Alive and kicking
Virginia rallies to top Miami, advance to ACC Quarterfinals
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
March 11, 2005

WASHINGTON - Two things we know for sure: J.R. Reynolds plays best in the ACC Tournament and Pete Gillen will live to coach another day.

J.R. Reynolds, mired in shooting slump for much of the past month, scored a career-high 32 points to lift

No. 11 seed Virginia to a 66-65 victory over sixth-seeded Miami in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Thursday at the MCI Center.

The Cavaliers (14-14) now advance to face third-seeded Duke in today’s quarterfinals at 9:30 p.m.

“I thought our kids played very hard. They refused to lose tonight. We didn’t play well but we dug down and made enough plays to win,” said Gillen, who is now 2-6 in ACC Tournament games.

For Reynolds, Thursday’s performance extended what is a brief but nevertheless impressive career in ACC Tournament games. Reynolds had

18 and 20 points, respectively, in Virginia’s two ACC contests last season in Greensboro. Reynolds is now averaging 23.3 points per ACC Tournament game, far above his career average of 9.7.

That’s confounding enough but considering that he entered the game having misfired on 44 of his last 55 shots from the field, it’s down right perplexing.

Reynolds commented Monday that he has been given quite a bit of advice on his shot and mechanics, but it was necessary for him to figure it out on his own.

Obviously, he did that.

“I was just trying to let it come to me. I wasn’t trying to force anything. I just tried to do the things I’m capable of doing,” Reynolds said.

Added Gillen: “J.R. was superb. He was sensational.”

Guillermo Diaz led Miami (16-12) with 20 points but was 0 for 6 from behind the arc. He was harassed all evening by the Virginia trio of T.J. Bannister, Reynolds and Gary Forbes. Virginia’s defense overall was good the entire game, especially in the second half as the Hurricanes shot just 24.1 percent as they were puzzled by Virginia’s changing schemes that, at times, featured a triangle and two.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well and Virginia kept changing their defenses. We rushed a few shots and also missed some open ones,” Miami coach Frank Haith said.

Despite all of Reynolds’ efforts, the Cavaliers almost made them for naught with a frantic final minute.

After trailing 34-30 at halftime and facing a six-to-seven point deficit for most of the second half, the Cavaliers made their final surge with less than five minutes to play.

Reynolds made a driving layup to make it 61-59 in favor of Miami with 3:22 remaining.

The Cavaliers had moved to within two or three points on two other occasions in the final 10 minutes but had been repelled by Miami baskets. There was almost a sense that one stop and Virginia could seize control of the game.

Finally, it came.

After the Hurricanes misfired on their end, Elton Brown snared the rebound and handed it off to Sean Singletary. Singletary sped up court and found Devin Smith, who at that point was 1 for 9 from the field, on the right wing. Smith buried the trey and Virginia had the 62-61 lead.

“I knew that shot could make or break our season. I try to do anything I can do to help the team win and even though my shot wasn’t falling, I had the confidence to make that one,” Smith said.

Virginia would not relinquish that lead but it was hardly easy the rest of the way.

A jumper by Singletary pushed the lead to 64-61 with 1:22 remaining. Then Singletary made 1 of 2 from the stripe for a 65-61 advantage.

Guillermo Diaz made a pair to make it 65-63 but then Smith made just 1 of 2 at the line for the tenuous 66-63 lead with 30 seconds left.

As is his philosophy when holding a three-point lead late in a contest, Gillen instructed his team to foul Miami before it attempted a trey. Smith fouled Diaz, who went to the stripe and converted both attempts.

“We were up three and had the lead. Diaz is a great 3-point shooter and so is [Robert] Hite. We didn’t want them to hit a 3 and tie it. That is our strategy at the end of the game,” Gillen said.

Of course, Virginia then proceeded to show why that is not always the best notion.

Reynolds threw away the ensuing inbounds pass and Miami scooped it up. The Hurricanes then promptly called a timeout with 18.5 seconds remaining.

Diaz controlled the ball for much of the final possession and then dished it off to an open Anthony Harris in the corner. Harris’ 3-point attempt bounded off the rim and when time expired, the 5-foot-11 Gillen showed off his best vertical with a jump of elation.

“I’m an emotional guy. … It was exciting. The season is over if he makes that shot,” Gillen said.

Instead, Gillen and the Cavaliers both have another day to coach and play.

Reynolds rises from slump to key Cavs' win
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 11, 2005

WASHINGTON - In a city where catching heat is a daily routine, embattled Virginia basketball coach Pete Gillen and his last-place Cavaliers weathered the storm for another day in the 52nd ACC Tournament.
Amid strong rumors that Gillen will be fired on Monday in a meeting with UVa Athletics Director Craig Littlepage, he coached like there was no tomorrow as the Cavaliers upset sixth-seeded Miami 66-65 in the tournament’s opening round. With the win, a 14-14 Virginia team will meet third-seeded Duke this afternoon in the quarterfinals.

To the rescue
On a night when the Cavaliers needed a hero, perhaps the most unlikely figure emerged from a horrible shooting slump to save the day.
Sophomore J.R. Reynolds had been mired in an inexplicable offensive funk for the past few weeks. In the eight games leading up to the ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers’ shooting guard had found his target only 15 times in 67 shots. For the mathematically challenged, that’s a putrid 22.4 percent.
He couldn’t have thrown a beach ball into the ocean while standing on the shore and nobody could figure out why.
Gillen’s coaching staff broke down film, trying to find a technical flaw. Coaches hung around for extra shooting practice as the Roanoker tried to shoot his way out of the slump.
It was a true dilemma for UVa’s staff. The team was suffering from a lack of scoring and while coaches talked about keeping faith in Reynolds, they couldn’t ignore the truth. He was killing them with his lack of production.
“Your two guard has to make shots,” Gillen said earlier in the week. “He has to give you 10 or 12 points a game in order to take the pressure off the inside guys.”
With a loss ending Virginia’s season, Reynolds came out determined as he walked onto the floor.
“You could see it in his eyes,” teammate Sean Singletary said. “You could tell J.R. was determined to have a good night.”
Down 6-3 early, Reynolds changed the complexion of the game quickly by hitting his first three shots in a span of 2:20. He drilled two 3-pointers and a short jumper as he turned the MCI Center into his personal shooting gallery.

