SabreMail Contest: Favorite Singletary Moment

Virginia star point guard Sean Singletary wrapped up the regular season portion of his career with another outstanding performance on Sunday night against Maryland. Singletary finished with an eye-popping line of 27 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal while also scoring the 2,000th point of his impressive career.

In honor of the moment, we're breaking out an old favorite: A SabreMail Contest! Please submit your favorite Singletary moment - the shot to beat Duke that created the picture below is not eligible to keep it interesting - of the last four years. The entry can be as long or short as you like and the moment can be anything from a single play to an entire performance. We'll put all the entries together for a "memories" style article and the winning entry will receive 3 free months on the Sabre EDGE.

Please send your entry to [email protected] with the header: SabreMail Contest. The deadline to submit an entry is Thursday, March 13 at Noon. Thanks, and good luck!

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Basketball recruiting ....

UVa star recruit Sylven Landesberg has led Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.) to its first CHSAA AA Championship in 40 years. The 6-6, 195-pound guard/forward scored 24 points in Holy Cross' 56-48 win over Christ the King in Sunday's championship game.

Landesberg, who added playoff MVP to the long list of honors he has accomplished this season, scored 10 of his 24 points in the final 5:30 to push the Knights over the top.

One of the top recruits in the 2008 class, Landesberg earned CHSAA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, team MVP honors, and was selected to the McDonald's All-American game, which will be played later this month. He also broke the Holy Cross career scoring record, held previously by former Virginia guard Willie Dersch.

Stay tuned this week for more on Landesberg's storied season.

On hand to witness the University of Virginia basketball game versus Duke last Wednesday was Berkmar (Lilburn, GA) 6-8 senior swingman Wesley Witherspoon, who was on an official visit. Witherspoon, one of the top remaining uncommitted players in the 2008 class, followed up his trip to UVa with an official visit to the University of Texas over the weekend.

Stay tuned for more from Witherspoon this week, including comments on his official visit experiences in Austin and Charlottesville. Also, we'll discuss where he plans to go from here with respect to a decision.

LSU and Memphis are in the running as well.

According to TheSabre.com's Kris Wright, Courtland (VA) star sophomore Josh Hairston was also on hand for last Wednesday's game versus the Blue Devils. We will have a feature article coming on the 6-8 Hairston in the coming weeks.

Also visiting a game this week was 7-0, 230-pound center Assane Sene (South Kent School, CT). The Cavalier commitment attended the win over Maryland on Sunday.

Stay tuned for the latest on 6-9 junior forward Ryan Kelly, a top prospect out of Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina. UVa was one of the first schools to offer the versatile talent, who has drawn a number of other ACC offers as well as interest from Duke and North Carolina. We'll check in with Ryan for a reflection on his junior season as well as what his plans may be in terms of making a college choice.

Football recruiting ...

Now is the time of year when most of the 2009 class targets are being unveiled, so look for more EDGE articles on University of Virginia targets. This week, though, we'll take a closer look at which positions the staff may target the hardest in this upcoming class. So far, the staff has landed three speedy, talented players in Harrisonburg (VA) RB Alex Owah, Good Counsel (Wheaton, MD) ATH Caleb Porzel, and Chancellor (Fredericksburg, VA) RB/LB Dominique Wallace.

EDGE subscribers can check out video of Wallace, a 6-1, 220-pound back who rumbled for more than 1,700 yards last season as a junior. Wallace is not only an impressive prospect at running back, but he is equally as exciting on the defensive side of the ball.

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 ...

Forest Park's Scott Receiving UVa Interest
Brandon "B.J." Scott seemed primed for a big junior season until groin and hip flexor injuries sidelined him for six games. The Forest Park (Woodbridge, VA) product has not been deterred by the frustrating 2007 season, and instead has chosen to prepare as well as he can for his senior season. The 6-4, 215-pound athlete works out six days a week and "is working harder than I've ever seen him," Forest Park head coach Charlie Chandler said.

Phoebus Star QB Talks Recruiting
With ten Division 1A scholarship offers, 6-2, 200-pound junior quarterback Tajh Boyd has become one of the most highly recruited players in the state of Virginia. The Phoebus (Hampton, VA) standout, who has visited several schools to this point in his recruiting process, has his sights set on narrowing his list of schools to five by July.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Western Branch Speedster Updates Recruitment
• Samuel Simpson Planning Visit to Virginia
• Porzel Excited About Commitment to UVa
• Hunter Getting Looks to Play QB

Please welcome our newest sponsor Chase to TheSabre.com! Show your true colors and support your community. Apply for the Flexible Rewards Card that let's you choose your reward. CHASE Cards provide great benefits and deliver the superior service you deserve. Choose your design, sign up and support your community. Apply Today!

