Groh returning in 2009
U.Va. athletic director Craig Littlepage says the football coach will be back regardless of how the current season finishes.
By DAVID TEEL | 247-4636

On his BlackBerry in between meetings today, Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage confirmed to me what he e-mailed the Richmond Times-Dispatch yesterday: Al Groh will coach the Cavaliers’ football team in 2009 regardless of how this season concludes.

“It appears the team over the past six weeks has responded well to all of the different challenges it’s faced,” Littlepage told me. “That is the most important factor to be weighed.”

But why weigh those factors before season’s end?

Look, there’s no disputing Littlepage’s point. After a disheartening 1-3 start that included myriad personnel issues and blowout losses to Southern California, Connecticut and Duke, Virginia’s players and coaches rebounded admirably.

The Cavaliers defeated Maryland, East Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia Tech in succession to claim first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division. They won comfortably (Maryland), in overtime (North Carolina) and from behind (North Carolina and Georgia Tech).

But Virginia (5-5, 3-3 ACC) has since lost consecutive games to Miami and Wake Forest. Those defeats don’t erase earlier inroads, but what if the Cavaliers drop their final two games: Nov. 22 against visiting Clemson and Nov. 29 at Virginia Tech?

That would leave Virginia 5-7, riding a four-game losing streak and enduring a sub-.500 record for the second time in three years. Perhaps most discouraging to the faithful, such a finish would make Groh 1-7 against Virginia Tech.

Groh, 64, is family. He's a Virginia graduate, and his son Mike played quarterback for the Cavaliers and now serves as his father's offensive coordinator.

But even after last season's unexpected success (9-4 and a Gator Bowl bid), fans have criticized Groh for the team's offense, player misbehavior, his prickly personality and shortcomings in road games.

All this at a time when average home attendance is down 10.7 percent (59,824 to 54,122) from last year and is at its lowest since the expansion of Scott Stadium for the 2000 season. Athletic department officials blame most of the decline on the economy, but I don’t buy it. Long before the economy crumbled, fans were unhappy with Groh and new policies that demand larger donations for premium seats.

The Cavaliers drew 64,947 for their opener against Southern California but haven’t come within 11,000 of that in five subsequent home games. Moreover, the USC contest marks the only time Virginia has matched its smallest crowd from the previous five years: 54,552 against Miami in 2006.

Why, the Cavaliers drew a larger crowd for Troy State in 2003 (57,580) than for North Carolina this season (52,342).

So why decide and reveal now that Groh (56-42 overall, 34-28 ACC) will definitely return for his ninth season? Why not wait for all the precincts to report?

Yes, Groh’s contract runs through the 2011 season, and buying him out would cost more than $5 million. But how much might Virginia lose if attendance dips below 50,000 next season and the program declines?

And spare me the naïve notion that Virginia is somehow different than most major college programs obsessed with the bottom line. The university signed up for big-boy football when it expanded Scott Stadium and gave Groh a $2 million salary.

Fair or not, inflated contract = inflated expectations.

Hey, if the Cavaliers win out, or even if they split and play in some forgettable bowl, Littlepage’s decision will appear sage. But if not, folks will have every right to ask, what was the rush?

I asked Littlepage about the timing and whether finances were a consideration.

“There’s really nothing to add to the previous response at this point,” he said.
 

U.VA. NOTES
Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008 - 12:07 AM

Cavaliers seeking standout from L.A.
Men's basketball coach Dave Leitao is trying to pull off one of the great recruiting coups in University of Virginia history.

Renardo Sidney, a 6-10, 250-pound senior from Fairfax High in Los Angeles, is coming to U.Va. with his family for an unofficial visit this weekend.

He's scheduled to arrive Saturday and leave Monday.

Virginia opens the season Sunday at 4 p.m. against Virginia Military Institute at John Paul Jones Arena, and Sidney will be on hand.

Sidney, who spent most of his childhood in Mississippi, is ranked No. 5 in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com and No. 10 by Rivals.com. He's also a solid student.

Elite programs such as UCLA have pursued him for years, but Sidney is intrigued by the possibility of doing for a lesser-known team what Michael Beasley did last season for Kansas State.

