On Deck: 10-Day Hoo Preview

Last year, The Sabre unveiled a 10-Day Hoo Preview concept that brings Hoo fans (and EDGE subscribers) 10 straight days of Cavalier coverage to help you get geared up for the season. We brought you 21 stories during that inaugural run.

One year later, The Sabre is at it again with the second ever edition of the 10-Day Hoo Preview ... and we're raising the ante! This time around we've streamlined the content to make it easier to read and take with you if you like! Plus, we'll link to all of JHoo's 'Summer Reading' pieces to tie in those in-depth looks at various players. As a teaser of sorts, we have 27 stories currently planned with features, Q&As, and position breakdowns. JHoo, Vandy-Hoo, 5fthoo, myself, Greg Waters, Chris Horne, Barney Breen-Portnoy, WCAV TV's crew, and ESPN 840 AM's Wes McElroy will all provide content from Wednesday 8/15 through Friday 8/24. We'll start with the offensive line in terms of previews. Here's a sneak peak at the first couple of days in the Hoo Preview:

• Wednesday
• O-Line preview
• Question & Answer with Zak Stair
• Vandy-Hoo's take on the upcoming season
• Thursday
• Running backs preview
• Raynard Horne feature
• Chalktalk

Make sure to pick up an EDGE subscription today so you don't miss a single day of the Hoo Preview! Sign Up Today!

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Football recruiting ...

Sunday was Virginia's Meet the Team day, another chance to catch up with the incoming freshmen for their perspectives heading into the 2007 season. QB Peter Lalich, WRs Jared Green and Dontrelle Inman, ILBs Terence Fells-Danzer and J'Courtney Williams (who, by the way, is up to 238 pounds and feeling great) and CB Chase Minnifield are among the prospects I was able to catch up with, but there were more as well.

To me, several things stood out after talking to the freshmen. One, this is a close incoming class. As one freshman put it, "If you see one of us, there is a good chance the rest of us will be right there as well." This class is very close off the field.

Another prevailing theme is the work being done by new strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis. Freshmen RAVED about the work of Balis, who accepted the position at UVa after a two-year stint as assistant director of strength and conditioning at the University of Florida. Balis had respect simply based off his experience at Florida, but the Virginia players truly seem to love the work he has been able to do so far.

Countdown to Signing Day ...

In case you missed it, check out the second 2008 class edition of Countdown to Signing Day at the link below; it is a comprehensive look at UVa's 2008 class to this point. The feature includes a look at the remaining needs in the class as well as my take on each of the remaining top targets (those with a UVa scholarship offer). Also, I give my take on UVa's in-state versus out-of-state success.

Speaking of in-state success, stay tuned for more later today from Norview (Norfolk, VA) defensive lineman Klinton "Buddy" Ruff, a player Virginia stands in great shape with at this point. The 6-4, 290-pound Ruff is also considering East Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia Tech, but the decision is expected to come down to the two in-state programs. Virginia is considered the favorite right now. We'll catch up with Ruff to discuss just how long his recruitment will go on for and when a decision could come.

Basketball recruiting ...

6-11 center John Brandenburg was scheduled to visit Stanford this past week, so stay tuned for more with the De Smet Jesuit (St. Louis, MO) 4-star prospect. As reported on TheSabre.com, Brandenburg recently narrowed his list to Stanford and Virginia. He plans to visit both schools before making a commitment.

Brandenburg's trip to Virginia comes next month, during the weekend of the Duke football game. That will be an official visit. He toured the grounds earlier this summer, following the NBPA Top 100 Camp.

In case you missed it, check out the EDGE feature articles on two other 2008 targets - 6-8, 220-pound New London (CT) forward Allan Chaney and 6-7, 215-pound The Hun School (Princeton, N.J.) talent Lance Goulbourne. Virginia has made the top 10 for Chaney, who is planning to visit the University of Florida this week. Goulbourne has set an official visit to Virginia. He has also set official trips to Marquette and Vanderbilt. All three officials will take place in September and he has not ruled out other trips as well.

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 ...

Countdown to Signing Day: An Interesting Road So Far
Given Virginia's recent history, it is reasonable to think that the staff would have compiled 12 verbal commitments at this stage in the 2008 class recruiting process. Not many would have thought that, of Virginia's 12 verbals, none are from the state of Virginia. That is indeed the case, but Virginia fans should be very pleased with what the coaches have been able to do in what looked like a very tough road - both in-state and out-of-state - just a few months ago.

Offer Profile: 6-7 F Lance Goulbourne
The University of Virginia began recruiting 6-7, 215-pound rising senior forward Lance Goulbourne last year, but the interest from the Cavs really sparked up this summer. Coach Dave Leitao and staff have now come in with a scholarship offer and The Hun School (Princeton, N.J.) standout has reciprocated the interest, having set up an official visit to UVa for the weekend of September 22nd.

Other updates since the last SabreMail ...

• Allan Chaney Explodes on Recruiting Scene
  
• Glenn Considers Return Visit to UVa
  
• Pantale Narrows List to Four
  
• UVa Among Top RB's Three Favorites
  

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V-Sabres Worldwide in Wahoowa! Section

TheSabre.com's fan section - Wahoowa! - highlights the fan experience. License plate photos, desktop wallpaper, WCAV video, fan of the week, and more are found in this FREE exclusive area of the site.

Mike Ingalls at the Parthenon in Greece.

We want to expand our section, though! This week, we're looking for photos to include in the V-Sabres Worldwide gallery. V-Sabres Worldwide is a collection of photos sent to us from Hoos from around the globe. For example, check out our own Mike Ingalls (Boardhost) at the Parthenon on the Acropolis site in Athens, Greece.

