Clark sidelined as Cavs begin
Forward might be the latest of several hits to the front line
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 17, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen didn't wait for the question to be asked yesterday. In his opening remarks during U.Va.'s media day at University Hall, Gillen brought up the status of a player who was expected to contend for a starting spot in the frontcourt.

"Jason Clark will not be with the team at the present time - at the present time - in practices or games," Gillen said. "I can't comment on this further, and I'm not going to take any questions on that matter, but that's the status of Jason right now."

A 6-8, 234-pound junior from Virginia Beach, Clark is U.Va.'s most athletic big man. He was slowed by knee problems last season but started 15 games and averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds as a freshman.

Privacy laws prohibit U.Va. officials from commenting publicly on the reason for Clark's separation from the team, but sources say it's related to schoolwork. Clark could rejoin the team in December - after the first semester ends - if his academic situation improves, sources said.

In the information packet distributed to reporters yesterday, Clark is listed on Virginia's roster, and a full page is devoted to his biographical and statistical data.

Without Clark, Virginia has only 10 scholarship players, three fewer than what the NCAA allows. Only two of them are true post players: 6-9, 250-pound junior Elton Brown and 6-8, 244-pound freshman Donte Minter. Another freshman, Jason Cain, stands 6-9, but he weighs only 207 pounds and is more comfortable on the wing. - Jeff White

 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Oct 17, 2003

FRESH START: Leadership. Unity. Character. Chemistry. Attitude.

Virginia coach Pete Gillen and his players uttered those watchwords early and often at University Hall yesterday.

The Cavaliers, who start practice tomorrow, are coming off a 16-16 season marred by suspensions and off-court problems. U.Va. fans' support for the team dropped noticeably late in the season.

"I feel better about the character of the team," Gillen said.

Travis Watson was the best player - and only senior starter - on last season's team. He's now playing pro ball in Greece. Three players who had eligibility remaining - center Nick Vander Laan and guards Keith Jenifer and Jermaine Harper - transferred to other schools.

On a team that includes five freshmen, Gillen expects senior guards Todd Billet and Majestic Mapp, junior center Elton Brown and junior forward Devin Smith to provide much of the leadership.

The importance of leadership can't be overstated, Gillen said.

"You've got to have that," he said. "We didn't have that last year. I'm not going to mention names or anything, but we didn't have the leadership we needed. I've got to do a better job as a head coach, but we need it in the locker room."

Gillen said he believes this team's "chemistry is better. Not that it was horrible last year, but we had a couple guys who just weren't good fits here. That's my fault, I take the responsibility, and that's not going to happen again."

SPECIAL GUEST: Two of Virginia's three scholarships for 2004-05 are spoken for, point guard Sean Singletary and swingman Adrian Joseph having committed. The final one could go to 6-10, 215-pound center Tunji Soroye, a senior at Montrose Christian in Rockville, Md.

Soroye, a native of Nigeria, will take an official visit to U.Va. this weekend.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: Brown, whose weight soared to 275 pounds last season, is down to 250. Among the comments he often gets, Brown said, is this one: "Hey, I didn't know it was you. . . . You look slim. Where's the other half of you at?"

His response: "I tell them I left it at Burger King and McDonald's."

Getting compliments on his appearance "makes me feel good and makes me want to work even harder," Brown said. "I'm just hoping and praying that the way I worked out this summer is going to pay off during the season, which I really think it is."

Other Cavaliers who have bulked up or slimmed down include Smith, sophomore Derrick Byars and freshmen Gary Forbes and Jason Cain. Forbes (6-6, 215) has gained about 20 pounds since graduating from high school, Byars (6-7, 215) added about 15 in the offseason. Smith (6-5, 237) has dropped about 13, and Cain (6-9, 207) has put on 10 pounds of much-needed muscle.

ON THE MEND: Freshman guard J.R. Reynolds is wearing a cast that covers his left forearm and hand. The 6-2 right-hander from Roanoke had surgery late last month to repair ligaments he tore in his left thumb during a pickup game.

