Cavs, Eagles set to do battle
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 12, 2009

ATLANTA — When Virginia lost to Boston College at home in February, it was a turning point of sorts. UVa coach Dave Leitao, upset with his players’ intensity, made some drastic changes.

To start the second half, Leitao removed Mamadi Diane, Mike Scott, Sammy Zeglinski and Jamil Tucker from the starting lineup and replaced them with Solomon Tat, Calvin Baker, Assane Sene and Jeff Jones.

“I think he just put some guys on the court who were going to bring it and play hard,” said BC guard Tyrese Rice. “I think that’s what it came down to.”

The moves didn’t pay immediate dividends as Virginia lost the game and followed with losses to North Carolina and Florida State. However, on Feb. 15, UVa was able to snap its eight-game losing streak with a win over then-No. 12 Clemson and followed with a victory over rival Virginia Tech.

Tonight, a little over five weeks later, Virginia (10-17) and BC meet again in a first-round ACC tournament matchup.

“They got off to such a good start,” said Leitao, referring to BC’s 80-70 win on Feb. 4. “They attacked us down low with some post-ups and we really missed some assignments in the first four or five possessions of the game. It got us off to a bad start psychologically.

“I think it’s imperative that we don’t do that this time. I think we need to get off to as good a start as we can in order to set the tone for the rest of the game.”

To that end, it will be interesting to see what Leitao’s starting lineup will be. Senior Mamadi Diane, who started on Saturday only because it was senior day, would seem like a good bet to remain in the lineup.

After all, it was Diane who nearly single-handedly helped Virginia upset Maryland in its regular-season finale with a season-high 23-point effort. Starting the offensively-challenged Solomon Tat in place of Diane wouldn’t seem like the savviest of moves.

However, Leitao said he wouldn’t decide on a starting lineup until late Wednesday night.

“We’ll have a meeting with the staff and go from there,” he said.

Diane — who had one of the greatest Senior Day send-offs that a player can have — will be looking to put together consecutive double-digit scoring games for the first time since the first two games of the season against VMI and South Florida.

“I’m really looking forward to playing well,” Diane said. “Whether I start or not, I’m just going to give it my best.

“Lately I’ve been feeling a lot better, which is giving me a lot of confidence.”

One of the most important matchups in the game will likely be between former high school rivals Calvin Baker and Rice. In the Feb. 4 meeting, Rice had 20 points and six assists. Baker had eight points (2 of 11 from the field) and four assists.

Virginia is counting on Baker, perhaps its best defensive player, to keep Rice from going too crazy this time around.

“I’m going to try and speed him up,” Baker said. “Ty likes to play a slow game, as well as his team. I’m going to try and speed him up, play physical with him and just try and keep him off balance. That’s all I can do.

“I think I know his moves real well.”

After the win over Virginia last month, BC (21-10) went into a bit of a tailspin, losing four of its last six games, though the Eagles were able to eke out a one-point win over Georgia Tech on Saturday.

BC coach Al Skinner said it doesn’t make a difference what Virginia’s starting lineup is.

“It’s really about their personnel,” Skinner said. “Different guys do different things on the floor.

“Let’s face it, it’s really not the team that starts that’s important, it’s the team that finishes. It’s not that significant to me. We have a general idea who their five best players are. We have to make sure we concentrate on that.”

Rice said the key to BC’s February win was keeping Virginia from getting easy buckets off transition and off the offensive glass.

“We just tried to force a lot of tough shots,” he said. “I think we’ve got to do that again [tonight].”

 

Formula to success for Cavs: Effectiveness from Diane and their zone
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
March 10, 2009

When the breaking point came in mid-February, Virginia guard Mamadi Diane didn't know what else to do other than take his concerns right to coach Dave Leitao.

Diane was in the midst of the biggest athletic slump of his life. His time on the floor went from minimal to non-existent. He was a non-factor, and he didn't have any answers.

After scoring 23 points in a season-high 34 minutes Saturday in U.Va.'s 68-63 win against Maryland, Diane hopes whatever was ailing him is in the past. U.Va. heads into Thursday's opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with a game against No. 6 seed Boston College (21-10) at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Diane's progress and the effectiveness of U.Va.'s 3-2 zone defense could be big factors in determining whether No. 11 seed U.Va. can pull off the upset.

At the very least, Diane, who is averaging just 5.3 points per game this season after contributing 11.8 last season, was able to vent to Leitao in mid-February. Diane, a 6-foot-5 senior who was averaging just 12 minutes per game in ACC play before the Maryland game, sat on the bench for the entirety of four ACC games last month. They were the first four games he didn't play a single minute in during his college career.

"Basically, he told me things happen in mysterious ways and God works in mysterious ways, just like I've heard him say in some press conferences," said Diane of his February conversation with Leitao.

"I could've just sat there (on the bench) and said 'All right, I can just sit here and take this until the end of the season. It's almost over anyway.' Instead, I've been working harder than ever right now."

In his first three seasons at U.Va. (10-17), Diane scored in double figures in 45 games, an average of 15 games per season. Coming into the Maryland game, he had just four double-digit scoring games this season. His 23-point effort against the Terrapins was his highest point total in more than two years, but he still is shooting just 36 percent from the floor this season, including 19 percent from 3-point range.

"I think the first question that comes up is 'Wow, how come we didn't get it (earlier from Diane)?' " Leitao said. "Obviously, and for all of the guys because I think there are a number of guys on our team or a lot of teams that go to the word that we've used all year long, which is 'consistency.' Finding out how you can get a guy to play consistently, and a team to play consistently, is a coach's biggest challenge."

Leitao said he hasn't decided if Diane will get his second straight start this Thursday against BC, but Diane's status isn't Leitao's only concern. After having success against Maryland by using a 3-2 zone defense for most of the game, Leitao is evaluating how effective the zone could be against a slower-paced BC squad.

BC guard Tyrese Rice, a Richmond native, is averaging 17.4 points and 5.4 assists per game this season. On Feb. 4, BC defeated U.Va. 80-70 in Charlottesville while shooting 51 percent from the floor. Rice and Rakim Sanders led the Eagles with 20 points each, as U.Va. played with a lineup that included then-reserves Jeff Jones and Solomon Tat for most of the second half.

