Singletary: 'great situation'
Beno Udrih, the Kings' starting point guard last season, may not be back.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Sacramento was thought to be in such desperate need for a point guard that many NBA Draft analysts believed the Kings would select one with their No. 1 pick Thursday night.

The Kings ended up using their first pick -- the 12th overall -- on 6-foot-11 Patrick Thompson from Rider. But, that didn't diminish their need for a point guard.

That was the silver lining for Virginia graduate Sean Singletary, who was chosen 42nd by Sacramento but had hoped he would go higher.

"When I saw guards going earlier to places to where I had worked out, I knew I would go later and probably to the Kings," said Singletary in a Friday conference call from his Philadelphia home. "I was a little disappointed, but I got over it quickly because I know I'm in a great situation.

"No matter where I was drafted, I couldn't be in a better situation."

Third-year pro Beno Udrih from Slovenia was Sacramento's starting point guard for most of the 2007-08 season but can opt out of his contract Tuesday.

Sacramento's president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie described Singletary as "a very solid point guard with defensive ability," but conceded that the Kings "still need to do more at our point guard position than just one draft pick."

Singletary's aim is to prove to the Kings that they don't need a veteran to mentor him.

"I'm not really worried about that," he said. "I just know I'm in a situation now where I can earn minutes as soon as I get there."

In a variety of mock drafts that Sacramento posted on its Web site, the only ones that listed Singletary were ESPN.com, which had him going to Utah on the 53rd pick, and hoopvibe.com., which had him going 55th to Portland.

"I'm proud and happy that Sean was able to take one step closer to realizing a lifelong dream of playing in the NBA," UVa coach Dave Leitao said in a prepared statement.

"If you look at what they have on paper at his position, it looks like a situation that he is going to be able to go into and make work for himself and for the team. I know that's all Sean wanted."

Singletary said he knew that Charlotte liked him and was in the market for a point guard, but the Bobcats used the 10th overall pick on Texas underclassman D.J. Augustin, generally considered the best pure point guard on the board.

Indiana was another team that had shown interest, but the Pacers drafted Arizona point guard Jerryd Bayless. Indiana subsequently traded Bayless to Portland, but only because the Pacers had gotten T.J. Ford in a trade with Toronto earlier in the day.

"The next team up [with a need at point guard] was Sacramento," Singletary said. "I knew I was going to Sacramento. I knew four or five or six picks before."

By that point, he had turned off the television. He was at a friend's house when his agent, Raymond Brothers, called to say that his selection by Sacramento was imminent. Singletary's friend didn't have cable.

"I wouldn't say I was annoyed," said Singletary of a nearly four-hour wait, "but, me being the competitor that I am, this will give me motivation to show I'm better than the pick I was picked at."
 

Singletary, Washington eager to show they belong
Saturday, Jun 28, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

If you think Sean Singletary was happy simply to be picked Thursday night, especially after many analysts predicted that he wouldn't get drafted at all, you underestimate how much confidence he has in himself as a basketball player.

More than three hours into the NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings used the 12th pick of the second round on the 6-0 Singletary, who was a four-year starter at point guard for the University of Virginia and one of the greatest players in ACC history.

"Me being the competitor I am, I was definitely disappointed" to fall to 42nd overall, Singletary said on a teleconference yesterday. "It'll definitely give me motivation. I feel I was better than the pick I was picked at."

Another player not mentioned in most mock drafts was Virginia Tech forward Deron Washington, but Detroit chose him with the second-to-last pick, 59th overall. Still, don't expect to find Washington on the Pistons' roster when the season starts.

Team President Joe Dumars told reporters that Washington and Detroit's other second-round pick, Brigham Young center Trent Plaisted, will play for the Pistons' summer-league team in Las Vegas. But neither is likely to make Detroit's 2008-09 roster, and both have agreed to head overseas to gain experience if they're cut.

Neither Washington nor his agent, Andy Miller, returned telephone messages yesterday. But Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said he believes the Pistons are a good fit for Washington, because Dumars emphasizes defense. That's one of Washington's strong points, thanks to the long arms attached to his 6-7 body.

"It only takes one team to like you," Greenberg said. "That's what people don't understand. You don't need 15 teams to like you. You need one team to like you."

Virginia coach Dave Leitao said that, after talking with NBA representatives, he was cautiously optimistic Singletary would get drafted.

"They were saying all the right things, but you never know," Leitao said. "It's a disappointing night for a lot of players and a great night for others."

In the end, what matters most is not where a player gets picked, Leitao said, but how he performs when NBA camps begin. First-round picks usually are the only rookies with guaranteed contracts.

That Singletary will succeed in the NBA, Leitao has no doubt.

"Again, so much of the success of guys is from the inside out, and just being around guys for 25 years, I know he has the kind of interior that will allow him to get in a situation and make it work," Leitao said. "He's too good a kid, too hard a worker, not to."

Singletary was to fly to Sacramento yesterday afternoon. He spent draft night in his hometown of Philadelphia but says he wasn't watching when his selection was announced on ESPN.

