UVa's Hagans could be one 'El' of a pick
Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 28, 2006

Ever since his senior year at Hampton High School, Marques Hagans has been compared to Antwaan Randle El. So, why stop now?
Both names came up often in the same sentence during Virginia's Pro Timing Day last week when a horde of NFL scouts showed up to work out several Cavalier prospects up close and personal. While left offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who could go as high as No. 2 in the draft, was the main attraction, scouts got a look at about a dozen prospects including Hagans, one of the most intriguing players in attendance.

Because Hagans is so versatile, NFL teams are looking at him with all sorts of possibilities in mind, thus yet another reference to Randle El, the former Indiana quarterback, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a wide receiver, who could also run and throw the ball in certain circumstances. Randle El recently signed a $30 million-plus free agent contract with the Washington Redskins.

Hagans, who was signed by Indiana to be the Hoosiers' next Randle El (the Indy QB was his host on Hagans' official visit there), ended up not qualifying academically, wound up at Fork Union Military Academy and later signed with Virginia. While Hagans was a backup to record-breaking passer Matt Schaub with the Cavs, he played a number of other roles until he replaced Schaub in 2004.

A multi-faceted player

"A lot of these organizations have had time to study [Hagans] to see what a really good football player he is," said UVa coach Al Groh. "How many guys can say that during the course of their career that they returned punts, they were the personal protector on the punt team, they covered kickoffs, caught passes out of the backfield, caught passes as a wide receiver, threw the ball and ran with it?"

Groh believes that when NFL teams combine those attributes with Hagans' locker room presence and his positive attitude, they'll fall in love with the guy just as he did.

If you listen to the scouts, there's a lot of interest in Hagans with the draft coming up in late April.

Scouts speak out

Tony Softli, Carolina Panthers: "I see [Hagans] as a Seneca Wallace, a former quarterback that is possibly a wide receiver or punt returner. And don't discount him as a quarterback just because he's short (NFL scouts measured Hagans an inch shorter than the 5-foot-10 he was listed at by UVa). He's a helluva quarterback who throws a very good ball. There's 32 flavors in this league and somebody's going to give him a shot at one of those spots."

Rick Reiprish, New Orleans Saints: "You really love a player like that. He has a lot of talent and ability as a quarterback. If you can convince a head coach that you can live with a guy who's not 6-2 or 6-3, the arm strength is there, the athletic ability is there, and he's really good on the move with the ball.

"You look back at his past and he's a wide receiver, he can return punts and do a lot of things for you. I think it's a great asset to have position flexibility. When you can bring in a guy who can do more than one thing, it solves problems on your roster. I see him as a Randle El-type of player, very similar."

Reiprish believes that a player such as Hagans could be a receiver but could also be used as a third running back in an offense and even move to backup quarterback in a pinch to finish a game.

Whatever the case, Hagans was ready for the scouts. He ran a pair of 4.56 times in the 40-yard dash and was satisfied with all the work he did before the NFL's eyes.

The time was better than the 4.59 he ran at last month's NFL Combine where he didn't perform to his own expectations, except perhaps in the non-physical portion of the testing. Hagans scored a 37 out of a possible 50 on the Wonderlic aptitude test, the fourth-highest out of 22 quarterbacks at the Combine.

According to NFL sources, the highest score by any player was 41 by Oklahoma defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek, the lowest score was 8 by several players. The average score for quarterbacks was 24.6, perhaps brought down by Virginia Tech's Marcus Vick, who scored 11, and Texas' Vince Young's 15 or 16 (USC's Matt Leinart scored a 35 on the short form intelligence test).

A trimmer Hagans showed up for the UVa Pro Day. Having played last season at between 205 and 212, he ballooned up to more than 220 when he went out west after the season to work out with other prospects. But he quickly trimmed down to a svelte 198 in two months.

He credited a nutrition class for showing him how to shop and eat correctly, which took a lot of dedication. While everyone around him at the workout camp in Arizona was loading up on carbs, Hagans restricted himself to the salad bar.

"Marques looked good, man, real good," commented UVa teammate Wali Lundy, who watched Hagans and other Cavaliers workout last week. Lundy, who did very well at the NFL Combine, chose not to participate in the UVa Pro Day.

"They kept Marques away from McDonald's," Lundy laughed.

And Sam's Kitchen, where Biscuit is more than something on the menu. He's a regular customer.

Perhaps that was only temporary.

"Today's a big day," Hagans said after the recent workout. "I'm going to go out and eat like crazy. We'll put it on [Ferguson's] tab."

While back in Charlottesville, Hagans has worked out with Lundy and former Wahoo tight end Heath Miller, who started as a rookie for the World Champion Steelers last season. UVa offensive coordinator Mike Groh and John Garrett, assistant head coach for offense and wide receivers, have also worked out with Hagans to enhance his draft status.

Now, it's a matter of working out and waiting.

Draft Day plans? Hagans already has them set.

"Gonna go fishing and get away from everybody's phone calls," Hagans said.

Well, all but one phone call ... the one that will determine his NFL future.

 

QB Olsen's time is now for Virginia
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
March 29, 2006

When Al Groh named Christian Olsen as Virginia's starting quarterback headed into today's first spring practice session, the announcement hardly blew anyone away.
Somebody from the large pool of quarterback candidates had to be ranked No. 1 and the logical choice at this point was Olsen, who is entering his fourth year in the program after transferring to UVa from Notre Dame. He's a senior and although he didn't get much more than mop-up duty as backup to Marques Hagans last season, he was always prepared to play if needed and probably took as many practice reps as Hagans.

