Rough end to a long day
After winning suspended opener, Cavs fall to Wolfpack in nightcap
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
May 13, 2007

Long before Saturday’s actual firework show, the blasts and explosions at Davenport Field were plentiful.

Some were verbal. Others came by virtue of the aluminum bat.

In the end, and over five hours after the day was slated to begin, Virginia and North Carolina State left Davenport Field with a two-game split.

UVa, thanks to a two-run eighth inning in the completion of Friday’s postponed contest, secured a 4-2 victory in the opener, while the Wolfpack held on for a 10-7 win in the nightcap.

Lost in the shuffle after N.C. State pounded out 15 hits and posted a double-digit scoring performance in the second game was the record-setting relief performance from Virginia closer Casey Lambert.

After Tyler Cannon scored on a wild pitch to give UVa a 3-2 lead and Jeremy Farrell connected on a solo homer, Lambert retired three of the five batters he faced, securing his 42nd career save. That gave Lambert sole possession of the ACC all-time saves mark - he entered the day tied with former North Carolina reliever Thad Chrisman (1992-95).

“It is a little bittersweet, I guess, since I was only able to enjoy it for about 30 minutes,” said Lambert, a former St. Anne’s-Belfield standout. “We had a tough end to the night, but hopefully I can add to the total [today].”

Virginia (39-11, 17-8 ACC) and N.C. State (32-18, 13-13) will meet today at 1 p.m. in the rubber match of the series.

Any momentum Virginia gained in the completed contest was lost early in the second affair - the Wolfpack raced out to an 8-0 lead after their first four innings at the plate as they roughed up starter Matt Packer (1.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER) and reliever Andrew Carraway (2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER).

“I was disappointed with the way that we pitched on the mound in that game,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “We have been so great and so dominating on the mound this year, but in baseball that happens.”

Virginia scratched back for three runs against N.C. State starter Andrew Brackman in the fourth, a frame that could have been even bigger for the Cavaliers without an apparent blown call at first base on a would-be bunt single dropped down by Patrick Wingfield with a pair of runners on.

After Wingfield was called out by Danny Everett, O’Connor protested the call long enough to draw an ejection that brought most of the 2,545 fans in attendance to their feet.

Without their skipper around, the Cavaliers continued to rally against N.C. State - they scored two runs apiece in the sixth and seventh but had other opportunities fall by the wayside as 12 runners were stranded on base.

“I told our team after the game that if we want to be a championship team, and I believe we are, we have to get the job done with two outs, both on the mound and at the plate,” O’Connor said. “N.C. State scored a lot of their runs with two outs and we had opportunities to score with two outs and we didn’t do it.”

On three occasions, in fact, Virginia had the bases loaded and failed to completely capitalize.

“That was kind of frustrating because, with the style of ball that we play, we are typically able to manufacture runs in those situations,” said Virginia first baseman Sean Doolittle, who planted a fastball over the right-field wall for a two-run homer in the seventh inning.

N.C. State coach Elliott Avent, who got 2.1 innings of near-perfect relief from his closer, Eryk McConnell, said the contest that lasted 3 hours, 32 minutes felt nothing like the sport he typically watches.

“I told somebody that it didn’t seem like a baseball game; it seemed like a boxing match,” Avent said. “Each team took blows and kept getting up … and that is because those are two good baseball teams right there.”

While Virginia had previously secured a bid into the ACC Tournament, the win was monumental for N.C. State, a program fighting for not only a berth in the league playoffs but also in the NCAA Tournament.

“That was a huge win,” Avent said. “When you get to the postseason you want to play well, but you have to get to postseason.

“Beating a team like [Virginia] says a lot right there.”

 

Cavs trample Old Dominion
By Jerry Miller / jmiller@dailyprogress.com | 978-7258
May 13, 2007

Somewhere Brian Vahaly is smiling.

A three-time All-American, Vahaly is widely regarded as the most recognizable name to be birthed from the Virginia men’s tennis team. The question, though, is for how much longer?

