Scott rebounds, keys U.Va. rout of Pirates
Two days after self-described soft play against Auburn, Mike Scott posts a double-double for the Cavaliers.
By Norm Wood | 247-4642
December 24, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE - — Heading into Tuesday night's game against Hampton University, Virginia forward Mike Scott was looking for a way to make amends for what he described as being "soft" just three days earlier against Auburn.

If his performance in U.Va.'s 74-48 victory against Hampton isn't enough of an apology, Scott may never be able to satisfy his teammates. He led the Cavaliers (5-4) with 17 points and 15 rebounds in just 29 minutes — a significant improvement from last Sunday's nine-point, three-rebound effort in U.Va.'s two-point loss to Auburn.

"I apologized to (my teammates) for being — I used the word 'soft,' passive and a couple other words I can't say," said Scott regarding his play against Auburn. "I told them it wouldn't happen again."

Scott led U.Va. to a 26-14 advantage in the paint against HU, which shot a season-low 29 percent from the floor. U.Va. shot 40 percent. It was the fourth time in the past five games U.Va. shot under 43 percent.

HU (5-5) was looking for its first win against an Atlantic Coast Conference school since 2001, when it upset North Carolina. With the loss to the Cavaliers, the Pirates fell to 1-10 all-time against the ACC. HU was led against U.Va. by guard Vincent Simpson's 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

"I'm not sure if I need to fire myself or my assistants, but this is not the (U.Va.) team I've seen on tape the past two weeks," HU coach Kevin Nickelberry said. "(U.Va.) was probably underachieving. We were probably overachieving. We went out into a fight and got hit in the face."

U.Va. jumped out to a 19-6 lead behind a pair of 3-pointers from guard Sammy Zeglinski, who finished with 11 points and four steals. HU went on a 10-3 run to trim U.Va.'s lead to six points with 8:38 left in the first half, and the Pirates managed to keep the deficit within 11 points at the half.

The Cavaliers put the game out of reach in the second half with a 20-6 run during a nine-minute stretch to open up a 62-38 lead with 5:48 remaining. Scott, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Chesapeake who is averaging 10.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season, had four points and six rebounds during the run.

"Individually, I thought Mike came back and rebounded the way he has the potential to do," U.Va. coach Dave Leitao said. "We've got to try as best we can to get him to continue to do that mentally because he can do it physically."

U.Va. freshman guard Sylven Landesberg scored just nine points, marking the first time in his short career that he hasn't scored in double digits. Guard Mustapha Farrakhan provided U.Va.'s best scoring punch off the bench with 10 points in 14 minutes.

Guard Darrion Pellum, a Hampton High graduate, made his debut Tuesday night for HU. He played 17 minutes off the bench and scored five points on 2-for-9 shooting. He was 1-for-5 from 3-point range.

"He's a talented kid," Nickelberry said. "It's going to take him some time. He's only had two practices. We've got to find a way to work him in."

Pellum, a 6-6 freshman, came to HU this season after transferring from Virginia Tech. He signed a letter of intent with Tech, but he didn't meet academic eligibility requirements. With all of that behind him, Pellum is ready for a fresh start.

"It's been a long, uphill climb to get here," said Pellum, who also attended Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va. "I was really anxious to get out on the court (Tuesday). I've got a lot of stuff to prove."

 

Scott steps up for Cavs
Challenged by coach Dave Leitao, Mike Scott responds with a double-double as Virginia romps.
Doug Doughty doug.doughty@roanoke.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As far as Virginia men's basketball coach Dave Leitao is concerned, double-doubles could be the norm for sophomore post player Mike Scott.

Scott wouldn't disagree with him.

Left sleepless by his performance three days earlier against Auburn, Scott took out his frustrations Tuesday night in a 74-48 victory over Hampton.

Scott finished with game highs of 17 points and 15 rebounds as the Cavaliers (5-4) won for only the second time in six games.

"Scott was a man in there," Hampton coach Kevin Nickelberry said. "He really was a man. We had said on the scouting report that, if you hit him early and boxed him out, he wouldn't be chasing. We hit him two or three times and he kept chasing."

