Depleted Roster Doesn't Worry 'Hoos
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/10/2010
By Jeff White

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The UVa men's basketball roster shrunk last weekend, when Tony Bennett suspended Sylven Landesberg for the rest of the season, and it shrunk again Monday, when Calvin Baker left the team.

If the Cavaliers are feeling sorry for themselves on the eve of the ACC tournament, it wasn't apparent Monday or Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena. The players' mood was upbeat and their work rate high, and their concentration rarely lapsed.

"They've had two spirited practices," Bennett said. "I hope it carries over."

It's spring break at UVa, but Bennett's players are not acting as if they'd rather be on a beach somewhere. Laughter and good-natured ribbing filled the team bus Tuesday afternoon as it rolled down Route 29 to Greensboro, "I Love You, Man" playing on screens above the seats.

"I think we're very excited," senior center Jerome Meyinsse said after practice at JPJ. "During times of adversity, we can either grow apart or come together, and I think we're really coming together."

Nobody who saw UVa play then-No. 22 Maryland on Saturday would dispute that. Without Landesberg, who would be named second-team all-ACC two days later, the Wahoos battled the Terrapins to the end and, if not for a controversial call by official Jamie Luckie, might have won.

In the Cavaliers' previous six games -- all losses -- they often weren't even competitive, but their fighting spirit returned against the Terps.

"I told the guys that I've gotten so many positive e-mails from people complimenting the young men on their effort on the floor and their cohesiveness in a tough situation," Bennett said Tuesday at JPJ. "And I just said, 'Keep that up.'

"They did it yesterday in practice. They did it today. We know we've got work to do, but they worked hard."

After starting 5-2 in the ACC, U.Va. imploded. The 'Hoos dropped their final nine regular-season games, the second-to-last of which was at Boston College. The rematch is Thursday in the opening game of Bennett's first ACC tournament.

At noon, No. 9 seed Virginia (14-15) meets No. 8 seed BC (15-15) at the Greensboro Coliseum.

"We feel like we lost a lot of tough games," Meyinsse said. "If three or four of those go our way, we'd be in a different situation. But we still have a chance. We still have games to play, so we're just being positive and looking forward to Thursday."

Baker, whom Bennett named a team captain early in the season, along with Meyinsse and Solomon Tat, went through the Senior Day ceremony before the Maryland game, and his departure was unexpected.

The 6-2 guard from Newport News shot only 31.5 percent from the floor this season -- 23.5 percent from 3-point range -- but Baker would have given Bennett another option at the point during the ACC tournament.

"It's just something else that we have to deal with," Meyinsse said, "but we all wish him the best, and we have to keep moving forward."

Landesberg, who is unlikely to return to UVa, stopped by JPJ and talked with his teammates Tuesday morning.


In Virginia's 68-55 loss at BC on March 3, the 6-6 swingman scored 13 points. With Landesberg out, Virginia is likely to start three guards -- 5-11 Jontel Evans, 6-0 Sammy Zeglinski and 6-4 Mustapha Farrakhan -- with 6-8 Mike Scott and the 6-9 Meyinsse.

The Eagles are taller and stronger than UVa, especially in the backcourt. And that makes defending BC's trademark Flex offense especially challenging for Virginia.

Boston College's starters include 6-3, 200-pound Reggie Jackson, 6-6, 218-pound Corey Raji and 6-5, 228-pound Rakim Sanders. Raji and Sanders love to operate in the paint, and they punished UVa at Conte Forum.

The 6-5, 217-pound Tat is the only perimeter player on the Cavaliers' roster with comparable strength. Tat played a season-high 11 minutes in the regular-season meeting, and he may be needed again Thursday against the Eagles.

"They're so physical, and when you play them, you know they're going to do it," Bennett said. "It's kind of a battle of wills. Who's going to impose their will? Is the defense gonna work?"

At Conte Forum, the Eagles exploited UVa's defensive breakdowns and bolted to a 13-2 lead.

"Early in the game they got a couple transition buckets and offensive rebounds, but they also got a few shots right around the basket," Bennett said. "You'd rather have them having to shoot the baseline jumper, the top-of-the-key and elbow jumpers, more than those quick flex cuts where they throw it right at the rim and lay it up."

