Crikey, mate! U.Va. might have made a decent hire, after all
Posted to: Bob Molinaro Portsmouth Sports
Bob Molinaro
Virginian-Pilot columnist

"The Bennett Way."

It sounds like a title from the self-help section of a book store, or one of those late-night TV scams for making millions without leaving your home.

Actually, it refers to Tony Bennett and his style of coaching. At the University of Virginia, they're counting on Bennett to find a way to basketball prosperity.

Well, respectability, at least.

To angst-ridden U.Va. fans concerned Bennett isn't the right person to revamp Cavalier hoops, Aron Baynes says, No worries, mate.

"The Bennett way gives anybody a chance to compete," said Baynes, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound low-post banger from Australia who played under Bennett at Washington State.

"If you buy into his system and play defense, you'll do well. He maximizes the talent he has."

Following his first game at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Baynes described Bennett as "real personable," and at 39, young enough to relate to his players, but added, "His bite is definitely worse than his bark."

Translation: Bennett doesn't get in a player's face, not the way his father, Dick, did, but gets his message across.

Tony Bennett inherited the Washington State job from his father, who also passed down the system his son is bringing to Charlottesville.

"In the past," Bennett said last week at U.Va., "our style has been considered real slowdown."

He also described his approach as "trying to outlast" the opponent.

Showtime, it ain't.

The thought of deliberate, low-scoring games sets off alarm bells. That isn't the ACC's style, but who's kidding who? U.Va.'s style last season was to fall behind by two or three touchdowns in the first half.

Bennett will set out to control tempo - a euphemism for burning the shot clock - "but as long as it's a good shot, he'll let you play," Baynes said. "We could take the quick shot as long as it was a good one."

Judging from his appearance at the PIT, Baynes was a project when he arrived in Pullman, Wash. But operating within the regimented Bennett system, he averaged 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds his senior year.

The Bennett way received some national notice when Washington State met North Carolina in the Sweet 16 of the 2008 tournament. It was there that Baynes referred to the Tar Heels' Tyler Hansbrough as "a thrashing croc."

Best description of the Carolina big man anybody's ever heard.

At U.Va., Baynes said, Bennett will "understand what he has and he'll adjust. He'll change it up for whatever he has."

And whoever he brings in.

Conventional wisdom holds that U.Va. is a tough place to recruit. As tough as Pullman? Clearly not. Even now, U.Va. enjoys a better national reputation for basketball than Washington State.

"We always played with that underdog mentality," Baynes said.

The same approach suits U.Va.'s situation, and what attracted the school to Bennett is his reputation for getting the most out of his talent.

Still, talent levels change from year to year, even in the highly-competitive ACC.

With that in mind, the timing of Bennett's arrival looks better every day. Wake Forest already lost one undergraduate to the NBA draft, while sophomore point guard Jeff Teague might be on the verge of going pro.

Meanwhile, Hansbrough has played out his four years at North Carolina, and juniors Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson aren't expected to return. Even Boston College will take a step back now that Tyrese Rice, another PIT participant, is finished.

Speaking of talent, can we expect Bennett - who has connections Down Under after playing and coaching in New Zealand - to recruit a big Aussie banger for U.Va.?

We'll find out soon enough if that, too, is a part of the Bennett way.

Williford interviews for assistant position
By Whitey Reid
Published: April 10, 2009

If it’s true that the third time is the charm, then former Virginia basketball player Jason Williford is in business.

On Thursday, the assistant coach at American University interviewed for a spot on new UVa coach Tony Bennett’s staff.

“It was a pretty good meeting,” said Williford, who works under former Virginia coach Jeff Jones at American. “He seems like a great guy, like very genuine.

“Obviously I hope it works out well for me, but I feel like the University got a heck of a coach.”

Williford interviewed twice for spots on former Virginia coach Dave Leitao’s staff. The first time, he turned down the opportunity to be the director of basketball operations. Two years later, he interviewed for the assistant’s spot that wound up going to Bill Courtney.

Williford, who has helped lead the Eagles to two consecutive Patriot League championships and NCAA tournament berths, would love to return to his alma mater and take the next step in his coaching career.

“Obviously everybody wants to be at that level,” said Williford, a former Virginia captain who graduated in 1995, “but I think I’ve worked pretty hard over the last few years. If given the opportunity, I’d be ready to work my butt off. I would just be excited if I were to get the chance.”

How did the interview with Bennett go?

“It went well,” Williford said, “but I was hopeful the first couple times, so we’ll see. I don’t want to get too high. We’ll just wait and see…I’m thrilled that I got the opportunity to sit in front of him, to be quite honest.”

If hired, Williford would join former Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay and former Washington State assistant coach Ron Sanchez on Bennett’s staff.

Bennett gave Williford no timetable as to when he’d make his decision.

“I’m hoping sooner than later,” said Williford, with a laugh, “but we’ll see.”
 

UVa Insider, The Column - Doug Doughty/Roanoke Times

While the public perception of new Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett seems to rise by the minute, two questions will persist until the Cavaliers start playing games next season.

One concerns Bennett's ability to recruit, particularly in the state of Virginia, given his background in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. And, that might not be answered for several years.

The other involves style of play. Bennett's last team at Washington State finished first in Division I in scoring defense this season but the Cougars were 314th in total offense.

Will UVa fans soon tire of 60-58 games?

Not if they're winning, I would guess.

