the same player when he returned, missing all 10 of his field-goal attempts in the second half and overtime. He never picked up his third foul.

Sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski, who missed practice Friday with flu-like symptoms, made only one of six shots from the floor. Zeglinski is 1-of-11 in two games this year against Wake, his father's alma mater, where he was booed incessantly in an earlier meeting.

Oddly, Virginia was coming off a 59-47 victory over North Carolina State on Wednesday, when Landesberg scored a season-low seven points and most reviews focused on his supporting cast.

On Saturday, Landesberg was 8-for-19 from the field and the rest of the team was 14-of-46.

"Sylven certainly was terrific," Bennett said, "but they're really loading or stacking the deck on Sylven."

The loss was Virginia's fifth by five points or fewer, all of which the Cavaliers led at the half.

"In order to win, you have to eliminate losing," Bennett said.

"And, what will get you beat? Second-chance points. Silly turnovers. Giving up transition baskets, which we didn't do, but you look at all those second-chance points and that hurts."

Cavs' offensive struggles spoil good defensive effort in OT loss to Wake
By Dave Fairbank | 247-4637
February 7, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Wake Forest had a lot of checkmarks on its side of the ledger heading into Saturday's game against Virginia: size, experience, speedy guard Ishmael Smith, solid defense, even a historic snowstorm that figured to dampen the Cavaliers' home-court advantage.

Several thousand hardy souls braved the weather to support the Cavs, but Virginia ultimately succumbed to the Demon Deacons' gifts.

Wake Forest's 64-61 overtime win at John Paul Jones Arena came down to Smith carving up Virginia's defense at critical times, and the Cavaliers' inability to neutralize the Deacons' relentless rebounders.

"I thought we were much better this time than the first time defensively," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, referring to a 69-57 wax job last month in Winston-Salem, N.C.

"We played the way we needed to for the most part," he said. "We couldn't keep Ish out of the lane late, and then we didn't get bodies on people on those shots. I've seen them do it to everybody in the league."

Virginia (14-7, 5-3 ACC) struggled mightily on offense in the second half and overtime, missing 18 of its first 20 shots after halftime.

But the Cavaliers remained close — in part because of their own defense and Wake's 11-for-23 effort at the free-throw line — and still had a chance to force a second overtime.

Trailing 64-61, Sylven Landesberg hurried what he thought was a 3-pointer — his right foot was on the line — with 11 seconds remaining.

Teammate Will Sherrill grabbed the offensive rebound, but lost track of time and hoisted up a desperation, fall-away two-point attempt from the left baseline with eight seconds left. Wake's Smith grabbed the rebound and sprinted away as the Deacons ran off the last few seconds.

"I really challenged them hard," Bennett said. "I said, 'Don't you let them do what they did at their place,' and I thought for the most part they didn't. But the second half, offensively, was a struggle, and we just missed some easy ones, too."

Landesberg (28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) was superb offensively, but had little help. He scored 15 of Virginia's 27 points after halftime, while his teammates shot just 4-for-26 from the field in the second half and overtime.

Forward Mike Scott, for example, made his first five shots and scored 10 of the Cavaliers' first 18 points. But he missed his last 10 attempts and finished with 10 points.

"Just missing shots," Scott said.

"The first half, we were moving the ball and taking good shots," guard Jontel Evans said. "I think in the second half, we came down and tried to hit the home run a lot of times on offense. We took a lot of quick shots. I think that was the difference between the first and second half."

Evans, the freshman from Bethel High, drew Smith as a defensive assignment, which was almost unfair. He called Smith the best player he has ever faced.

"He's quick," Evans, said, "he has good vision, he can slice through the defense. Just everything. The experience — that goes with it, too. Good player. He just knows what to do."

Smith, a 6-foot senior, scored 15 points and had five of Wake's six assists. Though he made only 7 of 18 shots, when he missed, a teammate was often there to clean up.

One possible strategy is to foul Smith. He's only a 48-percent free-throw shooter, and he made just 1 of 3 Saturday.

"You always think, 'We're close to getting a stop,'" Bennett said, "but when he did miss, they just put it back. They were climbing the glass."

Wake (16-5, 6-3 ACC) had 18 second-chance points, 10 of which came on offensive rebound follow shots. Al-Farouq Aminu (13 points, 10 rebounds) and L.D. Williams (nine rebounds) contributed to the Deacs' 46-34 rebound edge.

