When the Super Bowl finishes and February appears on the calendar, some sports fans get depressed. They say it is the dead period for sports. Football is over. Pro sports are in the middle of the season with no playoff drama. Golf hasn't really started yet. There's no baseball. And so on.

I completely disagree! Other than football being out of season, February is a great month for sports. There's the Daytona 500, plenty of pro sports action leading up to All-Star weekends. And, most importantly, college basketball is in full swing. Conference rivalries are boiling over, schools are battling for postseason position, and teams you've never heard of are creeping on to the radar as potential bracket busters come March.

To me, there are few things better than the final two months of college basketball. Throw in the fact that the Virginia Cavaliers are part of the conversation this February and ... well, let's just say that my head is spinning.

You can only imagine how I am for two weeks in March.

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com

The weather did not cooperate with Virginia's junior day plans last Saturday, but some top prospects were still able to attend. Those 2007 prospects with official UVa offers who did make the trip to Charlottesville included West Springfield (Springfield, VA) QB Peter Lalich, Yorktown (Arlington, VA) RB Max Milien and Butler (Matthews, N.C.) RB Ryan Houston.

The 6-5, 235-pound Lalich continues to list UVa as his favorite school. He recently picked up a new scholarship offer from Pittsburgh and is drawing serious interest from Miami and Oklahoma. Lalich could have a decision before summer depending on how many offers he receives.

The 6-1, 198-pound Milien, a back with excellent speed and versatility, has received official offers from Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Houston, a 6-2, 240-pound bulldozing running back prospect, has received early offers from Michigan, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Houston plans to take his time in the recruiting process and currently hopes to announce his decision at the Army All-American game. Milien will likely take his time as well.

Virginia's next junior day will take place on March 5 for the final home men's basketball game in University Hall. The UVa men's basketball squad takes on Maryland in that final game.

Speaking of basketball, Paulding County (Dallas, GA) forward prospect Andy Ogide is having an outstanding senior season. The 6-8, 215-pound prospect has led Paulding to a 20-9 record and is averaging 28.3 points and 13.4 rebounds per game. More of an inside/midrange scorer last season, Paulding is averaging two 3-pointers per contest this season.

Ogide, a good student who will have no problems qualifying, will sign with UVa in the spring signing period. The signing period begins on April 12.

Though it's been more than two weeks since the National Signing Day for the 2006 class, the analysis keeps on coming. Sabre EDGE subscribers, be sure to check out how UVa fared in the ACC according to ACC Area Sports Journal Editor Dave Glenn. Glenn gives his thoughts on the Cavs' recruiting class as well as his thoughts on the rest of the ACC's classes.

Stay tuned to the Sabre Edge for further updates on UVa's 2006 recruits and a look into the 2007 class. You can sign up for Sabre Edge here.

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SabreMail Contest #18

Most recent contest: What's Your Best Basketball Memory in University Hall? Our winners for that contest were Doug Kornreich and Richard Manson, who each received one free month of Sabre Edge premium content. Congratulations!

Kornreich wrote: "Without a doubt, my best UVA Basketball memory happened my first year of college. I'm pretty sure it was Feb. 14 1986, and the 21-0 University of North Carolina (#1 in the nation) came into U-Hall. It was to be televised on ESPN, and Dick Vitale (who was just starting out in those days) was in the house. I think it started really late, like 9 p.m. for TV purposes, and the crowd was without a doubt excited. It was totally electric in U-Hall. My memory of the game at this point is a total blur. The thing that struck me more than anything was how loud it was in U-Hall. The noise was deafening with each basket that made it more clear that we were going to knock off the #1 team in the nation. The chant "21 and 1" was everywhere. Every basket, every turnover, and even every rebound was met by more yelling and screaming. Even through entire TV timeouts the crowd was so loud, I felt that I had to cover my ears. After the game was over everyone was throwing the plastic soda cups, and they were flying like confetti. I remember seeing Dick Vitale being pelted by plastic cups (apparently his chrome dome made him an inviting target) and I also remember him shaking his fist at the crowd and swearing he'd never come back to U-Hall. I'm not sure if he ever has been back, but he wasn't back in my remaining time at Virginia.