At his introductory news conference, Bennett was asked what he would tell the two players who signed with Virginia during the fall, Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans, concerning style of play.

(By the way, Spurlock is scheduled to take his official visit to Virginia this weekend).

"First of all, they have to honor their commitment," Bennett said. "But, I still have to look at our team. In the past, our style has been considered real slow-down, but there will be opportunities to run. There will be opportunities to get out and go as long as you're sound and you're tough.

"I'll just be real with them. There's no sense in saying 'this is what we are' exactly. I don't have a clear picture of it, of how we're going to play on the offensive end. My deal is to try and be competitive and win and we'll try to find a way to do that and I'll be as honest as I can.

"I think there's some opportunities to [run] with the kind of players we'll have access to."

At that point in the exchange with the media, athletic director Craig Littlepage asked if he could "jump in and tag along with this."

"A lot of times, there's a misconception when you have a style that might be perceived as defensive-oriented," Littlepage said. "When you play defense the way Coach Bennett's teams play defense, you're forcing your opponent to take longer to get shots.

"It's not always the person that's playing the strong defense is playing a more deliberate style of play. Your play on defense forces the other team's offense to take longer than it normally does. As a point of clarification, from my point of view, that would be an important part to emphasize."

Bennett followed up, "It's about winning, too. We played in a way that gave us a chance. I know the fans enjoyed the Sweet 16 and I know the Wisconsin fans enjoyed the Final Four [when Bennett was an assistant to his father].

"But those were the teams we had and the personnel we had. Having played in the NBA, you adjust and you do it but our staple will be the defensive end."

(NOTE: Bennett could have used some clarification on one point. Letters-of-intent are binding, technically, but it is probably easier to get out of a letter than it ever has been).



 

Groh gives new OC autonomy
After eight years with the same offensive system, the ex-Bowling Green coach is changing things.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

A few years ago, after hearing that reporters had started to refer to him as "the chairman," Virginia football coach Al Groh wasn't sure he liked the idea.

"You know what that means?" Groh asked.

Groh wasn't opposed to delegating, but in no way did he want to distance himself from the day-to-day operation of the program.

Enter Gregg Brandon.

Brandon, the head coach at Bowling Green for the past six seasons, was hired as UVa offensive coordinator this past December.

Groh was heavily involved with the formulation of Virginia's offensive playbook after he was named head coach in 2001 and the base system did not change during the terms of offensive coordinators Bill Musgrave, Ron Prince and Mike Groh.

Brandon has been given the freedom of installing his own system, or at least his own terminology.

"The head coach is responsible for what happens to the football, whether you call the plays, whether you put the offense in [or] whether you never spent the time to find out what the plays were," Groh said. "Whatever circumstance a coach chooses to create, you can't pass on that responsibility. As a result, I want to be on top of it, be informed, be aware.

"Gregg has had great success with this offense. There's a difference between being on top of things and being meddling in an area where somebody has a greater level of expertise. It would be foolish to jump in there and change some things that have already worked."

Groh was like the players in the sense that he and the other coaches had to learn Brandon's brand of what's commonly described as a "spread" offense.

"I'm continuing to do so," Groh said. "It's something that we were seeing at a point down the road and Greg's availability was very fortuitous for us. We've given him a lot of space. He didn't impose the system on us. We went buying it. Once we bought it, we bought it with all the moving parts."

Virginia has not held an open practice all spring and the new offense will be on display for the first time April 18, when the Cavaliers hold their annual spring game.

It will be the second look Virginia fans will get at Vic Hall, a surprise starter at quarterback for the Cavaliers' 2008 season finale at Virginia Tech, Hall, who set state records for passing and total offense at Gretna High School, had started at defensive backfield in the previous 23 games.

Groh decided during the offseason that Hall at least would begin the spring at quarterback.

"We wouldn't have done that if we didn't have serious intentions," Groh said. "Actually, we had some interest in doing it at this time last year but when two of the corners who were expected at spring practice didn't participate, we didn't have much option.

"We were intrigued with the possibility, at least in some capacity. So, when Vic did play one game there, we were going to continue through with it. We've had two seasons [2006 and 2008] with less wins than what the overall team played up to and that's because we had less production at the quarterback position."

Groh has been no less intrigued by what he has seen from Hall this spring.

"I'm more than intrigued by it," Groh said. "I'm very open to it."

Hall's rivals for the starting job, senior Jameel Sewell and Marc Verica, have a combined 32 starts. Sewell is returning from a year's academic suspension.

"At this time last year, we had no players who had ever started a game in college at quarterback; now, we've got three players," Groh said. "That's the vital position in college football today, frankly that and kicker, and this is one we can do something about in the spring."
 

Spring Football Q & A with Aaron Clark
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/09/2009

Senior linebacker Aaron Clark returns to the field this spring after missing almost the entire 2008 campaign due to a knee injury he suffered against USC. Clark and the rest of the linebacking corps have some big shoes to fill following the graduation of Clint Sintim, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby.

Question: What was last season like for you having to watch from the sidelines? How did you try and turn that into a positive experience?
Clark: It’s hard. For anybody who is playing football for a number of years, it’s hard to take a season off and see your buddies that you worked with all offseason when you feel like you should be out there with them with their struggles and accomplishments that they are going through. So you just try and turn into a positive motivator on the sideline and just try and give off good energy as much as you can because you can’t do anything physically. It’s more of a mental being rather than a physical being on the field.