Virginia had Landesberg in Chestnut Hill, and still lost. If the 'Hoos are to avenge that defeat and advance to a quarterfinal meeting with top-seeded Duke, they need to make up for the loss of Landesberg's offense. More important, they need to duplicate the defensive intensity they showed in practice Monday and Tuesday.

"It's gotta be the little engine that could," Bennett said.


 

U.Va. coach Tony Bennett understands challenge
By Dave Fairbank 247-4637
March 10, 2010

Virginia coach Tony Bennett has had only one live look at the ACC tournament, but it was a good one.

Fifteen years ago, while a member of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, the Wisconsin native and his fiancée — now his wife — accepted an invitation from his pastor to attend the 1995 tournament final in Charlotte.

There, he watched Wake Forest guard Randolph Childress cap an amazing three-day run as the Demon Deacons edged North Carolina 82-80 for the school's first ACC title since 1962.

"I remember how impressive it was," Bennett recalled, "and certainly as the years have gone on, just when you're watching conference tournaments ... there's something special (about the ACC tournament) because it is such a long-standing one with such a great reputation."

Bennett's present aim is a longer look at the tournament, no small feat for a depleted team in the midst of a nine-game tailspin.

Virginia (14-15, 5-11 ACC), the ninth seed, opens Thursday's proceedings against No. 8 Boston College (15-15, 6-10) at noon, meaning the Cavaliers could be packed and gone before many fans arrive.

"Having just played Boston College and turning around and playing them again," Bennett said, "we understand how physical they are and know we'll have to be able to handle a lot of things. We've got three days to prepare for it, and we'll get as ready as we can."

Virginia's margin for error is even thinner than usual with last weekend's temporary dismissal of leading scorer Sylven Landesberg for academic reasons. Senior guard Calvin Baker of Newport News left the team this week for personal reasons, leaving the Cavaliers with 10 scholarship players and eight who see regular minutes.

The Cavs didn't have Landesberg last Saturday either, but battled ACC co-champ Maryland to the end before falling 74-68.

"I think though the win wasn't there on Saturday," Bennett said, "there was some quality, and I think you build on that. Certainly any time postseason play happens with a conference tournament, there's a chance. The slate is wiped clean, so to speak, and you've got to come in and have that hope, and try to carry forward what happened most recently."

Virginia's second half against Maryland was a flickering ember in a season that took an abrupt 180-degree turn. The Cavs matched their longest losing streak since 1962, this after an eight-game win streak in December and January.

The last time the Cavs had such lengthy winning and losing streaks in the same season was 1951-52 under "Bus" Male. That year they had an 11-game losing streak early and an eight-game win streak late, finishing 11-13 in the days before the ACC was born.

Bennett's first lap around the conference has been an education, in the league's competitive balance and the fierceness of most road games and venues.

"It's an impressive league," Bennett said. "It's well-run. Honestly, it's well-officiated. It's a hard-fought league, and as I thought coming in, you're going to have to be really good — really good — to be successful in it."

That carries over to the ACC tournament, as well. The format is no different than most postseason events: Win three or four games on consecutive days. But doing so in the ACC is part of a hallowed tradition.

"It's a special tournament," Bennett said, "and I think most people understand that in the country. Even having been out on the West Coast and in the Midwest, you know that the ACC tournament is certainly the best."
 

