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University of Virginia Bookstores

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

We'll have more with ACC Sports Journal Basketball Recruiting Analyst Brick Oettinger on Tuesday, but, according to the publication, Virginia's 2010 men's basketball class ranks seventh in the ACC. Finishing seventh out of 12 in the early ranks may seem low, but consider that the ACC Sports Journal has seven ACC schools ranked in its Top 25 national rankings.

Oettinger reports that the Cavaliers' class comes in at No. 19 nationally. UNC is No. 2, Duke is No. 4, and N.C. State is No. 6 assuming 4-star forward Luke Cothron follows through on his commitment and signs in the spring. Wake Forest is 14, Florida State is 15, Maryland is 16 and Virginia is 19. Of the latter four schools, Oettinger says "they are all close to one another."

Check out more from Brick on Tuesday on the EDGE.

Certainly, with the season finale on the horizon, the intrigue grows as to the future of Virginia head football coach Al Groh. Groh and company continue to hit the recruiting trail, though, and the staff will host prospects this weekend. New York linebacker/defensive end commitment Chris Brathwaite is expected to take his official visit this weekend. Good Counsel (Wheaton, MD) wide receiver E.J. Scott, fresh off his team's WCAC Championship, also expects to visit. We'll report other expected visitors throughout the week and will of course follow up with those players who make the trek.

The Virginia staff and program impressed 6-4, 300-pound Detroit (MI) defensive tackle Johnathon Hankins the weekend of the Boston College game. Hankins made an official visit that weekend and told TheSabre.com that he was considering a commitment to UVa. Attempts to reach Hankins this past weekend have been unsuccessful, but there isn't any indication that he followed through and committed. Hankins is scheduled to make an official visit to Ohio State in December and may visit Florida and/or Illinois as well.

There is bad news on the commitment front, though, as 2009 signee Morgan Moses told TheSabre.com "We'll see" when asked last week if he was going to Virginia. Then on Friday came a report from PalmettoSports.com indicating that the 6-7, 340-pound prospect was taking an official visit to South Carolina on Dec. 4 and looking at other SEC programs as well.

Moses, Virginia's most highly rated recruit of the 2009 class, was also in attendance for Virginia's home game against Boston College. We'll follow up for more on his situation in the coming weeks.

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 ...

UVa Recruit Harrell Set for Season Opener
The last time K.T. Harrell stepped onto a basketball court for a high school varsity game, he was just a sophomore. He was forced to sit out last season at Brewbaker Magnet (Montgomery, AL) because of transfer rules, so the only organized basketball action he has seen has come in AAU. The 6-4, 205-pound senior guard impressed on the 2009 AAU circuit, earning a handful of Division 1 offers and drawing rave reviews from high school basketball recruiting analysts, but now he looks forward to showing off his talents for Brewbaker.

Moses Talks UVa Commitment
Fork Union's postgraduate football squad battled Hargrave Military Academy tough today before falling 6-0 after several overtimes. After the game, 6-7, 340-pound offensive tackle prospect Morgan Moses took a few minutes to reflect on his time at Fork Union and discuss his future.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• FBS Programs Pursue T.C. Williams Lineman
• Dinwiddie Junior QB Delivering Solid Season
• Top DT Hankins Highly Impressed by Visit

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Blog Banter: More On A "Developing System"

After watching two home games last week from Tony Bennett's basketball bunch, Sabre Editor Kris Wright provided these thoughts on the blog:

In Saturday's game story about the UVa men's basketball team's 76-55 win against Oral Roberts, I wrote that there are "signs of a developing system. There is more screening action making its way on to the floor while the spacing continues to create opportunities. Plus, the Hoos have fed the post consistently."

After spreading the floor and attacking with four guards frequently against Longwood and South Florida, partially out of necessity with limited post options, the Cavaliers have started to sprinkle in more modified Blocker/Mover style sets. This is creating movement with the guards working through off-ball screens, open shots, and post touches. Statistically, the Hoos shot 51.8% against Rider and 45.5% against Oral Roberts. Certainly, what we've seen in the latter games this week is not the full Tony Bennett offensive system from Washington State nor has it been picture perfect with execution and decision-making. One thing it has been, though? Progressing.