Question: Denzell (Burrell) talked about last year how hard it was for him because you guys competed so hard at the same position and then all of the sudden you were not there to compete with. It was almost like he was guilty for getting the experience that way. But he also said you were helping him by using your eyes on the sideline.
Clark: I really tried to focus in on Denzell when he was on the field; that’s the position that both of us had really tried to learn in and out and to be there with each other and compete with each other like he said. As far as my role, I was trying to watch each play or give him tips, letting him know what the offense is doing and try to help him with his reads on the field or whatever it may be. I think we built a better relationship; our on the field relationship is a lot stronger and a lot more communicative than it would have been had we been in a different situation last year.

Question: You had a torn ACL and a partially torn MCL. What was your rehab like? When did you feel like, “OK, I’m back?”
Clark: Even now I am still dealing with a little bit of the pains here and there. I am pretty close to being back now. I’d say I’m right on the edge of being fully recovered. The only thing now is getting the rest of the muscles back to where they were around the knee so the knee doesn’t get so tired. But, I feel great and the practices are going great. I think the rehab process was really successful.

Question: What is it like having Chad Wilt on the staff as a full-time assistant coach?
Clark: I love it. Coach Wilt was here my first year. Being one of the older guys, I was one of the guys who got to play with him first year. It’s cool having him around. There is a lot of new energy on the staff. All of the new coaches are great in my book. They all bring a different, unique twist. The one, obviously, that I interact with most is Coach (Bob) Trott and I really, really like him. He’s a great coach; he’s laid back but he gets his point across. It’s really nice having him around.

Question: Coach Trott has crossed paths with Coach Groh a lot during his career; did you notice some of that immediately?
Clark: I noticed it just from the fact that when he came in, Coach Groh gave him the reigns with the linebackers and the linebackers are Coach Groh’s babies—he loves to coach the linebackers. The fact that he had enough trust and respect in Coach Trott to give him the operation of that ship was pretty big for me. From the minute he started coaching, you could see that they had the same mindset that the linebackers are the heart of the defense, being the ones to run it and make the plays and make stuff happen for the defense. It was really interesting to see how similar they are in their coaching styles.

Question: Have you noticed any change since Coach Groh announced he would be the defensive coordinator?
Clark: He’s always been pretty active in coaching the defensive side of the ball. He’s a defensive coach and he loves being in there. He loves presenting the game plans or telling us the idea of what he wants his defense to embody. It hasn’t really changed too much but it’s easier to go to somebody now since he is the defensive coordinator.

Question: Coach Groh has a lot of experience with football on many levels, what’s an example—during a game—when he has really amazed you with his knowledge?
Clark: It happens all the time. We’ve had some pretty good defensive teams here in the past couple of years. We’ll be in the middle of a game and your game plan doesn’t always happen the way you plan. And he—I swear, it’s every game—he’s like, “all right, this is what we’re doing, we’re expecting this, so this is the check that’s going to stop it.” And it works, every time for a number of different defenses. I couldn’t pinpoint one particular instance, but he does it all the time.

Question: Do you feel very fortunate being able to play for a coach that has that kind of expertise?
Clark: Of course. It’s always good to have confidence in your coach that he is going to be able to give you something that’s going to make you successful. It’s great playing under him.

Question: How does a team get confidence when it comes off of a season where it wasn’t able to go to a post season bowl game? Where do you find that motivation?
Clark: I think the number one confidence-gainer would have to come from experience. A lot of young guys played last year, we went through a lot of ups and downs, learned how to compete in really tough situations. I think that’s the number one thing, just having that experience. Things are going to go wrong, you just have to learn how to deal with it, step up, and make plays and move on. The fact that all those young guys are coming back and we didn’t lose that many guys, but we lost some big players. I feel like we are in prime position to step up and be a great defense as well.

Question: There’s a lot of talk about the offense with Coach Gregg Brandon being here, it being a different look? What’s your perspective on that?
Clark: It’s completely different. It’s something that we’re not used to seeing that many turns in one practice. We’ve played against some “spread” teams in the past couple of years but when you’re seeing it everyday in practice, you really see the ins and outs of it. It’s exciting to watch it unfold and watch the players learn it and find out how to tweak it to make their game better. It’s going to be exciting.

Question: Does it make your job as a defensive player harder when the offense goes no huddle?
Clark: It makes you buckle down mentally. Everybody is pretty much prepared to run and to understand that their lungs and their muscles are going to burn, but you can push through that, but it’s the mental focus. You may see something one play that you have not prepared for at all. You have to react to it, shake it off, and be ready for the next play. With a quick huddle like they have, you have no time to dwell on what happened. I think that’s a benefit for the defense because it really helps you move on and keep playing the next play and not worry about past things that could have gone wrong.

Question: What’s the personal goal that you have during spring drills and offseason conditioning going into next year?
Clark: With me, it’s a little bit of a different story. I am just trying to get back to the playing shape and the mindset that I was in before I was injured and the comfort in the fact that my leg is going to be there underneath me when I go to step on it. As far as the game goes, I just want to be more of a vocal and physical leader on the field. Me and Denzell are some of the senior guys on the defense along with Chris Cook and Nate Collins. We’re all trying to step up and be leaders and I think that’s the main thing that this defense is looking for.

