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On of those test sponsors is Allstate insurance. Allstate wants you to know that they forgive you. Actually, not yet, but they will as soon as you sign up for their new Your Choice Auto-Accident forgiveness program. Allstate is excited to be sponsoring TheSabre.com. All they are asking from you is to Click any of the banners, skyscrapers, sponsor text message and/or links on the sponsor's page, check out their new Your Choice Auto program and get a quick, free quote.

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Basketball recruiting .

Half of UVa's current 2007 recruiting class was in action over the weekend. Last Friday, Mustapha Farrakhan led Thornton Township (Harvey, IL) to a Class AA sectional title championship. The 6'3" guard led Thornton with 15 points - 11 in the fourth quarter - in the 60-49 win over Thornwood.

Thornton, which is now 24-5 on the season, moves on to face Hillcrest tomorrow night in a supersectional. The winner of that game moves on to the state quarterfinals.

Hargrave Military Academy (25-5) traveled to Washington, D.C., for its final tournament of the season - the National Prep School Basketball Finals. Hargrave, one of four teams selected, fell in the opening round to Bridgton Academy by a score of 121-118 (2OT). UVa signee Mike Scott, a 6'8", 215-pound forward, finished with 21 points in a losing effort.

Meanwhile, 2007 target Patrick Patterson, a 6-8, 235-pound five-star power forward out of Huntington (WV), still plans to cut his list of schools from six to three following the end of his senior season. Huntington, seeking its third consecutive state championship, plays in the state playoffs this week.

Duke, Florida - which received an unofficial visit from Patterson on the weekend of March 3rd, Kentucky, Virginia, Wake Forest, and West Virginia are vying for the talented prospect's signature. He has made official visits to all five except for West Virginia.

Patterson hopes to cut his list to three following his season with a final decision coming next month.

Football recruiting ...

UVa 2008 class commitment Tyler Westphal accompanied a teammate on an unofficial visit to Minnesota this past weekend and is supposed to go to Wisconsin this upcoming weekend. According to sources, Westphal has also de-committed from UVa, but we will have more on this situation later this evening or tomorrow at the latest. Stay tuned.

Westphal, a 6'6", 230-pound prospect, is being recruited by UVa as an outside linebacker. EDGE subscribers will have a chance to check out his video this week. As a junior last season, Westphal, a defensive end in Menasha's (WI) defense, racked up 11.5 sacks.

TheSabre.com will also continue to roll out feature profiles on 2008 prospects, so stay tuned for more updates this week.

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 ...

Scott Concludes Impressive Regular Season
Mike Scott turned in a very good season for Hargrave Military Academy's postgraduate basketball squad this season, helping the Tigers to a 25-4 overall record. The 6-8, 215-pound forward, who starred at Deep Creek High School (Chesapeake, VA) in 2005/2006, believes the Hargrave experience will help him as he heads to the University of Virginia next season.

The State's Top RB Prospect?
If there is one prospect coaches from the Northern Virginia area agree is the top prospect in the region, it is without question Ryan Williams. Williams, a star running back out of Stonewall Jackson High School, averaged 10 yards-per-carry en route to gaining 1,574 yards and scoring a total of 22 touchdowns last season as a junior.

FUMA's Dowtin up to 7 Offers
In only his first year in the Fork Union Military Academy prep program, junior Marcus Dowtin had an instant impact on the gridiron on both sides of the ball. At running back, the 6-2, 205-pound prospect rushed for 1,132 yards (averaging about 8 yards per carry) and scored 15 touchdowns. A linebacker on defense, he tallied 92 tackles.

Cavs Heavily Recruiting Dunbar's Ellis
6'2", 290-pound Dunbar (Washington, D.C.) defensive tackle Reggie Ellis has visited the University of Virginia a total of four times, with the most recent visit being for the February 24th junior day. UVa is one of three offers for the talented Ellis, who earned first-team all-combine honors at the Army National Junior Combine in January.

More updates since the last SabreMail ...