Reynolds said he expects to be cleared for contact in two weeks. Until then, he'll run through non-contact drills with his teammates in practice.

ON THE GLASS: Watson led the ACC in rebounding each of the past two seasons. The 6-10, 250-pound Vander Laan was the Cavaliers' second-leading rebounder in 2002-03. Without those two inside, rebounding is a concern for Gillen.

"Everybody's got to help," he said.

Gillen said he believes Brown can average seven or eight boards per game. Perimeter players such as Smith, Forbes, Byars and Cain, along with 6-8, 244-pound freshman Donte Minter, will have to work the glass, too.

"We were spoiled with Travis," Gillen said. "Travis was just a killer on the boards, so a lot of guys used to leak out early. Now we don't have that luxury."

MUSICAL CHAIRS: Scott Shepherd and Alexis Sherard have again switched places on the U.Va. coaching staff. Shepherd, the team's director of operations in 2002-03, is back an assistant. He previously was an assistant under Gillen from 1999 to 2002.

Sherard, an assistant last season, has resumed his role as director of operations, a position he previously held at U.Va. from 1999 to 2002. During his one-year stint as a recruiting assistant, Sherard was instrumental in helping the Cavaliers land Forbes and Joseph. - Jeff White

 

Clark suspension leaves a big void
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published October 17, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia's basketball team will begin practice Saturday afternoon without the player coach Pete Gillen has often said is the most physically gifted on the team.

Jason Clark, a 6-foot-8 forward from Virginia Beach, has been suspended from the team, Gillen said Thursday at the Cavaliers' preseason media day. Gillen would not say why, though he did confirm it isn't a legal issue. A source close to the team said it's an academic matter.

"Jason Clark will not be with the team at the present time in practices or games," Gillen said. "I cannot comment on this further, and I'm not going to take any questions on that."

Clark, a junior who remains in school, averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds a game over the past two seasons and shot 64.9 percent. He's been a study in inconsistency, showing tremendous activity under the boards one night but disappearing the next.

Along with junior Elton Brown, Clark was to be Virginia's most-experienced frontcourt player this season. His absence means Donte Minter, a 6-8 freshman from Salisbury, N.C., by way of Fork Union, will be counted on to contribute earlier than expected.

THE KNEE. Majestic Mapp knew the question would surface sooner or later, so let's just get it out of the way quickly: How's the knee?

"It's good," said Mapp, who underwent five knee operations and missed two seasons before returning last January. "The best it's been since I was injured. I'm like a kid in a candy store. I feel refreshed. Before, it was ... I wouldn't call it depressing, but it was definitely nerve-racking.

"The one thing I can say is that I finally had a summer and a preseason. And I haven't had that since my freshman year."

Having played two seasons and missed two, Mapp is listed as a senior on this year's roster. However, Virginia has requested a waiver of the NCAA's rule that allows athletes five years to compete four seasons.
 

New season offers quick expectations
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
October 17, 2003