In talking to his teammates, Scott had promised there would be no repeat of his performance Saturday, when he had three rebounds in 30 minutes in UVa's 58-56 loss to Auburn.

"I apologized to them [for being] soft and passive and some other words you can't say," said Scott, a 6-foot-8, 233-pounder from Chesapeake by way of Hargrave Military Academy. "I was down on myself a lot. I couldn't sleep after that game. I stayed up all night.

"I told them it wouldn't happen again. I wouldn't have another rebound performance like that again. The last play [against Auburn] was designed for me to hedge. I didn't hedge. We lost the game on my mistake."

He probably was being a little harsh, but maybe a better "hedge" may have slowed down the Auburn defender who blocked Sammy Zeglinski's late 3-point attempt.

"I challenged all of them, but I especially challenged Mike," Leitao said. "He can tend to drift and not attack both backboards and I thought he got away with a lot of minutes drifting [Saturday].

"We watched it on film as a group. We talked about it individually. Obviously, he took it to heart and talked about it in front of the team. It was much more on top of his mind and he came up with another double-double, which he's very capable of doing consistently."

Scott was joined in double-figure scoring by Zeglinski with 11 points and Jamil Tucker and Mustapha Farrakhan with 10 each. Farrakhan, who played 14 minutes, had not scored more than five points in his two seasons at UVa.

He was 4-for-23 on 3-pointers before going 2-for-3 on Tuesday.

"He played loose and confidently," Leitao said. "He played through the good and the bad. He came in and he missed a layup, but it didn't really affect him. He guarded pretty well. When he plays confidently, he's as good a shooter as we have on the team."

Hampton (5-5) played Virginia to a 14-point game last season, when the Pirates won 18 games. Hampton has been up and down this season but beat George Mason, a regular contender of late in the Colonial Athletic Association.

"The problem was, I was pretty sure Dave [Leitao] would get them ready to play," Nickelberry said. "I'm not sure I need to fire myself or my assistants, but this is not the [Virginia] team I've seen on tape for the last two weeks.

"We saw a team that was underachieving and we were probably overachieving. They played with a purpose. When they didn't get good shots, they really attacked the glass. We pride ourselves on defense and I'm not sure, in three years, that we've been taken apart like this."

Virginia will be off until Christmas night, when the players return to Charlottesville for the start of their ACC schedule Sunday at Georgia Tech.

"It was a very difficult game the other night," Leitao said. "It could have gone either way. Take away certain parts of certain games and we could be looking a whole lot differently than we are right now. Although I hate to play that game, it gives us not only the ability but the promise to continue and develop."
 

