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Guard Forbes officially commits to UVa
 By ANDREW JOYNER / Daily Progress staff writer
Oct 2, 2002

 
In its recruitment of 6-foot-5 guard Gary Forbes of Brooklyn, N.Y., Virginia had a secret weapon: his mom.

"She loved Charlottesville. I think she would have been pretty upset with me if I didn't go there," said Forbes, who committed to UVa during a news conference at Benjamin Banneker Academy on Wednesday afternoon.

Forbes, rated as one of the nation's best shooting guards/small forwards, chose the Cavaliers over Georgia Tech. He had visited both schools in the past two weeks but his mother, Anna Maria Forbes, accompanied him to Charlottesville during last weekend's visit. As she began to be sold on UVa, so apparently was her son.

"I just felt a connection there. It's closer to home. I really like the players and the coaches and felt comfortable with them. I felt a great connection with the players during the visit," said Forbes, who averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Banneker last season. "I loved the campus and the school and plus they have the major I was looking for, which is business."

Forbes' stock jettisoned during the summer in his play with his AAU team, the famed Riverside Hawks program, and in various camps.

"He just had a sizzling summer," said recruiting analyst Mike Sullivan of rivals.com, who gives Forbes a four-star rating and has him as the nation's No. 53 overall prospect.

Forbes has been described as an athletic slashing player who has an excellent touch from the perimeter. His coach at Banneker, Wendell Saunders, calls Forbes a "gym rat."

It's a moniker that Forbes cherishes.

"Coach Saunders has called me a gym rat and that's true. I'll go to the gym and practice on my game all the time. I'll usually shoot 300 or 400 3-pointers each day if I can get someone to rebound for me," Forbes said.

Forbes' talents seem acutely fitted for UVa coach Pete Gillen's uptempo style. Forbes certainly feels that it's the style best suited for him.

"I love to play that way. I love getting up and down the floor. We play that way on my Riverside team and on my high school team. It's a fun style to play," Forbes said.

Added Sullivan: "He is definitely a very smooth player. He can get to the basket and he can shoot it. He's also not afraid to go inside against bigger guys. He's a great scorer. His style fits perfectly with Virginia."

Forbes has a grade average of 85 and scored close to 1,000 on his PSATs. He will take the SAT for this first time in November.

Forbes joins Roanoke guard J.R. Reynolds as the first two commitments to UVa's 2003 class. Reynolds, who will play this season at Oak Hill Academy, committed to the Cavaliers last November. That duo fills two of Virginia four available scholarships. The Cavaliers are recruiting a handful of spots for those remaining two spots including 6-foot-8 small forward Luol Deng of Blair Academy in New Jersey, one of the nation's premier recruits, and 6-8 power forward Terrence Roberts of St. Anthony's in Jersey City.

While those two are just a handful of players the Cavaliers are pursuing, they are the two Forbes wants to see join him in Charlottesville.

"I know those guys pretty well and they are great players. As soon as I get home tonight, I'm going to start calling those guys because we can have the best recruiting class in the nation," Forbes said.

 

 

'The Freak' terrorizes opposing ACC offenses
Freshman linebacker Darryl Blackstock makes instant impact as team leader in sacks yet remains eager to learn nuances of football
Eric Roper
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer
When asked of his first impressions of Virginia freshman linebacker and new roommate Darryl Blackstock, defensive end Kwakou Robinson called him "The Freak."

"He doesn't stop," Robinson said. "He's my roommate and he doesn't stop even in the room."

It is this upbeat spirit and driven attitude that has lead Blackstock to great success in his first season of play. It takes a special type of person and player to be prepared to jump straight from high school football to playing big-time ACC football, in front of tens of thousands of fans.

"He's ahead of the game," senior linebacker Angelo Crowell said. "He knows more about football than I did in my first year."

As a freshman, Blackstock looks surprisingly poised and confident in his ability. It is easy to forget he has only played five games of college football. At times, he and Crowell look like a tandem of veteran leaders.

"The type of player I like to be is to be able to do many types of things," Blackstock said. "I hate coming off the field."

Blackstock has taken on a difficult role in Virginia's defensive scheme. As a linebacker along with Crowell, it is his job to be the anchor of the defense, not to mention one of the main playmakers on the field.

"This is really a demanding position he's playing," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "It's for a guy who really likes football and has diverse skills."

If a love of the game is one of the requirements to play linebacker successfully, Blackstock is more than qualified.