Virginia coach Pete Gillen talked about anything and everything Thursday, well, almost everything.
During the team’s annual media day on the eve of the season’s first practice, Gillen discussed his team returning to an up-tempo and pressing style. He spoke of using a smaller lineup with a new svelte, 6-foot-9 Elton Brown as the only “big man” on the floor. He very candidly mentioned his desire for his players to implement a character and leadership standard that was often missing last season. He commented on the assets of his five new freshmen while also praising his returnees.
He didn’t, however, have too much to say about the status of junior forward Jason Clark.
Gillen said the 6-8 Clark will not practice or play with the team for the time being. Gillen didn’t and wasn’t willing to elaborate.
“Jason Clark will not be with the team at the present time in practices or games. I cannot comment on this further,” Gillen said.
Clark, who averaged 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds a contest last season, is still listed on the team’s roster and is currently enrolled in classes at UVa. While Gillen was mum on the reasoning behind Clark’s absence, sources indicated it’s likely an academic issue.
If Gillen used few words on Clark, he was quite vociferous on the other topics of the afternoon especially on his team’s personnel and personality.
“We’re excited about our team. We started building for this season right after last year’s 16-16 season,” said Gillen, whose team’s 2002-03 campaign was ended by St. John’s in a second-round NIT contest. “Our goals are higher than that. I think the players have worked hard in the spring and summer and are working hard in the fall. I’m excited about the leadership we have. Devin Smith and Todd Billet have been the two main catalysts. … Our leadership and team chemistry have been very good.”
Those were two things that were not so good last season, or as Gillen might opt for, at least perceived that way.
Virginia’s season was marked by a seven-game losing streak in mid-February that took it out of NCAA tournament contention and marred by a series of off-the-court incidents.
First, three players - Keith Jenifer, Jermaine Harper and Clark - were suspended from a preseason contest for what was later deemed academic issues. Just two days later, Harper, who has since transferred to Cal State-Fullerton, was arrested in Albemarle County on a driving under the influence charge and was later suspended for the first five games of the season.
In February, Jenifer, who transferred to Murray State, was involved in an altercation on the university’s corner district and was suspended indefinitely and never returned.
Additionally, senior and tri-captain Travis Watson was involved in at least two instances when tardiness to team functions led to in-game suspensions.
“It has to be something from the team. They have to be excited to practice. They have to have leadership and buy into it. … I think we have that this year. It’s a great privilege to play college basketball. Half the world is in poverty and we’re playing basketball. What could be so bad about that?” Gillen said. “I think the players are tired of hearing [about the perceptions of their characters]. … We had a couple of things that went wrong and I’ll take the blame but it’s not every player. We’re doing our best to do the right thing. We didn’t have the leadership we needed last year.”
Among those that has apparently embraced the leadership role is senior guard Todd Billet. This will be Billet’s third year in Charlottesville after sitting out the 2001-02 season because of NCAA transfer rules and finally returning to the court last season. A certain comfort zone and no longer being the newcomer has allowed Billet to ascend to the leadership role.
“Now, I feel real comfortable with the guys and with everything about the school. I think I’m in a position of leadership now and want to instill a work ethic in everyone because that’s so important. As a senior, you want to make a difference,” Billet said. “One of my goals is to not just lead by example but speak up during practices and games and be both positive and negative. That’s what you need sometimes. It’s human nature.”
As for the actual on-court product, Gillen said with the addition of freshman perimeter players such as T.J. Bannister, J.R. Reynolds and Gary Forbes coupled with returnees such as Billet, Brown and swingmen Smith and sophomore Derrick Byars, the Cavaliers will be a quicker, more athletic squad. That will allow Virginia to play a more up-tempo and pressing style that constituted Gillen’s first few teams in Charlottesville.
“We have some balance. We’re going to push it up and press and run. Last year, we weren’t as quick as we needed to be. Four of our new recruits are quick and that will help us in our pressing area,” Gillen said. “Our quickness and athleticism is much improved from last year.”
While the Cavs will aim to be smaller and quicker, it will be Brown - who is, well, much smaller and quicker himself these days - that will be the main cog on the interior.
“We just want to win. It could be four big guys and one guard out there. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m here to play this year. I’m just trying to win this year. That’s all I’m worried about,” said Brown, who is a shadow of his former self having lost nearly 30 pounds over the summer and is now weighing in at 250.

Coaching duties. Gillen announced that two of his assistants would swap responsibilities. Scott Shepherd, the director of basketball operations last season, will be an assistant coach while Alexis Sherard will replace Shepherd as the director of basketball operations. Both Shepherd and Sherard are in their fifth years at Virginia.
“It’s something that we had planned since last summer,” Gillen said.
In his new role, Shepherd will be one of Virginia’s primary off-campus recruiters along with Gillen and top assistant Walt Fuller.
Gillen had shuffled his staff last summer with the addition of Rod Jensen, the former head coach at Boise State.