Cavs’ chances slim in ACC tourney
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: March 9, 2010
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Scattershooting around the ACC, while examining Virginia’s chances in the upcoming conference tournament, and revisiting monitoring athletes in the classroom ...
So, now that Sylven Landesberg is gone, along with Calvin Baker, does Virginia have any chance of advancing past the opening round of the ACC tournament on Thursday against Boston College?
Not really.
Boston College, which had played its best basketball of the season leading up to an uninspired performance in losing to N.C. State on Sunday, would have to sleepwalk through Thursday’s noon game at the Greensboro Coliseum for the Cavaliers to have any chance of winning.
Let’s be realistic. Virginia lost 68-55 at BC with Landesberg.
Yeah, I know, the Cavs played an admirable game against ACC co-leader Maryland on Saturday without Landesberg and had a real chance of winning. But that team was playing off great emotion and the Terps didn’t wake up until they realized they might actually lose.
Boston College is 15-15 and is playing for a chance to extend its season with a possible shot at the NIT.
The Eagles are rather physical and Virginia isn’t.
Besides, what are the chances that a team that shot 50 percent or above seven times in 29 games this season (three times in conference play) with Landesberg, are going to muster enough offense to knock off Boston College on a neutral floor? Six of those seven shooting performances, by the way, all came at JPJ Arena.
Even more importantly, who is going to score?
The projected starting lineup for Virginia of Jontel Evans, Mustapha Farrakhan, Sammy Zeglinski, Mike Scott, and Jerome Meyinsse combined for a meager scoring average of 35.8 points per game.
However, if you consider that Scott, who has played decently in only one of his last four games (13 points at BC), has scored 15 points in 80 minutes over those four games (hitting but 7 of 24 field goal attempts), that translates into a 3.75 scoring average during that stretch.
On monitoring players
Some fans have wondered how Landesberg could be booted from UVa’s roster late in the season for not showing up for one of four classes he was enrolled in over the recent semester.
They ask, “Isn’t someone monitoring this situation?”
Well, the answer is yes, and no.
Bennett said Monday that there are some random class checks and that players are asked how they are doing in their classes, but some things slip through the cracks. He noted that he is old school when it comes to trusting players to do the right thing and live up to expectations in terms of class attendance.
He also pointed out that he may have to revise his thinking, but noted that the responsibility falls on the student-athlete, to which I completely agree.
New UVa football coach Mike London apparently isn’t leaving anything to chance.
He mentioned at the end of his spring football preview meeting with media last Friday, before we had any hint of the Landesberg situation, that he had instituted thorough class checks when he took over the football program.
London said that he and his coaching staff are sometimes reminding players as early as 5:30 a.m. that they are expected to attend classes and that they will randomly show up both before and after a class to make sure players are there.
In fact, London said it isn’t unusual for him to sit through a class just to get his point across to players.
What’s the most interesting class he has attended?
“I sat through a biology class with 400 students and I paid close attention to what players were actually paying attention as opposed to sleeping or sitting there listening to their Ipod,” London said. “Believe me, we will rip them for that.”
Meanwhile, my colleague, Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times (we appear weekly on Jay James’ “Best Seat in the House,” WINA AM-1070 radio, that is when Doughty doesn’t forget like he has the past two weeks), asked Boston College coach Al Skinner how he handles monitoring players at another serious academic institution.
“I have someone check every day,” Skinner said. “At the end of the day, though, it’s the student-athlete’s responsibility. If a young man is not interested in getting his education, there’s not much you can do about it.
“There’s an agreement between the university and that young man that if he’s going to participate in athletics, then he wants to get his education,” Skinner continued. “If he doesn’t want to, I’m not sure there’s a lot you can do about it except withhold him from athletics.”
Stat of the week
The RPI rankings of the 12 ACC schools heading into this week’s tournament in Greensboro:
Duke (2); Maryland (19); Clemson (27); Wake Forest (31); Florida State (35); Georgia Tech (44); Virginia Tech (50); North Carolina (85); N.C. State (104); Boston College (106); Miami (122); Virginia (134).
Stat of the week II
What ACC player had the most success in terms of scoring against ranked teams?
Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney had three games of 26 or more points against ranked teams this season: 26 vs. No. 9 UNC on Jan. 10; 28 vs. No. 25 Miami on Jan. 13; and 31 s. No. 25 Wake on Feb. 16.
Quote of the week
N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe, after realizing that the injured Dennis Horner (who received six stitches above his right eye) had been patched up by team doctors and had quietly taken a seat beside Lowe on the bench during Sunday’s game against Boston College:
“Next thing I knew, Horner was sitting right there on the bench. I saw him and I said, ‘Jesus, get this fellow in the game.’ I told him, ‘Why don’t you tell me the next time you come back?’”
Ah, sweet revenge!
Maybe you didn’t hear about it back in December when North Carolina was playing little Presbyterian in basketball. One of the Blue Hose (that’s not a typo) fan’s, Brian King, broke the silence in the Dean Dome when Tar Heel Deon Thompson was at the free throw line, screaming, “Miss it, Deon.”
UNC coach Roy Williams had arena security throw King out of the game, a 103-64 blowout over Presbyterian.
Well, King got a measure of revenge Saturday night, in of all places, Cameron Indoor Stadium, when Duke closed out the regular season with a blowout over ... you guessed it ... Williams’ Tar Heels.
It seems that King received a special invitation from the Cameron Crazies to help them root against Carolina. He got a spot in the student section and the first time Thompson stepped to the free-throw line, it was King who led the Crazies’ harassment of the Tar Heel.
This time, Williams and the Heels had no recourse.
Free throws ...
We looked this up last year, but thought it was worth bringing it up again after chatting with some UVa assistant coaches, who weren’t aware of this fact until recently: Only two of the 12 coaches in the ACC have career winning road records in conference games. Of course, it’s Mike Krzyzewski (134-87) and UNC’s Roy Williams (35-21). ... Conversely, 10 of the 12 have winning home records, the only two outside looking in being, N.C. State’s Sidney Lowe
(14-18), and UVa’s Tony Bennett (3-5). ... Didn’t know they kept such statistics, but the ITA published the leaders in men’s tennis attendance (indoors), revealing that Virginia was the leader with a total attendance of 5,906 (for January/February), and the next closest team was Tulsa (1,992).
 