Though Bennett was disappointed with the result, he was heartened by his team's improvement from the first game against Wake, as well as by the crowd. The snowstorm limited the crowd to 5,988, less than half capacity. But university officials permitted everyone in attendance to move to the lower level, and folks were engaged.

"That was unbelievable," Bennett said. "I'll tell you, that meant more to me and our team than you'll ever know, and I'm beginning to understand more and more what Virginia fans are about, that they would come out in that weather and support us and cheer like they did. It was a home court advantage because of them. … I'm sorry we didn't do our part."

Cavaliers come up short
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 7, 2010
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Before Saturday afternoon’s tip-off between Virginia and Wake Forest at John Paul Jones Arena, UVa Athletic Director Craig Littlepage took the microphone and spoke to the home crowd.

After thanking fans for coming out and lending their support in spite of the brutal winter snowstorm, Littlepage revved things up.

“We’re going to win the regular season in the ACC ...,” he said. Littlepage concluded his remarks by shouting, ‘Let’s go Hoos!”

What followed was one of the loudest atmospheres of the season. Unfortunately for Littlepage and Wahoo Nation, the homecourt advantage didn’t result in a victory.

Virginia looked sharper than it had in its loss to Wake Forest on Jan. 23, but came up just short, falling in overtime to the Demon Deacons, 64-61, in front of a brave crowd of 5,998.

“We played better,” Bennett said. “I told our guys, ‘Keep your head up. It’s about the quality.’ It was a better performance.

“I really challenged them hard. I said, ‘Don’t you let them do what they did at their place. I thought for the most part they didn’t.”

Virginia’s last gasp in overtime came when Sylven Landesberg and Will Sherrill tried to attempt game-tying 3-pointers in the final seconds. However, both players missed, and neither player appeared to be behind the 3-point line at the time of their shot.

“We wanted to come out here and even the score up,” said Landesberg, referring to the team’s earlier loss in Winston-Salem, N.C. “We might have not executed what we wanted on the offensive end, and on the defensive end we might have given up some easy points — but we really tried.

“We really gave it all of our heart and that’s the most you could ask for.”

Ishmael Smith scored 15 points and dished out five assists to lead Wake Forest. Smith, just like he did in the first meeting, shredded Virginia’s defense.

Al-Farouq Aminu had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Demon Deacons (16-5, 6-3 ACC), who improved to 4-0 in overtime games this season.

Virginia, meanwhile, dropped its second overtime of the season — the first came against Virginia Tech 10 days ago.

“I just thought it was a hard-fought ACC game,” said Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio. “We’re very fortunate to win. I just thought Virginia’s kids played really, really hard. I thought our kids played very hard. Coin toss, anyone could have won that basketball game.”

Virginia (14-7, 5-3) was led by Landesberg’s 28 points. Mike Scott was the only other Virginia player to score in double figures with 10 points — none in the second half.

Wake Forest, which outscored Virginia 9-6 in the overtime, moved into third place in the ACC behind Duke and Maryland.

The Demon Deacons shot 44 percent from the field, holding Virginia to 34 percent. Wake outrebounded Virginia by 12.

“I know Tony’s kids are a terrific box-out team,” Gaudio said. “They don’t give out many second shots. Tony Woods came in and gave us some really good second shots.

“We have our shortcomings ... we’re not a good free-throw shooting team, which was evident today. We’re not a great shooting team, which was evident against Miami when we were 3 for 12 from 3s. We just find a way to make up for that. It’s got to be on the backboard and it’s got to be with our defense. I thought those two things were strong for us today.”

Wake Forest trailed for much of the game. The Demon Deacons didn’t take their first lead until over five minutes of the second half had elapsed.

In the final minute of regulation, the Demon Deacons went up, 55-53, on a layup by Smith. Virginia answered with a strong drive to the basket by Landesberg, which resulted in a goaltending call.

With under 5 seconds remaining, Smith missed a long jumper that could have won it for the Demon Deacons.

Earlier in the half, the lead changed five times before Wake Forest opened up a 48-43 lead after back-to-back hoops by center Tony Woods, the second coming off a pretty set-up from Smith.

But Virginia tied the game at 52-52 with 5:10 left after a left-handed three-point play by Landesberg.

“I’m not upset by this loss at all,” Landesberg said. “It would have been nice to get the win, but our guys showed a lot of heart today.”

Dunks

A moment of silence was held before the game for former Virginia and NFL star “Bullet” Bill Dudley, who died earlier this week.
 

