Cavs' goal: Get 'em near home
June 15, 2008 12:15 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

The numbers were staggering.

And not even the staunchest of the University of Virginia football program's supporters could ignore them.

The Cavaliers had signed just three high school seniors from Virginia in their 2008 class this past February, while rival Virginia Tech hauled in 22.

It was easily the fewest in-state recruits Cavaliers head coach Al Groh had delivered in his tenure, which began in 2001.

Groh has said the pool of players who fit the academic and athletic model for the Cavaliers wasn't big last year, but some aren't easily convinced.

"I don't think anyone was satisfied or would accept that type of performance on a consistent basis," said Charles McDaniel, a Fredericksburg resident and former Virginia standout linebacker, who is on the executive committee of the Virginia Athletic Foundation.

"We should've doubled that total at least. I think we could've gotten eight to 10, but we simply got beat by some other programs."

Groh has made sure that won't be the case for the 2009 class.

The Cavaliers have taken oral commitments from 15 high school juniors and 10 are from Virginia, including Chancellor running back Dominique Wallace, Liberty defensive back Corey Lillard and Orange quarterback Quintin Hunter.

The early recruiting success has Virginia supporters optimistic about the final outcome of the 2009 class, which will probably include at least 22 players in February.

"You'd better believe that those kids who have given an oral commitment are out there helping us recruit," said McDaniel, who is also a member of an advisory board of ex-players picked by Groh. "It just builds on itself."

A renewed commitment

Liberty head coach Tom Buzzo has had eight players sign with Division I-A colleges in his seven-year tenure, but none chose Virginia--until Lillard.

"The thing they did differently with Corey than any of our other players was how fast they offered him," Buzzo said. "They offered Corey before we even finished playing."

Buzzo said Virginia was the last interested school to offer a scholarship to former offensive linemen Brandon Gore, who later signed with Virginia Tech, and Alex Stadler, who signed with Alabama and later transferred to Liberty University.

Lillard went on to receive offers from Wake Forest, Boston College, Arkansas, Rutgers, Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State, but none had a realistic chance because of the Cavaliers' early aggressiveness.

"They were on [Lillard] so early and often, it was amazing," Buzzo said. "When everybody else got onboard, Virginia was so far ahead. He had probably been [to Virginia] 11 or 12 times before he had seen or heard from anybody else."

Buzzo added that the Cavaliers "made every visit they could without breaking the rules."

That was a change from the coach's earlier dealings with the Cavaliers, including in 2003 when they didn't recruit defensive back A.J. Brown until he had orally committed to Syracuse. Brown went on to sign with the Orange, and Virginia never offered.

That scenario isn't likely this year.

The Cavaliers were also the first school to offer Wallace and Hunter.

Hunter said the Cavaliers' constant attention won him over.

"They were contacting my coaches two times a week," he said. "When you're around people often, you get comfortable with them. It's like a family."

Tech-nical difficulties

Hunter and the other new Virginia recruits were about 8 years old when Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick became a household name.

For Hunter, Vick's national championship game performance in a loss to Florida State was his first memory of watching college football.

That Sugar Bowl contest and the Hokies' six subsequent 10-win seasons have left quite an impression on the current generation of state players and often put Virginia at a disadvantage in recruiting.

"When I was little, I always liked Virginia Tech because of Michael Vick," Hunter said. "It was always Michael Vick, Michael Vick. But I'm grown up now, and things have changed."

One reason things have changed this year is the Hokies' lack of available scholarships.

They signed 31 players last year, leaving them with a limited number for this season, which is one theory for Virginia's success.

"If you look at the few scholarships that Virginia Tech has to give out, it's almost a one-horse race for these kids," Buzzo said.

That's good news for Virginia, because the Hokies have proved tough to contend with in head-to-head recruiting battles.

McDaniel said part of the reason for that is Virginia "is not dealt the same deck of cards as Virginia Tech" when it comes to tough academic standards.

"I think Virginia has used that as an excuse in the past," McDaniel said. "I don't think we can anymore. We have to go after some of those kids."

McDaniel said the Cavaliers are looking into ways to offer better academic support to their players once they arrive on campus.

He wants to avoid situations like this offseason when several key players, including starting quarterback Jameel Sewell, were dismissed from school because of poor academics. The attrition dampened the enthusiasm from a nine-win season.

"We do the recruits a disservice, and it hurts us in recruiting," McDaniel said. "[Other coaches] are saying, 'Hey, you're going to Virginia. You're not going to be able to graduate. It's too tough.' But if we get them in, we have a responsibility and they have a responsibility to work hard."

Making an impression

The Cavaliers' coaching staff has certainly put in the hard work.

First-year defensive coordinator Bob Pruett recruits the talent-rich Hampton Roads area, and he's already come away with two commitments there.