Question: How does the linebacker group react after losing so many players with hundreds of games of experience? Does it speed up the maturation process for some of the younger players?
Clark: It forces the guys who are in those positions right now to step their game up because they know that there’s a lot of people that can compete for playing time. It makes you buckle down on your stuff a lot more. I think it’s great. We have so many guys that have the opportunity to play. It’s nice to know that if somebody were to go down, God forbid, or if you just need a substitution, there’s somebody who can step up and be consistent enough. I’m really excited about this defensive unit.

Question: Who’s the player that will emerge from spring practice and really surprise people?
Clark: I’m going to say Javaris Brown. He’s fast, a hard worker, and runs good routes. He’s the number-one player I’m looking at. A lot of people don’t know him but I think he’s going to make a name for himself really soon.
 

U.Va.‘s Hicks more than catcher
By Jeff White
Published: April 10, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- You never know where you'll find John Hicks during a University of Virginia baseball game. He might be at catcher. Or at first base. Or at designated hitter.

Rest assured, though, Hicks will be somewhere in the lineup virtually every time the Cavaliers play.

The 6-2, 191-pound freshman has quickly made himself indispensable to U.Va. coach Brian O'Connor. For a team ranked No.22 by Baseball America, Hicks is batting .345 with seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. He's started 27 games and appeared in five others.

Hicks has struck out only 14 times -- the fewest of any Cavalier with at least 100 at-bats.

"I've always liked to find a catcher that can play another position," O'Connor said. "Just so happens John is one of our better hitters, so we have to find a spot for him on the field every day.

"It's rare. Most catchers, you can't move them someplace else. It just gives us a lot of options."

At Goochland High, Hicks' football feats were as impressive as his baseball exploits. On the diamond, Hicks helped the Bulldogs win the state Group A title as a sophomore. As a standout running back and linebacker, he helped Goochland win the state Group A, Division 2 football championship in 2006, his junior year. Still, when it came time for him to pick a sport, the choice was easy.

"I kind of knew I wasn't the body type for college football," said Hicks, who weighed about 180 pounds when he enrolled at U.Va. last summer.

His football career ended prematurely. In Goochland's final regular-season game in 2007, Hicks tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He rehabbed diligently but was able to play in only three baseball games his senior season.

In the summer of 2008, though, Hicks lived with a host family in Maryland and played in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate League. Most of the other players already had college experience, but Hicks was not overwhelmed.

"I went up and watched him a handful of times, and you could see this kid has something special," O'Connor said. "He's as athletic a catcher as you'll see. I think you could put him anywhere on the field, really."

Virginia (8-5 ACC, 27-6 overall) opens a three-game series against No.13 Georgia Tech (9-4, 20-7) tonight in Atlanta.

Hicks, whose brother Kyle plays baseball for Randolph-Macon College, was picked by the Angels in the 31st round of last year's major-league draft. If not for his knee injury, he probably would have been chosen much earlier, but Hicks was committed to U.Va.

He's not, of course, the first baseball standout to come out of Goochland High. Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander is a former Bulldog, too. Verlander played with Hicks' oldest brother, Daniel, at Goochland.

"When you see a guy like him, and he's doing great for himself and makes it to the big time, it definitely inspires you to work harder," Hicks said of Verlander. "He hangs around our family a lot, so I've talked to him a good amount, and he and my brother are still really good friends. . . . It's definitely a big inspiration."

 

Team seeks to rebound from loss, secure second-straight ACC series
Cavaliers need to play ‘good, sound fundamental baseball’ away from home against Yellow Jackets
Matt Diton, Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
Published: Friday, April 10 2009

Junior catcher Franco Valdes has tallyed a .295 batting average while knocking in 26 runs on the season for the Cavaliers. Valdes and Virginia take on Georgia Tech this weekend. Coming off a disappointing midweek split series against Stony Brook, the Cavaliers return to ACC play this weekend as they travel south to take on the No. 9 Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.

Following a disappointing 23-3 drubbing Wednesday at the hands of Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech (20-7, 9-4 ACC) is anxious to get back on the field as well and make up for its recent blowout defeat. Contrary to what Wednesday’s result might suggest, Georgia Tech has had a very successful season; the Yellow Jackets already swept Maryland and took two out of three games against Miami this year.

Virginia (27-6, 8-5 ACC) knows it must handle these wasps with care or face the sting of a potent Yellow Jacket offense, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said.

“We’ve always had great games with Georgia Tech,” O’Connor said. “They’ve got a very good ball club this year, they had a very good ball club last year.”

Veterans junior first baseman Tony Plagman and senior outfielder Luke Murton lead the Georgia Tech offense. Plagman has been the Jackets’ main power threat this year, leading the team with eight home runs and 33 runs batted in. Murton, meanwhile, leads all Georgia Tech starters with a .370 average and .680 slugging percentage.

Not to be outdone by its offensive counterparts, the Yellow Jacket pitching staff has compiled an impressive team ERA of 4.8. Sophomore Deck McGuire leads Georgia Tech’s rotation, posting a 5-0 record with a team leading 2.36 ERA.

Virginia needs to focus on every aspect of the Yellow Jacket’s play if it wants to come out on top, O’Connor said.

“This is a big weekend,” O’Connor said. “We need to play good, sound fundamental baseball. You obviously don’t want to lose a game like this going into a series, but we have to handle it like men, and that’s what I told the players.”

