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   SabreMail - June 16, 2008
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Blog Banter: Ranking The Programs

Last year, I ranked all of the UVa programs after all was said and done, and I'm going to do the same this year. However, some differences this time: I'll be unveiling the rankings in chunks on the blog, and I'll be soliciting your thoughts on what the rankings should look like. Email your thoughts on the Cavalier programs' success in 2008.

One Sabre-ite already emailed with a question of clarification: When you talk about ranking the programs, do you mean how they did this past year or how is their overall health, which would include recent years and the outlook for the future?

It's a great question. While I don't want to force people into my definition of what makes one program better than another, the way I will consider the teams will be to look at each team on the actual results of the team and its individual players in the 2007-2008 athletic year. This means wins and losses, tourney bids, regular season success, postseason success, individual player's wins and losses, and team and individual championships and awards based on athletic or coaching performance.

While context matters for the results to some extent (for example, the wins in the CBI isn't going to count much for the basketball team when compared with actual NCAA wins by other programs), I didn't consider the larger picture of program history or external expectations. So, for example, the fact that men's golf did so much better than past years or the fact that football beat expectations are not factors for me ... while they are obviously relevant in other discussions, it's hard to consider such things when trying to compare programs with one another.

I feel like doing so sort of punishes traditionally strong programs for not living up to tradition or what others believed they should accomplish. Sure, the tennis team was expected to win it all. But I'm not going to rank a Final Four team with an individual National Champion behind the football team because Al Groh overachieved. This year, based on what each accomplished, the tennis team was a better program than the football team. Injecting the external expectations of the fans or history seems like a difficult metric to add.

Of course, this isn't necessarily the right way to do it. But since this is very much an "apples and oranges" process, cutting out such factors makes the comparisons a little more precise.

With that said, The Good Ol' Blog is featuring recaps on each team's season so we know who did what this season. The quick refreshers will help us recap the year in UVa athletics while also providing a basis of comparison for the rankings. The most recent program recap focused on Dave Leitao's men's basketball team (check out links for . Women's swimming, Men's swimming, Football, Cross country, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, and Volleyball at the bottom of that post!)

So let me know what you think about the programs and where they should be ranked in 2008 and we'll unveil the rankings later this month. In the meantime, keep swaying with all kinds of Hoo-related news on The Good Ol' Blog.

Rob Mahini (Vandy-Hoo)
TheSabre.com


   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Beginning this past weekend, the next week will be huge on the recruiting front for football as well as men's basketball. But let's start on the gridiron where the recruiting scene has been action-packed over these past few days ...

Football recruiting ...

There is a little bit of breaking news for you this morning, as the Cavaliers have gained yet another commitment as a result of Saturday's Top Prospect Day. The Cavaliers latest commitment - its fourth over the weekend - is from 6-6, 265-pound offensive lineman Sean Cascarano, who chose the Cavaliers over offers from Arizona, Cincinnati, Colorado, Duke, Indiana, and Michigan State.

Cascarano gives Virginia 16 verbal commitments for the 2009 class. Twenty-five players are allowed to enroll in a given class, so, if the staff decides to sign 25 prospects in this class as they potentially could, only nine spots remain. And that number could shrink with camp coming up.

On Saturday, Virginia gained three commitments including Catholic (Belleair Beach, FL) tight end Paul Freedman, Brunswick School (Greenwich, CT) wide receiver Kevin Royal, and Camden (N.J.) wide receiver Tyree Watkins. All three possess terrific size for their respective position - Freedman is 6-6.5, 235 pounds, while Royal stands 6-4, 205 pounds and Watkins is 6-2, 180 pounds.

Cascarano is the second offensive line recruit in Virginia's 2009 class. Freedman, a versatile prospect who could potentially play another position on the next level, is UVa's first tight end prospect of the class. Royal and Watkins are the first sure-fire wide receiver recruits for the Cavaliers, but it is widely expected that Orange (VA) star athlete Quintin Hunter will line up at receiver for UVa as well.