And afterwards, people were running around screaming. For some reason people were toilet papering all the trees around the new dorms as celebration. Without a doubt it was the most excited I ever saw and felt U-Hall. And it created an addict who's been into Virginia Basketball for 20 years now."

Manson wrote: "Best UHall game? This is a no-brainer --- BP (Barry Parkhill) against top ranked South Carolina in 1971, USC coached by Frank McGuire and featuring John Roche and a cast of tough big guys. No shot clock. Coach Frank McGuire gets a technical foul early for challenging a reporter from across the floor. UVa one down at the end, over a minute to play, and Parkhill has the ball, dribbling with his back to the basket at the sideline even with the top of the key. He backs in, he dribbles. He backs in, he dribbles. Down to 10 seconds, the crowd starts counting off the time. He backs in, stops at the top of the key, turns, fires, and makes it over Roche to win, 50-49, as the horn goes off. At the time, it was the biggest win in Cav history and BP literally put UVa basketball on the map. Everything else after that is gravy, but that one shot turned the whole program and the whole concept of UVa basketball around --- it was never the same after that shot."

This week's contest: Write a haiku about Virginia's Sean Singletary. A haiku is a 17 syllable verse form, arranged in three lines of five, seven and five syllables. For example:

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

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Larquier drafted by Akron:Senior third baseman Sara Larquier has been selected by the Akron Racers in the second round of the 2006 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft. Larquier was the sixth pick in the second round and the 15th selection overall.
• ODU bests UVa: Virginia's Tom Hagan went 3 for 4 at the plate, but Old Dominion's Kevin Gunter held UVa to one run as the Cavaliers picked up their first loss of the season Wednesday.
• JPJ Web site launched: A new multi-media Web site has been launched for the University of Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena. The Web site can be accessed from the front page of www.VirginiaSports.com or www.VirginiaAthleticsFoundation.com

Fore more information on Virignia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

Nike Long Sleeve Dri-Fit Polo The long sleeve Nike Dri-Fit polo is 100% polyster and features the Virginia logo and Nike Swoosh embroidered left chest. Regular Price: $60.00 Sale Price: $34.88

Be sure to check out our clearance sale!

We have drastically marked down many of your favorite UVa clothing and gift items.

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Sabre articles from the past week

Best Seat in the House Audio Feature: Football Recruit Keith Payne
Virginia football recruit Keith Payne joined the Best Seat in the House recently to talk about his high school career, the University of Virginia, his running style, and more. The Associated Press Group AAA Player of the Year, Payne led Oakton to the state champioship in 2005. He rushed for 2,059 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year. Check out Payne's conversation with Best Seat guest host Jay James in this audio interview on the Sabre Edge.

Virginia Cruises Past Longwood
In what proved to be a 35-point yawner on a night that featured career-best performances by Billy Campbell and Mike Forkin, the Cavaliers were anything but ecstatic with their 91-56 win over Longwood on Wednesday. Instead, Coach Dave Leitao and team leaders talked about a lack of mental focus, basketball maturity, and the need to get back to work the rest of the week.

Chalktalk: Avoiding Letdowns
There comes a point in every season where a team plays a slew of tough games and then a less challenging opponent pops up on the schedule. Sometimes that moment comes at the beginning of the season. Sometimes it comes in the middle of conference play. Sometimes it is right after the exam break. The goal when that opponent rolls into 'next game' status? Win without much drama. With that in mind, let's look at 5 ways for Mamadi Diane and the Cavaliers to avoid a letdown against Longwood.

Last Ball in U-Hall: Curtis Staples Gunned Down Shots
During his Virginia career, Curtis Staples experienced great highs (Elite Eight run his freshman year) and disappointing lows (11-19 record his senior year). Along the way, however, Staples earned the respect of fans, coaches, and players nation-wide as a tough competitor and a dead-eye shooter. When he finished his Cav career, Staples was the NCAA's all-time leader in 3-point field goals made, a record that has stood since 1998.

