Landesberg fills up box score
By Whitey Reid
Published: December 25, 2009
» 0 Comments | Post a Comment
vote
nowBuzz up!

From the moment he took the job at Virginia, then throughout the summer and into the preseason, Tony Bennett harped on a vision when it came to his star player, Sylven Landesberg.

Bennett said, almost ad nauseam, that his goal was for Landesberg to become more of a complete player, and for him to make his teammates better.

Through the first nine games of the season, Landesberg didn’t show very many signs of achieving that.

However, last season’s ACC rookie of the year did so in spades on Wednesday night in Virginia’s easy win over Hampton. Landesberg played his best all-around game to date, finishing with with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to go with six assists.

Hampton’s zone defense was definitely conducive to putting up inflated assist numbers — even Bennett admitted there were some sizable “gaps” in the alignment — but that didn’t take away from Landesberg’s performance, according to Bennett.

“When he’s drawing that much attention and drops those passes off, I think it just makes his game step up to another level,” Bennett said. “I think that is such an attractive feature about Sylven when he brings that completeness.

“I love it when he’s on the glass, drawing and kicking, and then when he’s getting to the [free-throw] line and to the rim, and his shot has improved. He’s a good mid-range shooter, he really is. He’s worked on the 3-ball and when his feet are set and he’s in a good rhythm, he can make those. So I thought he was complete tonight.”

At halftime, Landesberg was on pace for a triple-double. The last Virginia player to do that? Ralph Sampson, back in 1979 against Old Dominion (15 points, 22 rebounds and 10 blocks).

Landesberg said he had “no clue” that he was compiling such impressive stats, although teammates had commented on his passing during halftime.

“Sylven did a great job of getting into the lane and finding open guys,” said Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski.

Landesberg came up four assists shy of the triple-double, but still wound up notching the first double-double of his career.

“I came close a few times last year,” said Landesberg, referring to double-doubles. “I mean, I’m not surprised, just happy.

“This year is definitely a lot harder to get open looks. When I penetrate and get into the lane, teams are flooding. Just being able to find guys and having them knock shots down is just a big relief.”

Landesberg’s overall stats through the team’s first 10 games are pretty similar to his final numbers from a year ago. He’s averaging 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 turnovers compared to 16.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.75 turnovers. Landesberg is shooting 44 percent from the field compared to 43.6 percent last year.

The thing to remember, though, is that Landesberg’s numbers decreased steadily last season as the competition grew tougher and teams became more aware of his exploits.

Clearly, Virginia can’t afford for him to have a similar decline this season. Landesberg, for one, isn’t counting on it.

“I think this year I’m able to see the court better,” he said. “When I’m penetrating, I’m able to see who’s open and what the right pass is to make and where guys like the ball on the court.”

Noted Bennett: “I believe he’s getting tagged a little harder and people know his game a little more, so I think he’s drawing a lot of attention.”

While Bennett was very pleased with Landesberg’s all-around game against Hampton, he says there is still plenty to work on.

“I’m going to keep challenging him on that defensive end to just stay after it,” Bennett said, “and just try and give us that completeness.”
 

State's Top 25 prospects: Fewer I-A recruits in state this year
The Roanoke Times’ annual report of the best high school football players in the state.
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

Football recruiting in the state of Virginia can be compared to the stock market this year and, actually, just about every year. Both institutions revolve around investments.

The number of Division I-A signees out of Virginia had been escalating at such an astounding rate that sooner or later there had to be a crash.

Recruiting hit its peak in 2008-09, when I-A programs signed a record 67 players from Virginia. That number had never previously exceeded 50.

As this year’s recruiting season nears its finish, the number of commitments to I-A programs stands at 42 and is unlikely to climb significantly.

In fact, if not for a late addition, all 25 members of The Roanoke Times Top 25 would have been committed by Christmas.

The late move involved J.R. “Ego” Ferguson, a defensive lineman who is in his fourth year of high school but is playing for the postgraduate team at Hargrave Military Academy.

Ferguson, from Walkersville, Md., played at St. John’s-Catholic Prep in Frederick, Md., before transferring to Hargrave.