U.Va. limited Maryland to 41 percent field-goal shooting (second-worst field-goal percentage by an ACC opponent this season) with its zone approach. The question now is whether the zone will allow U.Va. to clog passing and driving lanes against BC's guards, and get the ball back into the hands of its own guards, which might include an increased presence from Diane.

"We hadn't intended to play it as much as we did most recently, but I think that it's worked out," Leitao said. "I've seen increased confidence. Initially, it was the difference in trying to play a 2-3 zone and a 3-2 zone. We were splitting time in both and it was probably taking away from being effective with one or the other. ... I think they've gotten more secure with their role in (the 3-2) and the communication part of it and it's added to their confidence."
 

Rice proved good fit for Boston College program
By Jeff White
Published: March 12, 2009

ATLANTA As Boston College point guard Tyrese Rice headed to the Boston College locker room after a shootaround at the Georgia Dome yesterday afternoon, he ran into a longtime friend, Cory Alexander.

"I've known Cory all my life, just about," Rice said later. "He works me out and stuff when I'm at home in the summer, and he always calls me, telling me things I can fix, things I can do better, and he tells me to be assertive at all times."

That's the same Cory Alexander, of course, who starred at point guard for the University of Virginia. Alexander now provides analysis on radio broadcasts of U.Va. games. Tonight, when BC meets U.Va. in the first round of the ACC tournament, he'll be behind a microphone, pulling for his alma mater. But it would be tough for him to root against Rice.

"That's my guy," Alexander said.

Alexander has lived in the Richmond area for years, and he helped Rice blossom into one of the state's top high school players at L.C. Bird in Chesterfield County.

A former NBA player, Alexander tried to interest then-coach Pete Gillen and staff in the 6-1 Rice. But the Cavaliers didn't pursue Rice, perhaps because they already had Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds in the backcourt.

Gillen's successor might have been more interested in Rice, but Dave Leitao wasn't hired at U.Va. until April 2005. Rice signed with BC about a week later. Virginia Tech didn't recruit Rice with much enthusiasm, either, which turned out to be a blessing for Boston College.

"All I can say is that we had a need," Eagles coach Al Skinner, "and he recognized the need and obviously took full advantage of the opportunity. Maybe the circumstances at those other places weren't the same. The thing is that it was just a good fit for him, and it obviously was a good fit for us."

As he heads into his final ACC tournament, Rice ranks sixth in school history with 2,064 career points, and he's likely to be in fourth place by the time he's through. He's third all-time in assists and 3-pointers made and fifth in free throws made. A crafty left-hander who reminds N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe of Nate "Tiny" Archibald, Rice made the ACC's all-freshman team in 2005-06, the all-ACC second team in 2006-07 and the all-ACC first team in 2007-08.

Rice dropped to the second team this year but says he could not care less. A season ago, the Eagles finished 14-17. This season, they're 21-10 and headed to the NCAA tournament.

"I'll take the wins over any accolades any day," Rice said. "Anybody that knows me knows that."

He averaged 21 points and 5 assists as a junior. In about five fewer minutes per game, his scoring average has dipped to 17.4, but his assists have climbed to 5.4. That's exactly what Skinner envisioned before the season.

"He asked me to take on more of a responsibility role," Rice said, "trying to get everybody involved . . . I was willing to sacrifice that for my teammates if that was going to make us better."

Skinner said: "I thought it was very important that if he really wanted to put a stamp on this program, that he needed to lead this team and get them to the NCAAs, I think he's prepared himself to do that, he's prepared the team, and I think he's raised the level of play of everyone."

 

Baker gets another serving of Rice
The UVa guard and BC star are old high school rivals.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

ATLANTA -- Some knowing glances will be exchanged when Tyrese Rice and Calvin Baker take the floor for tonight's final first-round game in the ACC Tournament.

They've been going at each other since they were juniors in high school.

"I played against Calvin twice in the state tournament," said Rice, a graduate of L.C. Bird in Chesterfield County. "They knocked us out in the final four in back-to-back years.

"I also played against him on the AAU circuit when he was playing for Boo Williams. So, what's it's been? Six years?"

Tonight's game almost certainly will be the final college matchup between Rice and Baker, who played at Woodside High School in Newport News. Rice is a senior guard for sixth-seeded Boston College (21-10, 9-7 ACC) and Baker is a redshirt junior for 11th-seeded Virginia (10-17, 4-12).

Neither was recruited by Virginia coming out of high school. Baker transferred to UVa -- without the promise of a scholarship -- after spending his freshman season at William and Mary.

Rice, who averaged 27 points as a senior at L.C. Bird, signed with Boston College only days after Dave Leitao had been introduced as UVa coach in the spring of 2005.

Rice couldn't say why Virginia or Virginia Tech, for that matter, didn't recruit him.

"That's a question I can't answer," he said. "I have no idea."

One of Rice's mentors as a young player was former UVa guard Cory Alexander, currently in his first season as analyst on the Cavaliers' radio network.

"He came to my camp," Alexander said. "I've known him since he was 6 or 7 years old. That's my guy."

So, did he ever think of telling Virginia about Rice.

"I did," Alexander said Wednesday. "Multiple times."

Virginia already had a proven backcourt in J.R. Reynolds, who was a sophomore in 2004-2005, and Sean Singletary, an ACC All-Freshman choice.

"What's better than two?" Alexander said. "Three! Think about it."

Alexander and Rice still talk all the time.

"Granted, I can't root for him," Alexander said. "I want him to play well, but I don't want them to beat us. He knows where my alliance is.

"I did tell him that he can't make the game personal. He can't make it about him and Calvin. Calvin's role is different. Calvin's job is to go out there and stop Tyrese. If Calvin scores zero points, Virginia can win. If Tyrese scores zero points, BC doesn't have a chance."