Spotted at the Snyder Tennis Center on Saturday, Vahaly witnessed his alma mater steamroll Old Dominion, 4-0, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I wish we got some more hospitality,” joked ODU coach Darryl Cummings, “and that [Virginia] would let us win one.”

Much like Friday’s sweep of Hampton, the Cavaliers (28-3) had too much firepower for the Monarchs, who logged their first NCAA victory in school history Friday with a win over Virginia Tech.

The Cavaliers, who are currently immersed in a 13-match winning streak, set a school record for victories Saturday and, more importantly, booked an invitation to Athens, Ga., and the Sweet 16 for the fourth year in a row.

“I was pleased with the team’s overall effort,” said Virginia coach Brian Boland. “We came out and had the energy we needed.”

It took 2 hours, 47 minutes - about an hour more than Friday’s shellacking - for UVa to etch the match in the record book. Junior Somdev Devvarman, the nation’s second-ranked player, sealed the deal with a 7-6 (4), 5-1, 6-1 victory over Harel Srugo at No. 1 singles.

“In the first set, my main goal was to come out there and run [Srugo] because I knew the conditions were humid,” Devvarman explained. “I felt like I was in better shape than him.”

Devvarman now ranks third in school history in career singles wins with 106. Vahaly is first with 125, while Rylan Rizza stands in second with 123. Barring injury or unforeseen circumstances, Devvarman will surely eclipse Vahaly’s mark in 2008.

That’s next year, though, and the Cavs realize they must focus on the next match at hand. UVa will play Wake Forest on Thursday. Virginia beat the Demon Deacons, 4-2, in late March and 4-0 in the ACC Tournament.

“We have four matches left,” Boland said, “and you have to take them one at a time.”

Houston Barrick, who helped UVa register points at No. 2 doubles and No. 5 singles, said it was important for the team to stick together in what will certainly be an adverse atmosphere.

“We have to feed off each other and get the energy going,” the freshman explained.

Junior Treat Huey added: “The round of 16 is a great accomplishment, but I feel we can do a lot more damage.”

Boland projected Baylor, Georgia and Ohio State as the “obvious” favorites but also emphasized the tremendous parity in the sport.

“There are a number of other great teams out there,” Boland said.

Boland, who clearly has made Virginia men’s tennis a household name again, said his team is prepared for a potential postseason march.

“The biggest key is to have a team that has done the work the right way before you get there,” Boland said. “This team has done it the right way. Now we just have to see what happens.

As for their chances, Boland said, “I believe in this team.”

Note

Western Albemarle product Dominic Manilla, a senior on the ODU roster, saw his collegiate career come to an end on Saturday afternoon. A three-time Jefferson District Player of the Year and former Central Virginia POY, Manilla did not see action in the loss.

 

Cavs ready to face-off with Hens
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
May 13, 2007

Rarely is there as compelling of an individual matchup on a lacrosse field as there will be today when Virginia hosts Delaware in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

And it will get going right from the opening whistle.

The visiting Blue Hens feature the most successful faceoff man in the sport in Alex Smith. The senior holds the NCAA career faceoff record (990) and has won a whopping 74 percent this season.

“His numbers jump off the board at you,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia. “That’s a special challenge for Adam Fassnacht and Drew Thompson.”

This season, Fassnacht has won 57 percent of his faceoffs. Thompson is at 56 percent.

“Often times, going into games like this, obsessing about the faceoff doesn’t do you any good,” Starsia said. “It may be that if [Smith] is very good. We’ll just need to figure out other ways to get the ball back.”

Because Delaware is a team that likes to run and gun, Starsia figures both teams will end up having plenty of possessions.

“[The faceoffs] would be a little bit more of a concern if Delaware was going to be a team that was going to try and slow the pace down,” Starsia said. “My concern is what we will need to do if we need to win a faceoff at a critical moment of the game.”

