UVa's Singletary coming back for senior season
Cavs star decides to put NBA plans on hold
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
June 18, 2007

Yeeeeesssss!

Thanks Sean!

So there is a God!

6/18/07 = the happiest day of my life.

That’s just a sampling of the messages that were posted on a Virginia fan site starting at around 3 p.m. on Monday.

You think Wahoo Nation was just a bit excited about the news that Sean Singletary - after a lengthy deliberation - had elected to put the NBA on hold and return to Virginia for his senior season?

Oh yeah, Cavaliers coach Dave Leitao was pretty pumped, too.

“Obviously I’m delighted that Sean has decided to return to Virginia for his final year," Leitao said in a press release. “He means so much to our team, and I’m pleased he’ll be with us this coming season.

"Sean and his family considered all of his options before reaching this decision. He went about the process of making a decision in the right way. He worked on his game, gathered information and determined it was best for him to return to Virginia. I believe this process served its intended purpose and has been a valuable experience for Sean."

Singletary, who will speak to the media this morning, wound up being a man of his word. For the last two years, the Philadelphia native had stated, rather adamantly, that he would not be leaving school early for the NBA.

He may have given Virginia fans severe heart palpations within the last few weeks as he traveled from city to city, auditioning for NBA teams - but in the end, he did exactly what he said he would do.

“I considered all of my options and discussed them with my family and Coach Leitao,” said Singletary in the press release. “I believe this decision is the best one for me. I look forward to returning to Virginia for my final year, continuing my education and playing another season with my teammates.

“The process I went through the last two months was extremely valuable and provided me with a significant amount of information. I’m very thankful for the support of my family and the assistance provided by Coach Leitao throughout the process. Regardless of the decision I made, I felt there would be many positives for me. Ultimately, I determined it was best for me to return to Virginia."

Singletary’s father, Harold, told The Daily Progress that his son was able to see the big picture.

“He said staying in school is something that you’ll never be able to replace,” said Harold Singletary, by telephone from Philadelphia. “He said it would be just so fulfilling for him to finish out his education.”

Singletary’s departure for the NBA would have been a crushing blow to Virginia, which has already lost J.R. Reynolds and Jason Cain to graduation.

According to sources, Singletary’s performance at the NBA Pre-Draft camp in Orlando, Fla., played a factor in his returning. The 6-foot guard did not play well. Subsequently, his stock dropped.

Singletary, a first-team All-ACC selection the last two seasons, fared much better in private workouts for teams. However, he was still considered a second-round pick by most draftniks.

With Singletary back in the fold, Virginia will have a chance to improve on its second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. His presence will be a huge plus to the development of several Cavaliers players, including freshman point guard Sam Zeglinski, a former teammate of Singletary’s at William Penn Charter High in Philadelphia.

"It is very exciting news,” said Virginia junior Lars Mikalauskas in a press release. “We should be in for a good year. Having Sean back allows [Zeglinski] to have a mentor to learn from and be that much better of a player when it is his time to start."

Singletary, who led Virginia in points and assists last year, will now have a shot at becoming one of the most beloved players in program history - a player who might someday have his jersey hanging from the rafters of John Paul Jones Arena.

“In my opinion, Sean is the best guard in the country,” said sophomore Jamil Tucker in a press release. “Who wouldn’t be excited to have another season to play with a teammate like that?"

 

Wahoo National sleeping a little easier
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
June 19, 2007

Those strong winds that pushed across Albemarle County on Monday afternoon weren’t really produced by a thunderstorm that passed through the area.
Rather, it was the collective sigh of relief from Wahoo Nation upon learning that their beloved All-ACC point guard, Sean Singletary, would return to Virginia for his senior season.
Whew! Let the celebration begin.
Yes, (cue the Hallelujah Chorus), Singletary is back and all is well in Hooville.
The fact that Singletary decided to return was a huge boost to the Cavaliers’ basketball program.

