Cavs' AD says Bennett follows model of what has worked in U.Va. basketball history
David Teel
April 26, 2009

Virginia used to be a top-25 college basketball program, third on the ACC food chain behind sharks Duke and North Carolina.

No conference team beat the Blue Devils and Tar Heels more during the seven seasons from 1989-95. No league team other than Duke and North Carolina won more NCAA tournament games.

Such history, and the threads common throughout, were not lost on Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage this winter as he searched for a coach to guide a program that during the last seven years fell to the ACC's depths.

Littlepage made that clear Saturday during a 45-minute interview in which he outlined the expectations for new coach Tony Bennett and, for the first time, his reasons for dismissing Dave Leitao after just four seasons on the Cavaliers' bench.

Despite a shared regular-season title in 2007, Leitao's tenure was part of a startling decline. Virginia has fired three basketball coaches in the last 11 years, and the Cavaliers' 43-69 ACC regular-season record in the last seven seasons is the conference's worst.

"There was a level of enthusiasm (about the program) that was not there," Littlepage said regarding Leitao's departure. "Typically … there's a remark made by people around us, or around me in particular, that, 'Hey, I'm looking forward to next season.'

"I was feeling more and more like there wasn't that sort of feeling among people around our program. … I didn't want for a negative climate to pervade and to keep us from moving forward and to generate the kind of excitement I felt was needed coming into another season."

The obvious counter is that similar clouds hover over the football program, where Al Groh has retained his coaching position despite two losing seasons in the last three years.

Littlepage rejected the premise.

"I'd say that from what I've heard and what I've seen, there is enthusiasm and anticipation for the next football season," he said.

Football and Littlepage's whistling past the graveyard are a debate for another day. Back to basketball.

Littlepage praised Leitao for recruiting players who "had very few academic issues at all. We had no behavioral issues that I can remember. So I think there are a lot of very good things that Dave did. He ushered in the new arena, and he and his staff and his kids in that '06-07 year won a share of the regular-season title."

But Littlepage said Leitao arrived from DePaul with a "very in-your-face" approach that worked initially with Pete Gillen holdovers such as Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds, but waned with others.

"It's hard to get in the minds of players," Littlepage added, "but some responded well early on and in recent seasons had more difficulty."

Did Littlepage, a former head coach at Penn and Rutgers, urge Leitao to tone it down?

"Those kinds of conversations are between coach and AD," Littlepage said. "But I will say that Dave did understand and was evolving in his approach with our players."

Leitao compiled a 63-60 record with Virginia, 27-37 during the ACC regular season. The Cavaliers earned an NCAA tournament invite in 2007 and advanced to the second round, their first NCAA victory since 1995.

But Littlepage believes Virginia can return to its level of 1989-95.

The Cavaliers were 58-48 in the ACC during those seven seasons, third-best behind North Carolina and Duke. They were 13-21 combined against the Tar Heels and Blue Devils, and appeared in six NCAA tournaments — winning 10 games and exiting in the first round only once.

The sole time Virginia didn't make the NCAA? The Cavaliers won the NIT.

Keep in mind Virginia didn't have a Ralph Sampson then. Keep in mind this period included a coaching change from Terry Holland to former Holland assistant and point guard Jeff Jones.

"I don't think anybody in the ACC is aspiring to success any more than we are at the University of Virginia," Littlepage said.

So with John Paul Jones Arena and the other resources available, the Cavaliers should consistently rank among the top 25?

"Yes," Littlepage said. "Again, you did the research and cited an era in our program. The conference was different. It was eight teams, became nine teams. … But you still had some giants in the coaching game that were at many of these programs.

"I think the job Jeff did taking over and transitioning from Terry was obviously pretty good and probably underrated, when now you look back and do the numbers as you've done. … I know Tony believes it can be done again and our fans want to believe it can be done again. …

"I think there has to be level of continuity across the board in terms of coaching staff, and I would say in making the transition … from Terry Holland to Jeff Jones … there was continuity just in terms of philosophy."

Gillen and Leitao coached and recruited differently. Their offenses were faster, their defenses less disciplined.

Most damaging, neither hired assistants connected to Virginia's past.

Bennett appointed Jason Williford, a Richmond native who played on the Cavaliers' 1993 Sweet 16 team and 1995 Elite Eight squad.

"I don't mean to put all this on Jason," Littlepage said, "but Jason is an integral link to the past. … I would say a consistency in philosophy in what has to be done at the University of Virginia to be successful, Jason brings a lot of that."

