Your guide to breaking news, recruiting updates and important offers from TheSabre.com!
 
SabreMail is powered by the following sponsors ...


Kroger Grocery
 
 
   SabreMail - October 23, 2006
Sabre Links

  Home Page
  Message Boards
  SabreMail Archives

Football Recruiting

  Recruiting Home
  Recruiting Updates
  Prospect Database

Basketball Recruiting

  Recruiting Home
  Recruiting Updates
  Prospect Database

Sabre Edge

  Articles/Features
  Subscriber Board
  Photo Gallery
  Multimedia

Sabre Products

  Sabre Edge
 


WCAV Highlights Upcoming Hoops Season

The men's and women's basketball teams are racing toward their respective season openers, which are set for early November. The women open first with a road tilt on Friday, Nov. 10 at Rhode Island - the Cavs then return to open the John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. against Old Dominion. The men's team follows hours later with a 7 p.m. showdown with the Arizona Wildcats.

The Sabre.com's video partner - Charlottesville's WCAV TV (CBS 19, Gray Television) - unveiled a 1-hour special on the basketball teams this past weekend. That video is now available for free to everyone on The Sabre's new video landing page! Just click on the "Cavalier Countdown to Tip-Off" link and start getting ready for the Hoos' hoops season.

That's just part of the excellent video available. WCAV-CBS19 (along with WVAW-ABC16 and WAHU-FOX27) provides some of the best Cavalier content broadcast on the air waves and that video is always available through The Sabre.com. Visit the video landing page to see the most recent Virginia video links - you are just one click away from enjoying the television station's excellent coverage.

Kris Wright
TheSabre.com
Editor

   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Football recruiting ...

Virginia now has 20 players committed for the class of 2007. On Sunday, Zane Parr, a 6-5, 285-pound DL/OL prospect out of Williamsport Area High School (PA), verbally committed to the Wahoos. Parr chose Virginia over offers from Connecticut and Temple as well as interest from Michigan and Michigan State.

The staff, led by primary recruiter Bob Price, offered the talented big man this summer. They had a chance to see him perform up close at UVa's summer camp and he performed very well, impressing with his combination of size and athleticism.

Parr is being recruited initially as a defensive tackle, but he could end up on the offensive line. Offensive line is a need position in this year's class and remains so with the remaining spots available. Parr has not played offensive line in high school, although he has played tight end.

Each Division 1A football program is allowed to enroll 25 players in a given class. The UVa football staff can sign more than 25 players in February, although only 25 could enroll in the 2007 year.


Basketball recruiting .

Image: Mike ScottMike Scott, a 6-8, 215-pound power forward recruit, made an official visit to UVa last week. The visit went well according to Scott's father, Michael. However, a commitment does not appear to be imminent at this point. The Hargrave Military Academy prospect plans to visit each of his remaining finalists before making a decision.

Scott was hosted on the visit by Sean Singletary and freshman Will Harris. Stay tuned for a full update on the Sabre EDGE later today.

This weekend, UVa expects to host five-star power forward Patrick Patterson on an official visit. The 6-8, 235-pound Huntington (W.V.) prospect has made official visits to Florida, Duke, and Kentucky. He is also considering West Virginia and Wake Forest and has scheduled an official visit to Wake for next weekend.

Patterson had a great time on his latest official visit, which was to Kentucky. The Hoos will need to make a huge impact to come away with his commitment, but Leitao and company at least have a chance.


Game Ball ...

Image: J'Courtney WilliamsThis week's SabreMail game ball goes to 6-3, 220-pound LB/S J'Courtney Williams, who helped the Christchurch Seahorses to a 52-16 win over Trinity last Friday. Williams had a six-yard touchdown run, returned an interception 24 yards for another score, and had a key fumble recovery.

Williams plays middle linebacker for Coach Ed Homer. Very athletic for his size, Williams, who also possesses outstanding closing speed, is being recruited by UVa as a safety but, because of his size, is likely to end up at linebacker.

Christchurch remains undefeated this season and will face St. Anne's in a private school showdown this Friday night.


Chris Horne, our resident recruiting expert, provides updates throughout the week for Edge subscribers about UVa's commitments and recruiting targets in football and men's basketball. To sign up for an Edge subscription, please check out the Sabre Edge Sign Up and Information Page. If you're already on board as an Edge subscriber, click the links below to catch up on recruiting.

Sabre Edge recruiting updates from the past week ...

Patterson Sticking to his Plan
Image: Patrick PattersonBarring a change of heart, five-star basketball recruit Patrick Patterson will make an official visit to the University of Virginia next weekend. The 6-8, 235-pound power forward prospect has already taken official visits to the University of Florida, Duke University and the University of Kentucky, respectively, and also went to West Virginia University for an unofficial visit last Monday.