Erasing bad memories
When he was done, Reynolds had scored a career-high
32 points (tying for third-most ever by a Cavalier in ACC Tournament play), blowing away his previous high of 21. In a matter of 40 minutes, of which he played all but one, Reynolds had erased the personal hell that had shadowed him through the breadths of the ACC.
In that span, he hit almost as many shots as he had made in the previous eight games, hitting 10 field goals, only five less than in those games he’d rather forget. For the record, he connected on 10 of 14, including 5 of 7 from Bonusphere.
It was a different Reynolds, the one that everyone had expected to see all season long. He was more aggressive, opting not to settle for just the
long-range bombs, but driving closer for short jumpers or driving to the basket, sometimes drawing the foul.
“J.R. was spectacular,” said Gillen, who was befuddled with Reynolds’ previous shooting woes. “He kept us in the game. Without him, we lose by double figures.”
This time Reynolds befuddled the opposing coach. Miami’s Frank Haith could never find an answer for stopping Reynolds.
“We tried to switch defenders on him all night,” Haith said. “He was just in a rhythm. Diaz was best on him but got into foul trouble and that caused a dilemma on who to put on him. We put other guys on him for defense, but that made it more difficult for us on the other end of the floor and that made [Reynolds] very difficult to defend down the stretch.”
For Reynolds it was a night to remember. He had been benched at Florida State and took it personally. He couldn’t help but feel singled out, although UVa’s coaches didn’t have many other options.
Once again it showed that when jump shots go in, all of a sudden the coaching looks a lot better.
If the burden of missing shots and watching the offense fall apart around him wasn’t enough, Reynolds’ woes were akin to a baseball player going through a hitting slump. Everyone has advice. Do this, do that. Try this way.
Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.
Reynolds never lost his confidence. He knew the problems would end eventually.
While scouting Virginia for the game, Haith said he saw nothing wrong with Reynolds’ techniques. The shooting form looked good, the rotation on the ball checked out. Gillen had noticed that there might be a little too much left hand affecting the shot and that Reynolds tended to raise his head when releasing the ball.
After launching thousands of extra shots in an attempt to make all the problems go away, Reynolds finally found the mark and fought off the frustration.
“It was very frustrating,” Reynolds said. “I had a roller coaster season. But I looked at the [ACC] Tournament as a fresh start for me. No matter what happened in the past, I was starting over.
“I had no doubts. I believe in myself more than anybody, so I knew I was capable of doing it,” Reynolds said. “It was just a minor thing. Everybody was giving me advice and I just had to step back from all that and tell myself that I knew myself and my shot more than anybody.”
Once the first few shots swished the nets, Reynolds was feeling it. Bad news for Miami.
The Hurricanes built a nine-point bulge in the second half, the only stretch of the game where Reynolds was relatively quiet. Once he found the range again, the Cavs were alive.
During his 11-point flurry that cut Miami’s advantage to 61-59 with 3:22 to play, none of them came on 3-pointers. They derived from slashes into the paint for easier scores or from free throws after the Canes fouled him.
Some night down the road, Gillen will probably close his eyes and wonder what might have been had Reynolds and some other Virginia players had produced like this down the home stretch of the season.
But for now, there’s Duke to play and no tomorrows left if Reynolds & Co. don’t do it again.

ACC Tournament notebook
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 11, 2005

WASHINGTON - Asked about another chance to play Wake Forest in today’s quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, North Carolina State’s Julius Hodge didn’t have a lot to say.
“I’m looking forward to the game,” Hodge said after the Wolfpack eliminated Florida State.
Hodge was angered when State lost to Wake last weekend in a game where he hit the floor after getting slugged in the lower abdomen by Deacons’ point guard Chris Paul. Paul was suspended for today’s game after Wake officials reviewed film of the incident.
Not only was Hodge upset about the incident, but the fact that security attempted to throw his brother out of the building. Hodge’s brother, who was there for Senior Day, was corralled by security when he rushed onto the floor after Hodge went down from Paul’s blow.
Asked if Paul’s absence from today’s game will have any effect on State’s game plan in attacking fill in Taron Downey at the point, Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek wasn’t about to give away any secrets.
“We’ll address all that back at the hotel [Thursday] night when we start preparation for that game,” Sendek said.

Home sweet home? No wonder Maryland’s Gary Williams has barked long and loud about the ACC Tournament being held in the state of North Carolina too much and how that has favored the teams that hail from the Tar Heel state.
Of the previous 51 ACC Tournaments, the four Tobacco Road schools, UNC, Duke, N.C. State and Wake Forest, have won 43 of them. Carolina has captured 15 titles, Duke 14, N.C. State 10 and Wake four.
However, North Carolina-based teams have won five of the seven events played outside their state.
Ironically, UNC, N.C. State and Virginia are the only schools with winning records in ACC Tournaments played in Maryland and Georgia.
The Cavaliers’ only title came at the Capital Centre in Landover, Md., back in 1976, the first time the event had been held outside the state of North Carolina.

Attention grabber. North Carolina coach Roy Williams said before the ACC Tournament that he has a proven method for getting his team’s attention when he doesn’t believe he’s getting the effort he expects.
“The only thing you can do is keep emphasizing and keep pushing, and keep emphasizing and keep pushing,” Williams said. “Every now and then you can throw in a threat.”
His favorite threat is as old as the game itself.
“We’ll run until somebody throws up and it ain’t going to be me,” Williams said. “I can get down in the gutter pretty easily.”