Wake’s Smith too much for UVa to stop
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: February 7, 2010
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For the past two weeks, Virginia’s Jontel Evans had been itching for another shot at stopping Wake Forest point guard Ishmael Smith, the quickest cat in the ACC.

In the teams’ first meeting, Smith had his way with the rookie Evans and everyone else that attempted to contain him, scoring 21 points and dishing out six assists in 38 minutes in a Demon Deacons rout.

Smith & Co. cut UVa’s defense to ribbons in that game, and Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett was determined to prevent a repeat on the Deacs’ trip to snowy Charlottesville on Saturday.

Close, but not enough

This time, Virginia played markedly better team defense, and Evans did an admirable job against the quicksilver Smith, but it wasn’t enough. The Wake guard spoonfed his big men, who dominated the boards in a 64-61 overtime win for the Deacons, their fourth OT win of the season.

In the first meeting, Wake didn’t have to contend much with Virginia’s top two scorers, Sylven Landesberg and Mike Scott, who sat much of the first half with foul trouble.

Time time around, Scott connected on his first five shots early, but didn’t score again, missing 10 in a row. Landesberg showed just how much damage he could do as he scored a game-high 28.

But that was fine with Wake coach Dino Gaudio, who instructed his big men to deny Scott the ball inside, play him strong before he caught it. Otherwise, Scott is too good to stop once he gets the ball in his hands.

Gaudio was willing to allow Landesberg to get his pound of flesh, just as long as no other Cavalier did likewise.

“We did a really good job of stopping the other guys, holding Sammy [Zeglinski] down a little, and stopping Scott the second half,” Guadio said. “Those were big keys for us.”

One-man gang

While Landesberg converted 8 of 19 field goal attempts, the rest of the team collectively was a meager 14 of 46 and Scott — again with all his points early in the first half — was the only other Cavalier in double figures with 10.

Meanwhile, Bennett’s strategy to contain Smith worked part of the time, but Smith is too good to be shut down.

“The first game, we backed off of him,” Bennett said. “This time, we didn’t want to let him get momentum. A kid that quick, if he gets momentum north and south, he’s in there [the lane]. He can change directions and get it going.”

Last time, Smith schooled the rookie Evans, easily driving past him. On Saturday, Evans defended well, but still, there’s only so much one can do to contain a bolt of lightning. Even when Smith missed shots, Deacon post players grabbed the rebounds for put-back scores.

Perhaps the play of the game came with 61 seconds remaining in the overtime when Evans was playing suffocating defense on Smith, but the Wake guard used a teammate’s high screen to get a crack against Evans and drove to the basket for a layup and a 63-59 lead as the Deacs held on to go 16-5, 6-3 in the ACC.

Because Smith is a poor free throw shooter — even though he did convert 7 of 10 from the foul line against the Cavs in Winston-Salem, N.C. — at 48.7 percent for the season, Bennett and staff discussed trying to play a version of “Hack-a-Shaq,” and make the Deac guard perform at the free throw stripe. But they decided against any “Squish-an-Ish” strategy, which perhaps reduced their chances of winning.

Smith hit only 1 of 4 free throws on this day.

They also considered going zone — perhaps the only bad word that Bennett ever uses — and decided not to go that route either.

Instead, they just couldn’t keep Smith out of the lane late with the game on the line, and paid dearly.

“Ish is the straw that stirs the drink for us,” Gaudio said afterward. “We just try to put the ball in his hands at the end of the game ... most of the second half for that matter, and he just made plays.”

This time, it didn’t come quite as easy for Smith as a couple of weeks ago. Evans dogged him hard for many of Smith’s 44 minutes on the court.

The Virginia freshman’s effort didn’t go unnoticed.

“I’m going to tell you guys something,” Guadio said. “That Jontel Evans is as good a defender on Ish Smith as we’ve had in a long time. That kid can really, really guard. He’s a really good defender.”

The Wake coach’s comments were the only thing that could bring a smile to Evans’ face after the game. It was a tough defeat for Virginia (14-7, 5-3), dropping its second overtime game on its home court in nine days.

“It was a tough assignment,” Evans said. “I got mentally prepared for it. I knew I was going to be running around, getting tired. But that’s why I came here, to go against guards like that. My hat’s off to [Smith].”

Evans said he couldn’t pester Wake’s senior star the way he does some foes because Smith has been around the block, is quick, has good vision and can slice and dice a defense to shreds.

