Smith's success with Gophers doesn't mean he'll stay
Virginia is rumored to be calling, and the veteran power coach might find life in a warmer climate pretty tempting.
By JIM SOUHAN, Star Tribune
Last update: March 21, 2009 - 12:47 AM

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Tubby Smith worked as an assistant basketball coach at Virginia Commonwealth, South Carolina and Kentucky.

He worked as a head coach at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky and Minnesota.

He was born and raised in Maryland, and played college basketball in North Carolina.

He has family in Maryland and Virginia.

A realist would probably look at Smith's résumé and assume that he, like most power coaches, is always looking for his next job, a place offering a little more money, or better facilities, a more supportive atmosphere, or a better chance to win a championship. Or that, as a successful 57-year-old, he might take a hint from other well-off Minnesotans and look for a warmer place to spend his winters.

The typical myopic Gophers fan would probably look at Smith's résumé and assume he has found his dream job in Dinkytown, that a man who has spent most of his life in the South has, in two years, planted deep roots in the frozen tundra.

We may find out soon whether Smith has any roots at all. If Smith's intention was to take advantage of Minnesota's hospitality, relative to the crazed atmosphere at Kentucky, he could stay. Minnesota is, after all, an easy place to coach if you are competent.

Smith must already be the most powerful figure in the athletic department, Williams Arena offers a distinct home-court advantage, and he will never receive the level of criticism here for finishing seventh in the Big Ten that he received in Kentucky for getting beat deep in the NCAA tournament.

If he's looking to leave, though, Smith could depart quickly.

You couldn't run into a sportswriter or a basketball official in Greensboro who didn't ask whether Smith is going to take the vacant Virginia job. The speculation has yet to rise above the level of rumor, but we should never let a power coach complain about these rumors, because power coaches so rarely tell the truth about their intentions. Power coaches, even those as classy as Smith, have taught us not to trust them.

Thus far, Smith has said only: "We have no reason to be looking at anything else. And I'm very happy where we are."

If Smith wanted to quash the rumor, he could offer a stronger statement, something along the lines of: "I have no interest in any other job and will remain in Minnesota at least for the length of my contract.'' Saying anything weaker than that invites speculation.

At his age, Smith's next move might be to a school where he will feel comfortable coaching until retirement. He would be a natural fit in his home state of Maryland, but Gary Williams snuffed rumors of his impending firing with a strong late-season performance. Smith would probably welcome warmer climes, which is why Arizona would make sense.

Virginia could be a perfect fit for Smith. It offers many things Minnesota doesn't -- warmer weather, an up-to-date practice facility, a place his wife would like to live, and an ACC pedigree. Virginia has struggled enough that Smith could receive credit for rebuilding another program if he has any success.

Smith could leave Minnesota bragging that he resurrected a program that was in shambles when he arrived, and he would be right.

Smith did not grow up dreaming of coaching in Williams Arena. He knew little about Minnesota-- the program or the state -- until, sick of the abuse he was taking in Kentucky, he called old friend Clem Haskins to ask whether he should be interested in the Gophers job.

Haskins probably told him something like, "It's an easy place to coach, most of the media is soft, the fans are happy if you can get them to the tournament, it's worth a look.''

Minnesota is a nice way station for a power coach, but it is not a place Smith can expect to win another NCAA title, or a place he expects to retire.

Minnesota and Smith have been good for each other so far. That doesn't mean this relationship is built to last.

 

Players will be back; will coach?
Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune
By MYRON P. MEDCALF, Star Tribune
Last update: March 21, 2009 - 12:47 AM

GREENSBORO, N.C. — When the final buzzer sounded in the Gophers' 76-62 loss to Texas in the NCAA tournament on Thursday, there was no pouting.

The youthful Gophers emerged determined to return to the tournament next season, and optimistic the arrival of a top recruiting class will help them do it.

But the seemingly bright future is clouded by rumors suggesting that Virginia is going to pursue Tubby Smith as its next coach. Similar rumors have already surfaced at Arizona, Alabama and Georgia, meaning Gophers fans will have to get used to such speculation -- unless Smith announces flatly that he will return to Minnesota, instead of offering more politically correct responses to the rumors.

Dave Leitao resigned as Virginia coach on Monday and Smith is reportedly the leading candidate for the job. In 2005, Virginia wanted to sign Smith, who was coaching Kentucky at the time, but a deal fell through.

Smith has repeatedly stated that he is not looking for another job. But he has only said he is not going after any opening -- he has yet to say that there's no other school that can lure him away from Minnesota.

Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said he knew other schools would come calling for Smith when he hired him in 2007. Although he believes Smith's intentions are to stay, he said he knows there's always a chance that another school might make an offer too good to refuse.

"Again, I also know how this business works," he said. "I'm not naïve to realities."

If Smith decided to go, he would be leaving behind a team filled with potential.

The Gophers lose just two players to graduation, and they add one of the best recruiting classes in the country.

"We've got a great recruiting class coming in," sophomore forward Paul Carter said. "... We looked at each other right after the [Texas] game like, 'All right, it's time to man up.' We need to get in this weight room, we need to get everything together this summer because we're not doing this again. We're not going to come out and lose in the first round."

Smith said he thought he would take the Gophers (22-11) to their first NCAA tournament since 2005 in his first year. But doing it in his second season still puts him ahead of schedule.

The Gophers earned an NCAA bid this season even though they lost their top three scorers from a year ago -- Spencer Tollackson, Dan Coleman and Lawrence McKenzie. They also played with five newcomers this season.

Although a sluggish 4-7 finish to the regular season nearly bounced the Gophers from the NCAA tournament, a strong start put them on the national map. They beat Louisville, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tourney, in a Dec. 20 neutral-site matchup in Glendale, Ariz.

The Gophers climbed as high as No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. And as Smith said after Thursday's loss, the Gophers have "raised the bar" by making the NCAA tournament.

He added: "Next season, well, again, this will help especially the returning players as well as our incoming recruits say, 'Hey, look ... this is what we're all about."

The incoming players appear talented enough to challenge for immediate playing time.

Hopkins' Royce White is the staple of the incoming group. The talented 6-7, 220-pound forward had offers from some of the top schools in the nation, but an expulsion from DeLaSalle because of academic issues affected his stock.

Still, White has the kind of talent to become an instant factor with the Gophers, assuming he continues to mature off the court.

Trevor Mbakwe, a former St. Bernard's athlete who spent this past season at Miami Dade College, should be one of the Gophers' best rebounders next season. Bishop Montgomery (Calif.) point guard Justin Cobbs could push incumbent starter Al Nolen. And Cooper's Rodney Williams is a better athlete than most of the players in the Big Ten right now.

If all of that young talent can merge properly with the returning players, there's no reason why the Gophers can't improve on their 9-9 Big Ten record. Lawrence Westbrook, the Gophers' leading scorer this season, said the potential of next year's recruiting class and the tournament trip will build confidence for next season.

"I think we'll get better," Westbrook said after Thursday's loss. "It gives us confidence that we're good enough to make it here. Us losing in the first round gives us a little motivation to come back next year and get past the first round."

"We've got a great recruiting class coming in," sophomore forward Paul Carter said. "... We looked at each other right after the [Texas] game like, 'All right, it's time to man up.' We need to get in this weight room, we need to get everything together this summer because we're not doing this again. We're not going to come out and lose in the first round."

Smith said he thought he would take the Gophers (22-11) to their first NCAA tournament since 2005 in his first year. But doing it in his second season still puts him ahead of schedule.

The Gophers earned an NCAA bid this season even though they lost their top three scorers from a year ago -- Spencer Tollackson, Dan Coleman and Lawrence McKenzie. They also played with five newcomers this season.

Although a sluggish 4-7 finish to the regular season nearly bounced the Gophers from the NCAA tournament, a strong start put them on the national map. They beat Louisville, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tourney, in a Dec. 20 neutral-site matchup in Glendale, Ariz.

The Gophers climbed as high as No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. And as Smith said after Thursday's loss, the Gophers have "raised the bar" by making the NCAA tournament.

He added: "Next season, well, again, this will help especially the returning players as well as our incoming recruits say, 'Hey, look ... this is what we're all about."

The incoming players appear talented enough to challenge for immediate playing time.

Hopkins' Royce White is the staple of the incoming group. The talented 6-7, 220-pound forward had offers from some of the top schools in the nation, but an expulsion from DeLaSalle because of academic issues affected his stock.

Still, White has the kind of talent to become an instant factor with the Gophers, assuming he continues to mature off the court.

Trevor Mbakwe, a former St. Bernard's athlete who spent this past season at Miami Dade College, should be one of the Gophers' best rebounders next season. Bishop Montgomery (Calif.) point guard Justin Cobbs could push incumbent starter Al Nolen. And Cooper's Rodney Williams is a better athlete than most of the players in the Big Ten right now.