In the regular season's final weeks, Baker invariably has drawn the opposition's top scorer. Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney was 3-for-13 and scored 11 points against UVa, Miami's Jack McClinton was 3-for-10 and scored 11 points and Wake Forest's Jeff Teague was 2-for-9 and scored 12 points.

Those are three of the top six scorers in the league, all averaging more than 18 points per game. When Virginia was in man-to-man, Baker had defensive responsibilities for all of them

"Calvin has been booed at home, doesn't always play pretty for a guy who's playing out of position, and turns it over more than a point guard should," Leitao said. "But he plays the game with heart and spirit.

"That's what we're trying to get from everybody, every game. So, the things that he does not do, I sometimes live with, because what I'm looking for, he's one of the guys that gives it to us."

As for Rice, he slipped from first-team All-ACC in 2007-2008 to second-team this year, when his scoring average dropped from 21.0 to 17.4. At the same time, a BC team picked for 11th in the ACC jumped from 14-17 last year to 21-10.

"I said to him, in order for us to be a better team, this needed to happen: his scoring average needed to go down and his assists needed to go up and his shooting percentage needed to improve," Eagles' coach Al Skinner said.

"If I was trying to create a first-team All-ACC player, I could have just let him go and he'd get numbers night in and night out. For the sake of the team, it was better for us this way."
 

A sign of things to come
Jeff White
Mar 11, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE—Rarely in Dave Leitao’s first three seasons as Virginia men’s basketball coach did he ask his team to press full court. In this, Leitao’s fourth season, it has not been unusual to see the Cavaliers press for short stretches. When 5-11 point guard Jontel Evans joins the program in 2008-09, U.Va. may employ that tactic more often.

“I don’t think I’m looking to turn us into Clemson or anything like that, somebody who does it over the course of 40 minutes, but to have it as a weapon, to have it at your disposal, will give us some better options,“ Leitao told me recently.

“This is the first year I’ve felt comfortable putting it on for more than a possession at a time and developing something out of it. It’s something you have to continually work on. Immediately, I think that’s something Jontel can bring to the table, a halfcourt and a fullcourt presence that way. And if we can get Assane a year bigger, stronger, older, now you have the front end and the back end potentially that you can something out of, and then you let athleticism go from there.“

Evans is a 12th-grader at Hampton’s Bethel High, where he also starred as a tailback in football. Assane Sene, a 7-foot freshman, has started 16 games for the Cavaliers this season. Even in limited duty, Sene has established himself as one of the ACC’s better shot-blockers.

 

Virginia hopes to make March magic in first round of tourney
Team prepares to tip off against Boston College Thursday as ACC Tournament gets underway, will look to build on momentum following inspired Senior Day victory
Published: Thursday, March 12 2009

Senior forward Mamadi Diane tallied a season-high 23 points to lead the Cavaliers in an upset win against Maryland.
The Virginia men’s basketball team travels to Atlanta, Ga. tonight to play Boston College in the first round of the ACC tournament.
The Cavaliers are seeking to avenge an earlier 80-70 loss against the Eagles at home. Looking to extend its season, Virginia (10-17, 4-12 ACC) hopes to ride its recent momentum after coming off an emotional 68-63 win against Maryland last Saturday on senior day.

Although his final season has been anything but perfect, guard Mamadi Diane led the Cavaliers in a bittersweet last game in John Paul Jones Arena for the senior. Diane scored a season-high 23 points with 7-for-12 shooting from the floor, leaving him just two points shy of 1,000 for his collegiate career.

The Cavaliers appear to have a renewed optimism after possibly spoiling Maryland’s chance of earning an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.

“It gives us momentum moving forward,” coach Dave Leitao said.

This energy could help Virginia improve on the team’s 33.3 percent shooting from the field that contributed to the Feb. 4 loss to the Eagles. It might also improve the defense; during the same game, Boston College went 24-for-47 to notch a 51.1 shooting percentage.
Boston College senior guard Tyrese Rice and sophomore forward Rakim Sanders led the Eagles’ offensive attack with 20 points each; Rice, who averages 5.4 assists per game, tallied six against the Cavaliers. Sanders added 10 boards.

The Eagles (21-10, 9-7 ACC) prevented Virginia sophomore forward Mike Scott — who averages 7.3 rebounds per game — from grabbing any boards. Freshman center Assane Sene, however, stepped up and recorded a career-high 13 rebounds. With the 7-footer averaging 1.7 blocks per game, the Eagles also must be selective when shooting down low.

ACC Rookie of the Year and All-Freshman Team selection Sylven Landesberg dominated the scoring column, tallying a career-high and game-high 32 points. Landesberg also matched his rebounding average with six boards in the loss.

But even though Landesberg experienced success early in the season, teams have caught on to his game and now double-team the guard. Likely because of this increased defensive attention, Landesberg averaged only 11.2 points in the past five games.

Junior guard Calvin Baker has helped fill Landesberg’s void, averaging 12.8 points during the same five-game stretch.

With Baker as an additional offensive threat, some defensive attention could be shifted away from Landesberg. Scott — averaging 10.5 points per game — also should receive extra attention from the Eagles.

As the Cavaliers head into the postseason after what has been an up-and-down year, the team is starting to feel the heat.

“I don’t think we go in with no pressure,” Landesberg said. “We have a lot of pressure on it.”

ACC All-Second Team selection Rice will pose a serious threat to Cavalier defenders. Averaging 17.4 points per game and a solid assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.4-to-1, he is charged with dictating the pace of Boston College’s offense. The senior also can hurt teams from the free throw line with his .860 foul shot percentage. On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles boast two sophomore forwards — Joe Trapani and Corey Raji — who average 6.5 and 6.2 rebounds per game, respectively.

Virginia can only “keep plugging” — Leitao’s self-described mantra, demonstrated in his squad’s upset wins at home against Clemson, Virginia Tech and Maryland.

“I think everyone on our team is really competitive,” Baker said. “I don’t think anyone’s going to give up.”

 

Tech’s, UVa’s fate awaits in Atlanta
By Nathan Warters
Published: March 11, 2009

At last year’s ACC tournament in Charlotte, Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg famously said of his Hokies, “If you don’t think this team is one of the top 65 teams in the country, you’re certifiably insane.”

