Cavaliers Are 1-0 In The ACC - Now What?

The 11-Year Plague?

95-96 FSU, L 64-69

96-96 Clemson, L 52-62

97-98 @ Duke, L 59-103

98-99 FSU, L 69-72

99-00 Duke, L 100-109 (OT)

00-01 @ Wake Forest, L 73-96

01-02 NCSU, L 74-81

02-03 @NCSU, L 63-75

03-04 @NCSU, L 69-86

04-05 @Wake Forest, L 70-89

05-06 @Georgia Tech, L 54-63

Virginia snapped an 11-game losing streak in ACC openers with a 67-62 win against N.C. State on Sunday. Does that mean anything other than the fact that the Cavaliers are 1-0 in the league play for the first time since the 1994-95 season? Not really.

It's pretty much one of those meaningless notes when taken in the context of a single season. It is noteworthy, however, to fans because they are looking for signs of improvement in a program that has made the NCAA Tournament just twice (1996-97, 2000-01) during the streak's time frame. Certainly, starting 1-0 instead of 0-1 is a step in the right direction. After all, as coach Dave Leitao said Sunday, that means for a few weeks the Cavaliers are at the top of the ACC standings and that's not a bad thing.

Other than that, it's just a part of Hoo history and there is no reason to dwell on things like that, according to Leitao.

"You've just got to keep working. Whether it's positively [in your favor with] a stat like that or negatively ... you can't really concern yourself about that," Leitao said. "Past history doesn't mean a whole lot. Future history does."

The future history features 15 more knock-down, drag-out ACC fights and 8 of those are on the road. In reality, those games will determine if this opening win means anything or nothing to the 2006-07 season. After all, the league-opening loss wasn't the problem during those 11 seasons, it was the long haul. In those 11 campaigns, the Cavaliers only dug out of the 0-1 hole twice to finish above .500 in conference play by season's end - they posted a 9-7 ACC record in both 1999-00 and 2000-01.

And what about the last time the Cavs won their league opener during the 1994-95 campaign? That season, the Hoos went on to finish 12-4 in the ACC and eventually made the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.

A good omen? Not really. That's history and the future history is all that Coach Leitao is worried about.

Kris Wright
TheSabre.com
Editor

Football Recruiting

Chase Minnifield, the outstanding WR/CB out of Henry Clay (Lexington, KY), and St. Rita (Chicago, IL) offensive tackle/defensive end Matt Conrath were in Charlottesville making their official visits this past weekend.

The 6-0, 185-pound Minnifield, a four-star recruit, committed to Virginia this past May. The visit was important to help solidify his commitment, as he has stated previously that he may make official visits to other schools. There is a full update up Minnifield's visit on the Sabre EDGE, so be sure to check it out through the link below.

Minnifield had an outstanding senior season, contributing in many different areas for the Blue Devils. On the year, he passed for 365 yards and three touchdowns. He had 458 yards rushing with eight touchdowns. He had 48 receptions for 630 yards and nine touchdowns. On special teams, he tallied 523 yards and four touchdowns on returns. Defensively, he made three interceptions.

He prefers to play cornerback on the next level but may end up at wide receiver.

Conrath, a 6-7, 255-pound prospect, made what was his first ever visit to UVa. Stay tuned, as TheSabre.com will catch up with the talented prospect later today for an update. Conrath, who racked up more than 100 tackles in helping his team to a state championship this season, plans to make two more official visits this week - to Miami of Ohio and Stanford, respectively.

UVa plans to host several uncommitted prospects this upcoming weekend. Batesburg-Leesville (S.C.) wide receiver recruit Dontrelle Inman and Henrico (Richmond, VA) defensive back/athlete Corey Mosley have been offered by Virginia and plan to make their official visits this weekend.

Inman is a 6-2.5, 185-pound prospect. He plans to make a verbal commitment on December 14 at his school. He lists a final five of Auburn, Georgia Tech, Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia, but he is only making an official visit to UVa.

Mosley, a star 5-9, 190-pound defensive back/wide receiver/running back for Henrico, will be making his first official visit. He also has an offer from Virginia Tech and currently says he will wait until January before making a commitment. He will be joined this weekend by his teammate, 5-10, 185-pound wide receiver Brandon Spurlock. Spurlock does not have an offer from UVa at this time, but he could be next on the list should other targets commit elsewhere.

Also stay tuned for more this week on four-star East Meadow (N.Y.) offensive lineman John Elliott, Hargrave Military Academy DB Ras-I Dowling, HMA LB Almondo Sewell, and HMA OL Billy Cuffee. Also, look for new video highlights of star West Springfield (Springfield, VA) signal caller Peter Lalich.

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 ...

Minnifield Makes Official Visit to UVa
Four-star prospect Chase Minnifield made his anticipated official visit to UVa this past weekend. It was a key weekend for UVa's football staff, which was looking to solidify the commitment of the talented 6-0, 185-pound athlete out of Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Kentucky. How was Minnifield's experience and does he plan to make official visits to other schools?