Wide receivers coach Wayne Lineberg primarily recruited Lillard and Hunter. Wallace was recruited by defensive backs coach Steve Bernstein.

"To me, he was really straightforward," Wallace said of Bernstein. "He doesn't just tell you what you want to hear."

Wallace said Groh "is a great speaker."

He added that he and his mother "enjoyed [Groh's] swagger" when they visited for a Gator Bowl practice in December.

Once Wallace committed to the Cavaliers in February, he swayed Hunter, a close friend, who then helped deliver Lillard, a friend of Hunter's since early childhood.

The trio is now hoping to convince Brooke Point standout defensive end Lanford Collins to commit soon. Collins said Virginia, Virginia Tech and Penn State are his top choices, but he'll make a decision when he's comfortable.

"I'm not in that much of a hurry," Collins said.

The buddy system paid off this year, but McDaniel said it should also help that Groh has made some changes with his staff.

He's refocused running backs coach Anthony Poindexter's recruiting efforts to Northern Virginia and Lynchburg instead of the random scouting he did in the past.

It's all added up to a much better showing than the troubling numbers for the 2008 class.

"Last year, it was not as good a crop of players who fit the Virginia culture, but it wasn't as bad as we made it out to be," McDaniel said. "Groh knows the effort that's expected, and I think you're seeing that this year."

 

Cascarano commits to Cavs
By Jay Jenkins
Published: June 17, 2008

Sean Cascarano was set to verbally commit to Virginia on Saturday, but needed the approval of a person with a vested interest.
The massive offensive lineman’s father, who was in Chicago, did not make the trip to Virginia for the program’s annual Blue Chip Recruiting weekend.
“Once I got back, I talked it over with him and my mom,” Cascarano said, “and we just came to the conclusion that it was the best place for me academically, with football and just as a school.”
After the discussion, the three-star offensive tackle from Glenview, Ill., called late Sunday night to verbally commit to the Cavaliers’ coaching staff. Cascarano became the 16th player to join the recruiting class for 2009.
His decision, however, did not come without a host of serious questions from his dad.
“He just said, ‘Is it the one place that you want to go?’” Cascarano recounted. “I had been getting looks from some other schools that had not offered me and he asked if they offered would that change anything.
“I said, ‘Nah, I don’t really care. This is the one school that I want to go to.’”
Cascarano had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan State and Duke, but had quickly moved UVa to the top of his list prior to his visit.
That interest only intensified after the youngster spent time with three current Cavaliers — Danny Aiken, Landon Bradley and Zane Parr — on Saturday.
“I just shot a lot of questions off them,” he said. “They gave me a lot of honest answers and they were the answers that I was looking for. I would say that was big, just knowing that they enjoyed it there.
“They gave me the positives and the negatives; that’s for sure. They didn’t say that it was perfect, but they loved going there.”
During his visit, Cascarano met with Virginia offensive line coach Dave Borbely and was told that he “could play pretty much any position on the line.”
That could involve tackle or guard, but center seems unlikely as Cascarano is 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds — and growing.
“I’d say that I am an athletic player for an offensive tackle,” Cascarano said. “I move pretty well, I get off the ball pretty well and I am also physical on the line. I would say those are my strengths.
“But whatever position helps the team out the most, I am all for that.”
Cascarano, the Cavaliers’ sixth out-of-state prospect, is the second offensive linemen in the class to verbally commit. Luke Bowanko, of Centreville High, committed in April.


 

Farrell signs with Pirates
By Jay Jenkins
Published: June 16, 2008

As expected, Virginia first baseman Jeremy Farrell agreed to terms with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Farrell, the Pirates’ eighth-round draft pick, signed the official paperwork late Saturday and quickly departed for State College, Penn., to participate in a minicamp at the organization’s short-season Class A affiliate.
By inking the deal, Farrell became the second Cavalier underclassman to bypass his final year of eligibility. Former second baseman David Adams signed last week with the New York Yankees and reported to the team’s Gulf Coast League site in Tampa.
Farrell batted .316 this season with a team-best 11 homers and 54 RBI.
Two underclassmen remain unsigned — shortstop Greg Miclat (Baltimore Orioles, 5th round) and starting pitcher Jacob Thompson (Atlanta Braves, 5th round) have not agreed to terms. Miclat is currently playing in the Cape Cod League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox and went 2-for-4 Saturday in his debut.


