Tiki ready for life after football
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 22, 2006

Tiki Barber’s intent to retire after this season may have been a shock to New York Giants fans or NFL fans in general, but not to those who really know the former University of Virginia star.

Tiki isn’t your typical professional athlete. Even though he’s the leading rusher in the history of New York’s gloried franchise, he’s not about numbers and records. He’s all about being all he can be.

When he was in Charlottesville with identical twin Ronde Barber a few weeks ago to help launch UVa’s $3 billion fundraising campaign, there was a strong hint that this might be Tiki’s final season.

“Obviously Ronde has a Super Bowl ring, and I’ve been there, but I don’t have [a championship ring],” Tiki said. “Really, that’s my only goal left is to get one of those. Other than that, I think I’m satisfied. I came into the NFL and just wanted to make it for a few years and see what else I could do, put my degree to use.”

Go-to guy

Just like in his Cadillac Escalade commercial, Tiki wasn’t a starter for the Giants, but when the player in front of him became injured, he took advantage of the situation and became a star. He’s not only been a fixture in the Giants’ lineup ever since, but he’s their go-to guy.

Every time the Giants need a big first down or a certain amount of yardage, it seems like Tiki always delivers, often getting more than his offense needed. He runs, he catches, he blocks. If ever there were an MVP for a team, it’s Tiki.

Successful transition

But football doesn’t define Tiki Barber like it does the majority of the NFL. Without football, most of these guys would be lost. Without football, Tiki may become even more successful because he prepared himself, he took advantage of all the opportunities New York afforded him.

He has been on a soap opera, on Broadway, on television and on radio. He’s got a political side to him (teammate Ryan Kuehl always kids that Tiki will be the next mayor of NYC ... hey, don’t laugh). He’s got a business side to him. He and his lovely wife are involved in numerous charities. He and Ronde have a satellite radio show (The Barber Shop, on Sirius, NFL 124 every Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m.). They wrote two children’s books together.

Tiki is smart. He realizes that even though he’s 31 years old that running backs don’t last forever in the NFL. Most people don’t have a clue as to the weekly beating running backs take. It’s like getting into a street fight every week.

“I want to be able to play with my kids when I’m 40 and not have to limp around and have two knee replacements,” Tiki said when he and Ronde were here to give the University a cool million bucks for the capital campaign. “The problem is that I know at some point as a running back you don’t just steadily decline, you fall off a cliff. Even at 31 I’m way past the peak age for guys at my position.”

When football fans start screaming, “Well, what about the Hall of Fame?” well, they just don’t understand Tiki Barber. He’s probably a borderline candidate for the Hall should he quit after this season, but will get some support because of the kind of player he has been and the kind of person he is.

“I’ll introduce Ronde when he gets in,” Tiki said. “I don’t play football to get into the Hall of Fame. I play to get a Super Bowl win. If that comes, it comes.”

Ronde, incidentally, who entered the NFL a year ahead of Tiki, said he has no intentions of hanging it up.

“Tiki sounds all nostalgic about [retirement], but I’m still riding this pony,” Ronde said. “My quotes won’t be the same as Tiki’s because I have a lot left to do, I have a lot left to prove. You stake a claim in the NFL and you want people to remember you and I think they will.”

Both brothers have scripted for success but firmly believe the education and training they received at the University of Virginia made a major impact on their lives.

“This is subtle and most guys wouldn’t notice it, but I think we get treated differently as professional football players because we went to the University of Virginia,” Tiki said. “There’s an expectation, an assumption about the character of people who leave this university, not just athletes, but anyone. That’s another tenet of this campaign, is that you can always spot the UVa graduate because there’s something different about them and we’re proud to be examples of that.”

Somewhere, Al Groh is probably running with the scissors cutting out that quote and sending it to every prospect from the sixth grade up on the Eastern Seaboard.

And he should. If that’s the way UVa football graduates are perceived, then it needs to be a lure. Virginia should be proud of these twins from Roanoke because of what they’ve accomplished, but more importantly for who they are and what they represent.

If there are two better ambassadors for Mr. Jefferson’s University, then we should all be so lucky to know them.

 

Jones creates scholarship fund for Southwest Va.
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
October 22, 2006

Look up the history of Virginia’s greatest running backs and Thomas Jones will be at the top of several statistical categories.

