Singletary: 'I have a lot to work on'
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
June 20, 2007

The words coming out of Sean Singletary’s mouth were all positive as he discussed his decision to return to Virginia.

The All-ACC guard said he was excited to be back. He said he has total confidence in his teammates. He said he was looking forward to building on last season’s NCAA Tournament success.

Why then did Singletary’s body language look so negative? Why did he appear sullen as he spoke to a throng of media at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday?

Perhaps, deep down, he was bummed that he had to put his NBA dream on hold for a year? Or maybe, after three weeks of traveling all over the country for private team workouts, he was just dead tired?

Either way, Virginia’s heart and soul is officially back in the fold.

“I saw that I have a lot to work on to make it to the next level - my defensive game, more strength in my legs, my balance, things like that,” said Singletary, in a barely audible voice as he sat next to Virginia coach Dave Leitao. “The decision was all on me. At the end, it was just what I thought and what I felt.”

What Leitao felt had to be pure bliss. Without his ace floor general, he would have been forced to rely on Calvin Baker, a walk-on transfer from William and Mary, and three incoming freshmen this season.

“You’re talking about one of the greatest players to play here and a guy who will go down as one of the all-time greats in the ACC - not just for his talent,” Leitao said, “but he has a mentality, competitiveness and ability to perform in the clutch like few can do.”

But apparently NBA scouts weren’t sold - even though Singletary was confident that he would have made a team if he had turned pro. His mother, Jacqui, did most of the communicating with NBA personnel throughout the process.

“I was sure I was going to be drafted - it was just a matter of when,” Singletary said. “There was a possibility I could have went late in the first round or early in the second round, but I felt as though this was the best decision for me.”

A scout for one NBA team said he would have been shocked if Singletary had been chosen in the first round. Before Singletary withdrew, no mock drafts had him as a first-rounder.

ESPN draft guru Chad Ford had Virginia’s captain categorized as “second round to undrafted.” In the NBA, only first-round picks receive guaranteed contracts and roster spots.

It was Singletary’s performance at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, Fla., that likely cost him any chance of being chosen in the first round. In the scrimmages, he committed a rash of turnovers and was, at times, exposed defensively.

The top point guards in this year’s draft are Ohio State’s Mike Connelly and Texas A&M’s Acie Law IV. They didn’t compete in the camp or workouts since they are locks to be picked in the first round.

Singletary said the best guards he faced were Florida’s Taurean Green, Nevada’s Ramon Sessions and Oregon’s Aaron Brooks.

“One wasn’t really better in terms of us four,” Singletary said. “Certain teams need certain things. Now I have a whole year to work on my game and make sure that I’m hands-down better than the rest.”

In addition to leaning on Leitao and family members throughout the decision-making process, Singletary got advice from longtime pal Kyle Lowry, a guard for the Memphis Grizzlies who was a first-round pick in last year’s draft.

“He said to just go out and try and do your best in the workouts,” Singletary said. “They’ve seen you play before, just go and compete.”

While acknowledging the great support he’s received from Virginia fans during his career, Singletary downplayed the notion that one of the reasons he returned was to enhance his legacy as one of the greatest players in the program’s history.

“It would be an honor,” he said, “but I just take it day by day and try and better myself as a basketball player and as an individual and student. In the end, I guess I can look back on my career, but right now I’m really not caught up in all of that.”

 

'Selfish' not in Leitao's vocabulary
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
June 20, 2007

There’s something Wahoo Nation needs to know about its head basketball coach.
Dave Leitao is totally unselfish, even if it means that helping others is going to hurt him to a degree in the end.
We discovered that last year when assistant coach Rob Lanier was tempted by a job offer from Florida. Lanier and Leitao are extremely close, closer than most head coach/assistant coach relationships.

Helping a friend
So, as difficult as it would have been to lose Lanier then, in only Leitao’s second year at the helm of the UVa program, he wanted only the best for Lanier.
While it may have surprised most of us that Leitao told Lanier to do what he believed was best for him and his family, Lanier didn’t blink. He expected that kind of reaction rather than a head coach selfishly trying to dissuade the valuable assistant from departing.
While Lanier took up the Gators on that same job offer the second time around, just last month, it was the same kind of scenario.