Nobody has a more impressive list of visits than Ferguson, who already has been to Notre Dame, LSU and California, but the rest of the state’s top prospects have been committed for months.

Quarterback Phillip Sims, this year’s choice as the No. 1 prospect in Virginia, has been committed to Alabama since April 15.

“It would be pretty crazy if he was trying to juggle 30 or 40 schools while playing this fall,” said Rich Morgan, Sims’ coach at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake. “It took a big burden off of him and us.”

Morgan said Sims is the best quarterback he’s seen since moving to Virginia from New York eight years ago.

That would include a couple of Tidewater products, E.J. Manuel and Kevin Newsome, who respectively were ranked among the state’s top three prospects in 2007 and 2008.

“With the exception of Ronald Curry, who won three state titles, I don’t know anybody who can match Phillip’s win totals or his stats,” Morgan said.

Curry was the quarterback at Hampton High School during the Crabbers’ three-year championship run from 1995-97. Oscar Smith’s only state title during Sims’ career was in 2008, but Sims had a 48-4 record as a starter and led his team to three regional titles.

Sims (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) set state records for career passing yardage (10,725) and touchdown passes (119).

Remarkably, he is the only quarterback on The Roanoke Times Top 25 and there is only one pure running back, Pittsburgh-bound T.J. Peeler from undefeated Group AA Division 4 champion Broad Run.

Wide receiver Justin Hunter from Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach is rated the No. 2 prospect behind Sims, but there is a noticeable shortage of skill-position players. Hunter, who has committed to LSU, and E.L. Smiling from Brooke Point in Stafford are the only wide receivers on the top 25.

Smiling, named first-team All-Metro by the Washington Post, has committed to Virginia Tech. The Hokies have commitments from 10 Top 25 players and Virginia is the only other school with as many as three.

For the Cavaliers, that is a huge drop from 2008-09, when UVa signed 16 in-state players. But Tech is down, too, from 15 in-state signees in 2008-09 to 12 this year.

Some of that may be related to numbers. But there’s also a talent component.

A coach who has recruited the state for years who asked to remain anonymous said recruits No. 11 through 25 this year probably would have been in the 20-35 range in 2008.

Nobody has recruited the state any longer than Virginia Tech assistant Jim Cavanaugh, who is in his 14th year in Blacksburg after working at N.C. State, VMI, Virginia, Marshall, Maryland and North Carolina.

“I think Virginia’s over-recruited,” Cavanaugh said. “Because of Tech and Virginia — and especially us, because we’ve won with a lot of in-state kids — I think sometimes Virginia kids get ranked a little higher [nationally].

“Every time [Tech coach] Frank Beamer gets on television and says, ‘We’re winning with Virginia kids,’ and we’ve won a lot of games lately, other people are thinking, ‘Gee, we better get down to Virginia and get some of those kids Frank’s winning with.’ ”

Regarding the absence of skilled players this year, Cavanaugh said, “You won’t get an argument from me.”

Before he was the offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Bryan Stinespring coached the Hokies’ offensive line. He said this is a “terrific year” for linemen in the state, but you’ll rarely hear him recommend an offensive lineman for The Roanoke Times Top 5.

“I always go back to [ex-Hokie] Matt Lehr,” Stinespring said. “I never thought, in recruiting Matt Lehr, that we were looking at a nine-year … NFL guy and one of the best players I’ve had the privilege of coaching.

“Then I go out to Cincinnati and I recruit this guy, Aaron Brown, who’s 6-6 and 280 pounds and can put both hands flat on the ground when he’s stretching and do a full split and all those things. And he never played a down. That’s hard.”

If the number of Division I-A commitments reaches 50 this year, “that would be a fairly significant drop-off,” Stinespring said, “but, still, that’s a tremendous number. If there’s a drop-off, it’s not because schools have stopped recruiting in Virginia. I just think that’s a periodic deal.”

Stinespring knows there weren’t as many players in the area he recruits, which includes most of the schools in the 19-county area in which The Roanoke Times is distributed, aka Timesland.

The only Timesland players to have committed to Division I-A programs this year are Pulaski County linebacker Tahrick Peak and Rockbridge County offensive lineman Caleb Farris. Both are Tech recruits.