Sammy Zeglinski finally finds his shot

Between Sylven Landesberg's suspension and Tony Bennett's technical foul, it's easy to forget that Virginia actually played well in Saturday's loss to Maryland for the first time in almost a month. One of the reasons was because guard Sammy Zeglinski broke a major slump.

Zeglinski scored 14 points in 30 minutes, including 4 of 8 from three-point range. He also had six rebounds and three assists and appeared like the player he was earlier in the season, when Bennett played Zeglinski more than anyone on the team except Landesberg.

Bennett and Zeglinski spoke before the game about Zeglinski's struggles, and how he was overthinking the situation.

"Just go out there and shoot confidently," Zeglinski said Bennett told him. "Because if I go out there and think, make sure I follow through and hold my shot, it's too many thoughts. He just said, 'Go out there and shoot the ball like you know how and be confident.' I just went out there and tried to play free. If I'm not thinking, just shoot when I'm in rhythm."

Zeglinski said he's not entirely back -- it takes more than one game after a 7 for 39 (17.9 percent) slump from three-point range since February started -- but he finally has a game to build off of heading into the ACC tournament.

"That was a really long slump for me," Zeglinski said. "I put in a lot of work, so I hope it pays off."

By Zach Berman

No. 1 Cavaliers Visit William and Mary at 5 p.m. Wednesday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/09/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The No. 1 Virginia baseball team travels to William and Mary at 5 p.m. Wednesday for a midweek matchup with the Tribe at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Va. It marks Virginia's first trip to Williamsburg since the 2004 season.
Live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com. William & Mary will have a live radio broadcast streamed online for free at TribeAthletics.com.

The Cavaliers (9-2) are ranked No. 1 nationally for the third-consecutive week by Baseball America and Rivals.com. UVa went 3-1 last week and rebounded with a vengeance from a 2-1 loss to Wright State Friday by scoring in double figures the next three games in a pair of victories over Dartmouth and a win over Wright State.

UVa struggled in the opener against Wright State but exploded over the final three games, scoring 38 runs while racking up 52 hits, including 17 extra-base hits.

Phil Gosselin (Jr., West Chester, Pa.) finished the weekend 11-for-20 with seven runs scored. He led off each of the Cavaliers' four games with base hits. Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) also had a big weekend at the plate, going 6-for-13 with eight RBI. Sunday against Wright State, he went 3-for-5 with five RBI. Cannon had a key two-run triple to break open a one-run game in the seventh inning and then ripped a three-run double in the eighth inning.

