Are the Cavs completely drained?
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
February 28, 2005

Virginia coach Pete Gillen said that Wake Forest simply wore down his team in Sunday’s 90-68 loss.

In this case, there was both a physical and mental component to that statement.

When seldom-used Wake reserve John Buck dunked in the waning seconds to account for the final margin, a quick glance at the Virginia bench supported Gillen’s claim that his team had “run out of gas and had nothing left.”

Again, that seemed equally true in terms of psyche and mentality. There were enough signs of that both on and off the court Sunday.

After trailing by 13 at halftime, the Cavaliers (13-12, 4-10 ACC) cut the deficit to five early in the second half. But as has been almost a trademark of this team this season, the Cavaliers could not sustain the momentum. Wake went on a run, Virginia wilted and the result was a 20-point lead in what seemed like just a matter of moments.

It was a script that would be troubling if it wasn’t familiar.

“They were getting rebounds and their guards, especially Chris Paul and Justin Gray, started playing well and getting off a little bit,” said sophomore guard T.J. Bannister.

In the course of the game’s unraveling, Wake Forest shot a blistering 72 percent in the second half.

“You should never let a team shoot a percentage like that,” said Bannister, shaking his head.

If a game-breaking second-half run and porous defense are somewhat familiar traits for the Cavaliers, another trait resurfaced Sunday that the Cavaliers had hoped was gone for good.

During an earlier stretch this season in which they lost eight out of 10 games, the Cavaliers had instances of some bickering amongst themselves. That was particularly prevalent in a 79-73 loss at Virginia Tech on Jan. 27 when there seemed to be a lot of finger pointing both on the bench and the court.

On Sunday during a timeout in the middle of a Wake Forest run in the second half, Gary Forbes and Elton Brown had an animated “discussion” on the way off the court that continued on the bench. Forbes did not return to the game after that as he was scoreless in 15 minutes of action.

Gillen later said that Forbes was benched because he was unsatisfied with the sophomore’s defensive effort. Forbes was unavailable for comment after the game.

The players that remained in the locker room after the game did not address any internal strife or issues such as that but did comment about the team’s motivation for its final two regular-season games this week.

“We have to stick together and listen to our coaches. Coach Gillen is doing all he can. He can’t go out there and play for us. We’re the ones out there playing,” said freshman guard Sean Singletary.

Notes. Singletary re-sprained his right ankle Sunday. He did return to the game and played two minutes before fouling out with a little less than 11 minutes remaining. Gillen said Monday that x-rays taken on the ankle were negative and that his status for Wednesday’s game against N.C. State is uncertain at this point. … There were several instances of rough play in Sunday’s game that did not necessarily earn whistles from the referees. During the first half, Wake Forest’s Chris Paul was pushed to the floor by Elton Brown after Paul had originally been fouled by Singletary on the play. No additional foul was called on Brown and that drew the ire of Wake coach Skip Prosser, who moments later was assessed a technical. “I saw the replay. I will talk to Elton about it. They did it to our players as well. … We don’t condone that but trust me, it happens to our guys as well. It’s a two-way street and we are not the bad guys.”

Alexander signs with Bobcats

From Staff Reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
February 28, 2005

CHARLOTTE - Former University of Virginia star and Waynesboro native Cory Alexander is back in the NBA.

The Charlotte Bobcats signed Alexander from the developmental league on Monday to play point guard and waived injured center Jahidi White.

“Cory will improve our depth at the point guard position,” coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. “It will also give Jason Hart an opportunity to play both the point guard and shooting guard positions.”

Along with Matt Carroll, Alexander is the second player from the NBDL’s Roanoke franchise the Bobcats have signed in the last week.

Alexander led the developmental league with 8.3 assists and 2.2 steals in 32 games for Roanoke this season. He averaged 16.4 points, fourth in the league.

A 1995 first-round draft pick out of UVa by San Antonio, Alexander has played in the NBA for six seasons, including stints with the Spurs, Denver and Orlando. He also has played in Italy.

Alexander finished his collegiate career as the 15th all-time leading scorer with 1,286 points, and fifth on the all-time assists list with 401. He also ranks second in the Virginia record book for assist average, behind former NBA player John Crotty.

During his career at Virginia, Alexander broke his ankle and had two seasons cut short. Despite leaving UVa for the NBA with a year of eligibility left, Alexander earned his degree in psychology from UVa.

Taking another shot
By Randy King
981-3126
The Roanoke Times

Point guard Cory Alexander returned to the Roanoke Dazzle this season in hopes of getting one more chance to play in the NBA. His perseverance paid off.

In a development that gives him another opportunity to prove himself at pro basketball's highest level, not to mention worth $300,000 to his bank account, Alexander signed a contract Monday with the Charlotte Bobcats for the remainder of the NBA season.

The move comes five days after the expansion Bobcats signed Dazzle shooting guard Matt Carroll for the rest of the season.

"I kept telling people all season long we had a pair of NBA guards in our backcourt and this simply proves it," Roanoke coach Kent Davison said Monday. "Isn't that unbelievable? Our backcourt is now with the same team in the NBA. It's great."

Alexander, a former standout at Oak Hill Academy and Virginia, was second in assists (8.3), tied for the lead in steals (2.2), and ranked fourth in scoring (16.4) in 32 games this season for first-place Roanoke.

Alexander, who at 31 was the oldest player in the NBDL, has played parts of six seasons in the NBA. The Waynesboro, Va., native was a first-round draft choice (29th overall) of the San Antonio Spurs in 1995. Alexander also has spent time with Denver and Orlando, where he last played in the NBA in 2000-01. In 291 career NBA games, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard has averaged 5.6 points and 2.7 assists.

Alexander played with Roanoke in 2002-03. He spent last season playing in Rome before returning for one final go-around this season in Roanoke.

"This was the opportunity Cory was looking for when he decided to come back here," Davison said. "So it's really neat to see how this thing has worked out for him. He's the best point guard I've ever had. I think Charlotte must really like him, or they wouldn't have put out that kind of money to sign him for the rest of the season."

The loss of Alexander leaves first-place Roanoke's point-guard duties in the hands of Miah Davis. The rookie from Pacific played all 48 minutes in each of the Dazzle's weekend games in Huntsville, Ala., as Alexander was held out of the lineup via request of the Bobcats.

"I'm going to have to get Miah some help, no doubt about it," Davison said. "I'm sure he likes getting the minutes, but 48 a night is a little too much."Year Team G PPG APG 95-96 Spurs 60 2.8 2.0 96-97 Spurs 80 7.2 3.2 97-98 Spurs 37 4.5 1.9 97-98 Nuggets 23 14.0 6.0 98-99 Nuggets 36 7.3 3.3 99-2000 Nuggets 29 2.8 2.0 2000-01 Magic 26 2.0 1.4 Totals 291 5.6 2.7

Frosh praises Gillen
UVa basketball
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

Sean Singletary had more than a sore ankle on his mind as he spoke to the media Sunday following Virginia's 90-68 loss at Wake Forest.

The setback dropped the Cavaliers to 13-12 and 4-10 in the ACC and seemingly eliminated the possibility of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

"We've just got to stick with our coaches," said Singletary, who scored seven points before fouling out with 10:56 left. "I believe in them 100 percent. I've just got to get everyone else to believe in Coach [Pete] Gillen, too.

"The coaches can't go out there and play for us. There's nothing wrong with what he's calling. We've just got to go out and listen."

Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage has let it be known that an NCAA bid would reflect the improvement he expected from the UVa program this season. However, after winning eight of its first nine games and spending seven weeks in the Top 25, Virginia has lost 10 of its past 14 games.

"He's not out there playing," said Singletary, a five-time choice as ACC rookie of the week. "When we're winning, we're getting all the praise. When we're losing, he's taking all the cheap shots.

"I don't really like that at all. He's doing all he can. It's tough going through something like this."

