Friday Night Lights Not Too Bright for Hultzen
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/15/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Looking for Danny Hultzen on a Friday night? If it's baseball season, you'll find him on the mound.

UVa coach Brian O'Connor wouldn't want Hultzen anywhere else.

"He gives you a chance to win every Friday night," O'Connor said.

In the ACC, teams meet in three-game series that are usually played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

"To really compete for a league championship, you have to have someone who can go out and match other teams' Friday night starters," O'Connor said. "Because if you're going into every games series and you're down one game going into Saturday, that makes it tough."

As a freshman in 2009, Hultzen went 9-1 with a 2.17 earned-run average. The 6-3, 200-pound left-hander's stuff may be even better this season, as fifth-ranked Florida State learned Friday night in Tallahassee.

In the first of the top-ranked Wahoos' three games against the Seminoles, Hultzen threw six scoreless innings. He struck out six, walked none and allowed only two hits in UVa's 5-0 win over previously unbeaten FSU.

The 'Noles have "a lot of really good hitters," O'Connor said, "but really great, dominating pitching always beats a great offense."

With his gem at FSU's Dick Howser Stadium, Hultzen improved his record to 3-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.04. The loss? That came March 5 against Wright State at Davenport Field, and not because Hultzen pitched poorly.

In seven innings, he scattered five hits, walked none, fanned nine and allowed one earned run. The Cavaliers' offense was uncharacteristically silent, though, and Wright State pulled off a 2-1 shocker.

"That's baseball for you," Hultzen said. "Some days our bats aren't going to be there. Some days our pitching's not going to be there."

That's Hultzen for you. He doesn't get too low or too high, no matter what happens on the diamond.

"I felt that way about him last year," O'Connor said. "That's why in a very short time we moved him to our Friday starter.

"He's got great poise, he's even-keeled, and nothing fazes him. That's pretty rare for someone that young."

The 2009 season was O'Connor's sixth at UVa. As in each of the first five, his team advanced to the NCAA tournament. For the first time under O'Connor, though, the 'Hoos won the ACC championship, and their postseason run carried them to Omaha, Neb., where they played in the College World Series for the first time.

Hultzen, a graduate of the prestigious St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., was instrumental in Virginia's success. The first Cavalier to be named ACC freshman of the year, he also made the all-ACC first team (as a utility player) and the all-ACC tournament team, and Baseball America named him a third-team All-American.

When he wasn't pitching, Hultzen usually played first base, and he hit .327, with three home runs and 37 RBI. His workload took a toll on him physically as the season went on, though, and the 'Hoos don't want that to happen again this year.

So Hultzen is getting more rest these days. He still occasionally plays first base, but in other games he'll be the designated hitter, or not play at all.

He can't tell the difference in his energy level yet, Hultzen said last week, "but I'm sure I will once the season gets on. I feel pretty good right now."

Hultzen has struggled at the plate so far -- he's batting only .212 -- but he's confident his bat will come around. He's not a guy who panics.

"I just go out there and play hard, play like I know I can, play the game the right way," Hultzen said. "That's all you can really control. Once you start to think about statistics or whatever people think about you, that's not good."

Hultzen added about 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, and he's never felt stronger. His goal this season, he said, is to be more consistent as a pitcher and a hitter.

In 2008, the Arizona Diamondbacks picked Hultzen in the 10th round of the MLB draft after a season in which he went 13-0 with a 0.74 ERA for St. Albans. As a junior he was 7-1 with a 0.35 ERA. Those are incredible numbers, but there's more to Hultzen than his rare skill set.

"I think the thing that separates Danny from other players is that he loves to play the game," O'Connor said. "Nothing's beneath him. He's a total team player. He's always the guy running after fly balls, he's always helping set up the field.

"He just happens to be one of the most talented players on the field."


 

No. 1 Wahoos Prepare For Two Midweek Matchups
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/15/2010

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (12-3, 2-1 ACC)
Probable Starting Pitchers
Tue. - RHP Will Roberts (1-0, 5.79 ERA)
Wed. - RHP Branden Kline (0-0, 4.66 ERA)

WILLIAM AND MARY TRIBE (9-5, 0-0 CAA)
Probable Starting Pitcher
LHP Cole Shain (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

JAMES MADISON DUKES (4-8, 0-0 CAA)
Probable Starting Pitcher
LHP Alex Valadja (0-1, 15.00 ERA)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The top-ranked Virginia baseball team will play two midweek games this week. UVa will play host to William and Mary at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Davenport Field and travel to James Madison at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Because of the John Mayer concert at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday night, parking for baseball and men's lacrosse fans is restricted to the Cage lots. Overflow parking will be available at the Emmet-Ivy Garage.

Live statistics for both games will be available at VirginiaSports.com. The Wednesday game will be part of JMU's premium live video package and is available at JMUSports.com.

Virginia (12-3, 2-1 ACC) posted a 3-1 record last week with a midweek win at William and Mary (12-6) and a 2-1 ACC series win at Florida State. It marked Virginia's first-ever series win against the Seminoles. For the fourth-consecutive week, Virginia is the No. 1-ranked team in the Baseball America and Rivals.com polls. UVa also is ranked No. 1 in the NCBWA poll this week for the first time ever.

Dan Grovatt (Jr., Tabernacle, N.J.) had an impressive week, going 9-for-17 (.529), including 8-for-13 with three home runs in the series at FSU. For his efforts, he was named the ACC Player of the Week. For the season, he is batting .424, which is tied for ninth in the ACC with Steven Proscia (So., Suffern, N.Y.), who hit .471 (8-for-17) last week.