“Stuff like that doesn’t bother him,” Evans said of his defensive tactics. “The first time we played off of him. This time we tried to pressure him and see what he would do, and he just did the same thing. He’s the best point guard I’ve ever played on this level. You think you’ve got him and he makes a pass to the open guy for two.”

When Evans was informed of the Wake coach’s praise for his defense against Smith, the rookie was impressed.

“That means a lot to me for coaches at this level to think I play good defense because defense gets you far ... it got me to the ACC,” Evans said.

For Wake, pulling out an ACC win like that on the road was like striking gold. In a season where the league is so topsy-turvy, a road win is almost valuable as two wins.

For Virginia, the task becomes even more difficult now with four of the Cavaliers’ next five games on that ACC road.

In order to keep the league leaders within sight, the Wahoos need to find a way to steal some gold, which means Landesberg is going to need a little help from his friends.
 

Deacs in OT
JOURNAL STAFF REPORT
Published: February 7, 2010
DOUBLE VICTORY: DEACONS BEAT CAVALIERS, WINTRY WEATHER
Deacs in OT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.

Wake Forest weathered one of deepest snowstorms in the recorded history of Charlottesville, Va., yesterday to record a victory that any team in college basketball would be proud to bring home.

With its defense providing the traction, the Deacons plowed to a 64-61 overtime victory over Virginia in front of a John Paul Jones Arena more than half filled with what students, staff and faculty that were able to trudge to the game.

"It was surprisingly loud in there, and they filled up the whole bottom bowl," senior Ish Smith said. "I give a lot of credit to the Virginia fans.

"It was one of the loudest atmospheres we've played in front of this year."

By 3:30, the Deacons had escaped the inclement clutches of Charlottesville and were southbound down Route 29 with a 16-5 record and 6-3 mark in ACC play going into Tuesday's home game against Boston College. Not even a 28-point performance by sophomore Sylven Landesberg could keep Virginia from falling to 14-7 and 5-3 with its second loss of the season to Wake Forest.

"It's a great win for us," Coach Dino Gaudio said. "And I told the kids right before the game, ‘I said, you know what? At 3 o'clock this afternoon they're not going to say there was a lot of snow, we were stuck in a hotel, the arena is just filled with students. They're going to say did you win or did you lose?'

"That's what it comes down to. That's the bottom line. A couple of the times in the huddle I said, ‘Hang in there, hang in there. We'll find a way.' They found a way to win at the end."

The way was familiar for a team that ranks fourth in the ACC with a field-goal percentage defense of .373. The Deacons held the Cavaliers to 22 field goals on 65 attempts -- the exact totals from their 69-57 victory over Virginia in Joel Coliseum on Jan. 23.

But unlike the earlier game, when the Cavaliers shot 21 percent in the first half and 44 percent in the second, the Deacons yesterday imposed their will more and more as the game progressed.

After making 12 of its first 21 field-goal attempts on the way to an early 14-6 lead, Virginia hit 10 of 44 during the final 35 minutes.

Mike Scott, the Cavaliers second-leading scorer, poured in 10 points in the first 10 minutes, but didn't score again while missing his final 10 field-goal attempts.

"They came out on fire," Smith said. "But we really did weather the storm. Coach said, ‘We're not playing particularly our best game, but we're still in striking distance.' "

After Al-Farouq Aminu's free throw gave Wake Forest a 44-43 lead with seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Deacons never trailed again. A three-point play by C.J. Harris extended the lead to 53-48 with 3:43 left, but Virginia rallied to tie the game at 53 on a free throw by Jontel Evans and at 55 on a basket by Landesberg awarded with 14.5 seconds remaining when Aminu was called for goaltending.

Smith, who led the Deacons with 15 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists, missed an outside shot with three seconds remaining. Teammate Ari Stewart rebounded but was unable to get a follow shot off before the buzzer.

Although replays showed that Calvin Baker of the Cavaliers grabbed Stewart's arm, official Bernard Clinton, who was standing nearby, made no call.

"I know he hit him on his arm," Smith said. "But you know what, I respect every call the refs make. They allowed us to play toward the end. I respected the call, even though we'd have liked to have had it.

"I should have made the shot, so it shouldn't have gotten that far."

Gaudio protested the no-call, and then turned his mind back to his business.

"I went into the huddle and said, ‘You guys are basketball players. How about this? You get to play another five minutes,' " Gaudio said. "That's exactly what I told them.

