Snelling, Johnson back in the running
By John Galinsky / Daily Progress staff writer
March 31, 2004

November 23, 2002.

That was the last time Virginia football fans saw Jason Snelling and Michael Johnson play in a game at Scott Stadium. Each running back scored a touchdown in a rout of Maryland and both seemed to have bright futures with the Cavaliers.

Sixteen months later, they are back on the practice field, their playing careers having been deferred for a year. But in some ways, their futures are even brighter than before.

After playing as true freshmen, Snelling and Johnson each redshirted last season for different reasons. For Snelling, a fullback, it was an undisclosed medical condition. For Johnson, a tailback, it was the likelihood of little playing time.

Now, in the first week of spring practice, both players are showing that they didn’t waste their time out of the spotlight. Each is demonstrably bigger and stronger. They also say they are faster, smarter and better - and happy that they took their redshirt year when they did.

“I’m hoping it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Johnson said. “So far it’s been real productive. I’ve learned a lot. Things are starting to slow down for me.”

By that, Johnson means he understands the offense much better than he did two years ago, when he averaged 5.1 yards per carry in limited action. He doesn’t mean that he has slowed down a bit.

Speed, after all, is what made the

5-foot-10 Johnson one of the nation’s most coveted recruits out of Heritage High in Newport News. Over the past year, he says, he has added the power, durability and skills to become a more complete back.

As a member of the scout team, he mimicked opponents’ running backs and wide receivers during practice. As a result, he improved his pass-catching skills. He also increased his weight from 190 to 203, “so now I pick up blitzes without getting trampled on.”

Johnson returns to a crowded backfield that includes rising junior Wali Lundy and rising senior Alvin Pearman, who combined for 1,572 rushing yards and 92 receptions last season. But Johnson believes he has put himself in position to challenge them for playing time.

“AP’s a hell of a back. Wali’s a hell of a back. I consider myself a hell of a back, so it’s going to be three guys fighting for the starting position and whoever gets it, gets it,” said Johnson, who also is a candidate to return punts. “We all have to play our roles.”

UVa coach Al Groh said Johnson is “much, much stronger, much more confident in himself and much more confident in his ability to use his strength.”

The results of Snelling’s hard work over the past year also are apparent in his 6-1, 245-pound frame (up from 228).

“In discussing results, it was determined that nobody had a more outstanding offseason than he did,” Groh said. “His gains, both in terms of measurable strength level as well as … stamina and endurance, were all very significant. Plus, he brings real versatility to the position. He’s a 245-pound fullback who’s an exceptional catcher and a very strong and very productive runner in his own right.”

Snelling says he prefers not to discuss the condition that forced him to redshirt other than to say medication took care of the problem. “I’m fine now,” he said.

He returned to practice in the latter half of the season and, like Johnson, says he feels much more comfortable with his command of the offense. As a freshman, he caught 31 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns. With the departure of Kase Luzar, he is almost certain to start next season.

“I had a full year off, so I wanted to use it to get stronger and faster and learn the system better,” Snelling said. “No player who loves football enjoys being on the sideline, but I think it worked out for the best.”
 

Are Virginia's punt returns up in the air?
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 31, 2004

Scattershooting around Virginia athletics, while thinking that Wahoo punt returns could be rather exciting this fall ...

Coach Al Groh said he has a pool of dynamic candidates for the job, some participating in spring practice, some waiting to impress when they arrive in August.

“We want to reduce the number of candidates to have a small nucleus of guys returning and a couple of return men from the incoming class,” Groh said. “I don’t want to have a tryout camp ... I’d like to have a couple of guys come out of the spring that we feel good about.”

There is speed to burn in candidates Michael Johnson, Emmanuel Byers and possibly Marcus Hamilton. Then there’s also incoming freshmen Philip Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw. All of them were game-breakers in high school with near unbelievable numbers.

Mr. Buzzer Beater

Virginia senior guard Todd Billet, who etched his name into Wahoo hoops lore for his three game-winning shots over Georgia Tech, Clemson and North Carolina at season’s end, is featured in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated On Campus.

There’s a color photo of Billet holding his hand skyward with Wahoos celebrating in the background with 1.5 seconds showing on the clock after he nailed Georgia Tech with a 3-pointer. The piece is titled, “How Does it FEEL ... to stick a buzzer-beater.”