A close call for the Cavs
When All-ACC point guard Sean Singletary decided to explore the possibilities of turning pro and forego his senior season, which would have been a severe blow to Virginia’s immediate future, Leitao didn’t flinch in terms of supporting his player.
His relationship with Singletary rose above any selfish thoughts of trying to convince the star guard to return, even though the coach knew what it would mean to lose a player of that caliber.
When asked during Tuesday morning’s press conference what the difference in next season’s team would be with Singletary and without Singletary, Leitao couldn’t help but snicker.
“It’s significant,” the coach said. “You’re talking about one of the greatest players to ever play here, a guy who will go down in the ACC as one of the all-time greats, not just for his talent, but he has the mentality and competitiveness and ability to perform in the clutch like only a few can.”

Not standing in his way
Leitao knew that not only would Virginia miss the guard’s talent, but even more, his leadership. Singletary’s absence would have also placed immense pressure on incoming freshman point guard Sam Zeglinski.
It would have been easy for Leitao to tell Singletary that he wasn’t quite ready for the big leagues, that he could use another year of seasoning.
Instead, he allowed his franchise player to find out on his own, to get other opinions, examinations. He helped Singletary chase his dream.
Some critics would say, ‘C’mon man, you can’t let your best player go without a fight.’ But that’s not Leitao.
“If Sean had decided to say in [the NBA Draft], I think we would have all hugged him, and kissed him, and wished him well, and we would have dealt with it,” Leitao said.
“This was a ‘him’ decision much more than it was an ‘us’ decision.”
The coach explained the unique nature of his relationship with Singletary, a player that gained a special place in Leitao’s heart because of the hard work, sacrifice and dedication that he put into helping reverse Virginia’s hardcourt fortunes. Singletary led the way with leadership, never complained, always gave it his best and like any coach worth his salt, Leitao developed a special appreciation of that effort.
“Throughout the process I tried to encourage [Singletary] as much as I could to go after it, to chase it ... if it’s supposed to be, it will be,” Leitao said.
“The two years we’ve been together, I could not in my lifetime have asked for it to be better.
“I stepped into a situation with a guy that you just don’t get but maybe once in a lifetime,” the coach continued. “I couldn’t be selfish to want it for another year just for me, or for us, when I’ve already gotten two more years than I could have ever imagined.”
While things didn’t work out for Singletary and the NBA, at least this time around, Virginia fans lucked out in having the opportunity to watch No. 44 for another season.
What did the senior guard get out of the whole deal? An in-depth analysis of his game and things he needs to work on, such as his defense and lower-body strength.
Maybe, just maybe, Singletary also negotiated with his oft-hot-tempered coach not to get screamed at so often.
“I don’t yell at him as much as I yell at the others,” Leitao confessed with a canary-chomping, Cheshire cat kind of grin.
Well, that’s a start.

 

Virginia players scattered around several summer leagues
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
June 20, 2007

Having played, coached and watched countless baseball games, Virginia coach Brian O’Connor has done about everything under the sun.

Well, almost everything.

Tonight, for the first time in his life, O’Connor will take in a game at the Cape Cod League, widely regarded as the premier summer league for college baseball players.

O’Connor plans to take in a Falmouth game, which would boast a pair of Virginia’s rising juniors - David Adams (shortstop) and Jeremy Farrell (third baseman) have manned the left-side of the infield through the first week of the short season.

Adams and Farrell are just two of the Cavaliers positioned in summer baseball leagues, which is an experience that O’Connor said can be extremely valuable to a player’s development.

“It is very important. This is where they get out on their own and they are forced to figure it out a little bit on their own,” O’Connor said. “I have seen the summer make a complete difference in a pitcher’s or hitter’s career.”

The prime example, O’Connor said, remains to be current Houston Astros reliever Brad Lidge, a pitcher he mentored as the associate head coach at Notre Dame.

After failing to log many innings for the Irish, Lidge thrived in summer ball and emerged the following spring as one of the country’s top hurlers.

Pat McAnaney, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 38th round of the amateur draft earlier this month, may be in a similar situation. An injury in the preseason limited the southpaw to just 35 innings for the Cavaliers - he finished 2-0 with a 3.34 ERA.

McAnaney made his debut on Monday, when he allowed two earned runs and six hits in four innings. He and Virginia reliever Michael Schwimer are teammates in the Cape Cod League with Orleans.