ACC impact. So, after a year in the league, what has it meant to Miami and Virginia Tech basketball ?
Miami’s attendance was up 95 percent in conference games this season and 69 percent overall.
And the Hokies?
Coach Seth Greenberg’s statement said it all as he pointed out a full house in the team’s last home game against Maryland last weekend.
“Just look at the Cassell [Coliseum]. Our students are out, spring break has started and it’s a packed house,” Greenberg said. “That’s what the ACC has done for us. To be part of this conference has been a large boost for our program and it’s unbelievable the ownership the community and students have taken in it.”

Some present. Maryland coach Gary Williams turned 60 years old a week ago today, but didn’t get much of a birthday present from his team as the Terps were ousted in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Thursday.
Williams is a young 60 and said he has no plans to retire any time soon and hopes to coach until his knees give out and he can’t work the bench anymore.
“You think how lucky you are because you’re still doing what you like to do,” Williams said. “There’s still a lot of older guys coaching than me.”

Trophy Gate. Future ACC member Boston College is leaving the Big East with a bang after the Eagles seemingly were snubbed by league commissioner Mike Tranghese.
Tranghese showed up at Connecticut with a Big East championship trophy to present to the Huskies, who clinched a share of the league’s regular-season title last Saturday. But there wasn’t any trophy presentation for Boston College.
BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo took exception.
“It was not surprising and very petty that the commissioner and the Big East Conference would go to Connecticut and present their coaches and players with a championship trophy and not do the same for our players, coaches and fans,” DeFilippo said. “Our coaches and players had nothing to do with our move to the ACC. If they wanted to blame somebody, they should blame me and take it out on me.”
Tranghese said the league did not intend to slight BC, but that didn’t appease DeFilippo.
“You know, [Tranghese] is certainly entitled to his opinion,” DeFilippo said. “Fact is, he didn’t show up for our game, so you can figure that one out.”

Von voyage? Was Thursday afternoon’s loss to N.C. State the farewell appearance by Florida State sophomore Von Wafer?
Frustrated over lack of playing time toward the end of the regular season, Wafer has been noncommittal about whether he will transfer after the season.
“I’m just going to go into the summer and work hard,” Wafer said.
He averaged a mere 13.5 minutes of playing time in his last four regular season games.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with,” said Wafer, a former McDonald’s All-American. “I’m used to being out there on the floor.”

Free throws ... Maryland, which bowed out of the ACC Tournament on Thursday’s opening day, lost its last four games and defeated only one winning team (Virginia Tech) in the last 40 days ... A football note: former Virginia All-American offensive tackle Jim Dombrowski is one of 75 players listed on the 2005 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A ballot. Dombrowski, who later starred for the New Orleans Saints, was a unanimous first-team All-American in 1985 and was voted onto the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team. ... With rumors of a possible dismissal of Virginia coach Pete Gillen after the season, the personable Brooklyn native’s name has already been linked to another job opening ... Sienna. That school fired its head coach this week and the Albany, N.Y., newspaper mentioned Gillen as a potential replacement there, although sources close to the Virginia coach said he would not be interested. ... According to our pal, Barry Jacobs, three of New York City’s five boroughs are represented among the league’s coaches assembled at the MCI Center for this weekend’s tournament: UVa’s Gillen, a Brooklyn native; Virginia Tech’s Greenberg, who is from Manhattan; Miami’s Frank Haith, who was born in Queens, and Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt, who grew up there. ... This marked the 10th time Virginia has been the ACC’s bottom seed: 1954, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1977, 1985, 1999, and 2004-05.

Bottom seed sprouts
J.R. Reynolds' 32 points leads the Cavs' upset of the 'Canes.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

WASHINGTON - You might have thought Virginia's J.R. Reynolds was in a state of denial to hear him downplay his shooting slump earlier this week.

Turns out, he knew what he was talking about. With his team's season on the line and his coach's future at stake, Reynolds delivered in a big way Thursday night, scoring a career-high 32 points in leading UVa past Miami 66-65 in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

"J.R. was spectacular" said UVa coach Pete Gillen, whose job status has been the topic of considerable speculation. "Without him, we lose by double figures."

And, in all likelihood, Gillen would have been gone. Thanks to Reynolds, he lives to coach another game as 11th-seeded Virginia (14-14) faces third-seeded Duke (22-5) at 9:30 tonight at the MCI Center.

Gillen, who could be called "Perspiration Pete" under the most ordinary circumstances, really had to sweat Thursday night as Miami guard Anthony Harris missed a 3-pointer with five seconds left and the Hurricanes (16-12) were unable to control the tip.

It was the ninth loss in the last 13 games for Miami, which had won in Charlottesville earlier in the season, 91-80.

Virginia came into the tournament on a five-game losing streak and trailed by nine points, 44-35, early in the second half. The Hurricanes were killing Virginia on the boards and finished with a 47-33 advantage.

Miami led 51-45 after Raymond Hicks' second 3-pointer of the game and fourth of the season with 10:20 left, but the Hurricanes managed only one field goal the rest of the way.

Miami shot 24.1 percent in the second half and 31.3 for the game, which was the low against Virginia this season.

"They had 22 offensive rebounds," Gillen pointed out. "Without so many easy stickbacks, they might have shot 28 or 29 percent."

Virginia shot 44 percent from the field, but that was deceiving. Reynolds was 10-of-14 from the field and the rest of the team was 12-of-36.

Reynolds, whose previous high was 21, had shot 22.4 percent from the field and averaged six points in the previous eight games.

"When crunch time comes, players have got to step up," UVa senior Elton Brown said. "I don't think anybody thought it would be him, but I'm glad it was. He put us on his back and carried us."

