Springtime Means Good Times for Cav Fans

Ben Rubeor and the Cavaliers host Notre Dame on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.

Spring has become an annual celebration time for University of Virginia fans thanks to the strong success of the season's programs. Once again this spring, the men's and women's lacrosse teams and the women's rowing team have won ACC Championships. Men's tennis earned the right to host an NCAA Tournament home regional for the second straight season and women's tennis returned to the NCAA Tournament after a very strong campaign. The baseball team is among the top 15 teams in the nation as well.

As a result, this weekend could be one of the Cavaliers' finest as Charlottesville plays host to a multitude of spring sporting events. The nation's No. 1 men's lacrosse team opens NCAA Tournament play by hosting Notre Dame on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., while the nation's No. 2 women's lacrosse team hosts Princeton on Sunday at 1 p.m. The No. 7 men's tennis team opens NCAA Tournament play at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning when it welcomes Army to Charlottesville. If the Cavaliers win, they return to action Sunday at noon.

In addition to all the exciting postseason action, Virginia faces North Carolina for a three-game baseball series that begins on Friday at 7 p.m. UVa battles UNC on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 1 in the nation.

TheSabre.com

Basketball recruiting.

UVa may not be finished with the 2006 class. This week, Dave Leitao and company have brought in 6-9, 220-pound PF/C Jerome Meyinsse for an official visit. Meyinsse is a standout player out of McKinley High School in Baton Rouge, LA.

In his senior season this year, Meyinsse earned Most Valuable Player and first-team honors in the class 7-4A district. He averaged a triple-double versus 7-4A competition - 20 points, 12.5 rebounds and 10 blocks per contest. In addition, Meyinsse is an excellent student.

Stay tuned as we catch up with Jerome for more on his visit this week and to find out which other programs are in the mix. The signing period ends on May 16th.

Mike Scott, a 6-8 standout at Deep Creek, re-opened his recruitment after John Chaney retired at Temple.

A number of UVa targets were on hand for last weekend's Southern Invitational. Notable 2007 recruits include St. John's College (Washington, D.C.) guard Chris Wright, Huntington (W.V.) power forward Patrick Patterson and power forward Mike Scott.

The 6-1 Wright is a point guard who could also play the shooting guard position on the next level. He originally committed to N.C. State before the departure of head coach Herb Sendek and is now open. Virginia has offered and is among the programs he is considering at this point.

Patterson is a solid 6-8, 235 pounds, and he possesses good strength, rebounding ability and a nice touch from the foul line on in. He would add a good low post scoring presence if UVa were able to land him. Patrick would like to make official visits before making a decision and mentioned Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest as serious contenders right now.

Scott is a super athletic 6-8, 215-pound prospect out of Deep Creek High School. A senior this year, he signed with Temple last fall but decided to re-open his recruitment following the retirement of head coach John Chaney. Scott claims offers from George Mason, Maryland, Oklahoma, Virginia and Virginia Tech have offered. He is leaning towards going to Hargrave Military Academy next fall.

For more on these prospects as well as 2008 recruits including Hanover's Ed Davis, check out the Sabre Edge.

Speaking of Hargrave, 2007 WF target Eric Wallace is reportedly transferring there this upcoming fall. Wallace is an outstanding 6-7 target out of Glenn High School in Kernersville. In his junior season last year, he averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and three-and-a-half assists per game. He is one of UVa's top targets for the 2007 class.

Wallace's transfer certainly could help UVa, as 2006 signee Johnnie Lett is prepping at Hargrave this upcoming year. He and Wallace will play on the same team.

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Hot Topic: Out-of-Conference Football Scheduling

Football teams around the ACC are not playing any games right now, but talk of their opponents has been as hot as ever late this week. Who is playing who? Why does Team A do that and Team B do this? I'd love to see a game between so and so and what's their name.

Virginia's OOC schedule is hard to find, but one thing is for certain: The Cavaliers open this season at Pitt on Sept. 2. The Panthers return the game on the 2007 schedule. Beyond that? The Sabre is looking for info so stay tuned. Meanwhile, here are a few posts on OOC scheduling to get your football juices flowing. To join the conversation or to read an entire thread, click on the Subject lines below. Or start your own thread on the Football Message Board.

Has Virginia settled for "Method B" as suggested by 2BHokie? Weigh in the Football Message Board.