He can’t make that claim right now. Tech is reeling and in need of a serious jolt to even be in the NCAA tournament conversation come Selection Sunday.

As for Virginia … well, it’s not in any conversation right now. Failing an ACC tournament championship down in Atlanta this week, the Cavaliers are looking at their first postseason-less season since 2005, Pete Gillen’s last year in Charlottesville.

At least both teams can say they have a small glimmer of hope entering the first round of the ACC tournament today at the Georgia Dome.

“They haven’t given up on the process whatsoever,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “In some strange way, when you have teams that are in the position that we’ve been in, some people will cash their ticket in. Nobody on this team has come close to doing that whatsoever.”

Virginia Tech (17-13), which has lost eight of its last 11 games through a brutal late-season stretch, needs a strong showing this week to save its once-promising season. Virginia (10-17), which won only four ACC games this season, needs to pull off a miracle.

Tech faces Miami today at noon in what essentially amounts to an NCAA tournament elimination game. Like the Hokies, the Hurricanes have seen their season take a turn for the worse and are in desperate need of wins to convince the selection committee of their NCAA tournament worthiness.

“They’re in the same position we’re in right now, so it will definitely be a competitive game,” said Tech point guard Malcolm Delaney.

The winner advances to play No. 1 North Carolina, which might be without point guard Ty Lawson (injured big toe), the ACC’s player of the year. The loser will almost certainly drop to the National Invitation Tournament.

The Hokies, who advanced to the NIT quarterfinals last season, thought they were much better than that this year. So did the Hurricanes, who returned four starters from last year’s NCAA tournament team.

“We need to win as many games as possible. … If we can win the ACC tournament and punch ourselves in automatically, that’s even better,” Tech forward A.D. Vassallo said. “We’ve just got to go out there with the mentality that we’ve got to win the tournament and beat anybody in our way.”

Virginia drew the unenviable 9:30 p.m. game tonight against a hungry Boston College team that can ill-afford a first-round upset.

The Cavaliers are essentially playing for next season, and the Eagles are playing for next week. BC can all but punch its ticket to the Big Dance with a win tonight.

Another bad loss — it fell to Harvard and N.C. State earlier this season — could put it back on the bubble.

So it’s evident Virginia Tech and Virginia have something to play for. If they both lose? Well, spring football is less than a month away.

 

Baker gets ready for familiar opposition
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: March 12, 2009
ATLANTA

Most of Virginia’s basketball team will focus on trying to upset Boston College in tonight’s opening round of the ACC Tournament. There’s more on tri-captain Calvin Baker’s mind.

The 6-foot-2 junior guard from Newport News wants to win as much as the next guy, but he won’t have as much time to think about it. Baker has emerged as the Cavaliers’ stopper, usually drawing the toughest defensive assignment.

In recent weeks, he has pretty much handcuffed three of the ACC’s top eight scorers, smothering their games, suffocating their offense with a blanket of defense they’re not accustomed to seeing. During that span, Baker held Miami’s Jack McClinton to 11 points, Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague to 12, and harassed Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez into an 8-for-21 shooting performance.

Virginia lost two of those three games, but it wasn’t because of Baker’s effort. He also contributed offensively and with leadership.

Back to high school

Tonight’s assignment will be a familiar one: Boston College star Tyrese Rice. Baker has been going against the BC guard since their high school days (Baker played at Woodside High, while Rice played at L.C. Bird High in Richmond). They know one another’s secrets, so there shouldn’t be any surprises.

“Tyrese will be a tough challenge because he does so may things well,” Baker said after Wednesday’s practice in the cavernous Georgia Dome. “Tyrese runs the team, he never rushes, takes his time.”

That being said, Baker has already prepared his game plan for tonight.

Too fast for comfort

“I’m going to try to speed him up,” Baker said. “BC runs a slow-paced offense, so if I can speed up Tyrese a little, hopefully that will speed up their offense and they won’t be as comfortable as they normally are.”

Of course, that’s easier said than done. But Baker has found ways to be successful during a season that has been anything but successful for Virginia (10-17).

He’s not the most gifted athlete on the Wahoo roster. He’s actually playing well below 100 percent because of a stress fracture in his foot that will require surgery after the season. Some call his game ugly as he twists his body into all sorts of weird configurations in getting off jump shots that more closely resemble wounded ducks than lethal 3-pointers.

Mention his vast array of off-balance shots, the kind that make coaches and teammates say, “No, no, no .... Yes!” and his teammates can’t help but chuckle. Neither can Baker.

But it’s uncanny how many of them find their way home.

“He is probably the most unorthodox shooter that you will see in terms of the ball actually going into the basket,” UVa coach Dave Leitao said. “He sometimes wills the ball in. It’s not always pretty. Sometimes he does things that aren’t good. The thing about him is that he has a strong will.”

Leitao has admitted that he often gives Baker more leash than other players simply because of the heart and spirit he exhibits, hoping it will spread to teammates. Because of that lone intangible, the oft-demanding coach can tolerate the ugly part of Baker’s game, an assortment of gawd-awful looking shots and out-of-control turnovers.

Still, he plays lockdown defense and converts 40.5 percent of his field goal attempts (30.9 percent from beyond the arc). Both of those figures jump in ACC games to 43.4 and 38.5, respectively.

He’s second on the team in steals and third in assists and averages 8.6 points per game, although he has scored in double figures in five of the last six games heading into tonight’s contest.

“Calvin’s got a lot on his plate,” Leitao said. “He’s not a natural point guard and he’s trying to think the position through as he’s playing. He’s trying to impose his will on his team and on the other team. He’s trying to score. He’s trying to play defense. A lot of times he’s got too much on his plate, but he’s trying. As a result, he looks bad at times.”

While Leitao said that those times are not necessarily good for Baker or for Virginia, at least he’s trying. The coach always encourages Baker because he knows exactly where the little guard’s heart is, the same place that Leitao wished it were in every player he coaches or ever will coach. He won’t give up on Baker because he knows there’s no give up in Baker.