Tyler Cannon (Sr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) also hit well last week, going 7-for-16 (.438) in the four contests. The Cavaliers' freshman tandem of Reed Gragnani (Richmond, Va.) and Stephen Bruno (Audubon, N.J.) made a big impact at the bottom of the lineup, combining to go 7-for-16 (.438) with four RBI and five runs.

William and Mary (9-5) swept a three-game series from Quinnipiac over the weekend. The Tribe's pitching staff has been especially stout this season, with four shutouts already. W&M blanked North Carolina, 3-0, last Tuesday. The starting pitcher in that contest, Cole Shain, is slated to start Tuesday against the Cavaliers. Stephen Arcure and Tadd Bower lead the Tribe with .352 batting averages. The Tribe is batting .304 and has a 3.88 team ERA.

James Madison (4-8), the preseason CAA favorite, has just returned home from its spring break trip, going 3-5 in Florida as the Dukes faced North Florida, Alcorn State, Jacksonville, Stetson and Illinois State. Matt Browning paces JMU with a .413 batting average, while Matt Townsend is hitting .356. JMU is hitting .300 as a team and has a 9.74 team ERA. The Dukes will play host to Liberty Tuesday before the Cavaliers visit on Wednesday.

UVa holds a 66-29-2 edge in the all-time series with William and Mary after UVa's 12-6 win last Wednesday in Williamsburg. In that contest, UVa rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the sixth inning and scored 11 times in its final four trips to the plate for the victory.

Virginia and James Madison are meeting for the first time since 2007. The teams were scheduled to meet March 3 in Charlottesville, but the game was rained out and postponed until April 6. Virginia holds a 30-25 edge in the all-time series.

Virginia opens its ACC home schedule this weekend, playing host to Boston College. The teams are slated to play at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.


 

Grovatt Named ACC Player of the Week
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/15/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia outfielder/pitcher Dan Grovatt (Jr., Tabernacle, N.J.) has been tabbed the ACC Player of the Week following his big week against William and Mary and Florida State.
Grovatt hit .529 (9-for-17) last week as the top-ranked Cavaliers went 3-1, including a series win at then-No. 2 Florida State - UVa's first-ever series win against the Seminoles. He finished the week with three home runs, seven runs batted in and seven runs scored. He recorded eight hits in the Florida State series - most of any ACC player over the weekend.

Grovatt began his big week Wednesday with a key single during UVa's four-run sixth-inning rally in a 12-6 win at William and Mary, which had knocked off 11th-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill the previous day.

On Friday, Grovatt recorded his first career multiple-home run game and UVa's first multi-homer game since 2008 with a pair of home runs in the Cavaliers' 5-0 win at Florida State. He also tied his career high in hits with a four-hit effort Friday.

On Saturday, he earned the win on the mound and also had a key single and run during the Cavaliers' six-run rally in the ninth inning that produced a 9-8 win. On Sunday, Grovatt clubbed his third homer of the weekend in the first inning.

For the season, Grovatt is batting .424, which is tied for ninth in the ACC.

Grovatt is the second Cavalier to earn an ACC weekly honor this season. Danny Hultzen (So., Bethesda, Md.) was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week on March 1.

Virginia returns home at 5 p.m. Tuesday for a rematch with William and Mary. UVa then travels to James Madison for a 6 p.m. contest Wednesday.

 

No. 1 Virginia Hosts Vermont in Midweek Klöckner Stadium Showdown
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/15/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - For the second straight week Virginia (6-0) graces the No. 1 position in both the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media and USILA coaches polls. The Cavaliers received all possible No. 1 votes in both polls except for one in the media poll that went to ACC foe North Carolina. UVa will host the Vermont Catamounts (1-4) out of the America East Conference, Tuesday evening, inside Klöckner Stadium. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live stats will be available at VirginiaSports.com.
Because of the John Mayer concert at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday night, parking for baseball and men's lacrosse fans is restricted to the Cage lots. Overflow parking will be available at the Emmet-Ivy Garage.

Tuesday night marks the third straight season the Cavaliers have hosted the Catamounts in a series where UVa holds the all-time 2-0 advantage. Vermont is coached by fromer UVa All-American Ryan Curtis. A four-year letterwinner under Virginia head coach Dom Starsia, Curtis won the Schmeisser Cup as the nation's outstanding defenseman in 1999 when the Cavaliers won their first national championship in 27 years. Starsia is 7-1 when facing his former players, including 4-1 vs. Jamie Munro (formerly of Denver) and 1-0 vs. Lars Tiffany (formerly of Stony Brook, but now at Brown). Curtis is Starsia's only former UVa player he has faced, while Munro and Tiffany played at Brown under Starsia.

Vermont is the second school out of the America East that Virginia has faced this season, a league the Cavaliers hold a 25-2 all-time mark against, including 17 in a row. Early this season Virginia topped Stony Brook in Charlottesville, 13-8.

Brian Carroll scored three goals and dished one assist to lead UVa to the 16-4 win over Vermont in last season's meeting at Klöckner Stadium. Steele Stanwick tallied two goals and two assists while Adam Ghitelman saved 10 shots and allowed two scores in three quarters of work, pacing the Cavaliers' victory.