The former Cavalier All-American tailback, now a running back for the Chicago Bears, put his name on another important list at the University on Saturday when he established a scholarship fund designated for students from a five-county area of Southwest Virginia.

“I’ve been blessed in my career and my roots are in Southwest Virginia,” said Jones, who came to Charlottesville from Big Stone Gap, where he starred at Powell Valley High School. “I’ll never forget those roots. This scholarship will give people from my area a chance to experience what I experienced, and hopefully, to grow the way that I’ve grown.”

Jones was one of seven children by parents Betty and Thomas Jones. Six of those children have attended college, including three at UVa (sisters Knetris and Knetta also were Wahoos). The seventh child is a high school senior that will attend college next fall.

Jones’ younger brother, Julius, played football at Notre Dame and is now a running back for the Dallas Cowboys. In addition, sisters Gwen and Beatrice, attended Tennessee.

“UVa didn’t really change my life ... it started my life as far as my becoming a man and understanding the different ways to think,” said Jones, a psychology major who earned his degree in only three years. “I felt I had an obligation to allow other people from my part of the state a chance to come here.”

The Jones scholarship fund will provide annual scholarships of $2,000 for qualifying students from five counties in that part of the state: Wise, Scott, Russell, Lee and Dickinson, in addition to the city of Norton. The scholarship can be renewed annually following the student’s first year.

It was the second major gift from former Virginia football players in the past few weeks. Brothers Tiki and Ronde Barber contributed $1 million as part of the school’s $3 billion campaign and issued a challenge to other alumni to join the cause.

Tiki Barber held several of UVa’s rushing records until Jones came along and Barber predicted his greatness, pointing out to sportswriters that Jones would likely surpass all of his marks. When Jones announced that he would attend Virginia instead of Notre Dame or Tennessee, Cavalier fans rejoiced for days.

He went on to become UVa’s all-time leading rusher with 3,998 yards. His record, set in 1999, stands today. He was the Wahoos’ first consensus All-American running back in more than half a century and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting his senior year when he was ACC Player of the Year.

Jones was as tough as nails. He never missed a practice in four years at Virginia under Hall-of-Fame coach George Welsh.

Jones remains resilient today, being the premier back for the Bears, currently first in their division with a perfect 6-0 record this season. Jones was a first-round draft choice of the Arizona Cardinals in 2000 and was traded in 2003 to Tampa Bay. He signed a free agent contract with Chicago in 2004.

“Both of our sons were able to use their athletic talents to gain scholarships,” said Betty Jones, who worked the night shift in coal mines for many years to give her children an opportunity for an education. “But football lasts a few years. Education lasts forever.”

Jones’ father, Thomas, said that his son had talked for several years about doing something that would give back to both UVa and his part of the state. An average of 10 students a year matriculate from the designated five-county area.

“This gift Thomas Jones is providing is important on several levels,” said UVa Athletic Director Craig Littlepage. “It comes to an area of the University other than athletics, which shows the great affinity between the Jones family and the University. The gift will support deserving students from Southwest Virginia. Finally, the gift comes just after our announcement of the University’s historic campaign, further demonstrating the loyalty and love for the University by our graduates.”

The scholarship fund announcement came during the annual Family Weekend activities at UVa when families with two or more children at the school were among the special guests.

 

Virginia basking in win
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 21, 2006

Perhaps it was foreshadowing at its finest.

Just minutes before Virginia tangled with North Carolina on Thursday night at Scott Stadium, coach Al Groh dropped a subtle hint that many might have disregarded. The Cavaliers’ coach looked toward the stands and offered a right-handed salute in the direction of some of the same individuals that were restless when UVa stumbled against Maryland and struggled against Western Michigan.

The jeers were at a minimum as Virginia kicked its way to a nine-point halftime lead and pulled away from the Tar Heels for a 23-0 victory with a pair of second-half touchdowns.

Groh followed up on the military theme by putting the players on leave for the weekend on Friday, a day earlier than they expected.

It was given as a “reward” and for obvious reasons.

The Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2 ACC) appeared dominant on offense and defense against the hapless Tar Heels (1-6, 0-4). Virginia used a balanced attack to beat UNC in first downs (20-11) and in total yardage (370-182) and held a plus-3 advantage in turnover margin.