"We're running some 3 out, 2 in. When you've got two power players and trying to get some touches [down there] and then we're running some sets with it," Bennett said. "It's not what I've done typically in the past with as much motion probably and as much screening and all of that, but we're just trying to get good spacing on the floor, give guys opportunities to use the dribble, and get some paint touches off the pass or the dribble. That's sort of what we're doing with some sets [mixed in]. Sometimes when we get going a little fast or we're getting sloppy, we try to reel them in and get the right guys shots."

Make sure to follow the updates on The Good Ol Blog!

A Pack-Line Article Preview

Cvillehoops13 has put together a strong look at Tony Bennett's Pack-Line defense for the EDGE this week. Here's a sneak peek of the article, coming later today:

Post Defense: The other absolute in the Pack-Line is post defense. Under no circumstance should the Pack-Line allow a post player to dominate from the interior. Unlike a guard who can move outside the boundaries of the defense, a post player needs to get into it in order to be successful. I will guarantee that very few Virginia teams under Tony Bennett can allow a huge day for an interior player and come out with a victory.

Most teams scout their opponents with an emphasis on the system of the other team, and who their primary scovers are; Virginia's scouting reports will focus a great deal on the way that its opponents like to use their "Bigs" within their offense, specifically on the block. (Note: I will use the term "Bigs" to describe any forwards or centers who are used primarily as a post-up players on offense; fewer and fewer teams play a true center and I don't want this to lead to any confusion.) Depending on the way that the opposing team uses its Bigs, Virginia will decide to either trap or simply crowd the post area. Regardless of strategy, post defense in the Pack-Line is a five-man operation and if the defensive players don't recognize and react quickly to what they are seeing, then the other team should come away with an easy shot.

The first rule of post defense in the Pack-Line is that under no circumstances can the ball be passed into the post from the top of the key, much like getting beaten in transition that causes the entire defense to collapse to the ball and leaves the entire court vulnerable.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Cavaliers Fall at UCLA in Round of 16: he Virginia women's soccer team had its season come to an end with a 3-0 loss at No. 4 UCLA in the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament Friday night at Drake Stadium. It marks the third time in the past five years the Cavaliers have had their season end at UCLA.
• Virginia Earns Victories at Penn State: The Virginia men's and women's swimming and diving teams both earned victories over Penn State in a two-day dual meet that concluded Saturday at McCoy Natatorium in University Park, Pa. The Cavalier women defeated Penn State 183-156 while the men knocked off the Nittany Lions, 210.5-153.5.
• Cavaliers Drop Four-Set Match to Clemson Saturday: The Virginia volleyball closed out its weekend with a 1-3 (25-22, 18-25, 23-25, 15-25) loss to Clemson in Jervey Gymnasium. In a very evenly matched contest throughout the first three sets, the Cavalier struggled to hold on as Clemson ran away with the fourth set for the match win. The Cavaliers were led by Simone Asque who landed a team-high 17 kills, while junior Kendahl Voelker knocked down 11.
• Cavaliers Fall in NCAA Semifinals: The No. 2 Virginia field hockey team fell 3-2 in the NCAA semifinals to third-seeded North Carolina Friday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Senior Traci Ragukas and sophomore Paige Selenski scored for the Cavaliers. Ending a historic year at 20-4, Virginia set a program record for wins in a season and games played. The team made its third overall appearance in the NCAA semifinals and its first since 1998.
• Selenski, Vittese Named to NCAA All-Tournament Team: Virginia sophomores Paige Selenski and Michelle Vittese were named to the 2009 NCAA Field Hockey All-Tournament Team, announced Sunday at the conclusion of the championship.
• Henrich Suffers Narrow Loss at NWCA All-Star Classic: Virginia's Chris Henrich dropped a tightly contested, 7-6 decision to Nebraska's Stephen Dwyer on Sunday afternoon in the 174-pound weight class at the NWCA All-Star Classic, held at Cal-State Fullerton. Henrich is ranked No. 5 in the latest InterMat 174-pound rankings, while Dwyer stands sixth.
• Virginia Women's Tennis Adds Two Recruits: The Virginia women's tennis team announced the addition of two recruits to the program. Katie Gater (Dunblane, Scotland) will join the program this season in January and Caryssa Peretz (Cherry Hill, N.J.) will join the program next fall.
• Virginia Men's Tennis Signs Justin Shane: The Virginia men's tennis team announced the signing of Justin Shane (Falls Church, Va.) to a National Letter of Intent during the November signing period. Shane, one of the top American players in the class of 2010, will join the Cavaliers next fall.