Jeff Lorick, who pitched 32.2 innings as a rookie this year at UVa, is the fifth Cavalier in the Cape, and is one of eight ACC players playing for Chatham. The left-hander has pitched in two games thus far out of the bullpen, allowing one earned run in 3.1 innings.

While the Cape League earns the most attention, there are other players in other summer leagues.

Rising senior Patrick Wingfield is playing in the Valley League for the second straight year with Winchester, and Tyler Cannon, despite joining the Keene Swampbats in the New England Collegiate League late, has emerged as the team’s leadoff hitter and starting shortstop.

Virginia pitcher Andrew Carraway is also in the league with Cannon, playing for the Newark Gulls.

Three Cavaliers - pitcher Brad Grove, infielder Corey Hunt and outfielder Mark Riffee - might face the toughest task this summer. Hunt and Riffee redshirted this season at UVa, while Grove pitched sparingly, but each is playing for the Saratoga Phillies in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.

“This summer is critical for the guys that played in a limited role for us this year or not at all,” O’Connor said. “They have the opportunity to get valuable experience and playing time.”

Jacob Thompson, as has been reported, is playing this summer for Team USA.

Numerous other Cavaliers, including pitchers Jake Rule, Neal Davis and Matt Packer, are taking summer school classes and working out this summer in Charlottesville.

Signed, sealed and delivered

When the Oakland A’s lost Barry Zito to the San Francisco Giants as a free agent, the team was given a compensation pick.

The A’s used that pick, the 41st overall selection, to draft former Virginia first baseman and pitcher Sean Doolittle, and the team wasted little time in agreeing to terms with the 2006 ACC Player of the Year.

After signing on Monday, Doolittle joined the A’s for batting practice and infield drills. Afterwards, he headed to Single-A Vancouver, where he will start his professional baseball career.

“[Doolittle is] a good kid,” Oakland manager Bob Geren told reporters. “He’s a line-drive guy, and he’s happy to be here.”

Another Virginia junior that was drafted, outfielder Brandon Guyer, also agreed in principle to a contract with the Chicago Cubs.

It did not come, however, without a physical with a Cubs’ team doctor in Chicago on Monday. After passing the physical, Guyer said he considers himself “a Cub.”

While his injured shoulder would have kept him from a Doolittle-like batting practice experience, Guyer did take in the Cubs’ game on Sunday from right behind the plate.

“Wrigley Field is an amazing place,” Guyer said. “It was a great experience.

“I passed my physical and I am flying to Arizona on Thursday [for rehab]. Hopefully, things go well and I can play this summer in Boise, Idaho.”

If so, Guyer would join former Virginia pitcher Casey Lambert, a sixth-round selection by the Cubs.

Guyer heads to Arizona on Thursday to continue his rehab.

 

Games an easy sell with Singletary
Wednesday, Jun 20, 2007 - 12:06 AM

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The only man happier than Dave Leitao at the University of Virginia on Monday might have been Todd Goodale.

Leitao, of course, coaches the men's basketball team at U.Va., and he learned Monday that he'll have all-ACC point guard Sean Singletary for another season.

Goodale is U.Va.'s associate athletic director for marketing and video services, and his responsibilities include attracting fans to 15,219-seat John Paul Jones Arena for basketball games. Having Singletary back for his senior season will make Goodale's job immeasurably easier.

"I think our fan base realizes this is a special player, and it's so much fun to watch him play," Goodale said yesterday. "It's clearly going to enhance the excitement of the home schedule next year. . . . I think we've got some great young players, but I think our fan base and everyone realizes that a Sean Singletary doesn't come along every year."

Last season was the Cavaliers' first in the JPJ, and it could not have gone much better for Leitao's team. At home, Virginia went 8-0 in ACC play and 16-1 overall, drawing an average of 13,521 fans per game.

"There was such a level of momentum that we gained in the building in its first year, and the team had such a big part in that," Goodale said. Fans "had a really good time when they came here, and they also had a really good time watching Sean play. And so how can you not be excited to have a two-time returning first-team all-ACC player coming back?"

- Jeff White

 

Focus is on now
Singletary not one to speak of legacy; he wants to improve
Wednesday, Jun 20, 2007 - 12:15 AM Updated: 12:47 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- On a banner high inside John Paul Jones Arena are displayed the numbers 3, 14, 20, 40, 21 and 50, with the corresponding names Jeff Lamp, Buzzy Wilkinson, Bryant Stith, Barry Parkhill, Wally Walker and Ralph Sampson.