If the on-field performance was not enough, what Groh saw afterwards surely was.

“One of the medals that you get in coaching is not about anyone else’s acknowledgement of what you’ve done or anything like that,” Groh said after the game. “The only ones that count the most is to be able to stand in the locker room after a team has accomplished something and [see] the brotherhood and collective pride they have in what they’ve accomplished.

“They certainly had that about them and it was gratifying to see.”

The positives started with redshirt freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell, who played turnover-free and completed 17 of 25 passes for 166 yards.

Adding to the offensive attack was tailback Jason Snelling, who gained a career-best 131 yards while battling a sprained shoulder, an injury that Groh was not informed about until Tuesday.

As of Thursday, in fact, Groh said “we had doubts as to how long he would last.”

Defensively, Virginia posted its second shutout of the season and limited UNC to just nine completions for 84 yards.

“It certainly is unusual that teams are under 100 yards, that is true,” Groh said of the feat. “We had good, tight coverage. We wanted to be very aggressive with our coverage and the players were very aggressive.”

None more so than sophomore cornerback Chris Cook, who finished with a team-high nine tackles, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass.

“Chris does this kind of stuff in practice,” Groh said. “He has a way of having the ball end up in his hands.”

Groh raved about the forced fumble, which kept UNC from scoring after it had traveled deep into UVa territory in the opening quarter.

“The strip is really a terrific play,” Groh said. “He really goes in there and digs the ball out and then the same thing with the interception.”

The win, while needed for morale, did not save the season - Virginia must win three of its final four to become eligible for a bowl game - but it did force many fans to think “what if,” namely about the two home losses.

If you are in that faction, don’t expect Groh to join you.

“I can’t allow myself that, otherwise a good part of my life would be spent doing that,” Groh said. “Western Michigan, yes, but at that point we just weren’t ready to score very many points.

“Maryland, we clearly scored enough points and just basically handed back everything we scored plus one. That was one that clearly, had we not aided and abetted the other team, that we probably would’ve won the game.”

Virginia plays host to North Carolina State a week from today at Scott Stadium at noon.

 

Cavs smile again
Victory over Tar Heels lets team concentrate on future, not record
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 21, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- His team is 3-5, with four regular-season games remaining. Two of those losses -- to Western Michigan on Sept. 16 and to Maryland on Oct. 14 -- easily could have been victories, and had those outcomes been reversed, his team would be on the verge of bowl eligibility.

"You just drive yourself crazy if you keep looking back at things," University of Virginia coach Al Groh said last night.

Against Western Michigan, U.Va. used three quarterbacks. None distinguished himself, and the Cavaliers fell 17-10. Against the Terrapins, also at Scott Stadium, the Cavaliers led 20-0 at halftime but, after self-destructing in the final two quarters, lost 28-26.

"That was one where clearly, if we hadn't aided and abetted the other team, we would have won the game," Groh said.

The Wahoos built another halftime lead Thursday night, and this time they didn't falter. After getting three first-half field goals from junior Chris Gould, U.Va. added two second-half touchdowns and blanked Coastal Division rival North Carolina 23-0 at Scott Stadium.

It was the second game in five days for U.Va., which improved to 2-2 in the ACC. Groh's players were scheduled to meet yesterday for light running and videotape review, but he rewarded them with a long weekend off. When they reconvene Monday, the Cavs will start preparing for their penultimate home game of the season a date with N.C. State (2-1, 3-2) next Saturday at noon.

Senior tailback Jason Snelling, who rushed for a career-high 131 yards against UNC (0-4, 1-6), said the victory will give U.Va. "a lot of confidence. Last week, we got off to a quick start with Maryland, but this week we carried it on. Now, we are just going to keep on working."

Junior defensive end Chris Long had a different take on the victory's impact.

"I don't think our confidence has gone up," Long said. "This is just simply what we thought we could do, and we were just ready to show people what we could do. There is no better stage than on a Thursday night on ESPN."

The Carolina game was the first in which punter Ryan Weigand played a prominent role since transferring to U.Va. from a California junior college in the summer of 2005. Weigand wasn't used last season, and he'd punted only once -- late in the opener at Pittsburgh -- this year.

