Iavaroni drawing more interest at UVa
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
March 22, 2005

It’s been a full week since Pete Gillen stepped down as Virginia men’s basketball coach and the search for his replacement is proceeding well, according to Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage.

Littlepage, appearing on the Cavalier Call-In radio show Monday night, said that he’s encouraged and that the search process is going “very well.”

Littlepage, who will be at the NCAA Tournament’s Chicago Regional this weekend in accordance with his duties as a member of NCAA men’s basketball committee, has said the search will last four to six weeks.

Littlepage spent last weekend in Cleveland watching first-and second round contests at that site.

Sources told The Daily Progress on Monday that Virginia has its sights on Kentucky coach Tubby Smith and the entire search process will become more active if and when Smith’s Wildcats are eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s Austin Region, faces Utah in the regional semifinals Thursday.

One source told The Daily Progress on Monday that Virginia is simply “waiting for Tubby.”

Virginia would likely need a strong financial package to lure Smith - if that’s possible - from one of nation’s most prestigious jobs at Kentucky. Smith is under contract until 2011 with a sliding salary structure that ultimately makes his total compensation approximately $2.4 million a year.

Smith was asked about his interest in the Virginia vacancy during a press conference Friday.

“No, I don’t have a thought about that job. I’m very happy where I am,” Smith said. “I’m sure Virginia is a very good job for someone.”

Smith’s comments about the Virginia job are quite similar to those made by other coaches thought to be on Virginia’s short list. Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Texas’ Rick Barnes and Mike Montgomery of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, have all been quoted almost identically in regard to the UVa opening. Some of those comments were more emphatic than others, particularly Montgomery.

John Heisler, Notre Dame’s senior associate athletic director of media relations, told The Daily Progress in an e-mail that Virginia has not contacted the school to speak to Brey and that “Mike just signed a second contract extension last fall. I think he has made it clear he is staying at Notre Dame.”

While waiting for Smith, sources indicated that another candidate whose support is growing among Virginia officials is Phoenix Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni. Iavaroni, a 1978 UVa graduate and an integral member of Virginia’s lone ACC title team in 1976, is in his third season with the Suns. In total, Iavaroni is in his eighth season as a NBA assistant with previous stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.

Iavaroni, who has been lauded for his work with big men such as former NBA Rookie of the Year Amare Stoudemire, has had only two collegiate coaching stops. He was a graduate assistant for Terry Holland during the 1980-81 season and later served two seasons (1992-94) as an aide to former UVa assistant coach Jim Larranaga at Bowling Green.

There would be some natural complications with Iavaroni, who just recently signed a contract extension with Suns, if he indeed ultimately was Virginia’s choice. The Suns currently have the second-best record in the NBA’s Western Conference and are poised for an extended playoff run. That could mean that Iavaroni, similar to current Notre Dame football coach and former New England Patriot offensive coordinator, could accept the Virginia position but not actually be on the job as it were until June or even July.

Sources indicated that Virginia officials have even already had very preliminary discussions for a contingency plan for such a scenario.

Tubby dashes rumors of move to Virginia
By Jerry Tipton
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

INDIANAPOLIS - Like Easter eggs and dogwoods in blossom, Kentucky basketball has its own rite of spring. That would be its coach being rumored as a candidate for another job.

In the case of current Coach Tubby Smith, that job is at Virginia this spring.

During a news conference yesterday, Smith was asked whether he had been contacted by Virginia and what thoughts he had on succeeding Pete Gillen.

"No," he said before adding, "I don't have a thought about that job. I'm very happy where I am. I'm sure Virginia is a very good job for someone."

Speculation on the Internet and news outlets had indicated that Virginia placed Smith atop its wish list. In eight seasons at Kentucky, he's won five Southeastern Conference regular-season championships. Only Adolph Rupp (27) and Joe B. Hall (eight) have won more.

Smith has also won seven Eastern Division titles and five SEC Tournament crowns. The latter ties Smith with Rick Pitino and Wimp Sanderson for the second most (Rupp won 13).

 

Big changes await Cavs next season
Analysis
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

In his last news conference of any duration, Pete Gillen described his Virginia men's basketball team as both "Jekyll and Hyde" and "Hekyll and Jekyll."

One is a mystery that deals with dual identity. The other is a cartoon.

Take your pick. They both apply.

In the coming weeks, UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage will be talking to potential Gillen successors and trying to sell them on the idea of taking over a team that finished 14-15 this past season and failed to make the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season.