Sean Singletary's name and number -- 44 -- may well be added to that banner some day. But Singletary said yesterday that a desire to cement his legacy at the University of Virginia did not drive his decision to return for his senior season.

Even if he'd stayed in the NBA draft, Singletary would rank among the greatest basketball players in U.Va. history. Now, however, he has an opportunity to add to his legend.

The 5-11 point guard from Philadelphia can become only the third Cavalier -- joining Sampson and Stith -- to be named to the all-ACC first team three times, and he's likely to contend for the ACC player-of-the-year award. His senior day ceremony in March promises to be an emotionally charged affair.

"In the end, I guess, I can look back on my career, but right now I'm really not caught up into all that," Singletary said. "My parents really like that type of thing, but I just go out every day trying to better myself. In the end maybe I'll look back on it, but not right now."

Singletary withdrew from the NBA draft pool Monday, the final day for underclassmen to do so.

"If he had chosen to stay in," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said yesterday, "I think we'd all have hugged him and kissed him and wished him well."

Maybe so, but Singletary's decision is an enormous boost for the Cavaliers, who are coming off a 20-11 season that ended with a loss to Tennessee in the NCAA tournament's second round.

This "sets up our ability as a team and program to continue to move forward with one of the best players in the country," Leitao said. "Any coach would be happy about that, but more than that I'm happy for him that he's in a situation where he can continue to thrive and prepare himself for life."

From his experiences at the NBA's pre-draft camp and in private auditions for several teams, including his hometown Sixers, Singletary learned he needs to improve his defense, strengthen his lower body and work on his balance. He believes he would have been drafted this year, but ultimately Singletary opted for another season in the ACC, as well as a chance to graduate on schedule.

"I felt as though this part of my life wasn't complete yet, so I wanted to come back and finish up," Singletary said.

When he arrived at U.Va. in the summer of 2004, Singletary was nursing a shoulder injury from his days at Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. He had shoulder surgery after his freshman season and a hip operation after his sophomore year.

This offseason, Singletary said, he's "100 percent healthy," and he'll probably accept a standing invitation to try out next month for USA Basketball's Pan Am Games team. When he's in Charlottesville, he'll be working out with his teammates, who include four freshmen.

"I feel as though the sky's the limit for this team," Singletary said.

When Leitao took over as U.Va.'s coach in April 2005, he inherited from predecessor Pete Gillen a fiercely competitive point guard who immediately embraced the new staff's philosophy. The bond formed two years ago has grown ever stronger, which is why Leitao encouraged Singletary to explore his NBA options, even though that might have cost U.Va. its best player.

"I stepped into a situation where I was blessed with a guy that you just don't get but sometimes once in a lifetime," Leitao said. "So I couldn't be selfish to want it for another year just for me or for us, when I've already gotten two more years than I ever could have imagined."
 

Legacy doesn't concern UVa star
Sean Singletary is "reassured" about his game by pro scouts, but told to work on defense.
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Most of the important topics had been discussed Tuesday when a fire alarm sounded and John Paul Jones Arena was evacuated.

Fortunately for Virginia, Sean Singletary has reason to come back.

One day after removing his name from consideration for the NBA Draft, Singletary looked sleepy and displayed little excitement Tuesday, probably owing to the timing of a 10 a.m. news conference.

He was joined by his coach for the past two seasons, Dave Leitao, who started to receive indications Sunday that his star player would be returning for his final season of eligibility.

"It's significant, obviously," Leitao said. "You're talking about one of the greatest players ever to play here, a guy who will go down in the ACC as one of the all-time greats, not just for his talent. He has a mentality, a competitiveness and an ability to perform in the crunch like few can do."

Singletary is one of four men's basketball players in UVa history to be named first-team All-ACC on two occasions. Ralph Sampson is the only three-time selection, but Singletary isn't thinking about his legacy.

"Right now, I'm not caught up in all that," Singletary said. "My parents really like that kind of thing."

Some mock drafts had indicated Singletary might not have been selected, but that was not the impression he got.

