The Last Ball in U-Hall concluded the Cavaliers' regular-season run in University Hall this past weekend, a disappointing 71-70 loss. Still, many of Virginia's all-time greats and legendary players returned for a day-long celebration that brought chills for many, tears for others, and smiles for all.

Now you can relive that Sunday afternoon and all the good times in University Hall with a special offer from the Virginia Athletics Foundation. The VAF is offering a commemorative plaque with a piece of hardwood from the U-Hall floor that was used from the 1978 - 1997 seasons.

For information on how to order the plaque (which would make a great gift for a birthday, Father's Day, Christmas), check out this VAF information.

Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) defensive back Dom Joseph verbally committed to UVa last Friday, becoming the second player to commit to the Hoos in the 2007 recruiting class.

Joseph is a 6-0, 190-pound prospect who has played safety his sophomore and junior seasons. As a junior, he tallied a total of six interceptions on the year including two in one game. Joseph, who had interest from other schools such as Boston College, Iowa and Pitt, is being recruited by Virginia as a cornerback, which is the position he wanted to play coming into high school.

Joseph excels in baseball as well and hopes to play both football and baseball at Virginia. He plays centerfield for the Roman Catholic varsity squad.

Joseph is not only the second player to commit overall, but he is the second player projected on the defensive side of the ball. UVa's first commitment was from Woodside (Newport News, Va.) inside linebacker prospect Jared Detrick. Detrick is a 6-2, 230-pound player with good athleticism.

Two of the state's top offensive line prospects will be busy making visits during spring practices. Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 6-5, 280-pound star Andrew Nuss and Hylton (Woodbridge, Va.) 6-5, 300-pound standout William Alvarez each plan on checking out several schools for spring practice, and UVa is likely on the list of stops.

Nuss currently holds official offers from Duke, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, while Alvarez has official offers from Maryland, Temple, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

Brewster Academy's 2005-2006 season came to an end, marking the end of Will Harris' high school career. The 6-6, 230-pound Harris had a tremendous season for Brewster, battling through several nagging injuries to lead Brewster to a 17-9 record. His season highlight came in a 103-90 win over Bridgton Academy. In the contest, Harris scored 36 points including 4 3-pointers as Brewster ended Bridgton's 4-year home winning streak.

Stay tuned to the Sabre EDGE for a full update on Harris.

Bridgton, coincidentally, features 6-4, 200-pound combo guard Keaton Grant. Coach Leitao and company are eying Grant in case a scholarship spot becomes available for the 2006 class. Grant, who played point guard this season, recently led Bridgton to the NEPSAC Championship title.

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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Post of the Week

Subject: This was a more emotional day than I thought it would be
Posted by: U-Hoo on Sun Mar 5 2006 8:51:27 PM
Message: I am 42 years old, which makes me about the same age as the Clam. I'm not really going to miss the building. There isn't much endearing about it. I'm really looking forward to the opening of the JPJ. And yet, today I found myself frequently choked up, starting with looking around during the national anthem and seeing that sold-out sea of orange. It stirred memories.

My family moved to Charlottesville when I was 5 so my dad could take a teaching position in the Ed School. Yes, I watched pro sports; I was (and remain) a Redskin fan, and I have had dalliances with the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers. But most of my idols growing up were Virginia basketball players, especially since the football team essentially stunk for many of my formative years.

The first player I really remember being conscious of was Barry Parkhill. My mom and the neighbor lady across the street had crushes on him. He was followed by guys like Wally Walker and the long-forgotten Billy Langloh. When I played ball with my best friend, I wanted to be Jeff Lamp--drive to the baseline, pump fake and pull up for the 8-footer. I could never do it as well as No. 3. I used to keep track of the players' scoring totals on notebook paper by listening on the radio, especially for away games. At home games, I used the scoresheets they used to hand out at the games. (There's a lost art.)

Even in high school, I remember staying up late in my darkened bedroom and listening on the radio as Ralph's Hoos lost to Chaminade. When it ended, I ran upstairs and woke up my Dad to tell him the shockng news. I think it was after 1 a.m. then. He thought there was something wrong with the house.

I remember fallling into a deep funk whenever U.Va. basketball seasons ended. (In fact, I still do). It always seems like so long until November, and always some of your heroes would graduate and disappear.

So today, when so many of those guys came back and they showed those highlights on the video screen (a neat touch), all of those childhood things came flowing back. Even college highlights; I was in the student section for Ralph's last home game, and for Richard Morgan's 39 against UNC. Seeing those guys reawakened a lot of old feelings.

There as some mourning for lost youth mixed in there too. It was sad seeing Ralph try to dunk on those creaky old knees. (For those of you who missed it, he barely cleared the rim on hsi first attempt, then fell down after dunking cleanly on the secoond.) We're all older and closer to death.

These days, I don't have the same relationship with the players anymore. I know too much, I suppose. I am jaded; I expect bad news.