If all of that young talent can merge properly with the returning players, there's no reason why the Gophers can't improve on their 9-9 Big Ten record. Lawrence Westbrook, the Gophers' leading scorer this season, said the potential of next year's recruiting class and the tournament trip will build confidence for next season.

"I think we'll get better," Westbrook said after Thursday's loss. "It gives us confidence that we're good enough to make it here. Us losing in the first round gives us a little motivation to come back next year and get past the first round."

If all of that young talent can merge properly with the returning players, there's no reason why the Gophers can't improve on their 9-9 Big Ten record. Lawrence Westbrook, the Gophers' leading scorer this season, said the potential of next year's recruiting class and the tournament trip will build confidence for next season.

"I think we'll get better," Westbrook said after Thursday's loss. "It gives us confidence that we're good enough to make it here. Us losing in the first round gives us a little motivation to come back next year and get past the first round."

 

VCU's Grant Is Good to Go
By Michael Wilbon
Saturday, March 21, 2009; Page E06
PHILADELPHIA

The moment Virginia Commonwealth's season ended here late Thursday night with Eric Maynor's missed shot at the buzzer, the basketball caretakers at the University of Virginia should have been dreaming of the possibilities.

The Cavaliers are in search of a basketball coach, and Virginia Commonwealth has a really, really good one: Anthony Grant. He's good enough that Georgia is interested. Maybe Kentucky, too. Grant, at the moment, is what's called a "hot candidate." Schools want to hire him. Young assistants want to work for him. Truth is, VCU cannot keep him if one of the big conference schools come calling, and one of them will. Maynor, who with Grant led VCU on a wonderful three-year run, is a departing senior, so the getting is good for Grant right now.

Grant, 42, is smart, composed, strategically creative, a terrific recruiter. His résumé has it all. He spent 10 years at Florida helping Billy Donovan build the program that won back-to-back national championships. Grant was with Donovan at Marshall before that and was a high school coach in Miami before that. You think Virginia couldn't use a coach with those kinds of recruiting ties? We're talking McDonald's all-Americans and NBA first-round draft picks that he recruited. The players Grant brought to VCU come from D.C., Richmond, North Carolina, Cameroon, Russia, and all parts of Florida.

I'm not about to suggest that the search should end with Grant. Word is out Virginia is interested in Tubby Smith, a man whose national championship and stature would undoubtedly give Virginia basketball an immediate and much-needed shot of energy. But indications are that Tubby is quite happy in Minneapolis (though Virginia is much closer to home), where he has taken the Gophers from laughingstock to the NCAA tournament, and that people there (unlike at Kentucky) are quite happy with him, too.

But Grant is 15 years younger than Smith, and Virginia needs to find a 10-year solution, not just a three- to five-year fix. Of course, if the Oklahoma athletic department is led by people too dumb to get along with Jeff Capel and that leaves an angle for Virginia, all the better. Capel and Grant have to be at the top of any school's wish list, and the fact that both have worked in the state and know the regional recruiting ground could be the Cavaliers' basketball salvation.

The bet here is that somebody in Oklahoma, though it is definitely a football school and an unbelievably arrogant one at that, will be smart enough to keep Capel happy in Norman. That would put the spotlight back on Grant, who according to those around him wants the opportunity to compete for a national championship. Sadly for VCU, playing in the CAA isn't going to afford that chance.

A big-conference school, such as Georgia of the SEC, would be a step up resource-wise, both financially and human.

The Virginia job isn't easy. Dave Leitao's work at DePaul proved he can be a good coach, but winning in Charlottesville is a different sort of challenge, when you're competing at a disadvantage with North Carolina and Duke and often Maryland and Wake Forest. Then, there are Virginia's demanding academic requirements and all of the eccentricities that Wahoos think are charming but which can be annoying and restrictive when it comes to recruiting and coaching basketball. (I've earned the right to say this, being married to a very active Virginia alum.)

It was disturbing to hear it suggested here Thursday night that Virginia might not want to "sink" to the level of hiring a VCU coach. Surely, that's a joke. Virginia is coming off the school's worst record in 40 years or some such, while VCU is coming off two NCAA tournament appearances in three years. Virginia has won 128 games the last eight seasons while VCU has won 176. Virginia's winning percentage in those eight seasons is .525 while VCU's is .698.

I trust this is just alumni and booster talk coming out of Charlottesville, because Athletic Director Craig Littlepage is way too smart for that nonsense. If one of Thomas Jefferson's kin can recruit a couple of studs to live on the lawn, then Virginia can look down its nose at VCU. Otherwise, the Cavaliers would be wise to dispatch someone to talk to Anthony Grant.

Maynor, who will be playing in the NBA next year, said after the game that he figured he would leave VCU after his freshman year when Capel left for Oklahoma.

"Coach Capel got me here, so I thought I was going," Maynor said. "But after my first one-on-one conversation with Coach Grant, I knew I was staying. I knew I was in the right place. He's a great coach and he's able to communicate with his players how much he cares about them as people, which I think makes guys play harder for him. He's been the key to my success. I'm gonna take a lot of what he taught me away from here."

Grant, who as a player helped lead Dayton to the NCAA tournament in the mid-1980s, took Thursday's loss hard. He blamed himself for a strategic decision on the final possession. Without a dozen other decisions Grant made during that game, VCU wouldn't have even been in position to score another NCAA tournament upset.

That was of no consolation to Grant as he stood by himself in a small hallway niche outside the VCU locker room. But it might be of great interest to Virginia fans who would love their program to be where Grant's is right now.


 

Tubby is the right pick for Virginia
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: March 21, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C.

Tubby Smith, men’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota, is a wanted man.

Not by the law, mind you, but by two major universities 900 miles apart. Minnesota has him and wants to keep him. The University of Virginia wants him to revive its downtrodden basketball program.

While issuing the standard “I’m happy, I have a good job, I’m not looking at anything else” statement when the matter was bridged during Wednesday’s NCAA tournament interview session, Tubby said that while it’s important to be wanted, it’s more important to be needed.

No one needs him more than Virginia, where basketball, by outgoing coach Dave Leitao’s assessment, has been “irrelevant” on the college hoops landscape for the past 10 years.

From everything I can gather in talking to my network of sources, Tubby Smith is THE MAN. He’s the main target of UVa’s coaching search.

High praise

While talking to some of the sharpest minds involved in college basketball the past few days at the Greensboro Regional, all agree that if Virginia can land Tubby Smith, it would be insane to look anywhere else.

Texas coach Rick Barnes, whose Longhorns eliminated Smith’s Minnesota team on Thursday night, was his most vocal supporter.

“Anybody would be crazy not to go after Tubby Smith,” said Barnes. “You go back and see what he’s done everywhere he’s been, whether it’s Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky or Minnesota. As long as I’ve been in this business I don’t know if there’s a guy that’s more liked, more well-respected than Tubby. The fact is he’s always done it right. He’s always won and he always will.”

About then, some of Barnes’ colleagues pitched in that they thought anybody would be crazy not to go after him as the next coach.

Barnes answered back, “Well, I was coach at Virginia for one day.”

That’s another column.

In good company

There was no question that Barnes considered Tubby at the same coaching level as Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, and other Hall of Famers around the country.

“I think of Mike [Krzyzewski] and Tubby the same way,” Barnes said. “What makes them great is they truly understand their personnel. They put their personnel in the best possible position. They’re not afraid to change things from start to finish.”

Ever since last Monday, when we were the first to project that Smith was the frontrunner for the Virginia vacancy, there has been all sorts of speculation.

Want my opinion? The more digging I do, the more I’m convinced that Tubby will be Virginia’s next basketball coach.

Forget that gobbledygook about UVa going out and hiring a search firm to assist in the process. Standard operating procedure. Nothing new, not even in Charlottesville.

Virginia hired such a firm last time, and see where it got them.

Director of athletics Craig Littlepage needs to trust his gut and stay the course. Virginia could have had Tubby four years ago but politics crossed things up. This time, the Cavaliers can’t afford to screw things up.

Certainly there is an allure to Virginia. Tubby’s family is from Maryland. His wife Donna’s family is from the Richmond area. There’s roots all over. He coached at VCU. He played at High Point, not far from the Greensboro Coliseum where his team ended its season two days ago. He has been longtime friends with Littlepage.

He’d be coming home.

He would also be coaching in the ACC, the premiere coach’s league in the country, going eyeball-to-eyeball with Krzyzewski and the Williams boys, Roy and Gary, among other familiar faces.

Money?

Yeah, it’s a factor. But who’s got more money than Virginia? Look around, the Cavaliers have sugar daddies everywhere that are disgusted with the state of Wahoo basketball.