In many ways, Bennett mirrors the Holland-Jones approach.

His three years' head-coaching experience came at Washington State, and he's never recruited the ACC region. But like Holland and Jones, he preaches half-court basketball steeped in man-to-man defense and deliberate offense.

The system may not be stylish or sexy, but it worked for Holland and Jones at Virginia, and for Bennett at Washington State — his Cougars were 69-33 and played in two NCAA tournaments. And it still thrives for Jones at American.

Those parallels appealed to Littlepage during his search.

"It was clear that there were certain coaches that seemed to fit this model for what has been successful at the University of Virginia over time," Littlepage said. "It was early on that Tony Bennett's name came up. …

"I like coaches that are able to thrive under less-than-ideal circumstances, and clearly the Washington State program has challenges just in terms of its locale, and Tony was able to leverage all the good things about … Washington State to build a winning program out there."

 

Littlepage speaks on Leitao, Bennett

Here is a transcript of a phone interview I had this afternoon with Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage about the Cavaliers’ men’s basketball program and the recent coaching change from Dave Leitao to Tony Bennett.

Littlepage had never discussed his decision to sever ties with Leitao, and since Bennett’s introductory news conference April 1, I’d requested an audience.

A column based on the interview appears in Sunday’s DP and already is posted online.

Question: “After the initial surprise that you sprung on people, what has been the reaction of people within and outside the university community to Coach Bennett?”

Answer: “In the first two or three hours, because of the speculation that had taken place regarding other candidates, I think there was an initial ‘Who’s this? Is this true? Can this be happening? An opportunity lost.’

“When people started to understand more about who Tony Bennett is and the job he had done at Washington State University, and his pedigree, and understand more about the package that be brings to the University of Virginia, it was like, ‘OK, I get it now.’

“It has been extremely positive. There was an enthusiastic crowd at our first VAF [Virginia Athletic Foundation] social in Richmond on Monday night. We had seven coaches and a couple of our student-athletes there, but I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say many people were there to meet and hear Tony Bennett speak. Everyone he has touched over the course of a month or so has been extremely upbeat, optimistic about the future and what he and his staff bring. …

“The response of the players has been particularly upbeat and optimistic in the experiences they’ve had, although limited, working with Coach Bennett and his staff.”

Q: “As you talked to Tony, other candidates and your peers and colleagues around the country during the search, how did you feel the Virginia job was perceived by outsiders, and did that match your perception of it?”

A: “What I found to be refreshing was that the view many expressed about the University of Virginia job was consistent with what I believed to be the quality of the Virginia job. I think it’s a great job, in that it’s in a fantastic conference. It’s in a great region of the country. The school has a very good name and offers quality academics. … It’s been a program that has achieved success in the past. …

“There was only one point at which I was a little bit concerned and that was when some other jobs … opened. I didn’t think necessarily we were going to be in contention for the same people. … But it was concerning to me where the dominoes might fall in terms of somebody taking one of those jobs and a person we would be looking at could be a trigger … It was just difficult to predict how many dominoes were going to fall.

“So we knew … we were not going to delay and go through a lot of other people that might not be A-list candidates, or A-plus, or targeted. We were going to go right to the targeted individual or individuals and find out what we needed to find out and get our answer and be done with it.

“I made a comment to [executive associate athletic director] Jon Oliver the weekend after the Kentucky job opened up that we’d better get our ducks lined up before the Final Four. Because I saw the Final Four as a time when things do start to get a little bit crazy.

“Also a concern I had was [Bennett] is a very discreet guy, a very private sort of guy. … I sensed in what I was finding out about him that he was not the kind of guy who was going to react well to possibly having his name out in public circles as looking at the Virginia job or any of these other jobs. I felt if we went to the Final Four not having locked up our target that we would be very vulnerable.”

Q: “Hence the concern you expressed at the news conference that when you and Jon Oliver and the Bennetts were walking on grounds that you were very fearful that someone was going to recognize him?”

A: “Yes. Yes. Absolutely. If there was a good news aspect to that, it was kind of a drizzly, dreary day. People were walking around with umbrellas and coats and there weren’t a lot of people out on that particular Friday afternoon. So we felt pretty good about our ability to do our work very discreetly.”

Q: “You mentioned your perception of the job, but that doesn’t mask the fact that for the last three coaches it didn’t end well. What has happened to this job? I was crunching some numbers, and you can make numbers say whatever you want, but I think these are pretty fair and pretty telling. In the last seven years, Virginia has the worst ACC record. In the seven years from 1989 to 1995, that’s not Ralph [Sampson], and there’s a coaching transition there, but Virginia had the third best record in the league behind Duke and Carolina. … It can be done. It has been done. What has happened?”