"I think I'm the only one who loves practice, who loves camp," Blackstock said. "I just love everything about football."

His enthusiasm has been a key factor to his success early this season. However, his focus and determination have proved even greater reasons for his on-field triumphs -- he is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, always expecting the best from himself.

"Even if I get a sack I just think there's a better way to get there," Blackstock said. "I could have wrapped him up better. Maybe I could strip the ball next time."

Even though Blackstock has experienced early success, racking up 40 tackles and a team high four sacks, there is still room for him to adjust his game and continually learn. Groh readily praises him for his mental approach to the game.

"He's very quick to learn," Groh said. "He's as versatile mentally as he is physically."

In last Saturday's Wake Forest game, Blackstock penetrated the Demon Deacons' offensive line, steam rolling Wake Forest quarterback James MacPherson and ending a potential game-winning drive for Wake.

"Everything just zoned out," Blackstock said. "I didn't hear anything. The running back tried to cut me and just grabbed my legs. I just hopped out of it and dove at the quarterback."

These are the types of moments when Blackstock's mental focus and physical toughness lead to a direct pay-off on the field. And Virginia hopes Blackstock can provide more of these big-time plays not only throughout the season, but also during his entire Cavalier career.

"I think I'm going to be a big problem for the ACC as I get older," Blackstock said.

Blackstock definitely remains confident of his ability and has the potential to leave a legacy that all Virginia football fans will remember.

 

 

Duke’s legion of linebackers

 
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Oct 2, 2002 : 11:35 pm ET

Without a doubt, Duke linebackers Ryan Fowler, Jamyon Small and Jim Scharrer were stalwarts last season.

The trio started all but three games between them in 2001 and racked up 279 tackles, the highest combined total in the ACC for returning linebackers.

But this season, through five games, the trio already has combined to miss out on starting assignments five times.

Believe it or not, that might not be such a bad thing.

"This year, we don’t have guys out there in the fourth quarter gasping for air," Small said. "We might have guys out there in the fourth quarter now who have only played 40 plays and they’re ready to go, and they’re capable players.

"We have an even better chance of going out there and finishing strong."

Last season, veterans Small and Fowler started 10 games apiece, as did Scharrer, who was a true freshman in his mid-20s. On the three occasions they didn’t start, three different true freshmen started in their place.

Fowler, Small and Scharrer were the Blue Devils’ top three tacklers last season, but just one other linebacker ranked in the top 13 in tackles. This season, seven linebackers rank in the top 13 in tackles — even though Duke is playing just three linebackers at a time this season compared with four linebackers last season.

The increase in depth has allowed Duke to continue tweaking its linebacking lineup. Fowler, who played outside linebacker all of last season, had moved to inside linebacker this season but moved back to the outside last week against Navy.

The move freed up more playing time at the inside position for Scharrer, who got his first start of the season against Navy and responded with a team-high eight tackles. Also, sophomore Giuseppe Aguanno started in place of Small last week, ending Small’s streak of 15 straight starts.

"In years past, we didn’t have the opportunity to have a guy like Giuseppe or a guy like Ryan or Jim Scharrer that we can actually rotate in and out," said Small, who has been slowed by a finger and elbow injury. "It’s made a difference in the overall effectiveness of our defense.

"I don’t look at it like I’m losing plays or anything like that. It’s not a personal thing to me; the overall outcome is what’s more satisfying to me."

Not so special teams

In the midst of their winless season in 2001, the Blue Devils could point to their special teams as a bright spot.

This season, the team has won twice, but special teams are somewhat of a sore spot.

"We’re not doing as well in special teams as I would like to — that’s an area we need to improve on," Franks said.

"It is a third of the game, and right now we’re below-average in that part of the game."

Last season, the Blue Devils ranked seventh nationally in punt return average; so far this season, they’re eighth in the ACC. They’ve also dropped in kickoff returns, from a respectable fifth in the ACC to dead-last.

"We just haven’t been very smart on some of those teams, and on some of them we’re playing some freshmen that are making some mistakes," Franks said. "We’re trying to make a commitment to playing a lot of young guys, and usually that’s the first place you can start playing them."

The kickoff return team might soon get a boost with the return of tailback Chris Douglas to kickoff duties. Douglas, who ranked seventh nationally in all-purpose yardage last season, has been slowed by an ankle injury but seemed to return to form against Navy.

"I thought he looked pretty good — he looked as good as I’ve seen him all year long," Franks said.