"That's so they weren't like hanging their heads."

Stewart got his revenge on the first possession of overtime, when Aminu rebounded a miss by Harris and fed Stewart outside for a 3-pointer and a 58-55 lead. Aminu's follow shot with two minutes remaining gave Wake Forest a 61-57 lead, and Smith followed with maybe the game's biggest basket a possession later.

After Landesberg's jumper from the right corner pared the lead to 61-59, Smith split a double-team trap, whizzed past Will Sherrill and arched a shot over the reach of 6-9 Jerome Mayinsse and through the basket for a 63-59 lead with a minute remaining.

"I feel like at my height you've got to have a floater," Smith said. "Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, those guys have it.

"I had missed some of them, but thank God I hit the one that mattered and it was a big one."

Smith left the door open for one last Cavalier comeback when he made one of two free throws for a 64-61 lead with 41.9 seconds left, but Landesberg missed a jumper from left of the key and Sherrill missed a 3-pointer from the left corner.

"That's usually the key for us, our defense," Aminu said. "And that's what allowed us to beat them."

Virginia basketball suffers another close loss, this one to Wake Forest
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 7, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- It's become too familiar a feeling for Virginia, whose unexpected ascension in the ACC standings would appear entirely more impressive if the team did not frequently experience the bitterness it felt Saturday.

With the opportunity to record a critical win on its home court and solidify its spot near the top of the ACC standings, the Cavaliers struggled in the overtime period of a 64-61 loss to Wake Forest. Virginia (14-7, 5-3) has lost five games by five points or less, including two conference home games in overtime.

"In order to win, you have to eliminate losing," Cavaliers Coach Tony Bennett said. "What will get you beat? Second-chance points. Silly turnovers. Giving up transition baskets."

The first one -- second-chance points -- particularly irked Bennett, whose team lost a five-point halftime lead in part because Wake Forest (16-5, 6-3) had 18 second-chance points to Virginia's seven.

Nonetheless, the Cavaliers emerged from their final timeout with 20.9 seconds remaining in overtime and the opportunity to tie the score. The resulting play was neither artful nor fruitful, and left the 5,988 fans who made it to John Paul Jones Arena despite the snowstorm wondering what transpired.

Sylven Landesberg hoisted an uncomfortable jumper with one foot on the line -- he was worried about an expiring shot clock -- that misfired. Forward Will Sherrill collected the offensive rebound.

Often praised for his cerebral nature, Sherrill inaccurately accounted for the clock. He quickly ran the ball near the three-point line and floated a prayer from the corner. Sherrill had eight seconds but gathered neither his balance nor vision of his surroundings.

"We drew up a play, and our timing was off on it," Bennett said. "We drew up a three, and then if it wasn't there, attack and get a score. Then Will made a great hustle play and lost track of the time, and we didn't have any timeouts left."

The timeouts were sacrificed because Bennett made substitutions as possessions changed from offense to defense to try to stop Wake Forest guard Ishmael Smith, who dominated the Cavaliers with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Bennett wanted freshman Jontel Evans guarding Smith, although it was difficult for anyone to stay with Wake Forest's leader.

"Toughest point guard I've played this year at the collegiate level," Evans said. "It's just difficult to guard him."

When Bennett was asked if Wake Forest plays the way he wants his teams to play in the future, Bennett said they could, "if you can find me Ish Smith." The only way Virginia could stop Smith was by fouling him, and the Cavaliers did not employ that strategy until overtime's final minute.

The Cavaliers built a 34-29 halftime lead behind forward Mike Scott, who scored 10 points in 10 first-half minutes by making all five of his field-goal attempts. But in the second half and overtime, Scott missed all 10 of his shots and the front end of a crucial one-and-one opportunity with just more than four minutes left and Virginia down two.

Scott's offensive struggles after halftime often left the Cavaliers with unfulfilled possessions; they made only six field goals in the second half and shot 23.6 percent in the game's final 25 minutes. Virginia relied almost entirely on Landesberg, whose 28 points were nearly half of the team's total.

While the team warmed up before the game, Evans told his teammates that a measure of Virginia's fans could be seen by how many found a way to attend. The athletic department allowed all students free entry regardless of whether they possessed tickets.

The public-address announcer invited fans sitting in the arena's upper deck to fill in empty seats in the lower bowl, and the result was one of the best environments all season at John Paul Jones Arena.