"It was sure that I was going to be drafted," he said. "It just was a matter of when. I talked to a few coaches, but, for the most part, my mother did most of the talking. "There was a possibility I could have went in the first round [or] early in the second round."

Jacqui Singletary said Tuesday that she was told to expect her son to be drafted anywhere from 20th (in a 30-player first round) to 38th.

"It's funny," she said in a phone interview. "Every team we spoke to said, 'Don't pay attention to what you see on the Internet.'"

Singletary said his performance at the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, Fla., and in individual workouts with multiple teams "reassured" many of the beliefs he held about his game. If there was an area in which pro scouts wanted to see improvement, he said, it was defense.

Point guards who impressed Singletary in Orlando and during the individual workouts were Oregon senior Aaron Brooks and a pair of juniors who stayed in the draft, Nevada's 6-foot-3 Ramon Sessions and Florida's Taurean Green.

"One really wasn't better than the other in terms of us four," Singletary said. "I've got a whole year to work on my game and make sure I'm hands do wn better than the rest."

In April, before Singletary made himself available for the draft, his mother expressed her interest in having him graduate in four years and complete his college eligibility.

Once he declared for the NBA Draft, Singletary had until Monday to remove his name from the eligibility list. He was able to work out for NBA teams and return to college provided he did not sign with an agent or accept expense money.

"All I can say is, it was very interesting," Jacqui Singletary said. "It may be hard to believe, but we didn't discuss [the choice]. It was the experience that we were looking for and he got it. When he speaks, he says that he was leaning toward his parents' wishes, but we were all pretty much on the same page.

"We've never used the word 'legacy.' Sean graduating from college will be a milestone. If it turns out that he is recognized as one of the most memorable basketball players at UVa, we'll be happy that he could leave his mark that way. I'd like him to leave his mark in other ways, too. He's been a good citizen."

Leitao said he communicated with Singletary in some fashion almost daily during the last six weeks. With Singletary, Virginia can expect to be picked in the ACC's first division during the preseason and be seen as an NCAA tournament candidate. Without him, the Cavaliers were a likely second-division pick.

Leitao wasn't sure that he could remain neutral on the subject of Singletary but he tried to serve as a confidant.

"Throughout the process, I tried to encourage him [to] chase it, 'if it's supposed to be, it will be,' " Leitao said. "The two years that we've been together, I couldn't have asked for better.

"I stepped into a situation where I was blessed with a guy that you just don't get but, sometimes, once in a lifetime. So, I couldn't be selfish and ask for another year just for me or for us."

Guard gives Cavs chance
David Teel
June 20 2007

Roy's boys. That's the short but complete list of teams ACC basketball fanatics should instantly rate ahead of Virginia for next season.

Not to say Sean Singletary's Monday withdrawal from the NBA draft makes the Cavaliers no-brainer No. 2s behind Roy Williams' North Carolina bunch. Far from it. Duke, Clemson and North Carolina State should be markedly improved from last season, when the Tar Heels and Cavaliers tied atop the conference standings.

But Singletary's return at point guard, his scoring, ballhandling and outright fierceness put Virginia in the mix. And should No. 44 keep the Cavaliers among the conference's top two, he'll join No. 50 as an historic figure in program annals.

Yes, the last and only time Virginia managed consecutive top-two ACC finishes was 1981-83, when Ralph Sampson led the Cavs to three regular-season titles, the latter two shared with North Carolina. Sampson also is the only Virginia player voted consensus first-team All-American, a distinction Singletary could earn as a senior.

Much will hinge on his teammates. With J.R. Reynolds and Jason Cain graduated, the Cavaliers lose an all-conference shooting guard and their most productive post player, which will tempt defenders to smother Singletary.

That's why I thought Singletary might ignore NBA scouts' tepid reviews and remain in the draft. If others don't become reliable scorers, he could struggle and damage his draft stock.

First in line as possible revelations is junior swingman Mamadi Diane. Clearly the talent is there, but which Diane will fans see? The Diane who last season torched Maryland for 26 points and Arizona for 25? Or the Diane who scored two points in each of Virginia's last three road games before a scoreless clunker in the NCAA tournament loss to Tennessee?

Senior Adrian Joseph, a streaky shooter with range, is another who needs to solve the consistency riddle. This 6-foot-7 rail turned refreshingly combative in the NCAAs, grabbing nine rebounds in two games and earning his first trips to the foul line since December.