When there’s a lull in practice, the one guy out there screaming at his teammates is Baker. Leitao believes that one of the reasons Virginia has played better down the home stretch of the season is that the rest of the players have listened more to Baker.

“Calvin’s a tough guy,” said teammate and ACC rookie of the year Sylven Landesberg. “That’s the first thing that pops out about him. Him being able to play through his injury and waiting until after the season to take care of it, yet still be able to contribute the way he has, speaks volumes about him.”

Landesberg said Baker never backs down, even if the challenge appears insurmountable.

“We could be down 20 and he’s the one always pushing and yelling at us, saying ‘C’mon, don’t put your head down,’” Landesberg said.

Still, the UVa freshman sensation can’t hide his smile when the subject of Baker’s jump shots and awkward looking drives comes up.

“We all take bad shots every now and then,” Landesberg giggled, unable to block out visions of some of Baker’s — ahem — unorthodox shots. “But Calvin does so much that we can just overlook those. His defense is great and the energy he brings is unmatched.”

Now that’s a diplomatic answer if I’ve ever heard one.

Baker even chuckles when he is asked about his shooting style.

“I really don’t know how they go in sometimes,” Baker confessed. “I’ve been playing like that and shooting this way my whole life. Things that may look out of the ordinary to a lot of people, well, I do it that way all the time. My teammates? They see it every day, so it’s just getting used to seeing my game.”

He’s not really out there for his offense, which often may make even the most loyal Wahoo fan look away from the court or TV screen. He’s out there for defense, as Mr. Rice is apt to find out this evening.

“I’ve been around a lot of really good defenders and there’s a mentality, there’s a swagger, there’s a confidence in the way they go about their business every day,” Leitao said. “I think Calvin’s had that in the past and I have seen those things coming back. But I’m trying to be careful because I think about his foot issue and that if I wear him out on both ends of the floor, or if he wears himself out, it could be detrimental. At the same time, you’ve got to go with what you’ve got.”

Good defense has been a rare commodity around Charlottesville, so Leitao will take it wherever he can get it.

“If I know there’s a guy I can trust, who’s going to work his tail off and is having success at guarding the best scorer on the other team, well, to me, that’s like having gold,” Leitao said. “That can be infectious to other players because they know that’s what they have to do to get into the game.”

When Baker hits the court tonight to play “Me and My Shadow” with BC’s Rice, he will have every move down. He studies game film of his opponent, relentlessly searching for any weak spot, any tendency that he can exploit.

“They’re all different,” Baker said of his victims. “Teague was more of a fast-break, break-you-down guy. Tyrese tries to lull you to sleep and then explodes. McClinton was the hardest, though, because he runs off of so many screens.”

There’s one thing he’s always looking for, though.

“When they’re getting a little more anxious to score, when they’re coming off screens and you can see they want to score more than they normally show, that’s when I know I’ve got ‘em,” Baker said. “That’s when you know you’re getting to a player. They try to get a little more physical, and so I step it up, too.”

Defense is the one phase of the game where Baker doesn’t care what it looks like, just the end result, the bottom line.

That’s when he earns his keep. Just like having gold.

 

Grovatt leads UVa offense
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 12, 2009

For the past month, Virginia’s pitching staff has taken a back seat to one of the nation’s most potent offensive displays.

While lost in the shuffle at times, the Cavaliers boast one of the nation’s best marks on the mound — again.

Virginia displayed that prowess Wednesday as it dispatched a nemesis from past seasons with a 10-3 victory over VMI at Davenport Field.

As the Cavaliers (14-0) continued to build on the best start in program history, a successful bullpen-day-by-design combined with another stellar offensive showing that included 12 hits to keep the team perfect.

“I thought we pitched really well. Anytime that you are going to predetermine that you are going to chop up the game with relievers, you are concerned that somebody goes out there, especially in the first-half of the game, and does not do the job,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “We did do the job in the first half of the game and our offense was able to capitalize.”

Leading 2-0 entering the fourth, Virginia created separation with a five-run frame that sent 10 batters to the plate. Tyler Cannon, Phil Gosselin and Danny Hultzen delivered RBI singles during the lengthy inning.

That allowed Tyler Wilson, who started the contest, and the five relievers that followed to cruise on the mound. In all, the Cavalier hurlers fanned eight VMI (6-8) batters.

“I think a lot of attention has been given to our offense up to this point, but we have pitched really, really well thus far,” O’Connor said. “We have an ERA below 2.00, and 14 games into the season that is unheard of. We are doing what we need to do on the mound but it is not as obvious because of the large scores that we have put up.”

For the game, Dan Grovatt paced the offense with three hits, including a two-run triple in the first inning. Former Monticello High standout Corey Hunt added two hits and two RBI.

Wilson was credited with the victory on the mound. The sophomore improved to 2-0.

Former Albemarle High standout Jordan Ballard had a solo home run and two runs for VMI.

Virginia returns to action Friday as it opens a three-game set with Florida State at home. Friday’s game is slated to start at 6 p.m.

 

Bearded rookies get their feet wet
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 12, 2009

ATLANTA — If you need to know how excited Virginia’s freshmen are for their first ACC tournament experience tonight in the Georgia Dome, just check out their stubble.

Rookies Sylven Landesberg, Assane Sene, Sammy Zeglinski and John Brandenburg are presidents and founders of the Freshman Facial Hair Club.

All four players haven’t shaved since before the Maryland game last Saturday and say they don’t plan on doing so anytime soon.

“We’ve got some tournament beards going,” said Brandenburg, the president and founder of the club.

Landesberg, who was named ACC rookie of the year on Tuesday, was clearly pumped for tonight.

“It kind of reminds me of playing AAU back in [Las] Vegas,” Landesberg said. “You just see a bunch of teams walking around who you might play. When we went out to eat near the hotel, we saw a few guys from Miami, a few guys from Boston College.

“I was like, ‘Oh man, this is going to be fun.’”

Zeglinski actually attended last season’s tournament in Charlotte but didn’t play because he was redshirting.

