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   SabreMail - April 21, 2008
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Hoos Win ACC Titles

A pair of Virginia teams added more ACC Championship hardware to the list this weekend with outstanding performances. Admittedly, neither win was a surprise.

The No. 1 men's tennis team won the ACC title with a 4-0 match victory against Miami. UVa has won 28 straight matches and 31 straight ACC matches (regular season and postseason). The conference crown is the team's fourth in the past five seasons. Virginia senior Treat Huey was named the MVP of the ACC Tournament. Fellow senior Somdev Devvarman was named the ACC Player of the Year and UVa coach Brian Boland was named the ACC Coach of the Year.

"I am really proud of these guys," Boland said in a news release. "This is the best conference in the country and to win another ACC Championship is a great accomplishment. We have so much respect for the teams in the ACC and to go undefeated through this league again is something we are proud of. This week gave us a lot of momentum reading into the NCAA Tournament next month."

The women's rowing team kept an equally impressive streak alive as well. Virginia captured its ninth consecutive ACC Championship, a feat unmatched by any other Cavalier team - the UVa men's swimming and diving team won eight straight league titles from 2000-07. No other ACC team has ever won the conference crown. Cav coach Kevin Sauer was named the ACC Coach of the Year and Virginia's Varsity Eight boat, the No. 3 team in the nation, was named the ACC Crew of the Year. The Varsity Eight set a new meet record time of 6:22.0 in winning its race; crew members include Caitlin Mixter, Jennifer Cromwell, Rebecca Ryall, Lauren Hutchins, Kelsie Chaudoin, Desiree Burns, Augusta Stratos, Bridget Wandelt, and Katrin Sydlik.

Several Cavalier individuals brought home ACC titles from the track and field competition a well. Defending ACC Champion and All-American Yemi Ayeni won the discus event with an NCAA regional qualifying throw of 57.45 meters. Andrew Jesien also claimed an ACC Championship by winning the 1,500 meter run. Senior David Lewis became the fifth Cavalier of all-time, first since 1995, to win the decathlon. Stephanie Garcia joined Dawn Cleary (2003) as just the second ACC Champion in the 3000m steeplechase and Meghan Briggs won the javelin title.

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

Kris Wright
Editor
TheSabre.com


   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Football recruiting

No new commitments in the fold from this past week, so Virginia stands at five commitments (although the future status of Harrisonburg RB Alex Owah is very much in question) almost one full week into the spring Evaluation Period.

High schools are flooded with college coaches during the Evaluation Period, as college coaches have two evaluation visits they can use on potential targets. Here is the definition from NCAA.org ...

"Four weeks (excluding Memorial Day and Sundays) selected at the discretion of the member institution and designated in writing in the office of the director of athletics [as provided in (1) below]:

(1) An authorized off-campus recruiter may use one evaluation to assess the prospective student-athlete's athletics ability and one evaluation to assess the prospective student-athlete's academic qualifications during this evaluation period). If an institution's coaching staff member conducts both an athletics and an academic evaluation of the prospective student-athlete on the same day during this evaluation period, the institution shall be charged with the use of an academics evaluation only and shall be permitted to conduct a second athletics evaluation of the prospective student-athlete on a separate day during this evaluation period."

Recruits may receive exactly one phone call from college recruiters during this entire period. With college decisions seemingly coming earlier and earlier, this time has become more than a time for evaluation. It remains very much a key evaluation time, but, more than ever, it serves as another key time to recruit already offered kids.

Over the next month, we'll continue to provide updates on those kids Virginia has already offered as well as update any new offers that the staff extends. This week, stay tuned for updates on two of Virginia's top targets - Meadowbrook (Richmond, VA) offensive lineman Morgan Moses and Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) defensive end Jake Snyder - and more.


Basketball recruiting

Football recruiting has entered a key stretch, but so has men's basketball recruiting.

Wednesday, April 16, marked the beginning of the spring signing period for Division 1 men's basketball, and the University of Virginia hopes to add one more prospect to its 2008 recruiting class. Grant (OR) point guard Paul McCoy, St. Anthony's (Jersey City, N.J.) guard Tyshawn Taylor, and Berkmar (Lilburn, GA) wing forward Wesley Witherspoon appear to be Virginia's top targets at this time.

