Make a move
David Teel
Daily Press
December 3, 2008

Money should not matter. Nor should personality, or academics, or image.

Many have linked Virginia football coach Al Groh's future to those, and other, elements.

It's all background noise.

Groh's job ought to hinge on one question and one question alone: Do his bosses believe he represents a long-term solution for what ails the program?

If yes, say so. Publicly and unequivocally.

If no, fire him. Or choreograph a face-saving resignation.

Either way, end the charade. Disinfect the atmosphere.

No more vague e-mails. No more contract machinations. No more daily speculation.

The decision falls on two men: athletic director Craig Littlepage and university president John Casteen. Littlepage should be the public face, but Casteen darn well better have his back.

And the decision should not be ponderous. Groh's eight seasons offer ample evidence.

Clearly, he is a man of integrity and intellect, a two-time ACC coach of the year capable like few others of devising and teaching defenses. His players vouch for him publicly and privately, and his teams have earned five bowl invites, contended for three ACC titles and never failed to win at least five games.

Just as clearly, 2008 was Virginia's second losing season in the last three years, a decline that coincides with Groh's ill-considered promotion of his son Mike to offensive coordinator. Academic suspensions and criminal charges have affected the program, attendance has fallen to record lows, and Groh is 1-7 against rival Virginia Tech.

Is this across-the-board downturn temporary or systemic? Is Groh's 56-44 record, 34-30 against ACC competition, sufficient return on investments that include above-market coaching salaries and high-octane facilities?

Spare us the mitigating circumstances. Just answer the question.

Granted, the price of jettisoning Groh — north of $6 million — is considerable, more so in this toxic economy. But the cost of further competitive decline and fan support would far exceed the $2 million Virginia would save by delaying for a year.

Sure, Groh's occasional arrogance can chafe like a rash. But that's a trait he shares with scores of coaches and sportswriters.

Yes, Virginia has long maintained exacting academic principles and admirable graduation rates. But so have ACC rivals such as Boston College and Georgia Tech, programs with consecutive bowl streaks of 10 and 12 years, respectively.

Then there's Wake Forest, a program Groh coached from 1981-86 with one winning season. Another academic peer of Virginia's, and the ACC's smallest institution, Wake has emerged with a conference championship and 27 victories in the last three seasons.

And did we mention that a Virginia grad, Jim Grobe, coaches the Deacons?

Finally, the notion of kneecapping a winning coach who's never flirted with NCAA impropriety or behaved like a frat boy undeniably clashes with the university's heritage. But such compromises, boys and girls, are the price of admission to major college sports.

In the last two years alone, ACC mates Miami (Larry Coker), Georgia Tech (Chan Gailey) and Clemson (Tommy Bowden) ousted coaches with records superior to Groh's.

This year encapsulated his Virginia tenure.

On the field, the Cavaliers stumbled badly at the start, surged into first place at midseason, and lost their final four games for the first time since 1982. Average home attendance dipped to 53,815, the lowest since Scott Stadium was expanded in 2000.

Off the field, key players such as quarterbacks Jameel Sewell and Peter Lalich, defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald and cornerback Chris Cook failed to meet academic or behavioral standards.

Meanwhile, anyone observing the program had to wonder, Who is in charge here?

In August, Littlepage issued a no-signs edict for Scott Stadium — the unspoken reason to avoid criticism of coaches. In October, after student objections — and pressure from above? — Littlepage recanted.

Moments after Virginia defeated Richmond, Groh ridiculed media for questioning Lalich's continued presence. Four days later, Groh said Lalich would not accompany the team to Connecticut; the following week, Littlepage booted Lalich from the program.

Less than a month ago, responding to e-mailed questions, Littlepage assured media that Groh would return in 2009. But he refused to answer follow-ups via phone or in-person, and Sunday he released a statement that Virginia had declined to exercise the annual extension option in Groh's contract.

A contract, by the way, that Casteen, not Littlepage, orchestrated and that pays Groh $2 million annually, at least half-a-mil more than his record merits.

