'Hoos Seeking Third Straight ITA Crown
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/11/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Nearly a week has passed since a 4-3 defeat at Kentucky ended UVa's 63-match regular-season winning streak in men's tennis.

How, Brian Boland was asked Wednesday night, have his players responded to the stunning loss?

"Much better than I have," Boland said.

The Cavaliers' veteran coach laughed after making that remark. The loss stung, but Boland knows it's better to stumble in the regular season than when it really counts, in the NCAA tournament. Each of his past two teams finished 32-1 after losing in the NCAAs.

"We talk about it all the time," Boland said. "If you're in this business, you have to learn to deal with those situations. So if anything, I think it'll help us down the road.

"Hopefully it allows the team to kind of look at some things more closely that we need to do a better job of, starting with doubles. We came out and played flat in the doubles, and for the first time that I can ever remember as a coach at the University of Virginia, we got swept across the board."

After the final point had been played last weekend in Lexington, Ky., and the Wildcats' upset was official, UVa juniors Michael Shabaz and Sanam Singh weren't sure how to react. They'd never experienced a regular-season team loss. Neither was in college when Boland's team lost to Texas on March 18, 2007, after which the Cavaliers' winning streak began.

"It was definitely different, but it's something that every team has to cope with, and you learn from it and move on," Shabaz said Thursday afternoon.

The Wahoos have shifted their focus to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Team Indoor Championships, which start Friday and run through Monday at the Boar's Head Sports Club.

"This is a huge event here in Charlottesville, and hopefully a lot of people will come out and support us," Singh said.

In 2008, UVa won the ITA indoor title in Seattle. In 2009, the 'Hoos repeated as national indoor champions, winning in Chicago this time. Not since Stanford in the mid-1970s has a team won the tourney three times in a row.

"Obviously all the pressure is on us, because we're two-time defending champions and at Boar's Head," Singh said.

For UVa to host the ITA indoor championships, Boland said, is "a tremendous honor, and I think it speaks volumes about how far our program has come over the course of the last decade in terms of facilities and improvement of the program."

Admission to the 16-team tournament is free. UVa (4-1), seeded No. 2, meets No. 15 seed Alabama (3-1) at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The quarterfinals are Saturday and the semifinals Sunday. The ITA final is Monday at noon.

"I feel like we're confident, even though we lost last week," Singh said.

Kentucky is in town, but a rematch with UVa is unlikely. UK is seeded No. 13 and can't meet Virginia before the final. On Kentucky's side of the bracket is top-seeded Southern California, the defending NCAA outdoor champion. USC spoiled UVa's perfect season in the NCAA quarterfinals last year.

Most of the key players from that Virginia team are still on the roster. The biggest loss was Dom Inglot, who played No. 1 singles and teamed with Shabaz to win the NCAA doubles title.

"I think it's a much-improved team in many aspects, in terms of the experience we have and the things we've gone through," Boland said. "Certainly last year's team had a great record in terms of our results, but we also had a number of very close matches where things went our way."

Inglot's "are big shoes to fill, but we brought in what is considered by many the top recruit in the country in Jarmere Jenkins, and he was the highest-ranked freshman in the country over the fall campaign," Boland said. "So certainly he proved that he was one of the best freshmen -- if not the best -- in any program around the country, and he's really developed and done a good job for us so far."

His veterans have improved, too, Boland said.

"I think ultimately we'll be a better team [than in 2009]," he said, "but we're not going to achieve the same regular-season results as last year."

The doubles lineups that will represent UVa this weekend are different from those that went 0-3 against Kentucky. At No. 1 doubles will be Shabaz and Drew Courtney; at No. 2, Jenkins and Houston Barrick; at No. 3, Singh and Lee Singer.

"I just made the decision after evaluating our situation on the way back from Kentucky," Boland said. "Obviously, I was disappointed in parts of our play and some things that I thought we should be doing a lot better. But with that being said, I think we can turn this into a big positive.

"It's all part of playing at the highest level. We had a day where we just didn't play well, but at the same time I believe this team has a lot of resilience and great character and they'll bounce back, and hopefully it'll help us this weekend."

UVa's probable singles lineup: Shabaz at No. 1, Singh at No. 2, Jenkins at No. 3, Courtney at No. 4, Barrick at No. 5, and Singer at No. 6. Boland said he'll also consider playing Philippe Oudshoorn and Steven Rouda.

"We're really deep," Boland said, "and I know that all eight of those players are going to be able and ready to play if needed."

Boland praised the University of Virginia Foundation and its CEO, Tim Rose, along with the Boar's Head Sports Club and its director, James Neiderer. Rose, Neiderer, their staffs and the UVa athletics department have organized what Boland called "the most prestigious tournament that we've ever brought to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia in terms of our tennis program."

Their work, Boland said, has allowed "me to focus on my team and prepare our team to play the best tennis that we possibly can. So it's been a great luxury."

 

What's Up, Docs?
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/10/2010
By Jeff White
jwhite@virginia.edu

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- It won't ever be held up as an example of Jeffersonian architecture. Disregard the building's utilitarian design, though. What's important is the work done inside by John MacKnight and Danny Mistry.

If you're a UVa student-athlete and need to see a doctor, you know where to go: the clinic that sits between University Hall and Onesty Hall near the football practice fields.

MacKnight and Mistry are co-medical directors for UVa athletics, and they serve as primary-care physicians for the 700-some young men and women who make up the University's 25 varsity teams.

As for the nurses who assist the doctors?

"You're looking at us," MacKnight said, smiling.

"We do it ourselves," Mistry said.

Officially, the clinic is open from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and 1 to 5:30 p.m. each weekday when classes are in session at UVa. That's misleading.

"We're on call every night and every morning," Mistry said. "It doesn't matter. We're always on call."

Which is fine with Drs. MacKnight and Mistry.


"We have their cell-phone numbers. They're so willing to help," said Lauren Elstein, a fourth-year field hockey player who has exercise-induced asthma.

"Both guys are phenomenal doctors, and they're incredibly caring. I'm so spoiled. I'm actually wondering what I'm going to do next year."

MacKnight earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware in 1988. He graduated cum laude from Jefferson Medical College in 1992 and completed his internal-medicine residency at UVa in 1995.

Mistry has a bachelor's from the University of Madras (1995) in his native India. He earned a master's in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts in 1994 and his M.D. from UVa in 2002.

Put them in a room together, and they could double as a comedy act, so easy is their rapport. Their friendship has deep roots. When Mistry was a resident at UVa, his mentor was MacKnight.