Forbes fallout

Gillen said defensive lapses were the reason why sophomore Gary Forbes played only 15 minutes, but Gillen acknowledged that he may have waited too long before inserting Forbes in the game for the first time.

Forbes had averaged more than 20 points in UVa previous three games but did not make his first appearance Sunday until 13:18 remained in the first half, by which point the Cavaliers trailed 19-11.

"We just go by the game, you know what I mean, the tempo," Gillen said. "T.J. [Bannister] was doing a pretty good job. Maybe we should have put Forbes in a little bit earlier, in hindsight. He had been playing well. Tonight [Sunday] he didn't get many looks and, as I said, I wasn't pleased with his defense."

Forbes played five minutes in the second half when the Deacons shot 72 percent from the field, and he finished with five rebounds - four defensive - on an afternoon when only one other player had as many as six.

"I don't know what happened with him," Singletary said. "I think we could have won if he was playing, but I don't know what happened there."

Putting it up

Bannister hadn't made a 3-pointer since UVa's opening game Nov.19, missing 11 in a row before connecting early in the second half, and then he made a second 3-pointer less than four minutes later.

"Put it this way, I talked to him during the game, to be honest with you," Gillen said. "Whether it helped or not, he made a couple shots. He's been working on it. He's got to take [the 3-pointer]. They were cheating on him a lot in the first half. They didn't play him."

Bannister finished with 15 points, six assists and one turnover, and he made 7 of 8 free throws. He is shooting 87.1 percent from the line (66-for-77) for the season, which ranks fourth in the conference.

"I know I can shoot [from outside], but it's all about having confidence in my shot," Bannister said.

Joseph back

Freshman forward Adrian Joseph, who injured a quadriceps muscle in practice Jan.17, made his first appearance in more than a month. Joseph, who had missed six games, ran the floor freely during a 10-minute stint but missed all four of his shots from the field.

End of the road
Brown, Smith set for last game at U-Hall
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
March 2, 2005

Perhaps Virginia fans could reach an agreement that the two seniors that will be honored tonight have had careers that could be labeled as unfulfilled.

In the next breath, however, a debate would ensue on just why that would be the proper term for both.

Devin Smith has arguably been Virginia’s best player since transferring from Coffeyville Community College in the spring of 2002. At times he has shown a sheer knack for scoring that his teammates - past and present - don’t possess. That has been displayed on several occasions, most notably a 40-point effort earlier this season at Iowa State.

Yet, in many ways near constant injuries have robbed Smith and the fans that follow him of the full product. A knee injury, a back injury and a sprained ankle are just some of the nuisances that have kept Smith from probably ever playing a game at 100 percent. The glimpses at his potential and the reality of the injuries have no doubt frustrated Smith and the UVa fans in near equal fashion.

“It’s been a little aggravating. I just try to look at it like everything happens for a reason. It could have been worse than it really was. I just try and stay positive,” said Smith, who is currently averaging a career-best 17 points a contest. “The back last year was real frustrating. I was disappointed. I was never really injured until I came here. I think I’ve done the best that I could through the injuries.”

So when Smith and his family are announced to tonight’s U-Hall crowd, there will be a notion of potential unfortunately derailed and not potential squandered. Senior Night often causes misty remembrances of accomplishments but with Smith there may be some misty thoughts of what could have been; not to demean the performances he did have but to wonder of the ones he might have had.

Then, the crowd’s focus will shift to Smith’s classmate, Elton Brown. The crowd’s sympathy and good feeling - fairly or unfairly - will likely dissipate. In a hope for decorum, the normally reserved crowd may give him applause of appreciation that hundreds of players before him received on Senior Night. That’s a hope but there is no telling what the reaction might be.

Few Virginia players in memory have conjured more passionate feelings than Brown. He is one of the few UVa players that has ever been booed by his home crowd. Ask any Virginia fan’s opinion of the

6-foot-9 center, and it will likely elicit a negative response. It’s slightly perplexing for a player who will finish his career averaging nearly 12 points and six rebounds a game and is currently averaging 14.1 points a contest and 8.7 rebounds.

Yet, any good statistical performances by the emotional Brown have been countered by visions of poor shots, many of those shots blocked, turnovers in the post and perceived instances of sulking and pouting. Justified or not for a single collegiate player, many will say the program’s woes as a whole are at the very least tied to Brown.

“That’s a fan base. People are going to be with you when you are winning. If we are losing, than some of the things I do on the court or the faces I make or whatever is then a problem,” Brown said. “When he recruited me, Coach Gillen said he liked the emotion that I had. He thought it was needed. I think for people to judge me off those things is unfair. I can’t do anything about that.”

Point in fact: there was a time when Brown was very much the fan favorite, especially during his freshman season. The burly Brown showed a knack in his first season for connecting on 3-pointers. He would follow a made trey by slapping his hand in a gator-like fashion as he lumbered down the court. Virginia fans in turned mimicked Brown as they roared in approval. That seems like quite a while ago now.

Now, any displays of emotion on the court by Brown are labeled as immature and even lazy by many Virginia followers. Even when Brown turns to the officials to question a call, the reaction by fans is to boo, not plead Brown’s case with him. His reputation entering his last home game tonight was further tainted Sunday when he shoved Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul to the floor during the first half of the Deacon’s 90-68 victory over Virginia.

“They just think ‘Elton Brown has a terrible attitude.’ The majority of times I’m upset because I want to win so bad. People don’t understand that. They just think that I’m trying to fuss at Coach Gillen or just yelling because I’m upset things didn’t go my way,” Brown said. “I think that people misjudge me but that does not bother me.”

Given the disappointing nature of Virginia’s season and the response to Brown, it’s somewhat curious how this particular Senior Night will be remembered.

Asked about his two seniors earlier in the week, Gillen asserted the many positives he sees in both players but also hinted at an understanding of how others may view them, particularly Brown.

“I think they are both good people and both will graduate from an outstanding academic university. They have both helped us win our fair share of games even though it may not have been as many as we may have wanted,” said Gillen, who at times this season has opted to bench Brown. “They are good players and good people. … Are they perfect? No, but they are good people.”

In the end, both players can be characterized as either victims or causes of what has not been the most pleasant four-year period of Virginia basketball.

Three members of Brown’s original class and who later became classmates of Smith - Jason Clark, Keith Jenifer and Jermaine Harper - did not survive until this evening. Jenifer and Harper transferred after their sophomore year after suspension-filled seasons that served as catalysts for their departures. Clark faced academic problems in both his junior and senior seasons and was ruled ineligible for this semester in January.

Many will view that class as the one that turned the fortunes of the entire program and even Gillen’s possible fate. Oddly, it was a class that was recruited during Gillen’s high-water mark: the 20-9 season in 2000-01 that resulted in his only trip to the NCAA Tournament.

“Jermaine was my roommate my first year and we were good friends. When I came here, I thought there was the potential to play with them for four years,” Brown said. “One by one, they fell off. … It’s tough. I look at it as a blessing that I’m still here but I do miss them. I think about them a lot.”

As a senior at Warwick High School in Newport News, it was reasonable for Brown to think that he would have the opportunity to play in the NCAAs throughout his UVa career. Smith had to feel the same way a year later when he signed with Virginia. Now, the likelihood is that neither will ever get that chance unless the Cavaliers have a miraculous run in next week’s ACC Tournament.

“We’ve had a lot of adversity. … Things haven’t gone the way I planned. I never thought it would work out like this for the program. Some of the things with basketball you can’t control. I look at it that I will get my degree and no one can take that away from me,” said Brown, who will earn a degree in anthropology in May.

Added Smith: “It is disappointing that we won’t have a season in which we played great throughout. We are just trying to stay positive and continue our season and our careers.”