Gillen had discussed the possibility that Reynolds was seeing too much playing time, but he never came out of the game until a timeout with 1:50 remaining. Reynolds guzzled liquids as a trainer tried to massage cramps out of his back and thigh.

Reynolds went back in the game during a timeout with 35.4 seconds left and was involved in a turnover when his inbounds pass to Devin Smith went awry with 21 seconds left and UVa leading 66-65.

"It was missed communication," said Reynolds, a sophomore from Roanoke. "I don't want to think about what it would have been like to lose after that."

Harris got a good look from the corner, but it was short. Brown then batted the ball away from the hoop as time ran out. On the sideline, Gillen did a pirouette before rushing to shake the hand of Miami coach Frank Haith.

"I'm an emotional guy," Gillen said. "I get excited when I play dominoes. I cry when supermarkets open."

No one was begrudging him Thursday night.

UVa comeback a nice change of pace
Commentary by Aaron McFarling
The Roanoke Times

WASHINGTON - "And a few cheers now for Rocky Balboa!"

"Suddenly, Moscow is full of Rockys!" OK, so the MCI Center isn't exactly enemy territory for the Virginia Cavaliers. And Miami isn't exactly a supervillain in the mold of Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV." Come to think of it, this is probably a pretty terrible analogy.

But the underdogs did capture the hearts of many here. The Cavaliers did turn a bored, divided crowd into a one roaring unit with their second-half comeback.

And dang it, good for them.

Let's face it. In the big picture, Virginia's 66-65 win Thursday over the Hurricanes in the ACC Tournament means very little. It's not going to save coach Pete Gillen's job or scrub away the stubborn stains of a bad regular season.

But it was fun. It was exciting. And that ought to be enough for one day.

For a moment, let's throw our cynicism in the garbage. Let's skim past a lame first half, past all those missed free throws, past Gillen's questionable timeouts, past Miami's 22 offensive rebounds, past the rumors and whispers of who will be the next coach of the Cavaliers.

Instead, we take you straight to the winning locker room.

Virginia guard T.J. Bannister was standing next to his locker, rolling his eyes as he absorbed the playful insults of teammates. Someone asked him how much different this felt than recent postgames. He grinned and pointed to assistant coach Walt Fuller.

"Look," Bannister said. "He's over there text-messaging his wife."

He pointed to another assistant, Alexis Sherard, who was on a cell phone.

"He's probably talking to his wife, too," Bannister said. "See that? It's just a great atmosphere. It feels good."

Yes, call everyone. Text everyone. Spread the word. Virginia wins! And it wins in the most improbable of fashions, with slumping Roanoker J.R. Reynolds slumping no more, scoring a career-high 32 points. It wins after it trailed by nine points in the second half. It wins despite a late turnover that could have been a fitting end to a bad season.

Oh, the turnover. How gut-wrenching would that have been? Reynolds was the one who threw the bad pass, setting up one final shot for Miami. That's the same Reynolds who had galvanized UVa, the same Reynolds who scored 16 points in each half and so badly needed a positive finish to a rough year.

"But the whole time," UVa sophomore Jason Cain said, "everybody was just telling J.R., 'It's fine. We're going to win this. We're there for you. You've been there for us the whole game. We're going to take care of you now.'"

And wouldn't you know it, they did. They defended the final 19 seconds as well as they had all season, forcing a tough 3-pointer by Anthony Harris that was off the mark. A few bats at the rebound and it was over - Gillen was leaping high in the air, senior Elton Brown was pumping his fist and a crowd of more than 20,000 was standing and cheering.

Yes, an ACC tournament crowd was united. How 'bout that? All those fuddy-duddies with so much money and so little enthusiasm had decided, right about the time UVa made its run, that they were going to let loose and pull for the little guy.

And they helped. Folks in N.C. State red and Carolina blue and Wake Forest gold, they helped the Cavaliers believe. For a team that drew only 7,482 fans to its own arena on senior day, this was a wonderful change.

"But trust me," Brown said. "Tomorrow the world will be against us."

Yep. Probably. But for one night, it wasn't. And you know what? It was actually kind of nice.
 

UVa men's basketball needs to be relevant again
No media follows 'Hoos to Florida
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

As I left an interview Monday with slump-ridden Virginia basketball player J.R. Reynolds, I was struck with the thought, "Here's a guy who could use a fresh start."

Reynolds could use a fresh start; coach Pete Gillen, widely linked with the Siena job that came open Tuesday, could use a fresh start; even the media could use a fresh start.

Making a late-night trip to The Roanoke Times offices Monday night, I ran into news-side reporter and editor Tad Dickens, who was having a smoke outside the front door. Dickens asked me what Virginia was going to do with Pete Gillen and then said, "I always thought he was a good guy."

Gillen is a good guy, though not the joy to cover that I would have anticipated when he was hired seven years ago. He was known for the quips that appeared on TV sound bites, but he was frequently inaccessible and quick to avoid tough questions.

The capper came Monday, when UVa sports information director Rich Murray advised a media gathering that Gillen only would be answering questions about the team and the upcoming ACC Tournament. In other words, he would not address the issue that was No. 1 on everybody's mind -- his job status.

Fortunately, the players were talking. Senior center Elton Brown, rarely available at postgame sessions in recent weeks, was at his outrageous best. When he said that UVa would have finished fourth in the ACC if Jason Clark had not flunked off the team, that ignored the fact that the Cavaliers were 0-4 in the ACC before Clark was declared academically ineligible.

On top of that, Clark was not healthy at the time of his suspension. In his last two games, he went scoreless in back-to-back outings against Miami and Duke, playing 10 minutes in one game and seven minutes in the next. Gillen said this week that he isn't sure there was a time this season when Clark wasn't affected by a sore Achilles tendon.

Nevertheless, in a double-overtime victory over Western Kentucky on Jan. 5, Clark played 42 minutes and had 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. In the next game, he had eight points, five rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals at Georgia Tech.