Virginia handles Hampton
By Whitey Reid
Published: December 24, 2008

With less than five minutes to play on Tuesday night, fans at John Paul Jones Arena began chanting, “We want chicken” — a plea for Virginia to score over 80 points so that they could receive some complimentary eats from Raising Cane’s.
Well, the crowd didn’t get any chicken, but they did get to see something they hadn’t witnessed in a while — lots of smiles on the Virginia bench as the Cavaliers cruised to a much-needed 74-48 victory over Hampton in front of a listed crowd of 9,158.
“It definitely felt good to come out the way we did and attack and be aggressive after the first half against Auburn, which was a really depressing way to come out,” said Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski. “Coming into this game we really wanted to focus on attacking and being aggressive.”
Virginia opens the ACC season at Georgia Tech on Sunday, so getting a little bit of mojo back was an absolute must. Hampton, out of the MEAC, was the perfect remedy.
“We had lost three of our last four games and everybody was doubting us,” said forward Mike Scott. “We realized that we don’t have anybody but ourselves, so we had to come out and play hard and get a good win.”
Scott was instrumental in the team’s improved play. The sophomore, who had averaged just five shots attempts in his past three games, got a lot more touches. The end result was a 17-point (on 6 of 10 shooting), 15-rebound performance.
“Mike had a great game,” said Zeglinski, who had 11 points and four assists himself. “We really wanted to exploit him because he’s shooting the best percentage on the team. We wanted to feed him the ball tonight because when he touches the ball good things happen.”
After the Auburn game in which Scott collected just three boards in 27 minutes and Virginia was outrebounded by 14, Scott was so disgusted with himself that he got up in front of his teammates during a meeting and apologized.
“I used the word ‘soft,’ ‘passive,’ and some other words that I can’t say,” Scott said, “and I told them that it won’t happen again. I won’t ever have a rebounding
performance like that again.”
Virginia (5-4) came out of the gates strong. A Scott layup off a pretty feed from Sylven Landesberg put UVa up 19-6.
But a scoring drought — similar to the ones on Saturday against Auburn — ensued. Virginia tallied just three points over the next six minutes as Hampton clawed to within six points. UVa was able to open up a 13-point lead near the end of the stanza, but a 3-pointer by Hampton’s Jordan Brooks made it 38-27 at the break and had Leitao screaming at Jerome Meyinsse for not boxing out as the teams left the floor.
However, Virginia seemed more juiced to start the second half. Two Scott buckets started a 12-0 run that essentially turned the game into a laugher.
“This is not the team I saw on tape the last two weeks,” said Hampton coach Kevin Nickelberry. “They were probably underachieving and we were overachieving.
“They played with a purpose and really attacked and didn’t allow us to do the things we wanted to do. I’m not sure in my three years we’ve been taken apart like this.”
Nickelberry was especially impressed with Scott.
“Scott was a man in there,” he said. “He really was a man.”
Virginia was stout on the defensive end, holding Hampton to just 29-percent shooting. The Pirates (5-5) had just one player score in double figures (Vincent Simpson with 10 points).
UVa also had a season-high 10 blocks, including two each from Scott, Meyinsse, Assane Sene and Tunji Soroye.
It all had coach Dave Leitao in a pretty good mood afterward.
“Mike came back and rebounded the way he has the potential to,” Leitao said. “Assane was a presence again. Sammy did a much better job of leading us today.
“We’ll take a day or two to enjoy our families and the gifts God has given us and get ready for Georgia Tech.”
Dunks
Virginia fifth-year senior Tunji Soroye made his first appearance since the loss to Syracuse on Nov. 28. Soroye looked a little rusty on the offensive end. He was 1 of 3 for two points in five minutes. …Freshman Sylven Landesberg, sporting a new Mohawk hairdo, failed to hit double figures for the first time this season. He had nine points, three assists and three rebounds. …About seven minutes into the second half, Zeglinski hit a half-court shot just after being fouled. The basket didn’t count. Zeglinski joked that it would have counted under the NBA’s continuation rule. “I always seem to be making weird shots like that,” said Zeglinski, smiling. “He fouled me and I just threw it up.”

 

The spread option arrives
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: December 24, 2008