But as too often has been the case this season, Virginia could not win the close game. These are the losses that haunt teams on Selection Sunday, and they're the losses that Virginia needs to make up for as it plays four of its next five games on the road.

"Let's learn from it, and keep being about quality," Bennett said. "We have to play on Wednesday [at Maryland]. This league is so good."

Virginia Cavalier About Defense First-year head coach Tony Bennett has Cavs near top of ACC
Feb. 5, 2010
By Anthony Oliva III
NCAA.com

Many would think Virginia’s improbable 5-2 start in ACC play would be exciting. In fact, by the ACC’s supercharged standards, it’s a little boring.

Or, as others may see it - methodical and effective.

In a conference defined by elite athleticism and NBA-bound players with extraordinary skill sets, Virginia has found success playing solid defense, and by limiting the chances of their opponent’s high-powered offenses. Despite averaging a league low 70 points per game, the Cavaliers have parlayed their defensive intensity into a 14-6 overall record and a tie for second place in the ACC with Maryland, only a half game behind first-place Duke.

Surrendering only 60.9 points per game this year, Virginia currently has the stingiest defense in the offense-crazy ACC. Never was Virginia’s defensive prowess more evident than on Jan. 31 when Virginia held North Carolina – yes, that North Carolina – to only 60 points in a 15-point road win.

“We played great defense and it was a very satisfying win,” sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski said of the UNC game. “Help defense, being scrappy and always knowing where we were supposed to be in this system was the key. We did a great job of rotating when we needed to help, and we did a great job pressuring the ball. We just stuck to the principles of our system and it worked out for us.”

In 2008-09, Virginia let up an average of 72.5 points a game, or 11 points more than its current average, and went 10-18 overall and 4-12 in conference. A year before that was the same story. The Cavaliers let up 74.8 points a night, and went 17-16 overall, but only 5-11 in conference.

Enter head coach Tony Bennett.

Bennett, by way of Washington State last year, preaches team defense. Last season, his Washington State team yielded a Pac-10 best 55.4 points a game. This year, by contrast, the Cougars are giving up a conference worst 72.0 points a game.

Bennett has brought that approach to Virginia and it is paying immediate dividends for a team that was picked eleventh in the ACC preseason poll.

“We talk about knowing who you are, and not thinking too highly of yourself and not thinking too lowly of yourself,” Bennett said. “Having sober judgment is important. That also means knowing who you’re not. When you can get a team to understand who they are as a team, how they have to play, and what will get them success, that’s huge.”

In ACC play, Virginia has wins over Miami, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and two over NC State. Its losses came on the road against Wake Forest and in overtime versus Virginia Tech.

At the beginning of the season, this kind of run appeared unlikely. The Cavaliers didn’t hit full stride immediately, and started off with a 4-4 record. Virginia responded by winning 10 if its next 12 games.

“From the beginning of the season, we had a new coach and a new system, and we had a little bit of learning curve,” Zeglinski said. “Eventually we just started to get it and started to get results from it.”

The common denominator in all these wins: defense. In these past 10 wins, Virginia has given up an average of only 57.5 points a game.

“We’re just sticking to who we are,” Zeglinski said. “We keep growing defensively every day, and we know what we have to do to win. Every day is going to be a battle with us. We’re not going to go out and blow teams out. We grind. We know our defense is our staple, and even if we’re not shooting well, our defense is going to be able to keep us in game until our offense comes around.”

Striving at defense is not something that’s easy to do in the talent-rich ACC, but Virginia and Bennett have found a winning blue print.

It starts up top with good ball pressure, something Bennett, a former NBA point guard, is a big proponent of. He also stresses the off guards to constantly be in the gaps and passing lanes. Additionally, the Cavaliers try to eliminate easy buckets in the post.

“We really emphasize not letting the ball get in the paint and no outside drives, meaning don’t let your guy beat you to the baseline,” Zeglinski said.

Once again, this was on display in the win against the defending champions. North Carolina’s post duo of Ed Davis and Deon Thompson combine to average over 28 points a game on the year. Against Virginia, they combined for just 11.

“You need to take it as a challenge every night,” said Virginia forward Mike Scott about playing against some of the conference’s premier post players. “I challenge myself for them never to get the best of me. I try to make them feel uncomfortable out there, and just try to play tough defense.”

Not allowing some of the ACC’s predominant wingmen get out in free space is also something Virginia pays close attention to.