A: “I think there has to be level of continuity across the board in terms of coaching staff, and I would say in making the transition of head coaches from Terry Holland to Jeff Jones obviously there was a transition there, but there was continuity just in terms of philosophy.

“Then in the transition between Jeff and Pete [Gillen], there was a different philosophy if you will, a different style of play and probably a different type of recruiting. Also, there’s a period of time where a new coach, regardless of where they’re coming from, has to get to know the University of Virginia. I would say the same thing in the transition from Pete to Dave, and there would be a learning curve as well with the transition from Dave to Tony.

“I think the fact that Tony has thought through this and saw the value of [hiring an assistant] with a good history and understanding of the University of Virginia [former Cavaliers star Jason Williford], and the University of Virginia basketball program, recruiting in the state, recruiting in the region, that will aid in a consistency at least in an attachment to the past.

“I don’t mean to put all this on Jason, but Jason is an integral link to the past. You cited the era yourself, that was one of the most successful eras and did not include a dominant player like Ralph Sampson. I would say a consistency in philosophy in what has to be done at the University of Virginia to be successful, Jason brings a lot of that.

“I think coaching at the University of Virginia is great in any sport. But I think coaching at the University of Virginia is difficult. There are any number of things that make it a challenging job. When I say difficult, I don’t mean that in a bad way. But you don’t just put the key in the ignition and drive off.”

Q: “Did you and Jon urge, even mandate to Tony, that his staff include a link to the past?”

A: “No. No. … There was no influence, no mandate by me. That was something Tony decided was good for him.”

Q: “But as important as you viewed that link to the past, why didn’t you tell him, ‘This is the way you ought to go’? Or isn’t an athletic director, in your mind, in a position with a new coach to meddle in staff?”

A: “I think you can give advice, ask questions. … Tony’s a very smart guy and he knew early on that he was going to have to assemble a staff with people of eastern experience and specifically with people who had experience and relationships with those involved in youth basketball in the state of Virginia, metropolitan Washington, D.C., the East Coast, etc.

Q: “You mentioned earlier the difficulties and challenges, albeit in a good way, of coaching at U.Va. Do those mostly revolve around the academic reputation of the institution and the rigors of it once (athletes) get there?”

A: “I would say yes. Obviously it’s a school with a certain level of academic standards which cut the pool of individuals you might recruit in any sport. Some people see that as a negative. Others who are successful in our department see it as a positive in that it helps define who you’re able to go after.

“I would also say expectations are as high as they are anywhere in the ACC in terms of success in athletics. I don’t think anybody in the ACC is aspiring to success any more than we are at the University of Virginia. So I think that’s a challenge also. …

“We don’t shy away from the fact that we have significant goals in terms of what we want our program to be, what we want our student-athletes to do, what we want our teams to do and what we will hold ourselves accountable for doing in terms of providing the structure, resources, facilities, etc. to get the job done.”

Q: “So with JPJ [John Paul Jones Arena] and the other resources there you expect this to eventually be a top-25 program?

A: “Yes.”

Q: “Consistently?”

A: “Yes. Again, you did the research and cited an era in our program. The conference was different, it was eight teams, became nine teams. … But you still had some giants in the coaching game that were at many of these programs.

“I think the job Jeff did taking over and transitioning from Terry was obviously pretty good and probably underrated when now you look back and do the numbers as you’ve done. … I know Tony believes it can be done again and our fans want to believe it can be done again.”

Q: “Tony’s salary [$1.7 million] is going to be in the upper third of the conference. Is that arguably high for somebody with three years of head-coaching experience?

A: “I think the best way to answer that is, would we have been able to get a person like this if we had not made the commitment we were going to make? He was making a good dollar at Washington State. They were certainly going to do things in order to encourage him to remain at Washington State. He had a pretty good situation there. … We would not have been able to get this specific person had we not made the commitment we made.”

Q: “Of that 1.7, how much comes directly from the department? Does any come from an outside source?

A: “It’s all part of the department’s revenue stream, if you will. In other words, there’s not a specific amount that comes from any corporate sponsorships or media deal.”

Q: “Earlier you mentioned the transition from Terry to Jeff and the continuity of philosophy. Is it merely coincidence that Tony brings a similar philosophy and style? Or did you consciously look for someone this time who, maybe mirrored isn’t the proper word, but brought similar coaching values as Terry and Jeff?