Stinespring’s recruiting territory includes Lynchburg, Danville and Martinsville, and the only I-A prospect to come out of that triangle this year is defensive lineman and Top 5 recruit Zack McCray from Brookville High School in Lynchburg.

“Last year, you had Logan Thomas [from Brookville] and David Wilson from Danville and Andrew Miller from the Martinsville area; there was such a strong local flavor,” Stinespring said. “Those were national guys. You didn’t have that this year.”

VIRGINIA"S TOP 25


No. 1 Phillip Sims
6-2, 225 QB
Oscar Smith
(Chesapeake)
Committed to Alabama

No. 2
Justin Hunter
6-4, 185 WR
Ocean Lakes
(Virginia Beach)
Committed to LSU

No. 3
Evan Hailes
6-1, 315 DL
Oscar Smith
(Chesapeake)
Committed to Penn State


No. 4
Travis Williams
6-3, 215 LB
Lake Taylor
(Norfolk)
Committed to Miami

No. 5
Zach McCray
6-4, 240 DE
Brookville
(Lynchburg)
Committed to Va. Tech

RANK, PLAYER HT. WT. POS. SCHOOL (LOCATION) SCHOOLS CONSIDERING
6 J.R. Ferguson 6-3 272 DE Hargrave (Chatham) LSU, Notre Dame, Cal
7 Mark Shuman 6-6 280 OL Fork Union Committed to Va. Tech
8 Nick Dew 6-3 192 DB First Colonial (Va. Beach) Committed to Va. Tech
9 Nick Acree 6-5 300 DL Fork Union Committed to Va. Tech
10 Khamrone Kolb 6-6 325 OL Lake Braddock (Burke) Committed to Penn State
11 Chase Williams 6-3 235 LB Loudoun County (Leesburg) Committed to Va. Tech
12 Derrick Hopkins 5-11 275 DL Highland Springs Committed to Va. Tech
13 Brian Laiti 6-3 210 LB Robinson (Fairfax) Committed to Va. Tech
14 Ed Reynolds 6-3 198 DB Woodberry Forest Committed to Stanford
15 Russell Bodine 6-4 280 OL Fork Union Committed to UNC
16 Aramide Olaniyan 6-2 200 LB Woodberry Forest Committed to UCLA
17 Connor Davis 6-4 250 OL Deep Run (Glen Allen) Committed to UVa
18 Matt Arkema 6-3 290 OL Midlothian Committed to Va. Tech
19 Quinton Spain 6-5 320 OL Petersburg Committed to WVU
20 Henry Coley 6-2 210 LB Bayside (Va. Beach) Committed to UVa
21 Dominique Patterson 6-1 210 ATH King’s Fork (Suffolk) Committed to Va. Tech
22 Rijo Walker 5-11 175 DB Bethel (Hampton) Committed to UVa
23 T.J. Peeler 6-1 200 RB Broad Run (Ashburn) Committed to Pittsburgh
24 Marquis Wallace 6-3 285 OL Varina (Richmond) Committed to WVU
25 E.L. Smiling 6-4 185 WR Brooke Point (Stafford) Committed to Va. Tech