Conversely, Casteen and Littlepage signed off on Groh's 2006 appointment of Mike Groh to offensive coordinator. The Cavaliers have since ranked 110th, 81st and 115th nationally in scoring, prompting many to wonder if a change at OC might spare the head coach.

Perhaps, but demoting or removing Mike Groh does not confront the core issue: Is Al Groh the answer for Virginia football?

The question isn't that difficult. Is it?

Hot seat
Eric Strow
Published: Wednesday, December 3 2008

With Thanksgiving having come and gone, I’m sure everyone reflected deeply on what they are thankful for. I’m a pretty happy person these days, but what I’m certainly not thankful for is the pain and suffering caused by Virginia’s recent inability to win on the football field and basketball court. All the good feelings from Thanksgiving Break wore off with each Virginia loss these past few days. I’ve never written that Virginia should fire a coach before, and I’m not going to start now, but I feel the need to say that football coach Al Groh as well as men’s hoops coach Dave Leitao should both be feeling a ton of pressure and worrying about their job security right now.

Athletic Director Craig Littlepage decided not to give Groh a contract extension this weekend after the loss to Virginia Tech closed the book on the Cavaliers’ 5-7 season. This decision was a no-brainer; in fact, I don’t even know how this was an option. Nobody should be able to get a contract extension after having a losing record. The 2008 season was grossly disappointing, marked by players’ off-field transgressions as well as a four-game losing streak to end the year after Virginia somehow got a chance to win the ACC Coastal Division. I was blind enough to believe that could happen after the Cavaliers won four games in a row to get up to 5-3, which made the way this season ended all the more painful.

Last year, Groh was ACC Coach of the Year because Virginia was 9-4, including five wins by 2 points or fewer. I’m not sure Virginia’s performance should have earned him that award because winning five games in heart-attack fashion doesn’t exactly say “great coaching” to me. After last year, however, Groh’s contract was extended through 2011 in a move that at the time I believed was premature. Virginia’s poor 2008 season just confirmed what I had already thought.

And, Virginia was 5-7 in 2006, meaning that Groh has a combined record of 19-18 in the last three seasons with only one bowl appearance, in which the Cavaliers lost last year. The bottom line for judging a coach comes from wins and losses, and a record of one game above .500 in a three-year span that included two losing seasons is cause for concern. All in all, Groh has been given a lot of slack, but it’s time for something to change. Maybe Virginia should look for a new offensive coordinator if it’s not ready to get rid of its head coach — but perhaps Virginia should even start seriously considering that option, too.

As far as basketball goes, I’m nowhere near qualified to be a coach, but I have some issues with Leitao’s tactics and coaching style. Virginia beat Radford by only 2 points Nov. 21. I sat in the fifth row behind the Virginia bench and saw Leitao’s actions the entire game. He emptied the entire bench in the first half, apparently attempting to send a message to his starters, who were not playing to his expectations. Frankly, I don’t think there’s any reason for Virginia’s best players to be pulled in favor of the guys at the end of the bench early in the first half, especially when the team is losing.

I remember the good old days, when Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds would win games for Virginia, and Leitao would defend his players by yelling at refs and stomping around. Now he doesn’t have the luxury of letting Singletary run the team on the court. But rather than helping to coach the players on the court, he turns his back to the action and yells at helpless players on the bench when someone on the court makes a bad play. I don’t understand the logic.

I also don’t understand how Virginia can lose to Liberty at home. This is an embarrassment. I don’t have enough energy to vent about this in The Cavalier Daily because I’ve already done so in person to anyone who would listen. The Cavaliers are in for a long season, and judging by the way they’ve been playing, they will lose a lot of games. The roster is mostly comprised of players Leitao recruited, and while individually talented, they lack the team chemistry needed to win games. I think Leitao needs to up his game and maybe change his style if he wants to motivate the Cavaliers to win. Otherwise, his job should also be in jeopardy.