They didn’t build the nation’s best new arena to go 4-12.

Anyone who questions if Tubby is past his prime doesn’t know basketball. He’ll be 58 in June — which, by the way, is four years younger than Krzyzewski, and that guy isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

This columnist spent most of the time Wednesday and Thursday observing Tubby Smith in action: the way he handled fans; the way he handled media; the way he handled his players during practice, during games, in the huddle during time outs; the way he handled himself.

I was even more impressed with Smith after studying him than before, and I was already impressed.

Yeah, there are some younger candidates, but not any BETTER candidates.

Littlepage and his staff are keenly aware of this and are on course. These sorts of things are always done behind the scenes, usually between agents and lawyers and athletic administrators and school presidents.

Don’t expect it to be an overnight process. It takes time to line up these kinds of deals.

But it’s the best deal Virginia could possibly make. Tubby Smith coming to Virginia would be the best thing that’s happened to Wahoo basketball since Ralph Sampson signed on the dotted line.

 

Virginia rumors persist even after Smith's denial
By MYRON P. MEDCALF, Star Tribune
Last update: March 20, 2009 - 12:12 AM

GREENSBORO, N.C. - What started out as a rumor has blossomed into a steady buzz surrounding Virginia's interest in Gophers coach Tubby Smith. Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao resigned earlier this week.

When asked about potential coaching opportunities, Smith told media at the NCAA tournament Wednesday that he's not looking elsewhere.

"We have no reason to be looking at anything else," he said. "And I'm very happy where we are."

Another source close to the coach told the Star Tribune earlier this week that it's "highly, highly, highly unlikely" Smith would even be interested in the Virginia gig.

That hasn't stopped Virginia radio stations, alumni, message boards and reporters from probing the issue. Columnist Jerry Ratcliffe wrote this in the Charlottesville (Va.) Daily Progress, which reported earlier this week that Smith was a leading candidate for the Virginia job: "One, either he's content and will remain at Minnesota; or, two, what else could he say? No coach is going to talk about another job on the eve of an NCAA tournament game."

Virginia was interested in hiring Smith, who was coaching Kentucky at the time, before it hired Leitao in 2005.

The speculation stays alive in part because of Smith's connections to the area. He's a former Virginia Commonwealth assistant. His wife grew up just outside Richmond. And he still has family in the area.

Virginia's three-year-old, $130 million arena doesn't help the Gophers' cause either.

Smith, however, has been consistent all season about his desire to stay at Minnesota, in spite of rumors suggesting that Arizona and Alabama also are interested in him, too.
 

The ones that got away
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 21, 2009

Put Duke’s Elliot Williams and Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds in the backcourt and North Carolina’s Ed Davis, Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson and Florida State’s Solomon Alabi up front.

Now that team could have won some games.

But if former Virginia coach Dave Leitao had landed just one of the aforementioned players — he was in hot pursuit of them all at one time or another — people would be singing a far different tune about his abilities as a recruiter.

“Every coach in America can have an ‘All-what-if team’ that would be as good as there is in the country,” said Leitao, back in January.

While that is certainly true, Leitao seemed to have more misses on the recruiting trail than his ACC counterparts — and that is one of the numerous reasons that he parted ways with the university on Monday.

Leitao was able to land ACC freshman of the year Sylven Landesberg, but he was never able to land that one really big fish. With a $130 million state-of-the-art arena as a backdrop, Leitao never got the one 5-star recruit that he so desperately needed to make noise in one of the most competitive conferences in the country.

Leitao’s greatest success — a share of the ACC regular-season championship in 2007 — was accomplished with a core of players that were recruited by predecessor Pete Gillen.

It was Leitao’s failure to recruit and develop his own top-tier talent that ultimately cost him.

An analysis of the recruits he landed bears this out.

Leitao’s first class, in 2006, featured Will Harris, Jamil Tucker, Solomon Tat and Jerome Meyinsse.

Tucker, who’s had the biggest impact of the quartet, has averaged just 5.3 points in his career.

Tat and Meyinsse have each averaged 1.7 points.

Harris averaged 3.3 points in his first two seasons before transferring to Albany.

Recruiting guru Bob Gibbons, when asked to assess the class as a whole, gave it a grade of “below average.”

In fairness, Leitao didn’t have much time to put that first class together. Most of the top players had a pretty good idea of where they were headed by the time Leitao had a chance to talk to them.

Leitao used his recruiting contacts from his previous job at DePaul to help lure Tucker, who had been spurned at the last second by Ohio State.

Tat, believe it or not, was a hot commodity on the AAU circuit coming out of high school in Georgia. The 6-foot-5 wing chose Virginia over Georgia.

But from the moment he arrived, it was clear that his defense was much further along than his offense. This season, Tat, due to his lack of shooting touch, was logging time at power forward.

“He can’t score. That’s his problem,” Gibbons said.

How did everybody miss the boat so badly?

“You see him as an athlete and feel like if he works hard to develop a shot that he should be [good],” Gibbons said.

Tat, of course, had a circuitous journey to Virginia. Because of visa problems, UVa had to help the Nigerian jump through numerous immigration hoops before he even arrived on grounds.

In the end, Tat got married and was able to stay in the country and play for Virginia.

Gibbons gave Leitao’s 2007 class a grade of “average.”

The group featured Sammy Zeglinski, Jeff Jones, Mike Scott and Mustapha Farrakhan.

“Zeglinski is a player who’s solid,” Gibbons said. “He’s not a quick, explosive, jet-like point guard, but he’s fundamentally sound and can shoot the ball.

“Scott, I thought would contribute more than he has because he really had a great year at Hargrave [Military Academy] and was highly sought after by Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest and a lot of schools.”

It seemed as if Leitao had a steal after Jones, the Philadelphia Catholic League’s all-time leading scorer, de-committed from Maryland. But Jones has had an inconsistent start to his career at Virginia.

Meanwhile, Gibbons viewed Farrakhan as a bit of a reach.

“I’ve never been sure that he’s quite up to ACC level,” he said. “I rated him as a mid-major type player.”

Leitao’s third recruiting class was clearly his best. It featured Landesberg, a 4-star recruit, and two promising big men in Assane Sene and John Brandenburg. Gibbons rated the 2008 group “above average,” ranking it fourth within the ACC.

“Landesberg certainly more than fulfilled his expectations,” Gibbons said. “Sene and Brandenburg are still developing. … I think next year they’ll show marked improvement and be very good ACC players.”

Although Leitao signed Tristan Spurlock and Jontel “Bub” Evans to letters of intent, it is not clear, due to Leitao’s departure, if they will still come to Virginia. Gibbons is “very high” on Spurlock, but sounded a little iffy on Evans.

“[Spurlock] can play guard or forward and is an outstanding defensive player,” Gibbons said. “I think he and Landesberg can team to be two of the better wing players in the conference.”

Evans is considered an excellent athlete who loves to play defense, “but a lot of people thought that maybe he was a better football prospect than a basketball [one],” Gibbons noted.

Overall, Gibbons believes Leitao wasn’t hurt by chasing the big fish — the Pattersons and Davises of the world. In fact, he believes Virginia’s runner-up status on several of the 5-star players helped the school’s profile.

Assistant coach Bill Courtney was responsible for procuring some of the program’s best talent — Landesberg, Sene and Spurlock.

But there is no doubt that when Leitao lost Rob Lanier, another great recruiter, to Florida after the 2007 season, things started heading south.

“The staff has to shoulder much of the responsibility for recruiting,” Gibbons said. “The head coach is just the closer.”

Surprise hasn't deterred players
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
March 20, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - — When Sylven Landesberg had a chat Wednesday with University of Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage, it didn't take long for the conversation to turn personal.

It seems Littlepage wanted Landesberg's personal opinion of how good the Cavaliers' men's basketball team could be next season in the wake of coach Dave Leitao's resignation Monday. Nevermind who the next coach will be — Littlepage was looking for an honest appraisal from U.Va.'s best player, based on returning talent.

"He asked me a serious question," said Landesberg, a freshman from Flushing, N.Y., who led the team with 16.6 points per game and was named ACC rookie of the year. "He asked me how do I see us finishing next year, like middle of the pack (in the Atlantic Coast Conference)? And I said, 'No, I see us in the top four or five teams.' I say that very confidently."

That's the optimistic approach. Putting those words into motion with a new coaching staff will be the trick.

With Leitao and assistant coaches Bill Courtney, Drew Diener and Steve Seymour all gone after a season in which U.Va. went 10-18 overall and 4-12 in the ACC, the Cavaliers are currently under the temporary direction of Littlepage and Rick Brunson, the director of basketball operations.