Virginia enters Tuesday night's game on the heels of a 12-4 triumph at No. 8 Cornell on Saturday. The Big Red's four goals equaled a program low during the 10-year Jeff Tambroni coaching era, one that ranks No. 3 in the nation with 65 wins since the start of the 2005 season. Before UVa's victory, Cornell held a 22-1 home advantage since the start of the 2007 season, losing only to Ohio State in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

Chris Bocklet, Rhamel Bratton, Shamel Bratton and Colin Briggs all tallied two goals apiece to lead the UVa scoring attack on the Big Red. Bocklet and Stanwick each recorded two assists in a game where the defense shined. Defensemen Kenny Clausen and Ryan Nizolek shut down Cornell's top two scorers, Ryan Hurley and Rob Pannell, while Ghitelman was stellar in between the pipes. The junior goalie played 55 minutes, recorded 14 saves, shut out the Big Red in the second quarter and allowed only three goals, one of which came late in the fourth quarter.

Bocklet leads Virginia with 17 goals and 24 points on the season, while Stanwick holds the team lead with 13 assists. Rhamel Bratton and Stanwick are next on the team with 11 and 10 goals respectively, while freshman Matt White has registered at least one goal in every game this season to give him the team's fourth-best mark with nine goals. Ghitelman is saving .570 of the shots against him, while posting a 7.15 GAA.

Vermont registered its first victory of the season on Saturday at VMI, 12-8. The Catamounts trailed 8-5 late, but scored seven unanswered goals for the victory. Drew Philie and Geoff Worley each lead the team with 10 goals. Philie leads the squad with six assists and 16 points. Liam Thomas rounds out the top scorers with 8 goals. David Barton saw his first action of the season at goalie after replacing starter Alex Plavner 19 minutes into the VMI contest. Barton made seven saves for a .583 percentage and holds a 7.27 GAA. Plavner is saving .494 of shots with a 9.97 GAA.

Virginia has a 22-game winning streak going back to 2001 in regular-season mid-week games, including a 15-7 triumph at Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 23 and a 20-6 victory over VMI on March 9. Virginia is also 24-1 all-time in night games at Klöckner Stadium, losing a 6 p.m. game to Duke in 2008, 19-9.

Virginia hits the road again on Sunday when they travel to Towson. Game is slated for noon and will be broadcast in the Charlottesville area on WINA AM 1070 with John Freeman calling the action. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU and in the Baltimore region on WMAR.

Tickets for Virginia lacrosse games can be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone at (800) 542-8821 or in person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Virginia lacrosse season tickets for 2010 are $30 (adult general admission) and $20 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission).

Single-game tickets to lacrosse games are $7 (adult general admission), and $5 (youth, senior, faculty/staff general admission).

All reserved seats are sold out for the 2010 season.

 

Focus key for UVa after revenge game
By Whitey Reid
Published: March 16, 2010
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Revenge was sweet, but now it’s time to move on. That’s the general mindset of Virginia heading into tonight’s game against Vermont at Klockner Stadium.

On Saturday, No. 1 UVa notched an impressive 12-4 road win at Cornell — the same Big Red squad that had embarrassed the Cavaliers in last season’s NCAA tournament.

“To go out on the road and to come out and play well from the very beginning and throughout, that was a good trip for us,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia.

Chris Bocklet, Rhamel Bratton, Shamel Bratton and Colin Briggs tallied two goals apiece in a well-balanced scoring attack. “I thought we had good pace on offense and moved the ball early,” Starsia said. “You can never hit enough shots for a coach’s peace of mind, but I thought we showed good discipline and patience at the offensive end.”

Starsia, though, was most proud of his team’s defensive effort. The Wahoos (6-0), led by defenders Ken Clausen and Ryan Nizolek and Adam Ghitelman in goal, put the clamps on the Big Red.

“You just had a sense from early in the game that we could defend these guys,” Starsia said.

Starsia is hoping the solid play continues tonight against Vermont (1-4). In truth, the Catamounts — who are coached by Virginia alum Ryan Curtis (2000) — shouldn’t provide too stiff of a test. They’re coming off a 12-8, come-from-behind win at VMI on Saturday (UVa defeated the Keydets 20-6 last Tuesday).

“He’s got a young team,” said Starsia, referring to Curtis. “He’s building a program there. This is one of those games where you feel like if we can face-offs, get the ball up off the ground and just be smart, you’d like to think you can take control of this one.”
 

London whistles while Cavs work on QB solution
By Michael Phillips
Published: March 16, 2010
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CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Spring practice opened at Virginia yesterday with about two dozen fans, and some notable Cavaliers, in the bleachers holding their turquoise rosters and following along.

First-year coach Mike London kept things light for the first few stations of practice but gathered the team midway through the two-hour session for a quick pep talk, after which the pace quickened and more competitive drills were run.

"Some people think we just run out here and go play and blow a whistle," London said. "There's a decent amount of planning that goes into the practice and the drills."

While the defense wore white jerseys and the offense blue, the focus was on the red jerseys -- the quarterbacks.

Midyear enrollment meant Michael Strauss was able to made his debut on the field. He took throws, along with Marc Verica and lefties Ross Metheny and Quintin Hunter. Hunter was a wide receiver last year.

"Quintin is probably a multipurpose athlete right now, and the quarterback position is one I think he wants to try out at," London said. "So we'll see if he can handle that, and the things that are required to be a good quarterback, and if he can then he'll stay there."

The day's most notable absence was quarterback Riko Smalls. He and receiver Javaris Brown were not seen on the practice field, likely the cuts London was referring to when he said last week that he had dismissed two players for academic reasons.

The coach said yesterday that players with academic difficulties would have to work their way back onto the team. Four other players, including walk-on quarterback J.C. Poma, were not in attendance, with a team spokesman saying that it was possible some of those players were attending classes.

London himself bounced around among all the positions -- "like a man with no country," he said -- and supervised the training.