A totally different team
With him, Virginia is a definite NCAA Tournament contender with the potential to dance for a long time. Without him, the Cavaliers would have been lucky to have a winning season. He makes that much of a difference.
Because the point guard position is the most important in college basketball, to have one of Singletary’s ilk automatically raises a team’s quality by several notches. The fact that the Philadelphia native is such a competitor, such a tough kid with lots of heart and delivers leadership to boot, well, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Class is in session
Having him back in the program will not only have an impact on next season’s play, but in this summer’s development of a still very young basketball team in terms of showing the newcomers the way. That should prove even more beneficial to freshman point guard Sam Zeglinski, who has already enrolled in summer school, another product of Philly recruited to eventually take Singletary’s place.
With a veteran in the house to teach Zeglinski the college ropes, it will aid his development much faster than what could have been the alternative.
Had Singletary remained in the NBA Draft, then the rookie Zeglinski would have struggled with the same trial by fire that Singletary did when he was a UVa freshman and suddenly carried the awesome burden of being the team’s leader right out of the blocks.
Coach Dave Leitao had envisioned times next season of using both Singletary and Zeglinski at the same time, a plan that could have gone poof.
Having his star guard back will also allow Leitao to continue to build the program and raise the level of the recruiting, perhaps landing one of those elusive top-10 or top-20 blue-chippers.

Plenty to work on
Certainly, we don’t know all the specifics yet of Singletary’s decision, although he told Jay James on “The Best Seat in the House” on Monday evening that going through the process of working out for various NBA teams opened his eyes to his shortcomings.
After the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, Fla., Singletary realized that pro sports is a business and that he still had a lot of work to do in order to make himself attractive to the big time.
One of the deficiencies that was pointed out clearly to him was that he needed to improve his lower body strength, his base, because he was getting knocked off balance too easily. That’s definitely a no-no in the world of pro ball.
Some of that could have been due to the UVa guard’s offseason hip surgery last year, which set back his training schedule. His upper body is fine. His legs have a ways to go.
There were other criticisms, that at 6-foot he’s a tad small, that his defense could be better, that his decision-making process as a point guard could improve. Some wondered if he might not make a better shooting guard than a point because of his quickness and 3-point prowess.
We’ll learn more this morning when he reveals more about his thought process at a press conference with Leitao in John Paul Jones Arena, where it’s a good bet his No. 44 jersey will some day hang from the rafters.
When we look at it, we’ll remember how most everyone that festoons themselves in orange and blue sweated out the decision, the most suspenseful Cavalier basketball postseason drama since the days of Ralph Sampson, when his annual temptation with the draft kept Wahoo fans on pins and needles.
Like Ralph, Singletary came back and Wahoo Nation can sleep a little better tonight.

 

Right call for Cavs, star guard
Tuesday, Jun 19, 2007 - 12:06 AM
By BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

Think Jameer Nelson.

(Yeah, it might be a little bit of a stretch, but if you're gonna think big . . . )

For the uninitiated and short of memory -- and Sean Singletary surely belongs to neither group -- Jameer Nelson had a whale of a junior year for St. Joe's back in '02-03. Averaged 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Paced the Hawks to the NCAAs. Declared for the NBA draft.

And then withdrew and returned to college.

You maybe know the rest of the story. Came his senior year, Nelson boosted his numbers, his stock and his profile. He propelled St. Joe's to a dazzling 27-0 regular season, swept every player-of-the-year plaque worth shining, had his jersey number retired, was the 20th pick of the 2004 draft, bided his time, averaged 13 points this season as a starter for the Magic. Makes a pretty decent living, too.

Jameer Nelson: Small lead guard, Philly native, made staying in school pay off.

Sean Singletary: Small lead guard, Philly native . . . well, that part's still to come.

Look, this isn't to say history repeats here. Different people, different year, who knows how many different variables. For one thing, Singletary maybe isn't as good as Nelson. For another, he maybe doesn't have the same karma, the same like-buttah blend of a squad that made magic.

He maybe won't have same end-of-the-rainbow experience.

But he's wise to give it a shot.

Singletary made the right call for himself and an absolutely vital one for U.Va. yesterday. He wasn't going to be taken in the first round. Most mock drafts didn't have him going in the second round, either. Only way he doesn't offer himself a chance now to move up the ladder is if he nosedives (won't happen) or gets hurt (which could happen crossing the street).

Simple truth: The guy might believe in his heart of hearts he's ready for the NBA, but he's not. By all accounts, that's pretty much what he learned at the league's pre-draft camp. He's got the range but needs to take better shots. He's creative but needs to trim his turnovers. He's fearless but needs to make sharper decisions.

None of those flaws is fatal. Fact is, Singletary has a lot to offer (quickness, leadership, moxie, a nice smile -- I could go on). But when you're 5-11 and your assists-to-turnovers ratio is ordinary and you shoot 57 for 157 in your concluding 11 games against opponents not named Albany, you'd best have a wow audition if you hope to impress GMs who've seen it all and aren't inclined to throw draft picks and money around carelessly.