The spread offense comes in many forms, from Texas Tech’s and Missouri’s pass happy schemes to Oregon’s and West Virginia’s run-heavy attacks.
Now, the spread is coming to Charlottesville and one of its most innovative technicians, Gregg Brandon, will breathe life into it for Virginia’s Cavaliers.
Brandon, the former head coach at Bowling Green, has been influenced by some of the game’s greatest offensive minds. On Tuesday, the 52-year-old Brandon was officially announced as UVa’s new offensive coordinator, perhaps the worst-kept secret on the planet.
Excuse Wahoo fans if you happen to see them dancing in the streets. They have pined for a day when Virginia’s offense will be feared around the league and that day may be around the corner. Brandon brings a laboratory of offensive tinkering to town.
For a three-year stretch at Bowling Green when he was offensive coordinator for then-Falcons head coach Urban Meyer before then taking the reins himself, the offense averaged 500 yards and 40 points a game.
That begged the question: So, if your players are executing the offense as designed, it’s almost impossible to stop?
“Pretty much,” Brandon said Tuesday before catching a plane back to the Midwest for Christmas. “You still have to block. You can’t trick ‘em. The coaches are too good and too smart at this level. You can fool them once, but ...”
While the quarterback is the key to any offense, he is particularly important in the spread.
“You’ve got to be able to complete passes,” Brandon said. “You can win games running the football and playing great defense and all the rest. But to be a great offense you have to have the ability to throw the football. If your quarterback can complete throws, then you’ve got a good chance.”
Brandon’s spread, which evolved over years of studying myriad offensive concepts, is a bit different than some others. It was basically developed at Bowling Green when he and Meyer did their best mad scientist impressions to create an offensive monster that could win by throwing or win by running the pigskin.
“Our ability to run it is really based on how the defense defends the formations and the passes within those formations, because we really spread people out to run [the ball],” Brandon said. “That has intrigued me about the running quarterback, something you can get carried away with. You don’t want to run that guy too much because of the physical pounding.
“The thing we did at Bowling Green that I felt was unique was that we did a good job of the quick passing game. Throw and catch, throw and catch. That’s what I really want to get done in the spring here is to get the ball out, so that if opponents want to blitz, that’s fine. They can do it, but they’re not going to get him. I want quick and decisive throws.”
In a way, that’s the same concept of the old Bill Walsh 49ers’ West Coast offense with Joe Montana, throwing short passes and letting the receiver make a play.
“Turn six into 60,” Brandon laughed. “You need guys on the perimeter who can do that.”
That’s what the new OC will be looking for in the spring and even in winter workouts before spring.
“We can do some skill work and drill work to find out who can do what we need and to get an idea before we get into spring football,” Brandon said. “But until you put the pads on and throw the football out, well, everybody’s good in their underwear.”
Brandon’s plan could be boosted by the return of wideout Cary Koch. University officials plan to appeal for an additional year for Koch based on a medical hardship during the 2006 season when he played two games and had one catch while battling numerous injuries.
Coach Al Groh, who was a major part of the lure to landing Brandon, toyed with some spread concepts last year when his son, Mike, the former UVa coordinator (now a finalist for the Towson State head coaching position) had invested a great amount of time in studying the offense. However, when starting quarterback Pete Lalich was dismissed from the program by the athletic administration, most of it was shelved.
Still, the transition from Virginia’s 2008 offense to the space-aged Brandon version of the spread in 2009 will offer its challenges.
“We won’t get it all in (during the spring), but we’ll get the meat and potatoes in,” Brandon said. “There will be a learning curve on this coaching staff with new guys coming in, which I’m one. I’ve got to get a feel for the players, so I’m going to depend on Dave Borbely (offensive line), Wayne Lineburg (running backs) and Bob Price (tight ends) because they know the players. They’re good football coaches, too.”
Virginia will be the only team in the 12-member ACC that runs a pure spread offense, although Clemson has run a version of it off and on over the years.
Brandon said that coming to Charlottesville was a no-brainer.
If there was one factor that swung him toward UVa, it was his boss.
“Al Groh,” Brandon said. “The respect I have for him and the job he’s done here. As soon as I got let go at Bowling Green, boom, Al was the first guy to call. He said, ‘Hey, you want to come out and talk some football?’ And I said, ‘Shoot yeah.’
“I came out, talked some football and loved it,” Brandon said. “It’s a good situation I think. I believe Virginia has talented players, it’s a great academic school and a great place to live. I’m looking forward to it.”
So is Wahoo Nation.

 

