Singletary makes it official
UVa junior declares for draft, has until June 18 to withdraw name
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
April 25, 2007

Last month, Sean Singletary was the only player left inside the Virginia locker room at Nationwide Arena in Ohio. He had just missed a game-tying 3-point attempt in UVa’s loss to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

As Singletary slowly dressed in a corner locker, one had to wonder - had the two-time All-ACC guard just played his final game in a Virginia uniform?

It was then that Singletary first talked about testing the NBA waters.

However, a day later, Virginia coach Dave Leitao said Singletary had misunderstood the question and had not even thought about turning pro.

Now, more than a month later, Singletary has obviously given it some thought.

On Tuesday, Virginia’s co-captain confirmed a story that was first reported in The Daily Progress on Saturday - he will declare for the NBA Draft. The Philadelphia native will not hire an agent, which gives him the option of returning to school if he doesn’t like his draft projection.

Sources have told The Daily Progress that Singletary will only stay in the draft if he is assured of being selected in the first round. Currently, the 6-foot, 185-pounder, who led Virginia in scoring, assists and steals last season, is predicted to go anywhere from the middle of the second round to undrafted (there are just two rounds in the draft and only the contracts of first-rounders are guaranteed).

“I have discussed this situation with my family and Coach Leitao,” Singletary said in a press release. “I want to continue to consider all of my options and learn as much as I can about the process. This gives me that opportunity while retaining the option of returning to Virginia.”

Clearly, Leitao is hoping, er praying, for a Singletary return. The loss, coupled with senior J.R. Reynolds’ departure, would leave his team extremely inexperienced in the backcourt.

In addition, it would most likely eliminate Virginia from the Patrick Patterson Sweepstakes. UVa is said to still be in the running for the five-star high school recruit.

“Sean and his family want to be sure they’ve considered and evaluated all of his options,” Leitao said in the release. “I understand Sean’s interest in learning more about the process and feel this step will enable him to gather a great deal of information.”

Virginia fans may not be too happy about Singletary’s decision to declare, but according to a scout for one Eastern Conference team, the choice was a no-brainer.

“I think Sean’s declaration makes a lot of sense,” said the scout, who was granted anonymity because he is prohibited from commenting on prospects publicly. “As a junior, this is his last chance to test the waters, and it will allow him some familiarity with the process if he returns.”

This year’s draft, which will be headlined by Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, is considered one of the deepest in recent history. That does not bode well for Singletary sneaking into the first round.

However, it is not considered an especially good year for point guards, despite the presence of players such as Ohio State’s Mike Conley Jr. and Florida’s Taurean Green. Next year, Singletary may have an even tougher time cracking the first round when the likes of O.J. Mayo, Ty Lawson and Javaris Crittenton are expected to declare.

Reportedly, there is still a chance that Crittenton, the Georgia Tech floor general, will declare this year. On Tuesday, Crittenton’s teammate, Thaddeus Young, put his name in.

The deadline to declare for the draft, which takes place on June 28 in New York City, is Sunday.

Players who have college eligibility remaining and have not hired an agent have until June 18 to withdraw from the proceedings and return to school.

Singletary, who helped lead Virginia to a share of the ACC regular-season title this past season, will attend the pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., with other top prospects, including Reynolds, in late May.


 

Cavs hope to contain Kulbacki
By Todd Merchant / tmerchant@dailyprogress.com | 978-7236
April 25, 2007

HARRISONBURG - Considering the kind of season Sean Doolittle put up last year for Virginia, he could make a pretty strong argument for being considered the best player in the commonwealth. As strong on the mound as he was at the plate, the then-sophomore earned ACC Player of the Year honors and played for Team USA during the summer.

But even with his impressive accolades, one trophy that Doolittle did not claim was the Virginia Sports Information Directors state player of the year award. That honor went to James Madison’s Kellen Kulbacki.

The Dukes’ star outfielder, who is currently a junior, tore up the stat sheet last season, leading the nation in home runs (24) and slugging percentage (.943), while finishing second in batting average (.464) and fourth in RBI per game (1.28).