For more on these commitments, check out the Sabre EDGE. We'll have more on Cascarano's commitment later today, while articles have already been posted on Freedman, Watkins, and Royal. And we'll continue to follow up on those kids who attended Saturday's camp, including an article on Liberty (Bealeton, VA) DL/OL Kory Gough already on the EDGE and one on Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) WR Tim Smith later in the week.

Trinity (Camp Hill, PA) offensive lineman Nick Kindler was not able to make Saturday's junior day, but the 6-6.5, 275-pound prospect will be in Charlottesville today. He is actually coming in town to pick up his younger brother, who is participating in Virginia's Elite Basketball Camp, which began yesterday and ends today. Kindler boasts 10 Division 1A scholarship offers, including one from UVa. Stay tuned for more on Kindler.

Virginia's camp begins this coming weekend. On Saturday, UVa will once again host a 7-on-7 passing league tournament, which is expected to draw some top high school football teams (and, hence, some top players as well). Virginia is going to hold its big-man camp as well. Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) star athletes Zack McCray (2010 recruit) and Logan Thomas and Henry Clay (Lexington, KY) star offensive lineman Samuel Simpson are among the prospects expected in Charlottesville at some point during these camp sessions.

Brookville (Lynchburg, VA) OL Devin Bolling, Liberty (Bealeton, VA) DL/OL Kory Gough, Henderson (West Chester, PA) OL Brandon Heath, and St. Ignatius (Cleveland, OH) wide receiver Connor Ryan are among the prospects to watch who currently have not been offered by the Cavaliers.

Stay tuned for more from these events later this week and into next week.


Basketball recruiting ...

As stated above, Virginia's Annual Elite Camp is coming to an end today. North Carolina wing forward Jerrell Eddie, Virginia (Bethel H.S.) guard Jontel Evans, Virginia (Petersburg) forward Cadarian Raines and North Carolina guard Earnest Ross are among the prospects we will follow up with from this camp. Also coming in today is top target Ryan Kelly, a 6-9, 205-pound forward out of Ravenscroft School (Raleigh, N.C.). Kelly is coming in to visit with Virginia's players and coaches.

Kelly will be one of many top targets on hand for the NBPA Top 100 Camp, which begins Tuesday. We will have extended coverage of this event throughout the week, including a preview, so stay tuned.

Overall, this promises to be a very exciting week in Charlottesville.


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 ...

McCartin Brothers Excited About UVa Future
Image: Brothers Connor McCartin (32) and Kyle McCartin (10). Photo By Randy Litzinger/Fauquier Times-DemocratFormer Fauquier head coach Greg Hatfield said on Monday that Connor McCartin is a "good fit" at the University of Virginia. The Fauquier (Warrenton, VA) star linebacker certainly believed that to be the case, which is why he didn't take long to accept the University of Virginia scholarship offer he received last Friday.

Freedman Pledges to Virginia
Catholic (Belleair Beach, FL) tight end Paul Freedman narrowed his list of schools to three - Duke, Florida and Virginia - prior to today's visit to the University of Virginia. The 6-6, 235-pound prospect's first experience in Charlottesville was all he needed to know UVa was the right fit, though, and he committed to head coach Al Groh this afternoon.

NJ Star One of Two WR Commits
Camden (N.J.) wide receiver Tyree Watkins didn't anticipate making a commitment at Virginia's Top Prospect Day today, but, as the day went on, he says he "just realized it was a place I could feel comfortable at for the next four years." The Virginia staff is no doubt excited about the decision from Watkins, who chose the Cavaliers over offers from Iowa, Miami, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Tennessee.

Royal Excited to be Part of UVa's '09 Class
Once the University of Virginia extended a scholarship offer to Brunswick School (Greenwich, CT) wide receiver Kevin Royal, that was it. The 6-4, 205-pound prospect had pretty much decided to commit to UVa late last month, which was when he landed the offer, but he wanted to seal the deal at yesterday's Top Prospect Day.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...