A: “I don’t think it’s a coincidence, no. I had mentioned earlier that discussions I had with people in the basketball community and that Jon Oliver and I had, it was clear that there were certain coaches that seemed to fit this model for what has been successful at the University of Virginia over time.

“It was early on that Tony Bennett’s name came up as somebody consistent with that basketball philosophy. As we got to know more about his background, his leadership, his program, the X number of players that were All-Pac-10 Academic … there was even greater excitement that this is a person that obviously understood how to thrive not only in basketball competition, but could provide the leadership (for students) to be successful.

“I like coaches that are able to thrive under less-than-ideal circumstances and clearly the Washington State program has challenges just in terms of its locale, and Tony was able to leverage all the good things about the program at Washington State to build a winning program out there.

“And I liken that situation to when we looked at Brian Boland, our men’s tennis coach, who came to us from Indiana State University. People said, ‘Indiana State, University of Virginia, there doesn’t seem to be too much in common between the two schools.’ But what I liked about Brian Boland is he developed at Indiana State University a top-25 or so tennis program without an indoor facility. How do you do that in Terre Haute, Indiana?

“I’ll cite you another example. … Jason Vigilante, our cross country and track and field head coach, came to us from the University of Texas and obviously was in an environment where they had a lot going for them in terms of facilities, resources, etc.

“He looked at our situation, without a very good facility and particularly without very much history here. He was always, ‘This is what we can do. We’ll do with what we have. It was never a situation of, ‘Oh geez we’re not going to be able to recruit because we don’t have this.’ … This is a guy, every day is a sunny day to him.

“Tony has that quality about him. Tony has that look about him. When you talk to him he’s smiling and he’s thinking, ‘How am I going to be better? How am I going to make this program better?’ It’s never last season, what happened 10 seasons ago. It’s here and now.”

Q: “I’ll ask the same question I asked you at the news conference. Why was there a need to change? It seemed that the team progressed in February, won some games at home. To those of us on the outside, the likelihood of a change didn’t seem very great. Then it all seemed to turn on a dime down in Atlanta [at the ACC tournament].

A: “I wouldn’t say that it necessarily turned on a dime in Atlanta or at any point in time. I would say generally … without a specific timeline or incident or anything else I was feeling that there was a level of enthusiasm that was not there.

“Typically I either see or hear or feel this. There’s a remark made by people around us or around me in particular that, ‘Hey I’m looking forward to next season.’ I was feeling more and more like there wasn’t that sort of feeling among people around our program. … I didn’t want for a negative climate to pervade and to keep us from moving forward and to generate the kind of excitement I felt was needed coming into another season.”

Q: “Did you then approach this search any differently than you did the last one, given that it didn’t end the way you’d hoped?

A: “Tony has given Dave and his staff credit where credit is due, and he has cited things like the quality of kids Dave recruited and the energy and the work ethic that these kids have. I also would give Dave and his staff credit for having recruited good kids that were disciplined in terms of what they did on and off the court. We had very few academic issues at all. We had no behavioral issues that I can remember. So I think there are a lot of very good things that Dave did.

“He ushered in the new arena, and he and his staff and his kids in that 06-07 year won a share of the regular-season title. I think we underestimate sometimes when there is a change like this some of the good things, the outstanding things, that the previous coach, the previous coaching staff did. …

“When Dave came in he had a certain style, which was a very in-your-face sort of style. The players that were here in the program — Jason Cain, J.R. [Reynolds] Sean [Singletary] in particular — were guys that took to that very well and as a result the kind of success we saw on the court those first couple of years was something we were encouraged by.”

Q: “But then others didn’t respond so well?”

A: “Yeah, I would say. It’s hard to get in the minds of players, but some responded well early on and in recent seasons had more difficulty.”

Q: “Did you try to get him to change?”

A: “Those kinds of conversations are between coach and AD. But I will say that Dave did understand and was evolving in his approach with our players.”

Q: “You mentioned the lack of enthusiasm regarding the upcoming season. There are some who would argue that sentiment prevails in football. But yet there was no change made there, at least at the top. What would you say to that?”

A: “I’d say that from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen that there is enthusiasm and anticipation for the next football season. So I don’t agree with the premise.”

Q: “One final question, the $2.1 [million] that you paid to Dave, is that in a lump sum and does that hamstring you at all given the economic realities right now?”