As for Virginia, its 2007-08 campaign just got saved. Without Singletary, the Cavs slide deep into the ACC standings, forfeit any chance at an NCAA bid and make their fancy new arena a mausoleum. With Singletary and his playmaking, they can hope for open-look jump shots, high-fivin' in the aisles and a reasonable shot at an upper-division finish. Other than that, it was a slow news day in C'ville.

Remember, U.Va. already is losing J.R. Reynolds. Either Singletary or Reynolds was at the top of the scoring chart in 30 of the team's 32 outings last season. They ranked 2-3 in rebounding. They racked up nearly 49 percent of the Cavs' points all told and 65 percent of their assists.

Plus, darn near all their electricity.

You remove one high-voltage guard from that circuitry, you've got some serious rewiring on your hands. You strip the backcourt bare, you're in danger of whistling in the dark.

Sean Singletary lit a candle yesterday. A Roman candle for U.Va. rooters. A guiding light for himself. Smart move.

 

Back to school
Cavaliers' best player picks college, pulls out of the NBA draft
Tuesday, Jun 19, 2007 - 12:20 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A thousand watts brighter: That's how the 2007-08 season looks for University of Virginia men's basketball now that Sean Singletary has decided to return for his senior year.

Singletary, a 5-11 point guard, seriously considered becoming the first U.Va. player since guard Roger Mason Jr. in 2002 to leave early for the NBA. His departure would have left Dave Leitao's program with little proven talent, but Singletary withdrew his name from the draft pool yesterday, the deadline for underclassmen to do so.

Mason, now a Washington Wizard, was Chicago's choice with the second pick of the second round in '02. Singletary, who struggled at the recent NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., was projected to go in the middle to late second round June 28 -- if he got picked at all.

"The process I went through the last two months was extremely valuable and provided me with a significant amount of information," Singletary said in a statement released last night.

"I'm very thankful for the support of my family and the assistance provided by coach Leitao throughout the process. Regardless of the decision I made, I felt there would be many positives for me. Ultimately I determined it was best for me to return to Virginia."

Singletary, who returned to Charlottesville yesterday, spent most of the past week home in Philadelphia, during which time he talked regularly on the phone with Leitao. By late Sunday, Leitao said last night, he sensed that Singletary was leaning toward a return to U.Va. By yesterday morning, Leitao said, he felt confident that Singletary's decision was final.

Leitao might have wanted to scream with joy, but he stayed low-key with Singletary.

"He knows my feelings about him without me jumping through the phone," Leitao said.

Led by Singletary and J.R. Reynolds (second-team all-ACC), U.Va. went 21-11 and advanced to the NCAA tournament's second round last season. Reynolds is out of eligibility, but with Singletary back, the Cavs figure to contend for a second straight berth in the NCAAs.

"In my opinion, Sean is the best guard in the country," said forward Jamil Tucker, a rising sophomore. "Who wouldn't be excited to have another season to play with a teammate like that?"

The return of Singletary, Leitao said, means that "our overall continuity and what we're trying to build here as a program continues to move forward. Without him, you'd have to play younger guys, maybe before they're ready."

Singletary was named The Times-Dispatch's state player of the year each of the past two seasons. He'll be touted as an ACC player-of-the-year candidate in 2007-08 and could become only the third Cavalier to make the all-conference first team three times.

Ralph Sampson was a first-team selection in 1981, '82 and '83, and Bryant Stith was so honored in 1990, '91 and '92.

In 2006-07, Singletary led the Wahoos in points, assists, 3-pointers made, free-throw percentage, steals and minutes played. He's fifth at U.Va. in career 3-pointers made (164), eighth in career assists (385), tied for 10th in career steals (140) and tied for 18th in career points (1,426).

Mamadi Diane was more comfortable at small forward than at shooting guard last season, as was newcomer Solomon Tat. That meant Virginia essentially had two guards: Singletary and Reynolds. With so few options in the backcourt, Leitao's team couldn't apply full-court pressure, and Singletary and Reynolds had to guard against foul trouble.

By contrast, U.Va.'s 2007-08 roster will include five guards: Singletary, freshmen Sammy Zeglinski, Jeff Jones and Mustapha Farrakhan and sophomore Calvin Baker, a transfer from William and Mary who sat out last season. Moreover, Leitao said, Diane and Tat will be options at shooting guard, too.