Only Anthony Poindexter remains from last year's coaching staff, and the new coaches were asserting their authority out of the gate.

Running a drill that had receivers try to strip the ball from each other, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor got on one of the players, telling him to pick up his intensity. Tight ends coach Scott Wachenheim finished a drill by yelling "that ain't bad" and complementing his crew.

On the field opposite from the crowd was Jim Reid, working the defense through its first paces. Defensive end Matt Conrath was on the field, but not participating because of injury.

The crowd consisted of some fans, but also former U.Va. players Jameel Sewell (Hermitage), Mikell Simpson, and basketball players Jontel Evans and Tristan Spurlock.

The football alumni are in town for the team's pro day, where they will audition for NFL scouts. That will take place on Thursday.

A lighthearted chat between London and reporters also ventured into the hoops realm. He was in Greensboro for the ACC tournament, staying through Sunday's final, and knows who he's picking in his tournament bracket.

"I'm taking the Spiders," he said. "Chris Mooney has done a great job with those guys and I wish nothing but the best for them."

Spring practice gets underway on a blustery day in Charlottesville

Make no mistake - this was "spring" football practice in name only. Though the temperature allegedly hovered around 50 degrees Monday in Charlottesville, the cloud cover and chilly breeze that whipped the practice fields late in the afternoon didn't exactly conjure images of blooming flowers.

I really can't blame fans for failing to make much of a showing in the bleachers that lined the fields. About 30 to 40 diehards made the effort to show their faces.

Maybe it shouldn't be all that surprising that one of the loudest voices on the practice field belonged to none other than coach Mike London, a Bethel High graduate. He comes with a reputation for enthusiasm, and he showed why. During quarterback passing drills, with wide receivers and tight ends lined up against a single defensive back, London was usually the first coach to voice his approval or disapproval at the sight of great catches or passes, drops or pass break-ups.

Over on the defensive side, rising junior Cam Johnson got his first real crack at playing defensive end in a 4-3 scheme, which U.Va. is transitioning to after playing 3-4 under former coach Al Groh. In his first two seasons, Johnson spent much of his time playing linebacker, but he also worked a little at end in U.Va.'s third down packages. Johnson, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, showed good potential to get upfield in a hurry at the end position.

"It's still a learning process," said Johnson, who was recruited by London during London's stint as U.Va.'s defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2006 and '07. "Everyday I just want to keep getting better and learn the system...There's always stuff I'm going to need to pick up, but I played a little defensive end (last season) on third downs, so I feel like I'll be able to transition fine."

Johnson said he did have some experience in a 4-3 at Gonzaga High in Greenbelt, Md...but it was as a safety. Of course, Johnson was 30 pounds lighter back in those days.

Speaking of the quarterbacks, Marc Verica, Ross Metheny, Michael Strauss and Quintin Hunter all took snaps during seven-on-seven drills and one-on-one (wide receiver/tight end vs. defensive back) drills. It's hard to tell much about the quarterbacks when they don't have oncoming rushers in their faces, but at first glance, it seemed like the best arm of the day belonged to none of the foursome. That distinction may have belonged to wide receivers coach Shawn Moore.

Moore, 41, can still wing it. The former star U.Va. quarterback sizzled passes while his receivers ran routes during another drill period. He may have thrown one bad ball during the drills, but I'm sure he might've had issues if he had to deal with defensive linemen breathing down his neck, which he didn't see Monday and probably won't ever had to face again.

Verica has already gotten off on the right foot with new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor, who represents the third different coordinator and quarterbacks coach Verica has worked with in his time at U.Va. Lazor's approach seems to suit Verica's personality.

"Coach Lazor has been very great," said Verica, a rising senior who is considered the favorite to earn the starting job in what could be a very shaky position for the Cavaliers. "He's got a good temperament to him. He's pretty even-keeled. He's pretty patient, and he's a good teacher. He's very attentive to detail. He's meticulous in his approach to everything. I think we're all benefitting from how precise he is in his approach to the game."

Running back Torrey Mack, a 6-foot-0, 195-pound rising sophomore, was one of 12 players wearing new jersey numbers this spring. He moved from No. 25 to No. 5. Other notable players making number changes included receiver Jared Green (No. 84 to No. 2), strong safety Rodney McLeod (No. 28 to No. 4), free safety Corey Mosley (No. 40 to No. 7), running back Keith Payne (No. 32 to No. 22), fullback Terence Fells-Danzer (No. 50 to No. 34) and offensive tackle Hunter Steward (No. 78 to No. 76).

Mack is one of five running backs competing for playing time this spring in the wake of U.Va. losing its top four rushers from last season. He's the top returning rusher on the team, but he had just nine carries for 73 yards to go along with 11 catches for 70 yards and two kickoff returns for 29 yards.

As he works his way through spring practice, Mack said one aspect of his game he's really looking to improve is pass-blocking, an area a lot of young running backs struggle with because they're so used to touching the ball in high school and not having to concentrate on blocking.

"That's what I've really tried to work on, along with getting my weight up," said Mack, who has already gained five pounds since the end of last season. "You've got to read everything right and see what kind of defense they're running (to be a good pass-blocker). You've got to know what kinds of teams like to blitz the safeties a lot and come from the weak-side, and be able to protect the quarterback's blind side."

Riko Smalls was expected to be in the quarterback mix this spring, but he wasn't present at Monday's practice. Of the on-field contributors from last season expected to be at Monday's practice, wide receiver Javaris Brown, who had seven catches for 136 yards and a touchdown last season, was nowhere to be found. London said prior to practice he had recently disciplined players, but he didn't give specific names.