A: “The answer is no. It’s not a lump sum. It’s paid out over time mitigated by should [he] get another job.”

Q: “And you don’t believe it will hamstring y’all economically?”

A: “Correct.”

Posted by David Teel
 

Cavs’ Monroe following a well-worn path
By Jeff White
Published: April 25, 2009

When he arrived at the University of Virginia in 2005, Eugene Monroe was touted as a future first-rounder.

It was not hyperbole.

The Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday selected Monroe, a 6-5, 309-pound offensive tackle, with the eighth pick of the NFL draft.

The Plainfield, N.J., resident was among the players who accepted invitations to attend the proceedings at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He waited little more than an hour before Jacksonville’s pick was announced.

“It was incredible,” Monroe told reporters. “I heard my name called and I pounded the table.”

Another Cavalier, Clint Sintim, went to the New York Giants with the 13th pick of the second round (45th overall). The 6-3, 256-pound Sintim was a four-year starter at outside linebacker in Virginia’s 3-4 defense.

A Gar-Field High graduate, Sintim led the nation’s linebackers in sacks in 2007 and again in ’08. He finished with 29 career sacks, a U.Va. record for a linebacker.

In New York, Sintim will be reunited with former U.Va. teammate Chris Canty, who left the Cowboys this year to join the Giants. Also, former Virginia star Charles Way is the Giants’ director of player development.

The Giants’ base defense is the 4-3, which “is a little different” from the 3-4, Sintim acknowledged last night in a conference call with reporters.

“But the game of football remains constant,” Sintim said. “Football players are football players at the end of the day … I’m excited to learn and just kind of transition from this 3-4 to 4-3.”

The Jaguars weren’t sure, when the draft began, if Monroe would still be available at No. 8. Some draft analysts believed he could go as early as No. 2.

“We feel very fortunate to have him fall to us,” the Jaguars’ general manager, Gene Smith, told reporters last night.

The NFL took about six hours to complete the first two rounds of its annual draft yesterday. The final five are today, and players such as Victor “Macho” Harris (Highland Springs High/Virginia Tech), Lawrence Sidbury (University of Richmond), Cedric Peerman (U.Va.), John Phillips (U.Va.) and Kevin Ogletree (U.Va.) are expected to be taken.

Monroe, who turned 22 last weekend, became the 16th first-round pick in U.Va. history. The others include Jeff Lageman, who’s now the Jaguars’ radio color analyst.

Jacksonville’s coaching staff also has a U.Va. connection. Offensive line coach Andy Heck was an assistant at Virginia under Al Groh. Heck came to the Cavaliers’ pro timing day in Charlottesville last month and ran Monroe through some blocking and footwork drills.

“He’s a guy we would anticipate being a starter here for a long time,” Heck told reporters last night.

Monroe was the third offensive tackle selected – Baylor’s Jason Smith went No. 2 and Alabama’s Andre Smith No. 6 – and the third player from the ACC drafted yesterday.

“As a player, the thing that stands out to you is how good he is as a pass protector,” Heck said. “As a young tackle, he has plenty to learn. The pro-style offense is a little different than what he is used to in terms of the run game. Because he has such a great work ethic and is such a great person, I expect him to come and pick up things very quickly.”

Jacksonville’s veterans include former Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman.

“We have good ties there at the University of Virginia,” Smith said. “It’s a place where you can go and get a good feel for the players who are draft-eligible. They can’t say enough good things about [Monroe] as a person.”

Monroe is the third offensive linemen from U.Va. in the past four drafts to be taken in the first round, joining D’Brickashaw Ferguson (No. 4 overall in 2006) and Branden Albert (No. 15 in 2008).

Ferguson “was a mentor to me,” Monroe said. “I learned a lot from him, both about the college experience that would be ahead of me and also playing football at left tackle.”

Albert “was my roommate and one of my closest friends,” Monroe said. “Branden is like my brother, and to experience the process with him closely this past year and to get advice from him helped me tremendously.”

As a true freshman in 2005, Monroe backed up Ferguson at left tackle. Coming off a knee injury, Monroe played in all 12 games in 2006, starting six, but he didn’t establish himself as one of the ACC’s premier linemen until his junior year.

He elevated his play again in 2008. Monroe received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given annually to the ACC’s top blocker, and was named a second-team All-American last season.

Monroe, who has 15 siblings, also distinguished himself in the classroom, graduating in three-and-half years. All the while, Groh said Thursday, Monroe stayed humble and purposeful.

“All the brightest lights were out there shining for him,” Groh said. “It didn’t ever affect him.”