To lessen the load on Gould, who'd been handling all the kicking and punting duties, Groh turned to Weigand this week. On five punts against the Tar Heels, the 6-2, 181-pound junior averaged 43.2 yards. His final two punts went 52 and 51 yards, respectively.

His first had gone only 33, after which Groh met with Weigand on the sideline.

"What I told him was, 'Look, just trust yourself. I wouldn't have you kicking the ball if I didn't believe you could do it. . . . Just go ahead and take a good swing at it,'" Groh said. "Of course, then he demonstrated later on, when he did hit it right, why he's very tempting."

With redshirt freshman Jameel Sewell now cemented at quarterback, only five seniors are in Virginia's rotation: Snelling, wideouts Fontel Mines and Deyon Williams, cornerback Marcus Hamilton and safety Tony Franklin.

Heading into training camp in August, Groh said, the coaching staff was convinced that U.Va.'s younger players were "going to be the nucleus of a good team," but the timetable for their development wasn't clear.

The Cavaliers' recent strides are encouraging, Groh said.

"We seem to be making progress toward that target."

 

Cavs find unique way to knock off North Carolina
Instead of dominating the Tar Heels with a load of big plays, UVa is steady in its shutout win.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE-- In the context of previous Scott Stadium shellackings, Virginia's 23-0 victory over North Carolina seemed relatively tame.

The Cavaliers twice had scored 50 points or more in a home-winning streak over Carolina that had reached 12 games, but, until Thursday night, UVa had not shut out the Tar Heels at home or on the road since 1926.

Carolina (1-6, 0-4 ACC) could have gotten on the scoreboard early, but sophomore cornerback Chris Cook forced a fumble on the Tar Heels' second drive and Jeffrey Fitzgerald recovered at the UVa 21-yard line.

It seemed that McGill had a good chance of making a first down on a third-and-6 pass but, while McGill was occupied with a couple of other would-be tacklers, Cook stripped the ball from him.

The Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2) came up with three turnovers, including a later Cook interception, and did not yield a turnover against a Carolina team that was ranked 116th out of 119 Division I-A teams in turnover margin.

"The strip was really a terrific play," said UVa coach Al Groh on a Friday conference call. "He goes and digs the ball out. The same thing with the interception. He's got to go in and around the wide receiver and take the ball away from him. He really hunted the ball down on both those plays.

"He could be a very good player here. He had two or three really excellent run-force plays last night, so he was very aggressive against the run, he was very aggressive against the receivers and he had two takeaways, one of which took some level of points away from North Carolina."

One week earlier, the Cavaliers (3-5, 2-2) had fallen to Maryland 28-26 at Scott Stadium despite pass completions of 51, 44 and 38 yards, a 36-yard run, and a 59-yard interception return.

This week, they were much more methodical, with no pass longer than 30 yards and no run longer than 25.

Shorter plays made a big difference, none more significant than a 19-yard run by Cedric Peerman on third-and-15 with 1:14 remaining in the half.

At the time, it appeared that the Cavaliers were content to run time off the clock before punting to Carolina at the end of the half.

Peerman's run -- his only carry until the fourth quarter -- helped set up the field goal that put the Cavaliers on top 9-0 going into halftime.

"It was really a critical time because we were going to have to kick the ball and not have very good field position," Groh said. "It's really one of those key plays that gets lost in the stats but certainly helps determine the outcome."

Led by senior tailback Jason Snelling, who carried 19 times for a career-high 131 yards, the Cavaliers finished with a season-high 194 yards on the ground.

UVa has had a season-high rushing total in each of its last four games after averaging 51 rushing yards in the first four games.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jameel Sewell shrugged off several dropped balls to finish 17-of-25 for 166 yards and, for the third time in four games, was not intercepted.

"I want to make sure I don't go too far without paying the defense credit," said Groh, whose Cavaliers outgained the Tar Heels 370-182.

It was the third time this season that Virginia has held an opponent to less than 200 total yards after accomplishing that feat once in 12 games last season.

"A shutout's great, but we also know how far we have to go," said defensive end Chris Long, who finished with seven tackles, including 112 for loss. "We also know how far we came, which is the encouraging thing."

One week earlier, the defense had failed to stop Maryland in several critical situations.