"And so to be practicing with your mentor on a daily basis is great," Mistry said. "I've learned more about the logistics of good medicine from him than I've learned from anybody else in my career."

During working hours, Mistry usually can be found in the clinic. MacKnight spends about 75 percent of his time at the Fontaine Research Park, where he has a standard internal medicine practice as part of University Physicians Charlottesville.

"The other time is spent either here or over in the McCue [Center] in orthopedics," MacKnight said in the clinic, where he and Mistry stuck around one evening to field questions from VirginiaSports.com.

Q. How many people are you responsible for?

Mistry: "We see all 700 student-athletes. Any primary-care issue related to a student-athlete at UVa. This is the daily clinic.

"We don't direct the athletic trainers. The athletic trainers are directed by Ethan [Saliba]. So he's the head athletic trainer who's in charge of all the administrative aspects of sports medicine. John and I just run the primary-care sports medicine clinic. So if our athletic trainers have someone who's sick, they send them to us."

Q. What are your backgrounds as athletes?

Mistry: "Cricket, and track and field as well."

MacKnight: "Nothing at the collegiate level, but I'm a football, basketball, baseball guy."

Q. When one student-athlete gets sick, does the whole team usually end up sick as well?

Mistry: "Yes, it spreads. More than in the student body."

MacKnight: "They spend a lot more time together, with a lot of activities that really dictate that they've got close proximity, between meetings and practices and certainly traveling on the road and staying in the same hotel together. These guys spend five hours a day together, and social time, too. They have their own kind of social structure, as athletes often do.

"We see an interesting cascade. On Monday you see three kids with a problem. That means on Tuesday you're gonna see seven more, and on Wednesday you'll see 10 more. It just blossoms out. And it's interesting, when you've been here awhile and you know the teams that like to hang out together, you know the individual people who like to hang out together, you know the houses where the kids live for multiple sports, you can absolutely see the trickle-down effect. You kind of know what's coming."

Q. Your clinic moved here from the McCue Center several years ago. What has this facility allowed you to do?

MacKnight: "It's been a great thing. What it allows us really to do is to try as best we can to put under one roof all of the important facets to take the best care of our student-athletes. There are a lot of institutions where they have excellent providers, but they're all over the place. So we're able to really compartmentalize our care in a place where the student-athletes have easy access to it, and make it a very comfortable environment for them.

"We see them quickly and minimize the roadblocks to getting them the care they need, and that's big, particularly because it is so time-sensitive and sport-sensitive. If that particular sport's in season, you don't have a lot of time to waste, so you relish the opportunity to have it all here together."

Q. Who ultimately decides when a student-athlete is healthy enough to practice?

MacKnight: "Coaches are coaches, and coaches want their players. But our coaches are great. Particularly because Danny and I have been here for so long now, the coaches have a really good sense of what our algorhithmic approach is to things, and Danny and I have really gone out of our way to have a great sense of consistency. If you have a given problem and you have this set of parameters if things are going wrong, then this is the way we'll manage this. The coaching staff, and certainly the athletic training staff, has become very comfortable over time with the way that we approach things.

"They always want their kids, but in the end, once you lay out the scenario and say this young man is too ill to participate today for reasons X, Y and Z, then the focus changes from 'I want them right now' to 'Do what you can to make them better as fast as you can, and when they're ready to go, let me know, and we'll take it from there.' Early on there was a learning process there, but now that we've become really comfortable with each other, it's really pretty seamless, actually."

Q. What's the procedure if a student-athlete gets sick after your office hours?

MacKnight: "We stop here at 5:30 p.m. The way that we set the system up is that the primary contact person for each of the student-athletes is their respective athletic trainer. So they would contact the athletic trainer, who then would sort of make the determination with respect to what they need to have happen. On occasion the athletic trainer will meet the student-athlete back here. It might be midnight, but they say, 'Before we send you to the emergency room, let me take a peek at you and see if what you're telling me really is worrisome.' And then they'll give us a call and say, 'Here's the scenario. Do you want to see them? Do they need to go to the emergency room? Can I pat them on the back and tell them to go home?' That kind of thing.

"As Danny said, we're available basically 24/7, so we really depend heavily on our athletic trainers to be our eyes and ears and our hands to help manage this big population, because we can only be in so many places at once."

Q: What is the common problem you see?

Mistry: "Colds, flu. It just depends on the season. It's varied."

MacKnight: "The patient population we see here is a microcosm of the patient population I see in general internal medicine to a certain degree. It's illnesses, it's acute kinds of things, most of which are self-limited and more easily fixed. Then you've got your asthmas and your thyroid diseases and your hypertension and those kinds of things, too. Much lower incidents in our [student-athlete] population in general, but you still see those things, and I think the thing that makes it fun to manage those things here is that you've always got the looming game, the looming trip to participate in.

"Otherwise the nuts and bolts of taking care of them isn't all that much different than any other place. But when you [consider the fact that the student-athlete may say], 'Oh, by the way, I have to get on a plane tomorrow morning and I won't be home for three more days,' that changes your approach pretty significantly. That's part of the challenge. That's what makes it fun."

Q. How often are you working against a deadline?

Mistry: "Almost always. But the flip side to that is that by and large, especially at the D-I level, you have a patient population that wants to be better. They're thinking, 'How can I get better and get on that field?' So your challenge is their challenge. It's kind of a joint challenge, and that's exciting."

Q. How many first-year student-athletes do you see in a typical school year?

Mistry: "About 250, because we have a lot of walk-ons. Roughly 250 new student-athletes each year. Typically it's about 200 in the summer and 50 additional in the fall."

Q. What does the first-of-the-year physical consist of?

MacKnight: "We have a history questionnaire which has different facets of their medical history. Then they have a screening EKG, and we review that. They have an entire physical exam, a thorough physical exam, and then they have a drug test. Then certain contact sports have a baseline concussion test done. And we clear them only after we've reviewed the medical history, noted that they have a clear physical exam and their EKG doesn't have any criteria that needs further diagnostic work before they can be cleared. It's all about making sure they're safe for participation."

Q. What's the most enjoyable part of your job?

MacKnight: "Working with that guy" -- he points at Mistry -- "is always a ball."

Mistry: "Right back at him."

MacKnight: "For me it's two things. It's the pleasure of working with a very unique and highly motivated group of individuals who are not only working for athletic success but for the most part are very invested in their health and their well-being, and you play a really important part in that process. Particularly in an age group that otherwise isn't all that too tuned-in to that. You really have a nice opportunity to influence their health status for the future, and we go out of our way to try to make that an important part of what we do.