Contact Jeff White at (804) 649-6838 or jwhite@timesdispatch.com.
 

Jaguars select Virginia OL Monroe in NFL draft
Jacksonville makes the UVa offensive tackle the eighth pick overall in the draft and the third lineman taken.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Jacksonville's selection of Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe as the eighth pick in the NFL Draft elicited little commentary from an ESPN panel that was still reeling from Oakland's pick at No. 7.

Monroe's moment in the spotlight had come earlier in the afternoon, when ESPN2 cameras caught him in his hotel room around 1:30 p.m.

"Everybody else has somebody tie their tie for them," host Mike Tirico said. "He's a UVa guy. He can tie his own tie." The tie was still knotted when the ESPN cameras cut back to Monroe around 5 p.m., as he could be seen speaking to Jaguars officials on his cellphone. He pounded a table in obvious delight after becoming Virginia's fifth first-round draft pick since 2005.

"I was just so overjoyed," Monroe said in a teleconference. "I pounded the table and everything on it flipped over. What I know about Jacksonville is what I experienced when we played in the Gator Bowl [in 2007]. I'm fortunate to be part of this organization."

Monroe, who turned 22 last Saturday, won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC's top offensive lineman and was a first-team All-ACC choice and second-team All-American. A 2005 graduate of Plainfield (N.J.) High School, he was rated the No. 1 college prospect in the country by SuperPrep magazine.

A second Virginia player, outside linebacker Clint Sintim, was taken by the New York Giants with the 13th pick in the second round (45th overall).

Numerous services had predicted that Monroe (6 foot 5, 309 pounds) would go to Jacksonville in the first round, although he also had been linked with St. Louis, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Oakland -- four of the seven teams that drafted ahead of the Jaguars.

St. Louis took Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith with the second pick and Cincinnati used its pick, the seventh overall, on Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith. Most analysts had Monroe picked ahead of Smith, who was suspended by Alabama for its bowl game and left the NFL combine before it was over.

"What really helped Andre Smith not drop down to say, [No.] 13, was Nick Saban," ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. "From the information I got from NFL people, [Saban] helped Andre Smith with feedback about his work ethic and the player he was for him."

From his reaction, Monroe didn't seem the least bit upset at being passed over by Cincinnati at No. 6 and Oakland at No. 7. The Raiders created an uproar when they bypassed two-time Biletnikoff winner Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech in favor of Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.

"I've got to give them an 'F,' " Kiper said. "They passed over Michael Crabtree. They passed over Eugene Monroe. Heyward-Bey didn't have a reception against Clemson. He didn't have a reception the next week at Virginia. That's shouldn't happen."

When Green Bay chose Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji with its first round, he became the third ACC pick in succession and the fourth ACC player chosen in the top nine. Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry went to Seattle with the fourth pick overall.

Virginia has had three offensive lineman selected in the first round in four years. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Monroe's immediate predecessor as Virginia's left offensive tackle, went fourth overall to the New York Jets in 2006. UVa left offensive guard Branden Albert went 15th to Kansas City last year.

Other recent first-round picks from Virginia have included tight end Heath Miller by Pittsburgh in 2005 and defensive end Chris Long by St. Louis last year.

Jacksonville's offensive line coach, Andy Heck, was a graduate assistant on Al Groh's first Virginia coaching staff in 2001 and was much in evidence at the Cavaliers' pro timing day March 19.

"I couldn't be happier," Heck, who has been in Jacksonville for six years, told reporters. "He's very intense, purposeful and professional. I think he has a chance to be elite as a pass protector. He will improve as a run blocker as he starts to put his hand in the dirt."

It wasn't 30 seconds after the Monroe announcement before Kiper started talking about Crabtree again, but commentator Steve Young didn't resist the opportunity to comment on Monroe's appearance.

"Presidential," is the way Young described him.

Added host Chris Berman, "These offensive linemen clean up pretty well."
 

Jaguars add beef
Team spends first two draft picks on offensive linemen.
By Vito Stellino Story updated at 3:09 AM on Sunday, Apr. 26, 2009

First-year general manager Gene Smith said last week he was hoping the Jaguars would get lucky in the NFL Draft.

It happened in the first round on Saturday when highly rated offensive lineman Eugene Monroe of Virginia fell to the eighth pick.

"I always believed, and I can't remember who said it, but the harder you work, the luckier you get and we're hoping that this year we have a little bit of luck to go with the work that's put into all this,'' Smith said

The selection of Monroe was an easy one for Smith because he was the highest player on the board when the Jaguars made the pick and filled an obvious need.

