Sabre Basketball Preview Continues

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 hit the site last week with stories on Jeff Jones, shooting, and more! Leading up to the opener, The Sabre will have more stories this week on Solomon Tat, the schedule, 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

Virginia men's basketball takes the stage this week, not just with its regular season opener against Longwood, but with the start of the early signing period for Division 1 men's basketball. Wednesday marks the first day high school seniors can sign letters of intent. The Cavaliers have received five verbal commitments in the 2010 class and all five are expected to sign in the early period.

The five recruits in Tony Bennett's first full class as the Cavaliers' head coach are:

• K.T. Harrell - G, 6-4, 205 pounds, Brewbaker (Montgomery, AL)
• Joe Harris - G, 6-6, 200 pounds, Lake Chelan (WA)
• James Johnson - PF/C, 6-9, 225 pounds, Elsinore (Wildomar, CA)
• Akil Mitchell - F, 6-7, 210 pounds, Charlotte Christian (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Will Regan - PF, 6-8, 220 pounds, Nichols School (Buffalo, N.Y.)

A pair of highly respected basketball recruiting analysts will take a look at Virginia's class this week. Stay tuned for detailed analysis from the ACC Sports Journal's Brick Oettinger and Scout.com's Dave Telep. The ACC Sports Journal has Johnson as Virginia's most highly rated recruit, coming in at No. 56 nationally. All five of Virginia's prospects are in the Journal's Preseason Top 200 list.

Football Notes ...

Holy Cross (Flushing, N.Y.) outside linebacker prospect Chris Brathwaite is scheduled to make an official visit to UVa this weekend. We'll catch up with the 6-1, 255-pound Virginia commitment, who will make his first visit to UVa since attending Al Groh's camp this summer.

Be sure to check out a feature update on DeMatha Catholic's football program, which features Virginia defensive back recruit Kyrrel Latimer. Outstanding head coach Bill McGregor discusses Latimer's senior season performance and gives the scoop on future prospects coming through the Stags' program.

Elsewhere on the commitment front, running back Kevin "KP" Parks Jr inched closer to setting the North Carolina High School all-time rushing yardage record currently held by current N.C. State running back Toney Baker. The 5-7, 190-pound Parks rushed for 261 yards and five touchdowns in an opening round playoff win last Friday.

West Rowan is the defending Class 3-A State Champion.

Also this week, the annual Hargrave/Fork Union game takes place on Friday. Stay tuned for the latest on offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Cody Wallace, both Virginia commits, as they take the field for head coach John Shuman.

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 ...

Gwynn Park RB Pledges to Virginia
The Virginia football program received some good news yesterday, when 5-8, 175-pound Gwynn Park (Brandywine, MD) running back Khalek Shepherd became the 10th high school senior to commit to the Cavaliers. A 4-year starter on the varsity level, Shepherd is known for his production and leadership.

Improved Harris Ready for Senior Season
Having realized the childhood dream of earning a college scholarship offer, 6-6, 200-pound guard/forward Joe Harris decided to forego his final season on the football field to concentrate on preparing for his final season on the basketball court. Lake Chelan's (WA) first practice takes place on November 16th, and its star senior is pleased with the decision he made.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Offers Rolling in for Osbourn Park Junior
• Olaniyan Receives UVa Offer

UVA Bookstores Preferred Customers receive a monthly e-mail that consists of exclusive offers, contests, special event and new product information. UVA Bookstores understand the value of receiving special offers and information but also recognize the importance of limiting the number of e-mails sent to you. They respect your privacy. Your name and e-mail address will NEVER be sold to a third party. If you would prefer to be removed from our list at anytime, simply click the "Unsubscribe" button.

Besides special offers, some Preferred Customer only raffles have included:

• Signed Tiki Barber Books
• Lower lever tickets to the Sold Out Bruce Springsteen concert
• Signed Ryan Zimmerman and Chris Long jerseys

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" this weekend 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.

Sabre Polls!

The Sabre unveiled a new feature late last week when we added fan polls to The Good Ol Blog. The subject of the first poll is the men's basketball team. How many ACC games will Tony Bennett's team win in his first season on the sidelines? As of Monday morning, 156 fans had voted in the poll. Vote now!

Sene Suspended For First Three Games

UVa Athletics Media Relations, Official Release

Virginia sophomore center Assane Sene has been suspended for the first three games of the 2009-10 regular season by men's head basketball coach Tony Bennett for conduct detrimental to the team. Sene will also not play in the Cavaliers' closed scrimmage with St. John's on Sunday, Nov. 8.

