Mason to remain in NBA draft
By ANDREW JOYNER
Daily Progress staff writer

It’s official. Virginia junior guard Roger Mason Jr. has opted to keep his name in next week’s NBA draft, ending his career at Virginia.
Early entrants to the draft, such as Mason, who had not hired an agent had until Wednesday to withdraw their names from draft consideration. Mason, however, informed the Virginia coaching staff late Wednesday that he did indeed intend to keep his name in the draft.
Duke junior forward Mike Dunleavy, who was in a similar situation as Mason because he also had not hired an agent, also said Wednesday that he intended to keep his name in the draft.
Mason, who is recovering from a sore shoulder that kept him out of the recent pre-draft camp in Chicago, is projected as a mid-first round selection at best while other draft experts have him going in the second round.
Mason, who announced on April 8 his initial intention to forego his senior season and enter the NBA draft, led the Cavaliers in scoring (18.6 ppg.), assists (4.1 apg.), free throw percentage (88.1 percent), field goals made (162) and three-point field goals made (81) during the 2001-02 season. He ranked second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in free throw percentage and third in scoring. For those efforts, Mason was a second-team All-ACC selection.
In a statement released by the school on April 8, Mason certainly foreshadowed that he would not return to UVa.
“… Though I am leaving the University’s basketball team, I fully intend to pursue my college degree at the University of Virginia,” Mason said. “I feel confident in my ability to play at the next level and I look forward to the challenges ahead.”
Mason’s ultimate decision Wednesday did not necessarily come as a surprise to the Virginia coaches who had felt for weeks now that Mason would not return to UVa and would keep his name in the draft.
The loss of Mason will require Virginia to look at other options at the shooting guard position, especially considering that over the past two seasons Mason was the Cavaliers’ primary scoring threat and certainly their best outside shooter.
Among those options are Rutgers transfer Todd Billet, who can play both backcourt positions, and sophomore Jermaine Harper, who spelled Mason at the off guard position for several stretches last season. Other possibilities include Devin Smith, a recently signed 6-foot-5 junior college All-American at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas and 6-7 Derrick Byars from Ridgeway High School in Memphis who signed with the Cavaliers last November. Both those players, however, might be more suited to play the wing forward position.

Defense the focus for UVa

By JERRY RATCLIFFE
Daily Progress sports editor

One of the major criticisms of Virginia basketball last season, particularly down the late stretch of the schedule when NCAA bids are won and lost, was the Cavaliers’ ineptness on defense.
Even when UVa knocked off Duke in late February, the upset had to be attributed to great offense and a great home atmosphere. Defensively, the Wahoos were a sham. You might recall that 8 of Virginia’s last 10 opponents shot better than 50 percent from the field.
Coach Pete Gillen hopes to fix that before his team takes the court again in November.
“Our defense was never great last season,” said Gillen during a recent sitdown with this columnist. “We really have to address our defense, do a much better job at our halfcourt defense this year.”

Finding the problem.

Gillen criticized his own players for their lack of commitment to playing strong defense but at the same time, fingered himself as the reason why. The blame, he said, should be placed on him because he is the guy in charge.
“Guys have to be more committed to that phase of the game,” said Gillen. “We weren’t as committed last season. We had the potential to play better ‘D’ and we should have been better than we were. I’ll take the blame. That was my fault because we weren’t as committed.”
Chris Williams, Adam Hall and Roger Mason Jr., all could have stepped it up a few notches on defense. They all had the potential to be stoppers and to play shutdown ‘D.’ It just wasn’t a priority.
Perhaps with the influx of some new faces and a year’s development by some younger players, that defense will become important again at University Hall. Sophomore Jermaine Harper showed the ability to play good defense last year and junior Todd Billet, likely UVa’s new starting point guard, has a decent defensive reputation. Likewise, 6-10 big man Nick Vander Laan, should strengthen the Cavaliers in the paint where Travis Watson is already a decent defender and where Elton Brown and Jason Clark can make a difference if they focus a little more on playing defense.
“Nick should help us in the halfcourt area because he came from Cal-Berkeley, where they play real good halfcourt man-to-man,” said Gillen.

Staying on course.

Because Virginia will have four quality big men inside and arguably stables the best frontcourt in the ACC, Gillen said that the Cavs might have to play some zone next season. But he still loves the run-and-press, which done properly can force an amazing amount of turnovers and points.
“I still like pressing because that makes our offense go,” said Gillen. “Whatever we did, it helped us beat Duke, the defending national champions, and we should have beaten Maryland, which won the national championship. We’ve got to throw some stuff out but we don’t want to change too much.”
Also in Gillen’s plans are to visit some old friends who are known as defensive gurus in the hoops world, have them evaluate Virginia’s defense and to listen to their advice on adjustments the Cavs can make to get better.
There are some impressive names on Gillen’s list, including Hubie Brown, Wisconsin coach
Bo Rein, and Boston Celtics assistant coach Dick Harter.
“My big thing in the offseason is to get us better defensively and selling it to the kids,” said Gillen. “They have to buy into it and setting them down when they don’t do what we ask of them.”
If that’s the case, then Virginia should already be better than last season and could once again prove the old axiom that offense sells tickets but defense wins championships.

Dunleavy officially headed to NBA
He elects to keep his status as early entrant

By Bill Cole
JOURNAL REPORTER