Free throws. Virginia’s first game is against Mt. St. Mary’s on Nov. 23 at U-Hall. The Cavaliers also play exhibition contests against the Big Apple All-Stars (Nov. 11) and the Coaches vs. Cancer All-Stars (Nov. 18). … Senior point guard Majestic Mapp said his knee is “better than it’s been in a long time” and he hopes to be more of a contributor this year. Mapp missed nearly two and a half years after tearing the ACL in his right knee in August 2000. Mapp, who is currently taking courses towards his master’s degree in education, is in the midst of petitioning the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. The NCAA allows players five years to complete four seasons but occasionally grants a sixth season in medical hardship situations. Mapp said he definitely wants to play next season as well. … Reynolds tore ligaments in his left wrist last month and is currently wearing a cast on that arm. He said the cast should be removed within two weeks.
 

Canty making noise for Cavs
By John Galinsky / Daily Progress staff writer
October 17, 2003

A television reporter new to Virginia’s locker room tentatively approached Chris Canty a few weeks ago. “Are you Chris Canty?” he asked.

“Nah, that’s Canty over there,” said Canty, pointing to guard Elton Brown. “Hey, Canty! This guy wants to talk to you!”

Brown just laughed and shook his head. His teammates have come to expect such playfulness from Canty, a junior defensive end whose exuberance and boisterousness stand out on an otherwise quiet team.

Canty is loud in the locker room, loud in the weight room, loud on the practice field and loud during games.

“If everyone was like that, you couldn’t hear yourself think,” said UVa coach Al Groh. “It’s probably not good to have 11 like that but it’s good to have two or three. It’s good to have some of that energy and some of that volume.”

Canty says he can’t help himself. He’s always had an outgoing personality, plus there’s just something about football that makes him light up - and speak up.

“I love it, man, I just love it,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t start playing till my junior year of high school, but I took to it immediately. Being part of a team, playing for each other, it’s great. And hey, you get to go out and hit people. What’s better than that? I love it. When I don’t get that bubbly feeling before a game, that’s when it’s time to call it quits.”

What a novel concept: Football as fun. Canty exudes joy when he plays. Not surprisingly, he admires Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp, among the NFL’s loudest and most passionate players. Recently, he has taken to copying Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, who makes an exaggerated kicking motion after a big tackle.

“Just trying to signal to the offense: Get that outta here. It’s not gonna work,” he said, smiling.

Most importantly for the Cavaliers (4-2, 3-1), who face No. 7 Florida State (5-1, 4-0) on Saturday night at Scott Stadium, Canty’s play has spoken loudly of late.

In six games, he has made 45 tackles, tops among ACC defensive linemen.

He is second on the team in sacks (3), tackles for a loss (6) and quarterback pressures (8). In an overtime loss at Clemson last Saturday, he made a career-high 13 tackles, including a sack in the third quarter.

“He’s very athletic for his size,” said UVa tackle Brad Butler, who occasionally blocks Canty during practice. “He’s quick and he can really move, which you might not expect from someone that big.”

Of course, Canty wasn’t always big. When he started playing football six years ago, he was 6-6 and about 185 pounds, but he says he compensated for lack of bulk and strength with extreme enthusiasm.

“Some guys bench 500 [pounds], some guys squat 600. That wasn’t me,” he said. “I just had a big heart and a go-getter attitude. I don’t understand how people can play football without emotion. That’s how I had to play. Excitement and attitude. That’s still what I bring to the table every game.”

Canty is now 6-7 and 290, though he looks remarkably lithe and has excellent lateral movement. He made 86 tackles in 11 games last season, earning second-team All-ACC honors, but he may be just scratching the surface of his potential.

In addition to his late start playing football, Canty’s development has been delayed by several injuries. He broke a leg two summers ago, then broke an arm against Virginia Tech last season.

Though he missed just three games with those injuries, Groh estimates Canty is about 65 practices behind where he could be.

“I would think that has cost him,” Groh said, “but he’s quickly compensating for that.”

If anything, Canty says, the injuries made him appreciate football even more.

“I know they set me back. I mean, who knows what I’m capable of doing? I’m still trying to figure it out,” he said. “I have a lot of work to do with pass-rush techniques, things like that. But I know I don’t want to waste any day when I could be getting better.”