Cavs go for sweeps in final games
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 2, 2005

Scattershooting around the ACC, while wondering if the Cavs can sweep their last two opponents, N.C. State and Florida State ...
The Wolfpack visit University Hall tonight, fighting to keep their hopes of an NCAA bid alive, although that appears to be a long shot because of State’s weak nonconference schedule. Coach Herb Sendek’s team might have to knock off No. 6 Wake Forest on Sunday to have any kind of chance of getting in.
State will come into
U-Hall desperate to keep winning after blowing out Virginia Tech last Saturday (74-54).
“We started [the Tech game] saying, ‘This is a three-game season. We’ve got to go 3-0 this season,’” Wolfpack center Jordan Collins said. “Then we go to the ACC Tournament and we have to get some more wins there, as many as we can. At this point, the only thing we can do is play and try to keep winning.”
The Cavs visit FSU on Sunday, where the Seminoles are having their own problems.
Standing at 11-17, 3-11 in the ACC, the Noles have lost seven straight league games, matching the school’s worst losing streak since joining the conference in 1991-92. Overall, FSU has lost eight straight games (including a non-conference contest), which is the fifth-worst losing streak in school history.
“I’ve been coaching since 1971 and this team has been more puzzling to me than any other team I’ve been associated with,” Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton said.
Hamilton’s record at FSU is 44-46 in three seasons. After nearly winning 20 games last year, he may lose 20 this year.

Hoos playing tough? Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul said he has become a “marked man” in ACC basketball since the opening game of the league schedule against Virginia and Cavalier freshman guard Sean Singletary.
“There’s been many a game this year where you are driving to the lane and guys try to bump you and elbow you,” Paul said after Sunday’s win over UVa. “I think it all started that first game at Virginia where me and Singletary sort of got into it. I guess guys watch the game and they want to win, so you just do whatever you have to do to win.”
Wake complained vehemently on Sunday after Paul was fouled by Singletary, then tumbled to the floor after taking a shot to the upper back from Cavalier center Elton Brown. Paul was obviously upset, pounding the floor in anger.
Deacons’ coach Skip Prosser complained until he was slapped with a technical foul.
But Virginia coach Pete Gillen defended his players, stating that roughhouse basketball in the ACC is a “two-way street.”
“I don’t condone what [Brown] did, and I’ll talk to him about it, but trust me, it happens both ways all over the court,” Gillen said during the ACC teleconference on Monday.
Later in the game, Wake’s Trent Strickland tried to save a possession while flying out of bounds, throwing the ball hard directly into the face of UVa’s Jason Cain.

In or out? Maryland figures it has to beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Sunday to keep its string of
12 straight NCAA bids going.
“Close isn’t good enough this time of year,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said. “If we do win, I think 8-8 gets us in.”
Meanwhile, Clemson, which has come on strong late in the season, hopes its surge will end the Tigers’ long postseason drought. Clemson hasn’t been to the postseason since an NIT appearance in 1999.
The Tigers will at least be eligible for the NIT after defeating Virginia Tech,
64-62, on Tuesday night. Since 1985, the NIT has taken all but two of the 32 ACC teams that were eligible for its event ... both of those two were Clemson.
Finishing .500 doesn’t necessarily get a team into the NIT. Only one of the 40 teams in last year’s field, the 16-16 Villanova team that ousted Virginia, made the NIT with a .500 record.
Meanwhile, NIT Executive Director Jack Powers has confirmed that he has already received a call from Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg to discuss NIT possibilities if the Hokies fail to earn an NCAA bid.

Going pro? Neither UNC’s Marvin Williams or Maryland’s John Gilchrist have confirmed or denied they will take an early exit from college for the NBA.
Williams, only a freshman, keeps telling people he isn’t interested in leaving college yet even though some analysts believe he could be the top pick in the next NBA draft. But when pressed on the issue, Williams delivers the usual song and dance.
“I’m playing basketball,” said the 6-foot-9 rookie, who hasn’t started a game, but is playing an average of 22 minutes for the Tar Heels. “I’m trying to win a national championship. I’m not thinking about the NBA right now. I’m just trying to win. I’m trying to be a kid and have fun.”
Carolina coach Roy Williams said that the freshman is potentially one of the best
10 players in the ACC, or on second thought, “one of the 10 best players in college basketball.”
Maryland’s Gilchrist, a junior, wouldn’t comment on what he will do after the loss to UNC on Sunday although the popular belief is that he will go pro even though he’s projected as a second-round choice.
“After the season is over I’ll have to sit down with my family and talk about that,” Gilchrist said.
Hmmm. Where have we heard that before?

Injury report. Georgia Tech’s Isma’il Muhammad is expected to play against Wake tonight after suffering a mild concussion at Miami. He has been playing all season with a bad case of patella tendonitis, but his minutes could go down now that some of the other injured Yellow Jackets have returned.
UNC’s Rashad McCants, who hasn’t practiced since Feb. 19 and has missed the last two games because of an intestinal disorder, might play against FSU and Duke this week, but hasn’t yet been cleared to do so.

Huskers offer local. Blue Ridge School cornerback Greg Davis has received his first official scholarship offer ... from Nebraska.
According to our BRS source, the Cornhuskers coaches love Davis’ size, speed and technique. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder (4.5 speed), has raised quite a few eyebrows since he was one of the juniors invited to participate in the workouts at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
Nebraska also was impressed with Davis’ ball-hawking ability as a free safety along with his tenacious hitting.
Thus far, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Miami, Florida State and Kansas have all shown interest in the Barons’ defender. As a junior, he had 42 tackles, four interceptions and a forced fumble, playing mostly at corner. Davis transferred to Blue Ridge from Cardinal Gibbons in Baltimore, Md.

Free throws ... Did you get a load of UVa linebacker Darryl Blackstock telling NFL people at the Combine that one of the reason he decided to enter the draft was that he was bored with college football? ... Can Georgia Tech repeat what it did last year when the Yellow Jackets stood at 6-7 in the ACC, won their last three regular season games, knocked off UNC in the ACC Tournament opener, lost to Duke in the semis, then wound up in the national championship? ... The Jackets were 6-7, but beat Miami and now face Wake Forest and Clemson to close out the regular season. ... Maryland assistant coach Mike Lonegran is leaving the Terps to become head basketball coach at Vermont, signing a five-year deal worth $550,000. He’ll replace the popular Tom Brennan, who is retiring after 19 years with the Catamounts. ... How about Clemson star Sharrod Ford’s mother, Wendy McDowell, who has driven to almost every one of her son’s games in four seasons, missing only eight games (six of those outside the continental U.S.). ... This just in, it might not be the wisest thing to propose marriage to your girlfriend immediately after a basketball game. That’s what Miami’s Will Frisby did after the Hurricanes’ home loss to Georgia Tech last Saturday, as he dropped to a knee and proposed to Cristina Cavallo. He scored only four points, less than half his average in the game. ... By the way, Cristinia said yes.

Reversal of fortune for Tech vs. Tigers
Clemson wins on a steal by Shawan Robinson and dunk by Sharrod Ford at the buzzer.
By Mark Berman
981-3125
The Roanoke Times

CLEMSON, S.C. - A Sharrod Ford dunk at the buzzer knocked the Virginia Tech men's basketball team off the NCAA tournament bubble and onto the NIT bubble.

The Hokies (14-12, 7-8 ACC) have won four ACC games in dramatic fashion by making the winning basket in the final 37 seconds. They had not been on the other end of that scenario until Tuesday, when they fell to Clemson 66-64. "It sucks," said Tech coach Seth Greenberg, whose team lost its second straight game.

"To come down to a last-second shot and then we needed this win to maybe continue our play in the postseason, so it's a very tough loss," said Carlos Dixon, who had 25 points.

The Hokies had erased a 12-point, second-half deficit.

After "how hard we fought back to get back in the game and to lose like that, it's deflating," Zabian Dowdell said.

Dowdell sank a 3-pointer to give Tech a 62-60 lead with 54 seconds left. After Ford made only one of two free throws, Dixon sank two free throws to extend the lead to 64-61 with 16.1 seconds left.

Forward Olu Babalola of Clemson (15-13, 5-10) sank only his 13th 3-pointer of the season and just his second basket of the game to tie the score at 64 with 9.8 seconds to go. Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said Babalola was the fourth option on the play.