Leitao, who traveled to California recently on a recruiting trip, has established a strong bond with Sidney and his parents. That the family will pay its way to Charlottesville reflects its level of interest in U.Va.

For now, at least, Virginia's recruiting class for 2009-10 consists of forward Tristan Spurlock and point guard Jontel Evans. The NCAA's early-signing period begins tomorrow.

Season outlook brighter for Zeglinski
Point guard Sammy Zeglinski arrived at U.Va. in 2007 as part of a freshman class that also included Mike Scott, Jeff Jones and Mustapha Farrakhan.

An ankle injury limited Zeglinski to eight games last season, however, and he was granted a medical redshirt. That means Zeglinski, who like Sean Singletary starred at Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, has four seasons of eligibility left.

"From last year, I feel like a totally different player," Zeglinski said. "I just feel a lot more comfortable."

In Virginia's exhibition win Sunday over Division II Shepherd University, Zeglinski had a game-high six assists in 20 minutes off the bench. He also had five rebounds and a steal but went 1 for 4 from the floor.

"I'd like to have seen him be a little more aggressive for his own offense, because I think that sets up his passes," Leitao said. "But again, he's been up and done a little bit. About a week and a half ago, we had a conversation about how he needs to approach everything, and from that point, I think he's been a little bit better."

Freshman linebacker's season may be done
The five true freshmen whom coach Al Groh has used this season are likely to assume prominent roles on the U.Va. football team in years to come.

For one, however, his first season may be over.

Outside linebacker Cameron Johnson has missed the past two games with an ankle injury and probably won't play again during the regular season, Groh said. The Cavaliers (3-3 ACC, 5-5 overall) must win one of their two remaining games to become bowl-eligible.

Johnson, a 6-4, 250-pound graduate of Gonzaga High in D.C., hasn't played since suffering a high-ankle sprain Oct. 25 at Georgia Tech.

"It's misnamed in a lot of ways," Groh said of the high-ankle sprain. "It's down in that area, but it involves the bones up above the ankle, sometimes a lot more than it involves the actual ankle . . . and that's the case with him."

Johnson made his debut in Virginia's third game. He quickly emerged as an effective pass-rusher in the Cavaliers' nickel (five defensive backs) and dime (six) schemes. In six games this season, Johnson was in for 102 plays and made seven tackles, including three for loss.

He's expected to compete for a starting job in 2009, probably at outside linebacker. Johnson, though, could grow into a defensive end.

Visit from Clemson scheduled for noon
U.Va.'s home finale is Nov. 22 against Clemson at Scott Stadium. That game will start at noon, the ACC announced yesterday, and be televised by Raycom.

Virginia (3-3, 5-5), off this weekend, closes the regular season Nov. 29 at Virginia Tech. Clemson (2-4, 4-5) is home Saturday against Duke (1-4, 4-5). - Jeff White

 

Top recruit Sidney considering Cavaliers
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 10, 2008

Virginia’s 2009 recruiting class may be even better than anybody imagined.
That’s saying something when you consider UVa coach Dave Leitao has already landed guard Jontel “Bub” Evans and forward Tristan Spurlock.
On Monday, a source told The Daily Progress that Virginia has a legitimate shot of reeling in one of the jewels of the 2009 class — Renardo Sidney, a 6-foot-10, 250-pounder out of Los Angeles’ Fairfax Senior High.
Sidney, considered by many to be a “one-and-done” type player — meaning he will likely turn pro after just one college season — is rated as a
5-star recruit by Rivals.com and as the 10th best prospect in the nation.
“He’s the best player in the country,” said Franklin Harris, a NYC-based recruiting guru. “The only reason he’s not [rated] No. 1 is because he can be lazy at times and can sometimes be disinterested. High school basketball is just not competitive for him.
“I’ve seen him play maybe 10 times. He can score inside, put it on the floor. He’s a prototypical NBA 4-man.”
Sidney, who grew up in Mississippi — he’s also
considering Mississippi State, LSU, UCLA and USC — will be in Charlottesville this weekend with his parents and attend UVa’s season-opening game against VMI on Sunday.
With national signing day beginning Wednesday, a source said it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Virginia inks Sidney during the early period.
However, another source said he expected Sidney to bypass college and play
professionally in Europe — a route that former California prep phenom Brandon Jennings took this year.
Wherever Sidney winds up, Leitao’s recruiting job has to be commended. Until now, everybody figured the coach was done with his 2009 class. Apparently, he wanted to make it even stronger.