No guarantee

But even Olsen, a native of Wayne, N.J., admitted that just because he's on the top of the depth chart going into the spring, there's no guarantee the job will be his when the Cavaliers open the season at Pittsburgh on Sept. 2.

This is the way Groh put things in order during Tuesday's meeting with state media concerning the quarterback situation:

"We'll start the spring with Chris Olsen," the coach said. "He'll be the first guy to go into the huddle. Kevin McCabe will follow him. And that's the way it is and that's the way it's going to stay until performance by any of the quarterbacks determines otherwise."

The other guys

Those other quarterbacks are redshirt freshman Jameel Sewell of Richmond and sophomore Scott Deke of Pacific Palisades, Calif. McCabe is a rising junior from Wexford, Pa.

If you're wondering what ever happened to Vic Hall, a redshirt freshman who broke all kinds of state records while quarterbacking Gretna to back-to-back state titles, he's listed at cornerback. Like Hagans in size (5-foot-9) and athletic ability, he's too good a prospect to leave on the sidelines as a backup.

While Virginia faces a significant rebuilding job, at least part of its fate lies in the arm of Olsen, plucked from Wayne Hills High School as the next golden boy under the Golden Dome by former Fighting Irish coach Tyrone Willingham. When Olsen became unhappy during the end of his freshman season, he turned to Virginia, where he first sat behind Matt Schaub, then Hagans.

"It has taken a lot of time and I am sure people would rather see a guy with more experience stepping into the huddle the first day," Olsen said Tuesday. "But I do have a lot of experience. I've been to two schools, I've learned two offenses and I've taken a lot of reps."

Inexperience

The only hang-up is a lack of time in the saddle. Olsen is the only quarterback on the roster to letter who has taken a snap in a game. That letter came in '04 and not in '05, when he played briefly against Duke, Temple and threw a trick play pass to Hagans in the Music City Bowl.

For the record, he has completed 17 of 23 passes over two seasons (73.9) for 139 yards.

That was a bad day for Schaub.

He's no scrambler either, so don't expect any Biscuit-like escape moves from Olsen, or McCabe either for that matter. Sewell and Deke, we've hardly seen enough to even know what they look like without a helmet.

"We have the same drop back mentality," said McCabe, who was also recruited by Notre Dame to run its former West Coast offense, but chose UVa instead. "You look at me and Chris and you see two pocket passers that don't really take off and run. That's our last option. There's not too many people around like Biscuit [Hagans' nickname]. He was one in a million."

Olsen comes from good stock. His dad is a football coach, his brother is a tight end for Miami -the Hurricanes, not the Dolphins. At least not yet.

Virginia's Olsen is no dummy. He aptly pointed out that he is surrounded by a lot of talented backs and receivers, including some of the most dangerous tight ends in college football.

"My job is to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers," Olsen said.

Plain and simple.

"Obviously, I'm not going to run for 200 yards a game like Hagans, but maybe I could do the same things he did in a different way," Olsen said. "While he scrambled for 25 yards when a play broke down, maybe I instead check to a running back and he takes it 25 yards."

That's a baby, Schaub would say. Let those guys do the dirty work. That's what they were recruited for.

You, well, you just stand back there and throw the daylights out of the thing until the laces come off.

Remember how Schaub used to throw to Wali Lundy and Jason Snelling out of the backfield? Then hit Heath Miller over the middle? It used to drive defenses crazy.

We could be looking at some of that stuff this season, especially with a different guy sitting in the offensive coordinator's chair. Mike Groh, Al's son, was a quarterback, thinks like a quarterback. John Garrett, assistant head coach of the offense, knows the passing game inside and out.

This isn't meant as a dis to former offensive coordinator Ron Prince, but because his time was split between offensive line coach and OC, there were only so many hours in the day.

"I think people are going to see a big difference in the way everything is going to go this year because in the past, Coach Prince was with the linemen the majority of the time on the field and every minute we [quarterbacks] were in the meeting room, he was with the [linemen]," Olsen said. "I think our offense will be a lot like it was in the bowl game."

That's when UVa upset Minnesota, 34-31, with a wide-open game plan that allowed Hagans to pile up 384 yards of total offense, the most by an ACC player all of last season.

Olsen finally let the cat out of the bag about play calling for Virginia, by the way. He should know, he's been on the headset for the past two years and is the first to hear the call.

"It's play-calling by committee," Olsen said. "Coach [Al[ Groh has the final say of what's being called. Coach Mike [Groh] is the one who actually calls the play. Coach [Al] Groh doesn't overrule, but they [the two Grohs, Garrett, and formerly Prince] all talk. Once the ball has been snapped, they're thinking two or three plays ahead and they come to an agreement on what the best play will be."

Olsen believes that being on the headset for two seasons, watching the plays develop, has helped him get a real grasp of UVa's version of the West Coast offense. He can usually predict the call before it's even made.

That's thinking like a quarterback. All he has to do now is execute.

3 Cavs off the team
Football coach: Franklin, Redd and highly touted linebacker won't be back
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Mar 29, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The troubled football careers of Ahmad Brooks, Tony Franklin and Vince Redd at the University of Virginia are over.

That was the word yesterday afternoon from U.Va. coach Al Groh at a news conference called to discuss his team's spring practice, which begins today. In the information packet distributed to reporters, Brooks, Franklin and Redd were listed among "lettermen lost" at U.Va., and none is on the spring roster.

"I have decided that it would be in the best interest of the players and the team that we move on and the players move on with their careers," Groh said.