Incoming freshman Mike Jones also could ease Singletary's perimeter scoring load. Moreover, rookie Sam Zeglinski and William and Mary transfer Calvin Baker could occasionally play the point, moving Singletary to the wing.

But for all those uncertainties, the central question for Virginia revolves around the low post. Can the Cavaliers prosper with a committee of returnees Tunji Soroye, Laurynas Mikalauskas and Jerome Meyinsse? Is freshman Mike Scott capable of contributing immediately?

Such issues would have vanished this spring had Virginia signed power forward Patrick Patterson, who opted instead for Kentucky. Such issues stand a much better chance of resolution with Singletary around to push, prod and lead.

Singletary is the ACC's top returning scorer (19 points a game), a threat to shoot 3-pointers or drive headlong into the lane. He demands the ball when it matters most, witness his game-winner last season against Duke and his game-ending 3-point miss against Tennessee.

Much can (will?) change - transfers, injuries, academic casualties - before November, but without Singletary, handicapping Virginia's ACC prospects would have been easy: pencil the Cavaliers among the lower tier with Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.

With Singletary, it's much less clear. Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson make North Carolina the clear favorite and Final Four material, freshman Brandan Wright's exit to the NBA notwithstanding; Josh McRoberts' early departure from Duke is addition by subtraction - his sour demeanor will not be missed, while recruits such as Kyle Singler will be welcome; Clemson and N.C. State return darn near everyone from promising rosters.

Elsewhere, Georgia Tech was poised to break through until freshmen Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton turned pro; Boston College has won at least 10 conference games each of the last five seasons (two ACC and three Big East) but loses ACC player of the year Jared Dudley and forward Sean Marshall; Virginia Tech could go from an all-senior (Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon) to all-freshman (Hank Thorns and Malcolm Delaney or Dorenzo Hudson) backcourt; Maryland loses four seniors, including top scorers D.J. Strawberry and Mike Jones; Wake Forest and Miami return a majority of the ACC's worst teams, while Florida State must replace do-everything Al Thornton.

Swiping a concept from the Charles Barkley-Dwyane Wade commercials, here's our fave five for next season: North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Clemson and N.C. State.

Mock at your leisure.
 

Change of guard in ACC
Caulton Tudor, Staff Writer

With Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton leaving for the NBA and Virginia's Sean Singletary returning to school, the pecking order among ACC point guards is essentially set for the beginning of the 2007-08 season.
The obvious big winners in the offseason shuffling are the Cavaliers, who were facing a backcourt wipeout and a quick trip to the league's second division until Singletary withdrew from the NBA Draft pool.

Although offensive production without star shooting guard J.R. Reynolds will be challenging, the Cavs at least will begin the season with the league's top-ranked player at the college game's most important position. Singletary and North Carolina big man Tyler Hansbrough are the only returning members from last season's first-unit all-conference team.

Behind Singletary are several experienced point guards who should collectively make the ACC better and improve its hopes of a more impressive showing in the NCAA Tournament. That group is led by Boston College's Tyrese Rice and UNC's Ty Lawson.

Rice, a rising junior, is the only returning player from last season's second-team all-conference group and -- like Singletary -- will have to adjust to the heavy personnel losses. Without conference player-of-the-year Jared Dudley and versatile Sean Marshall, the Eagles are a long shot to extend their string of 20-win seasons to five but still should be competitive.

Lawson's situation is exactly the opposite. The Tar Heels' likely starting lineup of Wayne Ellington, Marcus Ginyard and either Deon Thompson or Alex Stepheson in addition to Lawson and Hansbrough will be the ACC's most experienced and talented.

Identifying the league's No. 2 team in preseason could be a guessing game, but UNC almost certainly will go off as the unanimous favorite. If Lawson can keep his poise and the perimeter shooters have just a little more success against zone defenses, the Heels should be a top-five team nationally start to finish.

Behind Singletary, Rice and Lawson are a cluster of playmakers with the potential to make a difference. The group includes Clemson's Cliff Hammonds, Duke's Greg Paulus, Florida State's Toney Douglas, Maryland's Eric Hayes/Greivis Vasquez combo and Wake Forest's Ishmael Smith.