Moreover, the Cavaliers will be without the three seniors who made up their starting frontcourt for the first half of the season, although one of them, Jason Clark, was declared academically ineligible Jan.19.

Virginia lost 10 of its last 15 games without Clark and, in Devin Smith and Elton Brown, also must replace its No.1 and 2 scorers.

There's another thing. While Virginia technically could add another player to its three-man fall signing class, the Cavaliers will not have a scholarship senior next season, so the grant-in-aid committed to Blue Ridge School junior Steven Kendall is the last one available for 2006-07.

In other words, if there is a turnaround imminent, it will take place with existing talent - either returning players or recruits signed or committed. Opinions inside the UVa athletic department are mixed, but there is no disputing the fact that Virginia tied for last in the ACC this year.

On the other hand, there has seldom been as much talent in the ACC, at least in the years since teenagers started turning professional with great regularity. Virginia might find a more level playing floor next year if a half-dozen or more ACC underclassmen make themselves available for the NBA.

Certainly, Virginia isn't about to lose anybody to the NBA, although some people might find the Cavaliers' young talent attractive. Freshman point guard Sean Singletary was an ACC all-freshman selection and his fellow 2003-04 signees, Adrian Joseph and Tunji Soroye, also found their way into the starting lineup.

Clark's loss and Brown's inconsistency also created an opportunity for Jason Cain, a 6-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore who played nearly 16 minutes per game over the last 14 games, starting seven.

Soroye (6-11, 210) started both of UVa's ACC Tournament games and had nine rebounds and seven blocked shots in 32 minutes.

If nothing else, Virginia will have no shortage of post candidates, including 6-8, 245-pound Donte Minter, who scored in double figures six times as a freshman but was hampered by knee and hand injuries this year.

Of the two inside players who signed with UVa, 6-8, 250-pound Lithuanian Laurynas Mikalauskas from the Blue Ridge School is more likely to provide immediate help than 6-10 Coloradoan Sam Warren. Warren averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds this year at Cherry Creek High School.

If the Cavaliers can find somebody who can rebound and convert easy shot opportunities, the perimeter should be able to hold its own. In Singletary and rising juniors J.R. Reynolds and Gary Forbes, the new coach will have three players who scored between 9.4 and 10.7 points per game, and had between 20 and 51 made 3-pointers.

Forbes can be spectacular one minute, witness back-to-back 23- and 21-point games against Virginia Tech and North Carolina, and mediocre the next, as demonstrated when he scored six points and two points in two ACC Tournament games. With 4.1 rebounds per game, he is Virginia's top returning rebounder, a sign of his versatility.

T.J. Bannister, with 201 career assists, is a backup point guard with the benefit of 21 career starts. Joseph could increase his value by hitting the weight room and the boards, but he and recruit Mamadi Diane offer athleticism and multiple skills on the wing.

Many administrative decisions have been based on the 2006 opening of UVa's new 15,000-seat, $129 million basketball home, the John Paul Jones Arena. As a result, the Cavaliers will visit Arizona and Gonzaga next season so that the Wildcats and 'Zags can help fill the new building in 2006-07.

At last report, UVa also needed to raise close to $35 million, with the possibility that some donations will be tied to the selection. As far as filling the building, it would help if the Cavaliers could show improvement next season.

Toward that end, the new coach probably will need to get some more out of the returning players than Gillen did, which, in the end, is the reason the Cavaliers are looking.

Will U.Va. take on a Marc of success?
Former Cavs standout Iavaroni is among hoops job possibilities
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Mar 22, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A week has passed since the University of Virginia announced that Pete Gillen was stepping down as its men's basketball coach, and his replacement has yet to be hired.

No surprise there. Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said he expected the search to last four to six weeks. Furthermore, Kentucky is still alive in the NCAA tournament.

Wildcats coach Tubby Smith remains at the top of U.Va.'s wish list, sources told The Times-Dispatch. Littlepage isn't commenting publicly on specific candidates, but he emphasized Sunday that no coach "whose team is playing would be contacted before their season concluded."

Kentucky's season could end as late as April 4. Whatever the date, U.Va. officials realize it will be difficult to lure Smith, a Maryland native and former Virginia Commonwealth assistant, away from one of the nation's most storied programs. So if Virginia fails in its attempt to land Smith, what then?

Speculation has been rampant that the Cavaliers would pursue Texas coach Rick Barnes, who nearly became Terry Holland's successor at U.Va. in 1990. But sources said many U.Va. officials haven't forgiven for Barnes for his 11th-hour withdrawal in '90 and have no desire to court him again.