In addition to being named conference and region player of the year and earning All-America honors, Kulbacki was named Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger National Co-Player of the Year.

“It was a great feeling. Any time you come from a mid-major conference or a smaller school that might not be recognized nationally … it’s a great feeling to put your school on the map,” Kulbacki said. “Also, it was an amazing feeling for me and a tremendous accomplishment in my life and my career here.”

Kulbacki has not slowed his pace this season. Heading into tonight’s game at Virginia, the left-handed right fielder is batting .422 with 17 home runs, 43 RBI and an .871 slugging percentage.

He broke the JMU records for career homers (49) and extra-base hits (101) earlier this year, and he is on pace to set new marks in batting average (.407), total bases (427) and slugging percentage (.775).

Kulbacki was also named the national hitter of the week earlier this month.

With such monster stats, it’s probably led to a lot of UVa wondering the same thing - why is he wearing purple and gold instead of orange and blue?

The answer is pretty simple - he was too small, and most of the powerhouses didn’t give him much of a look.

He did eventually receive some interest from programs such as Georgia Tech, East Carolina, Maryland and Delaware, but James Madison was on his trail from the start.

“He was a great hitter in high school, but he wasn’t a big guy, which is why I think a lot of bigger schools shied away from him,” said Dukes coach Spanky McFarland, who likened Kulbacki to a diamond in the rough. “That’s what we do here. We have to develop players. We look for guys that are maybe just a step slow, a little bit small or a couple miles per hour off, and we try and develop them. We’ve had pretty good success doing it.”

McFarland knew he’d been given a gift when he signed Kulbacki, who started in all 54 games he played in 2005 and set school freshman records for at-bats, hits and doubles. He was named the team’s rookie of the year and was selected for the conference’s all-rookie team.

As strong as his debut season was, Kulbacki did have his share of struggles, especially when it came to his confidence.

“His freshman year, if he’d get an out his first at-bat, he’d go 0 for 4. If he got a hit his first at-bat, he might go 3 for 4,” McFarland said. “So he worked a lot on his approach over the summer, and last year he came back and had a great fall, hit the ball to all fields.”

Kulbacki said the biggest difference between his freshman and sophomore seasons was that he’d begun seeing a sports psychologist who had recently arrived at JMU.

“I decided it would be a great idea for me to give it a shot. He really improved my mental approach to the game. I stuck with it all through the fall and into the season last year,” he said. “I really felt a difference in my mental approach at the plate - going up there and having a bad at-bat and forgetting about it and letting it go, coming up there with a fresh mind and clear conscience.”

One thing that occasionally enters Kulbacki’s mind is being passed over by bigger schools, and he has extra motivation whenever he gets a chance to play teams such as Virginia. In three games against UVa, Kulbacki is 3 for 11 (.272).

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, Kulbacki hasn’t had any extra-base hits or driven in any runs against them, which has helped Virginia pick up wins in all three contests, including a 6-5 come-from-behind victory in early March.

“I think the kid is a great hitter,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “He has a great swing, and he obviously has power. When you are managing the game, in certain situations you have to take that into account. In certain situations you don’t want a guy like that to beat you.

“I felt like, when we played them up at their place, the swings that he took in batting practice and the game were among the better approaches that we have seen all year.”

Containing Kulbacki’s RBI production is what the UVa coaches will focus on tonight against the Dukes.

“We want to limit the guys on base before teams get their big dogs to the plate,” said UVa pitching coach Karl Kuhn. “We have a saying on our pitching staff, ‘The big dogs are going to eat. We just have to take command and control what is at the table.’

“The big guys are going to get theirs. There is nothing you can do to try and stop them; you just have to limit what is in front of them so they don’t get the RBI.”

Notes

Today is “Turn Back the Clock Night” at Davenport Field. Virginia will wear throwback uniforms, select concessions will be sold for only $1 and old-time music will be played.