Had they been cleared to play for the Cavaliers this season, each would have competed for a starting position: Brooks at inside linebacker, Franklin at safety and Redd at defensive end. Redd, a reserve in 2005, played his best game in U.Va.'s win over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl, making a career-high nine tackles and knocking down a pass.

Whether Brooks, who was U.Va.'s leading tackler in 2003 and in '04, will apply for the coming NFL supplemental draft wasn't clear yesterday. The Times-Dispatch's attempts to reach Brooks and his family were unsuccessful.

Groh didn't specify his reasons for dis- missing the three players, but all have been punished at various times for violating team rules at U.Va. In addition, Franklin pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana possession last month and received pre-conviction probation.

Franklin was one of the Cavaliers' captains in 2005. In November, however, Franklin and Redd were among four U.Va. players suspended for the Georgia Tech game because of an unnamed viola- tion of team policy. Franklin was arrested on his marijuana charge in early December and wasn't allowed to play in the Music City Bowl.

"It's a privilege, not a right, to wear a Cavalier jersey and to represent our university community," Groh said yesterday. "There's certain things that are vital to putting your team together every year, and those things become in sharper focus and multiply when you're in a rebuilding circumstance, as we are, and those things are focus, commitment, dependability.

"And so while each one of these player's circumstance is distinctly different. . . . I think it's essential that we have the discipline within our organization to do the things that we think [must be] done the right way and not just chase talent for talent's sake."

Brooks, who was an all-ACC pick and a Butkus Award finalist in 2004, and Franklin, a three-year starter in the secondary, have one season of eligibility left apiece. Redd has two seasons left. Each plans to finish the semester at U.Va., according to Groh, who said he didn't know if any of them would transfer to another college to play football. Brooks and Franklin would have to drop down to Division I-AA. Redd could transfer to another Division I-A program, though he would have to sit out the coming season. He would be eligible immediately at a I-AA school.

CavsCorner.com, a Web site devoted to U.Va. athletics, reported last month that Brooks had been dismissed from the team after an unspecified off-the-field incident. University officials disputed that report and said Brooks' status on the team hadn't changed. Groh declined to say yesterday when he decided to part ways with Brooks, who missed much of last season because of knee, ankle and back injuries and, like Franklin, didn't play in the bowl game. Groh stressed, however, that he didn't rush into the decision.

As a senior at Hylton High in Woodbridge, Brooks was named USA Today's national prep defensive player of the year, and he was as highly rated as any recruit in U.Va. history. But he never realized his enormous potential at Virginia.

"We're in partnership with the players, they're in partnership with us," Groh said, "And so any time you're in a partnership, 1, you have to have mutual goals and 2, you all share in the final result, whatever that result might be. When it doesn't turn out the way that you want with any particular player, it's a little disappointing."

In January, after considering an early departure for the NFL, Brooks announced he would return to U.Va. for this senior season.

"I came to Virginia to earn my degree and help Virginia become a great team," Brooks said in a statement. "I still have a lot of unfinished business to meet my goals. . . . I am looking forward to getting my game in top shape and helping my teammates win an ACC championship."

Student-athletes arrested
Two varsity athletes arrested for altercation at Delta Upsilon house
Whitney Gruenloh, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Two University student-athletes were arrested early yesterday morning in connection with an altercation that occurred earlier this month at the Delta Upsilon fraternity house.

The incident occurred March 3 after individuals entered a private gathering being held at the house, were asked to leave and then returned to the house, at which time an altercation ensued.

The Charlottesville Police Department reported that first-year College students Michael Brown and Michael Giallombardo have been accused of breaking and entering with the intent to commit assault, a felony charge that carries possible jail time, as well as the misdemeanor charge of entering the property of another with the intent of damaging property.

Ric Barrick, director of communications for the City of Charlottesville, said the felony charge was issued "because of the number of people involved and the actions of the individuals."

According to Rich Murray, athletics department media relations director, both Brown, a varsity football player, and Giallombardo, a varsity soccer player, have athletic scholarships at the University.

"We're aware of the charges," Executive Associate Director of Athletics Jon Oliver said in a press release. "We're going to meet with both student-athletes and the head coaches from both programs to determine what happens to the student-athletes pending the outcome of the criminal process. Until we do that, we haven't taken any action with the student-athletes."

Charlottesville Police Sgt. Richard Hudson said Brown and Giallombardo were released on $2,500 personal recognizance bonds after meeting with a judge yesterday morning.

The students will next face preliminary trial proceedings for the felony charges as well as a trial before a judge for the misdemeanor charge, he said.

Hudson added that "the investigation is proceeding, and it's a work in progress."

Barrick stated that police believe more individuals may be involved.

"The investigation is definitely still pending. According to some investigators, a lot of witnesses haven't been truthful in some of their answers," he said. "[Police] are giving them the opportunity to step up to the plate before they take the process any further; they hope they will take advantage of that."

University officials support this request.

"There is a criminal investigation underway, and the cooperation of our students with the Charlottesville police is urged and supported," said Aaron Laushway, associate dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority life.

According to Barrick, the arrests followed information gained during interviews with Delta Upsilon brothers and other individuals involved in the incident.

"We're cooperating fully with the University, and we've been very pleased with the University's and the police's response," Delta Upsilon President John Bannard said. "Other than that we are primarily concerned with the safety of our brothers and the safety of our brothers' guests."

Hudson urges anyone with additional information to contact him at the Charlottesville Police Department.



 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Mar 29, 2006

ON SECOND THOUGHT: Football coach Al Groh told reporters last Tuesday that the Cavaliers would break from tradition and hold their spring game on a Friday night this year.