There was not a time after Christmas when Virginia had a healthy Jason Clark and a healthy Devin Smith at the same time, and, not long after scoring 19 points against Wake Forest in the ACC opener, freshman Adrian Joseph was lost for six games with a quadriceps injury.

With Smith, Clark and Joseph at the peaks of their games, Virginia probably wouldn't be 4-12 in the ACC, but it's hard to say that the Cavaliers would be 8-8, or whatever it would have taken to get in the NCAA Tournament or save Gillen's job.

Even Gillen said this week that injuries are part of the game and the Cavaliers weren't alone. B.J. Elder, a first-team All-ACC choice in 2003-2004, missed more than half the ACC season for Georgia Tech. North Carolina kept winning despite the loss of Rashad McCants, and Maryland lost D.J. Strawberry starting with the same game that Virginia was without Clark.

Plus, Clark's suspension was for academic purposes, and, unlike injuries, luck isn't really a part of that. Do you blame Clark for not staying on top of his academics, or do you blame the staff for not staying on top of Clark?

Word has it that the staff did what it could, even accompanying Clark to class, but he had been placed on academic warning at the end of the first semester in 2003-2004 and a second warning resulted in an academic suspension. He no longer is enrolled in school.

Among other issues, Virginia men's basketball has become increasingly irrelevant, as happened at the end of Jeff Jones' eight-year coaching tenure in 1998. Pensacola (Fla.) sportswriter Bill Vilona said that the Virginia-Florida State game this past Sunday represented a first, the first time an ACC opponent had come to Tallahassee, Fla., without a media following.

(It should be mentioned that Florida State often has traveled to opposing ACC venues with negligible or nonexistent media coverage from its home state. There was one time when one reporter accompanied the Seminoles to Charlottesville, only to be told "no comment" by Bob Sura after a late-game miscue).

In all fairness, Charlottesville reporter Andrew Joyner had every intention of covering the game until he was involved in an auto accident on his way to the airport. The Roanoke Times requested credentials but a reporter's services were needed for regional girls' coverage.

With a new 15,000-seat facility to build and to fill in two seasons, Virginia needs for there to be a buzz about men's basketball again, which is one reason Gillen could be gone as early as next Monday. However, with a losing record heading into the ACC tournament, Gillen hasn't exactly made athletic director Craig Littlepage's decision any tougher.

AS OUT OF CHARACTER as it was, Roanoke radio show host Greg Roberts informed me the other day that Virginia's Al Groh had been named the most overrated coach in the ACC by the Football News.

I'd have to know where Groh was rated in order to comment on whether he is overrated. I don't think of Groh has overrated, but the idea that a publication would call him "overrated" is the latest indication of the growing chasm between Groh and the media.

Starting last summer, Groh has made it apparent that he has little use for the media and, granted, the media can't win any games for him. But, if there's any indication that high-school coaches or recruits or fund-raisers can be influenced by what is published or televised, then Groh has some public-relations issues to consider.

Krzyzewski frets about lack of MCI court time
3-11-05
By Jeff Carlton Staff Writer
News & Record

WASHINGTON -- Duke won't have much of a chance to check out the shooting sight lines and rims at MCI Center before playing in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals tonight.

That was Mike Krzyzewski's mild lament earlier in the week, because the Duke coach knew that whichever team the Blue Devils played, they'd have at least that one advantage.

Virginia's J.R. Reynolds took to the unfamiliar surrounding of D.C.'s downtown arena right away, escaping a late-season slump, scoring 32 points and rallying the league's last-place team past Miami, 66-65, Thursday night.

"The one thing that's different for this tournament that's different than all the other ACC tournaments is the fact that you won't be able to get on the floor before your game," Krzyzewski said of the expanded, 11-team format. "There, of course, is a disadvantage playing on Thursday. But the advantage is in three of the games, that team will have had experience being on the floor, just feeling comfortable with the surroundings."

Duke, which flew into town after practicing in Durham on Thursday afternoon, will be adjusting to the atmosphere at game time. And it will still be adjusting to life without injured guard Sean Dockery, who will miss his fourth straight game because of a torn knee ligament. If Virginia (14-14) is to win its third ACC Tournament game in the seven-year -- and endangered -- Pete Gillen era, the Cavaliers' guard play will be critical.

The pressure will be on freshman point guard Sean Singletary in particular.

Singletary had one of his better games in the Cavs' only previous meeting with Duke, scoring 21 points in an 80-66 loss. He steered the ball to the hot hand, Reynolds, all night against Miami. Singletary hit a runner that put UVa up 64-61 on Miami with 1:22 left and made a free throw for a four-point lead in the final minute.

He hopes Dockery's absence is beneficial to the Cavaliers. Freshman DeMarcus Nelson has been forced to do more ball-handling and to guard the perimeter more. That will be especially true against UVa's three-guard lineup.

Of Dockery, Singletary said: "He's a great on-the-ball defender. Without him, we're just going to continue to attack, attack, attack.''

Krzyzewski said this week that he'd like to get forward Shavlik Randolph more repetitions with the Duke starters, and he'd like to work forward David McClure more into the regular rotation in preparation for the NCAA tournament.

Virginia hopes Reynolds can go toe-to-toe with Duke's J.J. Redick tonight. And the Cavs hope they give Gillen some job security, if it's not too late.

"Coach Gillen's gone through a lot," Singletary said. "We love him. He's stuck with us, and we've stuck with him."

Victory feels right for Gillen, Cavaliers
Published March 11 2005
David Teel

WASHINGTON -- Oh, sure. So now Virginia starts winning ACC tournament games for Pete Gillen. Now the Cavaliers ride an improbable career game and stage a second-half comeback.

Good for them. Good for Gillen. They needed a moment like this. Heck, given all the grief they've endured, self-imposed and otherwise, maybe they deserved a moment like this.

