Sabre Basketball Preview

The Virginia men's basketball team tips off the 2009-2010 season on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. with a home game at the John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers host Longwood for the opener.

Fortunately, Hoo fans, you don't have to wait until then to get fired up for the season. The Sabre's Hoo Hoops Preview 2009 is hitting the site this week! Leading up to the opener, The Sabre will have stories on Tony Bennett's offensive and defensive systems, Mike Curtis, Solomon Tat, the schedule, key questions about the team, and more. We've already brought you stories this fall on Jason Williford, Ron Sanchez, and Ritchie McKay as well (check out the archives for those articles).

Make sure you're a Sabre EDGE subscriber so you can get inside the huddle with the Cavaliers this season! Sign up here.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

There is no question that 2010 class recruiting continues to be tough sledding for Al Groh and company, particularly as the Cavaliers moved to 3-5 on the season following a loss to Duke. Still, Virginia's high school senior commitments continue to enjoy success in their respective seasons.

Not surprisingly, the good news starts with 5-7, 190-pound running back Kevin Parks Jr.. Parks, a star out of West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla, North Carolina, has been selected to to the 2010 North Carolina/South Carolina Shrine Bowl. A 4-year starter on the varsity level, Parks still could end up the state's all-time leading rusher before his career is over.

Wide receiver E.J. Scott, the subject of an EDGE article last week, hauled in a 48-yard touchdown reception in Good Counsel's (Olney, MD) 37-7 win over Gonzaga. The Falcons are now 8-1 on the season.

"I'm just looking to get after it," Scott said in last Thursday's EDGE update. "I'm going to try to get after it."

The 5-11, 175-pound speedster was averaging 19 yards per catch heading into last week's contest.

Belen Jesuit (Miami, FL), led by Virginia defensive back recruit Pablo Alvarez, captured the District 15-3A title with a 27-17 win over Norland. Alvarez, a 6-3, 185-pound senior, has potential as a cornerback or safety on the next level.

Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA), which features UVa linebacker recruit Henry Coley, moved to 8-1 on the season after a 21-17 win over First Colonial. The Beach District champions have not yielded more than 17 points in any game this season.

On the basketball recruiting front, the National Letter of Intent Early Signing Period begins on Nov. 11 and lasts until Nov. 18. Virginia is expected to sign all five of its commitments, including Lake Chelan (WA) guard/forward Joe Harris, who took some time Sunday night to update his senior year. Stay tuned to the EDGE later Monday for more on Harris, who is a 6-6, 200-pound senior.

Stay tuned to the EDGE later this month for further analysis on coach Tony Bennett's 2010 recruiting class and a look ahead to 2011 recruiting.

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 Looking to End Career on High Note
E.J. Scott's first opportunity to contribute on Good Counsel's (Olney, MD) varsity football squad came in 2007. He took advantage of the opportunity, improved throughout his sophomore season and developed into a college recruit. Before heading off to the University of Virginia, the 5-11, 175-pound wide receiver/cornerback hopes to end his high school career on a high note.

Official Visit a Hit for Regan
6-8, 220-pound Will Regan, a standout senior forward out of Nichols School in Buffalo (N.Y.), didn't need confirmation on his college choice, but that's what he got when he took his official visit to the University of Virginia earlier this month. Regan committed to UVa in June, picking the Cavaliers over offers from Arizona State, Maryland, Providence and Stanford.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Catching up with Conner Davis
• Star Junior CB Up to Three Official Offers
• Junior Season Success Continues for Turner

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Sign up to be a UVA Bookstores Preferred Customer today and you'll be entered with a chance to win an autographed Tike Barber UVA Football! (Drawing to be held Nov. 30, 2009)

Camp Wahoo's Food Drive

The Sabre's good friends at Camp Wahoo - a tailgating group of Cavalier fans - are holding a "Hoos for the Hungry Food Drive" next month to benefit The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank was established in 1981 to help feed hungry people throughout Virginia and serves 25 counties and nine cities in northern and central Virginia. The bank has distributed more than 100 million pounds of food.

The drive is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, the day of the Boston College game. It will run from 8 a.m. until kickoff of the game. Please visit the Camp Wahoo tailgate on your way to the game and drop off canned goods or other non-perishible foods to help reach the goal of donating 400 pounds of food to feed the area's hungry families.

The Camp Wahoo tailgate is located on the corner of McCormick Road and Cabell Drive on game days. This location is just beside Clark Hall, near the UVA Bookstore, and the 'East M' parking lot.

Chris Long Premium Wall Decal
Bookstore price: $99.99!

The Chris Long Wall Decal is a huge wall graphic printed on a premium vinyl. It measures 6'3" x 2'8" with Chris wearing his retired #91 Virginia jersey. Place your graphic on a smooth surface and move it around without hurting your wall until you find the perfect spot!

Issue No. 311 - Oct. 1, 2007

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Basketball recruiting ...

Virginia men's basketball coach Dave Leitao and staff got on the board in the 2008 recruiting class in a big way last Thursday, when 4-star guard Sylven Landesberg pledged to the Cavaliers. Landesberg, a 6-6, 195-pound senior out of Holy Cross High School (Flushing, N.Y.), chose UVa over Georgia Tech and St. John's, among others.