Second-seeded Virginia (12-3), which went undefeated last season en route to winning the school’s fourth NCAA title, is coming off a loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament final.

Unseeded Delaware (11-5) will be making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2005 when it lost to Navy in the first round. The Blue Hens beat Towson last Sunday to earn a tournament bid.

Starsia is expecting both teams to push the tempo.

“They’re a talented, explosive lacrosse team, especially at the offensive end,” he said. “I think they’re a lot like Syracuse and Georgetown - very aggressive offensively. You need to get ready to buckle up your chinstrap when you play a team like this.

“I think you’ll see an exciting lacrosse game. This is kind of game people will enjoy watching because they play sort of the way we like to play the game.”

The last time Virginia played Delaware was in the 1999 NCAA Tournament. That year, UVa went on to defeat Syracuse in the final.

If Virginia defeats Delaware, it would take on the Maryland-UMBC winner on May 20 in Annapolis, Md.

 

Breslin returns to form
Senior leads U.Va. in NCAA tournament rematch with Tigers
Sunday, May 13, 2007 - 12:07 AM Updated: 01:23 AM
By DARRYL SLATER
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

The game seemed to mean little, an uneventful blowout in the season opener. Virginia's women's lacrosse team pounded Virginia Tech for goal after goal, on its way to a 15-2 win.

As the goals added up, the game started to mean everything for senior attack Kate Breslin. She felt strong again, and played like it, scoring six times that day. She cut to the crease, used those sure hands to snag passes, spun, faked a defender, shot, goal that same old routine.

Now, a year after a right hip flexor injury hampered her mobility and confidence, she will try to end her career the way it began with a national championship. Breslin and the Cavaliers (16-3) host Princeton (10-6) at 1 p.m. today in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

It's a challenging opener for the Cavaliers, who lost to the Tigers in last year's first round. Virginia made the national final the previous three years, winning in 2004, and had lost in the first round just twice in its previous 10 NCAAs.

Virginia beat Princeton 9-7 earlier this season, and Breslin scored a game-high three goals. She has started every game this season and leads the Cavaliers with 54 goals and 76 points. Last season, she started just six of 19 games and had 23 goals and 27 points.

Cavaliers coach Julie Myers said Breslin's increased scoring along with new starting goalkeeper Kendall McBrearty's 7.67 goals-against average are the main reasons why Virginia is better than last season.

"After last year, I lost a lot of confidence," Breslin said.

Her hip started hurting in December 2005, when she was home in Manhasset, N.Y., for winter break. Myers thinks the injury stemmed from over-exercising. Breslin tried to train through the soreness, which slowed her recovery. She tried to rush back in the spring semester but couldn't get though a full practice until late March.

"She ended up just crushing herself because she didn't do it the right way," Myers said.

Breslin could run in a straight line but struggled with cutting. When she finally found her rhythm and got back into shape, the season was almost over.

"Right when I got back, I think I was kind of favoring my leg, playing timid," Breslin said. "I think when I play scared, I don't necessarily play my game. I don't think I took it to the goal as much as I should."

Breslin picked up her old form she scored 36 goals as a sophomore in the Tech game and never slowed down. She ranked second in the ACC in goals as the Cavaliers won their second consecutive conference championship.

"You feed her the ball, and you're basically guaranteed a goal," said sophomore attack Blair Weymouth, the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer. "A bad pass, she's still going to catch it."

Said Myers: "When she's playing well, we barely take her off the field."

Breslin just wants to stay there as long as she can.

 

Cavs blank Monarchs
Streaking Virginia makes round of 16 for the fourth straight season
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Moments after the final point of his team's final home match of the season, University of Virginia men's tennis coach Brian Boland grabbed the microphone and saluted the crowd.

"You guys are the best fans in the country, no doubt about it," Boland said over the P.A. system.

The Cavaliers gave their supporters plenty to cheer yesterday. In the NCAA tournament's second round, U.Va. blanked Old Dominion 4-0 to advance to the final 16 for the fourth straight season.