One of the more profound thoughts by Billet in the article reads like this: “It also takes missing some to appreciate making ’em,” Billet said. “I remember a lot of games where I missed that shot. Being able to take the criticism is important in being able to take the shot again.

“If you hit it, then there really isn’t time to think about it. You just go on to the next game. Two of those games were at home and students stormed the court. Fans came up and gave me big hugs, but I’m just thinking, ‘Get out of there, get in the locker room, take a shower and get to bed.’ There’s always another game.”

Billet was a class act, one of the classiest kids to come through the program in years.

The Long Factor

If you don’t think that having Chris Long and Hall of Fame dad, Howie, as part of Virginia’s program is going to make a difference in recruiting more talent, think again.

When latest commitment, tight end/defensive end Jason Fuller came to watch UVa’s spring practice over the weekend, he had a chance to meet the Longs and was overwhelmed by the experience. He committed on Monday.

The Kempsville standout is expected to get a look at outside linebacker and tight end at UVa.

“They said they were recruiting me for tight end or outside linebacker,” Fuller said. “I will play anywhere they want me to.”

The 16-year-old junior can already bench 350 pounds, something that caused his coach, Jeff McGowan, to rave about the kid’s work ethic.

“One Sunday I went to do the team’s laundry and Fuller was out on the practice field with his dad catching balls,” McGowan said. “He is always working hard.

“He has great determination.”

Free throws. Future UVa point guard Sean Singletary continued to live up to his reputation last week when he was selected MVP of the Adidas/EA Sports SuperStar Game. Already named the Philadelphia Player of the Year and the state of Pennsylvania’s Class A Player of the Year, Singletary posted 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists to earn MVP plaudits in the all-star game. …

For those who missed Virginia’s first open football practice on Monday, it was Marques Hagans who took about half the snaps, while Chris Olsen, Kevin McCabe and Anthony Martinez split the rest. ...

Making a splash in the practice was redshirt freshman linebacker Vince Redd, who intercepted a tipped pass and blocked a field-goal attempt. ...

The last player Virginia offered a grant-in-aid to was gigantic Branden Albert of Glen Burnie, Md. Albert, who is 6-8, 326 pounds, was recently named to the Baltimore Sun’s All-Met second team in basketball. Albert will play football for the Cavaliers. ...

Former Wahoo women’s basketball player Trina Patterson, a four-year letterwinner who graduated in 1987, is doing well as coach of the University of Albany women’s team. After two years on the job, she has had her four-year contract extended another two years. Before Patterson’s arrival, the Great Danes were 4-23 and winless in the conference. In her two years there, they have finished 9-18, then 13-16.
 

U.Va. stays mum on Gillen's status
The future of Cavaliers basketball coach Pete Gillen could remain in limbo for another week.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
Published March 31, 2004

University of Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage boarded a plane for San Antonio Tuesday night, leaving behind a haze of speculation regarding basketball coach Pete Gillen's job status.

Littlepage did not return several messages left by telephone and e-mail over the last three days. Rich Murray, the school's athletic media relations director, said his office had no announcement scheduled. A member of the NCAA men's basketball committee, Littlepage will be in San Antonio for the Final Four until Tuesday afternoon.

Sources said Littlepage and Gillen met Tuesday afternoon, though it could not be determined whether there was any resolution. Gillen and his staff are scheduled to leave today for San Antonio, where the coaches' convention begins Thursday and runs through Sunday.

Gillen has made no public comment since Virginia's season-ending loss at Villanova in the second round of the NIT on March 20.

Though Gillen has seven years remaining on a contract that pays him $900,000 annually, his job performance has been a hot topic on call-in shows and Internet message boards. Littlepage, who was fired as Rutgers' basketball coach in 1988, has not said whether Gillen would return for next season.

Gillen has taken the Cavaliers to postseason in each of the last five years, though only once has it been in the NCAA tournament. His record at U.Va. is 104-78, but his .571 winning percentage is lower than the figure posted by his predecessor - Jeff Jones, who was fired following the '98 season. Gillen is 14 games below .500 in ACC play and has a postseason mark of 3-11.
 

U.Va. needs to muscle up slate strength
JOHN MARKON
POINT OF VIEW: Mar 31, 2004

University of Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage apparently is struggling with a decision on whether to retain men's basketball coach Pete Gillen. Most people do tend to struggle before writing checks in the amount of $6.3 million, the unpaid balance on Gillen's contract.