"I knew I was going to get picked," he said. "It was just a matter of when."

Singletary appears to be moving into an ideal situation. The Kings' top two point guards last season -- Beno Udrih and Anthony Johnson -- are free agents, and at least one of them is expected to play elsewhere in 2008-09.

Washington was the first Hokie drafted since swingman Eddie Lucas in 1999. Not since Roger Mason Jr. in 2002 had a U.Va. player been picked.

Among NBA players last season, Mason was the only former Cavalier. If Singletary can join Mason in the NBA, the Cavaliers' program will benefit.

"In terms of recruiting and all the things that matter to young people, the more you have [in the NBA], the better off you are," Leitao said.

Singletary joins rebuilding Kings
Sean Singletary's team is a little short on star power, unlike Deron Washington's Pistons.
By MELINDA WALDROP | 247-4634
June 28, 2008

The suspense is over. Now, the work starts.

Both Sean Singletary, Virginia's former point guard, and former Virginia Tech forward Deron Washington were taken in the second round of Thursday's NBA draft. The Sacramento Kings selected Singletary with the 42nd overall pick, while Washington went to the Detroit Pistons at No. 59 out of 60 total selections.

Any relief the two players felt won't last long.

"Just getting drafted — that doesn't mean anything," ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said. "What means something is getting to a place where you can make a team. Nothing's guaranteed in the second round."

Singletary, who averaged 19.8 points and six assists as senior, watched at home in Philadelphia as point guard after point guard, including George Hill of IUPUI, went in the first round. By the time Singletary's agent called to say the Kings would be taking him, Singletary had turned off the TV.

"I knew which teams still needed a point guard, so I knew where I would probably go, (but) I didn't get called all night, so I was getting kind of anxious," said Singletary, the first Virginia player drafted since Roger Mason in 2002. "I was disappointed I went so low, but I was like, I can't get in a bad situation, no matter what pick I was."

Some prognosticators didn't think Singletary would be chosen at all, but he said, "I knew I was going to get drafted because I had real good workouts and I did real good at (a pre-draft) camp (in Orlando, Fla)."

Washington, the first Hokie drafted since Eddie Lucas in 1999, didn't hear his name called until the next-to-last pick. He averaged 13 points as a senior, but observers were most intrigued by his athleticism, defensive work ethic and energy.

"The Pistons aren't the type of club that wastes picks," said Joe Dwyer, editor in chief of collegeinsider.com. "They obviously saw something in Deron that they liked. ... He's not an All-American, but he's whatever is right below that. He just makes plays, whether it's a jump shot that you need or going to the basket to get another offensive rebound."

Dwyer said Washington will benefit from a talented cast of characters, including Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince, around him in Detroit, the NBA champion in 2004, runner-up in 2005 and Eastern Conference finalist the past three seasons.

"It's just an exciting opportunity for him in an organization that has had players like him succeed, with a general manager (Joe Dumars) that puts a premium on playing hard and defending," Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "I think it's a good fit. I think (Washington) is more mature, maybe, than some of the other guys that they drafted, and he's got a toughness quotient and a lot of the intangibles that the Detroit Pistons have built their reputation on."

Singletary will join a rebuilding Sacramento team whose other guards include second-year pro Quincy Douby out of Rutgers and four-year pros Kevin Martin of Western Carolina and Beno Udrih of Slovenia.

"I just know that I'm in a situation where I can compete for minutes as soon as I get there," said Singletary, who flew to Sacramento on Friday for an introductory press conference today.

Sacramento president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said on the team's Web site that the Kings "need to do more at our point-guard position than just one draft pick," and Dwyer expects the Kings to acquire a seasoned veteran like Indiana guard Jamaal Tinsley, a seven-year pro.

"I don't know that it's a great idea to send Sean Singletary in to start," Dwyer said. "That's really tough, to throw a second-round pick into the fray. I mean, (No. 1 pick) Derrick Rose is going to have his struggles, and he's got some decent players around him in Chicago."

Singletary and Washington's long road to professional job security starts with summer league play in July. If draftees don't stick with teams, options include playing overseas or in the NBA's Development League, which saw a player — ex-Iowa State Cyclone Mike Taylor — drafted for the first time on Thursday.

"You might have been the guy in high school," Dwyer said. "You might have been the guy in college. You are just another guy in the league. ... It's a mindset to survive that."



 