There's no timetable for a new coach to be chosen, but some of the rumored candidates include prominent names like Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel, Virginia Commonwealth's Anthony Grant and Minnesota coach Tubby Smith, who said Wednesday he's happy right now leading the Golden Gophers.

While the search continues for the new coach, U.Va.'s players are dealing with change. When Leitao met with the players Monday afternoon for about 15 minutes, Landesberg and guard Jeff Jones said none of the players had any idea what the meeting was about.

"Usually, when we have meetings right after the season, it's about off-season workouts and training for the summertime," Jones said. "Everybody thought it was going to be for that, because Leitao walked in calm and that's exactly what I thought it was going to be. From his body language, I thought he was going to talk about workouts and things like that, but then he told us he would no longer be with the team and went from there."

After the initial shock wore off, Jones started to think about who was to blame for U.Va.'s struggles this season. He knew all the hurt and anger couldn't rightfully be pointed toward Leitao and his staff.

"I think it's not all the coaches' fault," Jones said. "I mean, some games we were right there. Some games some guys on the team didn't play to their full potential, so you definitely can't blame it all on the coach. We're the players out there playing."

Landesberg already has begun to try to move on. He called forward Tristan Spurlock, a 6-foot-7 signee from Springfield, on Wednesday night to put Spurlock's mind at ease about U.Va.'s future. Neither Landesberg nor Jones said they had gotten in touch with Bethel High guard Jontel Evans, another U.Va. signee.

As far as Landesberg and Jones are concerned, both said they don't plan to transfer or leave U.Va. Landesberg, who said Littlepage plans to meet with and listen to ideas from all of the players, knows what he wants from the future coach.

"Even though the coaches did play a big role in me coming here, I made a commitment to the university as well as the coaching staff," Landesberg said. "I'm still going to be here, regardless of who the coach is.

"Coming in now, we just need a coach that's ready to go. He needs to know that there are soldiers here, and we're ready to go to war with him."

Forward thinking
Sylven Landesberg, above, said he expects Virginia to finish in the top five of the ACC next season. Here's what U.Va. has coming back:

12
Players slated to return

16.6
Points per game from Landesberg

91
Percent of its 2008-09 scoring

Leitao did not have option of returning
Will other job openings impact UVa search
By Doug Doughty

I hope I’m not violating doctor-patient confidentiality by saying that Roanoke ear, nose and throat specialist and Virginia graduate Dr. Mark Hanabury was the first person to ask me about the UVa men’s basketball coaching situation today.

Hanabury said he had heard that former Cavaliers’ head coach Dave Leitao balked at the demand that he make changes to his staff.

(My wife will be happy to know, after having some wax flushed out of my ear, that I heard Dr. Hanabury very clearly. I can’t promise that I will hear her any more clearly.)

I bring up Dr. Hanabury’s observation because I don’t think he is alone in that perception. Other people are under the impression that Leitao could have saved his job by letting go of assistants.

That was not the case.

Indeed, the subject of staff changes had been broached with Leitao and he was on board with it. And, he was set to come back before the Cavaliers got off to their customary uninspired start and lost to Boston College 76-63 in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

Here’s what the UVa people had to be asking themselves:

Is this the guy to take the Cavaliers where they want to go?

First of all, where do they want to go?

I’d say that regular NCAA Tournament appearances would be a reasonable goal.

Over the course of 17 seasons from 1980-81 through 1996-97, UVa made 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament.

In 12 subsequent seasons, UVa has been to the NCAA Tournament twice. The Cavaliers have one NCAA victory to their credit since 1995.

MAYBE SOME NEW assistants would have helped. Former Wake Forest and South Carolina head coach Dave Odom would have been perfect, but I’m not sure the route that UVa has taken isn’t better.

Now, athletic director Craig Littlepage has to try and not screw up the search.

I don’t know how scientific the poll on roanoke.com is – it’s probably not scientific at all – but I think the 260 votes that had been cast by 2:45 p.m. Friday represent a realistic look at how the UVa fans were feeling.

If you haven’t voted, we’d love you to do so and post your feedback.

Minnesota’s Tubby Smith has led the way with 23.08 percent of the vote as of this afternoon, followed by VCU’s Anthony Grant (15.0), Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel (14.6) and ESPN’s Bob Knight (12.3).

In case you’re wondering, Bob Knight is Al Groh’s choice. No surprise there. They were at Army at the same time.

I don’t think UVa will be able to get Smith, who has been quoted as saying he’s not interested. Plus, he’d be much more expensive than the other candidates.

The best bet, in my view, is Capel. As far as I can tell, he’s making no more than $1.2 million per year. Look for Oklahoma to give him a nice bump, particularly if Virginia seeks permission to speak to him.

So, let’s say the Sooners push him up to $1.5 million or $1.75 million. That’s still less than Virginia is paying Groh and a lot less than it would have to pay Smith.

I’M SURPRISED AT how little support (3.46 percent) there is for Xavier coach Sean Miller. He would be my choice, particularly in light of the way the Musketeers have pounded UVa in a non-conference home-and-home series the past two seasons.

Somebody pointed out that Miller, a University of Pittsburgh graduate, could return to his alma mater if anything happens to current Panthers’ coach Jamie Dixon.

Dixon, a native of Burbank, Calif., is a West Coast guy who was an assistant to then-Northern Arizona head coach Ben Howland before Howland came east to Pittsburgh. Dixon assumed the Panthers’ head job when Howland resigned to become the head coach at UCLA in 2003.

In any case, Arizona looms as one of the plum jobs that will be open this postseason and, for a West Coast guy, probably would be viewed as a more attractive opportunity than Virginia’s.

Dixon, incidentally, signed a contract extension in 2006 that will take him through 2012-2013.

Interestingly, Miami’s Frank Haith is among those who have been mentioned with another job opening: Alabama’s. What would be really interesting is how many ACC coaches would be tempted by Virginia and its $128-million, three-year-old arena?

Two words: Oliver Purnell.

The ACC has always frowned on the notion of member schools raiding other member schools for head coaches, particularly in football and women’s basketball. In recent years, we’ve seen Boston College football coach Tom O’Brien move to N.C. State, but, for all intents and purposes, that was by mutual consent.

Don’t look for another ACC coach to head to Virginia.

FOR THE VIRGINIA TECH fans starved for a Hokies’ note this week, Jamie Oakes’ column on the CavsCorner.com site revived an old Virginia Tech name.

Unofficial visitors to Virginia’s first weekend of spring practice this weekend will include Zach Zwinak, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker from Linganore High School in Frederick, Md.

Zwinak, who will be accompanied by 6-7, 325-pound Frederick offensive lineman Robby Havenstein, is the son of former Virginia Tech nose tackle B.J. Zwinak, a letterman for the Hokies from 1980-1983. Tech has made a scholarship offer to Zwinak, as have Notre Dame, Penn State and Michigan.



 

Top-ranked Virginia ready for Johns Hopkins
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 21, 2009

To the naked eye, the 9-0 Virginia men’s lacrosse team seems to be clicking on all cylinders, but UVa senior Garrett Billings sees room for improvement.

“I’d like to see our midfield and attack have a good game together,” said Billings, who leads the team with 22 goals and 10 assists. “It seems like it’s been an alternating kind of thing. If everyone could play well, we would be pretty hard to handle.”

Tonight in Baltimore, No. 1 Virginia (9-0) will face another stiff test in the form of No. 7 Johns Hopkins. The game is slated to faceoff at 8 p.m. and is being televised nationally by ESPNU.

Already this season, UVa has posted impressive wins over two of the top four teams in the country — Syracuse (at the Carrier Dome) and Cornell.

“I would tell you that our kids are excited about the game and have been very good as we prepare ourselves,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia. “If there is one characteristic that has distinguished itself to this team to date it has been our ability to be ready on each of these game days. We’ve played a lot of games and I give our kids a lot of credit for that.”

Johns Hopkins has won two of the last four national championships and finished as runner-up another year.

However, the Blue Jays are only 3-2 this season, including a loss to Syracuse last week.

Hopkins has a bit of a different look. For four years, the Blue Jays relied heavily on All-American midfielders Paul Rabil and Stephen Peyser and attackman Kevin Huntley, who have since graduated.

“I feel like they have a little bit more of a balanced attack that we’ll have to be ready for,” Billings said.

Virginia won the lone meeting between the schools last year, a 13-12 thriller at Klockner Stadium.

Ground balls

Virginia is one of three undefeated teams left in Division I, along with No. 14 Hobart and No. 3 Notre Dame. … UVa has won the last three regular-season matchups against the Blue Jays and will be attempting to win four in a row for the first time ever. The Jays have handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the season 17 times. … Virginia is tied for second in the nation in defense (6.0 GPG) and third in offense (14.0 GPG).