Canty isn’t the shy type, and he sure isn’t scared of facing the Seminoles in front of a national television audience on ESPN.

“Competition is what I get excited about,” he said. “Games like this, sometimes you don’t even need to talk. It’s like, just shut up and play. Let your shoulder pads do the talking.”
 

J.R. adjusting to cast
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

CHARLOTTESVILLE - On the first media day of his Virginia basketball career, J.R. Reynolds wore a cast on his left forearm and Jermaine Harper's old jersey on his back.
Things can only get better.

A shipment of new jerseys should arrive any day and Reynolds is taking part in shooting drills and conditioning work after surgery to repair torn ligaments in his non-shooting thumb.

Reynolds suffered the injury Sept.27 while playing in a pickup game with teammates and prospects in town for official recruiting visits.

"I was coming around a screen and fell down," said Reynolds, a 6-foot-2 1/2 guard from Roanoke. "It was hurting, but I kept on playing. When I went to the doctor that Monday, he told me that I had to have surgery. I decided to get it out of the way, so it wouldn't bother me during the season."

Reynolds, a four-year starter at Roanoke Catholic who was named Mr. Basketball by The Roanoke Times after spending the 2002-03 season at Oak Hill Academy, has been at UVa since the second session of summer school.

What he noticed from the start was a determination to improve the team's reputation after a 16-16 season that was marked by a lack of discipline off the court.

"That's a major issue right now," Reynolds said. "If one player goes somewhere, the whole team goes, so we just keep each other out of trouble. We've got a lot to prove to people."

LITTLE 'E': Elton Brown, a 6-9 junior, said he got up to 280 pounds before undertaking a crash conditioning program that had him down to 251 by the time the players were weighed and measured.

Brown hasn't discarded his old wardrobe, "but I'll never get past 260 again," he said. "I might never see 255 again. This summer, I'd walk by people I knew and they wouldn't speak. I was thinking, 'They must not like me,' but they just didn't recognize me. I went home and my mom almost cried. She was like, 'What did they do to you?'"

CLARK OUT: Brown's former AAU running mate, 6-7 junior Jason Clark, apparently has academic issues that will prevent him from practicing or playing in the first semester. "I can't go there," said UVa coach Pete Gillen, who confirmed that Clark is in school and would not rule out his return this season.

REALIGNMENT: Gillen announced that assistant coaches Scott Shepherd and Alexis Sherard have exchanged responsibilities, with Sherard taking over as director of basketball operations and Shepherd becoming a full-fledged recruiter.

Sherard, the director of basketball operations until 2002, assumed recruiting duties when former assistant Tommy Herrion resigned to become the head coach at College of Charleston. Gillen said at that time that Sherard and Shepherd might switch jobs after one year.

RECRUITING: Virginia, with one scholarship at its disposal, will entertain 6-11, 210-pound Tunji Soroye this weekend. Soroye, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, and a member of his country's junior national team, is in his second year at Montrose Christian in Kensington, Md.

 

Overtime loss a sneaky subject
Billet-Forbes match impressive
By DOUG DOUGHTY
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays

For the first time in a long time, I found myself at a loss for statistics this week.

I could have used some numbers Saturday night when I spent five hours debating the merits of the quarterback sneak with Jeff "Bright Side" White.

("Bright Side" recently lost his copyright battle with TV personality Moe Rocco over use of the nickname "Media Gadfly.")

The quarterback sneak became an issue in my mind when Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman was stopped for no gain on third-and-one Saturday in the Cavaliers' overtime possession against Clemson.

Coach Al Groh cited UVa's game-long struggles in short yardage for kicking a field goal that left the Cavaliers with a short-lived, 27-24 lead before Clemson scored a touchdown on its possession to win 30-27.

I don't have much argument with Groh's decision to kick the field goal on fourth-and-1 and think it speaks volumes of his trust in sophomore Connor Hughes, who has now converted 13 straight field-goal attempts without a miss.