Yesterday, U.Va. announced a schedule change, in part because of complaints from fans who objected to the April21 date.

The game will, as usual, be held on a Saturday. It will start at 3:30 p.m. on April22, two hours after fan activities begin at Scott Stadium. Last year's spring game drew about 5,000 fans.

"We would be pleased to double last year's crowd," Groh said yesterday, "but what we're really trying to do is quadruple last year's crowd. If you're a Virginia fan, it's the place to be on April the 22nd. If you're a casual observer, then go play golf."

Spring drills start today for the Cavaliers, who are coming off a 7-5 season capped by a comeback win over Minnesota in the Music City Bowl. Counting the spring game, fans will have at least five opportunities to see the team in person over the next month.

At least four practices on the fields behind University Hall and the McCue Center will be open to the public. Dates and starting times: Saturday, noon; Sunday, 2:45 p.m.; April8, 1:15 p.m.; and April14, 4 p.m.

THE NEXT GENERATION: After two years as Virginia's starting quarterback, Matt Schaub graduated to the NFL, and Marques Hagans held the job in 2004 and '05. Now Hagans is preparing for a pro career, and the competition to replace him atop the U.Va. depth chart begins in earnest today.

The candidates are rising senior Christian Olsen, who was Hagans' backup last season, rising junior Kevin McCabe, rising sophomore Scott Deke and Jameel Sewell, a Hermitage High graduate who redshirted as a true freshman in 2005.

Olsen will "be the first guy to go into the huddle," Groh said. "Kevin McCabe will follow him in. That's the way it is, and that's the way it's going to stay until performance by any of the quarterbacks determines otherwise."

SIDELINED: Offensive guard Branden Albert, linebacker Olu Hall and wideout Emmanuel Byers will sit out spring practice to concentrate on schoolwork.

Albert and Hall barely met NCAA academic requirements coming out of Hargrave Military Academy last year. The Cavaliers' top returning offensive lineman, the 6-7, 306-pound Albert started every game at left guard last season. Hall played sparingly. Byers is a rising junior who caught 21 passes for 219 yards last season.

U.Va. last summer suspended several football players for poor grades, including cornerback Philip Brown and defensive lineman Chris Johnson. Both have been taking classes at nearby Piedmont Virginia Community College and want to play for U.Va. again.

"We'll see," Groh said yesterday. "Those guys, they're not with us right now, they're really not an issue to this spring. If and when they're back with us, they're back, and we'll accommodate that, but we have to build the team with what we have out there [today]."

MEDICAL REPORT: Several Cavaliers are recovering from injuries and will participate on a limited basis, if at all, this spring. This group includes linebacker Rashawn Jackson (shoulder), nose tackle Kevin Crawford (shoulder), wideout Bud Davis (shoulder), tailback Michael Johnson (foot) and cornerback Chris Cook (leg).

Safety Nate Lyles, who is recovering from neck surgery, won't practice this spring but hopes to play in 2006.

"I wouldn't say count him in, but I wouldn't say count him out, either," Groh said. "He's got a great attitude about it, and his doctors are very positive about it. It'll be some time yet before we can make a final determination, but certainly that's a lot more positive than ruling him out today would be." -- Jeff White
 

Professional grade
Rick Carlisle has a soft spot in his heart for what he accomplished playing at Virginia, but in the NBA his principal achievements are coming as a coach.
Mark Berman

BOSTON -- Before there was George Mason, there was Rick Carlisle and another surprise team from Virginia.

George Mason is the first team from the commonwealth to reach the Final Four since Virginia made it in 1984 -- the year after Ralph Sampson moved on to the NBA. Carlisle, now the coach of the Indiana Pacers, was one of the senior captains of that team.

"It was one of those teams of destiny," Carlisle said earlier this month before a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden.

Carlisle averaged 11.1 points as a starting guard on that team, which was 6-8 in the ACC and entered the NCAA tournament 17-11 .

"We had a good year and barely got into the NCAA," he said. "We were a team that got on a run at the right time and were able to get to the Final Four."

The seventh-seeded Cavaliers beat 10th-seeded Iona, second-seeded Arkansas, third-seeded Syracuse and fourth-seeded Indiana to get to the Final Four in Seattle, where they lost to Houston 49-47 in overtime.

"To that point in time, that was the highlight of my basketball career, having the opportunity to go to the Final Four," Carlisle said.

Carlisle's biggest highlight as a player came two years later, when he was a backup for the Celtics' 1986 NBA championship team -- a star-studded squad that included Carlisle's current boss, Larry Bird, now the Pacers' president of basketball operations.

"To be a part of that and win a championship, ... it's something you always want to be a part of again," Carlisle, 46, said. "To be in the championship locker room and be in a championship parade and be a part of that kind of greatness on a team level, there's no comparison."

Carlisle spent less than five full seasons in the NBA, averaging 2.2 points per game, but his pro resume still carries a lot of weight with his players. They respect that he played in the league, even if he wasn't a star.

"He played the game. He knows what's going on," said Pacers center David Harrison, a second-year pro. "He's a guy speaking from experience, so it's easier to listen. ... He won a championship."

"It's much easier to play for somebody that played," Pacers veteran center Scot Pollard said. "As a coach, you have a little bit of an edge working with NBA players if you were actually out there doing what they're doing right now -- whether you were only in there for a little while or you played for years and years, like Larry when he was a coach."

It doesn't hurt that some players even remember when Carlisle wore a uniform.

"A lot of us were alive when he did -- not like some other coaches," Pollard said with a laugh.