Don't be surprised if Virginia eventually turns to one of its own -- Marc Iavaroni, a former NBA player who starred for Holland in the 1970s.

Iavaroni, who as a sophomore in 1975-76 helped U.Va. win the ACC title, is in his eighth season as an NBA assistant coach. He's in his third year with the powerful Phoenix Suns. The closer U.Va. officials look at Iavaroni, a source said, the more they like what they see.

Late in Iavaroni's playing career at U.Va., Littlepage was one of Holland's assistants. As a graduate assistant at Virginia in 1980-81, Iavanori worked with Littlepage.

In a phone interview from Atlanta yesterday, Iavaroni said U.Va. has not contacted him and that he's not sure if it will.

"I respect the hell out of Craig, and he probably has a very, very strong list in front of him," Iavaroni said.

Iavaroni signed a new contract with the Suns last month, and it includes a clause that would allow him to pursue a head-coaching position in the NBA. He said he'd be interested in talking to U.Va. officials about the school's opening.

"Sure, that's a given," Iavaroni said. "I have too much respect for them to not listen and find out where they're at and if I can help them in any way, shape or form. But right now, my thoughts are 100 percent on the Phoenix Suns, and I don't want to put the cart before the horse."

Iavaroni, who's known for developing big men, has limited experience in college coaching. In addition to his stint at U.Va. as a graduate assistant, he spent two seasons working for Jim Larranaga at Bowling Green in the early '90s.

Like Barnes, Mike Montgomery was a candidate during Virginia's star-crossed coaching search in 1990. Montgomery, who had a tremendously successful run as Stanford's coach, has indicated that he's not interested in the U.Va. job this time. He's in his first season as coach of the Golden State Warriors, a much-improved team since the acquisition of Baron Davis.

Asked by the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times last week if the vacancy at U.Va. interested him, Montgomery said, "Absolutely not. I have a job." According to sources, he's been saying the same thing privately.

Littlepage, who appeared on the Cavalier Call-in radio show last night, is headed to the NCAA tournament's Chicago Region this week. Members of the NCAA's selection committee, such as Littlepage, have responsibilities at tournament sites. He flew home from Cleveland on Sunday.

Asked about his search for a new coach, Littlepage said, "I would say generally the process is going very well. I'm encouraged."

The ghosts of Virginia's basketball past
Joe Lemire, Columnist

With college athletes only on campus for four or five years, fans are accustomed to their team's uniforms being filled by a revolving door of names and faces. In the case of the Virginia men's basketball program, that door has been revolving a bit faster than normal, as seven scholarship players transferred to new schools during Pete Gillen's tenure alone.

Ever wonder what happened to these vagrant players? I didn't think so, but I hope that you humor me, regardless. Armed with Google, LEXIS/NEXIS and a telephone, I've done my part to track down the whereabouts of these nearly forgotten athletes.

Maurice Young -- Few students on Grounds still remember the playing days of Young, who competed only as a freshman during the 2000-2001 season. He was twice named ACC Rookie of the Week.

He transferred to St. Bonaventure in January 2002, where he most likely will be remembered more for being a member of the team who chose not to play its final two regular season games in 2003 rather than for his contributions in 2004, when he ranked third on the team at 11.7 points per game. Instead, Young was among the St. Bonaventure players who chose to forego their final two games in 2003 after the team was forced to forfeit all of its wins that season when the NCAA ruled they had used an ineligible player.

He graduated last spring with a degree in journalism/communications and is now working in video production at ESPN.

J.C. Mathis -- The prized recruit from New York never panned out in Virginia after starring at John F. Kennedy High School in Brooklyn. The two-year player averaged just 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 57 games for Virginia in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.

Mathis transferred to Michigan, where he was elected team captain by teammates for his first season of eligibility in Ann Arbor. As a senior this year, he played in 20 games, starting three, and averaged 1.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. In his final collegiate game, he played 13 minutes and did not score but recorded seven rebounds and, in all likelihood, countless pump fakes.

Mathis, who graduated with a degree in sports management and communications, hopes to continue playing basketball either in Europe or in minor professional leagues in the U.S.

Keith Jenifer -- The troubled point guard was averaging 5.6 points and 5.5 assists per game as a sophomore before he was suspended from the Virginia team in February 2003 for conduct detrimental to the team. He started 29 of his 48 games for the Cavaliers before transferring to Murray State. With the Racers this past season, Jenifer ranked third in the Ohio Valley conference with four assists per game.