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   News, Notes, and Fan Discussion

Ryan Inducted Into HOF

Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan was inducted as part of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2008 on Saturday. Ryan has guided UVa to 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three consecutive Final Four berths (1990-92). She is the seventh coach in NCAA Women's Basketball history to reach the 600-win milestone at the same school. Ryan lead the 2001 USA Basketball team to the gold medal in the World University Games, and the 2003 team to a silver medal at the Pan American Games.

"I am humbled and honored to be named to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame," Ryan said. "My life has been blessed with tremendous players, coaches, staff members, and administrators over the years who have supported me and share equally in this honor. I am very thankful and fortunate to be able to represent the University of Virginia and my entire family in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a proud moment for all of us."

Several of Ryan's former colleagues and players were in attendance, including former UVa Athletics Director Gene Corrigan, and former letterwinner and current president of USA Basketball Val Ackerman, who introduced Ryan's video presentation. Former UVa greats Dawn Staley and Dena Evans also attended the ceremony.

The Best Seat in the House, an audio partner of TheSabre.com, also attended the event. Stay tuned to the Best Seat audio page for Ryan's HOF speech later today.


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!


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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 ...

  • Ayeni and Grant Earn All-America Honors in Discus: Junior Yemi Ayeni and senior Billie-Jo Grant wrapped up their 2008 seasons earning All-America honors in the discus on Friday at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Ayeni took second in the men's discus with a throw of 59.50m, while Grant finished eighth in the women's competition with at mark of 50.26m. "Yemi responded well in the finals," head coach Randy Bungard said. "Yemi's first throw was a big one that he took the lead with. He had two throws after that, both over the 59-meter mark, but Kentucky ended up with one throw that happened to be better than Yemi's. But, Yemi competed well and we're extremely proud of the way that he worked through the championships. ... We're really proud of Billie-Jo's performance, as well. She was mentally prepared for the championships and has managed to fight through a season-long injury that has held her back from the marks she would have liked. Although she didn't hit the marks she wanted, she still fought hard and came up with some big throws, and we're extremely proud of her for that."
  • Jesien Wraps up Competition at NCAAs for Cavaliers: Junior Andrew Jesien wrapped up the Cavaliers' competition at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Saturday with a 13th place finish in the 1,500 meters. Jesien was the first Virginia competitor since John Hinton was a three-time All-American in the event in 1985 to race in the finals of the 1,500m at the national championships.
  • Platt Honored By College Athletic Business Management Association: Andy Platt, director of event management in the Virginia athletics department, has received the Rookie of the Year Award from the College Athletic Business Management Association (CABMA). Platt received the award this week at the association's convention in Dallas. CABMA is an organization devoted to the establishment, maintenance and implementation of the highest standards of integrity and efficiency in the management and administration of business in the athletics departments and associations of colleges and universities. The Rookie of the Year Award recipient is determined by the association's executive committee and honors a new member for the individual's outstanding contributions to the organization.
  • Schwimer Named Third-Team All-American by NCBWA: Virginia right-handed relief pitcher Michael Schwimer has been named a 2008 Third-Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Pro-Line Athletic. Schwimer went 3-1 with a 1.72 earned run average this year and had an ACC-high 14 saves. His saves total tied the single-season school record, set by Casey Lambert in 2005
  • Grovatt Earns Second Freshman All-America Award: Virginia outfielder Dan Grovatt has earned Second Team Freshman All-America honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Pro-Line Athletic. It marks Grovatt's second freshman All-America award after he was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team last week.
  • Former Cavalier Chris Tierney Signs With New England Revolution: The New England Revolution announced that former Virginia midfielder Chris Tierney has signed a developmental contract with Major League Soccer to play for the Revs. Tierney, 22 and a resident of Wellesley, Mass., was drafted by New England in the first round (13th overall) of the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft. A versatile left-footed player, he scored 11 goals and added 16 assists in 79 career games at UVa, and helped the Cavaliers reach the 2006 NCAA College Cup. He also earned 2007 All-ACC Tournament honors. In 2008, Tierney has already made three appearances with the Revolution's reserve team, all as a guest player. "We're pleased be able to add Chris to our roster," Revolution Director of Soccer Michael Burns said. "As a local player, we've had an eye on him for some years and we look forward to him beginning his professional career with us."
  • Former Cavalier Leah Wigger Qualifies for U.S. Women's Open: Former Virginia golfer Leah Wigger has qualified for the U.S. Women's Open for the second consecutive year. A three-time All-American during her career at UVa (2004-07), Wigger qualified by tying for first at the 36-hole sectional qualifier held at Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Ill. The 2008 U.S. Women's Open takes place June 26-29 at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.