Carlisle was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2002 for guiding Detroit to the Central Division title as a rookie head coach.

Carlisle also has received praise for his coaching this season and last, even though he recently hasn't enjoyed as much success.

Despite suspensions related to the Pistons-Pacers brawl and despite injuries, the Pacers went 44-38 and made the playoffs last year. Despite more injuries and the Ron Artest trade saga this season, Indiana (35-34) entered Tuesday with the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference and is on track for the playoffs again.

"You've got to be ready to deal with anything," Carlisle said. "If you're waiting around for it to get easy, you're barking up the wrong Christmas tree. The difference between embracing the challenge and dreading how hard it is, is important. Every day, you've got to show up embracing whatever challenges are there. On the good days, that can be a very rewarding and satisfying job. There are going to be some trials and tribulations, but that's a part of it."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers considers Carlisle, the president of the NBA Coaches Association, one of the top three coaches in the league. Celtics TV analyst Tommy Heinsohn, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is also an admirer.

"He's done a great job. Particularly this year," Heinsohn said. "They've retooled this team and jerry-rigged it. He's done a masterful job."

Carlisle also did a good job in Detroit, guiding the Pistons to the 2003 Eastern Conference finals in his second year with that team. But he was cut loose after that season in favor of Larry Brown, who steered the Pistons to the 2004 NBA title. Carlisle was scooped up by Indiana, and led the Pacers to a 61-21 mark and a berth in the 2004 Eastern Conference finals in his first season there.

"Change is a big part of the landscape of the NBA," Carlisle said. "The good news is when one opportunity ends, very often another great opportunity will come up. You've just got to try to roll with it and do your best."

Carlisle is a "very intellectual coach" who gets the most out of his personnel, said Pacers guard Anthony Johnson. He does it by believing in structure.

"He lets you know how he wants it done and he expects you to do it that way," Johnson said. "If you improvise, you better get a basket or a hell of a play because if things don't work out, he's going to let you know about it."

Players have to be smart to play for Carlisle, said Pollard, because the Pacers have a lot of plays and Carlisle is always adding new ones. The Pacers have confidence that Carlisle will have a play for any situation.

"He knows what's going to happen out there because his attention to detail is so great," Pollard said. "Because he has great control of the game, ... as long as you're not turning the ball over and doing stupid stuff, ... you've got a good chance to win almost every game. We keep the score low, defend well, and that's the Rick Carlisle style. That's why he's in the playoffs all the time."

Carlisle rarely raises his voice to his players, said Pollard.

"It seems like he believes that's just a waste of time or emotion," Pollard said. "He just comes in and says what he has to say in a very cool, casual way."

Unlike many ex-UVa stars, Carlisle could not attend Virginia's recent University Hall farewell ceremony. He remembers visiting UVa and University Hall in the spring of 1981, when he was planning to transfer from Maine and was hunting for a new school.

"Coming from the University of Maine, where we had a home court that held about 2,200 [fans], University Hall to me looked like the Taj Mahal," he said.

Carlisle averaged 10.9 points as a starting guard for UVa's 1982-83 team, which reached the final eight of the NCAA tournament in Sampson's senior season. The following season, Carlisle and company topped themselves.

When the Cavs were looking for a new coach last year, Carlisle got a phone call from his alma mater, but told UVa he wanted to stay in the pro game.

Carlisle, who has a wife and young daughter, figures a college job would be easier on his family life than the NBA, which has more travel and more games. But Carlisle, who became an NBA assistant coach as soon as his playing career ended, isn't sure how he'd fare as a college coach.

"One of the things that would concern me going from pro to college is the dynamics are so different," he said. "It'd be almost like starting over. With those kind of [new UVa] facilities and all that, you could certainly make the transition smoother than in most places, but it is a different game."

Carlisle isn't ruling out a return to UVa, but it would have to be "down the line."

"Charlottesville's a great town and Virginia's a great program, rich in history, and now they're going to have probably the preeminent facility in all of college basketball, which is really exciting," Carlisle said. "But I'm a creature of pro basketball. I've always kind of felt that way, so for now I plan to stay in it."

College career

Played two years at Maine and two years at Virginia; started for UVa team that was the ACC regular-season co-champ and made the NCAA Elite Eight in 1983; started for UVa team that made the Final Four in 1984.

Rick Carlisle's professional career

Player

Boston (1984-87, including 1986 NBA championship team), New York (1987-88), New Jersey (1989).

Assistant coach

Served under Bill Fitch and Chuck Daly for five seasons at New Jersey; served under P.J. Carlesimo for three seasons at Portland; served under Larry Bird for four seasons at Indiana.

Head coach

Detroit (2001-03), steering Pistons to two division titles and a berth in the conference finals; Indiana (2003-present), steering Pacers to one division title and a berth in the conference finals.
 

Winning NIT in NYC left Parker with lifelong joy
The Virginian-Pilot
© March 28, 2006

There's a lot to be said for the path the Old Dominion University men's basketball team has traveled this month. The NIT isn't as glamorous as the NCAAs. But for every George Mason, there are a half dozen or more mid-majors who were one-and-done. Think they might envy ODU?

Spending time in New York City and playing on the big stage at Madison Square Garden is not a bad way to end the season. No matter how they fare tonight against Michigan, for ODU's players, the NIT will make a lasting memory.

Cornel Parker will tell you . In 1992, Parker was an important player on the Virginia team that won the NIT.

"It was a time I've always cherished," he said the other day. "It was the Garden, the home of the Knicks. When we first went there to practice, I was like a little kid in a candy store. You think about all the people who have played there, and the history that it carries."