 

Cavaliers Tangle with Johns Hopkins Saturday Night
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/20/2009

After a very hectic first month of the season that saw the team play nine games, Dom Starsia’s Cavalier squad sees a change in its routine as the games come once a week for the rest of the regular season.

This week’s foe is perennial powerhouse Johns Hopkins, winners of two of the last four national championships and runner up one other year. The Blue Jays are 3-2 this season and fell to Syracuse in their last outing last week, but playing at Homewood Field is no easy task for any team. The game is slated to faceoff at 8 pm and is being televised nationally by ESPNU.


“Clearly (Johns Hopkins) coach (Dave) Pietramala is going to have their full attention this week in his preparation,” said Starsia. “We must look like a big turkey coming over hill. I am sure the Jays will be ready for us and we’re clearly going to have our hands full.”

The pressures associated with playing a team looking for a big win on its home field are ones Starsia and his team have embraced all season.

“I would tell you that our kids are excited about the game and have been very good as we prepare ourselves,” he said. “If there is one characteristic that has distinguished itself to this team to date it has been our ability to be ready on each of these game days. We’ve played a lot of games and I give our kids a lot of credit for that.”

For four years the Blue Jays relied heaving on All-Americans midfielders Paul Rabil and Stephen Peyser and attackman Kevin Huntley, who have since graduated.

“I don’t have the nightmares that I had when it was Rabil or Peyser,” said Starsia. “But the nightmares now include Steven Boyle and Michael Kimmel and some of those guys.”

Every team undergoes transition from year to year, but having players ready to fill those vacancies is what keeps good teams good on a consistent basis according to Starsia.

“The reason that ... Hopkins is certainly back around those top teams in the country is they’ve had good young players waiting in the wings,” he said. “They’ve got some new characters but they’re also outstanding at the same time. Clearly they’ve got some guys that are ready to perform at the highest level.”

Among those players who have seen their roles expand are attackmen Boyle, Kyle Wharton and midfielder Kimmel.Wharton leads the Blue Jay offense with 13 goals and six assists, while Boyle is close behind with 11 goals and five assists. Kimmel, a junior who has been an excellent scorer and distributor throughout his career, leads the midfield with nine goals and six assists.

The defense is clearly one of the Blue Jays’ strengths with two seniors—Matt Drenan and Michael Evans—and a junior—Sam DeVore on close defense. They provide the last line of protection for junior goalie Michael Gvozden, who has proven his ability to carry the team.

“I think last year was a very interesting year for him,” said the Cavalier head coach. “You might have described him struggling a little bit earlier in the year, and then he really got hot in the second half of the season and really took Hopkins all the way to that final game and kind of bore that team on his shoulders defensively late in the season. We’ve seen him be very good so far.”

Against Syracuse last week he recorded 15 saves. “Syracuse really kept a lot of pressure on Hopkins in the first half of that game and Gvozden was very good in the goal.

“We fully expect Gvozden to step up and play his best game on Saturday night. We prepare with that in mind. With that in mind, you understand that you’re going to have to work to get really good shots and then can those opportunities,” Starsia said.

With the frenzied atmosphere of Homewood Field with the 1-2-3-We Want More! chants, it is likely to come down to the Cavaliers’ experience and leadership from the older players to provide the boost the team needs for a successful Saturday night.

“We certainly have enough leadership (from our older players) that I would expect us to be able to play our best game and not overreact to the atmosphere at Homewood,” Starsia said.


 

Men’s Tennis Downs Clemson 6-1
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/20/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team improved to 19-0 on the season and 4-0 in the ACC with a 6-1 victory over Clemson Friday afternoon at the Snyder Tennis Center.

The Cavaliers opened the match by sweeping the three doubles contests. Dominic Inglot (London, England) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) topped Carlos Alvarez and Rok Bizjak 8-4 at No. 1 doubles. The opening point was secured for the Cavaliers by Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) and Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn,), who downed Gera Boryachinskiy and Wesley Moran 8-6 at No. 2 doubles. Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) and Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) completed the sweep with a tiebreaker victory over Ike Belk and Kevin Fleck at No. 3 doubles.

In singles, Virginia’s won three matches quickly in straight sets to clinch the match. Singh topped Boryachinskiy 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to make the score 2-0. Inglot’s 6-1, 6-4 win over Alvarez at the No. 1 position gave the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead before Courtney’s 6-3, 7-5 win over Belk at No. 6 clinched the dual match win. Shabaz and Steven Eelkman Rooda (Amersfoort, The Netherlands) later added wins in third set match tiebreakers for Virginia.

The Cavaliers will return to action on Sunday when they host Georgia Tech. Match time is noon and admission is free.

No. 1 Virginia 6, Clemson 1

Doubles
1. #13 Inglot/Shabaz (UVa) def. Alvarez/Bizjak (CU) 8-4
2. #4 Barrick/Singh (UVa) def. Boryachinskiy/Moran (CU) 8-6
3. Courtney/Singer (UVa) def. Belk/Fleck (CU) 8-7(7)

Singles
1. #15 Dominic Inglot (UVa) def. Carlos Alvarez (CU) 6-1, 6-4
2. #23 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. Gera Boryachinskiy (CU) 6-2, 6-2
3. #18 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. Rok Bizjak (CU) 7-5, 6-7(5), 10-7
4. Kevin Fleck (CU) def. #69 Houston Barrick (UVa) 6-4, 4-6, 11-9
5. Steven Eelkman Rooda (UVa) def. Kevin Galloway (CU) 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 10-7
6. Drew Courtney (UVa) def. Ike Belk (CU) 6-3, 7-5

Order of Finish
Doubles: 1,2,3
Singles: 2,1,6,4,3,5

 

Cavaliers Set to Start Spring Football Practice
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/20/2009

The 2009 spring practice period is one of great promise and renewal for the Virginia Cavaliers. Following a disappointing 5-7 season, Al Groh immediately turned his attention toward working on improving his team in a variety of areas. The offseason featured several changes to his coaching staff, with three new faces joining Groh’s staff and two familiar ones returning.
Groh welcomes 35 lettermen, including 12 starters, when spring drills open in late March. Many eyes will be focused on the return of QB Jameel Sewell and CB Chris Cook, both starters two years ago, who were not in school last year. But there is a good foundation on both sides of the ball that deserves notice as well.

OFFENSE
OFFENSIVE LINE
After finishing in the bottom third of the ACC in offense the previous three seasons, Groh hired former Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon as offensive coordinator. Considered an innovator of the spread offense, under Brandon the Falcons featured one of the nation’s top all-around rushing and passing offenses. In four of his six seasons as head coach his teams averaged more than 400 yards of offense per game. Several other moves were made to the offensive staff. Wayne Lineburg was moved from coaching the wide receivers to the running backs and Latrell Scott was hired to oversee the wide receivers.
Four starters return to anchor the offensive line, led by senior right tackle Will Barker. Barker enters his fourth season with 37 starts under his belt. Next to him is junior B.J. Cabbell at right guard. Cabbell proved to be an effective blocker last season in his first year as the starter. Fellow junior Jack Shields was another first-time starter a year ago who improved throughout the season. Sophomore Austin Pasztor moved into the starting line-up in the fifth week against Maryland and remained there the rest of the season. Sophomore Landon Bradley backed up All-American Eugene Monroe at left tackle last year in an effort to groom him to move into that spot now that Monroe has moved on to a professional career.
Of the remaining candidates competing for playing time only sophomore center Anthony Mihota has seen any measurable amount of playing time following a starting assignment in place of an injured Shields in last season’s finale vs. Virginia Tech. Junior Isaac Cain has worked at guard and tackle throughout his career and has seen very limited action in two games in the last two years. Working at the guard spots are sophomores Billy Cuffee and Dave Roberts, neither of whom has seen game action. Sophomore Lamar Milstead and redshirt freshmen Matt Mihalik and Aaron Van Kuiken will be given an opportunity to earn playing time in the spring. Redshirt freshman Mike Price and walk-on John Maghamez join Mihota in the competition to see time at center.

QUARTERBACK
The line looks to protect an experienced quarterback, expected to be senior Jameel Sewell or junior Marc Verica. Sewell started all 13 games in 2007 and led the team to nine wins and a New Year’s Day bowl game. An elusive runner with a strong arm, he passed for 2,176 yards and ran for 279 more that season. Verica is more of a drop back passer who made his first start in last season’s third game against Connecticut. He went on to start nine of the final 10 games and threw for 2,037 yards while completing 63.8 percent of his attempts.
Redshirt freshman Riko Smalls gained experience imitating the opposition’s quarterback on the scout team last year, but is most likely to become a factor at quarterback further down the road. Walk-ons Brendan Lane, a sophomore, and Kyle McCartin, a redshirt freshman, provide additional depth. Groh hinted after last season that senior Vic Hall, erstwhile starter at cornerback who started last year’s finale against Virginia Tech at quarterback, could find a role on offense at times this year. He will work exclusively at quarterback during the spring according to Groh.