McCoy, a 5-11 senior who averaged 16 points and six assists this past season, is also considering Arizona, Cal, Kentucky, Loyola Marymount, SMU, and Washington State. He made an official visit to UVa on April 11 - you can read about his experience on the EDGE - and made an official visit to Kentucky over the weekend. McCoy, who had previously made officials to Pepperdine and SMU, has expressed interest in taking all five official visits before making a final decision.

McCoy originally signed with Pepperdine last fall but was released from his letter of intent after the head coach left.

6-3 Tyshawn Taylor, who signed with Marquette last fall, recently was granted a release from his letter of intent after the departure of head coach Tom Crean. Reportedly, Taylor is considering Georgia Tech, Florida, Kansas, Marquette, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Stay tuned, as we'll try to get more on this story later in the week.

Witherspoon, a 6-7, 185-pound prospect who possesses excellent versatility, has taken official visits to Colorado, LSU, Texas, and Virginia. A 4-star recruit by both Rivals and Scout, Witherspoon is Virginia's most highly rated target remaining on the board. He is considering Clemson, Florida, and Memphis for the final official visit spot.

Witherspoon, who averaged 20 points and almost 10 rebounds per contest this past season, told TheSabre.com late last month that he planned to announce his college decision on May 1. May 21 is the last day of the spring signing period.


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 ...

Snyder Reflects on Recent Visits
Image: Jake Snyder6-4, 235-pound Deep Run (Glen Allen, VA) defensive end/tight end Jake Snyder could well be subject of one of those key recruiting battles between Virginia and Virginia Tech, although he remains very open to checking out any program that is interested. In the last two weekends, though, he has taken unofficial visits to Virginia and Virginia Tech. This past Saturday, he attended Virginia Tech's Spring Game and seemed to enjoy the experience.

Exum Talks Recruiting
Image: Antone ExumDeep Run (Glen Allen, VA) standout athlete Antone Exum has taken unofficial visits to five of the seven schools that have offered. This week, he plans to add another to that list as he plans to head to Blacksburg to visit Virginia Tech. The 6-0, 210-pound junior should be in Blacksburg either Friday or Saturday.

TheSabre's Recruiting Roundtable
In this edition of "Recruiting Roundtable," respected EDGE contributors JHoo, Kamikaze Hoo and Mikeysurf join me to answer questions covering last year's recruiting class, the needs and targets for the 2009 class, as well as other general recruiting questions.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...


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   News, Notes, and Fan Discussion

Blog Banter: Missing The Hoos From London

Bailey missed Sean Singletary's swan song at UVa.Editor's Note: Bailey Stephens is wrapping up her third year at UVa while studying abroad in London. She is starting an internship with TheSabre.com.

I have missed so much this semester while I've been studying abroad in London.

I missed the Wahoos' slow and painful breakdown on the hardcourt. A team that had so much promise at the start of the season fell apart, leaving fans, including me, dumbfounded. I missed the beginning of my favorite sport, baseball, which has been made even worse by the fact that no one over here has the slightest idea what I'm talking about. I missed the spring football season. Wow. Every day, I dread opening my email and finding out who will be the next Cavalier to get axed. The three G's are killing Virginia this offseason: Grades, Graduation and "Good God, how stupid are you?"

So let's recap, I missed another disappointing basketball season capped by the loss of one of Virginia's all-time greatest hoops players ever, a painful offseason for football and a spring season which frankly doesn't leave me much room for optimism, and a baseball kickoff which has left the Cavaliers right where I left them - needing to break through in the postseason.

Guess I haven't really missed that much after all. Maybe. Except for saying farewell to Singletary at least. Come to think about it, it's probably best I've missed this semester. After the Gator Bowl, I don't think my blood pressure could handle the stress.

Read the entire entry here and check out more on The Good Ol' Blog.

Bailey Stephens
TheSabre.com


SabreMail Archives

Interested in a past SabreMail issue? Never fear - we keep 'em archived! Check out the SabreMail home on TheSabre.com where you can see the current issue, past issues, and any breaking news releases that we've emailed in the past as well.


Two In The Top 10?