Parker is a Maury High graduate who teaches at his alma mater, where he is an assistant to basketball coach Jack Baker. He was a sophomore on the Jeff Jones-coached U.Va. team that was led by Bryant Stith.

"More than anything, we wanted to keep playing," Parker said. "Bryant was a senior, so the thought of keeping him playing was a big issue with us."

Mason's improbable success notwithstanding, history tells us that had ODU played its way into the NCAAs, the Monarchs most likely would have been eliminated in the opening round. But this week, they're in the Big Apple, still playing and tasting the fruits of success.

"They had us up for a lavish dinner," Parker recalls of the '92 experience. "We met all the players from each team. We ate together and mingled. They gave us a choice of tickets to watch the Bulls and Michael Jordan play the Knicks or to a play."

Parker chose the game.

When it was U.Va.'s turn to take the court, the Cavaliers defeated Florida in the semifinals. Two nights later, they beat Notre Dame in overtime.

"We were champions," says Parker. "We were on ESPN. We were in the papers for being champions of the NIT. That word - champions - is used next to your name. That's not bad."

After winning, U.Va. players were awarded rings. Parker gave his to a friend. Now that he's married, with a 1-year-old son, he's decided to have a replica made for his trophy case.

"It was a big moment," he said. "I'd like to have something to remind me of it. Something that makes me say, 'Man, we did something.' "

Even if jewelry is not in ODU's future, commissioner Tom Yeager of the CAA put the Monarchs' run in perspective. Before ODU beat Hofstra on ESPN to reach the semis, Yeager said, "The winner of this game is on national television twice. At this point, there's very little downside. The Garden is real special."

ODU has fashioned an exceptional conclusion to a season that did not go as well as planned. In the process, the Monarchs earned more publicity - and national TV exposure - than a brief appearance in the NCAAs would have provided.

"I would just tell them to enjoy the moment, because it is special to be in the final four of the NIT," said Parker.

The season after their ringing performance in New York, the Cavaliers reached the NCAAs, winning twice before losing to Cincinnati. Parker thinks the NIT experience had something to do with U.Va.'s improvement.

"It made us closer," he said. "It just made us say, 'Look what we did.' It motivated us to get back to the NCAA tournament."

A year ago, ODU lost to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Worcester, Mass. People can disagree on what makes a better experience for a mid-major: getting bounced from the NCAAs after one game? Or thriving in the NIT? But Manhattan is a very far cry from Worcester.

"There's a feeling you get," said Parker, recalling his trip to New York. "You feel different running onto the Garden floor than in a regular gym. It's like, 'Shh, we're here.' A lot of kids, even if you're not from New York, dream of the Garden."

ODU can stop dreaming now.

 

Duke puts lacrosse games on hold
Duke's president announces the suspension by saying it's not time to play
Anne Blythe and Jane Stancill, Staff Writers

As community outcry grew louder, Duke University President Richard Brodhead announced Tuesday that the university has suspended all games of its nationally ranked men's lacrosse team until rape allegations are resolved.
"In this painful period of uncertainty, it is clear to me, as it was to the players, that it would be inappropriate to resume the normal schedule of play," Brodhead said at an evening news conference. "Sports have their time and place, but when issues of this gravity are in question, it is not the time to be playing games."

After days of public silence, the team captains issued their first statement since a woman alleged that she was sexually assaulted at a team party.

They expressed remorse for a lapse in judgment in holding the March 13 party but proclaimed their innocence in a meeting Tuesday with Brodhead.

"We also stated unequivocally that any allegation that a sexual assault or rape occurred is totally and transparently false," the captains said in a prepared statement.

The players said they had decided the team should not play competitively until "DNA results verify our unequivocal denial of these allegations."

Brodhead went further, though, saying play would be suspended until the legal situation is sufficiently resolved.

According to court documents, two black women were hired from an escort service to dance for what turned out to be a lacrosse team party at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. After only several minutes there, documents report, the men inside the house became excited and aggressive. After fleeing the house amid racial slurs, police and neighbors report, the women were persuaded to go back inside. One of the women reported that she was pulled into a bathroom by three of the men, where she was strangled, beaten, raped and sodomized.

In compliance with a search warrant, 46 members of the lacrosse team submitted last week to DNA tests.

Meeting with reporters for the first time since the team members reported for DNA testing, Brodhead on Tuesday said the players denied having sex with the woman who made the allegations.

Brodhead and Athletics Director Joe Alleva stressed that the decision to forfeit games was not done as a penalty against the players but in recognition of the seriousness of the situation. They added that players had faced harassment.

"The behavior was bad behavior, boorish behavior," Brodhead said of the March 13 party. "But from there to what is alleged is a very serious step."

The university will take appropriate action once the facts become clear, Brodhead said.

Angry students confronted Brodhead after the news conference.

"How are you going to protect us from these lacrosse players?" shouted Bridgette Howard, a sophomore from Baltimore.

Brodhead promised to meet with students today but cautioned them about casting judgment until the legal process is complete.

Details of the night of the incident continue to emerge.

Emergency 911 tapes revealed that on the night of the alleged incident, two passers-by, both black women, reported that a man who came out of 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. shouted a racial slur at them.

Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong said another search warrant was issued in the case, but the judge who signed it ordered it sealed.

"I would like to think that somebody who was not in the bathroom has the human decency to call up and say, 'What am I doing covering up for a bunch of hooligans?' " Nifong said. "I'd like to be able to think that there were some people in that house that were not involved in this and were as horrified by it as the rest of us are."