"I think the other thing is -- and we've both had this experience any number of times -- the carrot for what we do in here every day, or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, is to take a student-athlete who isn't faring well, who's sick, who has a medical condition that's holding them back, and to really bust your tail to help them fix it and then have them go out and do something special on an athletic field. So for a team physician, because we obviously live vicariously through our student-athletes, to have somebody who's kind of down and out, and to turn them around and fix their issue and then have them go out and really excel, that's the best thing."

Mistry: "And for me also, and I'm sure John seconds this, are the relationships you form with these kids. You see them coming in as 17- and 18-year-olds, you grow with them for four years, they have different needs each year as they grow. There is no doubt the first-years are more sick than any other year. There is no question about that."

MacKnight: "That's before they learn how to take care of themselves."

Mistry: "But you see them grow, and by the time they come to their fourth year, they've learned how to deal with stuff, and the way they can lead their teams, and the lifelong relationships you form, is just such a blessing."

Q: Do you see every student-athlete at UVa at some point?

Mistry: "Definitely for the physical exam."

Q. And after that?

MacKnight: "It's amazing, but there's some folks along the way that I would have to tell you I've never seen. I absolutely know who they are. Some of them are quite noteworthy for their athletic endeavors, and I would tell you I've never seen them in the office. I don't think it's many over four years.

Mistry: "We see about, say, 80 percent of them through their career here [after the initial exams], and we probably don't ever see 20 percent of them. But it's interesting: Out of those 80 percent, there's only about 30 percent you'd see consistently."

Q. Given the accessibility of your clinic, are some student-athletes prone to running to the doctor too often?

MacKnight: "We try to temper that with the athletic training staff. Think about how many kids walk down that hall every day. Danny and I laugh about this. We'll be working on our computers or something, and we'll hear them walk past the door. We hear the footsteps, and then they get, like, halfway down the hall and they stop. And it's like they're thinking, 'Should I? There's nobody waiting. I think I'll go see Dr. Mistry.' And they come right back. There's no barrier.

"On the one hand, it's a great thing, that there are no barriers, and again you don't want to create roadblocks, and we fashion ourselves as likeable guys. We're obviously very interested in the well-being of the kids, so they don't mind coming in here. Some of them are more aggressive consumers than others, so we try to temper that a little."

Q. What are some of the challenges facing student-athletes?

MacKnight: "There's so much stress. To understand the stress of the student-athlete, unless you're a student-athlete, you can't. And they've got so much on their plates, so balancing everything they do, their social lives and their athletic lives and academic lives, they tend to be a little sicker, because high-performance athletics creates poor immune systems. It's well-established. If you exercise at high intensity for a longer period of time, your immune system is not going to work as well as people who perform moderate intensity exercise on a regular basis. It's almost counter-intuitive that if you're exceedingly fit, you tend to be more sick. So what we see is a sicker kid, but they also have the ability to recover quicker, because, A, they're motivated, so the mind-body thing is, 'I need to be better fast.' That really helps. But we're also kind of aggressive with our care. We don't wait two days and three days before [acting]. We don't have time.

"If they're sick, we don't wait to say, 'OK, drink fluids for a couple of days and see if you feel better.' It's quick-fire medicine, but it's aggressive medicine, too, in a safe manner. But we're not going to put a kid out, in any circumstance, if we feel that they're not ready to go, no matter what the contest is. We create a fine line between safety and being aggressive."

Q. So you find your work professionally stimulating?

MacKnight: "For anybody who's sports-oriented in the medical field, it's an awfully tough job to beat, it really is."

Mistry: "Yep. And it just grows by the minute. What we saw 10 years ago together, the kind of illnesses that we see today and the amount of asthma and allergies and attention deficit disorder and acid reflux. As athletes in high school train harder -- and their EKGs have changed over time, because they get fitter, and the electrical activity of the heart changes -- we end up doing more studies to clear them. So it's an amazingly quick-evolving field."

MacKnight: "My sense in the 10 years I've been here is that we definitely see kids who are physically different when they get here. Much bigger, they're much stronger, they clearly are around-the-calendar-training athletes when they get here, so it's interesting. They're still only 17 and 18 years old, so the element of physical immaturity is there. So it's all the more impressive when you see how well-developed they already are, and you appreciate that they've still got a lot of developing to do as they really kind of grow into their bodies.

"I think the other thing that we definitely see is there's sort of a societal difference or cultural difference. Sort of the psyche of our student-athletes now is different than it was back then. The prominent role that athletics plays in their life is magnified relative to some of the kids that we saw when I first started who were a little bit more low-key about it. It's an interesting evolution, but I think that's the sports world in general. That's the ESPN factor and all these things. The notoriety of sports has just boomed, and these club sports are just going crazy these days, and all the kids who are playing [on travel teams], things that really push them physically and developmentally, that's a natural by-product of all of that.

Q. What are some of the perks?

Mistry: "You know, one thing that's great about this job is how funny it is. Kids can just make you laugh like you wouldn't believe. They're waiting to see you, and the conversations are hilarious. They come in here, and even when they're sick, they're crying but they're funny, and it's amazing how you grow with them. It's a hilarious environment to work in. It truly is, and there's just the uniqueness of different athletes and different sports. You've got Olympic sports and you got football and basketball.

"But the beauty is to see the kid perform on game day. And if you look down the list of the 700 athletes, you can go back in time and remember, 'I took care of this kid for this thing.' And many times they leave and they call you for the records, and they keep in touch with you and want to know what's going on, sometimes not for medical care, just random funny text messages.

MacKnight: "One of our football players, on the morning of the Maryland game [in October], was moderately sick with a flu syndrome. I don't think he had H1N1, but he had a flu syndrome, one of our starters, and I saw him about 11 o'clock in the morning, and he really did not look well.

"We did what we could, and we got his temperature down, and we treated his symptoms, and we hydrated him before the game, and he went out and he did his thing. And I told him, 'I don't anticipate that you're going to make it through the game. So I'll just keep asking you, and when you tell me you're out of gas, then we'll have the coach replace you, and that'll be that.' I also told him that if 'we get to the stadium and your fever is still present and you just don't feel like you have the gas in the tank, then we're not going to go.' But he played the whole game. I kept checking on him, and he just sucked it up and played great. So that's fun, because he was really dead in the water as of 11 o'clock in the morning, and he went out and played a great game, played an integral part [in the team's] 'W.' And I didn't do anything for him that anyone else wouldn't have done, but you're the guy standing in those shoes at that particular point in time, so when the kids show up and are able to do what they want to do, and particularly when you have a great outcome like that, and they played a nice role in that, you say, 'Man, that was fun. That's what it's all about.'