The 2008 NFL Draft kicks off Saturday in New York and it looks like the Virginia Cavaliers may have two names called in the first 10 picks. Defensive end Chris Long has been projected for weeks as the top pick in the draft, but that status has been slipping in recent days - it appears that the Miami Dolphins may go elsewhere with the No. 1 selection. Long is still projected as top 5 pick by many analysts and likely will not fall below No. 6 in any scenario.

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Branden Albert has watched his draft status soar in recent weeks. Originally projected as a late first round pick that could play either guard or tackle, Albert's name has joined the top 10 in recent mock drafts. Why the surge? It seems that analysts and scouts alike believe Albert can move over and play left tackle in the NFL, making him a valued target on the OL. If he cracks the top 10, most projects have him landing in Kansas City with the No. 5 pick.

Stay tuned.


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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

  • Duke Edges UVa For ACC Women's Golf Title by One Shot: The Virginia women's golf team finished second at the ACC Championships by one shot to top-ranked Duke. The 22nd-ranked Cavaliers led the first two rounds of the 54-hole event before the Blue Devils managed to pull out their 13th consecutive ACC title on the event's final hole. The final margin was the closest in the championship's 20-year history. Virginia's finish equaled the team's second-place showing in 2006. The Cavaliers had three golfers place among the top-10 in the final standings. UVa freshman Calle Nielson was third overall at even par 216. Fellow freshman Joy Kim was sixth at 219 and Jennie Arseneault was ninth at 222. Lene Krog, who had the team's best final round score with a 2-under 70, was 13th at 223. Whitney Neuhauser was 24th at 230.
  • Cavalier Men Finish Ninth at ACC Golf Championships: The Virginia men's golf team shot 1-under 287 for the second straight day and finished ninth at the ACC Championships at the Old North State Club in New London, N.C. The Cavaliers shot 1-under 287 during Sunday's final round for a three-day total of 868. Freshman Will Collins was UVa's top finisher at the tournament. He shot 1-over 217, including a 73 Sunday, to place 26th overall. Steven Rojas turned in UVa's low round of the event with a 4-under 68 Sunday to climb up to 29th overall at 218. That matched his best 18-hole score for the season.
  • No. 16 Baseball Scores 11-Inning Win Over Wake Forest: Jarrett Parker hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th inning to score Corey Hunt and give the No. 16 Virginia baseball team a 3-2 win over Wake Forest on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series at Davenport Field.
  • Schwimer Named to Midseason Watch List for Stopper of Year Award: Virginia senior right-handed pitcher Michael Schwimer has been named to the midseason watch list for the 2008 Stopper of the Year Award, presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The award is given to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball.
  • Terps Drop Virginia Softball 2-0: The Virginia softball team (14-32, 5-12 ACC) dropped a 2-0 decision in a rain-shortened game to Maryland (31-15, 5-9 ACC) Sunday at Robert E. Taylor Stadium. The Terrapin victory also gave UM the series win, two games to one.
  • Virginia Closes Regular Season with 11-7 Win Over Dartmouth: Senior Ben Rubeor scored a season-high four goals and Danny Glading notched three to lead Virginia to an 11-7 win over Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon in the Cavaliers' final regular season game of the season at Klöckner Stadium. The win moves the Cavaliers to 11-2 this season as they prepare for this weekend's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament at Klöckner Stadium.
  • Virginia Women's Tennis Falls to Duke in ACC Quarterfinals: The Virginia women's tennis team run at the 2008 ACC Tournament came to an end Friday with a 4-1 quarterfinal loss to Duke at Sanlando Park. The Cavaliers fall to 10-13 overall with the loss.

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


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   SabreMail History

Issue No. 198 - July 15, 2005

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Virginia added two more commitments this week, giving the Hoos 11 total.

Image: Sean GottschalkDeep Run (Glen Allen, VA) star Sean Gottschalk was the first player to commit this week. The 6-5, 250-pound defensive end chose Virginia over Boston College, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State - all had offered. Gottschalk had received close to 20 Division 1A offers up to this point.

As a junior last season, Gottschalk, a good athlete who also plays basketball, finished with 56 tackles and six sacks. A tight end and defensive end for former UVa player and current Deep Run head coach Lenny Pritchard, he projects as a defensive end in Al Groh's scheme.

An excellent student, he carries a 3.7 grade point average and earned all-academic honors.