Since the woman reported the incident, questions have swirled about why investigators waited two days to execute a search warrant at the house and why nine days passed before all members of the team but one were ordered to police labs for DNA testing.

Many people have criticized the team's decision to play two games after the report and asked why it was not until Saturday that Duke athletics officials decided to cancel any games.

Duke officials said the lacrosse team had training in the fall about alcohol abuse, drug abuse and sexual violence.

Court records show that 15 members of the current roster had misdemeanor charges related to drunken and disruptive behavior.

"Unfortunately, they are young men, and sometimes young men make bad judgments," Alleva said.

Leaders of the state NAACP said Tuesday that they wanted to meet with Brodhead to discuss the situation. Amina Turner, executive director, said the university should take the high road and zealously deal with the situation. "Our concern is because of the confluence of race, class and gender," she said, "to make sure it doesn't become another 'boys-will-be-boys' situation."

(Staff writers Samiha Khanna, Benjamin Niolet and Lorenzo Perez contributed to this report.)


 

Unrest hits Main West
DPD gives lacrosse players' DNA to crime lab, protesters 'speak out' against alleged assault
Emily Rotberg
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Media Credit: SYLVIA QU/THE CHRONICLE
In front of the Allen Building Monday, students and local residents protest Duke's response to rape allegations.

Media Credit: WEIYI TAN/THE CHRONICLE
Protesters Monday don shirts urging the lacrosse team to break its silence about an alleged rape.

Durham Police Department Sgt. M.D. Gottlieb delivered DNA samples taken from 46 members of the Duke men's lacrosse team to the State Bureau of Investigation Monday afternoon, District Attorney Mike Nifong said.

Also Monday, community members gathered on campus to protest the team's silence and Duke's actions in response to accusations three of the athletes sexually assaulted a local woman over Spring Break.

Police photographed 46 of the 47 lacrosse team members and collected DNA samples in the form of cheek swabs Thursday afternoon following allegations that the athletes gang-raped, sodomized and strangled a dancer at a March 13 party.

Nifong confirmed that police took DNA samples from three students who said they were not present at the party.

"Given that the lacrosse team provided very little information to the police, they decided to sample all the Caucasian members rather than allow the people who weren't there off," he said.

Police exempted the only black team member from testing because the dancer identified her attackers as white men.

Despite earlier reports from DPD suggesting that it would have the DNA results Monday, Nifong said he expects answers from the SBI next week. "I talked to the SBI and told them we need to move as quickly as possible," he said.

The alleged crime occurred during a party at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd., a house leased by three members of the No. 2 men's lacrosse team. The victim is reportedly a black single mother of two and a North Carolina Central University student.

Officials are investigating the incident as first-degree forcible rape, common law robbery, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual offense and felonious strangulation.

The players have denied the accusations to administrators, Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said in a statement. John Burness, senior vice president for public affairs and government relations, said there are "two very different versions of what went on at the party."

DPD Public Information Officer Kammie Michael confirmed that no charges had been filed as of Monday evening.

Administrators said they are awaiting results of the formal criminal investigation.

The team forfeited two games after players acknowledged they hired dancers and participated in underage drinking at the party, activities Alleva said are "inconsistent with the values of Duke Athletics."

Racial tensions ran high across campus on the first day of classes after a weekend of national attention directed at the incident.

More than 200 students, faculty and community members gathered for a "speak-out" in front of the Allen Building Monday morning. Participants stepped to the microphone to express outrage about the issues of gender, race and class surrounding the incident. The event marked the fourth demonstration in 48 hours.

"This is a matter of white privilege," senior Tiana Mack said. "When I read what was going on, it made me think about Jim Crow.... If these three culprits get away with it, it will prove to me that Duke does not honor the black woman's body."

Some demonstrators wore T-shirts with slogans such as "Men's Lacrosse? Not fine by me" and "Men's Lax, Come Clean."

Senior Jay McKenna alluded to the widespread belief that the lacrosse players are not fully cooperating with the investigation.

"The fact that this wall of silence has been constructed only adds to the mystery, which adds to the speculation," he said, noting that he knows members of the team.

Near the end of the speak-out, several participants called for an administrator to address the crowd. "Is no one going to come out here and say something?" junior Malik Burnett asked, gesturing toward the Allen Building, where many administrators work. "We've been here for an hour. I know you hear us."

Several administrators, including Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek, observed at least part of the demonstration.

"That would not have been a comfortable setting for me to speak," Wasiolek said, adding that it would have been inappropriate for her to voice her opinions because those views could be construed as the University's position.

Sophomore Darby McEvoy, who stood at the back of the rally, said the demonstrators may have been too quick to blame the team.

"Rape is a very heavy, heavy charge to be accused of," he said, adding that one of his best friends is on the lacrosse team. "I'll change my mind the day the DNA tests come back, but right now it's one person's word versus another."

Police collected DNA after securing a non-testimonial order, which entitles law enforcement officials to take physical evidence such as fingerprints, photographs and saliva samples from those subject to the order, but not to conduct interviews.

Police collected biological evidence from the alleged victim of the crime in the form of vaginal, oral and anal swabs. They will compare the samples from the lacrosse team to evidence collected in the rape kit.

To secure an NTO, police must demonstrate probable cause that a crime has been committed and show there is reasonable suspicion that the person subject to the order committed the crime.

"It's not especially common to take such a large sample, but it's not common to have a well-defined group of people in the suspect pool," Nifong said. "Here, we were able to identify assailants as Caucasian members of the lacrosse team."

Attorney Tom Loflin said he is suspicious of the validity of any evidence collected from the 46 athletes.