There's at least one major change, however, that Littlepage ought to insist be made whether he's dealing with Gillen or a replacement.

One identifying characteristic of Gillen's previous six seasons at University Hall is philosophy of scheduling that's so conservative that even Dick Cheney might call "foul." Before beginning his ACC competition in January, Gillen has made an annual point of playing as many games as he can at home and playing as few games as possible against opponents with even a remote chance of beating him.

This is a scheduling formula made famous by, among others, former Georgetown coach John Thompson, who didn't believe in initiating conference games until he was at least 11-0 or 12-0. While many other coaches have occasionally resorted to "confidence building" schedules in years when they've been short on experienced (or talented) players, Thompson's approach - and his annual 110-45 romps over Rollins and St. Leo - never varied.

The lessons of the past several NCAA tournaments, however, have exposed the bankruptcy of this way of thinking. Playing real games against real teams has become essential to both selection and success in the 65-team draw.

You can measure the strength of a team's nonleague schedule with the same formula the NCAA uses for overall "S.O.S." to compute RPI. These computations are widely available, but I used Ken Pomeroy's, published on the Web at kenpom.com.

Of 326 Division I teams, Virginia's non-ACC schedule ranked 203rd, only eighth-best in the state. Here's how the Cavs stacked up against the teams that actually made an impact this month:

Final Four: Duke (25), Georgia Tech (37), Connecticut (86), Oklahoma State (132).

Fallen Four: St. Joseph's (2), Alabama (3), Xavier (9), Kansas (19).

Round of 16: Illinois (18), UAB (21), Nevada (27), Texas (34), Wake Forest (41), Syracuse (6), Vanderbilt (113), Pittsburgh (200).

Only a few teams - most notably Pitt, South Carolina (219) and Air Force (270) - were able to secure at-large bids despite weak nonleague schedules. Big-name, big-conference programs such as Oklahoma (187), Marquette (206), Florida State (222), Nebraska (211), LSU (175) and Colorado (187) were correctly relegated to the NIT because, outside their leagues, they rarely played or beat anyone.

Athletic directors also seem less willing to place any value on inflated, phony won-lost records. Coaches at Auburn (251), Georgetown (278) and Miami (302) were all dismissed this season even though their "bottom lines" were less than disasters.

In almost all cases, by the way, these weak schedules actually are weaker than they appear. Like Virginia, big-name teams stuffing themselves on cream puffs rarely leave home and the sites of games aren't factorial in the NCAA's schedule-strength index.

Gillen, in a transparent attempt to save his job, has been talking up next year's Cavaliers at every opportunity. If I were Littlepage, I'd make him prove it by playing games against opponents firing live ammunition. U.Va. season-ticket holders, who have to be tired of paying full price for December games vs. hand-picked light- and middleweights, probably would concur.

If Gillen responded by saying "I need control of my schedule or I'm walking," I'd only ask that he close the door behind him.
 

Hagans' happy return
Receiver and punt returner enjoys coming back to QB role for U.Va.
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Mar 31, 2004

CHARLOTTESVILLE Marques Hagans grew to enjoy playing wide receiver, and he'll miss the thrill of catching a pass and eluding defenders in the open field. He loved returning punts, so he'll miss that, too.

Make no mistake, though: Hagans couldn't be happier about his return to quarterback.

"It's a lot of fun to be back under center," the rising junior from Hampton said after Virginia's practice Monday night.

Matt Schaub, who ranks among the greatest quarterbacks to pass through U.Va., will hear his name called in next month's NFL draft. At his alma mater, four players are battling this spring to replace Schaub as the No. 1 quarterback: Hagans, Anthony Martinez, Chris Olsen and Kevin McCabe.

The plan, Cavaliers coach Al Groh said, is to "put each player in the same situation and let the players grade themselves."

Groh acknowledged, however, that Hagans, who backed up Schaub for most of the 2002 and '03 seasons, entered spring drills as the front-runner. The 212-pound Hagans is by far the shortest of the four candidates - he's generously listed at 5-10 - but his playmaking credentials are well-established.

In two seasons at U.Va. - he redshirted in 2001 - Hagans has distinguished himself at quarterback, wideout and punt-returner. He's completed 31 of 51 passes for 361 yards and four touchdowns. He's rushed 47 times for 198 yards and four TDs. He's caught 29 passes for 266 yards and totaled 531 yards (and one TD) on 57 punt returns.