Smith then showed he was going to stay with his draft board when he came back in the second round and took another offensive tackle, Eben Britton of Arizona. Britton was a late first-round choice in some mock drafts.

Smith said there was no debate about either selection when the Jaguars were on the clock.

"These were clear,'' Smith said. "To hit on the first one and to hit on the second one, boy, I'm glad it happened this year because it'll certainly improve our offensive line. In a lot of ways, it'll strengthen our football team. Everything starts up front whether it's running the ball or protecting the quarterback.''

Coach Jack Del Rio said that Monroe and Britton will become the team's future bookend tackles.

Britton thinks that future is coming soon after falling to the 39th selection in the second round. He said the teams that passed him by will pay for the snub and predicted he'll become the best offensive tackle in the history of the NFL.

Despite those comments, Smith said he's not a cocky player and was a two-time captain at Arizona.

The only thing that didn't happen for the Jaguars is that they weren't able to trade down for more picks.

Their shot at trading down on the first round evaporated when the New York Jets traded up to take quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fifth pick, but that was offset by the acquisition of Monroe.

In fact, Smith said teams weren't even making offers when the Jaguars were on the clock because they knew the team would take Monroe in the first round.

"They [other teams] called and basically said that we know who you're taking. So it was more of that than people trying to wheel and deal per se,'' Smith said.

The draft fell right for the Jaguars because of two surprise picks: Kansas City chose LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson with the No. 3 pick and Oakland chose wide receiver Derris Heyward-Bye of Maryland at No. 7. That left Monroe available at No. 8.

Monroe is the first offensive tackle the Jaguars selected in the first round since former coach Tom Coughlin made Tony Boselli the first selection in team history in 1995.

Boselli was the first building block when Coughlin put together the team that made the playoffs four consecutive years in the late 1990s and now Monroe will be the first block in Smith's rebuilding program.

Although many mock drafts had him going higher than the eighth spot, Monroe said he didn't read them and said he was thrilled to be selected by the Jaguars.

"It was incredible. I was on the phone prior with them, but to actually hear my name, I was so excited. I was just so overjoyed,'' Monroe said.

Monroe will help stabilize the offensive line that was ravaged by injuries last year.

If he signs before camp, Monroe has a good shot at starting from day one, but offensive line coach Andy Heck stressed competition.

The Jaguars also have right tackle Tony Pashos and veteran free agent Tra Thomas in the mix along with Jordan Black, a former Texan who was signed last year.

The Jaguars will go into the final five rounds of the draft today with seven picks.

 

No. 11 Baseball Downs NC State, 6-3
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 04/25/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 11 Virginia baseball team picked up its first series win over NC State since 2001 with a 6-3 victory over the Wolfpack Saturday afternoon at Davenport Field. UVa has taken the first two games of the series and goes for the sweep at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Virginia head coach Brian O'Connor won his 250th career game and became the third-fastest coach in ACC history to reach 250 wins. O’Connor reached the milestone in his 348th career game (250-97-1). Only Clemson’s Jack Leggett (338 total games) and Florida State’s Mike Martin (343) reached 250 victories faster while members of the ACC.

Virginia starting pitcher Andrew Carraway (Sr., Marietta, Ga.) fired 6.1 strong innings, allowing three runs (two earned), six hits and three walks. He struck out two and also picked off two baserunners. He earned the win and improved to 5-0 this season and 16-3 in his career.

Neal Davis (Jr., Baltimore, Md.) threw 1.1 innings out of the bullpen and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning before Kevin Arico (So., Flemington, N.J.) came on to record four straight outs to finish the game and notch his fifth save.

John Lambert (1-2) started for NC State and took the loss. He went 3.1 innings, giving up four runs (three earned), five hits and three walks while striking out one.

The top two batters in UVa’s batting order had half of the Cavaliers’ 10 hits. Leadoff hitter Jarrett Parker (So., Stafford, Va.) picked up three hits for his eighth three-hit game this season. Tyler Cannon (Jr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) added two hits, including an RBI triple to score Parker in the eighth inning.

NC State (19-24, 7-16 ACC) put the leadoff batter on in each of the first three innings and cashed in with a run in the third inning. Drew Martin was hit by a pitch to lead off and moved to third one out later on a Devon Cartwright single. Pat Ferguson then hit a two-out single to score Martin.