Virginia defeated Miami 66-65 in the opening round of the ACC tournament Thursday. The Cavaliers' season and Gillen's coaching tenure figure to end near the witching hour tonight, after a quarterfinal against Duke. But for one evening the Cavaliers, the bottom seed of this 11-team clambake, got to revel in a victory over an opponent that harbored NCAA tournament aspirations.

Gillen got to jump like a human pogo stick after Anthony Harris misfired on a last-second 3-pointer. And his players got to smile and joke, exhale even, in a relaxed postgame locker room.

"Just to have another day to play basketball is great," senior forward Devin Smith said. "I'm not ready for our season to be over yet."

You didn't think they cared? You thought they'd packed it in after a pitiful defeat in the regular-season finale at Florida State extended their losing streak to five? You weren't alone. The Cavaliers were 13-14 and doomed to their first losing season since 1998-99, Gillen's first in Charlottesville.

But with few exceptions, Virginia's efforts this season have been above reproach. Results are substandard, tactics questionable, but at least the Cavaliers are trying.

"We played hard," freshman guard Sean Singletary said. "We just have to do the same tomorrow night because Duke is beatable."

Well, let's not get carried away. The Blue Devils, indeed, are beatable, just not by the Cavaliers.

Singletary was insistent.

"We're going to trust Coach Gillen to get us to the Promised Land," he said.

Hey, cut the kid a break. We all have our bouts with denial.

Virginia officials and faithful once thought Gillen could transport the program to the Promised Land of consistent national rankings, ACC title contention and NCAA tournament appearances. But his first six seasons produced one NCAA bid and one ACC tournament win, that last year against last-place Clemson.

Not good enough. Not nearly good enough.

Year Seven would be a referendum.

The referendum and the Gillen Era went irrevocably bad two months ago against ... Miami.

The Cavaliers were 8-3, but 0-2 in the ACC, the second week of January. With road games looming at Duke and Maryland, they needed to hold serve at home against the Hurricanes. They didn't, collapsing defensively in the second half of a 91-80 defeat.

The 0-3 ACC start became 0-5. The season, and Gillen, were doomed. An NCAA tournament bid, the more-than-reasonable standard he needed to reach, was unreachable.

And so Gillen will depart, his seven-year tenure defined by the one NCAA appearance (first-round loss to Gonzaga in 2001) and countless disappointments. The roots of his demise - skittish game management, questionable recruiting, weak scheduling, departures of trusted assistant coaches - are well-documented, but give Gillen, his staff and his team this: They will depart on their terms.

There was sophomore guard J.R. Reynolds (36 points combined in previous six games) scoring a career-high 32 points Thursday. There were the Cavaliers, the ACC's worst defensive team, harassing Miami (16-12) into 24.1-percent second-half shooting and rallying from a nine-point deficit.

And there was Gillen, coaching like a madman, out of desperation and/or defiance. He started freshman Tunji Soroye at center and played some gimmick defense (triangle-and-two). He barked louder and more often at dubious whistles, of which there were many.

"He wants to win as bad as anybody I know," Smith said of Gillen.

Thursday he did, his team did, and after a difficult season in which Gillen remained above the message-board and media-speculation fray, victory felt right.

Perhaps it will ease the sting of an inevitable separation.

Cavs live for another day
Reynolds puts U.Va. on his back; Smith hits key 3-pointer to beat Miami
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Mar 11, 2005

WASHINGTON -- From the left corner, Anthony Harris launched a 3-pointer as Virginia forward Jason Cain leaped in his direction in a last-gasp attempt to distract the Miami guard. Five seconds remained, and the Cavaliers led by a single point. Pete Gillen held his breath.

"The season's over if he makes that shot," said Gillen, whose tenure as U.Va.'s coach almost certainly would have ended, too.

Harris' shot hit the rim. U.Va. center Elton Brown, unable to grab the rebound, knocked the ball off the backboard. Players from both teams battled for the rebound, but no one could control it. The horn -- after what must have seemed like an eternity to Gillen -- at last sounded, and he leaped for joy, his team's first-round victory in the ACC tournament secure.

"Coach Gillen deserved this win," freshman point guard Sean Singletary said after 11th-seeded Virginia rallied to edge sixth-seeded Miami 66-65 last night at MCI Center.

For this victory -- only their second in the ACC tourney in seven seasons under Gillen -- the Cavaliers have J.R. Reynolds to thank. The sophomore guard from Roanoke, who missed all six of his field-goal attempts in Virginia's regular-season finale, scored 32 points last night on 10-for-14 shooting. His previous high was 21 points. Reynolds drained a career-best five 3-pointers on a night and mixed deft drives with those long-range bombs. He was the only Cavalier to score more than nine points.

"Without him we lose by double figures," Gillen said.

The Hurricanes start three guards, including Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite, who rank second and third among ACC scorers, respectively. The third is Harris, the point guard. Against U.Va., which mixed man-to-man defense with a triangle-and-two, the trio was a combined 11 for 41 from the floor. Miami shot 24.1 percent from the floor in the second half and 31.3 percent for the game.

And so the Hurricanes (16-12), losers of three straight, are headed to the NIT. Virginia (14-14), which snapped a five-game losing streak, advances to meet third-seeded Duke (22-5) in today's 9:30 p.m. quarterfinal.

"Everybody expects us to lose, but that's good for us," said Brown, who contributed nine points, seven rebounds and a career-best three blocked shots in 31 minutes off the bench.

For much of last night's game, U.Va. looked like a team headed for an early exit from the ACC's first 11-team tourney. With 9:48 remaining, Diaz (20 points) made two free throws to stretch Miami's lead to 53-45. But the Cavaliers, led by Reynolds, never stopped believing, never stopped battling.

"We were going down hard, but J.R. kept us in the game," Gillen said.