"There are a couple...players that are not participating right now because of team rules and regulations," London said. "We'll see how they progress and what they do in order to get themselves back to where they need to be."

Posted by Norman Wood

An overture to illumination
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Sports Editor
Men's Basketball / Sports
March 16, 2010 0

When the players arrived at John Paul Jones Arena at 10 a.m. March 6 before the 1:30 tip-off of Virginia’s regular season finale, they were informed that a season that could not have gone further south had indeed plummeted to a deeper, darker cellar: Second Team All-ACC selection Sylven Landesberg had been suspended for the rest of the season.

Not by Athletic Director Craig Littlepage, nor by University student-athlete watchdogs. It was coach Tony Bennett, citing Landesberg’s failure to meet his own academic obligations.

Then, 39 minutes into a one-point game against then-No. 22 Maryland, Bennett flashed a sign of human nature heretofore unseen by the Virginia faithful: anger. Tearing off his jacket in disgust after a blocking foul called on senior forward Jerome Meyinsse, the first-year coach was called for a questionable technical foul that eliminated the possibility of a comeback. But his frustration demonstrated an itch to taste victory after a month of losing and, more importantly, that winning does not take a backseat to academics. For Bennett, the two go hand in hand.

And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Cavaliers played their three best games in more than a month without their undisputed star. It’s one of the most overused and misguided clichés in sports to say that everyone else must “step up to the plate” when the best player goes out, but I think there is ample evidence to suggest the Virginia men’s basketball team uniquely adapted to what seemed like dire straits.

Perhaps most clearly affected by Landesberg’s absence was Meyinsse, who had a breakout game with a career-high 21 points Feb. 28 against Duke when Virginia’s leading scorer was out because of a bruised thigh. He continued his dominant post play against Maryland, scoring 17 points with pretty jump-hooks in the lane and earth-shattering two-handed dunks. So when the senior scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting during the ACC Tournament’s first round against Boston College, it was just another day at the office.

“There were a couple games where Sylven wasn’t there, and I knew we needed to step up on offense,” Meyinsse said. “So I’ve just tried to be more aggressive, and it’s just continued.”
The result? 75 points in the five games leading up to Virginia’s quarterfinal bout with Duke. That’s eight more than he scored in his entire first two seasons with the team. Simply put, with Landesberg sentenced to three years of study at the Art History Museum, Meyinsse became the go-to option and primary post presence — a significant development for a team which Bennett said he thought lacked a traditional back-to-the-basket scorer before the season. The senior was so integral to Virginia’s offense down the stretch that the Blue Devils centered their defensive game plan around disrupting Meyinsse’s rhythm. Duke 7-foot-1 Brian Zoubek and 6-foot-10 sophomore Miles Plumlee played effective denial defense but also laid off Meyinsse at times, forcing him to play a face-up game he wasn’t nearly as comfortable with as pounding the rock inside with low-post moves. If I told you before the season that top-seed Duke would manage to hold Meyinsse to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting, chances are you’d say one of two things: ‘That’s nice … How did Sylven do?’ Or ‘Who the hell is Jerome Meyinsse,’ — which you probably would have pronounced as ‘Mayonnaise.’

But in addition to this change in Virginia’s offense, there is another reason why the Cavaliers improved after Landesberg’s suspension: Nobody believed in them. Entering the tournament, the team had lost nine straight games by an average of 13.2 points — the program’s worst streak since John Kennedy took the Oval Office. The local Greensboro newspaper previewed the tournament and stated that Virginia’s best-case scenario would be to “give [No. 8 seed] Boston College,” a decidedly mediocre team, “a game and a solid effort.” The reporter I sat next to during the Duke game said his online publication offered $25 dollar gifts card of some sort to anyone who correctly guessed each of the four first-round games. Forty of the 41 participants picked Boston.

“If you’re looking at us, nobody gave us hope, nothing — ‘It’s all Duke’,” junior guard Jeff Jones said.

The players knew they were counted out, especially without Landesberg. This fact doubtlessly incited anger in the players, who, as Jones suggested, more closely resembled the 5-2 squad tied for first place in the conference through the first half of ACC play than the team that offered easy-money gambling endeavors.

It’s a motivational ploy so well-founded that ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons aptly dubbed it “The Nobody Believes in Us” factor. You could see it in Mu’s eyes when he sank a three to bring Virginia within two points of the Blue Devils, in freshman guard Jontel Evans’ relentless denial defense and in sophomore Sammy Zeglinski’s dive-into-the-stands effort for a loose ball. Bennett said it was perhaps the team’s best defensive performance of the season — a testament to Virginia’s nothing-to-lose mindset.

But something more than this factor was present during these last three games: A total sea change in attitude, perhaps precipitated by the strike of Bennett’s gavel. Nobody is above the law, not even Sir Sylven himself. The clear foil to Landesberg’s academic failure is Meyinsse — a three-time member of the All-ACC Academic team and this year’s recipient of the Skip Prosser Award, given to the person who best embodies the ‘scholar-athlete’ in the ACC.

His achievements provide incontrovertible evidence that a player can succeed both in the classroom and on the court. Much of the latter should be accredited to Bennett, who saw something in Meyinsse that former Virginia coach Dave Leitao didn’t. Though, to be fair, Leitao may have been too preoccupied dropping F-bombs on his starters to realize he had a competent low-post threat left studying trigonometric derivatives at the end of the bench.

But you don’t need to conquer calculus to curry Bennett’s favor. You just need to buy into what Bennett calls the “foundational truths” of his program. And of the current players who Bennett will try to build around with his incoming class, Evans is the one Bennett always gets bubbly about. As if the coach, who described the freshman as a “defensive bulldog,” plans to make it his personal project to improve Evans’ shot mechanics in the offseason.