Email and thank Chase for their support!

Thank you again for supporting the sponsors of TheSabre.com. Please remember that TheSabre's sponsors are YOUR sponsors! They directly contribute towards our ability to bring you a better web site.

Blog Banter: Canty And The Cowboys A Sign For Long?

With Vandy away, I'll try to plug in some blog posts to keep things swaying here.

The NFL Draft is still a few weeks away, but Chris Long continues to receive plenty of attention after a strong combine performance. But a blog post on another former Cavalier defensive end caught my eye this week and in a round-about way it may apply to Long's situation.

Blogging The Boys produced this piece (Faith and Perseverance: Chris Canty's rise to the NFL) on Chris Canty and it serves as a fine reminder of another Hoo representing the school well in the NFL. The writer mentions meeting Canty in person as he "joined in on one of the most intriguing and uplifting conversations of my young life." The author recounts how at ease Canty was interacting with fans on this occasion, something many Hoo supporters probably remember from his days in orange and blue as well. Check out the whole piece to reminisce about Canty's Cavalier days and to track his progress in Dallas.

Now the section of the story that may apply to Chris Long:

"Unable to work out for the draft Chris tried to convince teams that if drafted he would be ready for training camp. When the draft came in April many teams that had rated him high on their draft boards passed on him with the thought that he was damaged goods. Teams were uneasy about spending a high draft pick on a player they were uncertain would be able to play at the same level he did in college.

The Dallas Cowboys that year under Bill Parcells were making the switch to the 3-4 and were drafting players to fit the scheme. The Cowboys had already drafted DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears and thought highly of Chris. Virginia head coach Al Groh convinced Parcells that Canty was worth the risk and the Cowboys traded up into the fourth round and drafted Chris Canty."

So does the speculation that Parcells, who has reportedly talked with Coach Groh about Long, will trust an old friend carry more weight after that brief revelation about Canty? Maybe. Maybe not. But it looks like Long has a fairly good chance of going No. 1 in the NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins.

Read more from the Good Ol' Blog here.

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!

UVA Bookstores' You Pick Em Contest

Lacrosse fans, don't miss a chance to participate in UVA Bookstores' You Pick Em Contest. The game 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. Results will be posted by Noon the Monday following the game (excluding holidays). Please note that there will not be contests for the mid-week games this season. Also please select whether to have a weekly message sent, informing you of each week's results. Just check the 'Do not wish to be on mailing list' button if you choose not to receive our weekly message.

Get the complete rules and enter this week's contest at UVabookstores.com.

Advertise With The Sabre!

Our advertising approach is different in that we make it abundantly clear in a direct and honest way that your company's commitment of sponsorship dollars is what enables the site to continue existing and improving into the future.

To learn more, please contact [email protected].

The Sabre is a vital part of a unique collegiate sports network that reaches nearly 2 million individuals per month. Like the Sabre, each site in the SportsWar network is an organically grown community and the emotional home for its fans.

To learn more about SportsWar network sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected] and visit the SportsWar media guide www.sportswar.com

