Cavs hoops tabbed 8th in ACC
Hansbrough, UNC favored; UVa's Singletary gets first-team nod
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
October 23, 2006

GREENSBORO, N.C. - After last season’s ACC Media Day, Dave Leitao should have jotted down the names and addresses of the few hundred journalists in attendance so that he could send them gold watches for Christmas - or at least some gift certificates to Five Guys.

In the preseason poll, the media picked Leitao’s squad to finish dead last in the 12-team conference.

It wound up being the perfect motivational tool for the first-year Virginia coach.

“That fueled fire to the team,” said Virginia point guard Sean Singletary. “Sometimes being picked last is the best thing.”

This season, Leitao will have to find a new way to rally his charges. Virginia, which finished in a three-way tie for seventh in the ACC last year, was picked to finish eighth at the league media day on Sunday.

Singletary was voted to the All-ACC First Team. Backcourt mate J.R. Reynolds was a second-team selection.

North Carolina, which returns national Freshman of the Year Tyler Hansbrough, was picked to finish first in the league. N.C. State, with new coach Sidney Lowe, was last.

“[UNC] finished the season so strong last year with so many young guys,” Leitao said. “They lost David Noel, who was important, but they have the best three recruits for their positions in the country. I don’t know if that has happened in the recent past.

“When you add that to an already talented group, you would have to say they might be the class of the league this year, but time will tell.”

Last season, with only eight scholarship players - and coming off a poor season under Pete Gillen the previous year - Virginia was an easy team to overlook.

That probably won’t be the case this season. Just ask the likes of Boston College, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

“I was very surprised they were able to do that to us,” said Boston College forward Jared Dudley, referring to Virginia’s 72-58 win. “They hit like 10 3’s. I’m looking for a little redemption this year because they gave it to us pretty good.”

Not as good as Virginia gave it to Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers beat the Hokies three times.

Tech guard Zabian Dowdell said he felt ill when he first saw Reynolds and Singletary in the lobby of the Grandover Resort.

“Just seeing those guys, it hurts,” Dowdell. said. “I have those games marked on my calendar.

“It leaves a sour taste in your mouth when a team beats you three times in one season, especially when you know what they’re going to do, how they’re going to do it, who’s going to do it.”

Dowdell was referring to Virginia’s predictable offense, which revolved entirely around Singletary and Reynolds. The duo combined for more than 50 percent of UVa’s points,

One of the biggest issues for Leitao last season was finding a third scoring option. At times, Adrian Joseph filled that role. However, he was inconsistent down the stretch.

Leitao said the team needs to spread the wealth this season.

“It’s my hope that we can be balanced,” he said. “It’s still something where we need a guy who can be right at double figures [in points], regardless of the circumstance.

“If you mention anybody in that vein right now, it would be Jason [Cain]. He’s probably played better than anyone in the first week of practice. He’s found different ways to be effective - and not just scoring the ball, but rebounding and becoming a better version of himself from last year.”

Leitao said Joseph, sophomore Mamadi Diane and freshman Will Harris are other possibilities.

Of course, with seven new players on the roster, things will take time to jell. There was an adjustment period last year to Leitao’s intense style of coaching. The same thing is taking place now, Reynolds said.

“It’s a different look on their faces,” said Reynolds, describing his freshmen teammates during practices. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, what the hell have I gotten myself into!’”

Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said he could see Leitao’s personality seeping into his players last season.

“He came in and did an outstanding job of cultivating a culture of toughness and a work ethic,” Purnell said. “They were a tough out at home, which is what you want to establish in any league. He’s done a nice job of recruiting, and, with a new building, I think their future is obviously bright.”

Dudley, an All-ACC First Team selection, is expecting Virginia to fare much better than the media’s prediction.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish top 3,” he said. “They have all five starters returning, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Look at N.C. State. They had all those seniors last year and didn’t do that well.”

Perhaps that could be Leitao’s new rallying cry.

DUNKS: One of the hottest topics of discussion at media day was the fact that only four ACC teams made the NCAA Tournament last year. Several coaches were miffed that Florida State and Maryland were left out. “It’s not right,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “You have to recognize that the people participating in our league are intense … it’s pretty damn good competition. I don’t see where the formula rewards that.” … Freshman Will Harris has missed the last few practices with bone spurs in his right foot. “We’re going to gauge it day by day with some medication,” Leitao said, “and when the pain subsides, we’ll deal with it.” … Leitao said Lars Mikalauskas’ sprained left ankle is doing better. “He’s doing more hydrotherapy things in the training room and jogging in the water, but we haven’t got him on the court moving and cutting yet. I would hope that would happen sometime this week.”