Jones is another player who is confident that he’ll remain part of Bennett’s core rotation. Acknowledging the loss of three seniors and describing Landesberg’s situation as “up in the air,” Jones said: “It’s gonna be for somebody else to step it up next year, and I’m willing to do the challenge.”

He may have the opportunity to do so — his 15 points per game in Virginia’s final three contests were instrumental to bringing the program back to respectability.

“I think for our guys to come in there, especially with the way things went, to be competitive against Maryland — then to get a victory, that’s certainly good, and then this [game against Duke] was important,” Bennett said. “I said it to our staff, ‘This is an important game for us to be in at this stage of our tenure,’ just to get in a tough, hard-nosed setting against one of the best, and see if you can stand in there.”

Bennett’s job in his first year is finished. But his task of building a program has just begun.

“When Mr. Littlepage hired me, I said the formula ­­— I don’t think you can shortcut it — is establish the guys you think you can build with, get a large recruiting class your first year, follow it up with a good one, grow ‘em up and then compete and take it beyond that,” Bennett said. “The first year belongs to the players and the program — the existing players. Then you make your evaluations after and move forward.”

All signs point toward a future without Sylven Landesberg. And though it’s certainly not inaccurate to say the season was salvaged with Virginia’s victory against Boston College and the scare it delivered to Duke, I think the turnaround began with Landesberg’s suspension. Virginia will miss 17.3 points per game, without a doubt. But what it will gain in Bennett’s refusal to apply a double standard to star players and role players, to ensure the foundational principles of his program are upheld by all, will reap greater benefits than any 30-point performance Landesberg could deliver.

Virginia women sent to country's heartland for NCAA tourney
The NCAA sends Virginia to Ames, Iowa, in the Dayton Region.
By Katrina Waugh
981-3127

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Ariana Moorer admitted she has no idea where Ames, Iowa is.

Monica Wright said it doesn't really matter.

Virginia's women's basketball team learned Monday night that it is a fifth seed in the Dayton Region in the NCAA tournament and will play No. 12 seed Green Bay on Sunday at 7:20 p.m. in the opening round in Ames.

"The main thing is to stay focused," Wright said. "You need to get rest and stay focused on basketball."

Six ACC teams made the tournament. League champion Duke got a No. 2 seed in the Memphis Region. Georgia Tech is the sixth seed in the Kansas City Region, where N.C. State got the ninth seed. North Carolina is the 10th seed in the Sacremento Region.

Florida State is the No. 3 seed in the same region as Virginia (21-9).

The No. 1 seed in Dayton is the top team in women's basketball, Connecticut.

"Surprise, surprise," Wright said rolling her eyes.

She and Moorer both said they'd like to face UConn, though. And not just because it would mean they'd made it to the Sweet 16.

"We want to be the first to beat them," Wright said. "Seventy-two games [won] is too many for anyone."

Moorer, a sophomore, recalled that the Cavaliers would have faced the Huskies in the Sweet 16 last year if they had managed to get out of their region.

"We were hoping to get them, to get another shot," Moorer said. "But we've still got to get that first win."

That isn't a lock. The Green Bay Phoenix (27-4) is the first Horizon League team to get an at-large bid to the NCAAs after they were upended by Cleveland State in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

Juniors Kayla Tetschlag (14.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Celeste Hoewisch (13.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg) were All-Horizon League first team picks. Hoewisch was also on the league's all-defense team.

Julie Wojta (14.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg) was a second-team all-league pick and Sarah Eichler (5.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg) was on the all-newcomer team.

If they get past Green Bay, the Cavaliers will face host Iowa State, the fourth seed, or 13th-seeded Lehigh for a trip to the Sweet 16.

Virginia's last outing was a disappointing 66-59 loss to N.C. State in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament.

Wright, the ACC's player of the year, scored 32 points in that game. Moorer had nine and no one else scored more than four.

"It was a lack-of-energy performance," Moorer said. "We were definitely trying to help [Wright] out. But everyone in the country knows she's our go-to player. When she's on, she's on.

"We try not to leave her by herself like we did."

Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said she thought the Cavs' inexperience had a lot to do with that loss, though she said Wright "didn't play that well either."

Ryan said the first-round bye and the wait before the game's 8:30 p.m. start robbed her team of energy.

"Sometimes the biggest battles are with yourself," said Ryan, who said she tried her best to keep her team occupied during the wait. "I think they were really, really ready at 4 o'clock. I'm not so sure they were ready at 8."

Wright said the team will have to bring a "different type of mentality, a different type of maturity" to the NCAA tournament. She said the Cavs came right back to Charlottesville after the loss to N.C. State and have been working "to prove to ourselves that we're capable. It's not about physicality, it's more about mindset and that attitude that you won't be denied. ...

"Honestly there's no words to describe the NCAA tournament or the ACC tournament," Wright said. "You just have to see it or experience it yourself, and know you can fight through the fatigue."

Cavs headed to Iowa to face Phoenix
By Jay Jenkins
Published: March 16, 2010
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Ariana Moorer thought one thing. Monica Wright envisioned another scenario. Virginia coach Debbie Ryan pegged the seed, but not much more fell into place.

The Virginia women’s basketball program was thrown a curveball Monday as the Cavaliers were named a No. 5 seed in the four-team pod in Ames, Iowa, as the pairings for the NCAA tournament were announced. UVa (21-9) will open the tourney Sunday evening at 7:21 p.m. against Wisconsin-Green Bay (27-4).