Jermaine Harper -- The two-year player for Virginia and classmate of Jenifer had the distinct privilege of enjoying a winning conference record this season as a starting guard for Cal St. Fullerton. The Titans logged a 12-6 mark in the Big West and currently have a Sweet 16 NIT matchup against Georgetown on ESPN tonight at 7 p.m.

Nick Vander Laan -- Vander Laan spent two years on Virginia's Grounds yet was only able to play one season after transferring from California, but he made very little impact for the Cavaliers in 2002-03.

Vander Laan, however, had great success the following season after transferring to Concorida University in Irvine, Calif. The 6-foot-10 center was named the Golden State Athletic Conference's Player of the Year. After playing just 42 minutes in six games for the Golden State Warriors' summer league team, Vander Laan went to Europe, where he currently is on the inactive roster for Anwil Wloclawek in the Polish League.

Derrick Byars -- The only scholarship player of Virginia's class of 2006, Byars left the Cavalier program after his sophomore season. He started 34 of his 62 games at Virginia but never developed into the go-to offensive threat Gillen projected him to be. Mired in a logjam at small forward, Byars transferred to Vanderbilt where he will have two years of eligibility beginning with the 2005-06 season.

Majestic Mapp -- The former McDonald's All-American whose U.Va. legacy will be remembered more for his chronic knee injuries than his limitless potential, rejuvenated his basketball career this year at Division-II West Georgia, helping the Braves to a 23-7 record. An All-Gulf South East Conference first-team selection, Mapp was his team's leader in minutes per game (35.0) and points per game (18.2), which was good enough for fourth in the conference.

Virginia's Bateman makes most of second chance
Transfer grad student from Penn State searches for illusive national championship
Walker Freer, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Rob Bateman has done this whole college thing before. But it's the one thing he missed on his first go around, a national championship, that's brought him back for a second try.

The senior on the Virginia men's lacrosse team graduated last year from Penn State with a degree in real estate management. With his undergraduate degree taken care of, Bateman now is a University graduate student enrolled in the Professional Development program, which is run through the Curry School of Education.

Lacrosse has always been part of the long stick midfielder's life, starting when he was born in lacrosse-obsessed Baltimore, Md. and continued at Hereford High School where he earned All-American honors. Bateman then was named a second team All-American in 2003 at Penn State while leading it to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.

Bateman played three seasons for the Nittany Lions and earned a reputation as one of the best long stick midfielders in the country before straining his hamstring entering his senior season.

"I kept trying to come back every couple weeks," Bateman said, "It didn't seem like it was something that was serious, but it was. It just kept reoccurring."

Prior to his injury, Bateman had no intention of attending graduate school. But with one year of eligibility remaining, his focus turned towards finding a university with a lacrosse team and a graduate program that fit his needs. That university happened to be Virginia.

"Virginia was a school that was more accommodating," Bateman said. The graduate program "gave me some leeway so I could take the classes I wanted and still be eligible to play."

Fast-forwarding to a year later, Virginia is 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, a complete turnaround from last season. Is it possible that the addition of Rob Bateman is exactly what the Cavaliers needed? Virginia coach Dom Starsia seems to think he's had something to do with the turnaround.

"That long stick [midfielder] sometimes gets a chance to create offense for the team," Starsia said. "He can take advantage of some unsettled transitions."

For those unfamiliar with the position, long stick midfielders play on a midfield line with other short stick players but are allowed to use a defenseman's stick. This means that there is an extra long pole on the field, an advantage that can be invaluable, especially when a player is as comfortable with the long pole on offense as he is on defense, as Bateman is.

"He has a real sense of anticipation of finding the open man, of knowing where guys are around him," Starsia said.

On a team full of role players, Bateman fits right in. He's only had three assists on the season but has started all six games and has 19 ground balls. He also is used frequently on face-offs, combining with senior midfielder Jack deVilliers to create a formidable duo.

Although the addition of a veteran newcomer, especially one who is only eligible for one year, could have been rough on Bateman as well as his teammates, he's had no problems.

"I couldn't ask for better coaches, a better team or a better place to use my last year of eligibility to try to win a national championship," he said.

Saturday, Bateman will return to Johns Hopkins' Homewood Field, a place he frequented in his youth as a student of the game. This time though, being a player instead of a mere observer, he hopes to impart one thing upon the Blue Jays -- This is his second shot at a national championship, but this time he won't leave empty handed.