Virginia's second verbal of the week came from a player very new to the targets list. On Thursday, the Cavaliers extended an offer to 6-3, 195-pound Monsignor Bonner (Lansdowne, PA) quarterback Marc Verica. UVa quarterbacks coach Mike Groh asked for a quick decision and got one, as Verica committed shortly thereafter. He chose Virginia over an official offer from Wisconsin and a verbal offer from Michigan State.

As a junior last season, Verica threw for 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns in a run-oriented version of the west coast offense. He turned in impressive performances at the Nike camp at State College and at UVa's summer camp. Verica says a strong arm (can throw the ball 70 yards in the air), quick feet (ran a 4.25 in the shuttle at Nike) and poise in the pocket make him stand out over other quarterbacks. He is looking forward to the 2005 season and a more passer-friendly offense.

   What's New on 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:

  • Lacrosse Photos: Mike Ingalls has photographed the last two men's lacrosse games and photos are headed your way!
  • Spring football: The Sabre continues to look at the football team's spring. JHoo weighs in this week with what he thinks about the past few weeks.
  • FanWatch: The Sabre FanWatch series returns this week with another look at a long-time Hoo and Sabre fan.
  • Around the Horn: Fresh off an 11th-inning win against Wake Forest, the baseball team tries to keep it rolling this week. The Sabre's Greg Waters takes his weekly look at the Cavs.


In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Photo Gallery: 2008 Spring Game
Image: Jared GreenThe Virginia football team wrapped up three weeks of spring practice with a scrimmage between the offense and defense at Scott Stadium. Fans got to see plenty of new faces in action for the first time, like redshirt freshmen Jared Green and Kris Burd, both receivers, and Chase Minnifield and Dom Joseph, both cornerbacks. Check out 116 images from the Spring Football Festival in this EDGE gallery.

No QB Starter, But What Did We See?
Image: Peter LalichNearly a week has passed since Virginia held its annual Spring Football Festival with a dizzying scrimmage full of passing and catching. Shoot, it may as well have been a 7-on-7 summer scrimmage with the numbers that came spinning out of Scott Stadium last Saturday. 358 yards? 3 touchdowns? 42 of 70? Gee whiz. So what, if anything, does such a Tecmo display tell us about the quarterbacks and the leader in the clubhouse? Not much according to UVa coach Al Groh, who says the three are on even footing in the race to be the 2008 starter.

Around The Horn: McAnaney's Groove
Image: Pat McAnaney2008 has been a good year for Virginia left-hander Pat McAnaney. He leads the conference in innings pitched, strikeouts and complete games in ACC play. Among starters, he has the lowest ERA in the conference (2.48) and has allowed the lowest batting average (.191) in the league. That's all good. A not-so-good 2007 may have been what triggered McAnaney's surge as a senior.

Trend Report: Tracking 2007's Success
Image: Al GrohLike most college football squads, Virginia spends a great deal of time on the situation specific aspects of the game. Things like red zone play, third-down conversions, two-minute drills, and so on get plenty of attention in the spring, fall, and during the typical game week. In fact, UVa coach Al Groh says football is essentially dealing with one situation after another. In reviewing the 2007 Cavalier football season, there were three situational or operational trends in particular (among several) that that had a significant impact on wins and losses. Now that spring practice has concluded, The Sabre delves into some of the interesting trends from a year ago that you may want to keep an eye on in 2008.

Quick Take: Andrew Devlin On Spring Practice
Image: Andrew DevlinVirginia tight end Andrew Devlin played in an offensive scheme at Mount Lebanon High School that didn't emphasize the passing game. After all, he led the team in receiving his senior year with 9 receptions for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. In fact, he had just 21 catches his last two seasons of high school. It took just one outing as a Cavalier to show how his tight end life has changed. The Sabre caught up with Devlin after the spring game to see how things went after his first spring practice as a Wahoo.

Best Seat In The House: Starsia, O'Connor Call-in 2
Virginia lacrosse coach Dom Starsia and baseball coach Brian O'Connor joined Jay James on The Best Seat in the House on Monday night for The Best Seat Call-in Shows again this week. The show airs every Monday through June from 6 to 8 p.m. live from the Wild Wing Cafe in Charlottesville. Have a question for the Cav coaches? Call in to the show at 800-688-9462 or 434-977-1070. Audio highlights from the show will be available on The Sabre.


   Sabre Edge

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