“I was real surprised,” Ryan said. “That was the last place that I thought we would go. When I saw everything come up I thought Connecticut would be in Pittsburgh and we would be in Norfolk, but no such luck.”

Yes, Virginia was shipped out of the Commonwealth for the second straight season for the postseason.

It caught at least one of the players off guard.

“Iowa? I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Moorer said. “We were hoping Norfolk, but I don’t know what was going on with the committee.”

Wright, the program’s all-time leading scorer, was convinced that Virginia was headed to California again after reading a prediction on ESPN.com.

“We were all thinking California, at Berkeley, so this is kind of a shock,” Wright said. “But we are just thankful for our seed and we are thankful we are in the Big Dance.”

The Cavaliers’ players were uncertain what they landed in their first round opponent, having little knowledge of Wisconsin-Green Bay, an at-large team from the Horizon League.

The Phoenix won their first 16 games this season, but their questionable at-large entry into the tourney essentially snubbed teams such as Arizona State, California, Maryland and Southern Cal.

“I have a lot of respect for Green Bay,” Ryan said.

With a victory in the opener Sunday, Virginia would draw a date with the winner of the opening-round game between No. 4 Iowa State, the pod’s host team, and No. 13 Lehigh.

Should the higher seeds advance, Virginia could face a tough road test — the Cyclones averaged 9,633 fans per home game this season.

“What do they draw, 12.000 fans a game? That will be interesting,” Ryan said. “The good news for us is that we played in front of big crowds.”
 

Reynolds seals new deal with D-backs
Associated Press
Published: March 16, 2010
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TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona slugger Mark Reynolds says he’s agreed to terms on a new contract with the Diamondbacks.

Two people familiar with the talks said on Monday that the deal was worth $14.5 million over three years and includes an $11 million club option for 2013. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the deal.

Reynolds expressed “relief to finally be able to get it done.”

A 16th-round draft pick out of Virginia, the 26-year-old third baseman hit 44 homers with 102 RBI last season. He also struck out 223 times, breaking the major league record of 204 he set the previous year.

His agreement first was reported by the Arizona Republic.

The new contract was expected to be announced by the team on Tuesday.

According to one of the people familiar with the deal, Reynolds gets a $1 million signing bonus and a $500,000 salary this season, then $5 million in 2011 and $7.5 million in 2012. If the club doesn’t pick up the 2013 option, Reynolds gets a $500,000 buyout.

The contract also has a limited no-trade clause.

Reynolds is the second young player to be locked up with a new contract from the Diamondbacks this spring. Earlier, 22-year-old All-Star outfielder Justin Upton signed a $51.25 million, five-year contract.

Reynolds had set an opening day deadline for reaching an agreement. Otherwise, he would have gone to year-by-year arbitration. He was to have become arbitration eligible after the coming season.

Although manager A.J. Hinch would like Reynolds to cut down on the strikeouts, he can live with a high number of them if he produces as he did a year ago.

“I want him to be a monster at the plate. I want him to be him. I don’t have any other expectations other than him to be himself,” Hinch said.

Reynolds improved his batting average from .239 in 2008 to .260 in 2009, and had a .543 slugging percentage and a .349 on-base percentage last season.

Since he was called up from Double-A Mobile in May of 2007, Reynolds leads all NL third basemen with 89 home runs and ranks second in RBI (261) and stolen bases (35). He had 24 steals last season.

He has been a work in progress on defense. Reynolds led the majors with 35 errors in 2008 but improved to 24 last year.

Reynolds confirmed the contract agreement after he left Monday’s 15-3 victory over Seattle.

But after Reynolds’ quick comment, a Diamondbacks official told him not to talk about the deal before Tuesday’s official announcement.

Still, Reynolds spoke of how happy he was to escape the stress that the contract talks had created. He was hitting .158 this spring before going 3 for 3 with an RBI on Monday.

“Just the negotiations back and forth, day in and day out,” he said, “throwing numbers here, there, trying to come to an agreement. It’s a lot of work. I never really realized how much there was to it, but it’s a good problem to have.”

Did he ever think he would be a millionaire playing this game?

“Honestly, no,” Reynolds said. “I was a 16th-rounder, never had the big signing bonus or anything. But I worked my tail off to get where I am right now and hopefully it pays off.”
 

Jets should've simply kept Jones
Jets Blog
Last Updated: 3:02 PM, March 15, 2010
Posted: 3:01 AM, March 15, 2010
Steve Serby

We know Woody Johnson craves star power, and LaDainian Tomlinson has it, and Thomas Jones does not. But here's what I simply do not understand:

Why in the world did the Jets let Jones walk out rather than pay him $5.8 million (a $2.8 million salary) and then swiftly rush to let Tomlinson walk in last night for a two-year, $5.1 million deal with $500,000 in incentives?

Why in the world would they decline to match the two-year, $5 million deal, according to Pro Football Talk, Thomas Jones got from the Chiefs?

Especially when LT now stands for Less Terrifying. Especially in an uncapped year.

REPORT: JETS CONSIDERING PACKAGE FOR BRONCOS' MARSHALL

There is no way the Jets can definitively determine at this point in time whether Less Terrifying -- or Low Tank -- is shot or not.

I recognize there is a price to pay for a backup running back. Jones would have been a backup to Shonn Greene just as LT is a backup to Shonn Greene. But there is also a price to pay -- a championship price to pay -- for pinching pennies if it turns out to be the wrong call.

Until further review, I'm ruling this a fumble. To wit:

*

Jones rushed for 1,402 yards last season.