Scott lands at Virginia
By Jay Jenkins
Published: December 23, 2008

Virginia’s new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon provided Al Groh with a well-timed home run when his hiring was learned last week.
Given that was the case with Brandon’s appointment, the latest haul provided the Cavaliers’ football program with even more, perhaps even an inside-the-park — well, inside-the-state — mammoth blast.
Through a university-issued press release Tuesday, Groh announced that Brandon, the former head coach at Bowling Green, and Latrell Scott, considered one of the state’s top up-and-coming recruiters, were “officially” added as assistant coaches at Virginia.
The Cavaliers created three vacancies on the staff when offensive coordinator Mike Groh, defensive line coach Levern Belin and cornerback coach Steve Bernstein were not retained for the 2009 season following the second 5-7 season in three years.
“We are extremely pleased that Gregg Brandon and Latrell Scott are joining the Virginia football program,” Al Groh said. “Gregg is in the front of the pack in the development of offensive schemes that will be versatile and exciting for our players. Gregg’s offenses at Bowling Green on different occasions led the MAC in both rushing and passing.
“Latrell established himself as a well-respected and popular coach around the state during his time at the University of Richmond. He has developed a strong rapport with prospects and players alike.”
Brandon, 52, brings credibility as the leader of Virginia’s offense having served as an offensive coordinator at Bowling Green under current Florida coach Urban Meyer.
The Falcons’ offense routinely ranked among the nation’s best during his eight seasons, six of which were served as the program’s head coach. He finished with a 44-30 overall record and took the program to three bowl games.
“I am very excited to be joining the staff at Virginia,” Brandon said. “I want to thank coach [Al] Groh for the opportunity to coordinate the offense.”
After the initial discovery, many questioned how much freedom that Al Groh would grant Brandon with the Cavaliers’ often-methodical operation. It sounds, however, that autonomy is expected.
“The UVa offense will be wide open and fun to watch,” said Brandon, who inked a multi-year contract. “Our players will find the system unique and creative. I can’t wait to get started.”
Brandon, a believer in the no-huddle, spread offense, should enjoy the return of quarterback Jameel Sewell to the fold. The rising senior, a two-dimensional option, will return to UVa next month for spring practice and is expected to be the starter.
Whether the job is won by Sewell, retained by Marc Verica or assumed by a newcomer, Scott will be working with the top signal-caller’s pass-catching options.
Scott, 33, arrives at Virginia after serving as the wide receivers coach at Tennessee for one season on an offense that was spearheaded by offensive coordinator Dave Clawson.
It was at Richmond that Scott was first employed by Clawson, the newly-hired head coach at Bowling Green.
Compared by many to a youthful Mike London in regards to recruiting, Scott worked at Richmond under Clawson (2005-2008) and was promoted late in his tenure to assistant head coach. Scott also worked at VMI (2002-2004), Western Carolina (2001) and under coach John Shuman at Fork Union Military Academy (1999-2000).
The Cavaliers’ desire for Scott was apparent — Virginia will pay Scott more than the $150,000 annual salary that he received at Tennessee, a source confirmed.
“I am extremely excited to return to the state of Virginia and have the opportunity to work with coach Groh and the rest of the staff,” Scott said. “I am also looking forward to getting out on the recruiting trail to help finalize this class and to help Virginia continue to be a top program.”
Scott, an All-American tight end at Hampton, served as the lead recruiter for three Tennessee commits including four-star linebacker Jerod Askew of Chesapeake.
While sources confirmed that Scott would not pursue current commitments to the Volunteers, he did serve as the lead recruiter for five-star offensive lineman Morgan Moses (Richmond) and four-star quarterback Tajh Boyd (Hampton).
Groh also announced that assistant Wayne Lineburg, formerly the wide receivers coach, would be moved to running backs. Lineburg coached running backs at Richmond for three seasons before he joined the Cavaliers’ staff.

 

Groh hires 2 offensive aides
By Doug Doughty doug.doughty@roanoke.com
981-3129

Virginia football coach Al Groh completed the reshuffling of his offensive staff Tuesday with the announcement that Gregg Brandon and Latrell Scott had been hired.

Brandon, the head coach at Division I-A Bowling Green for the past six seasons, will serve as offensive coordinator. Scott will coach wide receivers, as he did this past season at Tennessee.

Wayne Lineburg, who has coached wide receivers for the past two seasons, will take over as running backs coach. It is the same division of responsibilities that Lineburg and Scott had at the University of Richmond in 2006.

Scott, a 33-year-old graduate of Lee-Davis High School and Hampton University, also has coached at VMI. He played and coached at Fork Union Military Academy.