Virginia reached the NCAA quarterfinals in 2005 -- its best showing -- and repeated that feat in '06. The Wahoos (28-3) are seeded fourth this year.

"I believe in this team," Boland told reporters. "I don't think I ever remember a time going to the Sweet Sixteen where I've been so juiced up and excited about it. . . . I want to leave tonight."

Yesterday's victory was the 14th in a row for Virginia, which also set a school record for wins in a season. Next up for U.Va. is a Thursday afternoon date with an ACC rival -- No. 13 seed Wake Forest or Clemson -- at Athens, Ga. Virginia is 2-0 against Wake and 1-0 versus Clemson this season.

ODU closed with a 22-8 record. In their first trip to the NCAAs, the Monarchs went 1-1, beating Virginia Tech in the first round Friday and then losing to U.Va. yesterday before about 400 fans at the Snyder Tennis Center.

"What a great venue to play college tennis in," ODU coach Darryl Cummings said. "You wish all the people were rooting for you. However, it's better to have people rooting against you than no people at all."

U.Va. won its regular-season meeting with Old Dominion 5-2 in late February. The Cavaliers' talent is not their only asset. Cummings said they "seem to be a fitter team, physically, and just a lot stronger. So I think they can go a little bit farther in the tournament than in the past."

To have a realistic shot at upsetting U.Va., Old Dominion probably needed to take the doubles point yesterday. But the Cavs won convincingly at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles, and the Monarchs' challenge grew.

"We were the underdog, and they had better depth," Cummings said, "so the doubles point was much more key for us."

U.Va. upped its lead to 2-0 when freshman Houston Barrick won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Junior Ted Angelinos, a transfer from Tulane, was equally dominant at No. 6, winning 6-2, 6-1 to push Virginia's lead to 3-0.

"I think we're at the level now where we can win all six [singles matches], no matter who we're playing," Boland said, "and I think that wasn't the case early on in the year."

Fittingly enough, the Cavaliers' best player delivered the coup de grace yesterday. After a grueling first set in which he trailed 6-5 before forcing -- and then winning -- a tiebreaker, junior Somdev Devvarman saw his superior conditioning pay off. At No. 1 singles, Devvarman whipped ODU's Harel Srugo 6-1 in the second set to clinch the win for U.Va.

 

Cavs hungry for vengeance
UVa fell to Princeton in 1st round of last year's tourney
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
May 13, 2007

This week, members of the Virginia women’s lacrosse team didn’t mince their words when they talked about facing Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this afternoon at Klockner Stadium.

Clearly, there is still plenty of hurt from last season when the Tigers upset UVa in the first round on their home field.

“It was pretty bad, pretty brutal,” said sophomore Blair Weymouth. “It’s not something we like talking about too much.

“We’re just not going to let it happen again. We know what we have to do to beat them.”

Said junior goalie Kendall McBrearty: “We’re definitely looking forward to it. We owe them.”

Virginia (16-3) defeated Princeton, 9-7, in a very physical regular-season showdown on March 24 at Klockner Stadium. If UVa can beat the Tigers again, it will host the winner of sixth-seeded North Carolina and Richmond on Saturday.

The Cavaliers, riding a five-game winning streak, are playing some of their best lacrosse of the season. They showed great resolve in coming back to beat Maryland in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament, then looked downright dominant in their victory over North Carolina in the final.

Virginia coach Julie Myers, who has taken her team to the NCAA Tournament in all 11 of her years at the helm, seems to have the Cavaliers peaking at the perfect time.

Unseeded Princeton (10-6), which beat Virginia in the 2003 NCAA final, played its way into the tournament with a victory over Georgetown last Sunday.

“We’re going to have our hands full,” said Myers, who wasn’t thrilled with the tournament selection committee’s decision to make Duke the No. 1 seed after the Blue Devils lost in semifinals of the ACC Tournament. “Princeton comes into the tournament with fewer wins than any other team but has one of the toughest schedules out there.”