Method B: You land a bunch of 2-for-1s with mediocre-quality OOC opponents (MAC, etc) that allow you to flip-flop between 7-home-game-seasons and 6-home-game-seasons. You never really seem to sign really low-quality (I-AA-esque) opponents, but you also don't seem to sign many of the big-hitters either.

To me, it seems like JW/Beamer have adopted Method A as their approach. It's the revenue-maximizing one...and the one with the worst-of-the-worst cupcakes, sprinkled with the occasional big-name OOC school to keep the fanbase from going postal.

Seems like Groh (and Littlepage of late) have gone more with the Method B of scheduling. Welsh/Littlepage were able to land more big name OOC opponents, but Groh has either shown a reluctance to...or Littlepage can't seem to close those deals anymore. To offset that, they sign 2-for-1s with MAC-quality opponents, and 1-for-1s with Syracuses and Pitts. Hardly ever an absolute snoozer in Scott...but the days of PSU being scheduled again don't seem to be on the near horizon?

For me...its tough. As much as I hate our 2006 schedule (with Kent State and Northeastern) on our schedule...I really LIVE for those big time OOC matchups with LSU, Nebraska, USC, etc. I think (as a fan) I might be willing to live through the 2006 season...if it means we'll also have seasons like 2007-2009. (Ack, did I actually just say that?)

Of course, I would prefer a combination of Methods A & B first and foremost...

Subject: From conversations on OOC scheduling, I'm looking for ACC info ...
Posted by: Kris on Thu May 11 2006 8:49:41 PM
Message: Of interest so far:

In 2006, 12 ACC teams are taking advantage of the 12-game system now in place with out-of-conference games.
In 2006, Notre Dame plays Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
In 2006, 3 teams (VT, FSU, Clemson) are playing 8 home games b/c of 0 out-of-conference road games.
In coming years, Miami (2006), Georgia Tech (2008), and N.C. State (2007) will all play Louisville.
Miami also has a home and home with Oklahoma in 2007 and 2009.
Florida State has a home and home with West Virginia in 2012 and 2013.

Newslink - Your One Stop Shop for UVa News

TheSabre.com provides an excellent service for the Virginia fan base that you may not know about: Newslink. Sabre NewsLink provides you with links to the daily news on your Hoos. Our staff checks the Internet each morning to locate and link to articles from various online media sources from around the state and beyond. We even throw some interesting ACC news to let you know what the Hoos' opponents are up to. Sabre NewsLink is updated every morning, 365 days a year!

Check out Sabre NewsLink today,

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

The men's lacrosse team is hosting an NCAA Tournament game on Saturday.

• Parking Available For Busy Athletics Weekend At Virginia: With a number of intercollegiate athletics events scheduled at the University of Virginia this weekend (May 12-14), the UVa athletics department has identified parking areas for fans planning to attend the various events. The parking lots around University Hall will be open all weekend on a first-come, first-served basis. The University Hall lots will be open Friday evening and beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Emmet/Ivy parking garage is open Friday evening, all day Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. and on Sunday until 6 p.m. Parking is also available at The Park in the North Grounds area. All areas are free.
• Virginia Sports Network Increases Lynchburg And Roanoke Coverage: The University of Virginia athletics department announced on Thursday (May 11) plans to bolster its radio coverage in the Lynchburg and Roanoke markets by adding two Centennial Broadcasting Company FM radio stations to its network partnership. WZZU-FM (97.9) and WZZI-FM (101.5) join the Virginia Sports Network's lineup beginning this fall.
• Former Virginia Player Approaching End Of AFL Career: Former University of Virginia football player Darryl Hammond, a 16-year veteran of the Arena Football League (AFL), is expected to be in uniform for his final regular season game with the Nashville Kats on Saturday (May 13). The Kats host the Tampa Bay Storm. The 39-year-old Hammond announced before the start of the 2006 season that it would be his final season in the AFL. He has played with five different teams and his 16 years in the league is the longest tenure in AFL history.
• Virginia Softball Registers 3-0 Win Over Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament: Sophomore left fielder Lindsey Preuss slammed a two-run homer and senior pitcher Erin Horn allowed just one hit in 6.2 innings to lead the Virginia softball team to a 3-0 win over Virginia Tech in the opening game of the 2006 ACC Tournment on Thursday. The Hoos are back in action today.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virignia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

Sabre articles from the past week

Small Ball Not Just Big at Virginia
As Virginia prepares for its upcoming series with top-ranked North Carolina, the two teams represent the new breed of college baseball teams. Both teams feature good defenses, excellent pitching, and a small ball approach to offense. Small ball is built around strategy, speed, timing, sacrifice, and good mental pitching. It's about calculated risks and it's about putting pressure on the defense. It's also part of a noticeable trend.