 

Howell impresses with booming punts; Groh says Randolph has handled nerves
Pair of freshmen kick way on to team; neither considered Virginia in original college plans
Paul Montana, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Published: Tuesday, November 11 2008

Jimmy Howell, pictured punting Aug. 30 against USC, has shone as a freshman punter this year, averaging 39.3 yards per punt. Howell booted his career-long 58-yarder against Miami Nov. 1. Virginia coach Al Groh has long said if a true freshman is ready to help the team, he will play.

There is no more evidence to support this assertion than on special teams. From the first snap against USC to this point, freshman Jimmy Howell has been the starting punter. With freshman Robert Randolph leapfrogging senior Yannick Reyering as the place kicker on the field goal team last week, Groh has rookies at two of the highest-pressure positions on the field.

“It’s a little different situation than if a player was playing on the line of scrimmage,” Groh said. “But there’s still a lot of pressure on the players to go in and do that.”

Randolph got the start Saturday after receiving his first action three weeks before against North Carolina with Reyering sidelined by a leg injury. After converting one field goal from 37 yards and having another blocked from 39, Randolph’s game-tying extra point late in regulation was tipped at the line of scrimmage and barely flopped over the bar.

After Reyering went 1 for 3 on field goals in the 24-17 overtime loss to Miami, in which he missed tries from 38 and 47 yards, however, Groh gave the nod to Randolph against Wake Forest.

“I was actually informed earlier in the week that I was going to start,” Randolph said. “I took all the one-reps in practice, so I was prepared for the game.”

Randolph said he thought the opportunity to start was a week overdue.

“After I thought I did good in [the game against] North Carolina, I thought I had earned my spot,” Randolph said. “It kind of hurt a little bit, but I couldn’t let it get to me.”

When finally inserted into the top spot on the depth chart against Wake Forest Saturday, Randolph hit two successful extra points and a 33-yard field goal, more than likely good enough to keep the starting job Nov. 22 against Clemson, Groh said.

“It wasn’t a taxing tryout [for Randolph], but at least we got a positive result out of it,” Groh said. “Obviously we needed a better result than what we’ve been getting.”

Howell, meanwhile, has taken every punt this season, averaging 39.3 yards per punt. A freshman from Florence, S.C., Howell was the favorite for the job even before training camp, and Groh said he has been happy with his progress in recent weeks. Howell has averaged 42.8 yards per punt the last two weeks, including two more than 50 yards. Against Miami, Howell put five of his seven punts inside the 20 and booted one ball a season-high 58 yards.

“The distance and all those things were never an issue with Jimmy — it’s just the consistency of the kick,” Groh said. “Now it’s gone on for two weeks — each one hasn’t been beautiful, but there’s been some progress.”

Like Randolph, Virginia was not in Howell’s plans until late in the recruiting process. Randolph received a scholarship from New Mexico State and had planned on playing for Georgetown “until Virginia called me.” Howell said he originally committed to Northwestern, in large part because Virginia had already offered a scholarship to another punter. The coaching staff, however, told Howell that the other punter was “a little shaky” and may de-commit, Howell said. Howell was subsequently offered a scholarship by Virginia and he took it without a second thought.

“Northwestern wasn’t too happy, but the [Virginia] coaches here were,” Howell said. “I talked to every coach — they passed the phone around the table.”

Now entering his ninth game, Howell considers himself a veteran; he noted, however, that all it took was one game against USC. If Howell can punt against the Trojans — he averaged 38.2 yards on eight kicks — it would appear that he can punt against anybody.

“In high school, you maybe had 2,000 [fans],” Howell said. “Then you had 65,000, and then the No. 1 school in America.”