Tomlinson rushed for 730 yards last season.

EDGE: JONES

*

Jones averaged 4.2 yards per carry last season.

Tomlinson rushed for 3.3 yards per carry.

EDGE: JONES

*

Jones has 2,280 career carries.

Tomlinson has 2,880 career carries.

EDGE: JONES

*

Jones will be 32 in August.

Tomlinson will be 31 in June.

EDGE: TOMLINSON

*

Jones is a selfless, inspirational leader revered by most teammates, particularly Greene.

Tomlinson is a star who has never been a mentor in his professional life.

EDGE: JONES

*

Jones had six 100-yard games and one 200-yard game in 2009.

Tomlinson's last 100-yard game came Oct. 28, 2008 at New Orleans (19-105).

EDGE: JONES

The only way this makes sense to me is if Jones, as he was being asked to restructure his deal, was adamant about not playing a backup role to Greene, the rookie who had the hot hand during the Jets' playoff run, and Tomlinson was amenable to serving as a third-down receiver out of the backfield/insurance policy for a pup who has never been the lead dog, and for a rehabilitating Leon Washington (broken leg), if he stays. But I don't know that. Jones averaged only 2.6 yards per carry in the playoffs -- but never forget he got the longest yard on fourth-and-1 against the Chargers -- but was that because he hit the wall, or because he had a barking knee? And who has a better chance at the fourth-and-1

The Chargers clearly decided that Less Terrifying was washed up. And he sure looked washed up in the playoff game against the Jets. Like Jones, he is a man of immense pride, and will try one last time to turn back the clock on a much bigger and brighter stage. Edgerrin James had one last hurrah after leaving the Colts. Just one. Most of the Over-the-hill Club of running backs 30 and older simply hobble off into the sunset. It will be up to Brian Schottenheimer to make sure that he preserves Less Terrifying by limiting the wear and tear on him game by game.

Less Terrifying made the right choice, given Brett Favre's latest waffling, given the presence of Adrian Peterson in the Vikings' backfield, given the cohesion of the Jets' offensive line, given that everyone loves playing for Rex Ryan. If nothing else, perhaps Less Terrifying can also serve as a babysitter (pun intended) for Antonio Cromartie, a former teammate similarly discarded by Charger GM A.J. Smith. This much is certain: Less Terrifying will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

This much is also certain: He'll go in as a Charger, not as a Jet.
 

Nichols boys basketball team continues its banner year
Vikings make clutch plays to win Catholic title
By Keith McShea
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

The Nichols boys basketball team has talked about banners all season long.
It's earned two so far, and two weekends from now, it will take a road trip to the state's mecca of high school basketball to try and earn another.
Thanks to its usual balance in both scoring and clutch plays, the Vikings toughed out a 66-62 victory over Archbishop Stepinac of White Plains on Sunday to win the New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association Class A championship. The title earns Nichols (19-7) a trip to the state Federation tournament in Glens Falls on March 26-27.
"That's our second banner we're going to hang from this year and hopefully we've got one more we're going to get," said Nichols coach Greg Plumb, whose team started its postseason run with a Manhattan Cup title as champions of the Monsignor Martin Association. "It's one of those things where they're going to come into the gym and see that banner up there and they'll tell their kids about it. It's a tribute to them."
An estimated 1,000 at Canisius College's Koessler Center were entertained by a fierce battle in which Nichols made several key plays in the final minutes.
Senior point guard Andy MacKinnon scored all 12 of his points in the second half, including two three-point plays in the third quarter and a 4-for-4 performance at the foul line in the fourth. With 7.5 seconds left, he hit the most important free throws of the game as his pair pushed Nichols' lead from two (64-62) to four.
"MacKinnon today just had some sweet plays just going to the rim," said Plumb. "He just saw his opening a couple of times. He wasn't selfish, he just said, "I've got to make a play for my team, and that's what he did.' "
The 5-foot-10 MacKinnon was one of Nichols' four double-figure scorers. Six-foot-2 sophomore Stan Wier had 22 points, 6-8 senior Will Regan had 14 and 6-foot senior Ron Canestro had 12.
The teams traded the lead in the first half and Nichols led for most of the second, but with four minutes to go the game was tied at 53-53. Wier, who went 4 for 4 at the foul line in the fourth quarter, gave Nichols a 55-53 lead with two free throws.
Nichols — which went 11 for 14 at the line in the fourth — would keep the lead the rest of the way despite a Stepinac team that kept charging behind 6-2 senior Josh Powell (18 points), 6-1 senior Rich Whitten (17) and 6-5 junior Conroy Baltimore (11).
With just over three minutes left, Canestro hit Regan in the post on an inbounds play to give Nichols a 57-53 lead. Two more Weir free throws made it 59-55. With 1:29 left, MacKinnon's two free throws made it 61-57.
With about 25 seconds left, Canestro put himself in the perfect spot to hit the biggest basket of the game. Nichols held a two-point lead and called a timeout with the ball and nine seconds on the shot clock. MacKinnon drove to the basket but his shot from the right side didn't hit any rim. Canestro was right there for the rebound and a tough, off-balance putback for a 63-59 Nichols lead.
"I was supposed to go back door, but Andy saw an opening and he put a shot up," said Canestro. "I was lucky on the other side as I went to crash, got the ball and put it in."
Regan split two free throws with 16.6 seconds left but a three-pointer by Whitten set up MacKinnon's dramatic trip to the line.
"It's hard to describe the emotions, to win your senior championship game in Buffalo, in a close game," said Regan. "It's two of the three that we want — and we're working on it."