Virginia went into last season with Hagans at wideout and Martinez, a Patrick Henry High graduate, as the No. 2 quarterback. Schaub separated his shoulder in the opener, though, and Martinez struggled a week later in a loss at South Carolina. Hagans was rushed back to quarterback, and he sparkled in a win over Western Michigan, the second start of his career

Once Schaub returned in late September, Hagans resumed his duties at wideout and punt-returner, but he also took over as the No. 2 quarterback. He watched closely as the 6-5, 240-pound Schaub set one passing record after another.

"I think my second year I paid more attention to detail and the things that he was doing that were making him so good," Hagans recalled. "I think that's why I learned more my second year."

Being on the receiving end of Schaub's passes helped Hagans develop, too.

"It gave me a chance to get on the field and the opportunity to make plays," Hagans said of playing wideout. "I think it moved me along a lot quicker, just being on the field at the same time that Matt was, and being able to be out there for him and the rest of the team."

At Hampton High and then at Fork Union Military Academy, where Hagans starred for the postgraduate team in 2000, his strong arm and quick feet enabled him to post big numbers. "Here," Hagans said, "there's a lot more things that going into playing quarterback."

Film study is one.

"When I first got here, I felt like - and I'm pretty sure a lot of kids do, coming out of high school - you just go out there and play," said Hagans, better known to his teammates, coaches and friends as Biscuit.

"But you learn that the competition, the defensive schemes, they get a lot tougher. So the only way to get an advantage or be on the same level is to watch film."

To become a complete quarterback, Hagans said, the "main thing is you've got to learn to be a student of the game, and I think that's the process that I'm trying to go through now: watching more film, learning what the defense is going to try to do, learning what they're going to give you, learning what you got to take."

In his final two seasons at U.Va., Schaub passed for 5,928 yards and 46 touchdowns. He completed 69.3 percent of his throws.

"I don't think I can measure up to what Matt was," Hagans said. "All I can do is be the quarterback that I am and see where it goes from there."
 

New ticketing system just what Virginia needs
Joe Lemire
Cavalier Daily Columnist

As a three-year member of the 'Hoo Crew and as a rabid basketball fan who hasn't missed a non-winter break home game since first year, I would like to endorse the Athletic Department's proposed online basketball ticketing system.

I'll admit that I was skeptical at first, believing that any system that required the Virginia student body to plan to attend a basketball game was inherently flawed considering the large fluctuations in student attendance over the past few years. The fair to middling performance of our men's basketball team for most of the season certainly didn't help, but all things considered, average U.Va. students proved themselves to be apathetic and unmotivated.

Why, then, should the Athletic Department expect students to register for a ticket up to a week before tip-off? Here's why: From my experience in talking with students about basketball games, the rampant -- and incorrect -- impression most students have is that it is difficult to get into games. Since diehard Virginia fans started camping out for the best men's basketball games, the perception has grown that it is impossible to purely show up and go to games.

That false perception led to more than 500 empty student seats at the Duke home game in 2002 despite the approximately 70 tents that spent upwards of six nights camping out. Admittedly, the weather was cold and wet that night, but only 2,191 students sat in the 2,738-seat student section. My conjecture is that students were deterred by the appearance of a large campout. But, the camping rules allow only 10 members per group, which means that only 700 students were in line prior to game day and that more than 2,000 student seats remained as of the morning of the game.

The biggest benefit of this online ticketing system is that securing a ticket prior to game time will assure students that they will be able to get into a basketball game. I can't tell you how many times this past year friends would call me an hour or two before tip-off asking if there were still seats available. Not once this season did we fill the entire student section, meaning that not once were students turned away at the gate before game time. (If the arena is not full by tip-off, general admission tickets are sometimes sold to the public). Duke had the highest student attendance (2,043), and no other game even reached 1,500. Only four games attracted at least 1,200 students (Duke, Wake Forest, Maryland and UNC). The Georgia Tech game drew the fewest number of students to a conference game, a staggeringly low 606.

From conversations I've had with interested students, the biggest concerns I've heard are: 1) Why change things at a time when fan interest is low? 2) Why make the system so complicated? 3) What happens to camping? 4) Why do I have to plan so far in advance? 5) What happens if I decide to go to a game at the last minute and haven't registered?