I won’t say “Groh Must Go” or “Leitao Can’t Stay” just yet, but both coaches have done enough to warrant talking about why they should be on the hot seat. I’ll be that guy because I want Virginia’s football and basketball teams to succeed, regardless of whom the coach might be. I may be the only one who feels this way, but somehow I don’t think that’s true.



 

UVa Insider: Hall Joins Offensive Debate
ACCSports Staff
ACCSports.com
December 2, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE - On top of a four-game, season-ending losing streak, Virginia football fans now have another beef with coach Al Groh.
During a period that has been marked by spotty quarterback play, the UVa faithful had to wait four years for Vic Hall to take a turn behind center.
Hall holds almost all of the records in Virginia for total offense and passing yardage, established during his celebrated career at Gretna High from 2002-04. He was rated the No. 9 quarterback prospect in the country by SuperPrep following the 2004 season, the highest rating SuperPrep ever has given a Virginia quarterback recruit.
Yet it wasn’t until his 37th game - or 49th, counting his redshirt season - at Virginia that Hall got a shot to play quarterback. After making 24 consecutive starts at cornerback, he got the call against Virginia Tech and nearly led the Cavaliers to victory at Lane Stadium before they succumbed 17-14.
Groh was right when he said, “It’s a shame that we didn’t have a few more points and that his performance today won’t be remembered forever. It had to be one of the best performances ever in this series by an individual player.”
Hall dashed 40 yards for a touchdown on UVa’s first series, added a 16-yard scoring run in the second quarter and put the Cavs in position for a game-tying field goal with a 39-yard run to the Virginia Tech 24 in the fourth quarter.
“Ever since I came here, I’ve dreamed about playing offense,” Hall said. “I feel like I’m a blessed athlete when I’ve got the ball in my hands.”
If the Cavaliers had put a few more passes in Hall’s package, maybe they would have won. Junior Marc Verica replaced Hall in obvious passing situations and yielded an end zone interception that ended UVaÕs last good chance.
It was the 16th time Verica had been intercepted, the high for a UVa quarterback since 1972. That’s no small feat, considering that Verica did not play against Richmond and got on the field for only the final series against Southern California, when he did not attempt a pass.
Verica’s fall was as precipitous as his rise. Sophomore Peter Lalich was supposed to be the Cavaliers’ quarterback this season until his debaucherous ways led to his dismissal from the team and eventual transfer to Oregon State. UVa had little choice but to start Verica, who was 103-of-141 (73.0 percent) during a four-game October winning streak.
Actually, the Cavaliers did have another choice: Hall. Groh confessed in the week prior to the Virginia Tech game that Hall had spent some time with the offense prior to the Sept. 13 game with Connecticut. That was the week when Lalich was left at home, after UVa officials were made aware of an inappropriate post on his Facebook page.
There were only two quarterbacks on the dress list for the Connecticut game: Verica and fifth-year senior Scott Deke. Hall was the emergency quarterback, but he never again took snaps in practice until the week leading up to the Virginia Tech game. That followed a three-interception afternoon for Verica in a 13-3 loss to Clemson.
There is no disputing Groh’s acumen for defense, and there has been little criticism of his decision to serve as his own defensive coordinator, although Mike London and Bob Pruett have held that title for the last two years.
However, Virginia’s offense is an abomination. In the three years Groh’s son Mike has coordinated that unit, UVa has not cracked the top 100 in the country in total offense.
Of course, Al Groh will never admit he was wrong in his decision to promote his son, or apparently in anything else for that matter. “That’s not the way I live my life,” he said, when asked after the Tech game if he had any regrets about not having given Hall an earlier tryout at quarterback.
It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Cavaliers’ offense, starting with Mike Groh. When Al Groh was asked after a 190-yard output against Clemson if his son would return as coordinator in 2009, he responded, “I love these divisive questions.” When a reporter pushed for an answer, Groh added, “That means I blew the question off.”
The loss to Virginia Tech was Groh’s seventh in eight meetings with UVa’s biggest rival, and a 5-7 record marked the Cavaliers’ second losing season in three years, but Groh was safe. For one thing, he had three years remaining on a contract that pays him approximately $2 million per year. UVa might have been able to find boosters willing to contribute to a $6 million buyout earlier in the fall, but that became more complicated after the economy bottomed out.
Where the school did have some leverage with Groh was with the rollover clause in his contract. Virginia had until Dec. 1 to let Groh know whether his deal would be extended for a fourth year, taking him through the 2011 season.
All coaches like to have a fourth year for recruiting purposes, but Groh may have to agree to a reduced buyout for year four. Athletic director Craig Littlepage is not known as a tough guy, but he has every reason to ask or even require Groh to do something about his offensive coordinator.
Sewell Back Next Season:
With or without Mike Groh or Al Groh, Virginia will have an interesting situation at quarterback in 2009.
The candidates will include Verica, who passed for more than 2,000 yards this year and tied a school record by passing for 200 yards or more in six straight games, and Jameel Sewell, who passed for more than 2,000 yards during UVa’s 9-4 season in 2006.
Sewell, who will be a fifth-year senior, will return to school after a one-year academic suspension with few strings attached. Verica will be a junior who looms as the frontrunner for 2010, if nothing else. Then there’s Hall, who also will be a fifth-year senior next fall. Here’s a guy who passed for more than 8,000 yards in high school, and he hasn’t forgotten how to throw the ball.
Al Groh can’t seem to get over the fact that Hall is 5-9, 190. The coach said he doesn’t know if Hall can stand up to the pounding for a four-month season, but that didn’t prevent Groh from using Hall for 15-18 plays on defense against Virginia Tech. For the record, Hall registered the Cavaliers’ lone sack of the day and tracked down Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor at the end of a 73-yard run.
The Grohs have made a number of questionable quarterback decisions - from the choice of Deke over Sean Glennon as a quarterback target in 2003 to their rejection of Russell Wilson, from 65 miles down the road in Richmond, in 2006. One of the good moves they made was in 2003, when they decided that Anthony Martinez was not their quarterback of the future and replaced an injured Matt Schaub instead with 5-10, 207-pound slot receiver Marques Hagans.
After he became the starter in 2004, all Hagans did was lead the Cavaliers to a pair of bowl appearances and finish his career as UVa’s fourth all-time leading passer. Hall doesn’t have enough time left to match those accomplishments, but it’s certainly a model worth considering.
 