Despite the loss against Stony Brook, the Cavaliers still find themselves ranked 11th in the nation. The Virginia bullpen, a question mark at the beginning of the season, has played a key role in helping the Cavaliers acquire their No. 11 ranking. Freshmen Shane Halley and Justin Thompson have performed well in relief duties this season, not allowing a single earned run this year.

Halley “is a great, fresh arm,” junior catcher Franco Valdes said. “He’s shown poise, he’s shown that he’s gone out there and be able to handle his stuff, throw his pitches for strikes, and he’s had success.”

Starting pitching also will be key for the Cavaliers this weekend. Virginia’s most recent loss was partly because of starting pitcher Jeff Lorick’s inability to get through the first inning; Lorick gave up five earned runs in two thirds of an inning of work. The Cavaliers hope for stronger performances from their starting pitchers this weekend, as both freshman Danny Hultzen and senior Andrew Carraway take the hill. Hultzen leads Virginia with five wins, while Carraway is tops among all starters with a 2.14 ERA.

At bat, the Cavaliers will look to get their swings back on track after being held to two runs on six hits last time out. Sophomore first baseman Dan Grovatt hopes to recover after a difficult midweek series. Although he ranks second among Cavalier starters with a .389 batting average and 49 hits, Grovatt was held hitless in six at bats against Stony Brook.

With both teams looking to bounce back with a big series win, O’Connor said his squad must be the one able to leave behind its past.
“They’ve gotta deal with it, turn the page, and get ready to work tomorrow and play down there in Atlanta on Friday night,” he said.
 

Cavaliers hope to make a statement
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 10, 2009

To those in uniform, it was a chat that changed the history of Virginia baseball.

Mike Mitchell, now a minor league player with the Colorado Rockies, remembers it clearly.

Shortly after Virginia had taken the series-opening game from Georgia Tech in 2004, numerous Yellow Jackets players raced to family and fans with smiles splashed on their faces.

Virginia coach Brian O’Connor jumped at the opportunity to do some coaching.

“They were over on the sidelines joking around and signing autographs and hanging with their families,” Mitchell said. “Baseball players can’t act like that [after a loss]. We learned something that day about what we needed to be as a college baseball player and it set us off to a great year.”

Virginia, currently ranked No. 18, swept Georgia Tech in that series, a feat it will look to repeat this weekend in Atlanta.

The Cavaliers could use a series win as they trail Georgia Tech (20-7, 9-4 ACC), Miami (24-8, 10-5) and North Carolina (26-7, 9-5) by percentage points in the Coastal Division title race.

Georgia Tech, despite losing two of three to UNC last weekend, appears to be the frontrunner in the league at this point.

“Georgia Tech is a great team and they have the best record in the ACC,” Virginia third baseman Steven Proscia said. “We have a big task in front of us, but I think we are ready for it. We just have to go out there and execute.”

Proscia is one of a handful of rookies that will see extended action at one of this weekend at one of the toughest venues in the league.

That is when O’Connor may learn the most about his youngsters.

“Obviously, our players are comfortable at home,” he said. “It is where they play they played all fall and where they prepared to play.

“I think when you take them into a ballpark on the road, as we will the next two weekends (which includes a series at Boston College), I think you start to really find out what you have.”

 

No. 11 Cavaliers Travel to No. 8 Georgia Tech This Weekend
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/09/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 11 Virginia baseball team visits No. 8 Georgia Tech this weekend for a three-game ACC series at Russ Chandler Stadium. Game one is at 7 p.m. Friday, with 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday games set to follow. The first game will be webcast by ACC Select.

The series is a key one in the ACC Coastal Division race, with the top four teams all within one game of each other. Georgia Tech leads at 9-4, with Miami (10-5), North Carolina (9-5) and Virginia (8-5) all nipping at the Yellow Jackets’ heels.

Here are the pitching matchups for the weekend (UVa starters listed first):
Friday: LHP Danny Hultzen (5-0, 2.17) vs. RHP Deck McGuire (5-0, 2.36)

Saturday: RHP Andrew Carraway (4-0, 2.14 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Von Tersch (5-1, 5.45) 

Sunday: TBA vs. RHP Brandon Cumpton (1-0, 5.85)

Virginia (27-6, 8-5 ACC) is playing a ranked foe for the fourth time in the last five ACC weekends. The Cavaliers are 3-4 against ranked teams, going 1-0 against then-No. 14 Florida State in a rain-shortened series, 1-2 vs. then-No. 4 Miami and 1-2 vs. then-No. 5 North Carolina. Three of the four losses were by one run (the other loss was by two runs).

Jarrett Parker (So., Stafford, Va.) leads the Cavaliers in batting at .419, which ranks second in the ACC. Dan Grovatt (So., Tabernacle, N.J.) is eighth in the league in hitting at .389, while Steven Proscia (Fr., Suffern, N.Y.) ranks ninth at .387. As a team, UVa leads the conference in batting at .358 and earned run average at 2.75.

The Cavaliers have been especially strong in conference games. Virginia leads the conference in batting (.361) in ACC games only. The Cavaliers also are tops in ERA in ACC games only with a 4.25 ERA.

Virginia ranks sixth nationally in team batting average (.363 entering the week). New Mexico leads at .393. The Cavaliers also are sixth in hits (406), runs (297) and doubles (82).

Georgia Tech (20-7, 9-4) has a powerful offense, highlighted by an ACC-high 50 home runs. The Yellow Jackets are sixth in the conference with a .313 batting average, led by Luke Murton, who is hitting .370 this year. On the mound, Georgia Tech ranks sixth in the ACC with a 4.80 ERA.

Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 61-37-1. The Yellow Jackets won two of three last year at UVa. The Cavaliers last played in Atlanta in 2006, with Georgia Tech winning two of three, but Virginia has won 10 of the last 16 meetings since 2004.

 

Road to perfection makes Saturday stop in Durham
No. 8 Blue Devils boast 5-0 record against Cavaliers in recent play, continue to exceed expectations after being picked to finish last in ACC
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Friday, April 10 2009

Sophomore midfielder Shamel Bratton was named ACC Player of the Week after scoring three goals to lead the Cavaliers in a come-from-behind win against North Carolina last weekend. Junior midfielder Max Pomper recovered four groundballs in the game and has notched two goals this season.
Both teams in the Virginia-Duke men’s lacrosse game may be willing to make the argument that its team is the underdog.

Duke (8-3, 1-1 ACC), ranked at the bottom of the ACC at the beginning of the year, will face the only undefeated No. 1 team in the country Saturday. Despite the No. 1 ranking, however, Virginia (12-0, 2-0 ACC) will face tough competition tomorrow. No. 8 Duke has exceeded expectations, posting a solid 8-3 record with one win and one loss coming in ACC play. Although the Blue Devils have lost two games against ranked opponents, they have defeated a slurry of other ranked teams: then-No. 20 Bucknell, then-No. 15 Colgate, then-No. 14 Loyola and then-No. 19 Georgetown. Duke’s best win this season came four weeks ago when the Blue Devils beat then-No. 8 North Carolina with a four-goal margin. Virginia, on the other hand, only squeaked by North Carolina 11-10.

Duke is a “really tough team — really talented offensively,” Junior midfielder Max Pomper said. “They have historically had a lot of success against us.”

Pomper noted that Virginia is 0-5 against Duke in the past five meetings between the two conference foes. No Cavalier currently on the team has defeated a Blue Devil. Pomper, himself a four-year Virginia veteran, has lost to Duke four times in his stead at the University.

“In the past couple years, we’ve played some up-and-down games with Duke,” senior defenseman Matt Kelly said. “We played seven to six in an overtime game two years ago. We had a shootout once. [But] last year they beat us by eight.”

The one-sided nature of the recent Virginia-Duke series may seem unusual given the quality of recent Virginia teams, but it is not without some explanation.

“Duke’s a team that, over the past few years, has been maybe more athletic than us,” Kelly said. “We haven’t really had a matchup like this so far this year. This might be our toughest game.”

This year’s Duke squad is a different team, though, than previous Duke squads. The Blue Devils lost many of their key seniors this past offseason, including midfielder Zack Greer and attackman Matt Danowski.

“They look a lot different this year, obviously losing all those guys,” senior attackman Garrett Billings said. “You lose Matt Danowski — there is no way it can’t hurt your team.”

Pomper, however, said though Duke may have a new face, it is still the same powerhouse it has always been.

“They lost a bunch of fifth-year guys that were really talented,” Pomper said. “But they are Duke. They still have great players — they are a great program. So they have guys who come off the bench who haven’t played a bunch in their career that are still real talented. So we aren’t overlooking them by any means. They are without Matt Danowski but they are still really talented.”

Having already defeated North Carolina and Maryland, the Cavaliers will play this weekend for both a regular season conference title and the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament. Virginia’s seniors also will be hoping to get a win against Duke before they graduate, and the team as a whole will look to continue its quest for perfection. Either way in Durham, one streak — the Cavaliers’ undefeated run, or the Blue Devils’ recent success against Virginia — will come to an end.

 

Cavs look to put final touches on undefeated regular season
Top-ranked squad travels to Wake Forest, N.C. State for weekend matches in quest to complete second consecutive unblemished run through spring
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Friday, April 10 2009

Junior Houston Barrick earned a victory at No. 4 singles last weekend against North Carolina. The squad swept the Tar Heels 7-0. The No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team will bid for a consecutive undefeated regular season this weekend on the road against No. 25 Wake Forest and No. 51 North Carolina State.

With a win Friday in Winston-Salem, the Cavaliers (24-0, 9-0 ACC) will clinch sole possession of the ACC title. The Demon Deacons (17-7, 7-2 ACC) have won five of their last six matches, however, including a 4-2 home victory against No. 16 Florida State, which took Virginia to the wire two weeks ago in Tallahassee. Wake’s top two singles players, No. 21 senior Cory Parr and junior Steve Forman, led the way with victories against No. 11 junior Jean-Yves Aubone and No. 49 sophomore Clint Bowles, respectively.

Virginia senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Sanam Singh did not fare as well in the top lines against the Seminoles, each falling in three sets. After returning home last week to play then-No. 25 Duke and then-No. 39 North Carolina, however, Inglot rediscovered his stroke with victories against two top-40 opponents.

The match “was a great reflection of his character,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said. “By the way that match turned out and how he was able to get down a set and a break and battle back, find a way back in the match and then play a really good super-tiebreaker.”

While Parr will most likely pose a challenge to Inglot in No. 1 singles, the Cavaliers may have to focus more on their doubles play. Virginia dropped the doubles point last Friday against Duke for the first time in more than a month and only the second time this season, losing in both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. Although the pair of Singh and junior Houston Barrick — ranked No. 6 nationally — bounced back Sunday against North Carolina, Inglot and sophomore partner Michael Shabaz — ranked No. 14 — continued to struggle, losing 5-8.