• Hackensack Star Highly Impressed by UVa
• Deion Walker's Recruitment Flourishing
• Westphal Comments on Commitment to UVa
• Maury's Painter One of Nation's Top Recruits

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Blog Post of the Week

This blog post from Vandy-Hoo sums up a lot of Hoos' disappointment after an ACC Tournament loss.

The same ol' tired "perspective" post

I've been dreading this post all day. Heck, I've been dreading it all week. Because I expected a loss at some point between now and the end of the week - though not so soon - I knew I'd be writing something about how we should all be putting this loss in perspective. And, of course, I've written this sort of post over and over and over this season, so it does get a bit tiresome after a while. It's like our own sort of fan rehab: get too emotional and rabid, then collapse into despair and depression, and then head off to George Welsh's We've Done Better Than Expected Clinic for Erratic Fans.

So pardon me if this "perspective" post has a bit of frustration mixed in. And that frustration is aimed at myself, more than anyone, for getting way too ahead of this team's reality.

Read the entire entry here.

A Must Read Article

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Jensen wrote an interesting article on Virginia's Sean Singletary for the Sunday edition of Singletary's hometown newspaper. The article is a must read for Hoo fans.

Read it here.

Cavaliers Hire Receivers Coach

Virginia football coach Al Groh today announced the hiring of Wayne Lineburg, a 1996 UVa graduate, as the Cavaliers new wide receivers coach. Lineburg replaces John Garrett who was recently named tight ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys.

"We are very pleased to have Wayne join our staff and make his return to the University," Groh said. "As a Virginia graduate, he has a great love and passion for the University and he brings with him a firsthand knowledge of what it takes to successful here as a student-athlete. That's an invaluable combination for us."

Read the entire official press release here.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Cavalier Baseball Suffers 7-6 Loss at Wake Forest in Series Finale: Beau Seabury went 4 for 5 and Sean Doolittle and Brandon Guyer each homered, but it wasn't enough for the Cavaliers as they fell at Wake Forest on Sunday. The second loss of the series drops the Cavaliers' record to 16-3 (1-2 ACC), while the Demon Deacons improve to 11-5 (2-1 ACC).
• Virginia's Tomika Ferguson Earns All-America Honors: Virginia triple jumper Tomika Ferguson finished eighth at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, earning All-America honors for the second consecutive year. The school record holder leapt 12.98m (42' 7") with her first jump of the competition, and it held up for eighth place overall, just five inches out of fourth place.
• Cavalier Women's Swimming 39th at NCAA Championship Meet: The Virginia women's swimming and diving team finished the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, with four points, which gave them 39th place at the meet.
• Virginia Sweeps Michigan State in Scrimmage: The Virginia women's rowing team swept all five races from Michigan State in a scrimmage on Saturday at Hungry Mother State Park. The Cavaliers won the varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four, novice eight, and second novice eight. All races were untimed distances of 1,000 meters.
• Cavalier Golfers Tied for Ninth at Hackler: The Virginia men's golf team is tied with Purdue and Pepperdine for ninth place after the opening two rounds of play at the General Jim Hackler Championship being contested at the TPC of Myrtle Beach. The Cavaliers posted rounds of 295 and 290 to finish Sunday's play at 9-over 585.

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

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Issue No. 245 - June 9, 2006

Coming Soon

The Virginia basketball returns to the NCAA Tournament this Friday when it faces Albany in the South Region's 4-13 game. Plus, the baseball team plays North Carolina in a key early season series this weekend. In other words, it is a big week for the Hoos. The Sabre has plenty of content to keep you excited - here's a sneak peak at some of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

• NCAA Tournament
  The Cavaliers earned the No. 4 seed in the South Region and a first-round date with America East Champion Albany. The Sabre will prep you for the tournament and provide coverage from Columbus.
• Keys To Victory
  What do the Hoos have to do to get an NCAA Tournament win? The Sabre gives you the keys to victory.
• Around the Horn
  The baseball team dropped its first ACC series to Wake Forest, posting a 1-2 record over the weekend. What happened? How quickly can the Cavs regroup for North Carolina?
• Lacrosse Progress Report
  The Virginia men defeated Princeton one day after the women topped Penn State. The Sabre takes a look at the teams' progress.
• Photo Gallery
  Virginia defeated rival Virginia Tech on Thursday night to complete a 16-1 season in the John Paul Jones Arena. Mike Ingalls takes a look back at the final night with a photo gallery.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Cavaliers Draw No. 4 Seed, Albany
It had been six years since Virginia was last invited to the NCAA Tournament. That made today's events all the more special. Two days after bowing out to N.C. State in the ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers gathered in the John Paul Jones Arena dining room on Sunday evening to watch the CBS Selection Show.