For both Howell and Randolph, Groh said he has been pleased with their ability to handle nerves as starters in their first seasons.

“They’ve handled it well, particularly Rob,” Groh said.

 

Cavs to host Army in tourney
By Whitey Reid
Published: November 10, 2008

Late Monday night, the Virginia women’s soccer team learned its NCAA Tournament fate.
It’s a pretty good one.
UVa, which lost in the ACC Tournament semifinals to Virginia Tech last week, earned a No. 2 seed and will open at Klockner Stadium against Army on Friday at 5 p.m.
“It’s great to be home,” said Virginia coach Steve Swanson. “We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success at Klockner. I think we owe a lot of that to our fans and we’re hoping we can get that support again on Friday.”
If the Wahoos can defeat Army, they would host the West Virginia-Princeton winner on Sunday at noon. The Mountaineers and Tigers play in Friday’s nightcap at Klockner.
“It’s great to be the No. 2 seed and to be playing at home,” said Virginia senior Nikki Krzysik. “We’re excited about playing Army and getting the postseason
started.
“We haven’t peaked yet and hopefully we do it at the right time.”
Swanson doesn’t expect his team to have any kind of hangover after the tough shootout loss to Virginia Tech.
“It was obviously tough losing to Tech after having played so well and created so many chances,” he said. “But I actually thought we played very well last week. I think we did a lot of things well.”

 

Shabaz, Inglot take title; Stevens makes round of 16 before losing
Published: Tuesday, November 11 2008

Featuring players from more than 30 colleges across the country, last weekend’s ITA National Indoor Championships marked the first time Virginia has hosted an event of national championship caliber.

On the men’s side of the draw, the doubles team of sophomore Michael Shabaz and senior Dominic Inglot headlined the weekend for the Cavaliers at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The pair overpowered Michigan sophomore Jason Jung and junior Mike Scroczynski (7-5, 6-3) Saturday to earn a spot in the doubles backdraw finals. Shabaz and Inglot again emerged victorious Sunday, defeating junior Monte Tucker and freshman Michael Johnson of Auburn-Montgomery in straight sets (6-2 6-2) to claim the consolation crown.

In the men’s singles bracket, Shabaz advanced to the semifinals of the backdraw before falling to Kentucky senior Bruno Agostinelli (3-6, 6-4, 6-7) in a tight three-set thriller Saturday.

Junior Jennifer Stevens was the top individual performer for the Virginia women’s team, making it to the round of 16 before losing to Auburn junior Fani Chifchieva (4-6, 6-3, 3-6).

In the women’s doubles consolation quarterfinal Friday, the Cavalier pair of seniors Amanda Rales and Maggie Yahner fell to USC junior Gabriela Niculescu and sophomore Maria Sanchez (3-8).

 

Dom Starsia Inducted into Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 11/10/2008
Courtesy: Lacrosse Magazine

Lacrosse coach Dom Starsia was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Saturday night.

HUNT VALLEY, MD—Virginia men’s lacrosse head coach Dom Starsia was one of eight individuals inducted as the 51st class to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Saturday night at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md.

“The wins and losses are fickle at best,” Starsia said during his induction speech. “It’s the relationships that stand the test of time.

“Coaching has never been a career choice. It’s my life. During my interview [with UVa], I was asked to describe myself. I didn’t know how to respond. I said, ‘honest, and I’ll work hard.’ And it’s really never been more than that.”

Associate head coach Marc Van Arsdale presented Starsia for induction. “A coach of his status has to wear many hats - as a coach, an opposing coach, a father and a mentor,” said Van Arsdale. “In all these roles, he stands tall. He does great things for everybody all the time.”

One of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport, Starsia has compiled 285-107 record in 26 seasons as a collegiate coach at Brown and Virginia. He stands sixth in college history in wins.

He coached at Brown, his alma mater from 1982 to 1992, compiling a record of 101-46, leading the Bears to two Ivy League titles and five NCAA tournament berths. He was named the USILA Morris Touchstone Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1991.

In 1993, he took over at Virginia and has since led the Cavaliers to three national championships (1999, 2003 and 2006). At Virginia he has a record of 184-61 and has led the Cavaliers to 10 NCAA semifinal appearances.