Hammonds, a rising senior, has been beneath the radar for his entire career but quietly made a lot of progress last season. Thanks to a deep run in the NIT, the Tigers finished a deceptively respectable 25-11 overall. Hammonds, with almost 100 more assists than turnovers, was instrumental. Throw in James Mays and K.C. Rivers, and Clemson has the look of an NCAA team for the first time since 1998.

Paulus, injured most of last season, rates as the league's primary X-factor player. Josh McRoberts' exit for the NBA leaves the Blue Devils with one of their smallest teams in years and virtually guarantees that Mike Krzyzewski will implement an up-tempo, transition offense that's likely to sink or float on the point guard's ability to push the pace, score and distribute. Few people expect the Devils to falter again, but it could happen if Paulus doesn't play well.

The remainder of the conference -- primarily Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Virginia Tech -- is in point-guard purgatory. All three will start either a freshman or a returning player with limited experience in the role.

State, with four returning starters, is best prepared to deal with the dilemma. If Sidney Lowe can find a solution, his second team could be exceptional. If not, the Wolfpack should still be good enough to win eight or nine league games and get back to the NCAA Tournament.

The big loser is Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets could have absorbed the departure of freshman forward Thaddeus Young to the pros, but the additional loss of Crittenton really hurts. Rising junior Lewis Clinch no doubt will get a look, but he's never displayed a point guard's mentality.

With Crittenton, the Jackets would have been a contender for No. 2 in the league. Without him, they'll be lucky to match last season's 8-8 conference showing, which included a 1-7 road record.

 

Singletary wants to improve his stock for next year's NBA draft
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
June 19, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As he bounced around NBA team workouts, logging plenty of frequent flier miles and gaining valuable information about his game, Sean Singletary came to realize that he wasn't much different than the other junior and senior point guards he played against.
By coming back to Virginia for his senior season, he hopes to make sure that is not the case next year.

Singletary spoke to the media Tuesday morning, the day after he removed his name from consideration for the NBA Draft. He said he came to his decision on Sunday, that NBA scouts told him he needed to improve on his defense and lower body strength and that he let his mother, Jacqui, do almost all of the talking with general managers.

In the end, though, "the decision was all on me," Singletary said several times during the course of Tuesday's gathering, reinforcing his point.

Singletary said he was told there was a possibility he would be a late first- or early second-round pick, though mock drafts mostly have him going in the second round.

He thought that other than Ohio State's Mike Conley Jr. and Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton, this year's crop of point guards were relatively similar, a conclusion he came to after workouts with players like Oregon senior Aaron Brooks and a pair of juniors, Nevada's Ramon Sessions and Florida's Taurean Green, who both stayed in the draft.

"In this year's draft, there were a lot of good guards, but not one of us was hands down better than the rest in terms of the junior and senior guards," Singletary said. "I felt as though if I came back, I could make sure hands down I was better than the rest of the competition."

After his final team workout last Friday for the 76ers in his hometown of Philadelphia, Singletary and his family sat down to discuss his options. He spoke with Virginia coach Dave Leitao throughout the weekend, just as he had in the last month.

On Monday, he finalized his decision, withdrawing his name from the draft pool and flying to Charlottesville to re-join the team and participate in summer workouts.

Was Leitao ever worried he would lose his star guard?

"Throughout the process there are so many things that are said, most of them untrue or things that fly around," Leitao said. "I equate it to a game, where if you're down 10 in the first half you don't think you're going to lose the game and if you're up 10 you don't think you've won. So it doesn't make any sense to have your feelings sway one way or another."

That doesn't mean he wasn't relieved to hear the good news on Monday.

"It's significant, obviously," Leitao said of Singletary's impact on the team. "You're talking about one of the greatest players to play here."

Singletary's next stop might be Haverford College in Pennsylvania. That's where the USA Basketball Men's Pan American Games team trials will be conducted from July 12-14. Leitao said Singletary has an open invitation to try out for the 12-member team, which will compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 25-29.

Syracuse's Jim Boeheim chairs the committee that will select the team. Villanova's Jay Wright is the team's head coach.

It's a welcome opportunity for Singletary, who had surgeries each of the last two offseasons (on his shoulder in 2005 and on his hip last year) that prevented him from doing much of anything basketball related. Consider it an early audition for next year's draft.

Said Leitao: "This will put him on a stage where people can see him in a lot of different ways."