Landesberg is rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com. Rivals currently rates him the 55th best player in the country in its national rankings, while Scout has him listed as the 39th best prospect nationally.

As a junior last season, Landesberg averaged 25.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game en route to earning Catholic league Player of the Year honors. One of Virginia's top targets in this class, the Empire State star has the versatility to play either guard position and could move to wing forward as well.

Check Out SabreMail #311.

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:

• Postgame Coverage: The Sabre continues to break down the Duke loss with postgame articles from JHoo and Greg Waters.
• Basketball Preview: The Sabre's basketball preview starts today. Stay tuned for two weeks of jam-packed hoops coverage!

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Cavaliers Continue To Sputter
Virginia fans, this is what Linus feels like every Halloween. Year after year, we faithfully follow the Hoos with hopes of an improved offense. Every year, we leave disappointed and often humiliated. So yes it's fitting that on Halloween night in 2009 that Duke - Duke! - produced more than 400 yards in a 28-17 win while the Cavaliers struggled yet again.

Duke Deals Defeat To UVa
The reaction was instant. After Duke's Charlie Hatcher scored on a fumble return, a significant number of the season-low 41,713 fans in attendance had already seen enough. So with time winding down and the scoreboard blaring the ultimate final score of 28-17, only a few fans stuck around - some maintaining fierce support, some only to boo Virginia into the locker room - as the Cavs became the first ACC team to bow to Duke in back-to-back seasons since Wake Forest in 1998 and 1999.

Priorities, Picks, & Power Players - Duke
For each game this season, The Sabre will present a final peek at the week's match-up with a new feature called Priorities, Picks, and Power Players. In the "Priorities" section, we take a look at the keys to a Virginia victory. In the "Picks" section, Sabre Editor Kris Wright and another Sabre representative make a case for who will win and give you a final score. In the "Power Players" section, The Sabre predicts who some of the key players could be for that Saturday's showdown. Take a look at Duke!

Game Preview 2009 - Duke
This is a match-up of the only two teams in the ACC that did not make a bowl game last year, and this Saturday's game is vital to both teams' hopes for bowl eligibility this season. Duke sits at 4-3 overall, and Virginia at 3-4. Both teams also sit at 2-1 in conference play - with no remaining undefeated teams in the ACC, a win would keep either team in contention. Can Virginia avoid becoming the first conference team to have a two-game losing streak against Duke for the first time since Wake Forest lost to the Blue Devils in both 1998 and 1999?

Blog Banter: The Devils Den Q&A
With Duke up next on the Cavaliers' schedule, The Sabre agreed to swap questions with The Devils Den to get both teams' fans ready for the Halloween football contest. The Devils Den is part of the Scout.com network. David Dohrmann, who has been a Duke Football analyst for The Devils Den for nine years, answers some Duke questions - who to watch on defense, Thaddeus Lewis' top targets, and more - for The Good Ol' Blog.

McKay Excited About Program's Potential
Ritchie McKay compiled a winning record of 204-186 in 13 years as a head coach. Just last season, he guided Liberty to a 23-12 record that tied a school record for wins in a Division I season. The same LU that has a mission of "Training Champions for Christ" and religious roots. Still, McKay, a man passionate about his faith, decided to leave Liberty and the head coach title behind after two seasons. Why? Faith, Tony Bennett, and a place with unlimited potential for success.

Greg's Stock Report '09: GT
What happens when six of seven offensive and defensive units get grades of D or less? You lose. Usually, you lose badly. Across the board Virginia had difficulty executing on Saturday and the result was a 34-9 shellacking at the hands of Georgia Tech. It's the teams fourth loss of the season and the third by 12 points or more.

Photo Gallery '09: GT
The Virginia football team battled through downpours of rain and against Georgia Tech on Saturday. Among the highlights of the day were Aaron Clark's fumble recovery, Robert Randolph's long field goal and Nate Collins' 16-tackle performance. Take a look back at the action with 82 images in this EDGE photo gallery.

Press Conference Notes '09: Duke
Of Virginia's seven losses last season, three were by 28 points or more. One was predictable - a 52-7 loss to USC in the home opener. Who would have thought based on years past, though, that another would be to Duke? The Blue Devils' first conference win in 25 tries came in a 31-3 win over the Hoos. This Saturday, Virginia has a chance for revenge at home, but Duke is no longer a team that the Cavs can simply put a check next to in the win column. Coach David Cutcliffe's pass-heavy offense has led the Devils to a 4-3 record and 2-1 in conference play so far in 2009.

10 Things I Learned From GT
In the end, this week's game against Georgia Tech was what it was: a 25-point loss. In an odd way, however, it felt different than that. Oh, I agree, it felt like a loss. But until late, it also felt a lot more competitive a game than the final score indicated. And yet, at the same time, it did not feel at any point during the second half like UVa was going to be able to really get back in the game. Odd, I think, but that gives us plenty to break down this week. Plus, any match-up against GT leads to the kind of game that excites film geeks like me.

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