Sean headed for Sacramento
By Whitey Reid
Published: June 28, 2008

Dennis Rodman. Gilbert Arenas. Manu Ginobili.
The so-called experts questioned all of them when they came into the NBA. All were selected in the second round of the draft.
All, subsequently, became big-time players.
That’s a path former Virginia guard Sean Singletary would love to follow.
The Sacramento Kings took Singletary in the second round (42nd overall) of Thursday night’s draft.
Singletary, who was hoping to be a first-rounder, was the seventh point guard drafted behind Derrick Rose (Chicago), Russell Westbrook (Seattle), Jerryd Bayless (Indiana), George Hill (San Antonio), Mario Chalmers (Miami) and Kyle Weaver (Charlotte).
“Being the competitor that I am, I was a little disappointed,” said Singletary, who became the first Virginia player to be drafted since Roger Mason did so in 2002, “but I wasn’t annoyed. Everyone that got picked deserved to be picked, [but] I’ll definitely have motivation from where I was picked.”
Singletary never worried that he wouldn’t be selected at all — as the majority of mock drafts had predicted.
“I knew I was going to get picked,” he said. “It was just a matter of when. I did well with my workouts and with the Orlando predraft camp. I thought I could go later in the first round, but with the way the point guards were picked early…I knew Charlotte really liked me, but then Augustin went earlier than everyone expected.”
Singletary watched the draft — sporadically — at a friend’s house. He kept turning the television on and off. Finally, over 3 and 1/2 hours after the proceedings began, Singletary received word from his agent that the Kings had selected him. Soon after, he called his mother.
“She was very excited,” Singletary said.
So was Virginia coach Dave Leitao.
“Like I’m sure everyone in the Virginia basketball community is, I’m proud and happy that Sean was able to take one step closer to realizing a lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” said Leitao in a press release. “It’s a great opportunity for him and it’s an opportunity for him to continue to grow.”
Truth be told, Singletary probably couldn’t have handpicked a better situation for himself. A glance at Sacramento’s point-guard-thin roster tells you that. The Kings’ starter last season, Beno Udrih, is an unrestricted free agent who may not return. Ditto for their backup, NBA journeyman Anthony Johnson.
John Salmons is not a natural point guard, while Kevin Martin, Francisco Garcia and Quincy Douby are more scorers than they are playmakers.
“If you look at what they have on paper at his position, it looks like a situation that he is going to be able to go into and make work for himself and for the team,” Leitao said. “I know that’s all Sean wanted.
“It’s a very good organization with very solid front office people. Reggie Theus is a young, aggressive and very good coach whom I’ve known for a number of years. I’m very happy for everybody involved.”
Another plus for Singletary is that the Kings — who finished six games below .500 last season and failed to qualify for the playoffs — don’t have very much money tied up in their guards.
“No matter where I was drafted, I couldn’t be in a better situation than this,” Singletary agreed. “I was a little disappointed at times [during the draft], but I got over it quick because I know that I’m in a great situation.”
One of the only negatives is the fact that by going in the second round, Singletary’s contract will not be guaranteed. The Philadelphia native will have to earn his way onto the team through his performances in the upcoming summer league and then training camp in October. He will probably also have to duke it out with some other guards who Sacramento will bring in either via free agency or trade.
“I think we still need to do more at our point-guard position than just one draft pick,” Sacramento’s President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie said on the team’s website.
ESPN’s Chad Ford, one of the most respected draft analysts in the business, gave Sacramento an overall grade of C- for its selections. However, that was based primarily on the team’s other two picks – Rider center Jason Thompson and Georgetown forward Patrick Ewing, Jr. Regarding Singletary, Ford wrote: “The Kings needed a point guard and Singletary is a talent. He can score and dish and could be a nice backup point guard. But if Beno Udrih leaves via free agency, Singletary isn’t good enough to take over — he could barely produce wins in the ACC.”
Ouch. The good news for Singletary is that his new boss sounds a tad more optimistic.
“He had a terrific career at Virginia and in the ACC,” Petrie said. “He put up terrific numbers this year. He’s a very solid point guard with defensive ability. He is a mature player as well having played in the ACC all those years.”

 

Somdev Devvarman Named VaSID State Player of the Year
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 06/25/2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia men’s tennis team headlined the 2008 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State Tennis Team, released Wednesday. Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) was named State Player of the Year, Brian Boland was named State Coach of the Year and the Cavaliers had seven players earn All-State honors.

Devvarman was named State Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. This season, he repeated as NCAA Singles Champion, becoming the 13th player in the 124-year history of the tournament to win consecutive titles, and just the fourth to do so in the past 50 years. Devvarman, the ITA National Player of the Year, ended the season with a 44-1 singles record, tying the school record for wins in a season he set a year before. He is believed to be the first NCAA Singles Champion to finish the season with one or fewer losses since UCLA’s Jimmy Connors went undefeated in 1971. Since then, NCAA Champions have included Georgia’s Pernfors, Stanford’s John McEnroe, Stanford’s Tim Mayotte, and Texas’s Kevin Curren, all of whom went on to be ranked in the world top 20, but lost multiple times in college during their championship season.

Boland was named State Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season. The 2008 ITA National Coach of the Year, Boland led Virginia to the best season in school history. The Cavaliers finished the year 32-1 and reached the NCAA Semifinals for the second consecutive year. In February, the Cavaliers won the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, the first national team tennis title in ACC history. Virginia was ranked No. 1 in the ITA rankings every week of the season and won its fourth ACC Championship in the past five years.

Devvarman was one of three Cavaliers named first team All-State, joined by Treat Huey (Alexandria, Va.) and Dominic Inglot (London, England). The doubles teams of Devvarman and Huey and Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) were also named to the first team. Ted Angelinos (Athens, Greece) and the doubles team of Inglot and Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) were named to the second team.