“We just make a conscious effort to get back on defense and make our opponents play against a set defense every chance that we get,” Zeglinski said. “We really try to limit team’s transition offense.”

But, don’t get it wrong, it’s not all defense. Virginia has been able to win games when asked to score a lot of points, and that’s perhaps what makes this team special. Eight times this season the Cavaliers have scored more than 75 points. Not surprisingly, they won all eight of those games.

“We play the game that gives us the best chance to win,” Bennett said. “If there are opportunities where we can be patient, then we’ll be patient, but if there’s an opportunity where we can take advantage of our quickness, we’ll do that.”

Much like Bennett during his playing days, this Virginia team strives from 3-point range. Virginia shoots just under 40 percent from behind the arc, tops in the ACC. Zeglinski, third on the team with 10.4 points per game, leads the conference in 3-point percentage at 45.2 percent.

Joining Zeglinski in the backcourt is fellow sophomore Sylven Landesberg, the team’s leading scorer. Averaging 17.6 points a game, fifth in the ACC, Landesberg is a big weapon for the Cavaliers. Bennett stresses offensive freedom, and it is talented players like Landesberg, and the attention that he draws from other teams, that make that philosophy work.

In the post, Scott, who credits his aggressiveness, has made a big impact. The 6-foot-8 forward leads the team with over seven rebounds a game and chips in with over 13 points a night.

It is with these components and Bennett’s style that Virginia has been able to compete and defend in an otherwise jet-fueled ACC Conference.

“You see the level of athleticism combined with skill that’s very elite, and I think this league has the best of both worlds,” Bennett said of the ACC. “It’s not just a skill-only league. It’s not only athletes. It’s a pretty skilled league with guys that are great basketball players.”

You can put this Virginia team in that mix.

ACC Basketball's Midseason Report
Jeffrey Fann

Bleacherreport.com

Midseason coach of the year: Tony Bennett, Virginia Cavaliers
This was close call between Maryland's Gary Williams and Virginia's Tony Bennett. I'm giving the edge to Bennett, though. Virginia wasn't in anyone's predicted top three in the conference, but that's exactly where they find themselves at 14-6 (5-2). Bennett has instilled a tough, hard-nosed attitude on a team that is finding ways to win despite its shortcomings in talent.

Best Team of the First Half: Duke Blue Devils
I have to go with the Duke Blue Devils on this one. At 18-4 (6-2) and the lead the ACC, they are undefeated at Cameron. They've struggled on the road, but have beat Connecticut and have a 42 point win over a good UNC Charlotte squad. If Kyle Singler can continue to shoot like he did in the Georgia Tech game, scoring 30 while going 8-for-10 from three-point range, then Duke will be really tough to beat. In a year where the ACC lacks a dominant team, the Dukies are the best of the bunch.

Most Surprising Team of the First Half: Virginia Cavaliers
Going back to Virginia here. Did you know that the Cavaliers lead the ACC in scoring defense, giving up only 60.9 points? They are also second in the ACC free throw shooting at 74.4 percent. That's winning with solid defense and good fundamentals. It doesn't hurt that Sylven Landesburg is one of the best players in the conference. He's averaging 17 points a game. This was the team that was thought to be a year or two from competing in the ACC. The Cavs had other ideas.

Most Disappointing Team of the First Half: North Carolina Tar Heels
This is an easy call here. It's North Carolina. The defending national champions are 13-9 and stand at an ugly 2-5 in the ACC. The Heels were expected to be down after the departure of players like Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, and Ty Lawson, but they shouldn't be this bad. The guards Larry Drew II and Marcus Ginyard have, at best, been inconsistent and, at worst, down right poor. Coach Roy Williams is searching for answers.

Best Player of the First Half: Jon Scheyer, Duke Blue Devils
Jon Scheyer of Duke gets my vote. I've never felt Scheyer was a natural point guard, but he's doing a great job running the Blue Devils offense. He's in the top five in the ACC in scoring and assists and is the conference's leading free throw shooter. If he weren't at Duke they'd have three or four more losses than they do now.

Who's Going to Make the NCAAs
Duke Blue Devils, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Maryland Terrapins, Clemson Tigers, Florida State.

Either Virginia Tech Hokies or Virginia Cavaliers will be ACC's seventh team.