"Things are starting to come together," Long said. "For the first time tonight, I felt we played a complete team game."

Teams are like that against Carolina, which has lost four games in a row since holding off Division I-AA Furman for its only victory of the season, 45-42.

"We had an opportunity to do something unique up here in light of this very frustrating season," Carolina coach John Bunting said. "We just weren't good enough.

"These kids have followed our lead for the most part this year. We have not been successful. I don't need to tell you that, and it hurts. It hurts them, it hurts me, it hurts the staff and hurts all the people that have been supportive of this program.

"Not much more to be said."
 

Cavaliers have leader in QB Sewell
Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- He stopped in the end zone, a place neither team had seen in the first half, and demonstratively clapped his hands as he stared up into the cheering crowd.

Five days after announcing his arrival, Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell could finally enjoy it -- and he was not shy about doing it.

Virginia has its leader. He is a redshirt freshman who just turned 19. He is tall, he is fast, he has touch.

Best of all, he's one heck of a fast learner.

Sewell's performance could easily be overlooked after the Cavaliers beat North Carolina 23-0 on Thursday night, but it shouldn't be. Much of the talk will center around coach Al Groh getting a much-needed win and the defense posting a shutout and tailback Jason Snelling running for a career-high 131 yards.

All nice stories, no doubt. But if you really want a reason to get excited, a storyline that goes beyond a get-well evening against a reeling team and takes a peek at the future, then hitch your wagon to Sewell.

The last time Sewell played in a Thursday night game, he couldn't have looked less prepared. He skipped passes. He overshot receivers on short routes by yards, not inches. Making his first career start, Sewell spent the entire first half against Georgia Tech looking like a kid plucked out of the stands.

But almost immediately, he got better. He improved in the second half against Georgia Tech, then was solid the following week in a win over Duke.

Then last week against Maryland, Sewell sprouted wings. His 335 yards of total offense showed everyone just how high his ceiling could be, but perhaps even more impressive were his words after the game.

He refused to take any credit. He scoffed at suggestions that he should be proud of his performance. He lambasted himself for his one big mistake, a costly interception that the Terrapins ran back for a touchdown during their comeback.

Those were the marks of a young man who knows his role, who understands that a quarterback is ultimately judged on whether his team wins or loses. A personal celebration means nothing in an otherwise somber locker room, and if Sewell felt any personal pride, he wasn't going to show it.

No worries about this week, and Sewell's a major part of the reason.

Unlike his counterparts for UNC, Sewell made no game-changing mistakes. He threw well when the game was still in doubt, completing three of four passes (and just missing on the fourth) as UVa kicked a field goal on its first drive.

Later, a pass over the middle to normally reliable target Kevin Ogletree was dropped, negating what would have been a huge gain and perhaps a touchdown. But Sewell shook it off with ease, never trying to force things, still throwing passes with confidence.

Sewell's final stats -- 17-for-25 passing for 166 yards, plus nine rushes for 40 yards and a touchdown -- weren't the stuff of legend. But there's something about him now, a feeling that every time he takes a snap something big could happen.

The Cavaliers didn't have that five weeks ago. Nothing even close.

There was a play early in the second quarter that said it all. Sewell dropped back and was pressured by two defenders, but he slipped free toward the right sideline. UNC's E.J. Wilson had the pursuit angle on Sewell, but it didn't matter -- the quarterback beat the defender to the corner and scooted ahead for 15 yards.

After the game, Sewell sought out Wilson and gave him a hug.

Wilson's only a freshman, after all. He'll learn.
 

Carolina potential not limitless
Once-committed Tech recruit still solid
Doug Doughty

The bickering spilled out into the parking lot Friday at Henry’s Memphis BBQ, with Greg Roberts insisting to me that North Carolina could be – and maybe should be – a dominant football program.

“If that’s such a great job,” I asked Roberts, “then, why didn’t your boy, Frank, take it?”

Carolina fans would argue that Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer did accept an offer to succeed Carl Torbush in 2000, only to change his mind after returning to Blacksburg from Chapel Hill, N.C.

Heck, even Roberts doesn’t disagree that Beamer gave Carolina every impression that he was coming.

I don’t think that Beamer has regretted his decision, based on John Bunting’s 25-42 record, nor should we expect Beamer to have any interest should Carolina make the expected move and fire Bunting after the season.