SLEEPER OF THE YEAR Phillip Scott 5-8, 175, RB Northside Uncommitted

SECOND 25

26. Tre Johnson 5-11, 170, RB Varina (Richmond) Committed to WVU
27. Andre Simmons 6-0, 195, DB South County (Lorton) Committed to Vanderbilt
28. Duke Mosby 6-1, 270, OT Woodberry Forest Committed to Wake Forest
29. Jamal Wallace 6-3, 215, DE Green Run (Va. Beach) Committed to Duke
30. Tahrick Peak 6-3, 205, LB Pulaski County Committed to Va. Tech
31. Connor Reilly 6-3, 185, QB Woodson (Fairfax) Committed to Temple
32. Mario Rowson 6-4, 190, DB Lake Taylor (Norfolk) Committed to Maryland
33. Anthony Rose 6-3, 193, ATH Amherst County Maryland, JMU, Marshall, Ohio
34. Mike Rocco 6-3, 205, QB Liberty Christian (Lynchburg) Committed to Louisville
35. Adrian Flemming 6-4, 180, WR Broad Run (Ashburn) Committed to Syracuse
36. Jake McGee 6-5, 210, QB Collegiate (Richmond) Committed to Richmond
37. A.J. Scott 6-5, 280, DE R.E. Lee (Staunton) Marshall
38. Jeremiah Wilson 5-11, 180, DB Handley (Winchester) Committed to Maryland
39. Caleb Farris 6-5, 315, OL Rockbridge County Committed to Va. Tech
40. Stephen Lawe 6-5, 270, OL Maury (Norfolk) Memphis, UVa
41. Nick Appel 6-6, 300, OL Bishop O’Connell (Arlington) Committed to UNC
42. Jacob Ruby 6-8, 285, OL Fork Union Committed to UConn
43. Brandon Sparrow 6-4, 250, OL Liberty (Bedford) Marshall, Ohio, UMass, Liberty
44. Andrew Cordasco 6-5, 250, TE Jamestown Committed to Richmond
45. Josh Lovell 6-6, 266, DL Christchurch Uncommitted
46. Nick Sigmon 6-2, 236, LB Northside Committed to Liberty
47. Andrew Brown 6-1, 216, LB Jefferson Forest Committed to Richmond
48. Blake Jones 6-0, 215, LB Hanover (Mechanicsville) Committed to Ohio
49. Dominique Guinn-Bailey 6-3, 222, DE Churchland (Portsmouth) Committed to ODU
50. Dante Taylor 6-1, 180, DB R.E. Lee (Springfield) Committed to Miami of Ohio

SECOND 50

51. Jerrel Harrison 5-11, 171, WR Varina (Richmond) Committed to Richmond
52. Dejor Simmons 5-8, 170, RB Green Run (Va. Beach) JMU, UConn, Toledo
53. Stephen Barnette 6-3, 180, DB Salem Uncommitted
54. Desmond Coble 5-10, 175, ATH Meadowbrook (Richmond) Uncommitted
55. Chad Kolumber 6-8, 286, OL Woodberry Forest Buffalo and others
56. Paul Morant 5-11, 185, QB Phoebus (Hampton) Committed to ODU
57. Demetrius Quarles 5-9, 155, DB Woodbridge Committed to Miami of Ohio
58. Venson Jones 6-2, 330, OL Woodside (Newport News) Uncommitted
59. Angus Harper 5-11, 190, RB Edison (Alexandria) Committed to ODU
60. Ryan Powis 6-1, 260, OL James River (Midlothian) Committed to Army
61. Taylor Evans 6-4, 275, OL Broad Run (Ashburn) Marist, Monmouth
62. Montel White 6-5, 202, QB Surry County (Dendron) Committed to Richmond
63. David Williams 5-10, 178, RB Hidden Valley Navy and others
64. Ja’Quan Burchett 6-1, 204, QB Highland Springs Uncommitted
65. Wes Moulton 6-3, 270, DL Ocean Lakes (Va. Beach) Navy and others
66. Colby Goodwyn 5-11, 190, DB Phoebus (Hampton) Uncommitted
67. Chris Ragonesi 6-2, 238, DL Courtland (Spotsylvania) Uncommitted
68. Michael Justice 6-7, 279, OL West Springield Uncommitted
69. Quintaze Jackson 6-0, 180, WR Dinwiddie Uncommitted
70. Matthew Baptiste 6-0, 218, LB Ocean Lakes (Va. Beach) Committed to Richmond
71. Demontray Ryland 6-1, 230, LB Norcom (Portsmouth) Uncommitted
72. Bo Revell 6-7, 226, QB Battlefield (Haymarket) Uncommitted
73. Tyler Caveness 5-9, 176, RB North Cross Committed to Harvard
74. Nick Koutris 6-6, 250, OL Oakton (Vienna) Uncommitted
75. Alex Marrs 6-2, 240, OL Graham (Bluefield) Uncommitted
76. Ben Edwards 6-1, 180, ATH York (Yorktown) Committed to Richmond
77. Kyle Linn 6-3, 185, DB Turner Ashby (Bridgewater) Uncommitted
78. Keevon Newsome 6-3, 233, LB Churchland (Portsmouth) ODU and others
79. DreQuan Hoskey 5-11, 160, DB Henrico (Richmond) Committed to Richmond
80. Aaron Evans 5-9, 175, ATH Woodside (Newport News) Committed to ODU
81. DeShawn Holmes 5-9, 190, DB Highland Springs Committed to Richmond
82. Thomas Strickford 5-11, 180, DB Lake Braddock (Burke) Uncommitted
83. Warren Denny 6-3, 196, WR Centeville (Clifton) Uncommitted
84. Rashad Winston 6-0, 248, DT Highland Springs Committed to Richmond
85. Levi Barber 5-11, 205, ATH Edison (Alexandria) Uncommitted
86. Cameron Carter 6-4, 352, DL Northside Uncommitted
87. Josh Hogan 6-3, 225, LB Woodson (Fairfax) Uncommitted
88. Willie Ezell 6-0, 205, LB Goochland Uncommitted
89. Zach Weller 6-1, 216, LB Christiansburg Uncommitted
90. Danny Fenyak 6-4, 175, QB Westfield (Chantilly) Uncommitted
91. D.J. Dinardo 6-1, 205, ATH Cox (Va. Beach) Uncommitted
92. Alex Berry 6-4, 290, OL Cave Spring Uncommitted
93. Brandon Robinson 6-1, 180, WR Lake Braddock (Burke) Uncommitted
94. Airek Green 6-1, 199, DB Thomas Dale (Chester) Uncommitted
95. Collin Christovich 6-3, 256, OL Powhatan Uncommitted
96. Sam Strauss 6-4, 270, OL Oakton (Vienna) Uncommitted
97. Brandon Atwell 6-3, 185, ATH George Wythe (Wytheville) Uncommitted
98. Aric Speziale 5-10, 175, PK Great Bridge (Chesapeake) Uncommitted
99. Jagger Blehm 6-3, 240, DE Green Run (Va. Beach) ODU, JMU, W&M, Delaware
100. Willie Byrn 5-11, 175, ATH First Colonial (Va. Beach) Uncommitted