Wideout reflects on UVa career
Photo
The Daily Progress/Megan Lovett
Virginia wide receiver Maurice Covington (80) hopes to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Fontel Mines, another big receiver who currently plies his trade for the Chicago Bears.
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By Jay Jenkins

Published: December 3, 2008

When Virginia wide receiver Maurice Covington played the final home game of his career on Nov. 22, he did so with a heavy heart.

Just days before Senior Day, Covington discovered that his mother had been hospitalized and would be unable to attend the festivities prior to the contest with Clemson.

“They kind of tried to keep it away from me as long as possible as I practiced throughout the week,” Covington said. “I pretty much had my mind focused on practice, but they told me towards the end of the week. It was rough.”

Covington, who finished his UVa career with 65 career receptions, 788 receiving yards and three touchdowns, was given a dash of relief when doctors discovered the undisclosed illness.

“It was kind of hard on me, but they said that they found out what it was and that she was going to be alright,” he said. “I didn’t worry too much after that.”

Covington’s mother, Wendy, has since been released from the hospital and progressing.

That helped to lift the North Carolina native’s spirits after a 17-14 loss to Virginia Tech in the final game of his career.

“I definitely felt that we had a chance to win the game,” Covington said. “Vic Hall came in and gave us a spark in the running game and did a good job for us. Because of that, I felt like we had a good chance to win this game, and the fact that we didn’t is kind of disappointing.

“It is kind of a sad moment, your last game as a Cavalier. It is definitely sad, but a lot of these seniors will probably be moving on to the next level, so their futures are pretty bright.”

Covington, who stands at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, could be in that group. He certainly hopes so after catching 33 passes for 414 yards during a season that got off to a slow start due to a high ankle sprain that was suffered in the preseason.