Mistry: "The reward for what we do with kids is truly unmatched."

 

HooYa! Blog
by trent.thurston@eljos.com

Can Virginia make the NCAA Tournament this season?
by Trent Thurston, February 11th 01:14pm
I like to think about Virginia Basketball as a extremely slow moving work-in-progress. Like building the Landmark Hotel downtown. Looking back and understanding your history is important, especially if you don’t care to repeat it. The Hoos don’t have much positivity in their past yearbooks. Virginia has been to the Final Four twice (1981,1984). They lost both times in the opening game. Virginia has won the NIT (1980, 1992). Yep, the Hoos have even won one ACC Tournament championship in 1976. Not exactly a perennial contender, are they?
Back to present time of UVA hoops as the team battles back from the depths of depravity known as their last season and tries to get back in to the holy-grail of college basketball: the NCAA Tournament. A couple of questions banging around in my head:
1-Can Virginia get in the the filed of 65 this year? Not this year in my opinion. They are still one year away. Two big losses, both in overtime at home to VT and Wake have pretty much sealed their fate. Virginia is also hurt by the fact that the ACC stinks this season and most likely the NCAA will only take 4-5 ACC teams this season. I’d love to see the Hoos get to the Final Four of the NIT at Madison Square Garden in NYC and win the whole damn thing. Much more of a possibility then Virginia winning the ACC Tournament this season. Although, it’s gonna be a crazy tournament this March as who knows who will win. Hell, how awesome would it be for Virginia to the downtrodden and whiny Tarheels in the championship game of the NIT on April 1?
2- Can Sylven Landesberg learn how to play defense, and will he come back to Virginia next season? Sure, Sylven is a bright, well adjusted kid who is possibly the best offense player we have seen in Charlottesville since Bryant Stith. He enjoys college and certainly has a great deal of upside. But his defense has cost Virginia tons of points in the transition-game. He sometimes gets lost running back on D after thrilling us with an amazing drive to the hoop. Tony Bennett’s pack-line defense is complicated and difficult to learn. But it’s not rocket science and he should be a better defender than he is. I think that he will come back next year because he needs to be able to shoot the three better to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft. He needs to be more of a complete player since he is only 6-6 and not 6-10.
3- Who will emerge to become the go-to third option on this team every night? We all know Landesberg and Scott are the 1-2 punch on this team, but for Virginia to have a chance of making the big dance they really need a consistent third option. Jerome has been that guy on a few occasions, so has Zeglinski as well as Jeff Jones. But Virginia needs a consistent third-option every night to get back on track in the mediocre ACC this year.
4- Why is Virginia so much better than last season with pretty much the same players? Coaching. Pure and simple. Tony Bennett was a steal of a hire for Littlepage and he just fits this University. I have been to closed-door practices with both coaches and Bennett is awesome. And so are his assistants. There is also something to be said for a new coach coming in and not having any preconceived notions about any of the players. New regime, new strength and conditioning program, and a whole new attitude. I just wish Tunji and Mamadi were still here to play for Bennett.
5- Can Virginia keep Bennett here as coach for the next contract? I sure hope so. Tony has young children and moving kids around the country gets awfully hard on a family. But you got to think that Calipari will leave Kentucky (either on probation or for the NBA, or both), and Pitino will bolt Louisville for greener pastures. Hell, even Carolina and Duke’s jobs might be open at some point in the near future. And we all know that those four jobs are much more attractive than the one here in Charlottesville. Virginia has made several high-profile coaching contract mistakes that they are still paying for. Will Virginia screw this one up to? Go Hoos!

 

Virginia seeks revenge against in-state rival
Squad must improve defensive play to shut down Delaney
Ashley Robertson, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
Featured / Men's Basketball / Sports
February 12, 2010 0

As the Cavaliers head to Blacksburg tomorrow, they will look to avenge a loss earlier this season to Virginia Tech, during which they saw a 10-point lead dissipate during the game’s second half. The Hokies carried this momentum into the game’s overtime period, burying the Cavaliers 76-71.

The disappointment was just one of many for Virginia (14-7, 5-3 ACC), as five of the team’s seven losses have been by five points or less.

“In order to win, you have to eliminate losing,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “And what will get you beaten? Second-chance points, silly turnovers and giving up transition baskets.”

Despite these errors, the Cavaliers are much improved from last year’s team, which finished the season 10-18.

“We have a different coaching staff, a new attitude,” freshman guard Jontel Evans said. “I think our attitude has changed from last year.”

With Bennett’s tutelage, the team also has seen substantial progress on defense. The Cavaliers have transformed their ACC-worst defense to the conference’s best, limiting opponents to just 61 points per game.

Tomorrow, Virginia will try to lock up the conference’s leading scorer, Malcolm Delaney, who has torched defenses for 20 points per game this season. The Hokies (19-4. 6-3 ACC), which thus far are undefeated at home, will enter the matchup riding a three-game win streak. To shut down Delaney and the rest of the squad, Virginia knows it must take its defensive play to an even higher level.
“We gotta do a better job of boxing out and we have to get the ball out of the paint,” senior forward Jerome Meyinsse said.

Although dominant defensively, the Cavaliers have been lackluster on the offensive end, currently ranking 11th among ACC teams with just 69.6 points per game. Sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg has been a rare bright spot in terms of scoring, posting an impressive 18.1 points per game.

Evans, though undeniably strong on the defensive end, has managed just 2.7 points per game this season, struggling to find an open look or an easy lay-in.

“Offensively, I just gotta keep workin’ on my shots,” Evans said. “You know guys are starting to play off me [and are] not respecting the jumpshot.”

The Cavaliers will need to bring it to the Hokies on both sides of the floor tomorrow, as the team hopes to leap-frog its arch-rival, which currently sits a half-game ahead of Virginia in the conference standings.

Critical stretch ahead for Virginia

Virginia gets an extended break this week before of the postponement of the Maryland game until Maryland. Let’s dissect the resume of Virginia, which has begun to fade in the eyes of many bracketologists.

Virginia (14-7, 5-3 ACC)

Best wins: Georgia Tech (30), Alabama-Birmingham (31)
Worst losses: Penn State (225), Stanford (160)
RPI: 90
Strength of schedule: 101
Nonconference strength of schedule: 281
Record vs. top 50: 2-3
Record vs. top 200: 9-6
Road/neutral court record: 3-4
As of today: Out of the bracket

Pros: Virginia has won or has been competitive in all but one of its ACC games. The Cavaliers lost two ACC games in overtime. The league is more open than it has been in recent years, and the Cavaliers are capable of beating most teams. Two top 50 wins is a plus, but Virginia will need more to compensate for other deficiencies.

