Most recent contest: Write a short song lyric about new Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao.

Last week's SabreMail Contest asked readers to submit a song lyric about new Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao. We had a few entries, but this week's winner is Richard Rogers. Check out the winning entry:

To the tune of ABBA's "Mamma Mia":
I've been let down by hoops since I don't know when.
Now that Leitao's here that must come to an end.
Look at the Hoos, a program that's gone wrong.
With a new coach we've got more lofty goals
Than the NIT.
Just some wins and we'll forget the past years.
For the Big Dance we'll have reason to cheer.
woah-oah....
David Leitao,
He's the Wahoos' coach.
Re-ju-venated our hoops team.
David Leitao
Gives the Hoo fans hope
That of a championship we can dream.
Yes, we've been brokenhearted
Blue since Wally Walker departed.
But now maybe things are changing.
David Leitao--now we really know--
On to March Madness we are gonna go!

Thanks to his winning entry, Richard has received a free one-month subscription to Sabre Edge, our premium content covering University of Virginia athletics, and a prize pack bonus from one of music's newest up-and-coming stars: Niki Barr. The prize pack features Niki's latest CD "Lush" and a promotional copy of her DVD "Wasted Time." If you didn't win, don't worry. You can download Niki's music at places like iTunes, MusicMatch, Napster, MusicNow and many more!

After Thursday night's thrilling win over North Carolina in University Hall and the thread of the week (see below), this week's SabreMail contest is a time for reflecting. What's Your Best Basketball Memory in University Hall? SabreMail will feature several of the best entries next week and the winner will receive a free one-month subscription to Sabre Edge, our premium content covering University of Virginia athletics.

Please send your entry to [email protected] with the header: SabreMail Contest. Thanks, and good luck!

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com

UVa landed two commitments this week and both project for the safety position. Sunday night, Edgewater (Orlando, FL) 3-star prospect Michael Parker verbally committed to the 'Hoos over Wake Forest and offers from Clemson, Georgia Tech and South Carolina. Parker has good size at around 6-2, 185 pounds, and he was electronically timed at 4.6 in the 40-yard dash at the Nike camp in Miami last year.

"Coach Groh told me he really liked the way I hit," Parker told TheSabre.com earlier this week.

Parker, who attended UVa's summer camp in 2005, earned second-team all-Central Florida honors by the Orlando Sentinel for his senior year performance.

6-1½, 192-pound Winston Churchill (Bethesda, MD) standout Matt Leemhuis camped at Virginia as well, but only received an official offer from the 'Hoos several weeks ago. Leemhuis racked up 100 tackles and had three interceptions his senior season, earning second-team all-metro honors from the Washington Post.

Leemhuis, who also camped at UVa last summer, chose the Cavs over California. He made an official visit to Cal on the weekend of January 6 and had a great time, but felt UVa was in his heart in the end.

"Virginia was always my number one school," Leemhuis said. "It was my gut feeling. I felt comfortable there. My whole family is on the East Coast, so they can all come and watch my games. Cal is just a little too far. And a point that Virginia made was what would I do if I couldn't play football anymore...would I fit in wherever I was? I think I'm a UVa guy. I have a lot of friends who go to UVa. I had a great time at Cal, but I just went with my gut feeling."

The commitments of Parker and Leemhuis bring Virginia's total to 22 for the 2006 class. Virginia could take at least five more players, possibly more.

• RB Brent Carter - Pottsgrove (Pottstown, PA)
• WR Donald Bowens - St. Petersburg (FL)
• RB Raynard Horne - Overlea (Baltimore, MD)
• TE Jack Shields - Boston College High School (MA)
• TE/DL Dennis Godfrey - Lee County (Sanford, N.C.)
• OLB George Johnson, Jr. - Glassboro (N.J.)
• DT Gavin Smith - Wakefield (Raleigh, N.C.)
• DE Johnnie Troutman - Pemberton (N.J.)

Of the uncommitted prospects, Virginia's best chances for commitments come from WR Donald Bowens, TE Jack Shields and DT Gavin Smith. Check out the latest Countdown to Signing Day article for the latest detailed updates on these and other recruits heading into Signing Day 2006.

For more recruiting information and updates, please sign up for Sabre Edge.

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Thread of the Week

Subject: Carolina's last trip to UHall

Posted by: chiefwahoo on Wed Jan 18 2006 8:06:30 PM

Message: There are a ton of great games we've seen with them at Uhall. I hope we can give them one last beating in the old clam. My favorites...probably beating them in '86 when they were #1 and undefeated. And the game in '95 was awesome, I think Harold Deane scored 18 straight points in the 2nd half .

Posted by: 007 Hoo on Thu Jan 19 2006 9:39:33 AM

Message: That game was a turning point in my favorite UVA season ever. As I faintly recall, the team was struggling, then Coach Holland went into the hospital for a couple of games, Odom was coaching, but it was Richard Morgan who took over.