"It was the first open shot, so I took it," Babalola said.

Greenberg took "full responsibility" for the loss, specifically for Tech allowing the 3-pointer.

"I didn't do a good enough job of communicating to our guys in the timeout about keeping the ball in front of them," he said of Tech's defense on the play.

Greenberg wanted Tech "to push the ball," so he did not call a timeout after the 3-pointer. Tech drove down the court, but Jamon Gordon turned the ball over on a pass that Shawan Robinson stole near the basket with about four seconds to go.

"Dumb pass," Gordon said. "I should've just shot it. I just made a dumb decision. ... I take the blame, the whole responsibility for" the loss.

Robinson dribbled a few times and passed down the court to Ford, who drove and dunked. Clemson students rushed onto the court at game's end.

"Right when I got the ball I knew I had to get rid of it quick," said Ford, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds.

"I saw him out there and I said, 'Well, is he going to get there [to the basket] quick enough?' He had to be flying," Purnell said.

It was the reverse of the teams' meeting last month, which Tech won 59-57 on a Dixon steal and dunk with 6.9 seconds left.

Down 39-27 with 16:50 left, Tech went on a 15-4 run to cut the lead to 43-42 with 10:26 left. Tech took its first lead of the second half with 1:29 left.

"We fought so hard to get back in the game and to lose like this, it doesn't feel good at all," Gordon said.

Because of its poor RPI (No.116 through Sunday's games), Tech no longer has a shot at an NCAA at-large bid.

Even if Tech loses to Maryland on Saturday and loses its first game in the ACC Tournament, Tech will be eligible for the NIT because it will have a .500 record. But Tech is hardly a lock for the NIT.

Last year, Tech was snubbed for the 40-team NIT despite going 15-14, 7-9 in the Big East. Tech tied for eighth in the Big East and won a game in the Big East tournament. But all the teams chosen had a better RPI than Tech, which was then at No.108.

Tech fell into a tie for fifth place in the ACC with Miami and Maryland; fourth-place Georgia Tech is 7-7 entering its game at Wake Forest tonight. The top five teams in the final standings get a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.

Cavaliers' Brown the best in class
Commentary
The Roanoke Times

As tempting as it is sometimes to blame the demise of the Virginia men's basketball program on senior center Elton Brown, that may not be fair.

Brown is the only member of a four-man recruiting class who did not flunk out of school or get arrested. If there's a coach-killer here, it's the entire class, as it was for Pete Gillen's predecessor, Jeff Jones. Of the four players who signed with Jones in 1994-95, none completed his eligibility and all four were arrested.

One of those, Melvin Whitaker, was sent to prison without playing in a game for the Cavaliers. None of the others lasted until 1997-98, which was Jones' last season and would have been their third.

Compared to that group, Brown and Co. have been saints. No Virginia men's basketball player has been arrested in two years and the last charge - involving former UVa point guard Keith Jenifer - was thrown out of court.

Yet, this group could have a similar impact on Gillen's tenure. Jenifer and Jermaine Harper both transferred after the 2002-03 season, not entirely of their own volition, and Jason Clark twice was declared academically ineligible.

Brown, in four years in the UVa program, has never missed a game. Before his junior year, he conscientiously rebuilt his body, losing 25 pounds during the offseason. And, he's kept it off. He has scored 1,329 points in his career and recently moved into 20th place on the school's all-time scoring list.

On the other hand, it was Brown's poor shot selection and sloppy ball-handling that were responsible for changes in momentum in UVa's most damaging losses, defeats at home by Miami (91-80) and Maryland (92-89). UVa had six-point leads early in the second half of both games.

Most recently, television cameras caught Brown delivering a forearm to the head of Wake Forest guard Chris Paul in the Deacons' 90-68 victory Sunday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Gillen said on the ACC coaches' teleconference Monday that he did not condone Brown's action and intended to speak with him about it.

In a later interview, Gillen said he had lost his security blanket in Clark, a player who had played alongside Brown since their days in the Boo Williams AAU program and was almost a perfect complement.

Where Brown lacked athleticism, Clark was a physical marvel. Where Brown lacked commitment on defense, Clark always drew the toughest assignment. Where Brown never saw a shot he didn't like, Clark was a career 60-percent shooter.

But for all the misplays Brown has made on the court, does that make him any more culpable than Clark, whose first academic suspension caused him to miss the first 12 games of the 2003-2004 season?

He was battling Achilles problems at the time of his suspension this year, but, only two weeks earlier, he had played 42 minutes in an 80-79 double-overtime victory over Western Kentucky, contributing a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds.

As a co-captain, Clark had no greater responsibility than keeping himself eligible.

In signing Brown and Clark, UVa established its ties to the tradition-rich Boo Williams program. Nobody questioned the signing at the time, although Brown's commitment took the Cavaliers out of the market for Hakim Warrick, a less-heralded 6-9 forward from Philadelphia. Warrick ended up at Syracuse, where he played on a national-championship team in 2003 and is now poised to top the 2,000-point barrier.

In the spring of 2003, when faced with a similar decision, Gillen got it right. He took a commitment from Philadelphia point guard Sean Singletary when it meant passing up a Boo Williams player, combo guard Marquie Cooke, who may have a fine career for Virginia Tech but did not meet UVa's immediate needs as neatly.

While Singletary is the face of UVa's future, Brown is destined to be associated with a four-year NCAA tournament drought, longest for the Cavaliers since 1977-80. He will be one of two UVa seniors honored before the Cavaliers' final home game tonight, although classmate Devin Smith has been in the program only three years, having transferred from a junior college.

Brown heard boos during the recent home loss to Maryland and some have wondered how he will be treated tonight. To single him out as a target of derision would reflect a misunderstanding of the situation.

DAILY RUMOR MILL
by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio
POSTED 8:55 p.m. EST, March 1, 2005

GROH GETS MAD AT PFT.COM

We received late Tuesday afternoon an e-mail from Nancy Bourne of the University of Virginia, who is an Administrative Assistant to Cavaliers head coach Al Groh.

Ms. Bourne, it turns out, was sending us a letter from her boss.

Gulp.

Groh took issue with recent reports appearing here and on our sister site, Collegefootballtalk.com, regarding the physical condition of several of the players who have emerged from the Virginia football program, and who are now trying to put themselves in position to earn a living at the sport they've been playing for free in Charlottesville.

Groh also didn't appreciate our tongue in check reference to the founder of the University's propensity to procreate with his personal property.

Here's the full text of Groh's letter:

-----------------------------------

Re: February 27, 2005 Daily Rumor Mill

Dear Mr. Florio,

I take great offense at your uninformed and flippant remarks about the University of Virginia and our football program. Especially offensive in this day and age is your remark about women.

As to the condition of our player [sic] and their efforts at the combine, you are both out of the know and insensitive. Chris Canty suffered a serious knee injury which required surgery after four games. He is ahead of schedule in his rehab, was at the combine and will work out when able. Heath Miller started twenty-nine straight games. He had post-season surgery for a sports hernia so that he would be ready to go for training camp. It is unlikely that you would have been able to work out at the combine with similar surgeries. Alvin Pearman had a terrific season (All-ACC), worked out and I am told he did very well, as did Marquis Weeks. Elton Brown was more than capable of performing -- bad advice is likely the reason that he did not.

I don't recall, Mr. Florio, that you have ever attended one of our
practices to know first hand of the "pounding" you refer to. Since
we only practice in full pads one day a week, I must wonder what your agenda is in making inaccurate and disparaging statements about how our team is prepared. Over our four seasons, our record in games down the homestretch of the season is 10-4, hardly a team that is worn out.

Thomas Jefferson, the founder of the University, was an author and signer of the Declaration of Independence, President of the country, and a statesman. You show great disrespect in trying to be a humorist with your remarks.