My question is, why not have your 6-5, 240-pound quarterback take the snap and plunge forward on third down?

"I've seen those things get stopped as often as they work," Groh said in a teleconference Sunday.

When asked if he had quarterback sneaks in his playbook, Groh said, "Not that we had planned to use in recent games, with our quarterback's shoulder in the condition it was."

The issue came up again Monday night on Groh's radio call-in show.

"I'd say it's 50-50 with the teams we play," Groh said. "Some teams are quarterback-sneak teams; some aren't. We've tried to eliminate plays that put our quarterback in a contact situation -- quarterback sneaks, quarterback draws ... "

SCHAUB MADE AN interesting comment after the game, when asked if the Cavaliers had a quarterback sneak in their "arsenal."

"If we did, we would have run it, probably,” Schaub said.

At the time, it appeared that Schaub might have been confused by the question. When asked to elaborate Monday, he said he wasn't sure Saturday was how much he could or should say about the Cavaliers' playbook.

MY RECOLLECTION was that quarterback sneaks were an issue when current UVa quarterbacks coach Mike Groh played for George Welsh, but I couldn't find a reference in The Roanoke Times' computer archives.

What subsequently came to mind was the opening game of the 2000 season -- Welsh's last -- when the Cavaliers lost to Brigham Young 38-35 in Charlottesville.

UVa jumped to a 21-0 lead in that game and withstood one BYU rally to take a 35-21 lead in the fourth quarter. It was a 35-28 game and the Cavaliers faced a third-and-1 from their 49 with just over five minutes left.

Arlen Harris, injured earlier in the game, replaced Antwoine Womack at tailback and was stopped for no gain on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1. BYU went on an eight-play drive that lasted only 50 seconds, tied the score with 3:58 left and won in overtime. (The second of three UVa losses in its three overtime games.)

“There are some things that do mystify me," said Ellis, the Cavaliers' quarterback in 2000 and now a teacher and coach in Pennsylvania. "We ran it sometimes, and, yes, we should have run it in that BYU game. I'd be shocked that it wasn't in the playbook. I thought that was just a basic play everyone used.

"The only problem with it is that defenses will put d-linemen on the center and guards and just submarine them to create a pile of [rhymes with wrap]. Then your QB is in a position where he needs to go over them, which is where the linebackers are.

"I think that is sometimes why coaches don't call it. I will say, it's not that easy to run it. The defense doesn't just let you fall forward anymore."

THIS AFTERNOON, VIRGINIA will hold its press day for men's and women's basketball, but the players have been playing pick-up games and conducting individual workouts with coaches throughout the fall, creating some opportunity for evaluation.

While waiting for a recent Groh news conference, I had the chance to observe a pick-up game between prize freshman Gary Forbes and fifth-year senior Todd Billet. Lending their expertise as observers were Andrew Joyner of the Charlottesville Daily Progress and "Bright Side" White.

If they were keeping score, I'm sure Billet would have won. Of course, he stroked a few 3-pointers, but he also had some success taking the ball to the hoop and didn't give Forbes an inch on defense.

It was hard not to be impressed with Forbes because, unlike most players listed at 6-5, he actually is 6-5 and maybe 6-6. He did not have Billet's 3-point accuracy, but did have a free-and-easy 3-point stroke and a fadeaway that will be hard to defend.

I came away thinking that Billet, not rated among the nation's top 20 point guards or shooting guards by The Sporting News in its preseason yearbook, could surprise a lot of people.
 

U.-Va. Set to Toe Line Against FSU
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, October 17, 2003; Page D03

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Oct. 16 -- When Virginia brought a nearly brand-new defensive line to Florida State last season, the result was somewhat predictable. The Seminoles' huge, veteran offensive line pulverized the Cavaliers' freshman ends and sophomore nose tackle for 397 rushing yards in a 40-19 win.
Three of Virginia's front seven defensive starters were playing the second game of their college careers. They did not yet have the size, skills or experience to keep up.