On the mound for Virginia will be Pat McAnaney. The junior lefty has made six appearances since returning from a hand injury and has won both of his starts, while posting a 2.20 ERA.

James Madison is expected to counter with junior southpaw Trevor Kaylid (2-0, 6.99).

 

Cav's Singletary won't hire an agent
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Apr 25, 2007

Sean Singletary's junior season ended March 18 in Columbus, Ohio, where he dropped to the court in anguish after missing a last-second 3-point attempt in Virginia's 77-74 loss to Tennessee in the NCAA basketball tournament's second round.

That might have been Singletary's final appearance in a U.Va. uniform.

The 6-0 point guard from Philadelphia announced yesterday that he will declare for the NBA draft, a decision that Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao supports. But Singletary said he doesn't plan to hire an agent, which leaves him the option of withdrawing from consideration by the June 18 deadline. The draft is June 28.

"I have discussed this situation with my family and Coach Leitao," Singletary said in a release issued by U.Va. "I want to consider all of my options and learn and learn as much as I can about the process. This gives me that opportunity while retaining the option of returning to Virginia."

Singletary, who'll be an ACC player-of-the-year candidate if he returns next season, led the Cavaliers in points, assists and steals in 2006-07. He was second on the team in rebounds. He's not a lock to be picked in the first round if he remains in the draft this year, and many analysts project him as a second-rounder.

Virginia's other starting guard in 2006-07, senior J.R. Reynolds, is likely to be a second-round pick.

Singletary told reporters repeatedly late in the season that he planned to return to U.Va. for his senior season.

"Sean and his family want to be sure they've considered and evaluated all of his options," Leitao said in yesterday's release. "I understand Sean's interest in learning more about the process and feel this step will enable him to gather a great deal of information."

Reached late yesterday afternoon by phone, Leitao said that, out of respect for Singletary and Singletary's family, he preferred not to elaborate on his prepared statement.

The NBA's pre-draft camp starts May 29 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Not since 2002, when the Chicago Bulls took guard Roger Mason Jr. early in the second round, has an NBA team drafted a U.Va. player. Mason left Virginia after his junior season. He now plays for the Washington Wizards.

Last month, Singletary was named the state's top collegiate player by The Times-Dispatch, the second straight year he's been so honored. He's the fifth player in U.Va. history to be selected to the all-ACC first team twice.

If Singletary returns for his senior season, he could join Ralph Sampson and Bryant Stith as the only Cavaliers to be named first-team all-ACC three times.


 

DIFFERENT TIME
When Bill Dudley was chosen No. 1 in the NFL draft, there was no glitz.
Doug Doughty

LYNCHBURG -- For the last 20 years of his life, former New York Yankees baseball star Joe DiMaggio routinely was introduced as "the greatest living player."

If the subject is University of Virginia athletics, Bill Dudley is the greatest living Wahoo.

Dudley is a member of both the college and pro football halls of fame, he was the 1946 National Football League MVP, and this weekend he will celebrate the 65th anniversary of his selection as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

At 85, Dudley remains remarkably lucid, although details of the 1942 draft remain sketchy.

"I can't tell you anything about it because I didn't know anything about it," said Dudley, who lives in Lynchburg with his wife, Libba, with whom he will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in July.

"Sure, I knew there was professional football, but you never heard much about it back in Bluefield. I just felt lucky to be able to go to college."

When his Virginia football career ended in 1941, Dudley's plan was to enter the service.

"Those were different times," Dudley said. "The war was going on, there wasn't a lot of hoopla about the draft and football was still in its fledgling years. It really didn't hit popularity until television came in."

The first NFL Draft was held Feb. 8, 1936, and attracted so little coverage that the New York Times waited several days before devoting three paragraphs to it, according to "The Draft," a 2006 book by 1991 UVa grad Pete Williams. The "1942" draft was held Dec. 22, 1941.

"I don't think I even got a call," Dudley said.