Cavaliers Edge Princeton
Ben Rubeor's clutch goal in the final 30 seconds and nearly unbreakable defense for the final 41 minutes propelled the Virginia lacrosse team to a 7-6 victory against Princeton on Saturday at Klockner Stadium. The 4,143 in attendance watched the Cavaliers battle back from two-goal deficits on three different occasions to win their fourth straight game.

UVa Looks To Regroup For NCAA
TAMPA, Fla. - Forget about going into the NCAA Tournament on a hot streak. Wherever Virginia winds up playing on Thursday or Friday, the Cavaliers will be looking to avoid finishing the season on a three-game losing streak. Dave Leitao's Hoos have done that just once this season when they dropped three straight in early January.

Hurting Reynolds Struggles In Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. - In the early 1980s, one question puzzled America's television viewers: Who shot J.R.? Today, Virginia fans want to know the answer to a different question related to a different J.R. That question would be this: What has happened to J.R.'s shot? After all, J.R. Reynolds has been an essential part of Virginia's success this season until a recent shooting slump, which continued with a rough night in the ACC Tournament.

Cavaliers Collapse In Second Half
TAMPA, Fla. - Possessing a 14-point lead at halftime, the situation looked rosy for second-seeded Virginia in its ACC Tournament showdown against 10th-seeded N.C. State. It looked as if the second half would merely be a formality before the Cavaliers could start their preparations for a semifinal contest on Saturday afternoon. No one in the crowd at the St. Pete Times Forum, except maybe a few diehard Wolfpack fans, could have foreseen the collapse that was coming.

NCSU Sends UVa Packing
The Virginia men's basketball team has had its share of comebacks this season. At Clemson. Arizona, N.C. State, Duke, Georgia Tech at home. In the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday night, the Wolfpack returned the favor early in the second half. The 10th-seeded Wolfpack overcame a 14-point deficit and survived a late-game surge to oust the second-seeded Hoos, 79-71. It was the second straight tourney win for NCSU, which bounced Duke on Thursday night in overtime. Perhaps the only people who aren't surprised by the back-to-back wins are the Wolfpack.

Revisiting UVa's "10 Key Questions", Part II
The Virginia men's basketball team plays tonight in the ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed after logging an 11-5 league record. In the preseason, The Sabre asked some of the key questions facing the Hoos for the 2006-07 season including "Do the Hoos have enough backcourt depth?" and "Can Virginia win ACC games on the road?" We revisit the "10 Key Questions" of the preseason with a look back at Part II.

Revisiting UVa's "10 Key Questions", Part I
Entering the 2006-07 season, Virginia fans weren't sure what to expect from the men's basketball team. Most outside observers projected this year's UVa team as a middle of the pack conference team and an NCAA bubble team. Now that March has arrived, we know those projections missed their target. How did UVa exceed expectations? In the preseason, The Sabre tried to tackle some of the key questions facing the Hoos if they wanted to have success. Let's revisit the "10 Key Questions" of the preseason with a look back at Part I.

Scouting Report: Virginia
After an exciting first day at the ACC Tournament, Virginia joins the fun today in Tampa when it faces N.C. State in the quarterfinals. The Cavaliers surprised many pundits by claiming a share of the regular season ACC Championship and the No. 2 seed in this tournament. With guards Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds leading the way, UVa won 11 ACC games en route to the lofty seeding. How do the Hoos use those two guards? What about the complementary players? Former ACC assistant coach Ben D'Alessandro scouts the Hoos.