 

Singletary back for UVa

As much of an impact as he made with his decision to sign with the University of Virginia, Sean Singletary may have forever endeared himself to Cavalier fans with the decision he made public Monday.

Singletary, a 6-foot point guard from Philadelphia, waited almost until the final hour before informing the NBA that he would remove his name from the upcoming draft and return to UVa for his fourth year.

Singletary is a two-time first-team All-ACC selection, the Cavaliers’ first since the early 1990s, and was instrumental in the Cavaliers making their first NCAA appearance since 2001.

After saying for more than a year that he would play four years at Virginia, Singletary applied for the NBA Draft in late April and attended the NBA’s Pre-Draft camp in Orlando, Fla.

He later was worked out privately with multiple teams and as late as Friday with his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers. He did not make a scheduled trip to Miami later in the weekend.

Singletary said at the time of his declaration that he was making the move solely to familiarize himself with the progress but almost all of the other draft-eligible underclassmen already had made their intentions known.

The list will not be released until Tuesday morning, Rebecca Colling of the NBA communications staff reported.

Singletary averaged 19.0 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds last season, when he was the third-leading scorer in the league. He goes into the 2007-2008 season as the ACC’s top returning scorer.

He finished the season with 1,426 points for his career, good for 18th place on UVa’s all-time scoring list. If he matched the 609 points he scored last season, he would become the first Cavaliers’ point guard to score 2,000 points in a career.

He also ranks fifth on UVa’s all-time lists for 3-point field goals (164) and eighth in assists (385).

Singletary recently was named UVa’s male athlete of the year.

-- Doug Doughty
 

Cavaliers gain commitments for '08 from 4 football prospects
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Torrey Mack, a 6-foot, 195-pound running back from Stratford, Conn., is the highest-rated of four football prospects who committed to Virginia on Saturday at a one-day camp.

Rivals.com has awarded a four-star rating to Mack, who rushed for 1,800 yards and scored 21 touchdowns last season.

Mack also had 145 tackles as a junior and was named one of the top 250 prospects in the 2008 recruiting class by rivals.com, which had him rated No. 18 under the "athlete" designation.

The Cavaliers also took commitments from a pair of Washington-area skill players in Rodney McLeod from DeMatha in Hyattsville, Md., and Devin Wallace from Friendly in Fort Washington, Md.

A fourth UVa recruit was 6-5, 200-pound Ausar Walcott, a defensive back from Hackensack, N.J., who might play outside linebacker because of his size.

Mack said in a late May interview that the four schools that interested him the most were UVa, Michigan, Iowa and Connecticut. He also had offers from Virginia Tech, Maryland and Penn State, according to rivals.com.

McLeod, who would join Brennan Schmidt as the only DeMatha players to sign with Virginia in the past decade, also had Tech on his list and also had offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Maryland and Syracuse.

McLeod had 20 receptions for 400 yards and seven TDs, but, like Wallace, also has played defensive back.

Virginia has eight commitments for the class of 2008, including five in the past week.

n The Virginia women's basketball team has gotten commitments for the 2008 from twins Whitny and Britny Edwards from Providence Country Day in Charlotte, N.C.

The Edwards sisters are daughters of one-time East Carolina basketball star Theodore "Blue" Edwards, who scored more than 7,500 points in a 10-year NBA career.

Louisville, West Virginia and George Washington were among the schools that had offered scholarships to the twins, according to the Charlotte Observer.
 

Sean Singletary to stay at U.Va.
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© June 19, 2007

He's coming back.

After flirting with the possibility of turning pro, participating in a pre-draft camp and auditioning for several teams, Virginia guard Sean Singletary withdrew from the NBA draft pool Monday. He'll return for his senior season, much to the relief of Cavaliers fans everywhere.

"I considered all of my options and discussed them with my family and coach (Dave) Leitao," Singletary said. "I believe this decision is the best one for me. I look forward to returning to Virginia for my final year, continuing my education and playing another season with my teammates."

The 5-foot-11 Singletary, a two-time All-ACC pick, was projected as a second-round pick by some analysts. Others predicted that he wouldn't be drafted.

Only first-round picks receive guaranteed contracts. By returning, Singletary is hoping he can increase his draft stock.