RUNNING BACK
Senior Mikell Simpson, who had an injury-plagued season last year and missed the final three contests as a result, is the most experienced ball carrier on the roster. He ran for 570 yards in 2007 before dropping to 262 last year. Junior Raynard Horne has been a special teams standout throughout his career and could be given his best opportunity. Keith Payne saw time at both tailback and fullback last season in what was an injury-plagued season that saw him miss five games.
Sophomore Max Milien has been a developmental player during the early part of his career but will be given an opportunity to show his skills this spring. Speedy redshirt freshman Torrey Mack was one of the top running backs in his recruiting class coming in and should contend for time.
Senior Rashawn Jackson returns as the primary fullback. Although he doesn’t get many carries, he has good ball skills and is an exceptional blocker in both phases of the offense. Sophomore Curt Orshoski is a sturdy player who can be utilized in the blocking scheme.

WIDE RECEIVER
After losing its top-four producers from last season, the wide receiver and tight end corps will provide plenty of opportunities for new faces to step to the forefront.
Sophomore Jared Green leads the returnees at wide receiver after catching 12 passes for 144 yards a year ago. Kris Burd caught seven passes as a redshirt freshman last year in limited action from scrimmage but is expected to see his production increase in 2009. Among the other wide receivers that have seen game action, both saw their roles diminish last year after productive seasons the year before. Dontrelle Inman finished with 17 receptions as a true freshman two years ago, but saw his total fall to two catches in 2008, while Staton Jobe saw his catches drop from 17 to one. Nonetheless, both are expected to use their experience to their advantage to increase their output this year. Highly regarded redshirt freshman Javaris Brown was named the team’s Scout Team Player of the Year is the only other scholarship receiver on the roster at this time. Juniors Patch Duda and Zach Mendez-Zfass, sophomores Ray Keys and Matt Snyder and redshirt freshmen Brian Oden, Johnny Pickett and Eric Thornton all add depth and could find themselves called on during the spring.

TIGHT END
For the first time in the Groh era the Cavaliers do not have a proven tight end going into the season. Junior Joe Torchia started two of the seven games in which he played last season, but did not catch a pass. Redshirt freshmen Colter Phillips and Rod Wheeler are talented players who will battle for playing time.

DEFENSE
linebackers
Cavalier coaches and fans will have to get familiar with some new faces making the majority of the tackles following the graduation of linebackers Clint Sintim, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby. Senior Denzel Burrell made 48 tackles in the most action of his career last year and is the team’s second-leading returning tackler behind cornerback Vic Hall. He got his chance to start following the injury to fellow senior Aaron Clark in the opener against Southern California. Clark, who got the starting nod over Burrell at the outside spot opposite Sintim going into the season, returns for his final season. He has worked hard in the offseason to rejoin the competition at one of the outside linebacker spots. Sophomore Cam Johnson is a pass rush specialist who saw his playing time increase steadily throughout the season before an injury caused him to miss the final month.
Junior Jared Detrick and sophomore Aaron Taliaferro will be given a chance to gain additional playing time this spring. Detrick has been one of the team’s top special teams players throughout his career, while Taliaferro played in just one contest in 2008. Sophomore Mark Ambrose and redshirt freshman Bill Schautz both moved from tight end to linebacker last season and could also find their way into the rotation in some capacity. Junior Daniel Childress and redshirt freshman Brady Stovall joined the team as walk-ons and provide depth.
Hard-hitting senior Darren Childs has the longest resume among the candidates working on the inside to replace Appleby and Copper. He started twice in midseason when Appleby was out with an injury and finished with 20 tackles on the year. Junior Darnell Carter, who was not in school last year, impressed observers with his practice play earlier in his career but has not been able to translate that into much playing time. Sophomore Terence Fells-Danzer played in four games last season, mostly on special teams, and could find himself called upon. Redshirt freshman Steve Greer served as Copper’s understudy last season and is expected to compete to fill his vacant position.

DEFENSIVE LINE
While the linebackers are assured to be almost totally new names and faces, such is not the case with the defensive line with seven of the top eight returning. Sophomore Matt Conrath headlines the returnees at end. He earned second-team Freshman All-American honors last season after making 35 tackles, including four sacks. Stationed next to him at nose tackle is a trio of experienced run stuffers and pass rushers with a wealth of experience. Senior Nate Collins and sophomore Nick Jenkins split time last season; Collins’ 35 tackles are the top among the returning linemen, while Jenkins finished with 25. Junior John-Kevin Dolce proved himself in the pass rush package with five sacks among his nine total tackles. Redshirt freshman Klinton “Buddy” Ruff is a promising prospect that is likely to make his biggest contributions in the future.
Competition for playing time at the other end position is likely to be fierce this spring as a number of players vie to replace starter Alex Field. Senior Kevin Crawford and sophomore Zane Parr have the most game action at the position. Joining them are sophomore Andrew Devlin, who moves from tight end this spring, and redshirt freshman Tory Allen. True freshman Will Hill enrolled in January and could figure into the equation and evaluation process beginning in the spring.

SECONDARY
The secondary is well stocked with experience at both cornerback and safety. Senior Vic Hall returns for his third season as a starter at cornerback, while junior Ras-I Dowling is back for his second year in a starting role. Hall made 59 tackles last season and is the team’s leading returning tackler. He also picked off two passes, including one he returned for a touchdown. Dowling intercepted a team-best three passes and broke up 11 passes, also tops on the team. Sophomore Chase Minnifield played in all 12 games with two starts and proved an ability to be around the ball with two interceptions and four break-ups. Junior Trey Womack and sophomore Dom Joseph have seen virtually all of their game action on special teams. Redshirt freshman Devin Wallace is expected to get a look, while walk-on senior Brandon Jarvis, and redshirt freshmen walk-ons Mike Ahunamba and Chris Broadnax add depth.
Senior Chris Cook returns after not being in school last year and is expected to fill a role in the secondary. He has started 19 games in his career and intercepted three passes. Junior Mike Parker logged two starts last fall and has been one of the team’s most capable reserves throughout his career. While both have played primarily cornerback, they could get a look at safety beginning this spring.
Sophomore Corey Mosley is the lone returning starter at safety going into the spring. He made an impact last year as a redshirt freshman and started the final nine games while making 46 tackles. Senior Brandon Woods started the first three games before giving way to Mosley, but he has appeared in 37 games in his career and knows the system well. Rodney McLeod played in the nickel package as a true freshman last season and finished with 17 tackles. Junior Matt Leemhuis has been a developmental player throughout the early stages of his career and should be closer to gaining additional playing time this spring. Ausar Walcott redshirted as a freshman last season and is also competing for playing time.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Ron Prince returns to Charlottesville to oversee the special teams after three seasons as the head coach at Kansas State, during which time the Wildcats featured some of the nation’s most dynamic and game-changing special teams units. Sophomore Jimmy Howell was one of five true freshmen to see time last year and averaged 39.0 yards on 64 punts. Junior walk-on Nathan Rathjen provides support behind Howell.
Senior Yannick Reyering, a former UVa soccer player, and sophomore Robert Randolph took turns with the kick-scoring duties last year. Reyering has a strong leg but made just six of 11 field goal attempts, while Randolph connected on three of four attempts. Sophomore Chris Hinkebein, who handled the kickoff duties for five games while Reyering was slowed with an injury, is also expected to contend for some of the placekicking responsibilities this season. Junior Danny Aiken is a proven long snapper and returns to give stability to that phase once again.
 

Nine questions for Groh’s ninth season
By Jeff White
Published: March 21, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Nine questions for Groh's ninth season Spring practice begins today for 2009 season; safeties found not guilty

Al Groh is heading into his ninth season as football coach at the University of Virginia. The Cavaliers went 5-7 in 2008, and if they post a similar record this year, there won't be a 10th season for Groh at his alma mater.

U.Va. opens spring practice today. The Wahoos' spring game is April 18. Here are nine questions about Groh's ninth team:

1. Who's gone?

Five of Groh's assistants from 2008 -- offensive coordinator Mike Groh, defensive coordinator Bob Pruett, special-teams coordinator Bobby Diaco, secondary coach Steve Bernstein and defensive-line coach Levern Belin -- are no longer at U.Va. Strength coach Matt Balis left too.

On the field, Virginia must replace such standouts as offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, tight end John Phillips, wideouts Kevin Ogletree, Maurice Covington and Cary Koch, tailback Cedric Peerman, defensive end Alex Field, safety Byron Glaspy and linebackers Jon Copper, Clint Sintim and Antonio Appleby.