"You've got a fishing expedition where 46 people-without individualized suspicion focusing on any one of them-are being subjected to a very extreme violation of privacy.... Not everyone in that pool was at the party," he said. "Should they hit a home run with any of these samples, then that person is going to have a very, very strong motion to suppress the evidence.

"Any lawyer worth his salt is going to tell them not to talk to the police or the press or anybody until this case shakes out," he said.

Attorney Robert Ekstrand, of Ekstrand & Ekstrand, LLP, confirmed that he is representing "virtually all" of the athletes.
 

White receives ACC's top swimming award
From Staff Reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
March 29, 2006

Brielle White needs to expand her trophy case.
White, a University of Virginia senior, was named the ACC Female Swimmer of the Year for the second-consecutive season.

Mark Bernardino, who directed the Cavalier men to their eighth-straight ACC Championship, was named the ACC Men's Coach of the Year for the eighth straight season.

White, an ACC record-setter, is just the fifth two-time winner of the women's award.

"Brielle White is clearly one of the most talented and gifted athletes one could ever imagine," Bernardino said.

Named the Most Valuable Swimmer at the 2006 ACC meet in February when she won her sixth and seventh individual league titles, White was a two-time first-team All-American at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. She finished third in the 100-yard backstroke with an ACC-record time of 52.76 seconds. In 200 backstroke, the Cavalier standout from Philadelphia was fourth with another league record time of 1:55.67.

Bernardino, the UVa men's and women's coach since 1978, has been named the ACC Men's Coach of the Year 13 times. At the

2006 ACC meet, he had 10 Cavaliers earn All-ACC honors. At last weekend's NCAA Championships in Atlanta, the Cavaliers had seven Honorable Mention All-Americans and ended 18th in the team scores.

North Carolina State senior Cullen Jones, the NCAA champion for the 50-yard freestyle, was named the 2006 ACC Male Swimmer of the Year and North Carolina's Hank Browning is the ACC Freshman of the Year.

Florida State coach Neil Harper, who directed the Seminoles to the ACC Women's team title, is the league's woman's coach of the year and FSU's Christie Raleigh is the ACC Women's Freshman of the Year.

All the ACC individual awards were determined by a vote of the league head coaches.

HAGAN'S BOOMING BAT BOOSTS UVA: Senior left fielder Tom Hagan's five RBI and four hits helped power the 23rd-ranked Virginia baseball team to a

12-1 romp over Coppin State on Tuesday.

Pitchers Josh Myers, Andrew Carraway, Alex Smith and Nick Cruit combined for the team's second one-hitter this season. David Adams, who scored three runs and John Scaglione both added two of the squad's

13 hits before 889 spectators at Davenport Field.

Myers (2-1) pitched six innings, and he has not allowed an earned run this season in 13 innings. The last three UVa pitchers each notched two strikeouts.

The Cavaliers improved their record to 23-5, which extended the best start in the program's history, which dates back to 1889.

"This is the first of five games this week and we needed to start the week off right," Coach Brian O'Connor said. "Early on, we didn't play our best baseball, but we managed to settle down. Our pitching has been good all season. We just needed to score runs and play defense the way we do."

After Coppin State scored its lone run following two UVa errors in the first inning, the Cavaliers scored three runs in the second. Ryan Hudson and Scaglione smacked RBI hits.

Virginia completes its 10-game home stand today with a 5 p.m. game against Norfolk State. O'Connor's team starts a three-game ACC series Friday at North Carolina State.

CAVALIERS EARN ACC TEAM HONOR: The Virginia women's rowing team's second varsity eight is the ACC Crew of the Week after winning all three races last weekend in California.

The Cavaliers competed at the Windermere Collegiate Crew Classic and defeated Stanford, Oregon State and California at the two-day regatta in Redwood City.

Members of Virginia's second varsity eight crew included: Caitlin Mixter (coxswain), Renee Albers, Mindy Fiesler, Bridget Fowler, Katrin Sydlik, Kelsie Chaudoin, Crystal MacLeod, Anna Samaha and Mieke Pitts.

The Cavaliers travel to Columbus, Ohio, this Saturday to compete against Ohio State and Michigan.

UVA MEN'S GOLFERS FADE TO 14TH PLACE: In Awendaw, S.C., after shooting rounds of 297 and 281, the Virginia men's golf team carded a 19-over

307 on Tuesday and finished 14th among 15 college teams at the Hootie Bulls Bay Intercollegiate.

The Cavaliers finished at 885 for 54 holes, one shot ahead of last-place Auburn.

Wake Forest dominated with a 10-under-par 842 team score, which was 16 strokes better than South Carolina and Central Florida. Augusta (Ga.) State placed fourth (860).

Virginia senior Brad Tilley managed the Cavaliers' best final-round score with a 5-over 76. Daniel Kefale, who posted a career-best 6-under 65 on Monday, shot 6-over 77 along with teammates Conrad von Borsig and Carter Henderson. Eamonn McLoughlin shot a 78.

Augusta State's Jamie Miller, with a 64 during the second round, edged Wake Forest's Webb Simpson for medallist honors. Miller finished at nine-under 204, one shot ahead of Simpson.

Kefale, a freshman, was Virginia's top individual finisher in 26th place at 6-over 219. For the first time, he led the Cavaliers in scoring, and his gross total was one shot off his best collegiate finish.

Tilley shot 221 on the 7,229-yard layout. Henderson and McLoughlin shared 47th at 223 and von Borsig shot 230.

Virginia's next tournament is April 7-8 at the Marriott Invitational in Raleigh, N.C.