"The process I went through the last two months was extremely valuable and provided me with a significant amount of information," Singletary said. " Regardless of the decision I made, I felt there would be many positives for me. Ultimately I determined it was best for me to return to Virginia."

Singletary kept Virginia fans on edge while waiting until the last day to withdraw from the draft. His backcourt mate, J.R. Reynolds, has graduated, as has starting forward Jason Cain. Singletary will be the lone returning star on a team that will feature 10 freshmen and sophomores.

Sophomore forward Jamil Tucker, for one, is glad to have Singletary back.

"This is great news," Tucker said. "In my opinion, Sean is the best guard in the country. Who wouldn't be excited to have another season to play with a teammate like that?"

Virginia finished tied with North Carolina at the top of the ACC standings with an 11-5 conference record last season. The Cavaliers finished 21-11 overall and reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001.

With Reynolds already gone, it's likely that Virginia would have been picked to drop into the second half of the ACC standings had Singletary chosen to leave. He averaged 19 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds. No other returning player averaged in double figures.

"Obviously I'm delighted that Sean has decided to return to Virginia for his final year," Leitao said. "He means so much to our team."

 

Cavaliers' Singletary going back to school
The Virginia guard decides not to enter the NBA draft.
BY DAVID TEEL
757-247-4636
June 19, 2007

Three months ago, Virginia point guard Sean Singletary crumbled to the floor after the team's NCAA tournament exit. Monday he greatly enhanced the Cavaliers' chances of earning a second consecutive NCAA bid. Singletary, Virginia's most decorated player of the last 15 years, announced he is returning for his senior season. After leading the Cavaliers in scoring, assists, 3-pointers and free-throw percentage last season, Singletary entered his name in the NBA draft, competed in a draft camp and worked out individually for several teams.

Reviews were pedestrian, and Singletary withdrew from the draft before Monday's 5 p.m. deadline. The two-round draft is June 28.

"I look forward to returning to Virginia for my final year, continuing my education and playing another season with my teammates." Singletary said in a statement released by the school. "The process I went through the last two months was extremely valuable and provided me with a significant amount of information. … Regardless of the decision I made, I felt there would be many positives for me."

Absent Singletary, the Cavaliers would have lacked an experienced point guard or returning double-figure scorer. Incoming freshman Sam Zeglinski, like Singletary a product of Philadelphia's Penn Charter High, and William and Mary transfer Calvin Baker, a Woodside High graduate, are the team's other point guards.

With Singletary, Virginia boasts the ACC's top returning scorer (19 points per game) and a point guard rivaled in the conference only by North Carolina's Ty Lawson. Singletary has scored 1,426 points and is on pace to join Bryant Stith, Jeff Lamp, Buzzy Wilkinson and Ralph Sampson as the program's 2,000-point scorers.

"It is very exciting news. We should be in for a good year. Having Sean back allows (freshman guard) Sam Zeglinski to have a mentor to learn from and be that much better of a player when it is his time to start," said junior forward Laurynas Mikalauskas.

Despite his accomplishments, the 6-foot (a generous listing) Singletary was an iffy draft prospect. Concerns about his size and defense made selection in the first round, and the accompanying guaranteed, multi-year contract, unlikely; second-round selection was far from certain.

"He went about the process of making a decision in the right way," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said in a statement. "He worked on his game, gathered information and determined it was best for him to return to Virginia. I believe this process served its intended purpose and has been a valuable experience for Sean."

Singletary has played and started 90 games at Virginia, missing only the Fordham contest (hip injury) early in his sophomore season. As a sophomore, Singletary became the first Cavalier since Stith in 1992 to earn first-team all-ACC honors. He repeated last season and led Virginia to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2001 -- the Cavaliers defeated Albany in the first round before falling to Tennessee 77-74 as Singletary missed a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Moreover, Virginia shared the ACC regular-season title with North Carolina at 11-5, the Cavaliers' best conference finish since 1995.

In that season Virginia tied Wake Forest, North Carolina and Maryland atop the standings and advanced to the final eight of the NCAA tournament.

The Cavaliers have not earned consecutive NCAA tournament bids since 1994 and '95.
 

Pressure's on Manning, off Pennington
By Sal Paolantonio
ESPN.com
Updated: June 18, 2007, 3:42 PM ET

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It was a strange scene. Eli Manning, taking the snap, pivoting on his right foot, offered the football to a running back not wearing No. 21 at the New York Giants' first mandatory minicamp. Gone was veteran Tiki Barber, Manning's "security blanket," as veteran receiver Amani Toomer put it.