John Hicks (So., Sandy Hook, Va.) continued his early hit streak last week and is the lone Cavalier to record hits in all 11 games this season. He tied his career-long hitting streak, set from March 18-31 last year. Dating to last season (June 6), Hicks has a 15-game hit streak.

William & Mary (6-4) won 3-0 Tuesday at North Carolina, which is ranked as high as No. 11 nationally this week. Three Tribe pitchers scattered four hits in the shutout victory. Three of the Tribe's four losses this season came at LSU two weeks ago, but all three games were decided by three runs or fewer.

UVa holds a 65-29-2 edge in the all-time series with William & Mary. The teams met last season, with the Cavaliers earning an 11-1 victory on Feb. 24 in Charlottesville, as five Cavalier pitchers limited the Tribe to just three hits. Jarrett Parker and Phil Gosselin each had a pair of hits and three RBI in the win.

The Cavaliers open ACC play this weekend with a top-five showdown in Tallahassee, Fla., against Florida State. Both teams are ranked among the top-five nationally entering the three-game series, with FSU ranked as high as No. 2. FSU is the preseason ACC favorite in the Atlantic Division, while UVa is the ACC's preseason favorite in the Coastal Division.

 

Accolades Piling Up for Wright
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/09/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The award that Monica Wright received last Thursday -- ACC player of the year in women's basketball -- eclipsed the one she'd collected a day earlier.

Or did it? The freshly crowned ACC defensive player of the year might disagree.

"That's kind of been more of a goal of mine than the player-of-the-year award," Wright said Tuesday morning.

"I pride myself on being someone that my team can count on to stop the other team's best player when we need it. So I was definitely proud of that and happy that all my hard work defensively has paid off."

The 5-11 guard from Woodbridge is the focal point of every opponent's scouting report -- Wright is the only UVa player averaging more than 8.1 points -- but that hasn't stopped her from having a storybook senior season.

Wright leads the ACC in scoring (23.3 ppg) and steals (3.6), and she's second in free-throw percentage (81). She's averaging 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

In January, Wright passed Dawn Staley to become UVa's all-time leading scorer. With 2,506 points, she's now third on the ACC's career list.

"Monica has been everything to us," Cavaliers coach Debbie Ryan said. "She scores, defends, rebounds, steals the ball. She's one of the most complete players I've ever coached. She is an amazing physical specimen. She is a fast, gifted athlete who is as good of a leader as she is a player. She's an amazing package, and I'm very, very fortunate to have her on my team."

The ACC first named a defensive player of the year in women's basketball in 2005. Wright is the first Cavalier to win the award.

"I've always been kind of a defensive-minded player," she said. "I always take pride in my defense, and it's kind of what fuels my offense. When I got the award, I was just really excited."

She's the first Cavalier to be named ACC player of the year since Wendy Palmer in 1996. Palmer is now one of UVa's assistant coaches, and she was quick to congratulate the team's All-America candidate.

"She's proud of me and everything," Wright said.

So is the UVa community. Wright's main concern last week, however, was the ACC tournament at Greensboro, N.C.

"You know, I'm really not too big on big scenes and everything," she said. "I'd rather everyone just focus on the game, rather than making a big deal about my award."

N.C. State upset Virginia in the quarterfinals, but Wright did her part, and then some. She finished with 32 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals in the Wahoos' 66-59 loss.

Extraordinary performances have become routine for Wright. This is a player, after all, who has career highs of 39 points (vs. Boston College on Jan. 21, 2010), 16 rebounds (vs. JMU on Dec. 6, 2009), 7 assists (vs. Furman on Dec. 8, 2009) and a school-record 10 steals (vs. Liberty on Dec. 29, 2009).

Ten times this season Wright has had at least 5 steals in a game.

"In order for me to do well offensively," she said, "I feel like my defense has to warm me up first. Like in the beginning of the game, I usually don't start the game off with points. I usually start it off with locking down somebody on defense or getting a steal.

"That's what fuels my offense. It's always been my favorite since I was young. That's why I was more excited about [the ACC's defensive award]."

The season has taken a physical toll on Wright, who leads UVa in minutes played (956). Opponents know that if they can shut her down, the 'Hoos will struggle, and so Wright usually draws the other team's best defender.