Sincerely,

Al Groh
Head Football Coach
University of Virginia

-----------------------------------

We're drafting a response to Groh. As we've explained to the handful of readers who previously complained about our tongue-in-cheek reference to Jefferson's relationship with his female slaves, we meant no offense to the female slaves who were the subject of Jefferson's carnal desires. Our ridicule in this regard is directed at the inherent hypocrisy of the man who coined the phrase, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," while at the same time he owned other human beings who catered to more of his needs than they ever should have.

In 1774, Jefferson owned 187 slaves. In 1824, he still owned 187 slaves. It was reported in 1802 that Jefferson was keeping one of the slaves, Sally Hemmings, as a concubine with whom he had multiple children.

It's amazing, quite frankly, that in an era where so many believe that Hollywood and popular culture are contributing to the collapse of our society that we shrug our shoulders at the unspeakably improper conduct in which at least one of our Founding Fathers engaged more than 200 years ago.

Because, as Jefferson wrote, all men are created equal, then we believe that no man is beyond reproach. We find Jefferson's ownership of and activities with his slaves to be shameful, and we do not believe that utilizing this behavior as fuel for our trademark irreverence is disrespectful to Mr. Jefferson.

Instead, ignoring these deep flaws in Mr. Jefferson's character shows great disrespect to all of the men and women who spent years, if not their entire lives, in the bonds of slavery.

Turning to the less controversial aspects of Groh's letter, we've reconfirmed with our sources the belief held by some players that they've emerged from the season with too many bumps, bites, and bruises to be as effective as they could have been in their pursuit of a job in the NFL.

Although, as Groh points out in his letter, the team practices in pads only once per week, we're told that they are in "shells" for the other two, where there's still a lot of hitting.

We've also heard that injured guys have been nudged to stay in games, even in the team's bowl game -- with All-Star contests and the Combine only weeks away.

So the issue isn't whether the Cavs are worn out down the stretch of the season, but whether the players are worn out in those critical months after their college careers end. We've heard from far too many people that they are.

And the fact that Groh would actually take the time to pen a letter to some rinky-dink independent web site suggests to us that maybe, just maybe, we've inadvertently jammed a sharp stick into a raw nerve.

Steve Spurrier doesn’t do lunch
By JOSEPH PERSON
Staff Writer

Steve Spurrier doesn’t do lunch.

“Some professor (or) dean called me the other day and wanted to do some lunches,” Spurrier said, “and I said, ‘I can’t do lunches.’• ”

When you’re trying to turn around a football program that has one conference championship in its 111-year history, who has time for lunch?

Since arriving at the University of South Carolina 100 days ago, the Gamecocks’ new coach has hired a staff, signed a top-25 recruiting class, changed USC’s uniforms, ticked off some folks at Clemson and Virginia Tech and plunked down earnest money on a $1 million house in Northeast Columbia.

And Tuesday, he kicked one of the most highly touted recruits in school history off the team. Running back Demetris Summers was dismissed for violating the athletics department drug policy.

A Florida graduate who had wildly successful playing and coaching careers with the Gators, Spurrier has taken well to his new surroundings at a rival SEC school. He raves about USC’s fan support and ranks the Gamecocks’ facilities among the best in the country.

But when he arrives today in his third-floor office overlooking Williams-Brice Stadium, Spurrier can handicap his team’s chances no better than he could when he took over a success-starved program from Lou Holtz on Nov. 23.

“I have no idea right now,” Spurrier said this week. “We’ve got to get through spring practice — or get to it — and see what we’ve got. We’re still a wait-and-see team.”

USC players see a lot more of Spurrier than they did of Holtz, who spent a big chunk of his offseason at his winter home in Orlando, Fla.

USC cornerback Fred Bennett said Spurrier has “been around much more” than Holtz.

“He’s really involved with us. We see him (at) everything we do,” Bennett said of Spurrier. “He’s been to all the 6 o’clock (a.m.) runs. He comes in the training room and checks on people.”

Spurrier is known for his touch in developing quarterbacks, but he has yet to see a Gamecocks passer throw a ball. Less than three weeks before the start of spring practice, Spurrier has not decided who will take the first spring snap at the most important position on the field.

And he must find a replacement for Summers. Returning tailbacks Cory Boyd and Daccus Turman are the top candidates, along with incoming freshman Mike Davis from Columbia High.

But those staff members who have worked with Spurrier before notice a familiar “pep in his step” — as offensive line coach John Hunt put it — that is similar to Spurrier’s first 100 days as head coach at his alma mater. Florida had not won more than seven games in any of the four seasons before Spurrier arrived in 1990.

Spurrier guided the Gators to a 9-2 record and first-place finish in the SEC during his first year in Gainesville but was not credited with an SEC title because of the NCAA probation that was former coach Galen Hall’s legacy. By the time Spurrier left for the Washington Redskins in 2002, he had collected six conference titles and the 1996 national championship.

“There are a lot of similarities here,” said Hunt, who was a graduate assistant on Spurrier’s first Florida staff. “Coach always loves a challenge, whether it’s golf or football. I think it’s a challenge to come into South Carolina and do what’s never been done before.”

Spurrier believes the school’s new $3 million strength center helped sway recruits. And he is excited about having an indoor practice facility for the first time in his career.

Spurrier made a run at two Clemson assistants when he was assembling his staff to see if they might change sides. He later admitted it probably was not a good idea to talk to Brad Scott, the Gamecocks’ head coach before Holtz.

But Spurrier made no apologies for his recruitment of North Carolina tight end Jonathan Hannah, who committed to Virginia Tech before doing an 11th-hour reversal and signing with the Gamecocks. Hokies coach Frank Beamer subsequently criticized coaches who “hound” players after they have committed to other schools.

Spurrier defended his handling of the situation and said he never received a call from Beamer, who indicated he might contact Spurrier to clear the air. Spurrier did receive a letter from Holtz congratulating him on his recruiting class; Spurrier wrote Holtz back, but the two have not spoken.

In his short time in Columbia, Spurrier has tried to clear up some common misconceptions about him. Namely, that he is not some folksy “Ol’ Ball Coach” who would rather be on the 17th green than in a recruit’s living room.

“I play golf after spring ball. There’s some time in April, May and June to play,” he said. “But I’m not itching to play right now. I’m itching to try to see if we can coach an offense up here. ... Golf can wait. I’m not near as big a golfer as some people like to think I am.”

And while Spurrier was floored by the reception he received at his introduction at halftime of a men’s basketball game in January, USC students and fans would be wise to refrain from dropping an “Ol’ Ball Coach” on Spurrier should they bump into him.

“I don’t particularly like it. It’s sort of a country expression,” he said. “I can’t keep people from calling me that if they think it’s cute. I think I’m a pretty young ball coach, to tell you the truth.”

Spurrier, who turns 60 in April, works out nearly every day on a stair machine or treadmill before grabbing a salad or quick sandwich. That’s his idea of “doing lunch.” The schmoozing can wait.

He has too many other things on his plate.

UM BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Bad time to be on bended knee?
BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN
mkaufman@herald.com

University of Miami coach Frank Haith doesn't want to rain on Will Frisby's wedding engagement, but he let Frisby know he was not thrilled with the timing of the occasion -- on the court after UM's loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday -- particularly considering Frisby went 1 for 6, picked up two quick fouls, and wasn't as aggressive on the boards as usual.

Haith challenged Frisby to pick up his game for Thursday's regular-season finale at Duke. Frisby scored 18 points against Duke in their first meeting -- his highest output of the season -- and Haith wants to see the same kind of effort at Cameron Indoor Stadium. If he doesn't, Gary Hamilton will see more minutes.

Hamilton went 3 for 3 for eight points against Georgia Tech.

The coach also was disappointed in point guard Anthony Harris' shot selection, and has challenged him to play smarter against the Blue Devils. Harris and Guillermo Diaz each took 13 shots Saturday, but Diaz scored 24 points while Harris made just three shots for eight points. He was 1 of 6 from three-point range.

''We need better shot selection and production from Anthony, and we need Will's scoring and rebounding presence,'' Haith said. ``We didn't have enough from either player the other night.''