“Hopefully I will make it,” he said. “That is the goal and that is what I am going to be working towards.”

Luckily for Covington, he has witnessed the persistence that one of his close friends has displayed in an attempt to extend his football career. After graduating following the 2006 season, former Virginia wide receiver Fontel Mines added weight and shifted to tight end.

Mines is currently in his second season on the practice squad of the Chicago Bears.

“I watched him throughout his training process and I learned a little bit from him,” Covington said. “There will be ups and downs. I know that, but Fontel kept pushing.

“Hopefully, that will help me out.”

He will not follow every step that Mines made.

“I am definitely not going to try and make that transition to tight end,” he joked.

Regardless, Covington is ready for the next step in his life and has his anthropology degree to fall back on.

Outside of winning more games during his four-year career, Covington said he does not regret his decision to play for coach Al Groh.

“I am definitely proud that I can say that I am a Virginia graduate,” Covington said. “Virginia is a great school and we have a good football program. I couldn’t be happier with the decision that I made.”

 

Gophers prove up to the Challenge
By MYRON P. MEDCALF, Star Tribune
December 3, 2008

Last season, the Gophers suffered their first loss of the year at a bigger, stronger and more athletic Florida State team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Virginia presented similar obstacles -- on paper -- in this season's Challenge.

But Minnesota, backed by a vibrant Williams Arena crowd of 12,424, did its part to help the Big Ten attempt to win its first challenge in 10 tries with a 66-56 victory over the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Entering tonight's final five games of the Challenge, the Big Ten and ACC are tied with three victories apiece.

The Gophers also ran their record to 7-0 for the first time since the 1975-76 season, after recovering from a slow start that included airballs and turnovers in the opening minutes of a nationally televised game.

"It's huge because we feel like we want to hold up our end of the bargain in the Challenge because it is a matchup between premier conferences in the country," Gophers coach Tubby Smith said of the victory.

"This is one where [it] kind of helps us understand that we can play with those teams at that level,'' Smith continued, "even though Virginia's not playing at that level at this point and time."

Freshman center Colton Iverson scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Gophers. Lawrence Westbrook scored 13 points off the bench, and Blake Hoffarber had 12 points, all on three-pointers.

Although the Cavaliers (3-3) were picked to finish at the bottom of the ACC in a preseason poll, the Gophers beat a team that lost to No. 16 Syracuse by only three points on Friday.

The Gophers forced 19 Virginia turnovers -- the Cavaliers' downfall. Virginia also shot only 31.4 percent from the field (16-for-51), while the Gophers made 41.5 percent (22-for-53)

The Gophers won with strong defense that produced 10 steals and blocked seven shots. Minnesota forced 18 turnovers, and the constant pressure confused Virginia, which stayed in the game in spite of its mistakes.

Minnesota only led 32-39 at the half, but the Cavaliers couldn't cease their fumbling ways. Three Virginia turnovers in the first four minutes of the second half gave the Gophers the opening to an 11-4 run that boosted the lead to 43-33.

But Virginia made a late run after the Gophers turned the ball over on consecutive possessions midway through the second half. The Cavaliers, who got 12 points from Jamil Tucker, cut Minnesota's 12-point second- half lead to four with a little more than 10 minutes to play.

A minute later, however, Hoffarber knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the game. Minnesota forced another turnover on the following play, and Jamal Abu-Shamala, the star of the victory over North Dakota State on Saturday, scored to increase the lead to 53-44.

Gophers guard Al Nolen turned Virginia's next turnover -- sensing a trend here? -- into a fast-break dunk to produce another double-digit lead and give Minnesota the momentum it needed down the stretch.

"It was a big game for us; it was on ESPN," Westbrook said. "That's how some games in the Big Ten are going to be. Our shots weren't falling, but we just played tight defense and came out with a win."

 

Gophers Give Hoos Third Straight Loss
By Sabre Staff
TheSabre.com
Dec 03, 2008

Jamil Tucker scored 12 points at Minnesota in a losing effort.