"We have expectations for the individuals in our program that Assane has not met," Bennett said. "He will not play in our closed scrimmage with St. John's on Sunday and in the first three games of the regular season, but will practice with the team. My hope is Assane will learn from this situation as we move forward."

Sene will miss Virginia's season-opener with Longwood at John Paul Jones Arena on Nov. 13, the Cavaliers' game at South Florida (Nov. 16) and a home game with Rider (Nov. 19).

The 7-0 Sene is from Saint-Louis, Senegal. He played in 22 games last season, starting 16, and averaged 2.5 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. He led the team and ranked fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 35 blocked shots (1.6 bpg.).

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia Falls to Maryland in OT in ACC Title Game: The third-ranked and third-seeded Virginia field hockey team fell to top-ranked and top-seeded Maryland 3-2 in overtime in the title game of the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Sunday at the Turf Field. UVa defeated Duke and UNC to earn a spot in the title game. Virginia's Paige Selenski, Inga Stöckel and Charlotte van den Broek were named to the all-tournament team.
• Virginia Completes Season Sweep of N.C. State: The Virginia volleyball team defeated N.C. State, 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-21), Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Gymnasium to complete a season sweep of the Wolfpack. Virginia was led by freshman Rachel Gray who distributed 35 assists. Gray was helped by sophomore Simone Asque, who tallied a match-high 11 kills, and junior Kendahl Voelker, who registered 10 kills.
• No. 7 UVa Blanks No. 18 N.C. State, 1-0: On a night that the seventh-ranked Virginia men's soccer team honored its senior class, it was two fourth-year players that connected for the game's lone goal as the Cavaliers shut out No. 18 N.C. State, 1-0, Saturday night at Klöckner Stadium. Ross LaBauex scored his first goal of the season in the 21st minute to lift UVa to victory. Neil Barlow had the assist, his team-high fifth of the season. LaBauex and Barlow, along with Jordan Evans, Chase Neinken and Jonathan Villanueva.
• No. 17 Wrestling Cruises to Two Wins to Start Season: The No. 17 Virginia wrestling team opened its 2009-10 season with a pair of wins Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium, downing Anderson (S.C.), 37-9, and Campbell, 36-6. The Cavaliers won 16 of their 20 individual matches in the two victories.
• Cavaliers Defeat Wildcats at Home: he Virginia men's and women's swimming and diving teams defeated Kentucky in a dual meet Saturday at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Cavalier men earned a 165-125 while the women beat the Wildcats 172-110.
• Hovland and Keveren Lead Virginia at Cavalier Open: Senior Jen Hovland and sophomore Sean Keveren led the Virginia cross country teams at the annual Cavalier Open at Panorama Farms on Friday evening finishing second and third, respectively. Virginia will return to action next weekend, heading to Louisville, Ky., for the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional Championship. The women won the title a year ago, while the men finished runner-up.

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

Pre-Order 2010 Basketball Fan T-Shirt
Bookstore price: $9.99!

Pre-order the 2010 UVA Bookstore Basketball Fan T-shirt! (T-shirt will begin shipping Nov. 16.) The Tony Bennett era begins with a look toward bringing the tradition back! The 2010 UVA Bookstore Basketball Fan T-shirt features a front left chest Virginia v-sabre Basketball imprint. The back calls out the characteristics Coach Bennett expects out of our team: Passion, Toughness, Integrity, Unity. These qualities surround a basketball with "The Tradition is Back" imprinted inside.

Issue No. 43 - June 28, 2002

Roger Mason drafted by NBA

Roger Mason Jr. didn't get picked in the first round, but he was one of the early second round selections in last night's NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls took Mason as the 31st overall pick. Mason joins two fellow ACC draftees to be selected by Chicago; Jay [the athlete formally known as Jason] Williams (2nd overall pick from Duke) and Lonnie Baxter (44th overall pick from Maryland).

Mason played both guard positions for UVa and was selected to the All-ACC Second Team last season. Mason started for the Cavaliers the past two seasons and figured to be a shoe-in for All-ACC First Team honors had he stayed for his final year at Virginia. Instead, Mason chose to take his chances with the Draft for reasons that are still unclear.

Check Out SabreMail #43.

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 Miami loss with postgame articles from JHoo and Greg Waters.
• Basketball Preview: The Sabre's basketball preview continues. Stay tuned for two weeks of jam-packed hoops coverage!