Countdown to Signing Day: The Contact Period is Here
Countdown to Signing Day gives a complete look at UVa's 2007 football recruiting class, from what they have done so far (21 commitments, a high national rank) to what they will do in the next few months. The contact period began this past Sunday, so the coaches are on the road recruiting. Coaches can make in-home visits during this period, which marks the stretch run in recruiting.

A Look at Coach Leitao's Fall Haul
Va's 2007 men's basketball recruiting class consists of three guards - Penn Charter (Philadelphia, PA) 6'0"/6'1" point guard Sammy Zeglinski, Thornton Township (Harvey, IL) 6'3" combo guard Mustapha Farrakhan and Monsignor Bonner (Wilmington, DE) 6'4" guard Jeff Jones - and one forward in Hargrave Military Academy (Chesapeake, VA) 6'8", 215-pound Mike Scott. For a deeper look into this class, TheSabre.com called upon the evaluation talents of Prepstars.com Talent Evaluator Brick Oettinger and Scout.com National Recruiting Director Dave Telep.

Also from the past week ...

• Getting To Know ... Peter Lalich
• Change in Plans for Mosley
• Weekend Visitor: OT/DE Matt Conrath
• Hoos Target Speedy WR
• UVa Leading for Miller?
• Scott Joins UVa's 2007 Class!

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Fan of the Week

Every week, theSabre.com features a Fan of the Week photo on the front page of the Web site. (Archives are available in the Wahoowa! section.) So you want to be the fan of the week? It's easy - be the loudest Hoo at a live UVa event, wear some crazy Cavalier gear, or do something else to catch our attention. If Mike or Kris spot you and take your picture, you'll be in the running for Fan of the Week honors!

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 ...

• Cavalier Swimming Teams Sweep Princeton Invitational: The Virginia swimming teams captured both the men's and women's titles at the Big Al Invitational at the DeNunzio Pool on the campus of Princeton University. Both teams retained the lead that they held after day two in order to capture the titles.
• PGA Tour Card Within Reach of Marino: Former Virginia men's golfer Stephen Marino enters Monday's final round of the PGA Tour's National Qualifying Tournament, better known as Q-school, with the opportunity to earn his tour card. Marino is tied for 29th place after the tournament's first five rounds of play at 8-under. The top 30 finishers and ties at the six-day event earn their tour card.
• Virginia Wins Third Straight with 85-66 Victory over Seton Hall: Virginia women's basketball captured it third straight win on Saturday night with a 85-66 victory over Seton Hall at the John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers improved to 6-2 on the season, while the Pirates fell to 5-3 overall.
• Cavaliers' NCAA Run Comes to an End in St. Louis: The goal from start of the year was simple for the Virginia men's soccer team: make it to St. Louis. The team was focused on making the school's first trip to the College Cup in nine years. That feat was accomplished last week with the 3-2 win over Notre Dame in the quarterfinals at Klockner Stadium. However, the goal was also to win two games in the Gateway City, a feat that fell short Saturday with a 4-0 loss to UCLA in a national semifinal matchup at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.

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

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Issue No. 196 - July 1, 2005

Chris Dalton also committed to UVa's 2006 football recruiting class this week. A 6-1 ½, 165-pound prospect out of West Iredell HS in Statesville, North Carolina, Dalton plays wide receiver and cornerback in high school but is being recruited as a receiver for UVa.

As a junior last season, Dalton caught 37 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns. He returned 14 kickoffs for 336 yards and two scores and intercepted four passes on defense. Very athletic, Dalton excels in track and field in addition to football.

"He's tremendously quick and fast," West Iredell head coach Mark Weycker said of Dalton in the Sabre EDGE article. "He's a young man right now. He hasn't even turned 17 years old, so physically he's the type of kid I envision in three years carrying about 195 pounds and be as quick or quicker and as athletic as he is right now. He's just real explosive and real athletic."

In track, Dalton finished second in this year's 300-meter hurdles event and finished fifth in last year's 110-meter hurdles event. He posted a 4.33 time in the 40-yard dash as well as a 35.6-inch vertical leap at the Shrine Bowl combine earlier this year. Dalton chose the 'Hoos over an offer from Clemson and heavy interest from ECU and UNC.