U.Va. closed to 57-53 on Reynolds' two free throws with 6:09 left. He scored on a drive at the 5:00 mark, and Virginia was down 59-57. Another drive, with 3:20 to play, pulled the Cavs to 61-59.

With 2:50 remaining, senior forward Devin Smith, the ACC's fifth-leading scorer, missed a 3-point attempt that would have given Virginia the lead. Twenty-two seconds later, Smith got another chance. He was 1 for 9 from the field at that point. He didn't hesitate.

In transition, Smith took a pass from Singletary and let fly a 3-point attempt from the right wing. It dropped through to put Virginia up 62-61, and Miami never regained the lead.

"I want the ball in that situation," said Smith, who ranked his trey as the most memorable of the numerous clutch shots he's made in three seasons at U.Va.

Singletary scored on a pullup jumper to make it 64-61 with 1:20 remaining, but the final minute didn't go smoothly for the Cavaliers. After Smith made 1 of 2 free throws with 29.6 seconds left, giving U.Va. a 66-63 lead, he was called for a foul. Diaz's two free throws made it 66-65 with 22.2 seconds left, and then Anthony King picked off an inbounds pass from Reynolds that was intended for Smith.

"I should have called another play," Gillen said, "so I'll take the blame for that."

Miami called time with 18.5 seconds left and set up a final play. Hurricanes coach Frank Haith said his team wasn't looking for a 3-pointer, but that was the best option after two Cavaliers converged on Diaz. Virginia went to the triangle and two one last time, and it worked. Diaz passed to Harris in the left corner.

"He's the guy we wanted to take it," Gillen said. "We didn't want Hite or Diaz to beat us."

Cavaliers not ready to be done just yet
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW
Mar 11, 2005
Bob Lipper
Contact Bob Lipper at (804) 649-6555 or e-mail blipper @timesdispatch.com

WASHINGTON Don't order flowers. Don't mail the condolence cards. Don't call the priest. Hold the obituaries.

The Pete Gillen era ain't dead yet.

It was granted a reprieve by J.R. Rey- nolds and Jason Cain.

The hard news last night was that Virginia's Cavaliers outlasted Miami 66-65 in an ACC opener marked by numerous blemishes and one tenure's extension. The Cavs are now 14-14, their terminally-embattled coach has a date with Mike Krzyzewski tonight, a season on the brink of conclusion with 8½ minutes or so to go lurches on.

Last rites hung in the air until Anthony Harris' 3-pointer from deep in the left corner clanged off the rim and into a scrum of careening bodies and flailing arms. The horn sounded, Miami's troops sagged in resignation -- and Gillen gave a little kid's leap off the sideline and into a tournament's quarterfinals.

His future might not be up in the air, but he was.

"I'm an emotional guy," Gillen said. "It was exciting. It was a big game. The season's over if he makes the shot."

But Harris didn't, a season endures, and Reynolds and Cain were the guys who mostly made this development possible. They're a couple of sophomores, but that's where common ground ends. Reynolds is a sweet-shooting guard whose shot has been AWOL most of the year. Cain is a high-energy forward whose playing time and performances fluctuate wildly.

Last night, they were money. Reynolds' previous career high was 21 points. He had that many barely two minutes into the second half and finished with 32. He scored from long-distance and close range, and he delivered three foul shots and two driving layups in a stretch-run rally that trimmed U.Va.'s deficit from 55-48 with 8:57 left to 61-59 with 3:22 to go. Devin Smith buried a trey a minute later to give the Cavs the lead for good.

"J.R. just put us on his back, it's that simple," said U.Va. center Elton Brown. "He hit every big bucket. They went zone, and he started hitting jump shots. Once they went man, he took 'em off the dribble. He did everything."

The irony is Reynolds did nothing in his previous outing at Florida State five days ago -- zip-for-6 shooting, zero points, another downer during a season that saw his marksmanship decline from 44 percent as a rookie to 34.4. He was 10 for 14 last night, 5 for 7 from beyond the arc. 'Canes coach Frank Haith said Reynolds "was just in a rhythm tonight." The man of the hour didn't disagree.

"Coming into the game, I was struggling a little bit," he conceded. "I just kept my confidence. Once the first couple of shots started going in, I started getting my rhythm. My teammates did a good job of getting me the ball."

Cain's contributions didn't jump off the stat sheet. Fifteen minutes, four points, five rebounds, nothing to go wild over. But he trotted onto the floor midway through the second half when U.Va. was having no luck denting Miami's lead. And he immediately began snaring defensive rebounds and getting a hand on loose balls. He stole a pass. He scored on a tip-in.

And then, after Reynolds panicked some with 22 seconds left and tossed an inbounds pass that was intercepted -- it would've helped to have a timeout in that frenzy, but Gillen had called U.Va.'s last one a few seconds earlier -- it was Cain who launched his 6-10 frame at Harris to present an obstacle for the shot that could've sent the Cavs packing.

"I just go out and play hard," Cain said. "The whole year, that's what I've been trying to do -- play hard and try to do the little things people don't know about."

He shrugged. "A lot of times over the season, we had games where we were six or eight points down and we couldn't get over the hump. We had a lot of games where we couldn't get the breaks. Tonight, it worked out, I guess."

Worked out well enough to give his coach at least another 40 minutes on the job. And against a potent but depleted Duke entry. Say, you don't think . . . ?

Reynolds Gets Out of His Funk at the Right Time
By Michael Arkush
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, March 11, 2005; Page D09

The shots kept falling, one after another, shots that sophomore guard J.R. Reynolds had not been making consistently in a long time. Reynolds scored a career-high 32 points last night to keep the Virginia Cavaliers' season -- and perhaps his coach's tenure -- alive, at least for another 24 hours.

"I just kept my confidence," said Reynolds, who converted 10 of 14 attempts, including five of seven three-point shots. "My coaches and teammates believed in me. Once the first couple of shots started going in, I started getting my rhythm."