PA DL the Latest to Commit to UVa
Al Groh and company landed their 20th commitment for the 2007 class Sunday, when Zane Parr, a 6-5, 285-pound defensive line prospect out of Williamsport Area High School (PA), pledged to the Hoos. Parr chose UVa over offers from Connecticut and Temple as well as serious interest from Michigan and Michigan State.

2008 Class: Westfield QB Mike Glennon
Mike Glennon knows about the recruiting process. He watched his brother, Sean, go through it in 2003/2004. And, like his brother, he will be able to play on the Division 1A level, as he already has an official offer from the University of Virginia.

Taliaferro Enjoys Linebacker Position
Image: Aaron Taliaferro6-2, 220-pound Gloucester (VA) standout Aaron Taliaferro, a verbal commitment to UVa, racked up 19 sacks last season as a junior. He played defensive end last season, but was moved to linebacker this season and has had a chance to experience playing his future position.

Also from the past week ...

   Support TheSabre.com's Sponsors

Today's SabreMail is brought to you by Glenmore Country Club.

Glenmore Country Club, nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside Charlottesville, is one of the most beautiful places in the Commonwealth. Just ask Al Groh, who lives there. But you don't have to be a resident (or a football coach) to enjoy what Glenmore has to offer.

Become a corporate or non-resident member and enjoy golf on its 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by architect John LaFoy. Treat your employees or clients to a round they won't forget. Or host a fundraising tournament there.

While you're at it, how about holding your next board meeting in the Pinnacle Room at Glenmore? Enjoy lunch and an afternoon round of golf. Please check out Glenmore's Web site to learn more about all their great services.

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

Advertise With The Sabre!

TheSabre.com has come a long way since its conception in 1996. We are the #1 media source and community covering UVa athletics, producing an average of 95,000 unique viewers and over 4 million page views each month. We reach a coveted demographic (you know Hoo you are) 24/7, 12 months out of the year. Further more, TheSabre.com provides a powerful advertising opportunity, leveraging our unique two-way medium to clearly and precisely communicate our sponsor's marketing goals to our loyal community. This permission marketing approach has resulted in unprecedented marketing success for all our sponsors, "brick and mortar" and dot COM alike.

Each custom sponsorship varies in investment according to the desired target reach, frequency, geographic territory, category, and/or time your campaign requires. In a nutshell, our custom targeted sponsorships allow you to focus your message and product to the right customers in the right market at the right time.

To learn more, please contact Trey Copeland at (434) 293-2527 (ext. 102) or [email protected].

To learn more about the SportsWar network please visit our media guide - www.sportswar.com

To view a list of our sponsors, please visit our Sponsors Page.


Thread of the Week

Subject: OK, since nobody ranks lacrosse classes, here's how I did it.
Posted by: GRUMPER1 on Tue Oct 17 2006 4:13:04 PM
Message: Using Inside lacrosse,blue chips would be 5*, players to watch are 4*, dark horses are 3*. This year, UVA had 3@ 5*, 2@ 4*, 2@ 3*.

Multiply the * value by # of recruits... 3x5=15, 2x4=8, 2x3=6. 15+8+6=29 divided by 3 = 9.66 round up to 9.7. 9.7 is UVA's class ranking.

Top 10 classes this year ---- Top classes last 4 years:
g'town- 13.0 ---- uva- 10.5 uva- 9.7 ---- g'town- 10.2 jhu- 9.7 ---- prin- 10.0 unc- 8.0 ---- jhu- 9.3 prin- 7.0 ---- duke- 9.0 umd- 6.7 ---- umd- 9.0 nd- 6.0 ---- syr- 8.4 dart- 5.7 ---- unc- 7.8 syr- 4.7 ---- umass- 6.6 navy- 4.7 ---- loyola- 6.2

uva had last year's top class at 11.3

I know someone will disagree, but hey, it's just something I did in my spare time.


Subject: Re: OK, since nobody ranks lacrosse classes, here's how I did it.
Posted by: PLB on Thu Oct 19 2006 12:48:20 AM
Message: The first comment I would make is that such analysis is only as good as the underlying data points, and how good IL is is questionable.

Next, Looking back at 2003 and 2004, the 3rd category* had pretty long lists.

The number of players on the 3rd category:
attack: 2003 - 47 2004 - 42 2005 - 26 2006 - 17
midfield: 2003 - 61 2004 - 53 2005 - 24 2006 - 18

So you might be better off assuming the 3rd category recruits from 2003 and 2004 are only worth say something like 2.5 points.