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

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Second Half Run Propels Wahoos Past Princeton 12-10: Virginia scored four goals in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the second half to break open a tight contest and defeat Princeton 12-10 in the rain at Princeton Stadium. The win is the sixth in a row without a defeat for the third-ranked Cavaliers, while Princeton lost for the second week in a row to fall to 1-2 overall. The game was an historic occasion for lacrosse as the first regular-season game televised on ESPN. Brian Carroll paced the Cavalier offense with three goals and an assist to become the first UVa midfielder with at least six multi-goal games since David Curry had seven in in 1997. Ben Rubeor, coming off a knee injury in only his third game, also scored three times. Danny Glading continued his fine work directing the Virginia attack with two goals and two assists.
• Second half propels Cavaliers over No. 19 Nittany Lions: The No. 2 Virginia women's lacrosse team used a dominating second half to overcome an early three-goal deficit to No. 19 Penn State in Holuba Hall Friday evening. The Cavaliers scored seven of the final eight goals of the game and used a 13-2 advantage in ground balls in the final 30 minutes to push past the Nittany Lions, 13-7.
• Meyinsse Named to All-ACC Academic Team: Virginia sophomore forward/center Jerome Meyinsse was named to the 2008 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Men's Basketball Team on Friday. Meyinsse was one of eight players selected to the team. To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.
• Grant Breaks Program Shot Put Record: Senior Billie-Jo Grant reset her program record in the shot put with a throw of 53' (16.15m) at the Virginia Tech Last Chance meet at the Rector Field House on Saturday.
• Harrison Wins 5000-meter Run at Alex Wilson Invitational: Senior Emily Harrison ran a 16:16.53 to lead all competitors in the 5,000-meters at the Alex Wilson Invitational inside the Loftus Sports Center on the campus of Notre Dame Friday evening.
• Henrich Earns At-Large Bid to NCAA Championships: Virginia freshman wrestler Chris Henrich earned an at-large bid Sunday to the NCAA Championships, as determined by a meeting of the league's coaches Sunday morning. The championships will be contested March 20-22 in St. Louis. Henrich joins teammates Ross Gitomer and Rocco Caponi, who earned automatic NCAA bids after winning the 125-pound and 184-pound ACC titles, respectively, on Saturday. The Virginia wrestling team took runner-up honors at the 2008 ACC Championships. Virginia narrowly missed its first championship in 31 years, finishing two points behind 22nd-ranked Maryland for the title. The Terrapins, who won five individual championships, earned their first title since 1973 with 86.5 points, while the Cavaliers scored 84.5 points.
• No. 12 Baseball Falls 4-2 at NCSU in Series Finale: The Virginia baseball team dropped a 4-2 decision against N.C. State on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game series at Doak Field at Dail Park. Virginia returns home for two midweek games this week. The Cavaliers play Radford on Tuesday and Navy on Wednesday, with both games starting at 4 p.m. at Davenport Field.
• Cavalier Women's Tennis Blanks N.C. State: After opening the weekend with a loss to Wake Forest, the Virginia women's tennis team defeated its highest ranked opponent of the season with a 7-0 victory over No. 52 NC State on Sunday afternoon at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. With the victory, the Cavaliers improve to 6-5 overall and 2-1 in the ACC.
• Weymouth to be Featured in Inside Lacrosse Fan Zone: Junior All-American Blair Weymouth will be featured in the Fan Zone of Inside Lacrosse Magazine this May. This month, visit InsideLacrosse.com to submit all of your questions about her off-season schedule, her pre-game rituals or favorite places to visit in Charlottesville, and they could appear in the future issue of Inside Lacrosse Magazine.

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

NIKE Replica Basketball Shorts
On Sale: $33.75

The authentic Nike replica basketball shorts are made of 100% Polyester, featuring reverse orange and blue with white trim on the colored shorts and orange and navy trim on the white shorts. They come with a 10" inseam and contrasting inset panels on both sides. There is an embroidered Nike Swoosh design trademark at the upper left leg, and the V-Sabre on both the bottom left and right legs.

Issue No. 228 - February 10, 2006

Men's Tennis Action Heating Up at Boar's Head

One of the most interesting topics for college sports these days seems to be the scheduling of football and basketball teams. Why doesn't a football team use the new 12th game to play a big-time, high-profile opponent? Who should a basketball team play to raise its RPI, while packing the stands with fans? Hey, did you see who so-and-so is playing this year? More often than not, however, it seems like a majority of teams in those sports simply don't play the headline-grabbing opponent.

Well, if you're a fan of ambitious and challenging scheduling, look no further than the University of Virginia men's tennis team. The Cavaliers are playing as many highly ranked and high profile teams as possible. Here's a short list: Pepperdine, Southern Cal, VCU, Notre Dame and Illinois. And that was just in the opening month of the spring season! UVa continues its fierce scheduling battle with a pair of top 25 teams - Texas A&M and Texas - this weekend at the new indoor facility of the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville. Virginia currently leads the nation in matches against top 25 opponents (4) and ranked wins (6).

"I think this is the best thing for our team," Cav coach Brian Boland said. "We have learned a lot about our team and what we have to do against this great competition and hopefully it will pay off in May. So far, so good."