For the second straight road game against an undefeated opponent, the Virginia men's basketball team took an early lead only to watch it evaporate quickly due to poor offensive possessions and defensive lapses. As a result, the Cavaliers had to play catch-up for the final 30 minutes at Minnesota on Tuesday night and they never got over the hump. After taking control, the Golden Gophers held the Hoos at bay at every turn to pull out a 66-56 win in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

"It's a good win for us against a quality team," Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said. "It's huge because we want to hold [up] our end of the bargain in [The ACC-Big Ten Challenge]. It's a match-up between premier conferences in the country. This is one which helps us understand we can play with those teams at that level."

While the Gophers were enjoying the win that pushed them to their first 7-0 start since the 1976-77 season, UVa left the cold Midwest with its third straight loss and a need for greater consistency once the exam break (the team doesn't play again until Dec. 17) ends. The Cavaliers own a 3-3 record and have yet to forge an identity in those six contests. They started the same line-up in consecutive games for the first time Tuesday and minutes continue to fluctuate. For example, they played small ball with Mike Scott at center in two games against Liberty and VMI. Players like Mamadi Diane, Jeff Jones, and Mustapha Farrakhan have been everything from starters to barely playing depending on the game you're referencing.

Early in the season, that's to be expected, particularly with a young and inexperienced group like Virginia, but coach Dave Leitao said he's looking for consistent effort and production.

"I think one of the issues we're trying to get to the point of is if you talk about guys you can depend on, that's an every day thing," Leitao told the Virginia Sports Network. "I'm not yet comfortable with a bunch of guys that are night in and night out are going to bring it from an effort standpoint. You may not be able to make shots, you can miss free throws, or something may not happen for you statistically, but I'm a big believer that effort is an every day thing. It manifests itself on the defensive end, in rebounding, and playing hard. And we have not got a collective group together that does that every day. If you're in a foxhole with a guy on the left and a guy on the right and you don't know if he's protecting your rear end every day, that's a hard thing. We've got to find our way and fight our way through that."

UVa committed 19 turnovers and shot 31.4% in the loss.

The inconsistency issues were clearly evident against the Golden Gophers. Virginia jumped out to an early advantage, taking a 16-11 lead near the midpoint of the first half. But Minnesota put the clamps on defensively to ignite a 15-2 run en route to build an eight-point lead (26-18); during that stretch, UVa went scoreless for more than four minutes. The Cavaliers followed that with a 9-2 spurt of their own to get back in it by halftime, but the second half featured more of the same.

The visitors would score a few points to close the gap, but then have long droughts without points and a handful of defensive breakdowns would allow the Minnesota lead to swell again. Each time, the Hoos' offensive woes were highlighted by turnovers, poor decisions, and ill-advised shot attempts. In the end, Minnesota's heavy ball pressure forced 19 turnovers and prevented the Cavaliers from finding any semblance of rhythm on offense.

In fact, if Jamil Tucker hadn't knocked down some 3-pointers out of pick-and-pop sets, the Cavs probably would have lost by much more than the 10-point margin that shuffled out in the end. Tucker made a career-high 4 3-pointers to lead Virginia with 12 points. Sammy Zeglinski and Sylven Landesberg added 10 points each. Landesberg also tied Scott for the team lead in rebounds; both players had 6.

"Offensively, we gave the ball back 19 times and there were probably another dozen times where we took bad shots or untimely shots and so as a result, you don't give yourself a chance to be successful," Leitao said.



 

Gophers feed on Cavs’ turnovers
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 3, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS - Freshman Colton Iverson had 14 points and seven rebounds to lead Minnesota to a 66-56 victory over Virginia last night.

Blake Hoffarber scored 12 points, Damien Johnson had three steals and three blocks and Al Nolen added five steals for defensive-minded Minnesota, which scored 20 points off 19 Virginia turnovers.

Star freshman Sylven Landesberg scored 10 points on 1-for-11 shooting for the Cavaliers (3-3), who shot just 31 percent from the field. The McDonald's All-American entered the night leading Virginia in scoring with 20.8 points per game, but his lone field goal came with 1:31 to play.