“Me and Dom just have to be a little more consistent­ — I think we’re too erratic at times,” Shabaz said. “Sometimes we’re making them play and sometimes we’re hitting the back fence with shots.”

Inglot said the pair needs to start strong — both in their serves and returns — to avoid another letdown.
“The times we struggle is when we put ourselves in a hole early on ... we get broken early,” Inglot said. “The three times we’ve lost this year, we got broken straight away, and there’s actually been so many times we’ve pulled it out after being broken- but that doesn’t help.”

Boland tried switching around the lineup against the Tar Heels, placing the default No. 1 team Singh and Barrick in No. 2 doubles, while Inglot and Shabaz moved to the top slot. Whoever plays in No. 1 doubles against Wake Forest will have their hands full against top-ranked tandem Parr and Forman.

“Wake have the No. 1 doubles team in the country ... they’re gonna pose a threat,” Inglot said. “We’re gonna have to start out with doubles — get that doubles point — and try to make our way through.”

The Demon Deacon duo also has struggled recently, however, dropping its last three matches against North Carolina, Florida State and N.C. State. Wake Forest’s lower-seeded doubles teams have compensated for the slide with clutch victories of their own, however, meaning Virginia freshman Drew Courtney and junior Lee Singer may need to continue their stellar play in the No. 3 spot to help grab the doubles point for the Cavaliers. The pair has compiled a 18-4 record thus far, including a crucial win against the Tar Heels to clinch the doubles point last Sunday.

Singer may be needed in singles as well, given the recent struggles of freshman Steven Eelkman Rooda. Boland inserted Singer into the singles lineup for the last match, and said he was pleased with the junior’s performance.
“I’m trying to give Lee as many opportunities as he can,” Boland said. “He has a lot of potential and has an awful lot of experience, so we feel like Lee can do great things for us if he’s asked to play. The great thing about Lee is he’s always ready — he’s dealt with an awful lot of adversity.”

The Cavaliers will continue play Sunday against N.C. State (9-12, 3-6 ACC) in its final regular season match. The Wolfpack enters the contest with a five-game losing streak, including three home defeats. Despite the slide, it still sits safely in 10th place in the ACC, ahead of Maryland and winless Boston College. If Virginia meets expectations and pulls out a victory, it will head into tournament play as the only undefeated team in the nation.



 

The Cavaliers’ comeback kid
By Whitey Reid
Published: April 10, 2009

On the surface, Lee Singer’s win over North Carolina’s Zach Hunter last Sunday would seem hard to forget. After all, how many times is your opponent ambidextrous? Hunter was serving with his left hand and playing right-handed.

But Singer’s victory over the Tar Heels will stay with him for a different reason.

Singer’s late father, Reid Monroe, played tennis for North Carolina in the early 1960s.

“Had he continued, I really think he could have been a pro,” said Ronnie Singer, Lee’s mother. “He was that good.”

Reid Monroe decided on law school instead. Then, several years later, died in a freak accident at work. Lee was just 4 years old.

“He was young, but it was a very difficult thing for him,” said Ronnie Singer, who remarried two years later. “I don’t know if he’s ever truly dealt with it. He loves his new dad, who he’s been with for many years now, but it’s something that was very traumatic in his life.”

Lee’s father, who was working as a hotel developer, was standing on top of a building on a stormy day when he was electrocuted.

Although he didn’t have much time with him, Lee has vivid memories of his dad from their days living in College Station, Texas.

“[There] was always some sports-related activity going on there,” said Singer, whose middle name is Monroe. “He loved getting me into the sports. I was a big Texas A&M fan.

“I was always at the football games and stuff.”

After his father’s death, Singer dabbled in just about every sport until deciding to focus on tennis when he was 8.

Following a standout career as a high-school player in Southern California, Singer — who had offers from the likes of Illinois, Michigan and Texas — arrived at Virginia with big expectations.

Singer, though, has spent nearly his entire three years on grounds trying to earn a permanent place in the singles lineup.

As a freshman, he played sporadically at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, posting a 6-2 record in ACC matches.

Last season, as a sophomore, it seemed like Singer was firmly entrenched at No. 6. However, he injured himself in the ACC tournament and was never able to reclaim his spot after senior Teddy Angelinos started playing lights-out. In essence, Singer got “Wally Pipped,” similar to the New York Yankees first baseman who was replaced by Lou Gehrig.

This spring, following a stellar fall in which he had some big wins — including one over teammate Michael Shabaz — Singer seemed poised to make a splash. But when highly touted freshman Steven Eelkman Rooda became eligible to play, Singer was once again nudged out of the lineup.

“One of the things I said to myself before I came here was that I’d be coming into a school that is contending for a national championship every year,” said Singer, who has been a consistent performer in doubles. “It was a challenge coming in, but I like to challenge myself.

“I’d rather be here than some other school where I could have been playing in the top six all four years. That would be easy. I don’t really want that. I want to work hard for it and realize every day that we have something special.”

It’s just that kind of attitude that epitomizes Singer, according to teammates and coaches.

“Lee’s career has been up and down,” said junior co-captain Houston Barrick, who came in the same year as Singer, “but I couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s persevered through some things that the rest of us probably couldn’t deal with.