Virginia sophomore R.J. Reynolds swoops in for two of his career-high 32 points, helping Coach Pete Gillen keep the reins for at least one more game. (Joel Richardson -- The Washington Post)

Like a golfer who loses his putting stroke, Reynolds had been receiving his share of advice. In his previous eight games combined, he had scored 48 points. Against conference opponents this year, he shot only 31 percent. He had been struggling so much that Coach Pete Gillen started Gary Forbes ahead of him in last Sunday's regular season finale at Florida State. The Cavaliers lost, 68-63 -- their fifth straight setback.

Ultimately, though, Reynolds paid attention to the person he trusted most, himself. His 32 points were the most scored in an ACC tournament game by a Cavalier since Junior Burrough notched 36 in a first-round contest against Georgia Tech in 1995.

"I know myself better than anyone," said Reynolds, who averaged 9.9 points for the season. "I know my shot, and there's nothing wrong with it."

There certainly wasn't anything wrong with it against the Hurricanes. Reynolds missed his first attempt, but then knocked down his next three. Sean Singletary, his back-court mate, noticed the change.

"I could see it in his eyes," Singletary said. "Every time they would go on a run, he would want the ball. He had a lot of fire, a lot of fight. Great players shoot their way out of slumps. We knew we had to continue to go to him."

While Reynolds was hitting jumpers and driving down the lane, his teammates were struggling from the field. The rest of the Cavaliers combined to hit just 12 of 36 shots. They were made 14 of 23 free throws and were outrebounded 47-33.

"J.R. was superb," said Gillen, whose job security remains tenuous. "Without him, we lose by double figures."

Earlier this week, in assessing his team's fortunes, Gillen pointed out the problems caused by Reynolds's recent slump. Reynolds needs to shoot well, Gillen said, to take pressure off the inside players.

Mission accomplished, according to Virginia center Elton Brown.

"I don't know what he did tonight," Brown said, "but whatever he did, he can do it tomorrow, too. He's a great player. I was even screening for him tonight."

Miami Coach Frank Haith did not need to be convinced.

"You watch him earlier this year and you know that he is a very capable shooter," Haith said. "He got going tonight and got some confidence."

Reynolds said he hasn't experienced any doubts during his difficult stretch, but decided the ACC tournament was just the opportunity he needed.

"It was real frustrating," he said. "I had a roller-coaster season. This is a fresh start for me."
 

Canes leave with an ACC life lesson
LINDA ROBERTSON
lrobertson@herald.com

WASHINGTON -- For the first 35 minutes of their ACC tournament debut, the Miami Hurricanes played as if they were not overwhelmed by an event that is second only to the NCAA Final Four in college basketball pandemonium per square inch.

They were not intimidated by 51 years of history, nor awestruck by the icons of the sport wandering around the arena, nor unnerved by the most zealous fans in the nation.

But then, things started to unravel for the Hurricanes. Their nine-point lead over Virginia shriveled. They could not sink a shot. They got careless.

It seemed as if the audacity of their accomplishments as ACC newcomers had finally caught up to them. The weight of all that tradition dropped on them like a banner from the rafters.

The Hurricanes' inaugural ACC tournament trip ended abruptly and, in their minds, prematurely Thursday with a 66-65 loss to Virginia at the MCI Center. It ended before the top five seeds even took the floor. So, the date with Duke is off. UM now has to watch and wait for a National Invitation Tournament bid, its consolation prize for a season that once was on the verge of a stupendous turnaround -- from Big East tournament reject to NCAA tournament qualifier.

Well, almost.

Almost isn't good enough in the ACC. Miami almost overcame horrid 24 percent shooting in the second half, but could not produce a basket in the final 4:37. Miami almost overcame the hot hand of Virginia sophomore R.J. Reynolds, who scored a career-high 32 points -- 23 above his average.

1 POINT, BIG DIFFERENCE

One point was the difference, but as coach Frank Haith is fond of saying, it's the little things that determine outcomes in the ACC. Miami was the No. 6 seed, Virginia was last-place No. 11, and on a five-game losing streak, but in the end it was the Cavaliers who played like they've been here before.

''Virginia is the 11th-place team and they've got really good players,'' Haith said. ``That's the beauty of the ACC. You've got to be able to play night in and night out.''

It was an undistinguished day for the state of Florida. First, FSU played listlessly in a 70-54 loss to N.C. State. Then, UM collapsed.

FSU coach Leonard Hamilton looked like he just wanted this wearying season to be over and seemed none too happy to be back in the MCI Center, where he coached the NBA's Wizards to a total of 19 victories. His experiment with Michael Jordan made him rich, but it also lured him away from the UM program he had painstakingly rebuilt, and led him to Tallahassee, where he faces another construction project.

Both Hamilton and Haith grew up in North Carolina. They know just how intense the ACC tournament is, whether it is played along Tobacco Road or here in Washington's Chinatown.

GETTING NOTICED

UM made an impression in its first appearance. The pep band wore orange Hawaiian shirts. The Sunsations had the crowd gawking with very Miami dance routines that are, shall we say, more risqué than that of the other schools.

And everybody wanted to see the gallant, talented team that was picked to finish last but exceeded all expectations but its own.

On Thursday, Guillermo Diaz was not his usual levitating self, and he went 0 for 6 from three-point range. Robert Hite couldn't sustain his groove, and Anthony Harris made a killer inbounds turnover with 49 seconds left.

Virginia had nothing to lose, and coach Pete Gillen saved his job for at least one more day. Virginia's been at this a lot longer than UM -- 50 years in the ACC and 100 years playing basketball at the school founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson.

One measly point separated the blue-bloods from the new-bloods.

Almost. That's the thin line the Hurricanes are learning to walk in college basketball's premier conference.