Asked whether he thought Frisby's proposal detracted from his game, Haith replied: ``It's hard to say. He didn't have a particularly good game, and obviously, getting engaged is something so crucial in your life, something that requires a lot of thought and emotion. I would think it would be hard not to think about it. I told him I didn't think it would be a good idea, and didn't find out he had done it until we were in the locker room after the game.''

Frisby agreed he could have played better but said the engagement plan was not the reason.

''I was focused on the court the entire game,'' he said. ``The loss was tough, and I'm sure my engagement would have been easier on me and Coach if we had won the game.''

Pride's price for U.Va., VMI is eating pacts
JOHN MARKON
POINT OF VIEW
Mar 2, 2005

Over the next few weeks, administrators at two of the commonwealth's most prestigious institutions of higher learning will belly up to the table and eat large portions of two of the largest contracts they've ever awarded.

The dinner bell's already ringing at Virginia Military Institute, where basketball coach Bart Bellairs was dismissed with five years and upward of $515,000 remaining on a 10-year contract extension he signed in 1998.

Bellairs has been given the choice of accepting a position in athletic marketing or attempting to negotiate a settlement.

The University of Virginia's Pete Gillen already has negotiated his settlement, apparently agreeing to a buyout provision last season in exchange for being given one more chance to save his job on the court.

It was the one time in his life the allegedly "street smart" Gillen should have called "Time out!" but didn't. If he'd held to the terms of a 10-year extension of his original contract, he'd still have U.Va. on the hook for five more years at $900,000 per season.

How and why, it's fair to wonder, does any coach ever get offered a 10-year contract? Bellairs never asked for 10 years. Chances are that Gillen didn't, either, although the specifics aren't known.

"I was in a position where I was looking for an extension of some kind," recalled Bellairs. "I'd have been thrilled with five years. . . . Anyone who tells you they wouldn't have signed that contract in my position, well, they're not telling the truth."

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Josiah Bunting, VMI's superintendent at the time, proudly called the Bellairs contract "a pre-emptive strike." Little VMI, where men's basketball barely deserved recognition as a revenue sport, was showing that it was big enough to retain and pay a loyal and valued coach who was being pursued by other colleges.

VMI and (perhaps) Bellairs also were denying reality. Winning football or basketball games at the Institute appears to be one of the NCAA's greatest challenges. Even coaches who enjoy initial success tend to decline or depart after somewhere between four and seven years of intense effort.

"The contract probably ended up hurting both parties," Bellairs said. "After I'd signed it, I had no options because it was too much for anyone else to match. Even when [VMI] might have been OK with my looking at another opportunity, I wasn't going to have one."

The issues were different at Virginia, where Gillen had some early success as a recruiter. By his third season, the Cavaliers were well-stocked with young players and headed for the NCAA tournament.

Even though Gillen was past his 50th birthday, there were still reports he was in demand elsewhere. At one time, Notre Dame was supposedly going to come after him. Not long after that, or maybe before that, the rumors involved a job in the NBA.

Rather than risk losing a coach, and having the U.Va. job be seen as a "steppingstone" rather than a "destination" position, the braintrusts at the Rotunda and University Hall gave Gillen everything he could have wanted, even though he hadn't had time to accomplish enough to earn it.

Gillen never earned it, but questions of pride and prestige drive a lot of decision-making in college athletics. At Virginia, the price of these commodities turned out to be unexpectedly high.

Gillen's deal, of course, may look like petty cash by the time the Cavaliers sign his replacement, who'll probably be a "proven winner" with a long-term contract binding him to another college to which he's sworn eternal allegiance.

Time and inflation have taken some of the edge off contracts signed even a few years ago. When Roy Williams walked away from what was virtually a lifetime deal at Kansas for alma mater North Carolina, he did so for in excess of $2 million per year. The ultimate irony of extra-long term contracts is that, after the first year or two, they never seem to stop a coach who truly wants to leave from doing just that.

Colleges could regain control of coaches' salaries by being more confident in their ability to replace a winning coach. Instead, they tend to act as if only one man in the country is capable of properly directing their basketball program.

It's an unusual, almost desperate way of thinking, and not at all a cheap one.

 

AD to focus on Gillen soon
Littlepage says status of coach will be top priority after season
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Mar 2, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- If the Virginia Cavaliers end up back in the National Invitation Tournament, there might be a return engagement for Devin Smith and Elton Brown. Otherwise, though, the U.Va. seniors' last game at University Hall will take place tonight.

This could be Pete Gillen's final home game there, too.

After last season, U.Va. officials, over the objections of many fans and alumni, chose to retain Gillen as coach. Athletic Director Craig Littlepage told The Times-Dispatch yesterday that no decision has been made about Gillen's status for 2005-06. It's clear, however, that whatever support Gillen enjoyed at U.Va. heading into this season has steadily evaporated.

"I am a little beaten up, stressed out," Gillen told Washington Post columnist John Feinstein last month. "This takes its toll over time. I still love what I'm doing. I love coaching these kids, but I know what people are saying. I know what's going on."

U.Va.'s 15,000-seat John Paul Jones Arena is scheduled to open for the 2006-07 season. In January, Littlepage told reporters that for the "project to reach a successful conclusion, we're going to need for everything to be on target. . . . We're going to need the [basketball] teams' performances to be on an upswing. We need for the enthusiasm to be growing among our fans and our student body. Everything needs to be moving in a positive direction."

Gillen's program appears headed the other way. Virginia (4-10, 13-12) plays host to ACC rival N.C. State (6-8, 16-11) tonight at U-Hall, from which many fans have stayed away this season. The Cavaliers have dropped 10 of their past 14 games.

Virginia lost to Villanova in the NIT's second round last year. After that game, nearly two weeks passed before U.Va. announced that Gillen would return this season.

Littlepage is a member of the NCAA's tournament selection committee. He'll miss the ACC tournament and will be on the road at NCAA tourney sites for much of this month.

Asked yesterday if his review of Gillen would take as long this year, Littlepage said, "It's hard to say, although I can say that when our season is over, it'll be the No. 1 priority without regard to the NCAA tournament and other things. My primary responsibility is our own program, our own department, and this has to get my immediate and full attention.

"The other part of that is making sure I get it right and that we get it right."

Gillen, 57, has six seasons left -- after this one -- on a contract that pays him about $900,000 annually. In his seven seasons, the Cavaliers are 117-90. Under Gillen, Virginia has advanced to the NCAA tournament once (in 2000-01) and to the NIT four times.

To be assured of returning as coach in 2005-06, Gillen needed to at least guide the Cavaliers to the NCAA tourney this season, numerous sources have told the T-D.

On New Year's Day, Virginia was 8-1 and looked very much like a team headed back to the NCAAs. It was ranked No. 25 nationally and had beaten such teams as Arizona, Richmond, Northwestern and Auburn. But Wake Forest routed Virginia at U-Hall on Jan. 2, and two weeks later forward Jason Clark, a starter and co-captain, left the team for academic reasons.

After beating Western Kentucky in double overtime Jan. 5, U.Va. lost seven of its next eight games. Against North Carolina on Jan. 29, Virginia, playing at home, trailed by 50 points with 5 minutes left.

"I thought like many that it was a season of great promise and optimism, and there seemed to be great enthusiasm that was being built around the club going into December," Littlepage said. "Everything seemed to be falling into place. Even with the challenging nonconference schedule, we were certainly stepping up.

"So to be sitting here at 4-10 is disappointing, but nonetheless there's still a lot that this team can play for in terms of these last two regular-season games and then the ACC tournament, with the chance to still win a championship.

"We'd like to think it's never over till it's over."

 

ACC proves to be overrated
ACC basketball - Four underachievers
By CAULTON TUDOR, Staff Writer

The most enlightening moments of the ACC basketball season may have occurred Nov. 22.

Florida State, playing at home that day, lost to Texas A&M- Corpus Christi, and Georgia Tech, which got to the 2004 NCAA final, survived a game at Illinois-Chicago by one point.