Cons: It has not been a good week for Virginia, which suffered another narrow defeat over the weekend (in overtime against Wake Forest). Georgia Tech, the best team Virginia has beaten, is not looking so formidable anymore. And Stanford, one of the worst teams Virginia has lost against, lost its fourth straight game. Penn State, of course, has not won since last decade. There is much more to dislike than to like about this resume right now. The RPI is far too weak, and there is nothing impressive about the strength of schedule.

Outlook: The next five games will tell the story for the Cavaliers, who play four of the next five on the road. What’s more, three games will be played during a five-day stretch because of the postponement of the Maryland game. Virginia will likely need at least 10 ACC victories because of those blemishes during nonconference play, particularly the loss to Penn State. They have got to get the RPI down into the high 50s, at the least.

By Eric Prisbell

Virginia's mid-ACC report card: Guards

Note: This accounts for performance only in the ACC season -- not the overall schedule.

Calvin Baker - D+ - Baker's grade is hurt by the two-game absence sandwiched into the first half of the ACC schedule. After frustration about playing time, Baker did travel with the team to a Jan. 23 loss at Wake Forest and remained on the bench for a Jan. 28 loss to Virginia Tech because of the same reason. To prove Coach Tony Bennett has a short memory, Baker has played consistent minutes the past three games -- although his performance still leaves much to be desired. Bennett appreciates Baker's ball-handling and leadership, both of which are evident on the court. But Baker remains an unsteady decision maker who can take bad shots (only 31.6 percent from the field, 25 percent from three-point range in the ACC) and has committed costly turnovers.

Jeff Jones - C - Jones' third ACC season mirrors his career to this point -- occasional flashes, but still much to be desired. Jones watched his minutes decrease in the last three ACC games as Baker took on a more prominent role. At his best, Jones is a reliable shooter who can stretch the defense. He's hit 45 percent of his three-pointers in the ACC and 75 percent of his free throws. But until Jones improves his ball handling and defense, he will continue to fight for steady minutes.

Mustapha Farrakhan - B - - Virginia fans remember Farrakhan's dunk against North Carolina State, but more important in that game were his 11 points. Farrakhan has established himself as a steady scorer off the bench, reaching double-digits in scoring in four of eight games. His three-point shooting has slipped, but Farrakhan is also an underrated defender whose athleticism helps the Cavaliers in transition. Although he plays in a combo guard role, Farrakhan is better viewed as the scorer off the bench because he only occasionally displays point-guard qualities.

Sammy Zeglinski - B - A consistent starter for Virginia, Zeglinski is a threat as a shooter and has proven adept with many of the small qualities that Virginia needs from guards in the system. He is a good rebounder from his position, plays intelligent defense and uses quick hands to lead the team in steals. His three-point shooting was stellar out of conference and has dipped since the ACC started, but opponents must respect Zeglinski's range. If he can keep the three-point shooting above 40 percent (Zeglinski is 42.5 percent on the season but just 33.3 percent in the ACC), it will aid Virginia's offense own the stretch.

Sylven Landesberg - A - - You can't ask for much more than what Landesberg has provided the Cavaliers in his second ACC season. Landesberg is a dominant scorer, averaging 20.4 points in the ACC despite significant defensive attention. He spreads the ball around and provided teammates open shots. He has asked for the ball in late-game situations and has been a reliable three-point shooter (38.9 percent) and free throw shooter (89.8 percent). Strides remain on the defensive end, but Landesberg has done everything he could to put Virginia in its current situation.

Jontel Evans - B - - Evans is playing more than many expected entering the season, which is a testament to his defensive ability. He is the best on-the-ball defender on the team and draws the assignments of tough guards. Evans also makes good decisions for a freshman and has not fallen victims to heavy turnovers. But he is not a threat to score, which has hurt Virginia's offense. Opponents are starting to play off Evans and challenging him to shoot. Even with open looks, he is shooting 27.6 percent from the field. Virginia needs more out of their starting point guard through the final eight games, although it's a credit to Evans that he's become an important player on the team so quickly.
Virginia's mid-ACC report card: Forwards

Note: This accounts for performance only in the ACC season -- not the overall schedule.

Solomon Tat -- Incomplete -- Although Tat is a scholarship player, he has played a combined four minutes in ACC competition. Tat is a team captain and remains a jovial presence in the team's pregame introductions, but he has provided little to grade on the court.

Mike Scott -- B+ -- Scott brims with potential every time you watch him play, and his athleticism in the front court has kept the Cavaliers in certain games. The junior forward must become more consistent, though, to reach the level of production that he flirts with on occasions. But Scott has improved since last season, particularly while facing the basket, where he has added range to his jump shot and is a capable passer. He is also a threat to score in transition. Scott's rebounding average (6.5 per game) is misleading because Virginia's guards are expected to contribute to the rebounding totals. He must stay out of foul trouble and avoid dry spells, but Scott remains Virginia's No. 2 option behind Sylven Landesberg.

Will Sherrill -- B - -- Sherrill's contributions cannot be seen as much on the stat sheet as with what he provides to the lineup, and his grade receives a favorable bump because of his unexpected role. Sherrill was pressed into action upon the suspension and subsequent dismissal of Jamil Tucker. A walk-on, Sherrill has played 17.1 minutes per game and provides size to a team in desperate need. Coach Tony Bennett praises Sherrill's willingness to fulfill the little duties on the team, such as setting screens and finding loose balls. He needs to become a more consistent shooter (he's made 3 of 13 from beyond the three-point line) and adjust now that opponents include Sherrill in the game plan, but his ability to step into the undermanned front court has helped Virginia stay afloat this season.

Tristan Spurlock -- Incomplete -- Among the surprises in Bennett's first season is the absence of Spurlock, a heralded recruit who barely plays. Spurlock is not in the rotation and has logged just two ACC minutes. Spurlock must adjust to Bennett's defensive system before Bennett becomes comfortable playing the freshman. With eight games left in the regular season, it's unlikely that will happen.

Virginia's mid-ACC report card: Centers

Note: This accounts for performance only in the ACC season -- not the overall schedule.

Jerome Meyinsse -- B + -- Meyinsse entered the season without much experience in his previous three seasons, but he has filled in this season like a seasoned big man. Meyinsse does everything for the Cavaliers on the interior. He defends some of the ACC's top post players, he sets screens for Sylven Landesberg, he rebounds for his position and he scores when needed. He plays only 23.3 minutes per game, but he's proven to be reliable in those minutes.