 

Sports Focus: Bounce-Back Year for ACC?
Fewer stars, better teams Maryland's Williams is looking for increase in NCAA tourney bids
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Oct 23, 2006

GREENSBORO, N.C. The list of marquee basketball players who left the Atlantic Coast Conference after last season is impressive. It starts with J.J. Redick, the national player of the year, and also includes such stars as Shelden Williams, Craig Smith, Justin Gray, David Noel and Guillermo Diaz.

For all that star power, the ACC had, in many ways, a season to forget in 2005-06. This is a conference, after all, that prides itself on producing national champions. Only four of the ACC's 12 teams received NCAA tournament invitations last season. None advanced past the third round.

With the start of a new season less than three weeks away, the ACC's head coaches and about two dozen players descended on the Grandover Resort yesterday to meet with media representatives and talk hoops. The conference may not produce as many All-Americans as in 2005-06, the consensus seemed to be, but it should have more quality teams.

Only three schools -- defending ACC champion Duke, Wake Forest and N.C. State -- return fewer than three starters. Virginia Tech returns five, as does Virginia.

"You get fooled sometimes, sure," Maryland coach Gary Williams said, "but I think this year, if you look at the depth of our league, there's no reason why we shouldn't have six, seven teams in the NCAA."

U.Va. guard J.R. Reynolds said: "It's going to be a tough league. It's going to be better than it was last year."

A season ago, the Cavaliers' first under coach Dave Leitao, they were picked by the media to finish last in the ACC. Virginia, as many other ACC teams have, proved prognosticators wrong, finishing in a three-way tie for seventh.

In the preseason poll released yesterday, an eighth-place finish was predicted for U.Va., which received 365 points in media balloting. Virginia Tech, with 385 points, was picked to finish sixth. The preseason choice to win the ACC was North Carolina, which received 59 of 62 first-place votes.

The Tar Heels, picked to finish sixth last season, ended up second.

"It is different," Carolina senior guard Wes Miller said. "Last we were the underdogs. Nobody expected us to do anything. We had that chip on our shoulder going in to prove people wrong. This year, we have a bull's-eye on our back."

Of the 16 players who were all-ACC last season, six return: first-teamers Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) and Sean Singletary (Virginia); second-teamers Al Thornton (Florida State) and Jared Dudley (Boston College); and third-teamers Reynolds and Reyshawn Terry (UNC). Hansbrough, a sophomore, was ACC rookie of the year and perhaps the nation's premier freshman.

Also back are three players who received honorable mention: Georgia Tech's Anthony Morrow and Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell and Coleman Collins.

"There's going to be another Tyler Hansbrough in our league this year that's going to be a tremendous player," said Frank Haith, Miami's third-year coach. "There's always going to be new guys stepping up in our league. Always."

Haith cited two of the Hurricanes' 2005-06 standouts: Diaz, who made the all-ACC second team, and Robert Hite, a third-team pick.

"Diaz and Hite, when we got to Miami, were role players," Haith said, "and all of the sudden they took the next step. That's what college basketball is all about. Guys' roles change from year to year."

Singletary, a junior who's a three-year starter, believes the importance of experience can't be overstated. His coach isn't so sure.

"This thing about this league I found out quickly is that it's a talent league," said Leitao, who came to U.Va. from DePaul in the spring of 2005. "And I've been a big proponent -- I always have been, always will be -- of experience, and that means a ton. But guys come into this league as freshmen or sophomores and are able to do the same thing as four-year seniors."

 

Amato is still eyeing a title
N.C. State will likely have to win its final four games in ACC
By John Delong
JOURNAL REPORTER
COLLEGE PARK, Md.

N.C. State's 26-20 loss to Maryland on Saturday dropped it all the way to fifth place in the ACC Atlantic Division standings.

But Coach Chuck Amato still had his sights on Jacksonville when he walked out of Byrd Stadium, and he was no less optimistic yesterday.

"Everybody still has to play a lot of games," Amato said. "Just remember a year ago - and that doesn't mean it will happen this year - a team won our division with three conference losses. There's an awful lot of football to be played.

"And you know what? We've got to line up and play one this week away from home at 12 noon again, and so does everyone else. But all we can worry about is ourselves right now."

State will hit the road for a game at Virginia on Saturday.

The Wolfpack, 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, is probably in a position where it would have to win its remaining four ACC games in order to have a chance for a divisional title. And with games against Georgia Tech and at Clemson on the horizon, a win at Virginia would seem to be essential to keeping State's hopes alive.