For Cavalier fans in the area, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to take in some quality college tennis. The Hoos face No. 24 Texas A&M today at 5 p.m. and No. 20 Texas on Sunday at 10 p.m. The Boar's Head facility seats a little more than 1,000 people and has a standing room area available in an overlooking lobby. You can see all six singles matches at one time and two large scoreboards make it easy to keep track of the scores. Last week, the Hoo Crew, the Virginia band, and nearly 900 people attended the Baylor match - the goal this week is to break the 1,000-fan barrier so head on out and support the Cavaliers. Admission is free!

"Last week, with the Hoo Crew and the band and so many fans, it was an incredible environment for college tennis. It gave our guys a lift at the beginning and they really carried that energy through the match," Boland said. "This is without question one of the best venues in all of college tennis. ... I had someone tell me that they had never even thought about going to a tennis match until last week and that being there at the match last week made them a college tennis fan. ... The atmosphere is incredible and it's definitely worth going if you can."

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com

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:

• Position Reviews JHoo breaks down the situation at the various positions on the Virginia football team.
• ACC Tournament The Sabre provides coverage of the Hoos in the ACC Tournament.
• FanWatch The Sabre takes a look at a pair of long-time Cavalier fans.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Cavs Top Terps On Senior Night
Sean Singletary poured in 27 points to reach 2,000 for his career and five others scored in double figures as the Cavaliers upended Maryland on Sunday night. Virginia broke open a close game over the final 10 minutes to prevail 91-76, giving Singletary and fellow seniors Adrian Joseph, Ryan Pettinella, and Tunji Soroye a win on senior night. Singletary finished with an eye-popping line of 27 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal while Joseph added 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal.

Defense Plagues Hoos
When Duke's Mike Krzyzewski was asked about Kyle Singler shortly after his team defeated Virginia on Wednesday night, the veteran coach inadvertently pinpointed one of the issues plaguing the Hoos. Krzyzewski said with a chuckle: "Well, I told him - he missed a lot of open 3's - I said 'You're never going to get that many.'" Therein lies the key culprit to the struggles of this year's Cavaliers. They don't defend consistently. Or to put it more bluntly: Virginia's defense stinks.

Heels Bounce Cavs From Tourney
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Virginia's stay at the ACC Tournament came to an end Saturday afternoon thanks to North Carolina in the Greensboro Coliseum. The Cavaliers battled but fell to the second-ranked Tar Heels, 80-65. Monica Wright set a new career-high by scoring 31 points (13-of-20 shooting) in the loss. Over the past three games, Wright is averaging 25.3 points per game.

Cavalier Women Advance Past GT
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Only five days after the teams' double-overtime thriller, Virginia and Georgia Tech once again found themselves in a nailbiter on Friday, this time in the four vs. five match-up of the of the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals played at the Greensboro Coliseum. As was the case Sunday afternoon in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers emerged victorious, 52-43.

Duke Drops Virginia
For the first 11 minutes of Wednesday night's game with Duke, the Virginia men's basketball team contained the Blue Devils' high-powered offense and battled toe-to-toe with the nation's sixth-ranked team. In the final 29 minutes, however, the same issues that have plagued this year's Cavaliers throughout the ACC season - namely inconsistent defense and impatient offense - cost the team any chance of an upset. Duke scored 64 points in the final 29 minutes and all but cruised to the 86-70 victory, fending off a brief tease of a comeback en route to its 26th win of the season. The Cavs, meanwhile, fell to 14-14 with the loss.

Sabre Guide To UVa Lacrosse
The Virginia men's lacrosse team is off to another good start at 4-0 thanks to a thrilling overtime win against Syracuse over the weekend. Winning, of course, is nothing new when it comes to lacrosse in Charlottesville. Coach Dom Starsia's Cavalier teams have won 174 games and 3 NCAA Championships in his tenure. That's a team that UVa fans should be thrilled to support. But maybe, you're like me and many other Hoos. Lacrosse? It can be a confusing game in many ways. With that in mind, a sort of introductory user's guide to Virginia lacrosse from Sabre fans follows.

Baker's Late 3 Stings Yellow Jackets
At long last. After a tumultuous January and a schedule dotted with close losses, the Virginia men's basketball team finally climbed from the ACC cellar on Monday night for the first time this season. Calvin Baker's 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining - courtesy of a Sean Singletary assist - lifted the Hoos past Georgia Tech, 76-74, in a game rescheduled from February due to a leaky roof. The win was the program's first at GT since 2002.

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!

• Sabre Edge Info and Sign Up