Quick kicks

Franks said that no timetable had been set for the return of assistant coach Denny Creehan, who has missed the last three games following prostrate cancer surgery. "He’s been around the office some — he’s getting tired of hanging around at home," Franks said. "He’s getting his strength back."  Duke has struggled with his return of kicks, but the Blue Devils have kicked the ball better. After ranking last in the ACC in field goals per game and net punting last season, the Blue Devils have inched up to fifth in field goals and seventh in net punting this season.

 

 

Blue Devils have advanced from 0-11 seasons
DAVID DROSCHAK
Associated Press
 

DURHAM -- Jamyon Small's decision to return to the Duke football team was questioned by some outside the program.

The linebacker could have secured his history degree and walked away from a 23-game losing streak and from what was predicted to be another agonizing season for the Blue Devils.

But Small decided to stick it out with the hope of ending his college football career as a winner.

That choice looks solid now as Duke (2-3) heads into this weekend's game against Virginia with a chance to reach .500 in October, a first in the four seasons under Carl Franks.

The previous three starts under the former Florida assistant coach were 0-4, 0-5 and 0-5.

"This is everything I hoped for and imagined," Small said Monday. "After people picked us not to win any games, this is just fantastic."

Small is the team's lone senior, a guy who has seen more bad times than good as a Duke football player. So he's the last person to start looking down the road at a possible winning season or a bowl game.

But a 43-17 win over Navy on Saturday still had to feel good.

"Everybody has seen we've made improvements and we can go out there and play, so all we have to do now is keep focused throughout the whole season," Small said. "If we don't, with the tough competition in the ACC, we'll get embarrassed out there."

After enduring two straight 0-11 seasons, there is little that can embarrass Small on or off the field.

During a trip to the ACC Football Kickoff in Pinehurst in late July, Small and teammate Chris Douglas were virtually ignored by writers who wanted the latest scoop on Florida State or grilled Maryland's players on the possibility of repeating as ACC champs.

"I definitely felt there was a sense that people doubted us, looked over us and looked past us," Small said. "But that was expected. It wasn't a surprise or a shock in any way.

"Following two 0-11 seasons, people looked at the roster and saw only one returning senior - you do the math, you put all that together and people were going to say, `This team isn't going anywhere. But those people weren't in the locker room every day, they were not here in the weight room or here in the summer watching people run around."

The statistics verify the young Blue Devils are a much improved squad.

Duke had the worst defense in ACC history a season ago, but has allowed 110 yards less a game. The Blue Devils also had 71 tackles for loss a season ago. They already have 45 in five games in 2002.

And Duke's eight interceptions is tied for the ACC lead after totaling just seven in 11 losses a season ago.

Last year, we would run out into the field and say, 'Oh no, here we go again,'" said junior defensive lineman Matt Zielinski. "Now, we run out there expecting three-and-outs, we're expecting those big stops, those turnovers. That's helped our confidence on the field and we're picking up the level of play."

And there's no substitute for winning when practice rolls around.

"It's a world of difference in how our players feel and how our coaches feel," Franks said. "There's not any better feeling in the world than that Saturday night and Sunday after a win. Everything is a lot better in life. You look at things a lot differently.

"Our guys have a little different spring in their step. It's human nature. We all feel better about going out to practice."

However, Franks believes his team should already be over .500, saying a 26-21 loss at Northwestern on Sept. 14 was a game his team should have won.

"Hopefully, that keeps our guys hungry when you play a team that we're better than," Franks said. "Now, we're going to play a bunch of teams where we just can't sit there and say, `We're better than.' So, there is a big emphasis on taking care of the football and not giving up big plays."

Franks paused for about 30 seconds searching for an answer when asked if he believed Virginia respects the Duke program.

"If we beat them they certainly will," Franks said. "It would be a good way to go out and earn some respect."

NOTES: Franks called his special teams play below average. Duke is last in the ACC in kickoff returns and eighth in punt returns. ... Ryan Fowler's move from inside linebacker to the outside should free up more playing time for Jim Scharrer. Fowler leads Duke with 52 tackles. ... Alex Wade is now one of just seven Duke players to have at least four 100-yard rushing games in a season.

 

 

Cavaliers' Offense Is Its Best Defense
 
   

By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, October 3, 2002; Page D07

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Oct. 2 -- Judging by points per game, Virginia's offense has not been this good since the early 1990s, but its defense is on pace to be the school's worst since 1975.