The next morning, across the Hudson River at New York Jets minicamp in Hempstead, the snapshot was just as odd. With veteran running back Curtis Martin out of the picture, quarterback Chad Pennington handed the ball to the steal of the NFL offseason: former Chicago Bears running back Thomas Jones.

The big difference? Pennington was clearly a bit more secure with the change. "He's a special player, and I think he's going to take a lot of pressure off all of us," said Pennington.

This is a simple tale of two football teams in one town, both trying to replace a legend at a critical position -- at a time when they seem to be moving in opposite directions.

For the Giants, who sneaked into the 2006 playoffs based largely on Barber's last-minute heroics, the task for his replacements -- Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns -- is enormous. Barber's absence has created an unprecedented situation for Manning, who more than any other player on the team will be expected to pick up the slack. The void is huge; in 2006, Barber rushed for 1,662 yards. No team in NFL history has had a player run for 1,600 or more yards and then lost that player the following season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

For the Jets, who gave rookie head coach Eric Mangini an improbable playoff berth last year, the gift of getting Jones is just as historic. Jones led the Bears with 1,210 yards rushing last season -- thus making him the first player to gain 1,000-plus yards rushing for a Super Bowl team and then start the following season on another team.
Last week, while Mangini had his staff blast overmodulated music onto the practice field -- everything from classical Baroque to old-school rap -- Jones was flexing his biceps, which look like two softballs bulging under his skin, and a big smile, which tells a story of liberation and opportunity.

Gone from the shadow of Cedric Benson in Chicago, Jones was given a five-year, $20 million contract by the Jets to be the next big thing in the Big Apple.

"This offense was made for me," said Jones. "It's creative, but it will give me a chance to show what I can do if they want to put the load on me." Translation: Jones fits the Mangini mold to a T.

One of seven children from a family deeply rooted in the coal-mining tradition of southwestern Virginia, Jones has led by example, putting in three-a-day workouts at the Jets facility this offseason.

"His leadership is infectious," said Mangini. "You can see that the younger guys are watching what he does and trying to keep up with him."

With Jones and second-year back Leon Washington of Florida State -- who showed flashes of what the coaches call "missability" last season -- the Jets expect to have a nice change-of-pace look to a running attack that lacked punch in 2006, when the team had a strangely unprepared approach to Martin's looming unavailability. As a result, the Jets averaged 3.5 yards a carry last season, finishing 30th in the league.

The Jets traded for Jones knowing that their fragile quarterback has just finished the first full 16-game season of his career. Mangini's hope is that Jones' presence will help keep Pennington whole for an unprecedented second straight year and duplicate the two-back approach that gave last year's final four playoff teams such success.


The Giants' two-back approach to replacing Barber has a bit of a different feel. The mammoth Jacobs, in his third season, has made it clear he wants to be Barber's heir apparent. But in his first two seasons, Jacobs had just 38 and 96 carries respectively, with only 11 receptions last year for 149 yards.

The latter number was a nice day at the office for Barber, who had 50.9 percent of the Giants' touches from scrimmage in 2006. Barber was one of only five backs in the league to have at least half of his teams' touches last year, and all the others are returning to their teams.

To help Jacobs shoulder the load, the Giants acquired the veteran Droughns, who has proved in Denver and Cleveland that he can be a feature back -- but not as a threat in the passing game. Droughns has never had more than 39 receptions in a season. Barber was under 39 catches just once his 10-year career -- in 1997, his rookie year, when he had 34.

Of course, the impact of all this will be felt most by one player: Manning. Losing his outlet, his comfort pass, his crutch, Manning is entering his fourth season with all eyes on him. In reality, it's not Jacobs and Droughns who will pass or fail this can-we-live-without-Tiki test. It's Manning, and he knows it.

"I know I will have to step up -- we all will on offense, there's no question about that," said Manning, who failed to crack the 60 percent completion mark in his first three seasons. Last year, Manning was sixth in the league in pass attempts but finished 21st in completion percentage (57.7).

Barber notwithstanding, the Giants' fortunes reflect Manning's performance. Look at last season. The Giants started 6-2. They were entrenched in first place. And Manning was hot: a passer rating of 87.5, completion rate hovering at 61 percent. The second half of the season, the Giants flipped, going 2-6. And in the final eight games, Manning's performance plummeted. His passer rating was just 66.5 with a 54 percent completion rate.