For any photo to be accepted, the V-Sabres logo must be visible. It can be on any type of merchandise (i.e. sunglasses, hats, shirts, dog collar, etc). It must also fit one or more of the requirements below:

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We'd like to keep adding photos to the section! All you need to do is email a jpeg version of the photo to us here with the email header: V-Sabres Worldwide Photo.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Cavaliers Enjoy Meet the Team Day: More than 3,500 fans turned out for this year's Meet the Team activities. Under the shade of the pergola, players signed autographs, posed for photos and made new friends with the Cavalier faithful.
• Reyering Named to Hermann Trophy Watch List: Virginia junior Yannick Reyering is one of 29 players named to the 2007 Hermann Trophy Watch List for men's soccer, released by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
• Virginia Picked Third in ACC Preseason Poll: The Virginia men's soccer program has been selected to finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as determined by a vote of the league's nine head coaches.
• Virginia Ranked No. 6 in Preseason Poll: The Virginia men's soccer team is ranked No. 6 nationally in the College Soccer News preseason poll.
• Krzysik, Rostedt Named to MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List: Two members of the Virginia women's soccer team were named to the preseason Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Junior defender Nikki Krzysik and junior forward Jess Rostedt were among the 46 players recognized.
• Virginia Women's Soccer Third in Preseason ACC Poll: The Virginia women's soccer team is third in the Atlantic Coast Conference's preseason poll of the league coaches. The Cavaliers are in the top three of the poll for the seventh consecutive season.
• Virginia Volleyball Picked Third in ACC Preseason Poll: The Virginia volleyball team was picked to finish third in the annual Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll, which was released Wednesday by the conference office. Sarah Kirkwood and Katie Oakes were also selected to the All-ACC preseason team.
• Virginia Softball Tryouts Scheduled for Sept. 11: The Virginia softball program will hold a general tryout on Tuesday, Sept. 11 and The Park softball field. Students should arrive no later than 4:45 to turn in paperwork with the workout set to begin at 5 p.m.

For more Hoo news or to read full releases, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 114 - November 21, 2003

Virginia basketball gets two signees

5-11 point guard Sean Singletary and 6-7 small forward Adrian Joseph have signed letters of intent to play for the University of Virginia. Both are eligible for play next season.

Singletary, of Philadephia, PA, is highly touted and will be the future point guard for the program. The point guard's assets are his speed, defensive play and court vision. Most times, Singletary has made up his mind and passed the ball prior to getting across half court. While passing is his specialty, Singletary is not shy when shooting the ball and can hit the open shot when needed. Singletary averaged 18 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds and almost 5 steals per game as a junior while leading his team to their league championship and a 26-4 record.

Joseph, a native of Trinidad, is currently attending Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks as a junior last season.

Virginia soccer plays in opening round of NCAA tonight

The UVa men's soccer team had a bumpy season this year, but still managed to win the ACC Championship and get into the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They will suit up tonight at 7:00 PM to face Seton Hall at Klockner Stadium here in Charlottesville. The game will be a rematch of the season opener when Virginia lost to the Pirates 1-0 at Klockner. Seton Hall scored a quick goal in the opening seconds of the contest.

Coming Soon

The Sabre has you covered when it comes to Hoo news. Here are a few of the articles to expect on the site in the coming days:

• Practice Coverage The Sabre will keep you informed as the Cavaliers roll through training camp.
  
• 10-Day Hoo Preview The Sabre breaks out the 2007 version of its 10-Day Hoo Preview starting Wednesday, August 15. We'll cover all the positions, things to look forward to, and more!
  
• Basketball Recruiting What did John Brandenburg think of his visit to Stanford?
  

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Team Day Wraps Up Busy Weekend
Meet the Team Day wrapped up a busy weekend for the Virginia football team, which treated fans to three open practices in addition to the annual mingling session. Sunday's event at Scott Stadium - where Al Groh and everyone beyond shared time with fans - drew a large and enthusiastic crowd that enjoyed the moon bounce, mascot meeting, and autograph signing festivities.

Best Seat in the House: Preseason Pack
Jay James and The Best Seat in the House continue to preview the upcoming Virginia football season with a variety of audio coverage. This preseason pack brings you Friday's media interviews with Jameel Sewell and Keith Payne as well as a UVa writers' roundtable with The Daily Progress' Jay Jenkins and The Sabre's Kris Wright. Get up to speed by checking out the FREE audio!

Experiment In Progress: Slotting
With Virginia's training camp just a few days old, one hot topic (other than the heat, of course) has been slotting. After all, several players in the 24-member freshmen class could be placed at various positions. So where is Corey Mosley lining up? Ras-I Dowling? Anthony Mihota? Those are just a few of the names that could be playing position roulette so the coaches can find the best spot for each player.

A Shift In Training Focus?
When Virginia opened football practice this week at the McCue Center practice fields, one thing was immediately evident: quite a few Hoos look a lot different this fall. Branden Albert has trimmed down. Mikell Simpson appears stronger. Clint Sintim looks leaner. Cedric Peerman seems sleeker. That led to a question that many have speculated about during the offseason. Has there been a shift in Al Groh's philosophy on players' physical development?

Cavaliers' Camp Under Way
The months of offseason waiting ended on Monday for the Virginia football team when it opened practice for the 2007 season. Naturally, the players were excited to be back in action as they started the process of preparing for another year. But was the first day a productive one? Did Jameel Sewell practice? What about Keith Payne?

JHoo's Summer Reading: Defensive Backs
Finally, the summer draws close to an end and with that, the end of the summer reading is upon us. And what better place to wrap up than with the last line of defense, the defensive backs? Again, there is reason for optimism, but far more cautious optimism. Why? The questions that have to be answered regarding the defensive backs are ones that reflect a lot of upside and a lot of downside. When you are talking about the last line of defense, "downside" is a word you would rather not hear.

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