The Cavaliers are scoring an average of 33.6 points per game and quarterback Matt Schaub has the best completion percentage in the nation and the third-best passing rating. But the defense has yielded 31.8 points and 444 yards -- including 245.8 rushing yards -- per game. Among 117 Division I-A schools, the defense ranks 107th.

The Cavaliers (3-2, 1-1 ACC) have forced 16 turnovers and run back an interception for a touchdown, but a drawback of the offense's ability to strike quickly, however, is that it sometimes keeps the defense from getting a chance to rest on the sideline. Seven of Virginia's 21 offensive touchdowns this season have come in less than two minutes of possession. Last week against Wake Forest, Virginia completed a 53-yard drive in 47 seconds and a 58-yard drive in 55 seconds.

Virginia Coach Al Groh said he isn't worried. After all, he's not about to tell the offense to stop making big plays.

For the defense, "it means you better drink your Gatorade quickly," Groh said. "But hey, points are hard to come by. Whether we can get them after seven-minute drives or we get them in 30 seconds, any time you get some points . . . that's a good thing for the defense."

This is not really the defense Groh thought he would field this season. Six players expected to be in the mix have missed a combined 15 games because of injuries. Another continues to sit out because of undisclosed "personal reasons." Linebacker Ahmad Brooks, the All-Met defensive player of the year last season, could not enroll because of academic problems.

"When you see guys dropping off your team, you can espouse all the no-excuses mentality and we-don't-talk-about-injuries things, but . . . it does give you cause for concern," Groh said when the injury epidemic began a few weeks ago.

As Virginia prepares for Saturday's game at Duke (2-3, 0-1), the injured list has grown to feature nine players, including recent additions such as tailback Alvin Pearman (broken hand).

"It's not something that I can dwell on, but I know that there are certain spots that we can pretty quickly run out," Groh said Monday.

The attrition has been most noticeable at linebacker. Junior Raymond Mann, who made 80 tackles last season, has not played since hurting his knee in Game 2 against Florida State. As with most of the injured, it remains uncertain when he will return. In his absence, inexperienced sophomore Bryan White has started three games at outside linebacker, with mixed results.

White might not have won the starting job if fellow sophomore Dennis Haley had been available, but by the time Mann got hurt, Haley was no longer suiting up for games. Haley, who has joined Groh in declining to explain the matter to reporters, continues to practice with the team, but has not played since starting the season opener on Aug. 22.

Brooks won't enroll at Virginia until January at the earliest and Kai Parham, Virginia's other blue-chip inside linebacker recruit, might not play at all this season because of a back injury. Their absences have been less costly, though, since a pair of seniors, Angelo Crowell and Merrill Robertson, start at that position.

In the secondary, Virginia is missing senior safety Chris Williams and a pair of freshman reserves, safety Willie Davis and cornerback Marcus Hamilton.

Factor in an inexperienced defensive line, and the result is a defense that has allowed more than 400 yards in four of five games. But the Cavaliers' defense has improved each game after halftime. It has allowed half as many points in the second half this season as in the first.

"The team is at a condition level that we had aimed for it to be," Groh said. "We anticipated that if we were going to have a chance to win some games, they would be fourth-quarter wins. So we'd better be able to play well in the fourth quarter."

 

 

ACC NOTES
 

 		 Oct 03, 2002
 
ANOTHER SETBACK: Maryland junior tailback Bruce Perry, who's been out since preseason with a torn groin muscle, was expected to play last weekend against Wofford but had to sit out the game after re-injuring himself in practice. Perry, the ACC's offensive player of the year in 2001, could miss the rest of the season.

"I think the first thing we have to do with Bruce is get him well," Terrapins coach Ralph Friedgen said. "I haven't ruled him out for this season yet. When and if he gets well, then we make that decision. . . . I'm not going to play him till he's 100 percent."

Perry is doing "everything he can to keep well," Friedgen said. "I think he's frustrated because he can't seem to get a break right now."

Maryland (3-2) plays at West Virginia (3-1) on Saturday. The Terps' starting quarterback, Scott McBrien, is a transfer from WVU. He passed for 755 yards and three touchdowns for the Mountaineers as a redshirt freshman in 2000.

BABY BLUE BLUES: North Carolina could well be 1-5 when it visits Virginia on Oct. 19. UNC (1-3) visits Arizona State (4-1) on Saturday night, then plays host to unbeaten N.C. State on Oct. 12. Arizona State has won four straight since losing its opener to Nebraska and hammered Stanford 65-24 last weekend. Sun Devils quarterback Andrew Walter leads the nation in passing efficiency.