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

Uva Men's Soccer ACC Champions T-Shirt
Bookstore price: $18.99 - $20.99

Congratulations to the 2009 Men's Soccer team for bringing home an ACC Championship. Commemorate their stellar play with the 2009 ACC Men's Soccer Champions T-Shirt. The front has a left chest imprint and the back features the same graphic. A soccer ball is printed above a crest with 2009 ACC Men's Soccer screened in white above a large orange imprint of Champions, Virginia Cavaliers and the V-Sabre logo.

Issue No. 117 - Dec. 12, 2003

20,000 tickets sold to Tire Bowl by UVa ticket office thus far

As of Thursday night, UVa had sold close to 20,000 tickets through their ticket office in Charlottesville for the Continental Tire Bowl. Of course, that number does not include the thousands of tickets sold to UVa fans through other agencies. Thus far, more tickets have been sold to Cavalier fans than for last year's Tire Bowl meeting with West Virginia. This makes the second straight year that UVa fans have 'traveled well' to bowl games. While the proximity of Charlotte to most UVa supporters has something to do with this, some credit should be giving to Coach Al Groh and the UVa team for building a positive fan atmosphere the last couple of seasons.

Check Out SabreMail #117.

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 Clemson loss with postgame articles from JHoo and Greg Waters.
• Pack-Line D: The Sabre takes a look at Tony Bennett's Pack-line defense.
• Men's Soccer: The Hoos continue their play in the NCAA Tournament.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Restrepo, Bates Propel Hoos To Win
Virginia goalkeeper Diego Restrepo got his record against Bucknell. But, don't be fooled by the 5-0 score - it did not come easily. Still, Restrepo set the single-season record for consecutive scoreless minutes, breaking the mark of world-renowned goalkeeper Tony Meola in 1988. With Restrepo making big saves and Virginia efficiently finishing its chances, the end result was a five-goal output to set a new single-game high for the season, the first career hat trick for freshman forward Will Bates and the Cavaliers' ninth consecutive shutout.

Record Crowd Sees UT Top UVa
The Virginia women's basketball team never let Tennessee completely run away with Sunday's contest in the John Paul Jones Arena, but the Cavaliers could never climb into the driver's seat either. That's because the Volunteers kept slamming the door shut with stingy defense. In the end, UT held Virginia to 33.8% shooting, including 29.2% from 3-point range, to pull out a 77-63 victory.

Tigers Hand Cavs Another Loss
For one half of Virginia's contest against Clemson, the Cavalier offense did everything it could to hang with the ACC Championship Game-bound Tigers. But, for the better part of three quarters, Al Groh's defense had no answers for Clemson's Heisman Trophy candidate C.J. Spiller and his supplementary weapons, and the the pain endured for the Cavaliers at Clemson as a 34-21 loss guaranteed Virginia's worst single-season record in Groh's tenure.

UVa Wins Again In Romp Over Oral Roberts
Since accepting the Virginia job in April, Tony Bennett has placed an emphasis on defense and taking care of the basketball. The theory is simple. Strong defense and giving yourself opportunities offensively means you will have a chance in every game. Of course, if you find a rhythm on both ends of the floor with those principles, you will have some games where you post a lopsided final score. Just ask Rider and, now, Oral Roberts. The Hoos dismantled the visiting Golden Eagles, 76-55, and have a 2-0 record so far in the Cancun Challenge.

H-O-R-S-E With Monica Wright
Monica Wright, the Cavaliers' spectacular senior guard, and her teammates are excited about Sunday. Really excited. That's when Tennessee comes to town for a 4 p.m. tip-off on Hot Dog Day. More than 8,000 tickets have already been sold so the John Paul Jones Arena is expected to be an electric atmosphere for the contest. The Sabre caught up with Wright to make her the debut guest in a new basketball feature. Let's play a round of H-O-R-S-E with the Hoos' standout.