Coming Soon

December has arrived and UVa athletics are about to take a braek for exams. Don't fret - the Sabre will still have plenty of content to keep you excited about the Hoos! Here's a sneak peak at some of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

• Greg's Season Grades
  The football team wrapped up its season at 5-7, losing its last two road games by a combined score of 50-0. By the Hoos showed improvement from September to November. What will the grades be in the end?
• JHoo's Things I Learned Series
  Starting the week of Dec. 11, JHoo will start looking back at the season with an extension of his season series. "Things I Learned About ..." will focus on positions, themes, and more for Cavalier football.
• Good Will Harris
  Virginia freshman Will Harris is starting to emerge on the basketball floor with the Hoos off to a 5-1 start. With Harris, there's surely more to come, though.
• N.C. State Follow-Up
  UVa opened ACC play with a 67-62 win against N.C. State. The Sabre's follow-up coverage includes analysis and an exclusive photo gallery.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles from the past week

Cavaliers Eclipse Wolfpack
Virginia had its worst shooting night of the season on Sunday against N.C. State, making just 37.9% of its shots. Three starters combined for just 9 points. Plus, the Cavaliers made just 6 of 25 3-pointers so there wasn't any long-range camouflage to hide the offensive woes. The Hoos still managed to break an 11-game streak of ACC opening losses, though. How did they pull off the 67-62 win against the Wolfpack? A stark rebounding advantage (47-31), bench scoring (33 points), and a spirited response to a bad 30 minutes of basketball from J.R. Reynolds, that's how.

Chalktalk: 3-point Defense
When N.C. State comes to town this weekend for the first ever ACC game in the John Paul Jones Arena, there will be plenty of focus on the normal storylines. How will Virginia respond after its first loss of the season? Will J.R. Reynolds bounce back after having his 29-game streak of double-figure scoring broken? But there may be one key theme to watch in terms of man-to-man defense in this match-up. Which team can defend the 3-point shot the best?

Best Seat in the House: George Gelnovatch
The Virginia men's soccer team takes on UCLA in the College Cup tonight in a rematch from an early season game. UVa won that contest 1-0 thanks to a goal from Yannick Reyering. Coach George Gelnovatch joined Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House to talk about the Final Four contest in St. Louis. Also, make sure to check out Best Seat audio (Reminder: all audio is now free!) from earlier this week when Dawn Staley sat down for an interview and The Daily Progress' Jay Jenkins and The Sabre's Kris Wright took part in a football roundtable.

Jed's Best Seat Buzz: A Contract Conundrum
Somehow I doubt that Virginia's administration intended for it to play out quite like this. It was to be handled quickly, quietly, and deftly. Behind closed doors. Whisked under an orange and blue carpet, case closed . until it re-opens again next November, that is. Only now the mainstream media has a whiff, columnists are opining (guilty as charged), and message boards are devouring it like Thanksgiving leftovers. Of course, I'm referring to Al Groh's rather delicate contract conundrum.

UVa Looks For Second Win Over UCLA
Virginia will be facing a familiar foe on Friday night in St. Louis when it battles UCLA in the semifinal round of the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament. Just less than three months ago, the Cavaliers hosted the Bruins at Klockner Stadium and emerged with a 1-0 victory on a goal scored by sophomore forward Yannick Reyering in the game's 88th minute. Reyering, however, acknowledges that beating a team a second time is not always easy.

Greg's Game Grades: Virginia Tech 17, Virginia 0
In some ways, the Virginia Tech game looked like a repeat of the Florida State debacle. Virginia's offense got shut out while the defense played a decent football game. The special teams avoided the disaster of FSU at Tech, but other than that this game was similar. The grades from the 17-0 rivarly loss are similar too.

Hoos Fall At Purdue
Virginia's first road test of the 2006-07 season ended like most of the out-of-town exams from a season ago - in disappointment. After starting the season 4-0 at the John Paul Jones Arena, the Cavaliers faltered at Purdue on Wednesday, falling 61-59. Sean Singletary led the Hoos with 21 points, while Carl Landry led Purdue with 19.

Basketball Crash Course: 5 Things To Know
O.K. Football season just ended. You've been drawing up post patterns and trick plays in the bean dip during Saturday games until now, but suddenly football season is over and you're ready to shift into high gear with basketball. What's that? You feel like you're out of the loop? You need a crash course on Dave Leitao's Cavaliers? No problem, I've got you covered. Here are 5 quick questions you may have and the answers to fill you in on the Hoos as they play in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge later tonight.

Cavaliers Eye Title In St. Louis
With last Friday's 3-2 NCAA Quarterfinals victory over Notre Dame, the Virginia men's soccer team has advanced to the College Cup (the Final Four, for those of you less acquainted with soccer speak) for the first time since 1997. "It's been a very rewarding year with this group," Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch said. Can the Hoos bring home the title?

The Turning Point - Virginia Tech
Sometimes "The Turning Point" in a given game is painfully obvious. So much so, that fans play the 'What if .' game over and over in their minds - would the game have gone differently; would the score been closer; would we have had a chance? The agonizing second-guessing of these moments lingers even longer when it is the final game of a season. Such was the case with Virginia's 17-0 loss at Virginia Tech this past weekend.

10 Things I Learned Against Virginia Tech
It is sad to see the Virginia/Virginia Tech game relegated to a noon kickoff with regional coverage. But that's where the rivalry is right now due in large part to UVa's inability to keep the score competitive in recent years. This year was the same story, different year. If that's the case, are there "10 Things I Learned Against Virginia Tech?" Let's take a look.

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