5/30/02 - Picky Picky

After battling to the end and losing a pair of top in-state prospects who had Virginia Tech ties, Al Groh apparently is taking a different approach as he enters his second season as Virginia football coach.

The Cavaliers have held off on offering a scholarship to Xavier Adibi, a running back and linebacker from Phoebus High School in Hampton who was rated the No.1 junior in Virginia by The Roanoke Times.

Adibi is the younger brother of Nathaniel Adibi, a part-time starter at defensive end for Tech last season.

"I want to make sure I've got this straight," Bill Dee said. "What they're saying, basically, is that the ball's in Xavier's court and now he's got to recruit UVa. That's what they told me and then [Groh] talked to Xavier and told him the same thing."

Groh could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but the Cavaliers also have not offered a scholarship to Centreville High School linebacker Brett Warren, whose brother, Blake, is a redshirt freshman for Tech.

This past winter, UVa got visits from two prospects with Tech ties, Marcus Vick and Jonathan Lewis, but lost both players to the Hokies. Vick is the younger brother of ex-Tech All-American Michael Vick and Lewis' brother Kevin is a defensive lineman for Tech.

"Personally, I think it makes it tough to ask a kid to recruit a school when he's the No.1 pick in the state," Dee said. "I'm only guessing on what their rationale is, but just because Nathaniel is there, I don't think Xavier is a shoo-in for Tech.

"Al and I have a good relationship. He was very good handling [former Phoebus star] Antwoine [Womack]. I've got to respect the way he wants to do this, but I don't have to agree with it. Xavier was very interested in UVa. I'm not sure how interested he is now."

REVOLVING DOOR: The number of scholarship underclassmen transferring out of ACC men's basketball programs rose to 12 this week with the announcement that 6-foot-10, 340-pound Florida State junior Nigel Dixon is leaving the Seminoles.

Dixon started 22 games for the Seminoles last season, when he averaged 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds and gave problems to Virginia and other teams. Although Dixon has lost weight, new coach Leonard Hamilton is said to favor a more mobile post man.

Schools mentioned with ex-Virginia forward J.C. Mathis include Seton Hall, Rutgers and Fordham. UVa's1999-2000 recruiting class was wiped out with the departure of Moe Young and Mathis, although transfers Todd Billet and Nick Vander Laan have restored UVa's junior class.

More and more, it appears "Spinner to Spinner" could be the play-by-play football call at the University of Richmond in 2002.

Tyree Spinner, a tight end who spent the 2001 season redshirting at Virginia, said he and his older brother, Bryson, a former U.Va. quarterback, hope to gain formal admission to UR this week. They expect to play for the Division I-AA Spiders this coming season.

"As of now, that's what the plan is," Tyree Spinner said yesterday.

Bryson Spinner, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, led the Cavaliers to wins over Clemson, Georgia Tech and Penn State last season. The 6-2 235-pounder from Lorton in December announced he was leaving Virginia. He made six starts for the 5-7 Cavaliers in 2001 and completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Bryson Spinner split playing time last season with Matt Schaub, who also was a redshirt sophomore. Tyree Spinner, 6-7 and 257 pounds, has four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Richmond coach Jim Reid repeated yesterday what he has said several times in the last few months: NCAA rules allow him to say only that he is recruiting the Spinners. If and when they sign letters of intent with UR, Reid said he will be free to elaborate. - John O'Connor

CHARLOTTESVILLE-BOUND? Virginia is among the schools in which former Notre Dame quarterback Matt LoVecchio is interested. It's not clear, however, whether U.Va. will extend a scholarship offer to the 6-3, 200-pound LoVecchio, who announced last week that he was leaving Notre Dame.

LoVecchio, who's from Franklin Lakes, N.J., also is looking at Boston College and Rutgers.

As a true freshman in 2000, LoVecchio started as the Fighting Irish closed the regular season with seven straight victories. He completed 73 of 125 passes for 980 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season and threw only one interception.

LoVecchio lost his starting job early in 2001, Bob Davie's last season as Notre Dame's coach. LoVecchio's stats for 2001: 34 of 69 passing for 287 yards and one TD. He threw four interceptions.

SIR, YES, SIR: When U.Va. recruit Darryl Blackstock enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy last summer, John Shuman knew he was getting an outstanding football player. Shuman, FUMA's postgraduate coach, didn't realize he was getting an exceptional leader, too.

"All the reports we got from Heritage were like, 'You got to watch this guy. Keep an eye on him,'" Shuman recalled.

Instead, Blackstock thrived at FUMA. The former all-Group AAA defensive end from Newport News' Heritage High went "from private to sergeant and ended up lieutenant in A company," Shuman said.

"That's pretty tough to do. I think I had about two lieutenants and three sergeants out of 45 [postgraduate players]."

As a lieutenant, the 6-4, 240-pound Blackstock ran a 22-member platoon consisting of high school students and postgraduates. "It's a huge responsibility," Shuman said.

Blackstock didn't pick up any demerits during his stay at the Fluvanna County military school. "That's amazing," Shuman said.

WAITING GAME: Former Iowa State basketball standout Shane Power visited U.Va. last week and is expected to decide soon where he'll transfer. His tour guides in Charlottesville include point guard Majestic Mapp and centers Nick Vander Laan and Jason Rogers. Vander Laan is a transfer from California.

Power, a 6-5, 210-pound guard from Crown Point, Ind., averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 2001-02. He'll have two years of eligibility left after sitting out next season.

In addition to U.Va., Power is considering New Mexico, Pittsburgh, Mississippi State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame.

ON THE DIAMOND: Virginia's baseball team lost its final six games - and nine of its last 10 - to finish below .500 for the fourth straight season.

The Cavaliers (25-32) placed two players on the all-ACC second team: sophomore Jeff Kamrath and senior Dan Street. A first-team selection in 2001, Street was selected as a designated hitter this spring but actually spent most of his time at third base and pitcher.

Kamrath, a pitcher from Houston, went 7-4 with a 3.28 earned-run average this season. He led U.Va. with 67 strikeouts and held opponents to a .227 batting average.

Street, from Purcellville, started 52 games at third base and five on the mound. He led the Cavaliers in 12 different statistical categories, including batting average (.371), RBI (59) and doubles (school-record 23). As a pitcher, Street went 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA.

BRIGHT FUTURE: Coach Dom Starsia has guided the U.Va. men's lacrosse team to the NCAA final four six times.

His 10th Virginia team finished 11-4 after losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Syracuse in double overtime Saturday. The Cavaliers started only one senior, All-America attackman Conor Gill, against the Orangemen.

"Talent-wise, I think we're going to be better over the next couple of years," Starsia said Tuesday. "I think we're going to be in position to be a serious player for the national championship. This year we were a little bit of a dark horse."

Virginia won the NCAA title in 1999. It also advanced to the final in'94 and'96, losing in overtime to Princeton each time.

ON THE RADAR: Starsia's program hasn't had any front-line players from Richmond in recent years. Among the high school juniors the Cavs are evaluating, however, is Collegiate goalie Bud Petit.

Petit recently helped the Cougars win TILT, the state championship for private high schools. He was named the tournament's MVP. - Jeff White