Best Seat in the House: Philip Brown
Defensive back Philip Brown spent the past year at Piedmont Virginia Community College in an effort to regain his academic eligibility at the University of Virginia. It appears that Brown is on track to re-enroll this summer at UVa, where he would eventually rejoin the football program. Brown, who would be in the mix for playing time in the secondary, appeared on the Best Seat in the House with Jed Williams on Wednesday night. Check out the Edge audio here and tune in to the Best Seat program weeknights from 6 to 7 p.m. on Charlottesville's WINA 1070 AM.

Rest vs. Rust: Should the Cavs Be Worried?
Rust vs. rest. Rest vs. rust. Inevitably, this is a topic that comes up when the NBA playoffs roll around. Will the extra days off help a team regain its energy or will it hurt its on-court chemistry? Turns out, the same conversation can be directed at college lacrosse this time of year - at least if you keep track of the Virginia Cavaliers.

Around the Horn: Cavs Face Heels in Big Showdown
In what could certainly be considered one of the most important ACC weekend series in Virginia baseball history, the Virginia Cavaliers (39-10, 16-8 ACC) prepare to do battle with ACC leading and top ranked North Carolina (40-8, 18-6 ACC) this Friday at Davenport Field. Can you say, "For all the marbles?" Indeed, there's a lot riding on this weekend's results.

Best Seat in the House: Marques Hagans
Virginia's Marques Hagans often provided flashes of his on-field athleticism - dancing and dodging, shifting and spinning, running and jumping at, around, past defenders. After the NFL Draft, Hagans learned that he would get the chance to put all those moves on display in St. Louis, who selected him in the fifth round. Hagans caught up with Jed Williams on the Best Seat in the House to talk about his football future.

Best Seat in the House: Mark Guilbeau
The Virginia women's team earned an NCAA Tournament berth this season after a strong year that included wins over top 10 teams Miami and Duke. First-year coach Mark Guilbeau joined Jed Williams on the Best Seat in the House this week to talk about the team's success. Make sure to catch the Best Seat on WINA 1070 AM in Charlottesville every night from 6 to 7 p.m.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Powell a Top Defensive Tackle Target
Boasting over 30 official scholarship offers, Hertford County (Ahoskie, N.C.) defensive tackle recruit Tydreke Powell has established himself as one of the top prospects in the East if not the country. The 6-3, 285-pound prospect discusses his recruitment including which schools, if any, he knows will be in contention for his signature for a long time.

The Latest on OL Brad Hallick
Coaches from ACC, Big East, Big Ten and SEC programs have been to Pottsville High School (PA) to evaluate 6-6, 282-pound offensive line recruit Brad Hallick. TheSabre.com caught up with Brad to discuss if he has received any new offers among the programs that have visited and whether or not he still plans on making a commitment in the near future.

Top Target: Howard DL/OL Devon Still
Coaches from Auburn, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech were in Howard School of Technology (Wilmington, DE) yesterday, all to recruit 6-5 1/2, 251-pound defensive/offensive lineman recruit Devon Still. Still is up to over 20 official scholarship offers and Howard head coach Dan Ritter says "the list grows everyday."

Frazier's Recruitment Heating Up
Gar-Field (Woodbridge, VA) star Savion Frazier picked up his first official scholarship offer several weeks ago from the University of Tennessee. Since then, Marshall and Virginia Tech have joined in officially and Duke and Louisville have expressed to Gar-Field head coach Joe Mangano that offers are on the way. Frazier continued his momentum with a solid performance at last Saturday's Penn State Nike Camp and now at least one other school is showing serious interest.

Q&A Session with Ryan Pettinella
TheSabre.com caught up with 6-9, 235-pound Ryan Pettinella for a Q&A session. Pettinella, who is transferring to UVa and will be on scholarship this upcoming year, figures to be in the rotation at the power forward or center positions. Pettinella discusses his road to UVa, how he feels he will be able to contribute this season and much more.

UVa Prospects in Southern Invitational
As always, the Boo Williams squad was one of the most talented teams in the Southern Invitational field and, although they fell to eventual champ Chicago Jaguars in the semifinals, they promise to be a force in the AAU tourneys to come. UVa is targeting a handful of recruits from the Boo Williams team, including a top guard and several power forwards.

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