Virginia and Princeton have both won three NCAA championships. UVa defeated the Tigers in two of its title games (in 1993 and 2004).

“Hopefully we’ll come out on top this year,” Weymouth said. “We’re all pumped up and ready to take it to them.”

 

The mind behind UVa's high-powered offense
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
May 12, 2007

After the end of last season, Virginia associate head coach Marc Van Arsdale interviewed for the head-coaching job at Duke. Van Arsdale, who had just helped lead UVa to an NCAA title, was one of three finalists for the position.

But, a short time later, the 43-year-old New Jersey native received word that Duke had decided to hire Hofstra’s John Danowski.

Nobody was happier about this development than Owen Van Arsdale, Marc’s 14-year-old son.

“He was ecstatic,” said Van Arsdale, laughing. “Going through the process, he was like, ‘You can’t leave.’ When I had gone down [for the interview], he said, ‘If you get the job, I’m just going to stay up here and live with Dom [Starsia].”

Starsia, the Virginia head coach, had been a strong supporter of Van Arsdale’s candidacy. But, truth to be told, he was also elated when he found out that his right-hand man was staying put.

“I did everything I could for him and was happy to do it,” recalled Starsia, who personally recommended Van Arsdale to Duke, “but there was no question that in the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘Please don’t leave!’

“I tell people all the time that we really have two head coaches in the program. It’s just a blessing for me and our program that Marc is still on board.”

Van Arsdale, who starred on the field during his playing days at Hobart College, has been instrumental to Virginia’s success over the last several years. Serving as the team’s offensive coordinator, he has helped recruit and develop some of the most talented players in the program’s history, including the likes of Doug Knight, Taylor Radebaugh and Matt Ward.

“I think he means more to me and this program than people can possibly imagine,” said Starsia, whose team hosts Delaware in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. “He’s a friend, a confidant and someone that I trust absolutely.”

Last season, Van Arsdale was recognized as the Division I Assistant Coach of the Year. The coach, known fondly to his players as “Van Burglar,” was the architect of an offense that led the nation in scoring with 15.82 goals per game.

Under his guidance, Ward was named USILA Player of the Year and was awarded the Tewaaraton Trophy as the nation’s top player. In addition, Kyle Dixon was named USILA Midfielder of the Year.

This season, with an influx of new players and a vastly different lineup, Van Arsdale’s coaching has been vital.

“We still try and go as fast as we can,” said Van Arsdale, referring to the team’s offensive approach. “What we’re not able to do as well as we did last year is create very quickly out of the settled offense.

“We were shooting so fast last year even in settled offense because we had the horses that could make a defense slide. We almost felt like we had a win in every matchup on the offensive end of the field. This year we need to spin the ball a few more times to get those opportunities and run guys off of picks, but the main philosophy hasn’t changed.”

When it comes to offense, Starsia gives Van Arsdale complete autonomy.

“Some of the time I don’t even know what’s going on down there, and I don’t care,” said Starsia, laughing. “I just know it’s in good hands and that I can worry about my end of the field and can devote more attention to the other guys because I’m completely confident.”

After a standout career at Hobart, Van Arsdale served as an assistant at Nazareth College, then worked as an assistant at Hobart for four years before accepting a job on former Virginia coach Jim Adams’ staff in 1991.

Van Arsdale left UVa in 1997 to take the head-coaching job at the University of Pennsylvania. He compiled a 27-39 mark there before reuniting with Starsia in 2002.

While his record at Penn wasn’t anything to write home about, Van Arsdale says the experience continues to pay dividends.

“I think it’s helped me gain a greater appreciation for what the guy sitting in the head chair has to deal with,” he said.

Virginia players are certainly happy to have Van Arsdale on their side.

“I think Coach Van is one of the smartest lacrosse coaches in the game,” said junior Ben Rubeor. “He controls the offense. His responsibilities extend everywhere. He does all the film work and figures out how to exploit teams’ weaknesses and accentuate our strengths.