"I'll tell you who Latrell Scott is," said Fork Union coach John Shuman. "Latrell Scott is Mike London. He's enthusiastic, he's a motivator, he gets along with African-American kids, he gets along with white kids. That would be a great fit."

London, formerly the defensive coordinator at Virginia, was named head coach at Richmond prior to the 2008 season and led the Spiders to the Division I-AA national championship.

In 2007, Scott served as assistant head coach at Richmond and was the Spiders' recruiting coordinator.

"Latrell established himself as a well-respected and popular coach around the state during his time at the University of Richmond," Groh said in a statement released by Virginia. "He has developed a strong rapport with prospects and players alike."

The selection of Brandon was reported widely at the end of last week. He led Bowling Green to three bowl games in six seasons and had a record of 44-30 when he was fired two days after the end of a 6-6 season.

Presumably, Brandon will be in charge of the Cavalier quarterbacks, although UVa's release did not address that.

"The UVa offense will be wide open and fun to watch," said Brandon, a 52-year-old Northern Colorado grad. "Our players will find the system unique and creative. I can't wait to get started."

Brandon replaces Mike Groh, the head coach's son and one of three assistants who departed after a 5-7 season.

Anthony Poindexter moved from offense to take Steve Bernstein's place as secondary coach, but the Cavaliers have not announced a replacement for defensive-line coach Levern Belin.
 

One vacancy left for Groh’s staff
By Jeff White
Published: December 24, 2008

Latrell Scott, who has spent most of his life in Virginia, is coming home.

Scott, a Richmond native who coached the University of Tennesse's wide receivers this season, has been hired at the University of Virginia. Scott, 33, will coach U.Va.'s receivers. Wayne Lineburg, who worked with Scott on Dave Clawson's staff at the University of Richmond, will move from receivers to running backs at Virginia.

Also yesterday, U.Va. confirmed that Gregg Brandon will be Al Groh's new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Brandon replaces Mike Groh, one of three assistants not retained from Al Groh's 2008 staff.

Al Groh still needs to hire a defensive-line coach for 2009.

Neither Scott nor Brandon was available for comment yesterday. But John Shuman, Fork Union Military Academy's postgraduate coach, was happy to talk about Scott, who has strong recruiting ties in the Richmond and Tidewater areas.

"I think it's a great hire," Shuman said. "They're gaining strength on that staff."

After a stellar football career at Lee-Davis High School, Scott played for Shuman at FUMA. Scott then starred at tight end at Hampton University. In 1999, after graduating from Hampton, Scott joined Shuman's staff at Fork Union.

He moved into the college ranks in 2001, at Western Carolina, and later was an assistant at Virginia Military Institute (2002-04), UR (2005-07) and Tennessee. At Richmond, Scott was Clawson's assistant head coach in 2007 and served as recruiting coordinator in'06 and'07.

Brandon, 52, spent the past six seasons as the coach at Bowling Green, which went 44-30 during his tenure. The Mid-American Conference school fired Brandon late last month, in part because of players' off-the-field incidents and academic issues.

A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Brandon has worked for, among others, Gary Barnett (at Northwestern and Colorado), Mike Price (at Weber State) and Urban Meyer (at Bowling Green).

Brandon was Meyer's top assistant and offensive coordinator for two seasons (2001 and'02). Brandon then succeeded Meyer as Bowling Green's coach.

Together, Brandon and Meyer "sort of defined that package - the spread - that everybody's running now," Barnett told the Richmond Times-Dispatch last week.

In 2004, Bowling Green averaged 506.3 yards and 44.3 points per game. In 2005, the Falcons averaged 447.8 yards and 35.8 points.

"Gregg doesn't coach defensively," Barnett said. "He coaches very offensively. A lot of offensive coaches will look at all the percentages. They'll look at all the defenses, and it's more, 'How do I attack this defense, and how do I attack that defense?'

"Gregg, and I think he'd be the first one to tell you, is more, 'Here's what we do. You stop us.'"