The conference will wrap up its regular season this weekend, but it long ago became obvious that the ACC is a lot weaker than anyone could have imagined when the season's first Associated Press poll ranked Wake Forest No. 2, Georgia Tech No. 3, North Carolina No. 4, Duke No. 11, Maryland No. 15 and N.C. State No. 19.

Only three of those teams -- Carolina, Wake and Duke -- have locked up NCAA bids. Maryland and Georgia Tech are on the bubble, and N.C. State on the ropes.

ACC VS. OTHER LEAGUES

Here's how ACC teams have fared this season against non-conference opponents:

Atlantic 10: 8-3

Big East: 3-6

Big Ten: 8-2

Big 12: 2-2

C-USA: 3-2

Mid-American: 1-2

Pac-10: 3-1

SEC: 9-2

West Coast: 1-2

non-ACC ranked teams: 9-6

(AP, N&O RESEARCH)

THE RPI RATINGS

Here are the top 15 leagues according to the Rating Percentage Index. The NCAA uses the RPI when selecting its tournament field. This list is an independent duplication of the RPI, as of Monday.

1. Atlantic Coast .5773

2. Pacific-10 .5705

3. Big 12 .5665

4. Big East .5653

5. Southeastern .5577

6. Big Ten .5529

7. West Coast .5457

8. Missouri Valley .5378

9. Mid-American .5312

10. Conference USA .5306

11. Mountain West .5156

12. Sun Belt .5123

13. Western Athletic .5047

14. Colonial Athletic .5019

15. America East .4979

SOURCES: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL NEWS

Virginia, after mauling Arizona in its second game and rising to No. 19 in early December, has tumbled so far so fast that coach Pete Gillen probably will be fired.

What went wrong?

The decline can be only partly blamed on injuries and illnesses. Although almost every team in the league has lost at least one key player for a game or more, Big East teams have suffered their share of injuries and mishaps, too.

The Big East is 6-3 against the ACC this season -- and the better league from top to bottom, in my view, despite a lower RPI rating.

The truth is that the ACC was overrated from the start. The lofty expectations stemmed from Duke and Georgia Tech reaching the Final Four last year, plus Maryland, N.C. State, Florida State, Virginia, North Carolina and Wake Forest getting most of their starters back.

For proof that the conference was overrated, look no further than the success of expansion teams Miami and Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes went 4-12 in the Big East last season, and that was with leading scorer Darius Rice, a senior.

In their first ACC season, the Canes will finish no worse than 7-9.

Virginia Tech went 7-9 in the Big East last season but lost Bryant Matthews, who averaged 22.1 points. With one game left, the Hokies are 7-8 in the ACC, and have beaten Duke and won at Georgia Tech.

Injuries and illnesses aside, the ACC's most disappointing teams have been undermined by recurring flaws.

GEORGIA TECH: More than from B.J. Elder's injury, the Yellow Jackets have suffered from a lack of offensive improvement by Luke Schenscher, Isma'il Muhammad and Anthony McHenry. Those three seniors must have spent the summer at the driving range. They've provided no evidence they did a lot of work in the gym.

N.C. STATE: Not all of the Wolfpack's problems can be blamed on Tony Bethel's sickness. The rest of the players showed up with their "C" games against St. John's, West Virginia, Virginia and Florida State. That goes to a lack of preparation and motivation.

Had the Pack won those four games -- three of which were played in Raleigh -- it would be 20-7 overall and 8-6 in the league.

MARYLAND: Losing D.J. Strawberry hurt, but losing twice to Clemson hurt a lot more. What ever happened to the John Gilchrist who sliced through Wake, NCSU and Duke in last season's league tournament?

VIRGINIA: Elton Brown probably will wind up as the league's third-best rebounder, and he was the team's best player when injuries sidelined fellow senior Devin Smith. But since Smith's return, Brown has all but gone into an offensive shell.

Where does that leave the ACC in the race for NCAA Tournament bids? Minor adjustments in the Rating Percentage Index could make it more difficult for middle-tier teams in major conferences to get at-large bids. And any ACC team with fewer than eight regular-season conference wins doesn't have much of an argument.

Even an 8-8 mark might not be good enough for Virginia Tech, with non-conference losses to Virginia Military Institute, St. John's and Western Michigan, or NCSU, with those losses to St. John's and West Virginia.

On reputation alone, the ACC probably will receive five bids, maybe six. But once you get past the big three, it's all subjective. If the other eight just keep sloshing along, it's hard to argue that any of them really belongs in the national tournament.
 

Wake's Paul fights frustration
Deacons star says he has become a target for physical foes
By LORENZO PEREZ, Staff Writer

WINSTON-SALEM -- Chris Paul's slow burn boiled over again Sunday afternoon.

Dribbling up the court against Virginia freshman Sean Singletary's aggressive bump-and-run coverage, Paul already had shot a few glares at officials and their silent whistles. So when Virginia center Elton Brown floored the 6-foot, 175-pound Paul with a forearm between the shoulder blades -- after a whistled foul on Singletary -- Paul paused face-down to pound the court with both fists.

After Wake's 90-68 win, teammate Justin Gray joked that Paul was paying tribute to the Oscars with some overacting on the tumble. Paul made it clear, however, that he feels as if the number "3" on his jersey has been replaced by a target for aggressive defenders who think they can physically intimidate him.

"It's kind of funny to me," Paul said after the Virginia game, "because a lot of times, guys will take a cheap shot, and the referees will tell me to stop what I'm doing. It just sort of gets old."

Paul spent the summer lifting weights to add bulk to a slender frame built more for speed than bull rushes through the lane. Most teams' attempts to knock Paul off course or spark his temper -- the All-America candidate has two technical fouls this seasons -- have backfired. Against Virginia, for example, Paul finished with 17 points, five assists and four steals.

With the No. 4 Demon Deacons (24-4, 11-3 ACC) facing Georgia Tech (16-9, 7-7) at home tonight, however, Paul is still trying to crack the Yellow Jackets' defensive code. In three previous games against Georgia Tech, he has scored a combined 20 points on 4-for-23 shooting. In Georgia Tech's 102-101 overtime win over Wake on Jan. 27, the Yellow Jackets sicced 6-foot-6 forward Isma'il Muhammad and 6-7 forward Anthony McHenry on Paul and harried him into a 2-for-11 shooting performance that ended with eight points, seven assists and three turnovers.

Wake coach Skip Prosser said Monday that he tries to gauge Paul's frustration during games and will motion him over occasionally to the sideline for a calming word or two.

"It's not that cryptic," said Prosser, who was whistled for his first technical this season Sunday while arguing for a foul against Brown on the collision. "I bring him over and say, 'Chris, don't lose your poise.'

"I just try to get him to settle down and play basketball. It's OK to get fouled. Don't think you're above being fouled. ... He has to understand that a loss of poise would hurt our team."

Prosser said he occasionally has to remind his sophomore point guard, who frequently can be found in the middle of whatever scrum breaks out between Wake and its opponent, that "it's not you against him. It's us against them."

Paul said he has tried to get used to the defensive strategy of physical play against him.

"I used to say stuff back, but now I just shake my head and say, 'I don't know what to do,' " Paul said. "One of the officials just said, 'Don't talk to me, don't talk to me.' So, you've just got to play and pray to God you're not going to get hurt."

As far as bodyguards go, Paul could do worse than teammate Eric Williams. The 6-9, 270-pound junior said Paul knows his teammates have got his back, but Williams does not worry too much about him.

"I think people are trying to really, I guess you could say, for lack of a better term, 'chump' Chris a lot. It's not going to happen. You're not going to get in his head," Williams said. "Sometimes it's like, why try? Why can't you just play basketball? It's not going to work. He shows that all the time. He always keeps his cool. He always comes back, and when you do that, you're just making it worse for yourself, because he's just going to come out and play harder."