The Steelers didn't call Dudley on the day of the draft, but eventually they contacted him, leaving out one important piece of information -- that he was the No. 1 pick.

"All they said was, 'We drafted you,'" he said. "I didn't sign a contract with them till August, I think it was."

The going rate for first-round picks in those days was $10,000, but somehow Pittsburgh got Dudley for $5,000.

He was named NFL rookie of the year in 1942, then enlisted in the Army in December, one year later than planned.

"A bunch of us went up from school [following the 1941 season] and were sworn into the Naval Air Corps, but I wasn't but 20 years old," Dudley said. "I never heard anything from the Navy. The navy didn't take me because I had to be 21, but the Army did."

Because of a technicality, Dudley had not begun school until he turned 7, when he immediately was placed in the third grade. He spent only half a year in the third grade and was still 7 when he began the fourth grade. He could have graduated from Graham High School at 15 but elected to stay another year.

He was an all-county football player at Graham, where he also played basketball and baseball, but not the kind of phenom that would have drawn extensive recruiting interest -- then or now.

Dudley has always been told that UVa learned about him from Jack "Doc" Whitten, who was a friend of his father's and a Virginia state legislator.

"The story I got was that Doc Whitten got up before the finance committee that was wanting more money for the University of Virginia and he said, 'I'm not going to give them a damned dime unless they come out to our part of the state and give some boys some scholarships,'" Dudley said. "I don't know how true it was, but I can imagine him saying it.

"Anyway, I was working on a pop truck in the summer of 1938, delivering Nehi, and the high school coach came by and said, 'Come on. There's a fellow up in Tazewell at Doc Whitten's who wants to see you.' [UVa coach] Frank Murray was there. My high-school coach told him I could kick extra points."

Dudley already had graduated from high school and had no idea where he was going to college.

"Of the five boys that Murray offered scholarships that day, I was the only one who accepted," Dudley said.

"I'd never been to Charlottesville. All I knew about the University of Virginia was that people went up there for essay competitions in the springtime."

As to whether he had any idea that he would be an impact player at Virginia, Dudley said, "I had no more idea than the man in the moon. I played every damn game like I had to make the team, just about."

Along the line, he picked up the nickname "Bullet" Bill.

Where, he doesn't know.

Freshmen were not eligible to play on the varsity when Dudley was in his first year at Virginia in 1938 and he shared time as a sophomore in 1939. He led the Cavaliers in rushing and passing in 1940, then took off as a senior in 1941, when he ran or passed for 29 touchdowns.

The 1941 team was one of the greatest in school history, finishing 8-1, with the lone loss coming at Yale, 21-19.

"That was the only game Yale won," Dudley said.

A review of the Yale archives confirms that.

What Dudley was reluctant to mention was that coach Frank Murray and his staff felt they were asking too much of him and gave him a reprieve from extra-point duties that day.

A replacement missed two out of three extra points and Dudley kicked the rest of the year.

Virginia won its last five games by a combined score of 194-21, allowing no more than one touchdown in any of them, including a season-ending 28-7 triumph over North Carolina on Thanksgiving Day.

"'Nine long years;' that was what was written on a slip of paper we found under our hotel doors that morning," said Dudley, who ended Carolina's lengthy winning streak over Virginia with one of the greatest games in school history.

Dudley carried 17 times for a school-record 215 yards and three touchdowns, passed for a fourth touchdown, kicked all four extra points, punted, returned punts, kicked off and returned kickoffs.

After Dudley's rookie season with the Steelers, Army officials sent him to Randolph (Tex.) Field, where he played on the base football team when he wasn't serving as a flight instructor. Dudley flew one mission as a co-pilot before the war ended and he returned for the final two games of the 1945 season.

In 1946, he led the NFL in rushing, interceptions and punt returns.

He subsequently was traded to Detroit in 1947 before going to Washington in 1950. He played two seasons for the Redskins, then came out of retirement for one season as a place-kicker in 1953. He never earned more than $20,000 in a season.