“His whole thing has always been about the team, whether he’s in the lineup or not, always cheering guys on.”

Virginia coach Brian Boland recalled the grace that Singer showed back in 2007. After playing in 34 straight doubles matches as a freshman, Boland decided to pull him just before the NCAA Final Four match against Georgia.

“It was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Boland said. “It was because of a matchup that I thought was better.

“It was painful for Lee, but he handled it the way he has every other situation — with a team-first attitude.”

What has made Singer’s selflessness so unique, Boland said, is the fact that tennis is inherently an individual sport. “He’s the ultimate team guy … to do what he’s done in such a classy way is just special.”

Ronnie Singer and her husband, Jack, couldn’t be more proud of Lee.

“He’s had some really tough times in his life,” Ronnie Singer said. “I just think that he’s a fighter and he doesn’t give up.

“I used to [call] him, ‘The Comeback Kid.’ That was my nickname for him.”

Singer has never let Lee forget about his dad — not that he would. Over the years, she’s shown her son videos, pictures and newspaper clippings of her late husband.

The fortunate thing for Lee, Ronnie Singer said, is that she was able to remarry someone so special. Jack Singer, technically Lee’s step-father, has been in Lee’s life since he was 6. Singer, who just so happens to work as a sports psychologist, has always been a very important person for Lee.

Ronnie and Jack, who live in Laguna Niguel, Calif., make it to as many matches as they can. They plan on being at the ACC tournament that kicks off next week in Cary, N.C.

“They’ve obviously done a wonderful job teaching him morals and values,” Boland said, “because he’s been all about the team since the day he arrived at UVa.”

Singer reclaimed the No. 6 singles spot from Eelkman Rooda before the North Carolina match last Sunday. How long he is able to stay there is uncertain.

But no matter how many more challenges he may face, no matter how many more ambidextrous players he may run into, Singer finds strength in the fact that, to some degree, he is following in his father’s footsteps.

“He’s a huge part of me,” Singer said. “Everything I go through, I think of him.”

Ronnie Singer believes the best is yet to come for her son.

“I think maybe now he’s going to come out and shine again,” she said.

 

Virginia hopes to topple Pack, Deacs at home
Cavaliers hope to snap six-match losing streak in conference duels
Chloe Newschander, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Friday, April 10 2009

Senior Amanda Rales paired with sophomore Neela Vaez to secure a victory at the No. 2 doubles spot for the Cavaliers in their most recent ACC match against in-state rival Virginia Tech. In an attempt to add some wins to its conference competition tally this year, the Virginia women’s tennis team has altered its doubles lineup. Though Virginia’s six-game losing streak continues, the modified lineup has been promising at times.
Trying to find a way to recuperate from a blowout loss to Duke last weekend, Virginia (10-8,3-6 ACC) changed the doubles lineup against North Carolina Sunday. Though the match also ended in a loss, the Cavaliers were able to secure the doubles point, boosting the team’s confidence.

“Generally speaking in college tennis, the doubles point is a big point,” Virginia assistant coach Troy Porco said. “If you can get that point, it’s a big difference between winning three singles and four singles matches just because usually the opponents are very well balanced, just like with us, it’s very evenly matched.”

Although considerable changes were made to the order last weekend, the team is still working to find ideal doubles pairs.
“You try to see as many combinations as possible to see who kind of works well with who and then you try to keep them together and keep the different teams together,” Porco said. “Then if you feel like some aren’t working that well after some time, you maybe try to switch it up some more or maybe some of it’s just kind of working through some things and improving, finding ways to improve.”
Apart from the different physical requirements for athletes between singles and doubles, play also is different because it forces players on the same side to interact with each other.

“There is such a thing as chemistry,” senior Maggie Yahner said. “You have to work well and mesh well with each other ... You can’t be two singles players out there. You have to play together as a team and that’s when really the whole team aspect comes into play on the doubles court.”

In addition to experimenting with doubles teams, the Virginia women will work on some specific mechanics of play such as keeping the ball low from the baseline, using volley-overhead combinations, expanding range from the net and continuing to improve serves and returns — when they play Wake Forest (12-9, 3-6 ACC) Saturday and N.C. State (4-15, 1-8 ACC) Sunday.

While the Cavaliers enter Saturday’s matchup hoping to snap a six-match losing streak, the Demon Deacons will be looking to put an end to a rocky stretch of their own. The squad has managed to win only two points in its last five matches, with its most recent loss coming at the hands of No. 5 Duke in a 7-0 sweep. While Virginia boasts only two ranked singles players, Wake Forest only possesses one — junior Sasha Kulikova, currently ranked No. 55.

The Cavaliers will face N.C. State Sunday in the team’s regular season finale. The Wolfpack appear to be an even weaker opponent than the Demon Deacons on paper, as the visitors enter the matchup having won only one conference match all season — a 5-2 victory against Boston College at the end of March. Against No. 17 Florida State last weekend, the Wolfpack managed only one point, as senior Neils Barringer upset No. 98 Federica Suess at the No. 4 slot.

“Wake Forest has certainly been a team that’s right around us right now, they’re right in our general area in terms of the ranking, they have a very strong program,” Porco said. “North Carolina State has historically been very strong. I think they’ve suffered some injuries and stuff this year, but still can be very dangerous especially at the top of their lineup.”

The Cavaliers take on the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack at the Snyder Tennis Center this weekend in their final two regular season matches of the 2008-09 season.