1) Empty seats are an embarrassment to our program and hurt the fan atmosphere. This system allows the Athletic Department to gauge student interest in a game and work to fill the arena, preferably by students but potentially by selling tickets to the general public if necessary. Presumably, if students had a ticket to provide the confidence that they can get into a game, more students would come. Also, with the increased student capacity of the new arena looming shortly, it makes sense to implement a system now and work out any possible kinks.

2) I had the chance to visit Maryland to see the system in action, and their students had fully adjusted to it and, by and large, gave it very positive reviews. Honestly, folks, if Maryland students can figure it out, then Virginia students won't have any problems.

3) Camping will continue to play a role in determining the order students enter the arena. The diehards who choose to camp out to make sure they're first in line will still be able to do so. Maryland's system employs a timed entry based on one's accumulated number of loyalty points (earned by attending games), but we can certainly draft our own set of procedures to allow for camping.

4) The ticket registration process is not a binding contract. One will be able to cancel his or her ticket without penalty up until a few hours before game time, so there's no harm in registering if you think there's a good chance that you will go.

5) You can still go to the game, even if you haven't registered. Up until game time, all you will have to do is take about 30 seconds to log online to the ticketing system, check for ticket availability and print out your ticket as long the game has not yet sold out. There will also be accommodations for simply walking up the arena.

It's hard to explain all of the benefits of this system in just one column and still keep everyone's attention. But, as someone who understands the flaws of the current ticketing process and has been in close contact with the Athletic Department about this new online ticketing system, I hope you'll listen to my arguments in support of it. Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or suggestions.
 

Red-hot Cavs face toughest test in weeks with Dukes
Virginia, powered by new possession offense, looks to continue goal-scoring success against stingy JMU defense, currently ranked 10th in the country
Shrayes Ramesh
Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

The women's lacrosse team will put their four-game win streak on the line when they duel No. 7 JMU (5-2) at Klöckner Stadium tonight at 8.

The No. 5 Cavaliers (8-2) are coming off a stellar week in which they showcased their dominating possession offense. During Virginia's stretch of wins, in which the team trounced top-20 squads North Carolina and William & Mary, the Cavaliers, on average, outscored their opponents by more than 10 goals per game and blasted a whopping 17.5 shots through the net each contest.

Some of their recent success stems from their newfound patience on offense. After the Temple win Saturday, Virginia coach Julie Myers emphasized the importance of every possession.

"I think we did a great job on draws," Myers said. "I think we probably won the ground ball scenario, so we were able to maximize our possessions. We really wanted to be a little more patient and work on things we needed to work on -- limiting turnovers and running through the offense, making that step when you're wide open, and making a pass but maybe not shooting it so that we just keep possession."

Part of the Cavaliers offense relies on the success of their play when the ball is on the ground. Virginia notches 13.8 draw controls per game, putting them fourth nationally coming off the faceoff. The Cavaliers cause 10.2 turnovers per game, while opponents only manage to steal 8.2 from them.

It also helps to have arguably the best finisher in the league -- attacker Amy Appelt. The All-ACC junior is first or second in the NCAAs in nearly every scoring category, leading the league in goals (43) and total points (59). She has also recorded a hat trick in every game this season.

"Amy's amazing," Myers said. "She's going to make everyone around her play better and take a lot of the pressure off of them. She helps us get the ball down into our attacking end and then she makes our attack work."

The danger Appelt poses to opponents also opens up scoring chances for the rest of her teammates.

"To have Amy on the team brings out the best in people, but we certainly have a lot of great attackers around that help to bring out the best in Amy too," Myers said. "I think it's a win-win situation all the way around."

Five Cavaliers have scored 10 goals or more already this season, including sophomore attacker Tyler Leachman, who is second on the team with 21 goals. In the end, though, the team's success this season all goes back to patience with the ball on offense.

"Everyone's involved," Leachman said. "There's a lot of passing. Everyone touches the ball, and everyone's moving. It's really been working well for us this past week, and it's gotten us a lot of goals."

Wednesday's match against JMU will pose the biggest test this year for the Cavalier offense since their last loss two weeks ago to No. 1 Princeton. JMU is 10th in the NCAA in defense, allowing only 7.71 goals per game.

No. 7 JMU boasts a top scorer of their own in Gail Decker, who is fourth in the NCAA with 5.43 points per game. Keeping the ball from her will likely be key if the Cavaliers plan on defeating the Dukes.

If the Cavaliers execute and play possession lacrosse, they should outlast JMU and leave Klöckner Stadium with momentum, confidence and, most importantly, another win against a top-ranked team.