Game Preview 2009 - Clemson
If a football team doesn't contain its opponent's ground attack, it usually doesn't win too many games. Virginia has defended the run on occasion - but against teams whose running game is its strength, the Hoos have consistently faltered. Unless a Virginia team that ranks 118th out of 120 teams in FBS offense has an uncharacteristically big day on the road against Clemson this Saturday, the Cavaliers will have to contain C.J. Spiller and the Tiger running game to have a shot at winning.

Virginia Roughs Up Rider
While Mike Scott served as the offensive catalyst, Tony Bennett's Pack-Line defense put the brakes on a previously full throttle Rider offense. The combination of the two resulted in an impressive, to say the least, 79-46 Virginia victory in the Cancun Challenge on Thursday. The 33-point victory is clearly the best performance to date in the early stages of Bennett's tenure at UVa.

Photo Gallery '09: Longwood
The Virginia men's basketball team opened a new era under coach Tony Bennett with an 85-72 win against Longwood last Friday. The defense was a bit lackluster - as the Hoos found out against Southern Florida three days later - but for Wahoo fans, it was nice to see Virginia start 2009-10 on the right foot. Check out the EDGE photo gallery for images from the game!

Students Excited About Bennett
Tony Bennett's arrival in Charlottesville has students on Grounds talking about basketball again. Especially following a disappointing football season, many students are placing hope in the new basketball coach and the rebuilding of the program at UVa. Excited and hopeful, students have faith that Bennett will bring necessary changes to UVa basketball.

ACC Champions Prep For Next Tourney
The Virginia men's soccer team secured its first ACC Championship since 2004 with wins over Maryland, Wake Forest and N.C. State in the ACC Tournament over the weekend. It's the fourth league title in the tenure of UVa coach George Gelnovatch, who now prepares his team for an NCAA Tournament game at Klockner Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Sabre caught up with Coach Gelnovatch for a quick interview about his team's chances in the national title hunt.

Greg's Stock Report '09: BC
"They call it a game of inches," Virginia coach Al Groh proclaimed. Six inches may have been the difference, but is shouldn't have been. The Cavalier defense held the Eagles to their third lowest offensive output of the season (303 yards), their second lowest point total and their third lowest third down conversion mark of 2009. But in what has become standard operating procedure for the boys in orange and blue, Virginia's anemic offense and anything but special teams found ways to lose. The biggest culprit on this afternoon? Untimely penalties and dropped passes.

Press Conference Notes '09: Clemson
As Virginia's losing streak has drawn on, all of these motivations have been posed to Cavalier players by reporters as possible reasons to keep playing hard. After the Hoos' loss to Boston College on Saturday, even a faint chance at bowl eligibility washed away. With no playoff aspirations, what do you play for? The players' most common answer, both this week and last, is pride. Virginia coach Al Groh, however, likes to think that this attitude is merely the status quo.

10 Things I Learned From BC
If you thought it was fun to read my column after our third straight loss, I can only imagine how giddy with anticipation you are this week. Just like a coach has to break down the film after a win or a loss, however, I must write. But unlike a coach, I can take a little license with my column. So we will have a little breakdown, a little looking back, a little looking forward ... really, a little bit of everything. Or, at least, 10 Things of a little bit of everything.

South Florida Posts Win Over UVa
Like many teams that Virginia will play on its schedule, South Florida is not Longwood. Like the Longwood game, Virginia played a tough defensive first half. But, like the Longwood game, Virginia became porous in the second half - particularly inside - and committed turnovers at crucial moments. Add some cold UVa shooting and South Florida opened with a 17-5 run to start the second half, propelling the Bulls to a 66-49 victory in Tampa, Fla.

Kris' Monday Musings - Longwood And More
On Friday, college basketball season officially got rolling at Virginia. Being a basketball guy like I am, that means it was a good weekend no matter what. Since the men's team won the opening game of the Tony Bennett era and the women's team went 2-0 including win No. 700 for Debbie Ryan, though, it turned out to be a great weekend! Anyway, I've decided every Monday to provide some random musings on the Hoos' hoops week that was. So off we go ...

Madison's Field Hockey Team Makes Final Four
With Virginia's third-ever trip to the field hockey Final Four, head coach Michele Madison has come full circle. In Madison's 13 years at Michigan State prior to arriving at Virginia, she built the program from the ground up. On Saturday, as the second overall seed and host team for the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers again arrived at the quarterfinals, searching for the elusive bid to the semifinal round. And they won to earn a berth in the Final Four.

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