Assane Sene -- C - -- Sene's potential appears clear when he takes the court, but it remains unlikely he'll reach it this season -- or even next season. The sophomore 7-footer is long and agile, although he is unrefined on offense and strays on defense. Sene is not strong with the ball and has missed all six of his field-goal attempts. Year 2 has been a step back for Sene. However, he could play a larger role during the back stretch of the schedule if the Cavaliers need interior defense.

By Zach Berman

Virginia football coach Mike London is making inroads in the commonwealth
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 12, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Mike London became Virginia's head football coach in early December and immediately started creating a blueprint for a program that has suffered three losing seasons in four years and lost prominence within its own state. London sought to recapture the commonwealth.

To start rebuilding the Cavaliers, London spent two months building. He assembled a coaching staff, added to a recruiting class and has tried to spread the message about Virginia football throughout the state -- to prospective recruits, high school coaches, alumni and fans.

London's coaching staff took longer than usual to finalize, with the final hires barely beating national signing day to the finish line. Perhaps the staff's most important hire -- offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, a former Washington Redskins quarterbacks coach -- was hired on Jan. 28 after more than a month of speculation.

London did not finish his staff until the Feb. 2 hiring of tight ends coach Scott Wachenheim, who served the same position with the Redskins last season.

"I think in taking my time, particularly with the offensive coordinator position, there were a couple of guys obviously that I would like to have had an opportunity to be here," said London, before adding that Lazor was the right fit for the job. "Maybe some people out there were a little anxious about getting everything going. I think it turned out pretty good in the end."

As expected, the Cavaliers' new staff includes a heavy emphasis on Virginia. Of the nine assistant coaches, two were iconic players for the Cavaliers (safeties coach-special teams coordinator Anthony Poindexter and wide receivers coach Shawn Moore), and six others have worked for schools within the state (defensive coordinator-associate head coach Jim Reid, cornerbacks coach Chip West, running backs coach Mike Faragalli, defensive line coach Jeff Hanson, linebackers coach Vincent Brown and Wachenheim).

Only Lazor lacks collegiate connections to the state, although he lived in Leesburg during his four years with the Redskins and occasionally visited Charlottesville. All four of Virginia's graduate assistants are former U-Va. players, including Ron Mattes and Gordie Sammis, who will work with the offensive line.
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Reid is a former head coach at Massachusetts, Richmond and Virginia Military Institute and has NFL experience as linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins. At age 59, Reid expects his Virginia tenure to be his final job.

"As long as I can do a good job here for the University of Virginia and Coach London, I'd like to stay here and win some championships," Reid said. "I remember [former Virginia coach George Welsh] telling me when they redid the facility here. He said, 'We did it right, we can win a national championship.' That's the goal."

Moore, perhaps the finest quarterback in Virginia history, does not have collegiate coaching experience but has a famous name and recruiting connections in the Washington region. Moore was recently assistant headmaster at St. Albans in the District, and his son plays for DeMatha.

London said a major factor in adding Moore to the staff was to recruit the Washington region. Moore said he's already made inroads with coaches such as DeMatha's Bill McGregor and Lake Braddock assistant Bill Renner, who previously was head coach at Langley, Mount Vernon and West Springfield.

"A lot of people have a lot of confidence in me in my ability to recruit," Moore said. "I haven't done it, but I think it means something to go into an 18-year-old's living room to talk about the experience I've had on grounds [at Virginia]."

Recruiting received the most buzz since London's hire, and London inherited 13 players recruited by the former coaching staff. He kept 12 of those, with the final player (DeMatha's Kyrell Latimer) expected to come aboard in 2011 after prep school.

London added five new players to a recruiting class that includes four quarterbacks. In just two months, London's message is beginning to spread throughout Virginia.

"We wanted to recruit the state and make sure that the players in all areas that we have an opportunity to present ourselves, what we have to offer," London said. "Whether it's 757, 804, 703, 434, whatever area code it is, we're going to try to do the best in those areas."

That might best be exemplified by London's itinerary. He begins a five-city tour next week to meet with fans and alumni, and is expected to visit the Northern Virginia/Washington area after basketball season along with men's basketball coach Tony Bennett.

By the spring, London expects to have walked through the doors of every Virginia high school. And at this time next season, London hopes his in-state initiative results in a recruiting class stocked with Virginia talent.

"We've had players come up here on grounds, at basketball games, meet the new staff," London said. "We'll continue to keep doing that. The message out there is about being accessible and available."

UVa Insider, the column

A question that I get all the time, so much so that I wonder there really is a question, is who will start at quarterback for Virginia in 2011?

Frankly, who else could it be but Marc Verica?

Verica didn’t distinguish himself this past season, but he has started 10 games in his college career. Who are you going to pick? A fifth-year senior with 10 starts under his belt or three guys who have never taken a college snap.

The three guys would be sophomore Riko Smalls, redshirt freshman Ross Metheny or true freshman Michael Strauss. I say three guys because those three will be available for spring ball, but it’s more like a seven-way contest when you add signees Michael Rocco, Jake McGee and Miles Gooch.

Of course, new coach Mike London has indicated two of the four quarterback signees, including Strauss, probably will play another position. Still, even if Verica is the starting quarterback next year, who gets the job in 2011?

This issue of the UVa Insider wasn’t supposed to be about football but I’m in the office and all of my basketball-related notes are at home. Besides, thinking about the quarterback position has got me contemplating a potential starting lineup for next season.

We’ll go with a conventional 4-3 defense and a pro-style offense, with three wide receivers and a tight end. I’d go with two wideouts and a fullback, but I’ve got no idea who the fullback would be.

DEFENSIVE END (2) – Zane Parr, jr.; John Kevin Dolce, sr.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (2) – Matt Conrath, jr.; Nick Jenkins, jr.,

MIDDLE LINEBACKER (1) – Steve Greer, so.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (2) – Cam Johnson, jr.; Billy Schautz, so.

CORNERBACK (2) – Rasi Dowling, sr.; Chase Minnifield, jr.

SAFETY (2) – Rodney McLeod, jr.; Corey Mosley, jr.

PUNTER (1) – Jimmy Howell, jr.

WIDE RECEIVER (3) – Kris Burd, jr.; Dontrelle Inman, sr.; Jared Green, jr.

TIGHT END (1) – Joe Torchia, sr.

OFFENSIVE TACKLES (2) – Landon Bradley, jr; Oday Aboushi, so.