“I think he easily could be a head coach in Division I.”

At some point, Van Arsdale says he would like to give it another shot, but probably not until Owen and Elise, 12, are out of high school. Owen, a freshman at St. Anne’s Belfield, scored the game-winning goal against Western Albemarle earlier this week.

Even though his family loves Charlottesville, Van Arsdale says it was good to go through the interview process with Duke.

“It was certainly a job that was worth talking about,” he said. “It’s one of the great jobs in the sport, but I’m also very happy here. To be completely honest, I’m not sure if the opportunity was there that it would have made the most sense. But that never had to be decided.”

To Owen’s delight.

 

Boland's boys primed for big run in NCAAs
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
May 13, 2007

Let’s see now. Just how many times did Brian Boland remind us that he couldn’t wait to get to Athens during Saturday’s media session?

Make that four times, including his last statement that ended with Boland expressing a desire to leave for Georgia that night.

You can’t blame the Virginia men’s tennis coach for being excited. His Cavaliers had just beaten visiting Old Dominion, 4-0, earning a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, which happens to be at the University of Georgia this week.

With the win over ODU, the Cavs captured their 28th victory of the season, a school record, including a 14-match winning streak, their longest of the season.

No wonder Boland was so giddy after the match at Snyder Tennis Center.

“I don’t remember a time going to the Sweet 16 where I’ve been so juiced up,” Boland said with all the aplomb of a coach expecting big things. “I believe in this team. It seems right.”

Only a couple of weeks ago, when the team gathered to watch the NCAA pairings announcement, Boland talked about this team being different than the others he has taken to The Dance.

There’s something about the chemistry of this team, even though it features four newcomers that replaced four All-Americans.

But it’s nothing you can really see or feel. It’s an intangible that only the coaching staff and the players themselves can sense.

It’s something that Boland describes as “the process.”

When quizzed about it after their win, they struggled to put a finger on exactly what “the process” was all about, although No. 1 singles star Somdev Devvarman had a general idea. It involves leadership from Devvarman and No. 2 Treat Huey, the grizzled veterans of the team, both members of the junior class.

“I believe [this team] is more ready than we’ve ever been,” Boland said. “It’s one of the fittest teams I’ve ever had, and they’ve really understood the process all year long and how important this process is. It’s not often that you have an entire group that collectively gets it and understands that nothing comes without some pain and suffering.”

Devvarman and Huey have made sacrifices with a regimen that has raised their fitness levels, taken care of their bodies away from the court and set examples for the other players, who have followed suit. If you don’t believe that extreme fitness was a difference, then you didn’t see Devvarman mop up the court with ODU’s Harel Srugo in the second set, sealing the record-breaking win.

Now you get a peek inside into why Boland is chomping at the bit for a trip down to Georgia, where he and his players would like another shot at No. 1-ranked and undefeated Georgia on the Dawgs’ home courts, one of the top tennis facilities in the nation.

“I’ve always said that you can have great coaches and great leadership from the coaching staff, and have talent, but you can only be a good team that way,” Boland said. “To be a great team, you have to have internal leadership, and I’m blessed to have that this year.”

Old Dominion coach Darryl Cummings, whom Boland has great respect for, was impressed by UVa and said he believed this group of Cavaliers can go a bit further in the tournament than in the past. Virginia has advanced to the quarterfinals the past two seasons.

“We have serious goals,” Boland boldly proclaimed. “We have four matches left (the first of which will be at UGa’s Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Thursday against Wake Forest), “and we need to take them on at a time.”

Spoken like a true coach, but also like a guy who’s been there before.

While Georgia is the prohibitive favorite to win yet another national tennis title, Baylor, Ohio State, Virginia and others will attempt to unseat the Dawgs in front of their hordes of rooters. Several of the Cavalier players said they would like another shot at Georgia, but they realize that’s down the road. They are focused clearly on the next match.

Still, Boland is heading to Athens thinking about winning the whole thing.