During his coaching tenure at UVa, he has produced 97 All-Americans (22 first-team, 25 second-team, 21 third-team and 29 honorable mention choices), 59 All-ACC selections, seven ACC Rookies of the Year and five ACC Players of the Year. In addition, UVa has produced four NCAA Championship MVPs (Michael Watson in 1996, Conor Gill in 1999, Tillman Johnson in 2003 and Matt Ward in 2006) and 30 All-NCAA Tournament selections, all since 1994.

Starsia was also an outstanding defenseman at Brown where he earned All-America honors twice. Following his collegiate playing career he was a four-time All-Club player and a member of the 1978 U.S. team. He has been inducted into the Brown University Athletic, US Lacrosse New England and Charlottesville Chapter halls of fame.

Joining Starsia as members of the Class of 2008 were: Roberta Brennan (former U.S. National Women’s Team member), Lynn Craun (noted umpire), Pat Dillon (long-time contributor and official), Tom Marechek (player at Syracuse), Chris Sailer (current women’s lacrosse coach at Princeton), George Tracy (player at Navy) and
Dick Watts (long-time contributor).

Other Virginia National Lacrosse Hall of Fame members include: Jay Conner, Heather Dow, John Driscoll, Tom Duquette, Peter Eldredge, Billy Hooper, Roddy Marino, Jane Miller, Howdy Myers, Jim Potter, Doyle Smith and Julie Williams. In addition, former UVa coaches Jim Adams, Buddy Beardmore, Gene Corrigan, Wilson Fewster and Bob Sandell have also been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

A special thanks to Matt DaSilva from Lacrosse Magazine for providing the quotes.


 

Men’s Lacrosse to Play North Carolina at Meadowlands
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 11/10/2008
Courtesy: Jeff Najarian

Virginia and North Carolina will play the first lacrosse game ever in Giants Stadium on April 4.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Virginia men’s lacrosse team will face North Carolina in the inaugural Big City Classic, a college lacrosse tripleheader organized by Inside Lacrosse magazine, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on April 4, 2009.

The Cavaliers and Tar Heels are scheduled to faceoff at noon in the day’s first game. They will be followed by Syracuse vs. Princeton at 2:30 pm and Hofstra/Delaware at 5 pm.

The Big City Classic places some of the elite names in lacrosse on the big stage of Giants Stadium, with New York City providing a unique backdrop. The six teams involved are worthy of the big stage. They have advanced to the NCAA semifinals a combined 67 times, winning 24 NCAA championships. All six programs have entered into a two-year commitment for the Big City Classic.

This is the third consecutive year the Cavaliers will participate in a major regular-season lacrosse event. The past two years they have defeated Syracuse in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Classic at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.

“The University of Virginia is very excited to be involved in this inaugural Big City Classic,” said Virginia head coach Dom Starsia. “The opportunity to actually play the first lacrosse game in the Meadowlands, to bring two top ACC lacrosse teams to the New York City market and to expose the game for old and new fans alike is an important moment for our players and for the sport. Bob Carpenter, Andy Bilello and the staff at Inside Lacrosse have worked very hard to make this happen and we are proud to be partners in such a bold initiative.”

Carpenter, publisher of Inside Lacrosse, is excited about the event. “For the past three years, Inside Lacrosse has been committed to creating events that will expose fans to the energy and passion of college lacrosse,” he said. “One of the glaring absences our sport's had to date, is that the top level of Division I men's lacrosse has never been played on the doorstep of New York City. This is the No. 1 media market in the world. To showcase the sport on such a big stage, we knew we had to bring together as much talent as possible. With the combination of these programs, we feel we're bringing to the New York metropolitan area one of the strongest lineups ever assembled.”

Ticket prices for the Big City Classic will be $15 for group purchases of 10 or more, $25 for lower level reserved seats and $40 for mezzanine level reserved seats at Giants Stadium. Tickets for the Big City Classic are scheduled to go on sale December 1, 2008.

Virginia opens its season at home against Drexel on Feb. 14.