Some players never show up at the team mentioned. Brendan Young (att) and Mark Johnson (mid) on the 2003 lists never played at Maryland. Then there is the transfer issue ...

Too many 3rd category recruits for Maryland and not enough blue chippers in my mind.

*IL seems to change the name of this 3rd category 2003 - Honorable mention 2004 - Other Notables 2005&2006 - Dark horses


Want to join the discussion? Log on to the Lacrosse Board and fire away!


UVa Bookstores' 2006 Virginia Football Pick 'Em

Pick'em is simple. The first contestant who picks the winner and comes closest to predicting the final score wins. In case of ties, the earliest entry will be awarded the prize.

Entries must be received by 12:00 a.m. EST game day. Entries received after 12:00 a.m. (midnight the night before the game) are ineligible. Limit one entry per person. The next business day following game day, UVa Bookstores will email a short note regarding the results.

For the full information or to enter, click here!


The Sabre's Opponent Sites' Directory

N.C. State (Official)
The Wolfpacker
Pack Pride
With football season rolling along, many Virginia fans might be interested in what the Cavaliers' opponents are up to this season. Well, the Sabre has saved you some research time.

Much like the N.C. State example seen here (the Wolfpack are the Hoos' opponent this week), all of the Web sites for the football and basketball teams' opponents have been linked in our Other Sites section. That makes it easy to check up on UVa's opponents!


Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

    J.R. Reynolds and the Cavs were picked to finish 8th in the ACC by the media.

  • Virginia Picked To Finish Eighth In ACC Preseason Poll: The Virginia men's basketball team is picked to finish eighth in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2006-07 season in a preseason poll of media representatives attending the ACC's 2006 Operation Basketball event on Sunday (Oct. 22) at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center.
  • Virginia's Lindsay O'Bannon Selected to Play in Senior All-Star Game: Virginia field hockey student-athlete Lindsay O'Bannon has been selected to participate in the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association's Division I Senior All-Star Game. The game will take place as part of the festivities at the Finals Weekend, held at Wake Forest University, on Saturday, Nov. 18.
  • Cavaliers Fall in Extra Time to No. 2 Wake Forest: The University of Virginia field hockey team scored at 66:23, breaking up the five-game shutout streak by No. 2 Wake Forest, but the Cavaliers still fell to the Demon Deacons 2-1.
  • Cavaliers Conclude Run at ITA Regional in Semifinals: Play concluded Sunday at the ITA Mideast Regional at the University of North Carolina, with two Cavaliers having their run reach the semifinals. Treat Huey fell in the singles semifinals, and the team of Huey and Lee Singer fell in the doubles semifinals.
  • Shorthanded Cavaliers Fall at Maryland: The Virginia women's soccer team suffered its second consecutive loss, falling to Maryland 2-0 Sunday night at Ludwig Field. The Cavaliers, who played with ten players for 80 minutes, could not hold back the Terrapins, and dropped their record to 9-6-2 (4-4-1 ACC), while Maryland improves to 5-8-4 (1-5-3).
  • Cristman's Hat Trick Lifts No. 2 Virginia to a 3-1 Win over Hokies: Senior forward Adam Cristman registered the first hat trick since 2000 by a Cavalier to lead No. 2 Virginia to a 3-1 win over No. 19 Virginia Tech (10-5-1, 2-4-1 ACC) in front of a record crowd of 2,711 fans at the Hokie Soccer Stadium Friday night. Cristman's hat trick was the first one in 142 games for Virginia (13-2-0, 5-2-0 ACC), who increased its lead in the Comcast Commonwealth Challenge, 2.5-.5.

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

   UVa Bookstores - The Place for Wahoo Gear!

UVa Football Retro Mini Helmets

Each Helmet Just $29.99

UVa Bookstores not only carry the current mini-replica helmets, but they now carry three different retro mini-helmets as well. From left to right; 1967-1975, 1976-1981 and 1982-1983.

   SabreMail History

Issue No. 82 - April 11, 2003

Cain Set to Visit
Report by Chris Horne

Virginia will entertain 6-9, 205 pound forward Jason Cain of John Bartram High School (Philadelphia, PA) this weekend on an official visit.

"He's leaving tomorrow," said John Bartram head coach Lou Biester. "He's excited - at least as excited as Jason can get. He's also considering UNC Greensboro, Indiana, and Villanova right now."

Cain, who began his high school career as a 6-1 guard, has grown eight inches over the last three years. Possessing the size of a center, his skills are suited more for a small or very athletic power forward.