Second Half Predicted Finish
1) Duke Blue Devils; 25-6 (12-4)
2) Maryland Terrapins; 21-9 (11-5)
3) Wake Forest Demon Deacons; 21-7 (11-5)
4) Virginia Cavaliers; 18-11 (9-7)
5) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets; 21-9 (9-7)
6) Clemson Tigers; 20-10 (8-8)
7) Florida State Seminoles; 20-10 (8-8)
8) Virginia Tech Hokies; 21-9 (8-8)
9) North Carolina Tar Heels; 17-13 (7-9)
10) Boston College Eagles; 15-15 (6-10)
11) NC State Wolfpack; 17-14 (5-11)
12) Miami Hurricanes; 18-12 (4-12)

Diamond Cavs get a workout
By Jay Jenkins
Published: February 7, 2010
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With or without snowflakes, Virginia baseball coach Brian O’Connor reminded his players of one constant: Omaha remains 1,186 miles away.

And for that reason, the Cavaliers practiced Saturday as though the storm that hammered Central Virginia did not exist.

Unfortunately for O’Connor, that practice was held indoors, something that has become a routine of late. It remains unknown if Virginia will be able to practice without hindrance outdoors before the season opener at East Carolina on Feb. 18.

“We are not the only team in the country that cannot be outside right now,” O’Connor said. “We understand that, but we are fortunate that the stadium renovation offered us the opportunity to get our work done indoors.”

Last weekend, the Cavaliers spent time shoveling snow off the warning track at Davenport Field. That duty will be multiplied after the current storm.

O’Connor also said that numerous tarps were placed at the facility to try and help with the removal of the snow.

“It is not ideal, but we will fine,” O’Connor said. “We will work hard to get the field plowed and get it playable as soon as we can.”

Virginia’s players, ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in two polls, did enjoy some individual workouts at Davenport Field before the two most recent snowstorms.

“We had some great time outdoors when the players got back from holiday break,” O’Connor said. “The bottom line is that baseball instincts are so important — seeing the ball off the bat — and we aren’t going to have the luxury of that, but we will definitely get our work in everyday.”

The renovations to Davenport Field included a new indoor pitching mound, which allows the team’s pitchers to throw off a clay mound indoors, something that was not possible in the past.

The Cavaliers are scheduled to hold their home opener on Feb. 24 against George Washington.
 

Give Virginia a C- for its football recruiting class
February 7, 2010
Daily Press

Though coach Mike London didn't have much control over the results of his first Signing Day class at Virginia, he still managed to put his stamp on a group of players that could best be described as promising — and unproven.

In his first nine weeks on the job, London and his staff added three quarterbacks, a lineman and a tight end. While those players helped fill out the 17-member class in some key areas, the real movers and shakers for the Cavaliers could come at some other positions.

Possible immediate impact
OT Morgan Moses | If he qualifies academically, it'll be surprising if this 6-foot-6, 336-pound wall of man doesn't crack the two-deep.

RB Kevin Parks | With Mikell Simpson gone, the tailback spot is one of several huge question marks for the Cavaliers, and Parks could get some serious work if he has a good preseason.

QB Michael Strauss | While it's true that freshman quarterbacks aren't normally depended upon for much on the field, enrolling in January and being available for spring practice could give the former Tulane commitment a big boost in a wide-open quarterback race.

Wait a year or two
DE Christopher Brathwaite | He's another guy with the potential to play as a true freshman, but a year to add to his 6-foot-1, 250-pound frame could do wonders.

OT Conner Davis | At least half the Atlantic Coast Conference offered this guy a scholarship, and we may all see why in a few years once he learns offensive coordinator Bill Lazor's pro-style blocking techniques.

OT Cody Wallace | Given his ability to possibly line up anywhere on the line, his versatility will make him a commodity down the road.

Projects
OT Stephen Lawe | U.Va.'s coaching staff needs to figure out where he can help them the most — offensive line or defensive line.

QB Jake McGee | This rating has nothing to do with ability (his 3,007 passing yards as a senior prove he has the chops), but the learning curve could be steep if the former Richmond Spiders commitment is moved to another position, like tight end or safety.

Overall class grade
C-The interesting aspect of this class is there's boundless potential, but also an equal level of uncertainty. It's hard to say what positions players like Lawe, McGee, Miles Gooch and Ryan Cobb will end up playing. Can U.Va. get Moses in school, and keep him there? How good can late addition Zach Swanson be at tight end, which seems as if it will remain a focal point of U.Va.'s offense? Will Bethel High cornerback Rijo Walker be able to make an impact? If the vast majority of those players pan out, this is a class that could wind up being very underrated.