OFFENSIVE GUARDS (2) – B.J. Cabbell, sr.; Austin Pasztor, jr.

CENTER (1) – Jack Shields, sr.

QUARTERBACK (1) – Marc Verica, sr.

RUNNING BACK (1) – Dominique Wallace, r.-fr.

PLACE-KICKER (1) – Robert Randolph, jr.

It was a good exercise because it made me realize what some of UVa’s biggest questions will be. Here are some of the most obvious ones on my list.

1. Cam Johnson played outside linebacker last year in the 3-4. Now that Virginia is going to a 4-3, will he be an outside linebacker or defensive end?

2. Who will be the go-to wide receivers? I’ve got Burd, Inman and Green listed as the top three, based on experience, but Tim Smith and Javaris Brown may offer more big-play ability and new coordinator Bill Lazor says he wants to go downfield.

3. Will running back Torrey Mack benefit from the coaching change, not that the old staff wouldn’t have given him more chances if warranted?

4. Is there anybody who can push Jack Shields at center or B.J. Cabbell at offensive guard, not that any of the other returnees showed much?

5. Are Zane Parr and John-Kevin Dolce natural defensive ends. If not, will Jake Snyder and Brett Urban offer D-line help after escaping last year’s mass burning of redshirts?

One more thought before I sign off. The proposed starting lineup includes only seven seniors. Maybe there are better days ahead.

ACC's pre-spring power rankings
February, 10, 2010
By Heather Dinich

It’s early, but it’s never too early for pre-spring power rankings -- especially since Duke kicks off spring practice on Feb. 15. Now that the NFL departures have been announced and signing day is over, it’s time for the first look at how the ACC might stack up in 2010. Keep in mind that this can -- and most likely will -- change. The ACC is all-too familiar with star players getting hurt before the season begins, and there are other factors like position battles to be won and coaching changes to acclimate to that can impact this later. For now, though, here’s how the ACC looks heading into 2010:

1. Virginia Tech – The Hokies’ spot at the top is based on their historical ability to reload on defense, but they can fall quickly if significant progress isn’t made this spring and summer in replacing six starters. In an unusual twist, the offense is in a position to keep this team in contention early.

2. Florida State – Things are different under coach Jimbo Fisher, but this ranking is based on the assumption that the defense will be different -- and improved -- under first-year coordinator Mark Stoops. The Noles will have a championship-caliber offense led by quarterback Christian Ponder, who will be playing behind a standout veteran offensive line.

3. North Carolina – This defense is scary good. It should be one of the best in the country. But visions of last year’s offense should still be dancing in John Shoop’s head. The Tar Heels aren’t far from where they need to be, though, and this defense can take them places, even with an average offense. All T.J. Yates has to do is manage the offense without turning it over, but the players around him need to improve, too.

4. Miami – If Miami is going to take the next step under coach Randy Shannon, it has to protect quarterback Jacory Harris better and improve the running game. That will be difficult after losing three starters on the offensive line and having very little returning experience at tight end. The Canes will also be under the direction of new defensive line and running backs coaches, and have one of the most difficult schedules in the conference -- again.

5. Boston College – The Eagles were in contention for the Atlantic Division until November last year, and they can do the same again if they work out some trouble spots at quarterback and build the depth at running back. The linebacker corps can be one of the best in the ACC.

6. Georgia Tech – There are too many questions to give the defending ACC champs too much credit just yet. Having lost their leading rusher, receiver and top two defenders, the Jackets have some work to do. They also have to adjust to a new defensive scheme under first-year coordinator Al Groh. Odds are the offense makes a seamless transition with Anthony Allen at B-back.

7. Clemson – Some of the most accomplished players in school history have graduated, leaving this season a true test for coach Dabo Swinney. The recruiting has gone well under his direction, and there is still plenty of talent left on the roster, but the Tigers could be without quarterback Kyle Parker if he chooses baseball, and they will have to find a way to replace the production of C.J. Spiller.

8. NC State – The young secondary will still be an issue, and the Pack will be without their starting quarterback, Russell Wilson, all spring because of his baseball obligations. The defense should improve with the return of Nate Irving, but it’s still unclear how much he’ll be able to do this spring.

9. Maryland – There’s only one way for this 2-10 team to go, and that’s up. The pressure should be on in College Park to get back to a bowl game, but the Terps have questions up front on both sides of the ball, and there should be a quarterback competition this spring.

10. Wake Forest – The Deacs are in the lower half for one big reason -- they have to replace the winningest quarterback in school history, and right now, that job is wide open.

11. Duke – The big question holding Duke back right now is the graduation of quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and the fact his backup, Sean Renfree, will miss this spring with a torn ACL. The Blue Devils also have questions on the defensive line and need to improve their running game.

12. Virginia – Progress isn’t only measured in wins and losses, and first-year coach Mike London will make progress, but until he is able to put together a few of his own recruiting classes, Cavs fans will need some patience. First, though, they need a quarterback.

Boland builds a new tennis powerhouse
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: February 12, 2010
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For years, college men’s tennis was dominated by UCLA, USC, and Georgia, programs that gobbled up national championships with regularity.

Now there’s a beast of the East to contend with, and it’s ready to feast on a field of 15 other teams in the 2010 ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championship at Boar’s Head Sports Club beginning today, ending at high noon on Monday.

The beast wears orange and blue and is in pursuit of its third consecutive national indoor title. While Virginia is merely the No. 2 seed in this event (free to the public), don’t count the Cavaliers out by any means.

They were No. 5 last season with a less experienced team when they successfully defended their indoor crown — and they were playing in Chicago, not the familiar Boar’s Head courts where they practice daily.

Productive partnership

Brian Boland, who took the reins of the program nine years ago, and his trusty associate, Tony Bresky, have fashioned a once-decent program into a national power — and as difficult as it may be to three-peat, they will be the two most miserable men in Charlottesville come Monday if a third trophy isn’t resting near the Rotunda.

Boland envisioned this type of success when he arrived here and quickly placed a bullseye on the program.

The tennis world is watching.

Rivals take notice

“I think there’s a lot of admiration for what Brian’s done,” said Alabama coach Billy Pate, whose Crimson Tide takes on the Cavaliers in tonight’s 6:30 match. “When people get good really fast, there’s some jealousy. Virginia hadn’t been a national player until a few years ago, so when it happened, it was like, ‘Oh, now there’s another bully on the block,’ so to speak. All of a sudden, Virginia entered the picture thanks to Brian’s and Tony’s work.”