“I don’t have to tell this team what they’re capable of doing,” he said. “I don’t need to mention the word ‘championship.’ They know all those things. They believe in themselves so much.”

Even with keeping the age old axiom of “taking ’em one at a time” into consideration, Boland can’t resist the thought of how nice it would be to play the Bulldogs again.

Virginia met Georgia in the semifinals of the national indoors back in February and fell, 4-2, even though one of the Cavs’ top six players was injured and did not participate.

It was the Dawgs’ toughest match. Devvarman was down a break in the third and had a chance to even the score. UVa was also up a break in another singles match, so things could have turned quickly.

“That is a match we barely lost and we’ve improved tremendously since then and we have a healthy group,” Boland said. “With that being said, I’m sure Georgia has also improved and they’re playing at home.”

Home is Athens, at legendary Magill, which seats 4,500 fans, most of ’em wearing red and woofing up a storm.

Boland can’t wait. Hey, didn’t he already say that?

 

With Patterson out of the picture, UVa focusing on Davis
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
May 13, 2007

When Dave Leitao first took over as coach at Virginia, he said he wasn’t going to back down from the big boys when it came to recruiting.

That has been particularly obvious this week.

On Wednesday, Leitao and staff lost out on the Patrick Patterson Sweepstakes. The best unsigned big man in the class of 2007 spurned UVa and will now choose between Florida, Kentucky and Duke.

Now Leitao’s attention is on the class of 2008 and Ed Davis - a 6-foot-8 forward from Benedictine High School in Mechanicsville. Davis, like, Patterson, is considered the type of player that could catapult UVa into a top-tier program.

This weekend, Davis has been playing in Charlottesville. His AAU team, Boo Williams, is participating in the Southern Invitational.

On Friday, Davis told The Daily Progress that Virginia, North Carolina and Connecticut are the three schools that he is considering most seriously.

The rising senior, who is very soft-spoken, said UVa has a lot of things he likes.

“It’s close to home,” he said. “They have a nice program going and are on the rise, and I have a nice relationship with the coaching staff.”

On Friday night, Davis - ranked as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, and as the second-best power forward in the country - showed why so many schools are after him.

The left-hander looked extremely smooth around the basket. On the first play of the game against the Maryland Regulators, Davis snaked between two defenders for an offensive rebound, then exploded off the floor for a two-handed dunk. Davis also showed a nice ability to pass out of the post.

Coach Boo Williams says Davis, whose body has yet to fill out, projects as a 4-man at the college level.

“He reminds me of almost like a Sam Perkins,” Williams said. “He knows how to play. You’re talking about a guy who’s highly skilled and is used to playing against good competition.”

Davis also has some nice pedigree. His father, Terry, played 10 seasons in the NBA (for Miami, Washington, Dallas and Denver). Davis said his dad has been a nice sounding board throughout the recruiting process.

“He told me not to rush things,” Davis said, “and to just take my time.”

Davis, however, won’t be taking quite as long as Patterson in announcing his decision. Davis plans on signing sometime in the fall.

“I think Virginia definitely has a chance at him,” said Williams, who also coached Patterson. “I think they have the [new] arena and it’s close to home.”

Williams said Davis and Patterson compare favorably.

“I think Patrick is probably the better athlete,” Williams said, “but Ed is probably the better skill guy. But it’s hard to [compare] because Patrick could play the 5 if he had to.”

Did Virginia ever really have a chance at getting Patterson?

“Not really,” Williams said, “but they’re in it for this kid.”

Notes

The undisputed highlight of the tournament occurred on Friday night when Corey Law, Davis’ teammate, had one of the most incredible dunks you’ll ever see. On a 2-on-1 fastbreak, Law threw the ball off the backboard to himself from beyond the 3-point arc and rammed home a vicious windmill dunk on the defender. … Tournament play concludes today. Games begin at 9 a.m. The championship games of the tournament are slated for 3 p.m. at University Hall. For a full schedule, visit www.hoopgroup.com.