"Jason is very athletic," said Biester. "He can handle the ball and he was the team's best passer. He averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks, and eight assists in leading us to a Public League Championship title. He's not a center, though. He faces the basket. The player he reminds me of in terms of style is Arizona's Luke Walton. He can do it all - even shoot the three. Jason needs to work on his three-point shot, but he can do it."

According to Biester, neither Villanova, Indiana, or Virginia have officially offered Cain a scholarship, however he feels they all will soon. Cain is one of Virginia's primary remaining targets for the Spring 2002 signing period.

   What's New on TheSabre.com?

Coming Soon

October has arrived on the calendar, which means both football and basketball are buzzing. The Sabre is the place to be for all of your Cavalier content as we keep you up to date on all that's going on. Here's a sneak peak at some of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

    Alvin Pearman

  • Greg's Game Grades
    Virginia whipped North Carolina on Thursday night, but there were some costly errors that will bring down the grades a bit.
  • UNC Photo Gallery
    The Sabre's Mike Ingalls captured all the action on Thursday night and he has more than 100 photos from the Cavaliers' victory.
  • Jed's Best Seat Buzz
    Throughout the remainder of football season, Jed Williams will tackle the hot topics that surround Virginia football.
  • Alvin Pearman Update
    The Sabre caught up with Alvin Pearman after Jacksonville's game with the Houston Texans this weekend.


In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles from the past week

10 Things I Learned Against North Carolina
Image: Chris CookVirginia's 23-0 win over North Carolina may not have been the picture of perfection or a display of domination, but the Cavaliers did get the victory - and that's always a good thing. Plus, there were some very positive signs for the future. Take Chris Cook's interception or Jameel Sewell's continued development for example. Those are among the "10 Things I Learned Against North Carolina."

The Turning Point - UNC
Image: North Carolina Tar HeelsThe Virginia football team took care of visiting North Carolina on Thursday night, sending the struggling Tar Heels back home with a 23-0 shutout. The Hoos needed two key moments that bookended halftime to shake a UNC team that managed to stay in the game by holding the hosts to just two field goals before things quickly changed. The critical plays on either side of halftime combined to form "The Turning Point" for the Cavaliers' victory.

Best Seat in the House: Washington's Ryan Zimmerman
Image: Ryan ZimmermanVirginia baseball product Ryan Zimmerman attended the Cavaliers' 23-0 victory over North Carolina on Thursday night and he received a nice reception when he appeared on HooVision briefly. Zimmerman, who is a strong candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year, joined Jed Williams on the Best Seat in the House earlier this week to talk about baseball, his season, and the future.

Virginia Blanks North Carolina
Image: Jason SnellingIt's probably a safe bet to say that Al Groh enjoyed this one. After all, Virginia's 23-0 victory over North Carolina on Thursday night featured a lot of the things Groh loves in a football game. His team dominated the running statistics, created numerous turnovers, and picked up a shutout on defense. Plus, the ol' coach got the chance to absolutely blast an official to the delight of the Scott Stadium faithful. Ahhh - now that's a good time on the football field.

Keys to the Game - North Carolina
Image: Jameel SewellFor the second time this season, the Virginia football team faces a short rest period between games. The Hoos didn't do so well with that scenario the first time, falling to Georgia Tech on Thursday night in Atlanta. The Cavaliers try to reverse the result tonight when North Carolina comes to Charlottesville. Here are 5 "Keys to the Game" for the Cavaliers with a little help from some Bruce Springsteen song titles.

Why or Why Not? - North Carolina
Image: Tony FranklinNormally, JHoo provides Sabre-ites with a look back at the week's game. Well, that's still true with North Carolina but the "10 Things I Learned" author is also giving us a sneak peak at tonight's contest with the Heels by tackling 5 questions in "Why or Why Not?" Check out items on Kevin Ogletree, Tony Franklin, and the defense.

The Hawk's Nest - Bragging Rights Were Mine
Image: Ahmad HawkinsAfter a very disappointing loss last Saturday to Maryland, the Cavs look to get back on track against UNC. When I was at UVa, the coaches seemed to really get up for this game. Besides playing Virginia Tech, the week of preparation for UNC was always intense. We never wanted to lose to North Carolina, especially at home.

Game Preview: North Carolina, Part 3
Image: North Carolina Tar HeelsIt isn't possible to start the final piece of the Sabre's UNC at UVa preview - Virginia's offense vs. UNC's Defense - without getting one statement out of the way. That statement? Anything that resembles last year's game plan is a bad one. The Cavaliers lost 7-5 in Chapel Hill behind an ineffective attack a year ago so avoiding a similar offensive showing is the first step to getting a win this season.

