Your guide to breaking news, recruiting updates and important offers from TheSabre.com! |
|
SabreMail - March 4th, 2005 |
Sabre Links
Home Page Football Recruiting
Recruiting Home Basketball Recruiting
Recruiting Home Sabre Edge
Articles/Features Sabre Products
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Has there ever been a less emotional Senior Night than the one held Wednesday night at University Hall?
This year's Senior Night, however, felt more like a wake than a going-away party. U-Hall was half-empty. Three members of the 2001 recruiting class weren't even around for the occasion. Keith Jenifer and Jermaine Harper transferred to other schools long ago, while Jason Clark flunked out. The only survivor, Elton Brown, has been a lightning rod of criticism, and there was talk on the message boards that he'd be booed during the pregame ceremony. Thankfully, that didn't happen, but fans groaned as he missed five straight free throws and erupted in a sarcastic cheer when he finally made one. It was the loudest noise of the night as Virginia lost to N.C. State and dropped to 4-11 in the ACC.
Next year may be different. There will almost certainly be a new head coach and the last home game will also mark the final game ever held at University Hall. Even though walk-on Billy Campbell figures to be the only senior on the team, let's hope Senior Night in 2006 is a happier occasion for everyone who cares about Cavalier basketball.
John Galinsky |
|||||||||||||||||||||
TheSabreShop.com - The Place for Wahoo Gear! | |||||||||||||||||||||
Time to hit the jogging trail? TheSabreShop.com has the answer for those outdoor cold-weather exercise blues. Our new Devin and Jones wind shirts look great with the matching lined running pants. The lady 'Hoos can pair the running pants with our woman's orange end zone sweatshirt.
Please feel free to browse the great selection of items we've got in-stock and ready to ship. Hundreds of items - Secure shopping - Fast, reliable shipping!
Recruiting News |
This Week In Recruiting By Chris Horne Football recruiting... Rondre Smith, a senior at Gwynn Park, will go to Hargrave Military Academy next year to shore up his academics but has made it clear that he wants to go to Virginia. UVa has not offered yet due to academic concerns, but it looks like an offer will be there if Rondre can improve his academics. Last season Smith finished with 72 tackles, six sacks, two fumble recoveries and two batted passes. He earned first-team all-conference honors for his performance. Though he played outside linebacker and defensive end for head coach Danny Hayes, he could potentially play inside or outside linebacker at UVa. Smith is around 6-2, 225 pounds, and runs in the 4.7s in the 40-yard dash. So right now UVa's only "official" commitment is from 6-4, 235-pound outside linebacker/tight end George Johnson of Glassboro (N.J.) High School. Johnson, a phenomenal athlete who can run (estimated 4.5 in the 40), gets the 'Hoos off to a great start in the need area of linebacker.
For more recruiting information and updates, please see Sabre Edge.
Support TheSabre.com's Sponsors |
Today's SabreMail is brought to you by Andrew Minton Jewelers. Valentine's Day is over. Christmas is a long way off. What a great time to surprise your wife or girlfriend with a gift of jewelry! Right when she least expects it. What do you say, Mr. Romance? If you're thinking about purchasing diamonds, gold, precious gems or pearls, please look to Andrew Minton Jewelers, a proud Sabre sponsor, for your shopping needs. Andy is a UVa graduate and played football for the Cavaliers from 1968-70. He has operated Charlottesville's premier jewelry store since 1978 and he handles custom jewelry design, jewelry repair, appraisals, cleaning and pearl stringing. All we ask is that you give Andy the first chance to win your business.
Thank you for actively supporting the sponsors of TheSabre.com. Sponsorships are a critical component of our business and sponsors' success will permit us to continually improve our services to you, our community.
News, Notes and Fan Discussion |
Cavs fading down the stretch
Yet that's the position the Wahoos put themselves in by losing their last four games, including two in the past week. They are 4-11 in the ACC and could fall into a last-place tie with the Seminoles if they lose in Tallahassee. In that case, FSU would win the tiebreaker and Virginia would be the bottom seed in the ACC tournament next week. Last Sunday's loss at Wake Forest and Wednesday's home defeat at the hands of N.C. State were like so many UVa games this season. Bad defense, weak rebounding and a lack of hustle and heart doomed the 'Hoos, who seem ready for this season to come to an end. For the Sabre's story on the N.C. State game, please see the link below.
For the Sabre's story on the Wake Forest game, please see the link below.