Dudley, who spent nearly 50 years in the insurance business after coaching briefly at UVa, has enough memorabilia to turn his home into a shrine. Instead, he has his NFL Hall of Fame bust alongside a few pictures in his garage.

His best memories are in his mind and he has a good one.

"I'm one of the few people around who knew Bronko Nagurski, Red Grange and Jim Thorpe," said Dudley, who then related a conversation he had with Thorpe in the White House men's room in the early 1950s.

As recently as Tuesday, Dudley was trading NFL Draft notes with a reporter in advance of a Sirius Radio interview he has agreed to give next week.

"I still don't realize the significance of it," Dudley said. "I'm probably an odd duck."

Didn't they say the same thing about Joe DiMaggio?
 

Singletary enters draft
The point guard declares for the NBA, but his dad says "he's coming back to school."
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
April 25, 2007
Sean Singletary's name is officially on the list of players who declared for the NBA draft, but that doesn't mean he will receive paychecks next season for playing basketball.

Singletary, Virginia's point guard, announced Tuesday in a press release from the school that he will declare for the draft but is not planning to hire an agent. This lets Singletary participate in the NBA's pre-draft camp while giving him the option of returning for his senior year.

If he doesn't hire an agent and pulls his name out of the draft by June 18, he can come back.

"That's basically what he's doing," said his father, Harold Singletary. "He's coming back to school. ... He's just basically testing the waters."

What if his son hears from NBA teams at the pre-draft camp that he will be a first-round pick in the draft, held June 28?

"We haven't discussed that yet," Harold said.

Singletary is going to the camp, held May 29 to June 4 in Orlando, Fla., with open ears, hoping representatives from NBA teams tell him parts of his game to improve, Harold said.

At the camp, players participate in drills, games and strength tests, and are evaluated by NBA coaches, general managers, scouts and executives.

Singletary has said multiple times since last summer that he would return for his senior season.

The question of where Singletary might get drafted is important because first-round picks get guaranteed three-year contracts. Second-round picks do not receive guaranteed contracts.

Harold said Virginia coach Dave Leitao agreed that Singletary declaring for the draft and not hiring an agent was a wise decision.

"I have discussed this situation with my family and coach Leitao," Singletary said in the release. "I want to continue to consider all of my options and learn as much as I can about the process."

This year's draft already is packed with underclass talent.

Two of the nation's best college players from last season, Ohio State freshman center Greg Oden and Texas freshman forward Kevin Durant, already have declared.

The other underclassmen point guards include Ohio State freshman Mike Conley Jr. and Florida junior Taurean Green. Conley has not hired an agent.

Singletary, who could not be reached for further comment, was Virginia's leading scorer last season, averaging 19 points.

He also averaged 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds. He was named first-team all-ACC for the second consecutive season - just the fifth time that's happened to a Virginia player.

"I understand Sean's interest in learning more about the process and feel this step will enable him to gather a great deal of information," Leitao said in the release.

Cavaliers wrap up season atop ACC
Young players credited with stepping up level of play, boosting Cavaliers to ACC champions this past weekend
Campbell Grant, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

The Virginia men's tennis team finished up an enormously successful season this past weekend, defeating North Carolina in the ACC Tournament to become ACC Tournament champions in addition to ACC regular season champions.

"I credit all of the younger guys on the team," junior Treat Huey said. "They stepped up big this whole year. Freshmen Houston [Barrick], Lee [Singer] and Dom [Inglot] -- they just did a great job this whole season and throughout the ACC --they carried us almost the whole year."

The emergence of the younger players was a theme throughout the entire season. Barrick and Inglot proved to be a formidable doubles team and were ranked for a large portion of the season. They gave the team a boost on the second court behind the nearly unstoppable pairing of Huey and junior Somdev Devvarman.

In singles, the freshmen gave major contributions throughout the year. Inglot emerged as the number three player for singles and gave Virginia a luxury most teams don't have: a third-ranked singles player. Barrick won nearly all of his singles matches in ACC play with a record of 9-2, and early in the year when the Cavaliers played several ranked teams out of conference, Singer won the point that clinched the match.