She's still standing, though, and still dominating. For that she credits the team's strength-and-conditioning coach, Ed Nordenschild, and its athletic trainer, Paul Murata.

"In preseason, Ed prepares us," Wright said. "He continuously gives us mental challenges, and if we're mentally able to overcome fatigue with Ed, then we're going to be mentally able to overcome fatigue in the ACC, the ACC tournament, the NCAA tournament, regardless of where we are, because Ed's prepared us."

Murata "just keeps me healthy, keeps my body fresh," said Wright, whose regimen includes visits to the cold tub in the JPJ training room and massages to work out her soreness.

"He's working with me, because I'm an old grandma now," Wright, 21, said with a laugh. "He has definitely been like my best friend at the end of this season."

It's spring break at UVa, and Ryan gave the team a couple of days off. Wright headed home Tuesday morning to Woodbridge for a quick visit with her family. She'll be back Thursday to resume workouts with her teammates.

She's fully aware that she's in the twilight of her college career. Any game now could be her last as a Cavalier.

The 'Hoos (21-9) will learn Monday where they're headed in the NCAA tournament.

"It's definitely something that's helping me understand how much urgency I need and how much I need to be pushing my teammates," Wright said. "It puts into perspective everything."

The NCAA tourney is "really important to me. I really want to go out with a bang, I really want my team to do well, and I just really want to do this for Debbie. She's been in it for 30-something years, and she just needs to get back to what she was."


 

No. 1 UVa cruises past VMI
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 9, 2010
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Think high-scoring games are the most exciting kind in college lacrosse?
Well, not if it’s only one team doing all the scoring.
Heading into Tuesday night’s game against VMI, Virginia had scored 83 goals in its last four games against its in-state rivals. VMI had managed just 12.
The only drama on Tuesday at Klockner Stadium was how many UVa would finish with this time around.
When the final buzzer mercifully sounded, No. 1-ranked Virginia emerged with a 20-6 victory in front of a crowd of 1,247.
Coming off a one-goal win over top-ranked Syracuse on Sunday, Virginia coach Dom Starsia seemed relatively satisfied with his team’s performance, although he said there was a little bit of a letdown against the Keydets.
“I didn’t think we were were as sharp as over the weekend,” Starsia said. ‘I would have liked to have seen a little more bounce in our step a couple of times.
“But I thought we also kept getting after it. I thought we played hard, but just didn’t quite have the same energy.”
Chris Bocklet and Matt White each scored four goals to lead Virginia. Fourteen different players scored for the Wahoos.
UVa (5-0) outshot VMI, 59-25, won 18 of 28 face-offs and held a 44-29 edge in groundballs.
The Cavaliers led 9-2 after the first quarter and 13-4 at the half.
The game mainly served as a tuneup for Virginia’s game on Saturday at No. 8 Cornell.
Last season, UVa defeated Cornell somewhat easily during the regular season, winning 14-10 in Charlottesville.
However, at the NCAA tournament Final Four in Foxborough, Mass., it was a different story. Virginia was shocked by the Big Red, 15-6.
“We still have a lot to improve on,” said Virginia sophomore Steele Stanwick, who had a goal and a game-high five assists.
“There were a few things that we weren’t as sharp as we wanted to be on, but overall I thought we played hard and it was a good tune-up.”
 

Senior Spotlight: Ryan Nizolek
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/09/2010

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: RYAN NIZOLEK
Finding the Sport of Lacrosse Becomes UVa's Gain - by Cayce Troxel

Ryan Nizolek comes from what he likes to call "a football family." His father caught passes from Doug Flutie at Boston College before a stint in the NFL; his younger brother starts under center for the area high school.

After Nizolek won four state championships at starting linebacker for Daniel Hand High School in Bristol, Conn., it seemed only natural that he should follow his father's footsteps and go onto a successful Division I playing career at Virginia.
But in lacrosse?