Virginia (34-8-1, 13-7-1) rallied with a pair of runs in its half of the third. Dan Grovatt (So., Tabernacle, N.J.) drew a walk to lead off, then advanced on a groundout. John Hicks (Fr., Sandy Hook, Va.) followed with a walk and the two combined for a double steal. Catcher Pratt Maynard threw to second on the play and the ball bounced into center field, allowing Grovatt to score and Hicks to move to third. Hicks then came home on a Phil Gosselin (So., West Chester, Pa.) single to center.

The Cavaliers tacked on two more in the fourth inning. Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) led off with a single and moved up two batters later when John Barr (So., Ivyland, Pa.) was hit by a pitch. Parker followed with a scorcher up the middle that bounced off the glove of second baseman Andrew Ciencin and into center field for a single to score Hultzen. Center fielder Kyle Wilson then threw the ball into the Virginia dugout while attempting to nail Barr at third, allowing Barr to come home and score.

NC State sliced the lead to one with two runs in the seventh inning. With one out, Martin singled to left. He scored when Wilson doubled off the wall in left-center field. Wilson moved to third on a grounder by Cartwright, who reached on a throwing error by Cannon. Davis came on in relief, and the Wolfpack attempted a double steal of second and home and got Cartwright in a rundown, but Cannon dropped the ball while reaching to tag the runner, allowing Wilson to score.

Virginia got a run back in the bottom of the seventh. Cannon drew a walk to lead off and after Alex Sogard came on in relief, Gosselin put down a sacrifice bunt. Grovatt then ripped a hanging pitch to right field to score Cannon and give UVa a 5-3 lead.

The Cavaliers used a two-out rally to tack on an eighth-inning insurance run. Parker legged out an infield single and Cannon rocketed a triple into the right-field corner to score the run.

The Cavaliers and Wolfpack play the final game of the series at 1 p.m. Sunday. Because of an event at John Paul Jones Arena, baseball parking only will be available in the Cage lot and Emmet-Ivy Garage.

 

UVa wins series, hopes to stay hungry
By Jay Jenkins
Published: April 26, 2009

After claiming the series with a three-run win on Saturday, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor took the chance to ask his players a question.
What did they think about winning their second straight league series?
“They told me that they were happy to have won the first two games,” O’Connor recounted.
That answer, as sweet as it sounded to the skipper’s ears following a 6-3 win at sun-soaked Davenport Field, was insufficient.
Sloppy play by the Cavaliers (34-8-1, 13-7-1 ACC) to the tune of three errors and the nine runners stranded on base left O’Connor desiring more.
“I told them, ‘No, we have a chance to play our best baseball game [today] and we can sweep this series,’” O’Connor said. “It was great that we were able to win another series, but we have not played our best this weekend. That’s what is exciting.”
Beating N.C. State in a series, something UVa had not done since 2001, came to fruition after the Cavaliers’ pitching staff squashed numerous scoring threats produced by the Wolfpack (19-24, 7-16).
It started on the mound with senior Andrew Carraway, who had never upended the Wolfpack.
Carraway, who landed the win to move to 5-0 on the season, scattered six hits and three walks over 6.1 innings. He allowed all three runs, two of which were earned, and enjoyed the newfound humidity that surrounded the contest.
“I am from Georgia so I loved it,” Carraway said of the conditions. “I like it when sweat is dripping off my hat.”
O’Connor added: “I thought Andrew grinded it out today. He had two four-pitch walks. That was not typical, but what was typical was the way that he battled.
Leading 4-2 when he was pulled, Carraway watched from the dugout as N.C. State scored an opportunistic run off reliever Neal Davis.
With runners on the corners and one out N. C. State left fielder Devon Cartwright attempted to steal second and was put into a run down, but Virginia shortstop Tyler Cannon dropped a throw that would have led to an out, allowing Kyle Wilson to score without a throw.
Davis, who recorded four outs, went on to load the bases in seventh before escaping the jam.
“They had closed the gap and Neal threw very, very well,” O’Connor said.
Virginia added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single from Dan Grovatt and added a run-scoring triple from Cannon in the eighth.
“You like pitching [the ninth] in your ballpark up three runs there,” O’Connor said.
Virginia’s newly-appointed closer, sophomore Kevin Arico, worked a perfect ninth inning to register his fifth save.
For the game, Virginia finished with 10 hits off five N.C. State pitchers.
Starter John Lambert
(1-2) took the loss in the contest for the Wolfpack.
The two teams will close out the series today at Davenport Field at 1 p.m.