NCSU Bests Duke To Earn Game With Cavs
TAMPA, Fla. - It took overtime on Thursday evening to determine who would advance to play second-seeded Virginia on Friday in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. And in a surprising upset, 10th-seeded N.C. State eliminated 7th-seeded Duke with a thrilling 85-80 victory at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Cavaliers Ready For ACC Tournament
ACC Tournament action gets under way today with eight teams vying for four open spots in Friday's quarterfinals. Virginia fans will be glued to the television screen this evening when seventh-seeded Duke takes on 10th-seeded N.C. State at 7 p.m as the winner will square off against the second-seeded Cavaliers on Friday night, also at 7 p.m. J.R. Reynolds said the team doesn't have a rooting interest in the game.

Best Seat in the House: Dave Leitao
Virginia coach Dave Leitao has received two Coach of the Year honors this week - one from the ACSMA and one from the NABC. The reason for the accolades? Leitao helped UVa finish in a first-place tie in the ACC after his team was predicted to finish eighth. The regular season success earned the Cavaliers a bye as the ACC Tournament starts today. Leitao joined Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House to talk about the tourney and more.

Best Seat in the House: Mamadi Diane
Virginia enters the ACC Tournament this week as the No. 2 seed after finishing for a tie for first in the regular season standings. That means the Hoos get a bye on Thursday while they wait for the N.C. State-Duke winner to emerge. UVa's Mamadi Diane joined Jed Williams on The Best Seat in the House to talk about the upcoming event, his role in the coming weeks, and more.

Flashback: Virginia's ACC Championship Games
When the ACC Tournament opens play today, the Virginia Cavaliers will have the advantage of a bye thanks to a top four seed. Theoretically, that should benefit UVa when Friday night's quarterfinal games roll around. Still, advancing in this event is extremely challenging as any Hoo knows. After all, the Cavaliers have made only six appearances in the ACC Tournament Final. Hopefully 2007 will be number seven. To get you ready to root for the Hoos, TheSabre.com takes a look back at those magical seasons where UVa made the ACC Championship Game.

Leitao Named ACC Coach Of The Year
The Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association has named Virginia coach Dave Leitao the ACC Coach of the Year for 2006-07. The announcement came Tuesday afternoon. Leitao directed this year's Cavaliers to a share of the regular season ACC Championship with a league record of 11-5 - the media had predicted an eighth place finish for the Hoos.

5 Things I Learned Against VT & Wake
With the regular season in its rearview mirror, Virginia (20-9, 11-5 ACC) now faces the task of preparing for this weekend's ACC Tournament in Tampa. After a historic regular season in which the Cavaliers far exceeded most expectations, Dave Leitao's squad will be looking to make some noise in the postseason and solidly establish Virginia basketball as a program with a bright future. But before we look ahead, let's glance back at 5 Things I Learned Against Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Around the Horn: Future Looks Bright
Virginia baseball fans have become accustomed to winning baseball. A result of the Cavaliers' on-field achievements has been tremendous off-field success in the living room of prospective recruits. During Brian O'Connor's tenure, the Cavaliers have consistently recruited some of the top classes in the nation. With the announcement of 12 commitments in the early signing period for the 2008 season, O'Connor, recruiting coordinator Kevin McMullan, and pitching coach Karl Kuhn have put together a recruiting class which is expected be ranked among the top classes in the nation.

Coach Boland's Sabre Q&A No. 1
The Virginia men's tennis team is enjoying a brief break from matches this week as UVa's Spring Break takes place on the calendar. The short respite from competition is well deserved at this point in the season - the Cavaliers have posted a 12-1 mark to date. Coach Brian Boland knows some tough challenges remain, though. Of course, tough competition is a given with this UVa program - Boland answers a question about the scheduling and more in this Q&A sessions with Sabre tennis fans.

Singletary, Reynolds Earn All-ACC Honors
Virginia point guard Sean Singletary earned first team All-ACC recognition for the second consecutive season as announced on Monday. He becomes the first UVa men's basketball player to earn first team honors twice since Bryant Stith landed on the first team for three consecutive seasons from 1990-1992. The Hoos' J.R. Reynolds garnered a second team nod.

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