But now I have kids. My family was with me today. My kids are regulars at U.Va. sporting events. My daughter is 12; her first sports hero was Lisa Hosac. My son is 8; he first loved Todd Billet, and now thinks Billy Campbell is a vastly underrated talent. He'll remember players like Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds (plus football players, too, and even baseball guys like Ryan Zimmerman).

At dinner tonight, I told them how much it meant to me to be there today, and that they were there with me to share it. I hope one day they will remember seeing the "Last Ball at U-Hall" (actually, both the women's and men's versions).

It did sting a little to lose the game today, though it would have been much worse to lose by 20 as it looked like we might. But I was damned proud to be a Virginia basketball fan, and I always will be.

This post appeared on the Sabre Edge message board. To become a Sabre Edge member, please click here.

Hot Topic

Subject: So how do we win tonight, x's and o's
Posted by: RaleighHOO on Fri Mar 10 2006 11:04:26 AM
Message: Actually, I really think it is going to be a combo of two things not really x's and o's. A good start for the Cavs is very important. Everyone one, including the players, remember the thrashing the Heels put on us a couple of weeks ago, and the Cavs have to play well early to put that game out of their mind. If we are close at say the 5 minute mark of the 1st half, then I think the players may have gotten over that loss to an extent.

WE have to SLOW the game down. UNC is great in transition and they ran all over us in Chapel Hill. I wouldnt even mind seeing a slow down game tonight, to see if the UNC players could handle it. They are young and may be surprised by it. My only concern with that is that we are not a very good half court offense team, since we have no consitent scorers down low. Our best offense will be to run some clock, and then get penetration with kick outs for 3's and dishes for layups. We have to hope the 3 is on tonight, if it isnt it will get ugly.

And we have to hope UNC is a bit overconfident. We need to keep the emotion out of their game. The crowd will be mostly for UNC early, because there will be more UNC fans there, trust me I have seen how the blue cancer spreads at the ACC tourny, and they will gobble up all the tickets from the losers. The fans of the other teams will want to pull for us, but we will have to give them somthing to cheer. If we are close with 10 minutes left, EVRYONE except for UNC and maybe VT fans will be pulling for us and it will be on.

So keys in my opinion:
1. Good start for confidence sake.
2. Need to have a great 3 point shooting night something like 12-24, or some high percentage like that.
3. Keep SS/JR out of foul trouble.
4. Hope UNC is overconfident and has an off 3 point shooting night.
My prediction
UNC 79
UVA 63

Join the discussion on the Men's Basketball Message Board.

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Sabre articles from the past week

Cavaliers Advance Past Hokies
The third time against Virginia Tech was just as charming as the first two games for Virginia. The Cavaliers completed a three-game season sweep on Thursday in the first round of the ACC Tournament, defeating the Hokies 60-56. Leading the way for UVa was J.R. Reynolds, who continued his recent scoring streak with 23 points.

Best Seat in the House: Dave Leitao
Virginia takes on Virginia Tech for the third time this season in tonight's first-round game of the ACC Tournament. It is the first time the long-time rivals have met in the postseason event. Prior to leaving for the tournament, Cavalier coach Dave Leitao sat down with Jed Williams for the Best Seat in the House. Check out the audio here and if you live in Charlottesville, tune into WINA 1070 AM for the the Best Seat in the House.

The Spirit of '76: ACC Tournament Win Lives On
With March Madness each year, there is always talk about Cinderella, the unexpected belle of the ball. Well, 30 years ago Cinderella's slippers must have been made of Orange glass as the Virginia Cavaliers made an unlikely postseason run that remains one of the most magical moments in the basketball program's history. In that year of 1976, the Hoos won their only ACC Tournament crown by defeating three ranked teams in three days.

Best Seat in the House: ACC Commissioner John Swofford
Start preparing for the ACC Tournament today by listening to ACC Commissioner John Swofford, who joined Jed Williams on the Best Seat in the House this week. Swofford talked about the ACC Tournament, its different venues, the strength of this year's ACC, and more. Check it out with this Sabre Edge feature.

Photo Gallery: Maryland at Virginia
Virginia welcomed back many of its basketball legends Sunday for the Last Ball in U-Hall. Among the players that returned were Ralph Sampson, Barry Parkhill, Wally Walker, and Bryant Stith. Those players all took part in various ceremonies to honor the building while J.R. Reynolds did his best to deliver a victory for the occasion. Reynolds' 30 points weren't enough in a 71-70 loss, however. Check out photos from the afternoon in this Edge gallery.

Reynolds May Get the Last Laugh
Often after a Virginia win, J.R. Reynolds' interaction with the media afterward is one of the more entertaining shows around. There's the exaggerated tone when describing a moment. The cat-ate-the-canary grin and beaming eyes. The dry, quick-witted one-liner. A slight chuckle at the thought of something said. Comedy Central presents: J.R. Reynolds.

Singletary Soaring as Sophomore
Sean Singletary has a detectable drive on the basketball court. No, there isn't a heart meter churning out statistical data, but it is noticeable on his face. In his body language. Coach Dave Leitao has mentioned it. ACC voters must have seen it in making him a first-team All-ACC selection. In an interview with the Sabre, Singletary talked about his relentless style and more recently.