Four teams have one loss each in the division. Clemson is 4-1 in league play, Boston College is 3-1, and Wake Forest and Maryland are 2-1. Wake Forest and Maryland would get the head-to-head tie-breakers against State by virtue of wins in the past two weeks.

Still, Amato is optimistic that anything can happen. He said he saw things to be encouraged about on Saturday at Maryland despite the costly mistakes that spelled doom. State had three turnovers that Maryland parlayed into 17 points, and it committed nine penalties for 80 yards.

"The most concerning is the obvious, the turnovers, and the timing of the turnovers," Amato said.

"Pleasing is that these kids never stopped playing. They just never stop playing. We give up a 24-yard and 31-yard touchdown drives by Maryland and we had an 80-yard drive, a 66-yard drive, and the game came down to an onside kick. "

The "never quit" part may be the most-encouraging part to everyone at State. This is State's second two-game losing streak of the season. It responded well after the first - nonconference losses to Akron and Southern Miss - by beating Boston College and Florida State.

State players talked about that as they pondered the situation after the game Saturday.

"We're on a two-game losing streak again, but hopefully we can bounce back like we did from the last one," linebacker Pat Lowery said. "We're still not out of it yet. We've just got to show up Monday and go to work again, because we've got another good team again next week. We seem to play better when our backs are against the wall. So hopefully that'll prove true again."

Quarterback Daniel Evans said he wasn't sure why State has been on such a roller-coaster ride. But he said he, too, expected a good week of practice and a good performance at Virginia.

"I've been here three years and we've always bounced back from situations like this," Evans said. "I'm not worried about morale or anything like that at all. I know we'll come back Monday ready to work."

 

No. 2 Cavaliers down Virginia Tech
Virginia overcomes early defecit and sluggish start to defeat Hokies on the stregnth of Cristman's hat trick
Ben Gibson, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

After the No. 2 Virginia men's soccer team took down Maryland, Virginia coach George Gelnovatch was highly impressed with the turnaround of senior forward Adam Cristman.

"I hope he scores his goals down the stretch," Gelnovatch said. "I think he'll score a few more for us."

Gelnovatch's prediction came true Friday night against the No. 23 Virginia Tech Hokies as an inspired Cristman registered a hat trick to give the Cavaliers a 3-1 victory and only their second road win of the year.

It was the first hat trick for a Virginia Cavalier in 142 games.

"I'm still in shock," Cristman said. "It's an unbelievable feeling to score a hat trick. Hopefully, this jumpstarts us again as we get ready for the second half of our season."

The game started like most road games this season for the Cavaliers -- slowly. Virginia could not get the early lead in the first half despite ample opportunities. Cristman had a couple of good shots in the opening minutes, an omen of things to come. Freshman midfielder Jonathan Villanueva had the best opportunity in the half when his shot from just inside the box passed over Hokie goalie Drew Czekanski but nailed the crossbar and sailed out of bounds.

In the second half, it did not take long for the Hokies to strike. Hokie midfielder Ben Nason crossed the ball to senior midfielder Brad Collins, whose shot ricocheted off a Virginia defender and into the goal for the lead. Despite a commanding lead in the shot category up to this point, it was the fourth straight time Virginia failed to score the opening goal on the road.

"We played well as a team tonight," Cristman said. "We fell behind. We picked the ball up and said we were going to get back in this."

The Cavaliers did what they had to do on the road -- answer quickly. The Hokies would only lead the game for 43 seconds as junior midfielder Nico Colaluca was able to find Cristman off a corner kick. The senior was able to redirect the ball in the goal for the equalizer.

The game appeared destined for overtime when it was still tied in the final 10 minutes, but Virginia's late-game heroics continued yet again this season.

Sophomore defender Matt Poole kicked a deep ball that would have made Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell proud. Cristman ran it down and had a one-on-one with the goalie that he took advantage of with a solid strike into the back of the net.

The goal was Cristman's 12th game-winning goal of his career but only the first of the year. After not scoring a goal until the ninth game of the season, Cristman is now second on the team in points and appears ready to make his final year at Virginia a memorable one.

"We scored three goals because we played with a total team effort, Cristman said. "We defended like a team and we came here determined to win like a team."

The Cavaliers put the game away with less than four minutes left when senior midfielder Ian Holder found Cristman. After some fancy footwork around the defender he blasted a shot in the back corner and tipped his proverbial hat to the Cavalier faithful at the game.

Duke's 1-0 victory over North Carolina however, means that Virginia (13-2-0, 5-2-0 ACC) will remain one point back in the race for the ACC regular season championship with one week left.

Virginia will play its regular season finale Friday against No. 3 Wake Forest at Klöckner Stadium.