Jamil Tucker led Virginia with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting from 3-point range.

With Minnesota down seven after the first 10 minutes, Iverson scored six points in a 12-0 run, punctuating the spurt with a rebound dunk off a miss from Johnson to give the Gophers a 26-18 lead.

Johnson's defense was key in the run. He had steals on consecutive possessions that were turned into points, then swatted away a 3-point attempt by Tucker on the third straight Cavaliers trip down the floor to get the crowd rocking.

The Gophers improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1976, but this start deserves an asterisk in a nonconference schedule filled with more cream than a double-stuffed Oreo.

Coach Tubby Smith packed it with softies Eastern Washington, North Dakota State and Georgia State in an effort to build this young team's confidence - and win total - early before Big Ten play begins.

Virginia isn't exactly a heavyweight either. With only two seniors on the roster, the Cavaliers were picked to finish last in the ACC, but they do play in a power conference that has dominated its Midwestern counterparts in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Yet the difference in athleticism was apparent in the early going, when Virginia overcame poor shooting with quick hands and good work on the boards to take a seven-point lead in the first 10 minutes.

It took a while for the Gophers to get used to the increase in talent, especially without one of their most athletic players in Paul Carter, who missed the game with an ankle injury.

The Gophers held Virginia to one field goal in the first 6½ minutes of the second half, building a 12-point lead in the process.

But Virginia didn't fold. Calvin Baker's floater in the lane capped an 8-0 run that cut Minnesota's lead to four midway through the period.

But Hoffarber came right back with a 3-pointer, and Nolen's steal and dunk got the lead back up to 11 points in a flash to stave off the Cavs.

 

Schaub set for return
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Associated Press
Published: December 3, 2008

HOUSTON — Former UVa standout Matt Schaub should return for Houston’s Sunday game at Green Bay, barring any setbacks in the recovery of his injured left knee.

Schaub has missed the last four games after he injured his medial collateral ligament early in Houston’s loss to Minnesota Nov. 2. He was listed as the backup on Monday night against the Jaguars, but Sage Rosenfels played the entire game.

“I think if everything goes OK this week the expectations are that he goes back into his role as our starter,” coach Gary Kubiak said.

Schaub returned to practice last week and tried to talk Kubiak into letting him play against Jacksonville, but the coach wanted to give him another week to recover.

“He was beating my door down last week, telling me he was ready,” Kubiak said. “I was comparing his work before he got injured to how he was practicing last week and I saw a little bit of a difference Wednesday and Thursday. I thought he closed the gap on Friday when he practiced more. I’m expecting him to close the gap even more this week.”

Kubiak said he worked with doctors and team officials in reviewing practice tapes to determine if Schaub was healthy enough to play. They were all convinced he was ready.

“They were very confident that he could play and play well,” Kubiak said. “But I think we’re very fortunate that he did not have to play in that game. I think the extra rest will help him.”

Schaub has thrown for 1,762 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in seven games this season. Rosenfels has 10 interceptions and six touchdowns in five starts in his place. He started one game earlier this season when Schaub had a virus.

The Texans have gone 2-2 since Schaub’s injury.

 

Men’s basketball suffers setback against Minnesota
Published: Wednesday, December 3 2008

For former Virginia basketball star and proud Golden Gopher parent Ralph Sampson, the matchup between Virginia and Minnesota in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge was a win-win situation.

With Sampson in attendance for the contest in Minneapolis, Minn. last night, he and his son, Minnesota’s Ralph Sampson, III, went home happy, while Virginia (3-3) went home with a .500 record to start the season. The Cavaliers concluded one of their most trying road trips of the year with a 66-56 loss at Williams Arena. Minnesota (7-0) came away with its seventh straight win to start the season, while Virginia saw its third consecutive defeat.