From my time as a student, I recall the '94 and '95 games vividly. In '94, a first-year Harold Deane and a third-year Junior Burrough led the 'Hoos to a victory that was another turning-point game for a season. Remember Junior's bank-shot three with somewhere around/under five minutes to go? Harold showed amazing guts.

In '95, Carolina was good - really good. Stackhouse, Wallace, McInnis. JJ innovated that game and put Chris Alexander - UVA's center - on Stackhouse, and shut him down. That '95 team was a great one, and earned a share of first in the ACC in one of the most competitive (at the top) ACC seasons ever.

Posted by: dunnwv on Wed Jan 18 2006 9:27:43 PM

Message: when they were recently undefeated and UVa beat them by 20. Craziest hooville i remember, total chaos, stood for 4 hrs in a row before they let us in. The outcome of the game was decided before it began.

To read the entire thread, click the link below.

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Brooks to Return; Singletary Battling Injuries
Virginia fans collectively rejoiced Saturday afternoon when linebacker Ahmad Brooks officially announced he would return for his senior season. Brooks was limited to little game action in 2005 thanks to offseason knee surgery and various injuries.

"I came to Virginia to earn my degree and help Virginia become a great team," Brooks said in a news release. "I still have a lot of unfinished business to meet my goals."

Cavaliers Win at Virginia Tech
Sean Singletary had missed practice for much of the week. Virginia had 21 turnovers and hadn't won at Virginia Tech since 2001. Two Cavalier post players - Laurynas Mikalauskas and Tunji Soroye - had fouled out, plus J.R. Reynolds was in second-half foul trouble. The Hokies had surged into the lead on the strength of a 10-0 run. Still, the Cavaliers found a way to win. By closing the game on a 10-0 run of their own, including Adrian Joseph's game-winning 3-pointer in the final 50 seconds, the Cavs defeated VT in Blacksburg on Sunday, 54-49.

Best Seat in the House Special: Perry Brooks
Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks announced he would return to school for his senior year this past weekend. His father Perry Brooks shared his thoughts about the decision, Ahmad's upcoming senior season, academics, and more with Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House on Monday.

For Your Consideration: An Application for Legendary Status
What does it take to become a legend? What needs to be on the résumé? What boxes need to be checked on the application? There is no certified standard, no written rule, no official bar that a player must pass to join the pantheon of players immortalized in history. Each player's candidacy for legendary status is unique. Each application must be considered on its own merits. Well, I hereby submit an application on behalf of Marques Hagans.

Florida State at Virginia photo gallery
Virginia gave a gallant effort against Florida State last week in University Hall. Want to relive the action? Just want to get fired up for North Carolina on Thursday? Check out these photos of T.J. Bannister, Mamadi Diane, Sean Singletary, and more.

Greg's Game Grades: Final Marks Are In
Virginia didn't exactly storm out of the gates at the beginning of the 2005 season with lackluster performances against Western Michigan and Syracuse. Still, the Cavaliers put together a solid season and chalked up encouraging wins against Florida State and Minnesota along the way. With that in mind, what did Wali Lundy and the rest of the Cavaliers bring home on their final report card?

Notes: Groh Adds Coach, Hoops Heating Up
January has quickly become a very busy month for University of Virginia athletics. Football coach Al Groh is filling out his staff - Dave Borbely was named offensive line coach Wednesday - and landing recruits. Men's basketball coach Dave Leitao has his team 2-2 in the ACC with a big contest against North Carolina looming. Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan is preparing her team for a showdown with Maryland on Friday. Plus, baseball coach Brian O'Connor opens practice this week. Busy indeed. Catch up on some of the latest news with this notes package.

Chalktalk: Defending the Post
It is fair to say that the 2005-06 Virginia men's basketball team has challenges with inexperience, size, and depth at the post position. While Jason Cain, Tunji Soroye, and Laurynas Mikalauskas have played with great enthusiasm, iron-clad will, and relentless energy, the trio's relative lack of size and collegiate playing experience make essentially every night a battle on the blocks. So with UNC and Tyler Hansbrough in town for an ACC showdown tonight at 7 p.m., let's take a look at how the Hoos combat low-post threats.

Cavaliers Upset Carolina
Sensational team defense, a strong second-half rebounding effort (23-23 after intermission), and solid free-throw shooting (23 of 29) propelled Virginia to a 72-68 upset of No. 23 North Carolina in front of 8,392 at University Hall on Thursday night. UVa trailed for just 9:11 in the game, taking the lead for good on a J.R. Reynolds' 3-pointer midway through the second half.

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

• Gavin Smith Focusing in on Two?
• Cuffee Adds Offer
• 4-star WR Down to Four
• Cavs Snag Talented Safety
• Davis Prepares for Final Visit
• Cavs Gain Another Commitment
• Vontae Davis Nearing Decision?
• Shields Down to Vandy, UVa
• Countdown to Signing Day: Part 3

Every week, Sabre Edge provides you with exclusive articles, columns, special features, interviews and recruiting news, including daily recruiting updates. There's even a special message board just for subscribers. And to top it off, you get 10 percent off all of your UVa Bookstores purchases during your subscription.

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!

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