The Perfect Ending That Wasn't
Now I know exactly how all those folks in Mudville felt on that day with Casey at the Bat. Not all endings are story-book. Every script isn't written in Hollywood. Fairy tales don't always conclude with happily ever after. At least not if you're a Virginia fan. Seemingly, it never ends the way it is supposed to.

Cavs Give Joyful Farewell to University Hall
Confetti flittered. Balloons danced. Each meandering in their rhythmic fall. A slow motion tango from ceiling to floor. Adults adored. Children cheered. Each sharing in their historic fortune. A true bond formed between old and new. There stood University Hall, receiving the fond farewell like an old friend moving to another town. All hoping for future visits, warm memories, and rocking chair stories. With that, Virginia basketball wrapped up 41 years of regular-season basketball Sunday, bidding a joyous adieu to an old building affectionately known to many as The Clam and to others as The House that Ralph Built.

Terrapins Topple Cavaliers
With less than 2 minutes remaining Sunday, it seemed as if University Hall had one last regular-season hoorah up its old sleeve. After all, Virginia had rallied back from an 18-point second-half deficit to take the lead and the hosts had possession of the ball. In a matter of moments, however, everything changed. UVa missed a shot, Maryland hit a 3-pointer in transition, and the Terrapins spoiled the party with a 71-70 victory over the Cavaliers despite 30 points from J.R. Reynolds.

Last Ball in U-Hall: Wilkinson Created Buzz at Virginia
This time the Sabre's "Last Ball in U-Hall" series, which will continue to appear through the opening of the John Paul Jones Arena, focuses on Richard "Buzzy" Wilkinson. The first player to have his jersey retired, Wilkinson still holds several Virginia records more than 50 years after finishing his career, including most points in a season (898), highest season scoring average (32.1), and highest career scoring average (28.6).

Best Seat in the House: Cory Alexander
With the final regular-season game in University Hall just hours away, Jed Williams continued The Best Seat in the House's Last Ball in U-Hall series with Cory Alexander. Check out Alexander's memories and thoughts on University Hall in this Sabre Edge audio feature

Virginia Drops Syracuse
Balanced scoring, face-off control, opportunistic offense, and ample defense. In some ways, that reads like a perfect wish list for lacrosse coaches in search of a victory. Virginia coach Dom Starsia got all of those things Saturday at Klockner Stadium as the Cavaliers dumped visiting Syracuse, 20-15.

Best Seat in the House: Wally Walker
With the final regular-season game in University Hall just hours away, Jed Williams continued The Best Seat in the House's Last Ball in U-Hall series with Wally Walker, who had his jersey retired at the University of Virginia Walker now works the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics. Check out Walker's memories and thoughts on University Hall in this Sabre Edge audio feature.

Best Seat in the House: Terry Holland
With the final regular-season game in University Hall just hours away, Jed Williams continued The Best Seat in the House's Last Ball in U-Hall series with Terry Holland, the former coach and Athletics Director for the Cavaliers. Check out Holland's memories and thoughts on University Hall in this Sabre Edge audio feature.

UVa Announces Football Coaching Assignments
With spring football scheduled to begin March 29 and four new assistants in the fold, Virginia head coach Al Groh announced the staff assignments for the upcoming season on Friday. In addition to the four newcomers, several members of the existing staff received new duties as well.

On the Road: Matoaca
Traveling around the state, I visited Matoaca High School in Chesterfield. I met with Warriors' star wide receiver/safety Kris Burd as well as all-state running back Patrick Mills, two class of 2007 players who helped Matoaca capture the Division 5, Group AAA Central Region Championship last season. Check out Q&A's with these two in-state talents.

On the Road: Stone Bridge High School
Heading out around the state, I traveled to Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia, yesterday. I met with head coach Mickey Thompson as well as offensive line prospect Andrew Nuss and quarterback/athlete Terence Glenn. Check out Q&A's with the players who helped Stone Bridge to a 12-2 overall record and a state championship game appearance in 2005 and who will be counted on to contribute in a major way next season.

Alvarez to Make Spring Visits
6-5, 305-pound Hylton (Woodbridge, VA) standout offensive lineman William Alvarez is starting to garner more and more out-of-state attention according to head coach Lou Sorrentino. But the local schools - Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech - are certainly doing a good job early of showing interest. All three have offered scholarships.

Talent Continues to Flow at Highland Springs
Highland Springs, which went on a roll in the second half of the regular season to capture the Capital district title, returns a large group of talent for the 2006 football season. And, the Springers roll of producing Division 1A talent will continue into the 2007 class as head coach Scott Burton has two prospects who have already received 1A scholarship offers.

Roman Catholic Star Excited About Decision
The whole scenario has happened extremely fast for Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, PA) defensive back recruit Dom Joseph. UVa assistant Bob Price stopped by his school in January, the first time UVa had really shown significant interest. Two months later, Joseph is the second member of Virginia's 2007 recruiting class.

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.

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