Seniors rally for final hurrah
After contributing heavily to Cav success last two years, captains Brown, Smith and fellow seniors play final home game of their career
Mike Speight, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

It happens every year, to every coach, in every sport. The time comes when fans must say goodbye to their beloved seniors and move forward with young talent. This year is no different for the Cavaliers. Tonight in University Hall, Virginia will try to send their seniors out with a win, giving Cavalier fans something to look forward to for next season.

As hard as it is for some Cavalier fans to wave goodbye to Elton Brown and Devin Smith, they must. Despite the team's struggles this season, the two captains have played a significant role throughout their careers at Virginia.

Both have started for two seasons and were named All-ACC Honorable Mention last year. The pair is once again vying for all-conference selection after averaging 12 and 16 points, respectively, in conference play. Together Brown and Smith have provided a nice inside presence since Gillen made the switch to a three-guard offense by averaging eight and six rebounds, respectively.

Virginia began the season relying heavily on the team's senior leadership, which seemed to be a relatively good strategy after key wins over Arizona and Richmond. But after a string of losses early and a constant struggle to keep out of last place in ACC throughout the year, Gillen was forced to look elsewhere for leadership.

Freshman Sean Singletary and sophomores T.J. Bannister and Gary Forbes have been some of the only bright spots throughout this difficult season. Singletary has been the consistent floor general for Virginia, while Bannister and Forbes have come on very strong as of late, helping Virginia win three out of its last six ACC games. Against Wake Forest, Bannister tied his career high with 15 points and kept Virginia close throughout the first half.

"I could always shoot, but coming here I had to change up my game and be more of a passer," Bannister said. "It's just about me getting my confidence back."

While Forbes and Singletary had off games against a stingy Wake Forest team this past weekend, it seems that they are due for a turnaround against N.C. State tonight. The duo has shown consistent scoring and leadership throughout the year, averaging close to 10 points per game in conference play.

"He [Sean] got hurt, sprained an ankle, hobbled off the floor, came back and hit a three," Gillen said. "That shows you how hard he works. He's a freshman point guard playing against some great players in a tough atmosphere."

Despite the shift in leadership and Virginia's apparent desire to build for next year, the younger players have realized that sending the seniors out on a positive note is more important then looking too far ahead.

Bannister specifically has said that it is important to keep working hard because they want to make sure the seniors are able to go out on a good note.

Hopefully for Cavalier fans, Virginia's seniors can rekindle the leadership they once had this season and come together under the lights for one final Wahoo-wah.

Cavs try to color Orange with shades of blue
Annual regular season battle against No. 14 Syracuse provides Virginia squad chance to build early momentum
Walker Freer, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Sports rivalries are born out of annual clashes, level competition, recruiting wars and offseasons full of workouts with revenge in mind. In any sport, the top echelon of teams continually run into each other in the postseason, which forms rivalries between schools that otherwise would only play in passing.

For the Virginia men's lacrosse team, the Syracuse Orange fit this description perfectly. Dating back to 1995, Virginia has faced Syracuse four times in the playoffs. In 1995, the then-Orangemen defeated the Cavaliers in the NCAA semifinals 20-13. In 1999, Virginia returned the favor, beating Syracuse 12-10 to win the National Championship. In 2002, Virginia fell 12-11 in double overtime to Syracuse in the semifinals of what went down as one of the best NCAA tournament games ever played. In 2002, Syracuse went on to win the National Championship over Princeton.

"We're really looking forward to [the game]," junior midfielder Kyle Dixon said. "Syracuse is a big matchup for us."

As far as natural rivals go, Virginia Tech does not have a Division I team, automatically eliminating Virginia's arch-nemesis. With only four lacrosse teams in the ACC, Virginia's schedule is annually chock full of out of conference powerhouses.

Yesterday, due to the six inches of snow that was dumped on the Charlottesville region, the Cavalier's game against Denver was postponed.

"We were all disappointed because we wanted to beat them really bad," red-shirt freshman goalie Michael Petit said. "We were all looking forward to it, especially after last year."

Hopefully the Cavaliers will get another shot at the Pioneers later this season, but due to the proximity of the two schools, scheduling could be an issue.

This weekend, Virginia travels to Syracuse, N.Y., where no matter how much snow falls, thanks to the wonders of the Carrier Dome, the game will be played.

Although Virginia won on its last trip to the Dome in 2003, they had lost the three prior away games, dating back to 1995.

"It's really intimidating," Dixon said of the overall feel in the Dome. It doesn't help visiting opponents that the Orange's average attendance against Virginia is around 10,000.

Syracuse, who is ranked No. 3 by "Inside Lacrosse" magazine, won its first game of the season Saturday, 9-4, against visiting Army. Brain Crockett is the only returning starter on attack for the returning National Champions. He scored four goals and added one assist against Army. Crockett is filling huge shoes left by Mike Powell, the youngest of the three Powell brothers. All three attended Syracuse and gave the Virginia defense fits.

The Cavaliers will return home for a game against Princeton next Saturday. While Virginia already has two games under its belt and will have a third by the time the two teams meet, the Tigers do not play their first game until this weekend against Johns Hopkins.

Unlike their previous opponents, neither Syracuse nor Princeton will roll over for Virginia as Drexel and Manhattan did.

"These are two [games] that definitely up the level of play for us," sophomore goalie Kip Turner said.

Following the two-game stretch, fans and players alike should have a better feel for just how good this team is. Unlike their fans, Virginia's players don't need to question the team's ability.

"I feel we're ready," Dixon said. "A lot of the young guys have stepped up. A lot of the older guys have taken leadership roles. The team is coming together."

Junior, freshman compete for opportunity to fill big shoes
Miles, McBrearty give Cavs two keepers ready to act as last line of defense
Adrian Vigil, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

It is the most common preseason story in sports -- a battle between two players for a starting position.

Only in the rarest of cases does a team enter a season knowing exactly who will line up on the field on opening day. The Virginia women's lacrosse team is no exception. Despite coming off a championship season and returning nine starters, the Cavaliers have a battle for one of the most important positions on the field -- goalie. Junior Ginger Miles and freshman Kendall McBrearty currently are battling for the opportunity to take over between the pipes for graduated goalie Andrea Pfeiffer.

There appears to be an open competition for the starting role. Both Miles and McBrearty spent an equal amount of time in goal during last month's Charles Street Challenge, a series of scrimmages hosted by Loyola College. Both players played a half each in all three scrimmages.

After that competition, Virginia coach Julie Myers stressed the importance of using the entire preseason schedule to make her decision.

"We open [on March 4th], so we still have practice opportunities," she said. "We were looking at a lot of things, but on a day like today we hope the players would separate themselves."

McBrearty, a native of Alexandria, Va., is one of only four freshmen on Virginia's roster. In high school, St. Stephen's/St. Agnes in Northern Virginia, McBrearty was named a U.S. Lacrosse All-American in her senior season. McBrearty also helped her team win four Independent School League titles.

Miles, the older of the two players, has seen action in both of her seasons with the Cavaliers. She has appeared in 14 games for Virginia and allowed 19 goals. Last year, she played in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In that appearance, Miles did not allow a goal to be scored as the Cavaliers defeated Mt. Saint Mary's 19-2. On her career, Miles has a save percentage of .490.

Regardless of who wins the starting job, both McBrearty and Miles will be playing behind a strong defensive unit that returns all of the starters from last season. With that experience on the defensive side of the field, the Cavaliers have reason to be confident despite the uncertainty of who will be starting.

Virginia's season starts this weekend with a trip north to Syracuse to battle the Orange, a team that beat Virginia a year ago. Syracuse is ranked No. 12 in the nation and won its opener 17-4. Whoever is in goal for the Cavaliers will have to face some intense pressure, but the Cavalier defenders feel they can help their goalie.

"Whether it be Ginger or Kendall that's in the goal, they're both going to be new to the big game situations, so [the experience of the defenders] is really important," senior Elizabeth Pinney said. "Hopefully, we can make it easy for our goalie."