Hoos Tailgating With Mom - Shish Kabobs
ESPN's weekly Thursday night game kicks off in Charlottesville this week, which features a 7:30 p.m. air time. That, of course, means that your tailgate is doubling as you dinner. But this isn't like a Saturday evening game because a lot of people will be leaving for the game from work. With the Thursday night situation in mind, these recipes store well in a cooler and are easy to whip up on game day.

Best Seat in the House: UNC's John Bunting
Cavalier fans think they have it rough right now, but things aren't as bad as in Chapel Hill where the Tar Heels are struggling. North Carolina has lost three straight games by at least 17 points and many are calling for coach John Bunting to lose his job. But Bunting believes the young Heels are close to turning things around this season and beyond. Bunting joined Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House to talk about his team, the UVa contest, and more.

Leitao Expects Hard Work From Cavs
Image: UVa Florida State PhotosEvery one is excitedly waiting for the opener in November, but before the Virginia men's basketball team hits the hardwood for games, the Hoos have to put in some hard work on the practice floor. And rest assured, as long as Dave Leitao is in charge, the players will put in plenty of hard work.

Jed's Best Seat Buzz: You Can't Have It Both Ways
Image: Jed Williams"Virginia is for lovers." We've all seen them . those simple words, that simple message stretched across the rear fender of a car. Perfect bumper sticker material. If only summing up the state of Virginia Football were so easy. Being a Virginia Football fan these days is a conflicting, confusing exercise, full of emotions that don't fit neatly on a bumper sticker that you can purchase for $.99 at the Bookstore tomorrow night.

Game Preview: North Carolina, Part 2
Image: North Carolina Tar HeelsNorth Carolina rolls into Charlottesville this week with quite a burden on its shoulders. There's the streak - UNC hasn't won here since 1981. There's the John Bunting debate - should he stay or should he go? There's the record - the Tar Heels are 1-5 and 0-3 in the ACC. But perhaps worst of all are the developing trends - Carolina has lost by at least 17 points in each of its last three games.

Photo Gallery: Maryland 28, Virginia 26
Image: Marcus HamiltonThough the Virginia football team fell 28-26 to Maryland, there were some positives to take away from the game. Jameel Sewell put up some impressive numbers. Vic Hall had a good day on special teams. Marcus Hamilton recorded another interception. Chris Long had an excellent day pressuring the quarterback. Kevin Ogletree caught several long passes. Check out those players in action and many more images in this photo gallery.

Game Preview: North Carolina, Part 1
Say what you will about North Carolina (and we know what most Sabre posters like to say), but reserve a little praise for the Tar Heels when it comes to special teams. As bad as the 2006 season has been, UNC has been solid in that phase of the game. Kicker Connor Barth is 5 of 5 on field goals and 12 of 12 on PATs this season, the kickoff coverage unit is nationally ranked, and the punt teams are decent as well.

The Turning Point - Maryland
Picking "The Turning Point" in any given game is always a difficult task. When a handful of plays make a distinct difference in the outcome, the process becomes even more difficult. In the days following the loss to Maryland on Saturday, many have pointed to things like a muffed punt, a short punt, or an interception as the moments things changed. Sometimes, you have to dig a little bit deeper than that.

A Fan's Notes from the Upper Deck - Maryland
Image: Coach Al GrohThe weather was perfect, the fall air and turning leaves beckoning us all to Charlottesville. It didn't take much to convince Mrs. Vandy-Hoo to join me for my second home game of the year. And, as a result, I'm brimming with thoughts that I just can't wait to share with you all. Because I missed the WMU game because of a 1-year-old's birthday party, you're about to be served with only the second installment of my notes from the upper deck with mustard and relish. Eat up!

Greg's Game Grades: Maryland 28, UVa 26
Image: Jameel SewellThe Virginia football team opened up a 20-0 halftime lead on Saturday against Maryland, only to see that advantage disappear when the Terps rallied with 28 unanswered points. Obviously, the Hoos did some positive things in the disappointing 28-26 loss, but the negative plays were big ones in the outcome. Do this week's grades reflect the good and the bad of the loss by the Cavaliers?

10 Things I Learned Against Maryland
Image: Maryland TerrapinsYou know, when I signed up to write this 10 Things column, I knew there would be easy weeks and I knew there would be hard weeks. Welcome to one of the hard weeks. Virginia's 28-26 loss to Maryland this weekend was a heartbreaking defeat, especially since the Hoos led 20-0 at the half. Here are 10 Things I Learned Against Maryland.

   Sabre Edge

Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!

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!



 
    SabreMail is a trademark of TheSabre.com - Copyright © 2001 - 2006 - All Rights Reserved