2. Who's new?

Brandon Hourigan, who worked for former U.Va. assistant coach Mike London at the University of Richmond, replaced Balis as strength coach. Groh has five new assistants: Gregg Brandon (offensive coordinator), Latrell Scott (wide receivers), Bob Trott (linebackers), Chad Wilt (defensive line) and Ron Prince (special teams).

Prince, of course, spent five seasons as a Virginia assistant before leaving to become head coach at Kansas State. Wilt is a former U.Va. graduate assistant. Scott, a Lee-Davis High graduate, has worked at U.Va.'s summer camp.

Anthony Poindexter, formerly U.Va.'s running backs coach, now oversees the secondary. Wayne Lineburg, who coached Virginia's wideouts in 2007 and '08, is now with the running backs.

3. Who's back (after a year's absence)?

Three members of the 2007 team that won nine games and played in the Gator Bowl -- quarterback Jameel Sewell, cornerback Chris Cook and inside linebacker Darnell Carter -- were re-admitted to U.Va. in January. Each had been suspended from school for academic reasons a year earlier.

Sewell, a Hermitage High graduate, started 22 consecutive games before poor grades sidelined him, and Cook is considered an NFL prospect.

4. What's up with Groh's new title?

He's now officially the team's defensive coordinator, too. But his responsibilities haven't changed significantly.

"This is basically what I've been doing for the previous three years, so now it just removes any ambiguity as to what's what," said Groh, a former defensive coordinator at the Air Force Academy and, in the NFL, with the Giants and the Patriots.

5. Where will Vic Hall play this season?

When last we saw the 5-9 Hall on the field, he was rushing for 121 yards and two touchdowns Nov. 29 against Virginia Tech. U.Va. fans had been clamoring for years to see Hall at quarterback, but that was his first game at that position in college.

It may not be his last. Hall, a starting cornerback for Virginia in 2007 and '08, will work exclusively at quarterback this spring. Groh hasn't ruled out using him at corner again, too.

"There is no better competitor, never has been, on our team here," Groh said yesterday, "so we're going to have Vic in for the maximum amount of plays that he can stand during the course of next season, wherever that might be."

Sewell and Marc Verica, the starter most of last season, also are in the mix at QB.

6. Will the offense be better?

It can't be much worse. In 2008, Mike Groh's third and final season as coordinator, U.Va. ranked 115th nationally (out of 119 teams) in scoring offense and 106th in total offense.

Brandon has installed the spread attack with which he put up impressive numbers at Bowling Green. The Cavaliers, however, lost six key performers from their 2008 offense: Monroe, Peerman, Phillips, Covington, Ogletree and Koch.

7. What's new in the secondary?

With Cook, Ras-I Dowling, Chase Minnifield and Mike Parker, among others, U.Va. is set at cornerback. So Groh has shifted Rodney McLeod, who impressed as a true freshman last season, from corner to safety. McLeod is a strong candidate to start alongside former Henrico High star Corey Mosley at safety.

"That gives us a very fast player who is very sharp in terms of the defensive scheme and making the calls," Groh said. "But also, if that's where he ends up, will give us a player with significantly higher cover skills than often go with that position."

McLeod and Mosley would "probably be, combined, the two fastest safeties that we've had back there," Groh said.

8. Who'll take Alex Field's place at defensive end?

Keep an eye on Andrew Devlin, a 6-6, 265-pound rising sophomore. Devlin moved from tight end to defensive end after last season and will battle Zane Parr, among others, for a starting job.

"He was a real good defensive player in high school, rugged, aggressive, and we want to make sure we take advantage of that and give him the opportunity to find a sizable amount of field time," Groh said.

9. Four starters on the offensive line are back, but who'll replace All-American Eugene Monroe at left tackle?

The leading candidate is Landon Bradley, a 6-6, 275-pound rising sophomore. Bradley missed substantial practice time last season because of an ankle injury, but he'd taken most of the turns at left tackle during spring practice as Monroe recovered from surgery.

Bradley is "clearly much bigger and stronger than when he got here and has worked very well during the winter," Groh said, "and our expectation is he'll move in nicely."

. . .

U.Va. defensive backs Corey Mosley and Ausar Walcott were found not guilty of misdemeanor charges yesterday in Albemarle County General District Court.

University police arrested them Feb. 22 at a dance at U.Va.'s Student Activities Building. Mosley was charged with disorderly conduct and Walcott with obstruction of justice.

Mosley, a Henrico High graduate, started at safety last season. He'll be a redshirt sophomore this season. Walcott, also a safety, will be a redshirt freshman. He's from Hackensack, N.J.



 

Coaches punching loopholes in NCAA rules with graduate assistants?
Posted by Ray Melick--Birmingham News March 20, 2009 7:31 AM

Nick Saban, who is justifiably proud of his record of helping young coaches get into the profession, admits that bringing in Mike Groh is simply a favor for an old friend. Mike's father, Al, is a longtime NFL and college head coach.
Today, boys and girls, we get another lesson in why the NCAA rule book has become so thick and complicated.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama is expected to bring on former Virginia offensive coordinator Mike Groh as a graduate assistant.

In Knoxville, Tennessee is reportedly set to make former Minnesota and Syracuse offensive coordinator Mitch Browning a graduate assistant.

In Auburn, Gene Chizik brought in his tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator from Iowa State, Scott Fountain, as Football Operations Coordinator.

And the NCAA is wondering, "What gives?"

Not just at Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn, because there is nothing illegal in any of these moves. And these three teams are not the first programs to do things like this. It goes on all over the highest levels of Division I.

But NCAA officials can't help but wonder if all of this isn't becoming another case of football coaches punching loopholes through rules that are designed to bring some measure of competitive balance across a broad range of very economically unbalanced Division I football programs.

The position of "graduate assistant" was created for young coaches just starting out, kind of like an internship. It's not supposed to be for veteran college coaches with years of experience who find themselves temporarily unemployed.

And there are concerns that the proliferation of non-coaching staff positions with titles like "director of operations" or "director of player development" are little more than ways of getting around the NCAA limit of nine assistant football coaches per staff.

Groh and Browning both have to be accepted into graduate school. And Saban, who is justifiably proud of his record of helping young coaches get into the profession, admits that bringing in Groh is simply a favor for an old friend. Mike's father, Al, is a longtime NFL and college head coach.

But it is impossible to justify bringing in longtime coaching veterans as "graduate assistants."

And there are those within the NCAA who fear these positions will be misused, that they will become stopovers for veteran coaches who are between jobs, rather than jump start a young coach's career.

And all those former coaches in these newly created administrative roles? Technically, they are not coaches. But in a February meeting, the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Cabinet noted concern over "the disparity among institutions with varying resource levels and the difficulty of monitoring the work done by non-coaching personnel."

In other words, programs with money create these positions that less affluent programs can't.

And while these former coaches are barred from on-field coaching, the NCAA can't be sure they aren't doing everything else a coach does: evaluating personnel and recruits, breaking down film, offering advice in game planning, and perhaps doing out-of-season hands-on coaching as "assistant" strength and conditioning coaches.

Even if you give Saban and Chizik the benefit of the doubt in all this, is it so hard to see that less honorable coaches might be tempted to use these positions not for what they were originally intended but to gain some kind of competitive advantage?

If you don't believe coaches do that, you haven't been paying attention. So many of the NCAA rules seem silly. But the NCAA is a reactionary organization. Every silly rule was put in place because some coach somewhere found some loophole by which to violate the spirit of the law, if not the letter.

As a result, the NCAA Cabinet said it will look at proposing "legislative changes that could help stem the growth in non-coaching, sport-specific personnel ..."

In other words, the rule book will get thicker.

And coaches will have only themselves to blame.
 

UVa wins series opener
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 21, 2009

It happened with one simple swing on a pitch out and away.

Trailing by a pair of runs in the third inning against 9th-ranked Miami, Virginia sophomore Jarrett Parker delivered a game-changing, two-run homer that started a rally that eventually propelled the Cavaliers to a 9-4 victory.

With the win, Virginia (19-0, 5-0 ACC) remains the nation’s only unbeaten team.

“Great players step up and make great plays or have great at-bats when their team really needs them,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “We have had this total team concept this entire season, and that was the moment where Jarrett Parker stepped up and hit a ball that changed the momentum of the game.

“To hit the ball out out of the ballpark in the opposite gap like that is a guy that can really hit.”

Virginia took the lead in the fifth inning with a pair of runs and added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth and lone runs in the seventh and eighth against the Miami (16-4, 5-2) bullpen.

The offensive showing provided enough support for rookie left-handed pitcher Danny Hultzen (5-0), who gave up seven hits and three earned runs over six innings.