 

Shot blockers impress at camp
By Whitey Reid
Published: June 16, 2008

There was an anomaly inside of John Paul Jones Arena during the first day of Virginia’s Elite Camp on Sunday afternoon.
A pair of UVa players were blocking shots. Lots of them. And sometimes each other’s.
The sultans of swat were incoming freshmen John Brandenburg and Assane Sene.
Scrimmaging against top high school players, the
6-foot-11 Brandenburg and the 7-foot Sene didn’t stand out on the offensive end — but they sure looked good defensively.
The addition of the duo has to make Virginia fans feel good since the team finished dead last in the ACC in shotblocking this past season.
“I think anytime you have guys with that kind of height and length, it gives you a chance to have a really good defensive presence,” said Virginia assistant coach Bill Courtney.
Last season, Virginia blocked just 2.36 shots per game, more than a block less than the next worst outfit, Georgia Tech (3.5 per game). UVa’s leading shotblocker was 6-foot-5 Mamadi Diane, who averaged .66 per game.
Virginia’s lack of blocks — or any kind of interior intimidation — clearly had an effect on its overall defense. UVa ranked second-to-last in both opponents’ field goal percentage (.449) and opponents’ points per game (74.8).
Part of the reason for the team’s dearth of blocks was the absence of 6-foot-11 Tunji Soroye. He missed all but two games with knee and back injuries.
Soroye is still awaiting word about a medical redshirt and also trying to figure out how to pay his tuition since Virginia is at the
13-scholarship limit. If he doesn’t come back, Brandenburg and Sene’s presence will be even more vital.
Offensively, the freshmen have somewhat contrasting styles.
“Assane is aspiring to be a Kevin Garnett — a face-up type of guy,” Courtney said, “and John is probably a little better in the low post.
“Both guys possess unique skills that are different than the other one. I think both have a lot of room to improve. They’re definitely guys who will be more valuable on the backboards and defensive end before the offensive end.”
One of the most exciting sequences of a first-session scrimmage occurred when Sene received a pass ahead of the field. The native of Senegal looked like he had an easy dunk, but Brandenburg blocked him from behind.
Later in the scrimmage, Sene blocked a Brandenburg shot in the lane.
“It was fun,” Sene said. “Every time I play against him I try and get [a block] on him because I know he has my same height and I know right now that everywhere you go in the [ACC] you will see big guys like him.
“I need to play well against him in order to improve my game.”
Brandenburg was already pretty impressed with Sene’s game.
“He’s really athletic,” Brandenburg said. “When he gets a little bit stronger, I think he’s going to be really good.”
The soon-to-be first-years have already started some friendly trash talking out on the court.
“He thinks I foul him a lot because I get pretty low,” said Brandenburg, smiling. “I could be fouling him, but I think he’s not used to how physical I play.”
Adapting to the physicality of college basketball is also high on Brandenburg’s agenda. The St. Louis native said it only took him a couple of pick-up games against the likes of Soroye and fellow Virginia big man Jerome Meyinsse to see that.
“After playing with them, I realize I have to get stronger,” Brandenburg said, “because it’s hard to box people out and get position when guys are 25 or 30 pounds heavier than you are.”
You can still swat their shot, though.
Dunks
The most heralded recruit of Virginia’s 2008 class, McDonald’s All-American Sylven Landesberg, also took part in Elite Camp. The 6-foot-6 Landesberg showed a nice ability to finish on the fastbreak, dunking several times. Landesberg, a New York City native, says Charlottesville has taken some time to get used to. “Everything’s a little slower,” he said, “but they’ve got me occupied throughout the day. Right now they’re teaching me time management.”

 

A time of triumph and loss
At her induction ceremony, Ryan feels her dad's absence
Monday, Jun 16, 2008 - 12:08 AM
By VIC DORR JR.
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- At the moment of her greatest professional success, University of Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan was aware of a great personal disappointment.

Ryan was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Father's Day weekend. But her father did not share in the joy of the moment. Thomas Ryan died unexpectedly of cardiac-related causes in 1998. He was 71. His death created a void in his daughter's life -- a void that exists to this day.

Induction weekend "would have meant everything to him," Ryan said. "He'd have been so proud. To share it with him would have been wonderful."

Ryan's family, friends and U.Va. comrades joined her on stage for photographs at the conclusion of the formal enshrinement ceremony. Thomas Ryan's absence rendered this happy scene somehow poignant.

Ryan, who owns 675 victories in 31 seasons, said her father was "a big part -- a very big part" of her career in athletics. She said one of her father's greatest strengths as a parent was "his willingness to let you find your own way.

"He never tried to force you. He never tried to tell you, 'Do it this way.' Once you made your decision, he was always there to do anything he could to help you succeed."

She said her father didn't shield her from the truth when her inclination toward athletics became apparent.

"He knew it was going to be hard. He knew it was going to be a struggle. I said, 'I don't care. This is what I love.' He said, 'Then do it the right way. Never hold anything back. Go full speed -- always."

Ryan heeded her father's advice as a youngster. As an adult, she is heeding it still.