"We were pretty light last year. We weren't quite as strong," said nose tackle Andrew Hoffman, who is now 6 feet 5, 285 pounds. "We've gotten a lot stronger with a new strength coach, Evan Marcus. I think we really feel confident this year. . . . It's going to help us a lot."

Virginia's run defense has made corresponding improvement, cutting its average yardage allowed from 209 last season to 155 entering Saturday night's home game against the seventh-ranked Seminoles (5-1, 4-0 ACC).

In last week's 30-27 overtime loss at Clemson, the Cavaliers (4-2, 3-1) allowed 194 yards on the ground, about twice what the Tigers had been averaging. Yet as Virginia Coach Al Groh pointed out, that total includes a 52-yard reverse and a 13-yard run after a fumble -- plays the defensive line is not necessarily involved in stopping. On their other 44 runs, the Tigers averaged 2.9 yards per rush, hitting their previous average almost exactly on the head.

The Seminoles, who average 128.8 rushing yards per game, likely will be without two starting offensive linemen this weekend. They have run the ball less often this season than seven of the other eight ACC teams. Yet they have one of the nation's best tailback triumvirates in senior Greg Jones, sophomore Leon Washington and redshirt freshman Lorenzo Booker.

Punting Woes

After a solid freshman season last year, Virginia punter Tom Hagan has the worst average in the conference this season. His backup is freshman Noah Greenbaum, a recruited walk-on who "has begun to get a lot of people's attention in the last couple weeks" in practice, Groh said.

"I noticed that he really had some lift on the ball, and so since that time, we tended to in his work have him major in developing his punting style," Groh added. "I think we'd rather continue to kick him under pressure on the practice field for a little bit. We've only been really doing this for a few weeks here. But we'll see [about using him in a game]. Who knows?"

Next season the Cavaliers will have a third punter when Sean Johnson, a backup in 2000 and 2001, returns after a two-year Mormon mission.

Virginia's place kickers, on the other hand, have been almost perfect this season. Sophomore Connor Hughes has hit each of his 10 field goal attempts, including tries from 44, 48 and 53 yards. Including last season, he has made 13 consecutive attempts -- one shy of the Virginia record Jake McInerney established in 1989.

Sophomore Kurt Smith has put 27 of his 37 kickoffs in the end zone, including 20 touchbacks. On average, his kicks land inside the 1-yard line and opponents start inside the 22.

"I don't think there's anybody on the team doing a much better job with their responsibilities than Kurt is," Groh said.
 

At Virginia, A Better Fit All Around
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, October 17, 2003; Page D03

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Oct. 16 -- Last season wasn't much fun for the Virginia men's and women's basketball teams. Sure, they had some success -- more notably the women, who reached the second round of the NCAA tournament -- but both teams labored through problems with team chemistry that affected their play on the court and at times made just coming to practice a chore.

But two days before the opening of practice for the 2003-04 season, coaches Pete Gillen and Debbie Ryan and their players are optimistic that those interpersonal difficulties are behind them.

"Our leadership has been very good and our chemistry has been very good," Gillen said. "Last year we had a couple guys who weren't great fits."

"People are just a little more mature," fifth-year forward Anna Crosswhite said. "In our conversations, how we interact with each other. I think that really helps in terms of the team goals."

For the Virginia men, chemistry problems were only part of the equation as the Cavaliers limped to a 16-16 record, missing the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season. Since-departed guards Keith Jenifer and Jermaine Harper were arrested in separate incidents.

Power forward Travis Watson and center Jason Rogers were seniors last season. Center Nick Vander Laan transferred back home to California. Junior forward Jason Clark is sidelined indefinitely for reasons Gillen declined to specify.

For the second year in a row, Virginia, which returns four starters but also welcomes five freshmen, will have to sort out a new rotation.

"We don't have a great player on this year's team as far as the experts are concerned -- a Grant Hill or a superstar guy -- but we have some very good players," said Gillen, whose team is appearing near the bottom of the ACC in preseason media predictions.