“Danny Hultzen did not have his best stuff tonight, and I think people that have seen him pitch before would agree with that,” O’Connor said. “That shows the talent that this kid has and the make-up that he has. He is still able to grind six innings out for his team and keep his team in the ballgame.

“That’s what won the ballgame for us.”

Hultzen, who fanned six batters, helped a depleted bullpen with his longevity, and then turned the contest over to relievers Kevin Arico (1 IP, 2 H 1 ER) and Matt Packer (2 IP, 0 H, 4 SO).

Miami starter Chris Hernandez (2-1), the ACC freshman of the year in 2008, allowed nine hits and six earned runs over 5.1 innings. It marked the first loss of the sophomore’s career.

The Hurricanes raced out to a 3-1 lead with a pair of runs off Hultzen in the top-half of the third inning before Parker hit his home run.

“It was a first-pitch fastball,” said Parker, who finished 2 for 2 with four RBI. “I was just trying to drive the ball. I was trying to keep us in the ballgame.

“He is a great pitcher and I was trying to get a great pitch to hit and I did.”

Virginia finished with 11 hits in the contest, including three from catcher Franco Valdes.

The teams will meet today at 1 p.m.

 

All charges dismissed for Cav football players
By Tasha Kates
Published: March 21, 2009

Two University of Virginia football players arrested after a frat party last month are no longer facing charges.
General District Judge Robert H. Downer Jr. dismissed a disorderly conduct charge against Corey Anthony Mosley and found Ausar Amad Walcott not guilty of obstruction of justice after a bench trial Friday in Albemarle General District Court.
Both men were arrested while a party was wrapping up around 1 a.m. Feb. 22 at the Student Activities Building. Mosley and Walcott are both safeties and continue to play on the Cavaliers’ team.
Fellow teammate Devin Wallace testified Friday that he got into an argument with a frat brother. Mosley stepped in and pulled him away to defuse the argument, Wallace said in court.
It was during the intervention, Wallace said, that a police officer approached Mosley.

UVa police Officer Jeremy Tabler told a slightly different story. Tabler, who was called to the scene, testified that he arrived and stationed himself near the deejay booth to tell partygoers that it was time to go home. The officer said in court that event staff alerted him to one part of the room where a staff member had Mosley pinned up against the wall because he declined to leave as requested.
Tabler testified that he grabbed the front of Mosley’s shirt and told him that he needed to leave, but Mosley told him to take his hands off him. At one point, the officer said in court, Mosley tried to spin his body away from the door.

The officer then led Mosley out the door and decided to arrest him for disorderly conduct, he said in court. However, the officer testified that a large crowd was exiting at the same time, so Tabler kept Mosley’s arms behind his back, with both men walking backward away from the crowd so that the officer could keep an eye on the situation. Several people testified Friday that the crowd was paying attention to Mosley and the officer, asking them what was going on.
Once the men had backed up into the road, the officer testified, Walcott came up to them. Walcott, 19, said in court that he followed his teammate and Tabler as they left the building, becoming a member of the crowd. The football player testified that he put his arm on Mosley’s arm — not on his shoulder, as Tabler had said — while he tried to figure out what was going on.
“I said I could take care of him,” Walcott said in court.

However, Tabler testified that he told Walcott, who he said was tugging a little on Mosley’s shoulder, to back off a couple of times. When he told Walcott that he was under arrest, the officer said in court, the football player walked away from him and Mosley. Tabler testified that he then directed another officer who had arrived to arrest Walcott.
Downer ruled that while Tabler had probable cause to arrest Mosley, it was not enough to convict him under the statute. As for Walcott, Downer told him in court that he understood that he was trying to take care of his friend, but his presence and a potentially tense crowd could have prompted Tabler and other officers to fear for their safety.

 

Cavs go west to take on Foxes
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 21, 2009

The basketballs were hibernating last week at Virginia.

Aware of the flaws with her program, Cavaliers’ coach Debbie Ryan returned to the basics.

The inability to break a press presented problems for Virginia in late-season losses to Georgia Tech and Duke, the last of which booted the team from the ACC tournament in the quarterfinal round.

With that in mind, Ryan used a training camp mentality in the days that followed the league tourney.

“The first two practices when we got back, there were no basketballs out on the court,” Virginia guard Monica Wright disclosed. “There were just cones and ladders. There were drills laid out for us to make us better.”

Virginia, the No. 5 seed in the Trenton Regional, will attempt to use the practice measures for the first time tonight as it opens play in the NCAA tournament against 12th-seeded Marist at 10:30 p.m. in Los Angeles.

As one might expect, the Cavaliers (23-9) expect to see some form of pressure from Marist. In Virginia’s last two losses, strong defensive efforts led to the team committing 47 turnovers.

“I feel like any team smart will press us,” Virginia forward Lyndra Littles said. “But I think this week, with what we did in practice, there were some very extreme and challenging situations in place to prepare us.

“It was like boot camp. We have been able to take time out and learn what you do with pressure and this is what you don’t do. You don’t go to the sidelines and you keep the ball in the middle.”

Should Virginia survive its opening-round showdown, it would advance to face the winner of today’s game between No. 4 California and No. 13 Fresno State on Monday.

While not playing on its home court, either California-based team should have a larger contingent on hand for the contest.

“That is fine and I hope they have a great fan base,” Littles said. “Our fans aren’t going to be able to come out to L.A., so it will be good to use their fans. It will be a good game if there is energy.”

Traveling across the country, Ryan said, would not be a problem.

“I already know how to do all that,” she said. “I have been all over the world with teams. I know what to tell them. It is really easy.”

 

Littles, Cavs get back to defense
By Katrina Waugh
981-3127

If held at exactly the right angle, under the perfect light, the Blue Devils might one day be seen as benefactors. Certainly it was tough for Virginia senior Lyndra Littles to view them that way through tear-reddened eyes two weeks ago, when Duke bounced the Cavaliers out of the ACC tournament with a 73-56 drubbing in the quarterfinals in Greensboro, N.C.

Likely, it hasn't been that obvious over the past two weeks in Charlottesville either, as Virginia coach Debbie Ryan turned the lull between the ACC and NCAA tournaments into a "boot camp."

"Practice has been longer than normal," Littles reported from Los Angeles as the Cavaliers prepared to play Marist at 10:30 p.m. in the opening round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament. "It's been hard, intense drills. Very strenuous."

The boot camp, according to Ryan and Littles, was primarily about defense -- something the Cavaliers need to be successful because their transition offense feeds off of it.

Littles admitted that she and her teammates thought they already knew how to play defense.

"Everybody thinks they do, until they realize all of the things they're not doing right," Littles said.

This is where the Blue Devils were particularly generous. Offering, as they did, to demonstrate graphically and repeatedly the cracks in the Cavaliers' armor -- simultaneously giving Virginia both a list of things to work on and some extra time to work on them.

So O.K., Littles may not be penning the Devils a thank you note just yet. But if anyone on the Virginia roster knows how to turn a setback and into an opportunity to learn, it's Littles.

A player with the potential for a pro career, Littles spent the fall of her senior year benched because she was academically ineligible.

"It wasn't frustrating at all," she declared philosophically. "It was what it was. It was my consequence toward not doing what I needed to do."

Ryan insisted that not only that the team not make a big to do about the loss of Littles' services for the semester, while at the same time hoisting the responsibility onto Littles' shoulders alone: "It's on her," Ryan said plainly.

In Littles' nine-game -- all-nonconference -- absence Virginia went 7-2, beating then-No. 5 Tennessee and losing to then-No. 25 Old Dominion and Gonzaga. The losses were by eight and seven points respectively, so Littles' presence may well have made a difference.

At the same time, Littles gained valuable new skills as she worked out, serving as point guard for the practice squad playing against the Cavaliers.

"It helped me see the court better. It helped me know every position on the court better," Littles said. "I still had to be a leader."

When she returned to active duty, Littles came off the bench for a five games and reentered the starting lineup just before conference play began.

Playing a much more guard-like style than in previous seasons when she battled under the basket as a smallish forward, Littles supplanted Monica Wright as the team's and league's leading scorer. She averaged an ACC-best 22.7 points a game in conference play, with Wright right behind her with 20.7 points a game.

Even though her overall 21.4 points a game were a hair higher than Wright's 21.1, Littles was not eligible to be counted among the ACC's scoring leaders because she did not play in 75 percent of the team's games.

Still, both Wright and Littles were named to the All-ACC first team.

Though the 6-foot-1 Littles has confessed that her guard-oriented makeover was made with an eye toward her potential in the pros, she insists she isn't looking past her college career just yet.

"I'm still two feet in," Littles said. "I won't be done until the season's over with."