“I’m not really sure what it’s going to be like until the ball gets thrown up [tonight],” Zeglinski said. “We can really come out here and make our season if we can string a few wins together. It gives us a chance to get to the NCAA tournament. We’ll put all our eggs in that basket and see how it goes.

“I’ll probably have a few jitters, but then after a few minutes they’ll go away.”

Sene is looking to get back in the groove. He’s played just one minute in the last three games after suffering a right ankle injury against Miami.

Sene now feels 100 percent, though.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “I have to be ready to do something to make my teammates and my coach happy. We have to do something great in this tournament because my goal is to play in the NCAA [Tournament]. We’ve got to do something great. I think we can do that if we play good.

“My energy is back now. I’ve been working out with [strength coach] Shaun [Brown] and [assistant] coach [Steve] Seymour to bring that back. I feel good now and I’m ready to play.”

Brandenburg, who has played sparingly this season, probably won’t see any action tonight. However, he says he’ll be more than ready to go if he gets the call.

Brandenburg said the loss at Clemson on March 3 prepared him for just about any kind of environment. In that game, the freshman was hit with a technical foul for taunting.

“I had the whole crowd hating me after about two minutes in the game,” he said, smiling. “I had about 30 friend requests [on Facebook] from Clemson people about an hour after that game. I rejected them all.”

Landesberg said he doesn’t expect to have any ACC jitters.

“I think I’m past that, even though this is a big environment,” he said. “If anything, I think I’ll have too much energy.”

 

Lax Nation
Zach Rowen
Published: Thursday, March 12 2009

This Saturday, someone asked me to invent a sport that would have high entertainment value if it existed.

Shouldn’t be all that difficult, I thought. Just take football and make it a little more streamlined. Add a touch of hockey but have there be more scoring. Throw in rugby and make it a little less British. Sounds like entertainment to me.

Then Sunday I went to watch the men’s lacrosse game against Cornell. About midway through the first quarter, I realized the American Indians beat me to the punch.

High paced? Check. Contact? Check. Scoring? Check.

Lacrosse is a perfect blend of a number of different sports. It’s got the fluidity that football lacks, scoring that would surprise Gretzky, and, well, no accent.

And so I started thinking: Why isn’t this sport more popular in places outside of Charlottesville?

There are 57 Division I men’s lacrosse teams. Compare that to about 240 D-I football squads.

Or compare the six major league lacrosse teams to about 30 major league teams for hockey. And basketball. And baseball. And football.
Though the MLL got a much later start than all of those sports, I would think that, based on the amount of contact, scoring and pace, it should be flourishing rather than floundering. Last year, five of the 11 MLL teams folded. Though it might be among the most rapidly growing sports among youth, there are apparent obstacles to lacrosse’s popularity spreading nationwide.

Problem 1: Familiarity with the rules.

When I watched the game Sunday, I realized how lacrosse-illiterate I was. I didn’t know why some players were only allowed on one side of the field. I couldn’t spot penalties. And I wasn’t able to explain who should get the ball when it went out of bounds.

Even though the game itself entertained me, my appreciation could only extend so far without knowing the basics. Considering my confusion stems from the fact that I have never played lacrosse, it seems reasonable to think older generations suffer from the same ignorance.

When the majority of people older than the age of 30 don’t know how to play, it seems likely that the MLL would have a hard time taking flight.

Problem 2: It’s regional.

By looking at the D-I programs that participate in varsity lacrosse, it’s apparent the sport remains relegated to the East Coast. Though the “Great Western Lacrosse League” does exist in D-I, it includes teams like Quinnipiac — located in Connecticut — and Ohio State. Colorado, Indiana and Kentucky seem to be the only states not on the East Coast that have schools with D-I lacrosse programs.

Certainly, it’s hard for a sport to gain nationwide popularity when the majority of college teams are situated in only a portion of the country.

Problem 3: It’s hard to ignore a pastime.

Little league baseball is a cliché. Most everyone has played at one point. Though lacrosse is quickly gaining popularity among youth, baseball — the other predominant spring sport — has deep roots in American culture. I don’t think the MLB will give way to the MLL anytime soon, but I do think that they might be able to coexist in the distant future. Chances are, that future will come only after enough lacrosse-playing generations have had children — to the point where little league lacrosse seems as normal and American as little league baseball.

Problem 4: Race and economics.

For some reason, there aren’t a whole lot of minorities or underprivileged kids playing lacrosse. It’s not as though lacrosse is the only expensive sport: Baseball bats can run close to $300, and you need to buy pads for lacrosse just like for football.

But lacrosse originated in some of the wealthiest circles in America. The first high schools to have lacrosse teams were boarding schools (Philips Academy, Philips Exeter Academy and the Lawrenceville School). Perhaps it has been a self-sustaining process that has left lacrosse stigmatized as relatively white and relatively rich. To gain widespread appeal, it needs to engage more races and different classes.

This is not meant to be an essay on race and socioeconomic diversity in modern sports. I don’t claim to be spouting truisms. Heck, I don’t even claim to know all of the rules. But I have observed the growth of the sport in high school and in college. I have observed those who play it and I have seen what makes other sports popular nationwide. And it does seem true that one of the biggest obstacles facing the popularity and spread of the game is the diversity of the people who play it.

But maybe the tide is changing. At Virginia during the past few years, some of the most talented players have not been white: Johnny Christmas, Will Barrow, and Rhamel and Shamel Bratton, for example.

Perhaps they have started to inject interest in the game into new pockets of the country. Maybe the game is evolving before our eyes.
And to be honest, there probably isn’t a better place in the country to watch it happen than Charlottesville.
 

Lasagna - 'Starsia Ball'
March 11, 2009


Roast maestro Jeff Wagner saw this as the perfect opportunity to bring together hundreds of people touched by 38 years of “Starsia Ball.”

2008 U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee Dom Starsia looked out over an audience of Brown lacrosse meeting Virginia lacrosse and saw “a dream come true.” Generations of Bruin and Cavalier hecklers — the well-rehearsed and the spontaneous — landed loving harpoons, making this November night one their mentor and his family will never forget.