Women's basketball the #5 seed in ACC tourney Compared to their male counterparts, the UVa women's basketball team is having a swell season. The Cavs all but clinched an NCAA tournament bid by going 19-9 in the regular season, 8-6 in the ACC. Still, the Wahoo women have not made a big splash nationally. They are unranked and have struggled against the top teams in the conference, so they can't be considered a strong contender to win the ACC tournament this weekend. As the fifth seed, they will play fourth-seeded Florida State in a quarterfinal game Saturday at 2 p.m. Virginia ended the regular season last Sunday with a 57-54 victory over Wake Forest. On Senior Night at University Hall, Latonya Blue (one of the team's five seniors) had 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Cavs rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit. Freshman point guard Sharnee Zoll hit the go-ahead shot with 29 seconds left. Blue, averaging 12.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists, was named to the All-ACC second team and the All-ACC defensive team. For more information on UVa women's basketball, please see the link below.
Lacrosse teams travel to Syracuse It's a big weekend for both UVa lacrosse teams, which travel to Syracuse, N.Y., for matchups with the Orange on Saturday. The sixth-ranked Cavalier men (2-0) will get their first big test after thrashing Drexel and Manhattan by a combined score of 34-9. Syracuse is the defending national champion. Opening faceoff is set for 3 p.m. at the Carrier Dome. For the Virginia women, Saturday's game (noon start) is the 2005 season opener. The Cavs won the 2004 national championship and are ranked No. 1 in the country. For more information on UVa men's lacrosse, please see the link below.
For more information on UVa women's lacrosse, please see the link below.
Pitching, defense solid for baseball team
Nevertheless, UVa is 8-3 thanks to superb pitching and defense. The Virginia pitching staff has an ERA of 2.32, led by starters Mike Ballard (3-0, 0.78 ERA) and Matt Avery (2-1, 1.37 ERA). Opponents are batting just .208. The Cavs also have committed only eight errors, compared to 26 by their opponents. "I'm very impressed with our pitching and defense," said UVa coach Brian O'Connor, whose team opens ACC play this weekend with a three-game series at Wake Forest. For the Sabre's weekly update on UVa baseball, please see the link below.
For more information on UVa baseball, please see the link below.
Men's swimming secures seventh straight ACC title The biggest dynasty in ACC athletics these days is the UVa men's swimming team, which claimed its seventh straight conference championship last weekend in Atlanta. As usual, it wasn't even close. The Cavaliers won 11 of 20 events and totaled 726.5 points, 146.5 more than runner-up Florida State. Luke Anderson was named the meet's most valuable swimmer after winning the 100 and 200 free, placing second in the 50 free and swimming on three first-place relay teams. For more information on UVa swimming and diving, please see the link below.
What's New on TheSabre.com? |
Sabre Edge articles and columns from the past week
On Monday the NCAA released the preliminary results of a new benchmarking system designed to monitor the academic development of athletes at Division I schools. What is the Academic Progress Rate (APR)? How will it work? What will be the consequences of a low score? And how do UVa and the rest of the ACC schools measure up right now?
By the time it was over, few fans were left to watch Pete Gillen walk off the court at University Hall, probably for the final time following a game. Most of the already-sparse crowd had departed the arena when the final horn sounded in Virginia's 82-72 loss to N.C. State late Wednesday night. It was UVa's last home game of the season and likely the last public appearance at U-Hall by the Cavalier head coach, who is expected to be fired at season's end. "We'll see. We'll see," Gillen said.
Elton Brown, it's safe to say, won't go down as the most beloved athlete in UVa history. OK, not even close. In fact, I can't think of any Cavalier in any sport who has been the source of so much disappointment, frustration and even outright animosity among the Virginia fan base. Let's admit it: A lot of fans don't like Elton Brown. Why is that? Is it justified, or is he a scapegoat for the team's failures? And how should fans treat the senior in his final home game tonight?
When Eugene Monroe sets a goal for himself, he usually achieves it. Football? He's turned himself into the best high school lineman in the country. Academics? He is a straight-A student who graduated early and is already taking college courses. Politics? "If Eugene decided not to play another down of football, he could be the President of the United States if he really put his mind to it," said Clint Jones, Monroe's coach at Plainfield (N.J.) High School. "He's that kind of person."
The UVa baseball program reached new heights last season in Brian O'Connor's first year as head coach. The Cavaliers set or tied school records for overall victories (44), ACC wins (18), winning percentage (74.6%), consecutive wins (14) and fielding percentage (.973) in what O'Connor called "a big step" for the program. Now the question is whether the Cavs can take another step forward in 2005, or at least avoid taking a step back. They lost two top pitchers and their only two power hitters from last year's team, but a good nucleus of talent remains. Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week Our resident recruiting expert, Chris Horne, provides updates for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please see the sign-up promotion below. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting. Football
Sabre Edge |
Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!
All of the great Sabre Edge content can be yours for the price of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Try it for a month and cancel if you like. But we think you'll get hooked on the Edge and find out for yourself why the most knowledgeable Cavalier fans are Edge subscribers. If you're a true Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out!
|
SabreMail is a trademark of TheSabre.com - Copyright © 2001 - 2005 - All Rights Reserved |