Reynolds Keeps Shining for Hoos
Evidently, J.R. Reynolds does not hear his critics. "He can't dribble," they say. "He's not an ACC caliber two-guard," they moan. "He just doesn't come through in the stretch," they cry. Yet, here he is in his third year at Virginia, helping an unheralded team win unexpected games. Reynolds doesn't let those critics hold him back. He just keeps battling, keeps producing, and keeps helping his team win.

Virginia Completes Hokie Sweep
The snow falling outside University Hall did little to cool down the heated rivalry taking place inside the clam on Saturday night. Virginia and Virginia Tech dueled for 45 minutes in a back-and-forth overtime battle that featured 13 ties and 16 lead changes. The Cavaliers finally see-sawed on top for good with less than 2 minutes to play and they held on for the 81-77 victory.

Chalktalk: Defending the 3-pointer
With the second showdown between rivals Virginia and Virginia Tech on the horizon, much of the focus has shifted to the backcourt battle. Who will win the game within the game? Virginia's Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds? Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon? While those match-ups will garner a lot of attention, keep an eye on one statistic with those players (and with both teams) tonight: 3-point shooting.

Ambitious Hoos Continue Tough Schedule
One of the most interesting topics for college sports these days seems to be the scheduling of football and basketball teams. Why doesn't a football team use the new 12th game to play a big-time, high-profile opponent? Who should a basketball team play to raise its RPI, while packing the stands with fans? Hey, did you see who so-and-so is playing this year? More often than not, however, it seems like a majority of teams in those sports simply don't play the headline-grabbing opponent. Well, if you're a fan of ambitious and challenging scheduling, look no further than the University of Virginia men's tennis team.

2007 Class: Khalil Latif Leads Lancers
6-4, 290-pound Khalil Latif transferred from Monacan High School (Richmond, VA) to Manchester (Richmond, VA) before the end of his sophomore year, and Manchester head coach Tom Hall feels lucky that he did. As a junior last season, Latif, who primarily played offensive tackle but did play some defensive end as well, earned Richmond Times-Dispatch first-team all-metro honors for his performance.

UVa in the ACC: The 2006 Class
TheSabre.com caught up with Dave Glenn, award-winning editor and lead writer for the ACC Area Sports Journal who has covered the ACC for more than 15 years, for a look not just into UVa's 2006 class but into how the Atlantic Coast Conference shaped out. Glenn gives his impressions of UVa's 2006 effort, which UVa signees, such as Rico Bell, impress him the most as well as the winners and losers in the ACC.

2007 Profile: Gar-Field ATH Savion Frazier
Savion Frazier was a jack-of-all-trades type player for Gar-Field High School (Woodbridge, VA) last season. He saw playing time at a variety of positions, including quarterback, running back, linebacker and safety. A versatile and athletic prospect who plays multiple sports, Frazier is drawing interest from Division 1A programs.

Top Target: RB Ryan Houston
Butler (Matthews, N.C.) star Ryan Houston, a big running back at 6-2, 240 pounds, looks like he will be one of the top prospects in the state of North Carolina in the class of 2007. Houston already has official scholarship offers from Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Lalich Comments on UVa Junior Day
Virginia held a junior day this past Saturday, where a number of prospects were scheduled to attend. Some did not make the trip due to weather concerns, but one who did was West Springfield (VA) quarterback Peter Lalich. Lalich, who was offered by UVa last fall, commented on his experience, if UVa remains the favorite and when a decision could come.

2007 Class: Gloucester Dukes
In his first season as head football coach at Gloucester High School, Tommy Reamon led the Dukes to a 5-5 record - the best season the program has had in several years. Looking towards 2006, Reamon boasts a number of talented players headlined by 2007 class prospects Aaron Taliaferro and Josh Reamon.

Basketball Commitment Update: F Andy Ogide
Paulding County High School (Dallas, GA) forward Andy Ogide has had a terrific season so far as he has helped his team compile a 20-9 record and has been the team's leading scorer. This week, he and his teammates will take on Clark Central HS in the first round of the Georgia 4A State Playoffs. Andy spoke to TheSabre.com to discuss his season and why he will have to re-sign a LOI this April.

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.

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