That group includes fifth-year guard Todd Billet, junior big man Elton Brown, junior forward Devin Smith and sophomore wing Derrick Byars. Brown, one of the most gifted post players in the ACC, shed 34 pounds to get down to 250 during the offseason and is eager to prove he's "better than what I showed my first two years."

Despite losing leading scorer Cherrise Graham, the Virginia women start with higher expectations after a 17-14 season that included their 20th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Forward Brandi Teamer and guard LaTonya Blue are entering their third year as starters, and junior forward Kate Kreager is eligible after transferring from Xavier.

"We're going to be a team that is going to be able to run with the big dogs, I think, if we can get people in the right places," Ryan said. "This team's better prepared physically and emotionally, so I don't think we have any excuses."
 

Unheralded, but not unappreciated
When working in the trenches, Hoffman doesn't mind the grind
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 17, 2003

CHARLOTTESVILLE Andrew Hoffman stood by his locker in the McCue Center, polishing off a bag of McDonald's finest. It takes a lot of beef to play nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, and Hoffman carries a solid 290 pounds on his 6-5 frame.

"You definitely need the size," he said, "just because you're going to have two guys on you constantly. You're going to get blocked from different angles, and the weight helps you stabilize yourself."

A redshirt junior from South Riding in Loudoun County, Hoffman is a two-year starter at nose tackle for Virginia's football team, which entertains seventh-ranked Florida State tomorrow night at Scott Stadium. After recording 56 tackles in 14 games in 2002, he's made 38 stops through six games this season, a significant increase in production.

"He's had three really good games in a row," U.Va. coach Al Groh said.

Most of the teams for which Groh coached in the NFL favored the 3-4, and he brought that defense with him to U.Va. when he returned to his alma mater after the 2000 season. It's a defense that showcases linebackers, one reason Groh has been able to recruit such players as Darryl Blackstock, Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham.

Nose tackle, however, is the ultimate blue-collar position in this defense, a thankless assignment. Hoffman often battles two blockers - the center and a guard - and so must be "pretty mentally quick as well as physically quick," Groh said.

Hoffman, 21, said he relishes the challenge he faces on every snap.

"I like being down in the trenches," he said. "That's where it's at."

Ask a U.Va. fan to name the team's top defenders, and the list produced would almost certainly include linebackers Blackstock and Brooks, end Chris Canty, safety Jermaine Hardy and cornerbacks Jamaine Winborne and Almondo Curry.

Andrew Hoffman?

"He's one of the most underappreciated guys on the team," said Canty, a second-team all-ACC pick in 2002. "He gets no attention, no hype, no nothing."

Hoffman's teammates, however, recognize the contributions he makes up front.

"It takes a special individual" to play nose tackle, Canty said. "He has my utmost respect. Everything happens so quick down there."

A nose tackle, Groh said, has to "control the center, with leverage and with power."

Hoffman, a 2000 graduate of Park View High in Sterling, weighed about 245 pounds when he arrived at U.Va. to play for then-coach George Welsh. Groh's predecessor employed a 4-3 defense, which most college teams use, and Hoffman lined up at tackle in 2000. He played as a true freshman, but it was something of a wasted season. Hoffman appeared in seven games for a total of 65 plays.

Groh took over a program well-stocked with veteran defensive linemen, including senior Monsanto Pope, who moved into the nose-tackle slot in the spring of 2001. So Hoffman, after looking at the two-deep, approached his new coach and asked to redshirt.

"My first year, I didn't get to play that much - not even enough to get a letter - and I saw that happening again," Hoffman recalled. "I didn't want to be halfway through my career and not have had some decent experience playing."

Groh granted his request, and Hoffman put his redshirt season to good use. "I picked up some size and worked on my position and tried to get the [nose-tackle] skills down," he said.

He's played 20 games at a position where he'd never lined up in a game before 2002. If he stays healthy, Hoffman could well start another 19 games at nose tackle. That's good news, Groh said, for the Cavaliers.

"His technique's real good, and he's seen all the different types of [centers] and he's seen all the schemes," Groh said. "I think he's really hitting his stride in playing this position."