TOP JUNIORS


1. Dominique Terrell 5-10, 175, ATH Osbourn Park (Manassas)
2. Curtis Grant 6-3, 220, LB Hermitage (Richmond)
3. Melvin Robinson 6-2, 195, WR Annandale
4. Clifton Richardson 6-0, 187, WR Menchville (Newport News)
5. Landon Turner 6-5, 310, OL Harrisonburg
6. Quintae Funderburke 6-2, 195, WR Oscar Smith (Chesapeake)
7. Jay Whitmire 6-6, 285, OL T.C. Williams (Alexandria)
8. Corey Marshall 6-2, 250, LB Dinwiddie
9. Marcus Harris 6-0, 175, RB Stone Bridge (Ashburn)
10. Anthony Harris 6-2, 185, DB L.C. Bird (Chesterfield)
11. Michael Holmes 6-0, 195, RB Harrisonburg
12. Lafonte Thourogood 6-2, 206, WR Ocean Lakes (Va. Beach)
13. Travis Hughes 6-0, 214, RB Kempsville (Va. Beach)
14. Eric Frohnapfel 6-5, 190, TE Colonial Forge (Stafford)
15. Trey Nicholson 5-9, 195, DB Bayside (Va. Beach)
16. Ronnie Vandyke 6-3, 190, DB South County (Lorton)
17. Daquan Romero 6-1, 225, DE Phoebus (Hampton)
18. Taylor Davis 6-5, 260, OL R.E. Lee (Staunton)
19. Josh Woodrum 6-3, 190, QB Cave Spring
20. Caleb Taylor 5-11, 203, LB Phoebus (Hampton)
21. Jason Creeden 6-4, 274, OL Woodberry Forest
22. Chris Hall 6-4, 225, QB Dinwiddie
23. Devonte Norman 6-0, 215, LB Landstown (Va. Beach)
24. Seth Fisher 6-2, 206, LB Northside
25. Cortez Carter 5-11, 207, LB Liberty (Bealeton)