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


   UVa Bookstores - The Place for Wahoo Gear!

The Lawn: A Guide to Jefferson's University
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   SabreMail History

Issue No. 181 - March 18, 2005

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Basketball recruiting ...

Laurynas Mikalauskas

Despite the departure of Pete Gillen as head basketball coach, all three of Virginia's 2005 recruits have indicated that they plan on fulfilling their letters of intent. So UVa's class of 6-6, 180-pound DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) wing forward Mamadi Diane, 6-8, 240-pound Blue Ridge (St. George, VA) power forward Laurynas Mikalauskas and 6-10, 235-pound Cherry Creek (Denver, CO) center Sam Warren remains intact.

Of those recruits, look for Mikalauskas, who averaged 22 points and 13 boards this season, to make the biggest impact next season. With Elton Brown and Jason Clark out of eligibility, the low post will be an area where a young player could contribute. Also, don't be surprised if Diane provides some quality minutes off the bench next season. He has a solid all-around game and is a team-oriented player. He can defend, rebound and make the open shot. This season averaging about 13 points and earned first-team WCAC honors.

   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 soon:

  • JHoo's Summer Reading: JHoo helps take an in-depth look at the football team with the third article in this series.
  • Catching Up With ... The Sabre is busy tracking down the incoming freshmen on UVa's men's basketball team. We'll bring you the updates.
  • Ask The Experts: Patrick Kerney tackles this popular Sabre feature later this month.
  • Baseball, Tennis Wrap-Up: We'll take a look back and a look forward for the baseball and men's tennis teams.


In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Cavalier Conversation - Debbie Ryan
Image: Coach Debbie RyanSaturday night, Virginia women's basketball coach Debbie Ryan is officially inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She has all of five minutes to sum up a wide-ranging and influential career in the game that has touched thousands. Jed Williams sat down with Ryan for "Cavalier Conversation" and far exceeded five minutes to discuss a variety of topics, including becoming a Hall of Famer, her favorite memories and stories of Virginia basketball, and how she's preparing that speech for Saturday night.

Take 5: Life After Long
Image: Zak StairAfter an entire semester abroad in England I couldn't wait to get back to American sports and start gearing up for Southern Cal. You might think that reading about the suspensions of Chris Cook and Jameel Sewell compounded by the departures of Chris Long, Tom Santi, and Jonathan Stupar would have been less painful across an ocean. You would be wrong. While no one in England cared what I thought about the Wahoos' chances in 2008, I finally have an outlet to voice my opinion in the latest Take 5 in my new capacity as The Sabre.com's intern.

JHoo's Summer Reading '08: Running Backs
Image: Mikell SimpsonThere are some positions where Virginia is trying to find enough bodies. There are some positions where we are hoping we have enough talent. There are some positions where we are not sure we have the right mix of what we need. The running backs? No issues there. A lot of bodies. A lot of talent. A lot of versatility. A lot to talk about at our second stop on this Summer Reading journey.

Cavs Struggle With Season-Ending Losses
Image: Bud PetitPrior to the 2008 season, many believed the Virginia men's lacrosse team was "a year away" from another trip to the Final Four. Well Dom Starsia and his Cavaliers didn't want to wait that long. Their date with destiny came a year earlier than expected but Virginia wasn't about to turn down a trip to the Final Four to take on Syracuse.


   Sabre Edge

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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!


 
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