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Miami Thumps Virginia
At Land Shark Stadium on Saturday, the Cavaliers' defense and two blocked punts kept them in the game for a little while, but a punt return for a touchdown, 515 yards of total offense and a run of 28 second-half points helped Miami trample the Hoos 52-17. Now 3-6, Virginia returns home next week against Boston College.

Wanted ASAP: Football Fun
What do you say when there's nothing left to say? Unimaginative and inept offense. Average at best defense that misses tackles and looks worse as it gets worn down. Inconsistent, can't block, teetering on the brink of disaster special teams. Al Groh, Beta Bridge, last straws, and all that? No need to belabor that point. It's all over but the announcement. So what can I say? Not much I'm afraid. I know one thing, though. This sure isn't fun anymore.

Hoo Preview '09: 10 Key Questions (Part I)
Every season, The Sabre likes to take a preseason look at 10 key questions facing the Virginia men's basketball team. Every season, at least one of the questions focuses on a player that could be an 'X Factor' for the team. In past seasons, this two-part article has asked about things like point guards, the John Paul Jones Arena, and rebounding for example. So here, in no particular order, are the first five questions facing Tony Bennett's first Cavalier team.

Hoo Preview '09: Q&A - Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones knows that his career has been on an up-and-down path so far at Virginia. He knows about his inconsistent shooting and scoring. Jones also knows that time is flying and that his time as a Cavalier is already half over. That's why, he says, he has plenty of motivation to have a strong junior year in orange and blue.

Game Preview 2009 - Miami
The last time the Cavaliers played Miami in Florida, Virginia handed the Hurricanes one of the most embarrassing losses in program history - maybe the most embarrassing ever; UVa delivered a 48-0 romp in the final game in the historic Orange Bowl on that trip. But apart from that 48-point shutout in 2007, the Hoos and Canes have played four tight contests in the last five years with no team winning by more than 10 points. Virginia can pull an upset on the road, but it will take an enormous effort to do so against one of the ACC's most talented teams.

Greg's Stock Report '09: Duke
For the second consecutive year a decent outing by the Virginia defense kept the Hoos in a game against Duke but another woeful performance by the offense ensured another Cavalier defeat. As the small crowd of long-suffering Duke fans hugged and exchanged high-fives in the stands, the Virginia football team muddled into the locker room Saturday evening to contemplate another miserable loss and begin what figures to be another difficult month in a season that finds UVa on the brink of a third losing campaign in four years.

Hoo Preview '09: Seeking Shooters
In the first season of new Virginia coach Tony Bennett's tenure, he is spending plenty of time on installing an offensive system and the principles the Pack-Line defense. The focus remains on playing strong defense and soundness with the basketball, two things Bennett says are the key part of a foundation for his players. While Bennett spends countless hours getting his players to buy into his offensive and defensive systems, though, there's also a spotlight on shooting with a new season ready to tip off next week.

Press Conference Notes '09 - Miami
A second consecutive loss - both this season and to Duke - bring the Cavaliers to 3-5 with some of the most difficult teams on their schedule still to come. The offense netted 196 yards, the fourth total of 201 yards or fewer this season. In back-to-back weeks, the Cavalier defense has had trouble stopping both a running team and a passing team. Special teams have been shaky at best all season, and continue to be in flux personnel-wise. As Virginia heads to Miami this Saturday, what better time than now to recall the Cavaliers' 48-0 throttling of the Hurricanes in the final game of the Orange Bowl two seasons ago?

Hoo Preview '09: Curtis Helping Shape Program
"Jerry West hired me." In some respects, that says it all about Virginia's Mike Curtis. Jerry West, one of the pre-eminent basketball figures in the past 50 years, hired the UVa graduate to be the head strength and conditioning coach for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002. Curtis worked in the organization for six years, something he still counts as a blessing.

JHoo's 10 Things I Learned From Duke
Losing hurts. Losing to Duke hurts a lot. Losing to Duke two years in a row ... ? The right word eludes me. This week's column may have a different feeling to it at times. You lose to Duke in football, you get a bit contemplative. At least, I apparently do.

Photo Gallery '09: Duke
The Virginia football team played a late-afternoon game on Halloween this weekend and unfortunately for the Hoos, the 28-17 loss to Duke was frightening. Still, guys like Nate Collins, Rashawn Jackson, and others had solid outings for the Hoos. And there were quite a few entertaining costumes too. Check out the EDGE photo gallery for images from the game!

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