Saturday's game will start at 10 p.m. EST, and second-year coach John Bunting knows what the Tar Heels will not do to kill time that day.

"We're not going to hang around that hotel," Bunting said.

DUE BACK: Junior linebacker Raymond Mann, who has never redshirted, and true freshmen Michael Johnson (tailback) and Marcus Hamilton (cornerback) are out with injuries that have caused them to miss multiple games. Each might be a candidate for a medical redshirt, but apparently that's not in Virginia coach Al Groh's plans.

"At this point right now," Groh said yesterday, "I'm not considering any hardship appeals."

It's not clear when any of the three players might return.

BOWDEN BOWL IV: More than family bragging rights will be at stake tonight in Tallahassee, Fla., where Florida State (3-0, 4-1) meets Clemson (1-0, 3-1).

"The ACC championship game can be won with a [conference] loss, because Maryland did it last year," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "But you're behind the 8-ball."

Bowden's father, Bobby, coaches Florida State, which is coming off a 26-20 overtime loss to Louisville. The Seminoles' biggest problem this season has not been oft-criticized QB Chris Rix, the elder Bowden said, but that "big plays are not coming defensively like they did in the past with the Derrick Brookses and Deion Sanderses and Corey Simons. We're not getting them when we need them to pull out these close games."

A STAR IS BORN: In its first game without Tony Hollings, who led the nation in rushing before suffering a season-ending knee injury, Georgia Tech got 136 yards from true freshman Ajenavi Eziemefe and beat North Carolina 21-13. Eziemefe carried 32 times and didn't fumble.

"I think, first of all, he did give us more than we might have expected," first-year coach Chan Gailey said. "But the best thing about it was he held on to the ball."

NIGHT AND DAY: A season in ago in Charlottesville, Matt Schaub started at quarterback for Virginia against Wake, but Bryson Spinner relieved him midway through the second quarter. Last weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., Schaub led the Cavs to a comeback victory over the Demon Deacons, completing 22 of 27 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns.

"It's like night and day from what I saw last year," Wake coach Jim Grobe said. "We saw a kid who didn't seem to be real, real confident, who seemed to have happy feet in the pocket, who did not seem to be a take-charge kid. This year, the exact opposite."

TIME TO HEAL: N.C. State (1-0, 6-0), off to its best start since 1991, is idle this weekend. That's good news for freshman sensation T.A. McLendon, who had surgery Tuesday to repair a broken bone in his right wrist. McLendon, a tailback, has scored seven TDs in the Wolfpack's past two games. He's averaging 84.2 yards per game rushing.

"The operation was a total success," State coach Chuck Amato said. "He'll probably run a little bit Saturday and Sunday and start practicing against Monday." - Jeff White

 

 

Star guard picks U.Va.
Perimeter recruiting completed

 
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER		 Oct 03, 2002
 
The perimeter portion of the Virginia men's basketball recruiting class for 2003-04 is set. Gary Forbes, a 6-5 shooting guard from New York City, committed to the Cavaliers yesterday during a news conference at his school, Benjamin Banneker Academy.

Forbes, his mother and his high school coach visited U.Va. last weekend.

Like Virginia coach Pete Gillen, Forbes is from Brooklyn. Forbes, 17, chose U.Va. over Georgia Tech and also had scholarship offers from such schools as Connecticut, St. John's, Providence and Cincinnati.

"I feel I can come in and be an impact player for the University of Virginia and hopefully win an ACC title," Forbes said by phone from Banneker.

The Cavaliers already had a commitment from 6-2 J.R. Reynolds, a Roanoke resident who's spending his senior year at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson. The NCAA's early-signing period opens next month.

Recruiting analyst Dave Telep ranks Forbes No. 48 among the players in the nation's Class of '03.

"He has range to 3-point land, good athleticsim and is a strong finisher," Telep said. "His performance at Nike [camp] was one of the better outings I saw all summer."

Assistant coach Alexis Sherard was U.Va.'s lead recruiter on Forbes, who averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists last season. Forbes said he has about an 85 average in the classroom and scored 960 on the PSAT. He'll take the SAT for the first time next month.

Virginia has two scholarships left for 2003-04. Among the big men Gillen is pursuing are 6-7 Luol Deng, 6-8 Sheray Thomas, 6-9 Josh Boone, 6-8 Terrence Roberts and 6-9, 260-pound Hassan Fofana of Hargrave Military Academy. Deng is considered one of the nation's top three prospects.