"Football still has a soft spot in my heart," the Cavalier senior close defenseman acknowledges. "I miss it, but at the same time, I love lacrosse."
Nizolek may love lacrosse now, but even he admits he wasn't so keen on the sport at first. Signed up by his mother to play in the local youth league as a fourth grader, he recalls showing up for the first day of practice and feeling utterly lost out on the field.

"I really didn't know much about it," Nizolek said. "I remember not knowing how to cradle, and I see all these other kids just going at it."
Luckily for Nizolek, the league's supervisor at the time-former UMass lacrosse player James Mackley-knew talent when he saw it, and convinced Nizolek's mother to keep her son in the game despite his lack of experience and initial uncertainty.

"I wasn't too high on lacrosse honestly," admits Nizolek.

He continued to bear with it nonetheless-much to the appeasement of Mackley and his mother-and as his interest in lacrosse grew, so did the maturing Nizolek's game. A hulking 6-2, 205 pounds by high school, he split time between football and lacrosse at the compromise of neither. The same junior year that Nizolek recorded 103 tackles for an undefeated Tigers' football team, he earned first team all-state and Connecticut Super Junior honors as a defenseman on the lacrosse field. Heavily courted by a number of Division I and Division I-AA football programs in the fall of his senior year, including Villanova and his father's alma mater, Boston College, Nizolek would go on to be named a lacrosse All-American in the spring.

"What jumps out at you first is his athletic ability," Virginia head coach Dom Starsia said. "He's a big, strong kid, and he runs really well. He was a football scholarship-caliber athlete."

While Nizolek may have favored football over lacrosse growing up, the prospect of playing the former for four more years didn't seem so appealing. After seeing several of his former Tiger teammates go on to play in college, Nizolek was struck by the grind required to be competitive at the next level.

"I had friends who played football in college, and they'd be taking off in early August to go to camp," commented the laid-back Nizolek. "I liked being home, I liked seeing my friends and I liked having just some time off to myself."

Nizolek also liked the idea of attending a school known for its strong academics, and the prospect of playing lacrosse at Virginia seemed to afford him the best of both worlds. After meeting with Starsia and being impressed by how much of a "stand-up guy" the hard-nosed coach was, Nizolek was sold.
"Seeing this school was awesome, and then having the option to come here-it was a great academic school and just a great place overall," the history major commented. "Obviously, I'm glad I stuck with it, or otherwise I wouldn't be here playing with this team."

Indeed, the decision could not have worked out better for Nizolek-or for the Cavaliers, for that matter. After seeing time in all 16 games his freshman year-mostly playing longstick midfielder-Nizolek broke into Virginia's starting rotation as a close defenseman midway through his sophomore season and hasn't budged since. His 41 ground balls ranked sixth in the ACC in 2008; last year, Nizolek tallied three or more ground balls in six games, including four in Virginia's seven-overtime win against Maryland.

"After my freshman year, I came back that fall playing great lacrosse," Nizolek said. "I think that was definitely a breakout fall for me as far as getting my confidence up and really starting to get comfortable with the system that we play in and the other players. I just took care of business from there."
That's not to say the senior hasn't experienced a few bumps along the way. After having surgery in November 2008 to repair a damaged knee, Nizolek reinjured himself in one Virginia's first games last spring and was forced to play the rest of the season hurt. Starsia gave him fall ball off to rest, however, and it appears as though Nizolek is finally back to full speed for the first time in over a year. Already a preseason All-American and All-ACC selection, a healthy Nizolek is the last thing the Cavaliers' opponents want to face.

"He brings it hard everyday," commented Nizolek's teammate, sophomore attack Steele Stanwick. "He's one of the ‘bash brothers' on the team. He likes to bang around a little bit-a very tough guy. He's someone you definitely want to have on your team and not play up against him."

With Stanwick leading a mostly inexperienced frontline, Nizolek-along with his roommate Ken Clausen and the rest of the defense-will be asked to shoulder more of the load for No. 1 Virginia this season.

"I expect us to be a very good defensive lacrosse team, and a lot of that is going to fall on Ryan's shoulders," Starsia said. "I think he wants that responsibility, and even in just the short time we've been together this spring, he's demonstrated that he's ready to step into a more prominent role for us."

Nizolek's duties don't stop there, however. Now a senior, he's been asked to take on more of a leadership position, as well.