Wagner started secret Roast threads the moment his former teammate’s HOF status was announced last summer, summoning all to join. This self-described pack rat found old “compromising” pics of Dom from a cross-country trip they and two other Roast attendees took in the summer of ’75 — real “On the Road” in a vintage Ford station wagon stuff.

Wags retrieved shots he took as photographer for the U.S. Team in ’78; Dom’s wife Krissy snagged photo albums from their attic. Siblings sent childhood gems. Wags raided Brown and Virginia Sports Information files, assembling hundreds of still memories. What this inspired Starsiaphile couldn’t unearth, he created via Photoshop.

Why all the effort?

“I love him,” Wagner says. “Plus, let’s be honest. Who the hell else was gonna spend the time putting that together?”

Wagner covered the walls of the Hunt Valley (Md.) Marriott ballroom with media guide collages. He unveiled the delicious fruit of his labors with the first, jaw-dropping slide of his photo essay of Dom’s life — a slide of Dom's life without clothing. Wagner opened the proceedings by immediately establishing that everything was fair game that night, identifying two distinct audiences: “The old, grizzled liberals without dates [were] Brown alums. The good-looking, young conservatives with beautiful dates [were] Wahoos.”

The Brown crowd landed haymakers from the start. Ron Dalgliesh (Brown ’91) emerged in full time-capsule Dom costume, with mustache, faded cap and overstuffed Brown Lacrosse hoodie. He coerced skit participation from current Bruno skipper Lars Tiffany, rendering the room helpless with his “Team D as Trapezoidal Theory” re-enactment. “Big Dog” brought the listeners back to the rooftop field in Providence, R.I., where Dom frequently incited snow-shoveling players with references to soft “Casualeers.”

“You think Virginia’s shoveling right now, fellas?! Hell no! They’re watching soap operas! What do you think they’re doin’ today, Dog?!”

“Gee, I don’t know, Dom,” Dalgliesh remembered answering. “Riding and clearing? Maybe some man-up and man-down. Maybe practicing lacrosse?” The younger Virginia spokesmen offered respectful praise … initially. Tucker Radebaugh thanked Dom for his guidance, leadership and success. But as the night wore on, the Cavaliers warmed to full Roast mode. The politeness dam burst with Jay Jalbert questioning Dom’s ability to pronounce his favorite food: “Dom — I have to finally tell you, pizza does not end in ‘e-r.’”

Volunteer assistant Joe Thompson presented a peerless impersonation of his boss. The phrasing Thompson perfected with teammates behind closed doors for years now aired live for his mentor’s ears. Thompson and assistant Hannon Wright blew the room away. Dom’s character and humor allowed him to soak it all in; he also knew that as guest of honor, he’d claim last ups. Starsia, sitting with Krissy, their children, his father, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, savored every jab. After almost four decades, he’d finally merged his entire family.

“I’ve always felt that the Brown and Virginia players were really the same,” he said. “To be able to introduce Doug Knight to Darren Muller and see David Curry and Conor Gill talking to Tom Gagnon and Darren Lowe really tied it all together.”

The gathering also testified to Dom’s enduring gift for finding the raw jewel and applying the polish of opportunity. While he won several blue-chip recruiting battles at Brown, and does so annually at UVa., he fought few suitors for the draft rights to kids named Muller, Knight, Ragosa and DiPalma. Muller played lacrosse in Mepham’s (N.Y.) developmental program (“black socks” kids before it was cool); his absurd athleticism and penchant for one-handed attack moves with a D stick earned him All-American honors. Knight was a bowlegged, New England Prep hockey player who reinvented the dive, scored a school-record 165 goals for the ’Hoos and emerged as one of the best attackmen of his era. Tonight they were all part of Dom’s team.

No one who spoke with Dom that evening ever imagined Will Barrow’s pain would consume him two weeks later. For Starsia, it’s both sweet and incomprehensibly sad that Will cared enough to attend the roast.

“The unexpected passing of a young man so in his prime just tore an emotional hole in all our lives,” says Starsia. “I’ve never been around an event in which young men this age have been so openly upset for such an extended period of time.”

For those touched by this tragedy, it’s never been more vital to have Dom Starsia helping them stay whole through such devastating trauma. Says Starsia, “Losing Will and all that means right after the Hall induction reminded me so strongly why I still do this.”

The strength and courage learned outlasts championships.

Starsia understands that his honor belongs to many.

“This is simply an acknowledgment of the thoughtful and talented people who have crossed my path during the journey,” he says. “This is a group activity. I hope they all know how much I appreciate their influence on my career.” Men rarely get to see their lives pass before them and stick around to thank the revelers. So what struck the Michelangelo of the event most strongly?

Says Wagner: “The decades of identical love and devotion that Dom developed with two such diverse cultures as UVa. and Brown.”

Thanks for saving all those pictures, Wags.

 

Keydets tripped up by Grovatt, No. 18 Cavs; squad stays perfect
14-0 season record ties Georgia for longest current winning streak in Division I
Nick Eilerson, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, March 12 2009

Virginia has scored 91 runs during the past six games. The team notched 10 runs on 12 hits Tuesday to topple the Keydets at Davenport Field and push its record to a perfect 14-0. The No. 18 Virginia baseball team continued its stellar play yesterday at Davenport Field, grabbing a 10-3 victory against VMI. With the win, the Cavaliers remain one of only two undefeated teams in the country, the other being No. 1 Georgia.

Virginia (14-0, 3-0 ACC) played steady baseball during the first three innings, protecting a 2-0 lead before using a five-run fourth inning to put the game out of reach against the Keydets (6-8). The Cavaliers amassed 12 hits while VMI tallied only 6. Entering the game, Virginia totaled 20 or more hits in four of its last five games, accumulating an astounding 81 runs while batting .394.

Sophomore rightfielder Dan Grovatt led the Cavalier offense with three hits and three RBIs in four at-bats. Fellow sophomore leftfielder Phil Gosselin also had an impressive performance, smacking two hits and scoring three runs in four at-bats, and sophomore second baseman Corey Hunt added two runs and two RBIs.