The Cavaliers shot just 31.4 percent from the field and committed 19 turnovers. Freshman guard Sylven Landesberg had easily his worst game in a Virginia uniform, shooting just 1-11 from the floor, adding eight of 10 free throws for 10 points. Sophomore forward Mike Scott also had a tough night, held without a field goal in 18 minutes of action.

Minnesota freshman forward Colton Iverson led all scorers with 14 points. Junior forward Jamil Tucker hit four of eight 3-point field goals to lead all Virginia scorers with 12, while freshman point guard Sammy Zeglinski also added 10.

After the teams traded leads on their way to an 18-17 stalemate in the first 12:37, two free throws by junior guard Lawrence Westbrook gave Minnesota an edge it would never lose. The Cavaliers battled back from a 12-point second-half deficit to 4, and again later in the period from 11 to 6. With the score 55-49 with 4:23 remaining, however, Minnesota hit back-to-back layups to put the lead back at double digits going into the next TV timeout, and hit seven of its next nine free throws, all within the last two minutes, to ice the win.

The loss for Virginia concludes a two-game road trip that many considered would be a measuring stick for the team at this point in the season. Coming off a home loss to Liberty Nov. 25, the Cavaliers fell at Syracuse 73-70 after leading by 11 at halftime Friday.

Virginia now has a two-week break for final exams before returning home for a matchup with Longwood Dec. 17.

—compiled by Paul Montana

 

Minnesota hands Virginia its third straight loss
The Cavaliers fall in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
From staff reports

MINNEAPOLIS -- Poor ball-handling proved to be Virginia’s undoing Monday night as the Cavaliers lost at Minnesota 66-56 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
It was the third straight loss for UVa, which heads into a 15-day exam break.

The Cavaliers (3-3) trailed 48-36 early in the second half but cut the deficit to 48-44 and had a 3-point attempt by Calvin Baker that could have cut the deficit to one.

Baker’s shot missed, and the Cavaliers had turnovers on three of their next four possessions as the Gophers (7-0) extended their lead to 55-44.

Earlier in the second half, UVa had committed five turnovers in six possessions. The Cavaliers had 19 turnovers for the game,
five by freshman guard Sammy Zeglinski.

“There were probably another dozen times when we took bad or untimely shots,” Leitao said in his postgame radio interview.

Junior forward Jamil Tucker came off the bench to hit a career-high four 3-pointers and led the Cavaliers with 12 points. Zeglinski and freshman Sylven Landesberg had 10 points apiece, but Landesberg was 1-for-11 from the field.

The Cavaliers shot 31.4 percent from the field, compared to the Gophers’ 41.5 percent.

“We still had far too many defensive lapses,” said Leitao, whose team did outrebound Minnesota 40-32.

Minnesota enjoyed a 32-29 lead after a first half that included a 15-2 Gophers’ run. Minnesota’s comeback from a 16-11 deficit was fueled by back-to-back 3-point field goals by Blake Hoffarber, a 6-foot-4 sophomore who made 70 3-pointers in 2007-08.

After falling behind 26-18, Virginia got as close as 30-29, as Landesberg converted all six of his free throws. An alley-oop pass and bucket by Devron Bostick with 23 seconds remaining accounted for a three-point margin at the half.

The game featured a matchup between Minnesota freshman Ralph Sampson III and the school where his father, Ralph Jr., was a three-time college player of the year in the early 1980s. Ralph Jr. was in the stands but the story of the first half was another Gophers’ freshman big man, 6-10 Colton Iverson from Yankton, S.C.

Iverson hit his first four shots from the field and had nine points and five rebounds at the half. He finished with team highs of 14 points and seven rebounds.

Lawrence Westbrook, the lone returning double-figure scorer from last year’s 20-14 Minnesota team, scored 13. Hoffarber, like Tucker, was 4-for-8 from behind the arc and finished with 13.

Virginia got little offense from its frontcourt players. Assane Sene, Jerome Meyinsse had one field goal between them in a combined 58 minutes.

Fifth-year senior post man Tunji Soroye did not play and neither did sophomore guard Jeff Jones, projected as one of UVa’s top offense threats before the season.