This will be the big question facing the Giants: Will Manning wither in the spotlight?

So far, at least, head coach Tom Coughlin says he is pleased by what he's seen this offseason from Manning -- the attendance in the offseason program, the discipline in the meeting rooms. Of course, Coughlin, who was given a one-year reprieve after last year's collapse, has no choice but to tie his future to Manning, who is being schooled daily by quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.

And on the first day of mandatory minicamp, Coughlin issued an ultimatum to his team: He wants a lot less chatter to the outside world -- a not-so-veiled reference to Barber's often critical, always outspoken availability to the New York press, and a philosophy well-suited for the polite, soft-spoken Manning.

Ironically, if the Giants get a decent year of out Manning and his two new running backs, they could be in good shape in the NFC East, where every team has nagging questions at quarterback. The Redskins and Cowboys still don't know what they have in Jason Campbell and Tony Romo. And the Eagles are holding their breath that Donovan McNabb's surgically repaired knee holds up through training camp.

Given those unknowns in his division, Coughlin won't have many excuses if the Giants don't contend for the division title. He's like Joe Torre with the Yankees this season: Get it done now.

Out on Long Island, Mangini's job status feels a lot like Willie Randolph's with the Mets -- less tenuous but with an added twist. Mangini is trying to catch his old boss in New England. With few in disagreement about Bill Belichick's spectacular offseason, the Patriots will be difficult to dethrone in the AFC East.

The Jets defeated the Pats once last year, but it had the same effect as poking a large beast with a stick. New England woke up and got revenge when it counted, with a 37-16 drubbing in the first round of the playoffs. Lest we forget, the Jets could not run the ball in that game. Washington finished with 50 yards on 11 carries. The team's second-leading rusher that day? Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery: two carries, 19 yards. Mangini learned his lesson.

As for Jones, he doesn't sound like a guy who's focused on facing the Patriots twice a year. Of course, that's Mangini's job. But perhaps Jones knows that it could be worse. He could be on the other side of the Hudson trying to imitate Tiki Barber.

"I love New York," said Jones. "What's not to love?"

 

Duke reaches settlement
3 falsely accused players get financial deal; school avoids lawsuits
By Jeff Barker
Sun reporter
Originally published June 19, 2007

For months, members of Duke's men's 2006 lacrosse team and their families quietly seethed at university administrators and faculty members who they believed abandoned them when three players were falsely accused of rape.

Yesterday, the three men who were accused - they were declared innocent by the North Carolina attorney general in April - reached financial settlements that will eliminate the possibility of lawsuits by the former players against Duke.

Neither Duke nor former teammates David Evans, Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty would disclose details of the settlements, but a Duke official said there was "a financial component."

John Burness, a Duke senior vice president, said yesterday, "I have nothing to report" on whether the university might now discuss settlements with other current or former team members.

Even though they were not charged, the other team members and their families spent millions of dollars in attorneys' fees because they faced legal uncertainty while the district attorney investigated the case.

The Sun reported in April that some parents of Duke lacrosse players had informally asked the university during a late February meeting whether the school would pay for legal fees. The university said the request was under discussion.

In a statement, Duke said it settled with the three "to eliminate the possibility of future litigation and move forward." It said it had resolved "to bring the Duke family together again."

The players were charged after a stripper alleged that she had been pulled into a bathroom and raped during a March 13, 2006, party off campus.

Attorney General Roy Cooper dismissed the charges in April, saying the stripper contradicted herself and that "we believe these three individuals are innocent."

Durham County District Attorney Michael B. Nifong was disbarred Saturday for violating rules of professional conduct. He announced that he planned to resign.

Parents and lacrosse team supporters said Duke officials initially misled them about the university's position, privately assuring them that they believed players' claims of innocence but undercutting the team publicly by making critical comments and forfeiting games.

A March 25, 2006, statement from Duke president Richard H. Brodhead particularly bothered some parents.

"Physical coercion and sexual assault are unacceptable in any setting and have no place at Duke," the statement began. It went on to note that "people are presumed innocent until proven guilty."

Duke lacrosse parents said their sons lost most of a season and that their reputations were damaged during the ordeal. The university suspended the season after six games. The team did not resume play until this year.

In a statement yesterday, the three former players who were accused said they, too, want to "bring the Duke family back together again."