"He's definitely one of the more vocal leaders-even more than that, he leads by example," Stanwick said.

While Nizolek is thriving in his new role, one thing is still missing from his impressive playing resume: a national championship. After losing in the Final Four the last two years-"a gut-wrenching experience," Nizolek said-the senior would like nothing more than to finish out his Cavalier career with a ring before hopefully moving back home and getting a job in the real estate brokerage business.

"It's definitely a different feel knowing this is my last time around and my last shot at leaving with a championship," Nizolek said. "In that respect, there's definitely a lot of pressure. We still haven't gotten what we're here for."

 

Kohles Wins Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 03/09/2010

Aiken, SC - Virginia sophomore Ben Kohles (Cary, N.C.) shot 5-under 205 to take medalist honors at the 13th annual Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate in Aiken, S.C. Tuesday. The victory was Kohles' second this season and helped 19th-ranked Virginia to a fifth-place finish in the 18-team field. It was Virginia's first tournament of the spring.
Kohles, ranked No. 28 in the current Golfweek standings, opened the season by finishing first at the Maryland Intercollegiate. His victory at the Palmetto Golf Course makes him the first Cavalier to win two events in a single season since current PGA Tour member Steve Marino won a fall and spring event during the 2001-02 season.
Kohles becomes the second Cavalier to take first-place honors at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate. In 2000 Mike Mitchell shot 6-under 207 to win by one shot.
After tying the Virginia single-round scoring record with a 7-under 63 during Monday's second round, Kohles shot 2-over 72 over the final 18 holes to maintain the three-shot advantage he held entering the day. His final total of 205 was his best tournament score as a collegiate, bettering the 206 he posted at the Maryland Intercollegiate. Liberty's Robert Karlsson, the defending tournament champion, was second at 208.
Kohles' finish was his fifth top-10 showing in six events this year. He has led UVa in scoring in all but one tournament this season and has finished under par in five of his six events.
Despite shooting its highest single-round score during the tournament, 18-over 298, Virginia managed to move up the leaderboard to finish fifth at 871. Chattanooga claimed the team title at 855 while Clemson was second at 862.
Will Collins was UVa's second-best finisher at 11-over 221 to place 30th. Steven Rojas was 42nd at 224, Kyle Stough was 47th at 225 and Amory Davis was 65th at 231.
The Cavaliers return to action March 19-21 at the Chris Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, Ga.
Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate
Par-70, 6,565 yards
Palmetto Golf Club
Aiken, SC

Final Results
1. Chattanooga 285-277-293-855
2. Clemson 288-283-291-862
3. East Carolina 295-285-289-868
4. Liberty 283-283-303-869
5. Virginia 294-279-298-871
6. Georgia Southern 291-285-296-872
7. Furman 281-288-303-872
8. UNC Wilmington 291-295-292-878
9. USC-Aiken 294-294-294-882
10. Winthrop 300-298-288-886
11. Charleston Southern 298-293-304-895
12. Presbyterian 310-291-298-899
13. Mercer 293-301-307-901
14. Elon 303-197-302-902
15. Wofford 297-307-299-903
16. Akron 301-197-306-904
17. Col. of Charleston 314-296-296-906
18. Francis Marion 313-309-298-920
Individual Leaders
1. Ben Kohles, Virginia 70-63-72-205
2. Robert Karlsson, Liberty 69-70-69-208
3. Harold Varner, ECU 74-65-70-209
4. Max McKay, Liberty 71-65-74-210
5. Cameron Bell, Winthrop 72-69-70-211
5. McCuen Elmore, Clemson 71-69-71-211
5. Steven Fox, Chattanooga 73-66-72-211
8. Derek Rende, Chattanooga 70-70-72-212
9. Garland Ferrell, Furman 70-70-73-213
9. Stephan Jaeger, Chattanooga 69-69-75-213
Virginia Results
1. Ben Kohles 70-63-72-205
30. Will Collins 78-70-73-221
42. Steven Rojas 74-76-74-224
47. Kyle Stough 73-73-79-225
65. Amory Davis 77-73-81-231