Not that the Tar Heels would want Beamer after having been snubbed once already, but who exactly would want the job?

Roberts, who has a radio call-in show on WGMN in Roanoke, pointed to Mack Brown’s success at North Carolina as evidence that the Tar Heels can play winning football.

True, Carolina won 10 games or more in three of Brown’s last six seasons, posting a cumulative 21-3 record in his last two seasons, 1996-97, but his first two teams went 1-10. Remember that?

If it took three years for Brown, a recruiter par excellence, to turn the Tar Heels into a winner, how long is it going to take somebody else?

Besides, the current ACC is not the ACC of 1996-1997. Miami and Virginia Tech belong to the ACC now, as does Boston College.

That’s why I generally decline to compare sixth-year Virginia coach Al Groh with predecessor George Welsh. It’s not the same landscape. Welsh didn’t play Florida State for the first time until Year 12 of his 19-year UVa tenure.

Do you think Bobby Petrino is going to give up what he’s got going at Louisville to take the Carolina job? Would Rich Rodriguez leave Morgantown, W.Va., for Chapel Hill? Are you kidding?

Don’t get me wrong, North Carolina has better facilities, a prettier campus and a higher academic standing than almost any school that a prospective coaching target would be leaving, but that doesn’t make the challenge any easier.

Football will never be king at North Carolina, as it is at Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech and Clemson. At five or six other ACC schools, football is at least equal with basketball. Only at Duke, North Carolina and maybe Wake Forest could you make the case that men’s basketball is a clear-cut No. 1 (and that’s only because Wake is currently 6-1).

BROADCAST ANALYST Sonny Randle, no longer considered a curse to his alma mater after Virginia’s 23-0 victory over North Carolina, spoke to Bunting by phone prior to the UVa-UNC game and said that Bunting was raving about the recruits the Tar Heels have committed for next year.

What are the chances that Bunting ever coaches them? And, if Carolina does make a move, what are the chances that the new coach can hold onto the likes of quarterback recruit Mike Paulus, younger brother of Duke basketball point guard Greg Paulus.

Of greater interest to fans in Virginia is the status of Jarrell Miller, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker from Highland Springs who signed with the Tar Heels last year, picking Carolina over Virginia Tech, Virginia and Tennessee.

Miller, rated the No. 3 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times, was a qualifier under Division I-A admissions guidelines and enrolled at Carolina for summer school before it was determined that he would be served best by a year at Fork Union Military Academy.

My information was that Miller was suspended when Fork Union faced the Virginia Tech junior varsity earlier this month, but that’s not true, FUMA coach John Shuman said Friday. Shuman said Miller was inactive as the result of injury.

If Bunting does not return, what are the chances that Miller stays in the UNC fold? If he becomes a free agent, would the Cavaliers and Hokies have a chance? Would they want to be involved? Both are close to their quota right now.

I’ve got Tech with 26 commitments right now, including defensive lineman Ladi Ajiboye, a 2006 signee who is at Hargrave Military Academy, and Sarasota, Fla., linebacker Hunter Ovens, who reopened his recruiting after an Aug. 1 oral commitment.

Ovens is at Tech on an official visit this weekend and the Hokies still consider him a committed player.

HARGRAVE BASKETBALL COACH Kevin Keatts said it is his impression that Virginia pulled off 6-7 recruit Eric Wallace not because he had reopened his recruiting but because they didn’t feel their interest had been reciprocated.

The Cavaliers have stepped up their pursuit of Wallace’s Hargrave teammate, Mike Scott, a 6-8 forward from Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake who currently is at UVa on an official visit. Scott is rated the No. 170 prospect in the country, as opposed to Wallace at No. 67.

Scott signed with Temple last year but did not meet Division I eligibility standards.

“Certainly, we’ve had some highly ranked kids,” Keatts said, “but we try and trust our own eyes. Rankings are great, but sometimes I take a look at a kid and think, ‘You know what, maybe some people should have ranked him a little bit higher.

“He certainly was a great player, well, a very good player, and while he may not have been as highly ranked as some of the players we’ve had here, but he’s certainly as good as those guys.”

Virginia should be in the mix with Scott until at least decision day.

“Absolutely,” Keatts said.