"I believe it's a tremendous accomplishment," Virginia coach Brian Boland said. "We play in the best league in the country. To go 11-0 -- I'm so proud of the guys."

The big key to Virginia's success, however, has been the consistent play of Huey and Devvarman. As the Cavaliers' only returning players with significant experience, the two juniors stepped up their play and leadership for Virginia, finishing the season ranked No. 2 in doubles with a record of 24-5. Devvarman ranked No.2 in singles and Huey ranked No. 20. Both players rarely lost a match, going a combined 49-6 and carrying the team at times this year.

The Cavaliers came into this season with the goal of going undefeated in the ACC. They had gone undefeated two years ago, but lost two ACC matches and fell to Duke in the ACC Tournament final last spring.

"The thing is, my first year we were undefeated, and last year we were not." Devvarman said. "You only know what you actually lose when you actually lose it. Last year it really hurt to actually lose it. So this year we came out completely fired up. Me, Treat and Marko [Miklo], we just stepped it up so much because we knew we did not want to lose any ACC matches."

After losing their first match to No. 1 Georgia in the National Indoor Tournament, Virginia went undefeated until losses to Baylor and Texas. The Cavaliers have won every match since, and go into the NCAA tournament on a 12-match winning streak.

"I think this is one of the hardest working teams I've ever coached," Boland said. "[They are] a team that really has great leadership with Somdev Devvarman and Treat Huey who really understand the process. They really understand what it means to go to practice and work hard and stay focused and have the kind of discipline off the court that's necessary to be successful. With all the things that go on in college life, nobody does it better than these guys. So I'm just really proud to be their coach. I've enjoyed it so much. I can't remember a year in my 11 years as a head coach that I've enjoyed the process more. It's been a great journey and the best is hopefully yet to come."

 

Vick a no-show for Congressional breakfast
Falcons QB was upset at missing honor in D.C.
By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/24/07

Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was a no-show for a Capitol Hill breakfast Tuesday at which he was to speak to some members of Congress about the need to increase funding for after-school programs.

The director of Vick's foundation said Vick missed his connection in Atlanta. A spokesman for AirTran, which Vick has an endorsement deal with, said Vick was confirmed on a later flight Monday night to Washington and he did not show up for the flight.

Susan Bass, the director of Vick's foundation, said the quarterback told her he tried to get to Washington but because of "unforeseen developments" with his flight plans he couldn't get there in time for the breakfast. "He was not happy that he couldn't make it because he truly was honored to receive the award," Bass said.

Vick was scheduled to arrive in Washington on Monday night after playing in teammate Warrick Dunn's charity golf tournament in Tampa. His flight from Tampa to Atlanta on AirTran departed late, causing him to miss his 8:35 p.m. connecting flight to Washington-Reagan National Airport, Bass said. AirTran's Web site shows the 6:25 p.m. flight from Tampa left almost 30 minutes late, arriving in Atlanta at 8:38 p.m. There were flights to Washington-Dulles and Baltimore-Washington airports shortly after 9 p.m., but both were full and Vick could not be accommodated, AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said.

Vick was re-booked on a 10:50 p.m. flight from Atlanta to Washington-Reagan and was notified of the change in flight arrangements, Hutcheson said. Vick did not show for the flight, and it left without him and with 33 empty seats, Hutcheson said.

Vick was scheduled to attend an 8 a.m. function with lawmakers and more than 100 members or supporters of Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy group established to raise awareness for funding for after-school programs.

"I am really proud of the work of my foundation, and I'm honored that the Afterschool Alliance recognized us with this award," Vick said through Bass. "I really wanted to be there in person to accept the award, but my travel situation did not allow it. My mother received the award on behalf of the foundation, and we look forward to working with the Afterschool alliance in the future."

Vick was honored for his and his foundation's work with after-school youth projects in Georgia and Virginia.

--Gerry Smith in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.