“We’ve all been doing pretty well offensively,” said Grovatt, who extended his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games. “[We’re] just trying to take the approach of being consistent out there — just see the ball, hit the ball, you know?”

Virginia’s defensive showing also was notable, as coach Brian O’Connor played a variety of pitchers, including redshirt freshman Sean Lucas, freshman Shane Halley, sophomore Robert Morey, junior Matt Packer and sophomore Kevin Arico, to hold VMI scoreless through the first six innings en route to a 9-0 lead. Sophomore righthander Tyler Wilson got his first start of the season for the Cavaliers, allowing two hits and no runs in his two innings of play. Virginia chopped up the game with five relievers to allow several players to gain experience before a long stretch of ACC play begins this weekend.

“You’re always concerned when you do that,” O’Connor said. “If it’s [going to] be a low-run game, you’re nervous that someone might go out there and not have good stuff on that day. But we fortunately jumped on top of them and were able to get a lot of our relievers work out there.”

VMI, which won five of its previous six games, also tinkered with its pitching lineup throughout the day, though these changes were more because of poor pitching than a desire to gain experience. VMI pitchers hit Virginia batters many times, prompting Keydet coach Marlin Ikenberry to make frequent substitutions. The fourth inning was especially turbulent for VMI, as two pitchers were relieved after hitting batters. The inning afforded five hits and five runs for Virginia, in addition to three steals.

Virginia’s first offensive series set the tone for the rest of the game when Grovatt hit his first home run. The score remained 2-0 until Grovatt scored another run off junior shortstop Tyler Cannon’s RBI single to open up the scoring in the fourth inning. Freshman catcher John Hicks ran home a short time later thanks to a well-placed bunt by Hunt, who then scored a run off Keydet junior third baseman Tanner Biagini’s error. Grovatt ended the inning similarly to the way he started it, hitting a single to allow sophomore centerfielder Jarrett Parker to score.

In the fifth inning, Hunt blasted a line drive to center field to let Hicks run home, making the score 8-0. After a double play by Cannon and freshman first baseman Danny Hultzen off Halley’s pitch closed VMI’s half of the sixth inning, Grovatt struck again, blasting a single up the center that let Gosselin score.

Keydet redshirt junior leftfielder Brian Sandridge finally put VMI on the scoreboard by grounding out to second base in the seventh inning. The out allowed junior first baseman Jordan Ballard to score, and a wild pitch by Morey during the ensuing at-bat made the score 9-2. Ballard also gave the Keydets one last moment to celebrate with a solo home run over the left center wall in the final inning.
The win gives Virginia an important boost of momentum heading into a tough weekend series with No. 14 Florida State.

“(The win) was huge,” Gosselin said. “We wanted to go into the weekend with a win. We have a tough opponent this weekend with Florida State so we just wanted to go in with a win, and we’re ready to go.”

 

History in the making
Eric Strow
Published: Thursday, March 12 2009

It’s good to be back in Charlottesville. Like many of you, I spent Spring Break away from our little bubble here at the University. The only sports exposure I really had was ESPN and the countless hours of A-Rod, Manny and T.O. drama. Frankly, it was miserable. But fortunately, Virginia has three undefeated sports teams, and all of them won at home Tuesday. How can it get any better than this?

Imagine this day: After you watched the No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team cruise past Old Dominion, you got some dinner and headed to Davenport Field for some baseball. After No. 18 Virginia smacked around Navy 17-1, you walked 15 seconds to Klöckner Stadium for the No. 1 men’s lacrosse game, in which the Cavaliers beat Vermont handily, 16-4. You might never get to see three undefeated Virginia teams in action on the same day ever again, so you’re very glad you didn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In fact, you would even call this the best day of your life. Maybe not, but close.

The fact of the matter is, although you may dread going to class when its 70-plus degrees outside, there really is a lot to look forward to. Even though Spring Break has passed, you can find other ways to relax, like by watching some of the best college sports teams in the nation.

The men’s tennis team is tops in the land with a 17-0 record. The Cavaliers actually won two separate matches Tuesday, beating ODU outdoors 6-1, then heading inside to top Howard 7-0. Virginia has as tough a schedule as anyone this year: At the National Team Indoors back in February, the team beat then-No. 12 Tulsa, No. 4 UCLA, No. 8 Tennessee and No. 3 Georgia in four consecutive days en route to the title. Tuesday marked the start of the outdoor part of the season, and you can certainly spend some time this semester watching the best tennis team in the nation crush opponents at Snyder Tennis Center.

Another team ranked first in its sport is the men’s lacrosse squad. The Cavaliers already beat then-No. 1 Syracuse on the road, and there’s no reason to believe Virginia can be stopped. This past Sunday ­— just nine days after defeating the Orange — the Cavaliers won a huge home game against the No. 4 Big Red of Cornell to get to 7-0 and extended their undefeated streak to eight games.

The baseball team recently cracked the top 25 after somehow starting the season unranked. Virginia is 13-0 and has scored 81 runs during its last five games — not including last night’s game against VMI. Let that tidbit settle in for a second. In fact, it’s so ridiculous that I’m going to repeat it. The Cavaliers have scored 81 runs in their last five games. That is simply remarkable.

If you follow these teams this year — and you should — you could witness history right before your eyes. The Virginia baseball team’s winning streak is leading the nation, and the Cavaliers are one of only two undefeated teams left in all of Division I college baseball. College baseball teams in any division don’t really go undefeated, but, you never know ... Anyway, Virginia was the last men’s lacrosse team to complete a perfect season, winning the 2006 national championship with a 17-0 season. And, last year’s men’s tennis team ran the table until losing in the NCAA Semifinals, which ended a 32-match winning streak. A perfect season can be done.

I don’t believe in jinxes, but I’m not going to risk any athletes hating me for one column. Maybe they can hate me for two columns they don’t like, but not just one. So all I’m going to say is this: Support the Cavaliers from here on out. Use your free tickets to watch games at Snyder, Klöckner and Davenport. Because folks, these teams are pretty damn good.