By now, anyone in the Commonwealth that gives a rip about tennis knows that Boland wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s never satisfied, never stops driving, which is one reason he has attracted some of the nation’s top talent to the UVa program.

Being a man of modesty, he prefers to dish the credit to those around him, those who support the program, to the players who bought into “the process,” and did the work required to succeed.

“The one thing I knew from the moment I walked on Grounds, was that this was a special place,” Boland said during a short break at Boar’s Head on Thursday. “I’ve always believed that you can provide the best of all worlds to student-athletes at Virginia.”

Outsiders would call that just a coach’s recruiting pitch, but Boland was genuine and that’s one reason blue-chippers flock to his program, players like Fairfax’s Michael Shabaz.

Ranked the No. 1 prospect in the nation as a senior at American Academy, Shabaz was flooded with offers and had thought about a warmer climate for college. That is, until he met Boland.

“Once I talked to [Boland], it didn’t take me long to realize how much he actually cared and how he stood out in the recruiting process,” Shabaz said before his Thursday warm-up session. “The relationship he developed with me throughout the recruiting process sold me on UVa.”

Same goes for Sanam Singh, one of the world’s top-ranked juniors that emerged from India, as had predecessor Somdev Devvarman, a two-time NCAA singles champion.

What Singh, who came in at the same time as junior Shabaz, likes about playing in Boland’s program is the same thing that role model Devvarman enjoyed.

“He cares about every single person in the program, whether you play No. 1 or No. 12 on the team,” Singh said. “On the court, he has helped get my forehand better and taught me more discipline. I don’t feel I could have done that without Brian and Tony.”

Bresky is a 10-year partner with Boland, who plucked the former Western Illinois player as a grad assistant to Boland’s then-Indiana State program. They’ve been side-by-side in building programs ever since.

“Brian gets the most out of his players and they love playing for him,” Bresky pointed out. “He’s not only one of the best coaches in the country, he’s one of the best recruiters.”

There’s no secret to how Boland operates. He’s simply driven, a fact that was evident when he was asked to speak at the national coaches convention a little more than a year ago, when, as ’Bama’s Pate put it, “Brian was completely transparent in how he did it.”

Boland laid out his framework for building Virginia tennis, from energizing the community (the Cavaliers draw impressive crowds for home matches), to getting the financial support needed to build facilities, to working with the administration, to recruiting.

What he didn’t reveal to the audience of coaches was his intense fixation on being the best.

Everyone around here knows the story about several years ago, when his team finished runner-up, he was so determined to claim the title, he refused to go out and accept a trophy for finishing No. 2.

His drive is so apparent to recruits that they instantly buy into what he is offering.

“Brian loves the University of Virginia and loves coaching, so the kids pick up on that pretty fast in the recruiting process,” Bresky explained. “They want to play for someone who is that passionate about what they do.

“In turn, Brian makes really good decisions on who to recruit. He puts a lot of time and effort into getting the right people into our program, kids who share our vision, our passion. That’s what makes him a good recruiter.”

If there’s any secret about Boland previously unknown to the outside world, Bresky spilled the beans during Thursday’s workout.

“We kind of have a running joke between us,” Bresky chuckled. “When I want something done and it appears really hard to get done, I often tell him he can’t do it. Seems to work out well. He thrives off that. It’s rare that I tell him he can’t do something that he doesn’t get it done. I’ve been around him long enough to know how to push his buttons, because I know he likes to prove people wrong, including me.”

So, don’t tell Boland how difficult it is to three-peat heading into today’s opening matches. He just might do it.
 

There’s no place like home
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 12, 2010
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In the fall of 2008, USC men’s tennis coach Peter Smith took his team to Charlottesville to play an individual tournament hosted by Virginia. Smith wanted his squad to see what one of the top East Coast programs looked like. Really, Smith was more concerned with the experience his players gleaned than the actual results.

That looks like a pretty smart move now.

Today, top-seeded USC plays Fresno State in the first round of the ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championship — right here in Charlottesville at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

The most fortuitous part of the Trojans’ 2008 trip was the fact that rain forced them to play all of their matches indoors at the Boar’s Head. So, you might say, today won’t be their first rodeo.

Nevertheless, Smith is anxious to see how his team performs.

“We haven’t really been tested yet,” Smith said. “We’ve had five matches and none against teams ranked in the top 50, so for me this is just, ‘Let’s see how good we really are?’

“I know we’re very good, but you never know.”

The defending NCAA champion Trojans lost only their No. 4 singles player from last season.

Similarly, host Virginia, the No. 2 seed, lost just one player (Dom Inglot). UVa has as much depth as anyone in the country.

Tonight, the Cavaliers will play an Alabama squad that is coming off wins over Arizona and Duke.

“They have an outstanding team,” said Virginia coach Brian Boland, whose program will be gunning for its third consecutive ITA indoors title. “They play in a great conference in the SEC. We’re going to have to play great tennis.”

Alabama coach Billy Pate knows Virginia is going to be fired up in front of its home crowd. However, he believes his team is raring to go, too.

“These kids want to play in a great atmosphere and Virginia undoubtedly has one of the best tennis atmosphere’s in all of college tennis,” Pate said. “We’re excited about it. We’re kind of the underdog. We’re going to come out with guns slinging and play loose, and go after it. It will be a challenge, but it’s a great opportunity for us.”

After his team had its 63-match winning streak stopped by Kentucky last week, Boland has done some tinkering with his lineup. He’s flip-flopped Sanam Singh and Michael Shabaz at the top. Shabaz will play No. 1 and will be followed by Singh, Jarmere Jenkins, Drew Courtney, Houston Barrick and Lee Singer.

After losing the doubles point against the Wildcats, Boland has completely revamped those tandems.

Courtney and Shabaz will play No.1, Jenkins and Barrick will be at No. 2 and Singh and Singer will play No.3.

For all intents and purposes, none of the pairs have ever played together.

If Virginia can get past the Crimson Tide, it would play the Georgia-Mississippi winner in Saturday night’s quarterfinals. UVa won’t get another crack at Kentucky unless both teams make it to the finals.

That’s quite all right with Kentucky coach Dennis Emery, whose 13th-seeded squad plays fourth-seeded UCLA tonight. UK is making its first appearance in the ITA since 2005.

“We’re basically trying to get to where Virginia is,” Emery said. “We know we’re a very dangerous team and capable of pulling upsets, but what we want is to be a team that day in and day out has done what Virginia has done and continues to do — that continued excellence over a period of four or five years.

“The thing I think Brian has done very well is he’s created a lot of pride in their program. You basically have to take a stake and drive it through their heart to beat them.”