UNC-W Make-Up Game Tonight

From UVa Athletics Media Relations Official Releases

The Virginia men's basketball team has a quick turnaround after its victory over nationally ranked Miami on Saturday (Jan. 16) as the Cavaliers host UNC Wilmington at John Paul Jones Arena on Monday (Jan. 18). The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and is the final non-conference game of the regular season for UVa. The contest is a make-up game from December; the original game was postponed due to a snowstorm that hammered the area.

UVa has won its last seven games and is now 11-4 overall and 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers are the only team in the ACC undefeated in conference play. The team's 3-0 start in the conference is its best since opening conference play in 1994-95 with a 4-0 record.

Virginia's seven-game winning streak is the program's longest since winning seven consecutive games during the 2006-07 season. UVa hasn't won eight consecutive games since the start of the 2003-04 season.

UNC Wilmington enters Monday's game with an overall record of 6-11 and a 2-5 record in the Colonial Athletic Association after a 79-56 loss at Northeastern on Saturday (Jan. 16). Among the Seahawks victories are wins over Penn State (80-69) and William & Mary (62-61). UNC Wilmington's record also includes losses to Miami (67-60), South Florida (74-66) and Wake Forest (80-69).

The UNC-W game is part of a new ticket promotion being offered by UVa. In an effort to create a great home court advantage for the men's basketball team at John Paul Jones Arena, the Virginia athletics department has announced a ticket offer for six of the Cavaliers' remaining home games this season. A $10 ticket is now on sale for seats in the last nine rows of upper level end zone sections (sections 305-311) of the arena. Fans were surveyed earlier this week and asked to provide feedback on this ticket offer.

The $10 ticket offer is available for UVa's home games with UNC Wilmington (Jan. 18), Virginia Tech (Jan. 28), NC State (Feb. 3), Wake Forest (Feb. 6), Florida State (Feb. 17) and Maryland (March 6).

"We believe it's important for this program to experience a loud and supportive home court advantage," said UVa Executive Associate Athletics Director Jon Oliver. "Our fans were an important factor and made a significant impact when they created that type of home court atmosphere in the team's recent victories over UAB and Georgia Tech at John Paul Jones Arena.

"Our average home attendance in 2006-07, our first season in the arena, was 13,521 fans a game. The team was 8-0 against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents at home that season and compiled an overall home record of 16-1. We have initiated this ticket offer to help in providing that type of support for head coach Tony Bennett and his program. We appreciate the fan response we received to our survey. Based on responses to the survey, we will continue to explore ways to make it easier for fans to become a part of supporting this program."

Read the releases here and here.

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

RB KP Parks, RB Khalek Shepherd, WR EJ Scott, OL Henry Coley, CB Rijo Walker and S Kyrrel Latimer are expected to be in Charlottesville this weekend for official recruiting visits. Maury (Norfolk, VA) punter Orion Hall, who told TheSabre.com last month that he had accepted a recruited walk-on spot with the Cavaliers, is also expected to make an official visit this weekend. We'll try to confirm others as well before the weekend arrives.

The weekend of Jan. 29 is expected to be the big weekend as far as remaining targets are concerned. 6-5, 290-pound Maury (Norfolk, VA) offensive lineman Stephen Lawe switched his official visit date from the 22nd to the 29th. We'll catch up with Lawe this week for more and to confirm this schedule is still in place. Also, Southridge (Miami, FL) linebacker Ralph Williams, a soft verbal to Tennessee, also plans to officially visit Virginia on the 29th according to a report on Scout.com. We hope to reach Williams as well this week for the latest.

Last week, we profiled Landmark Christian (Fairburn, GA) senior linebacker Josh Gebhardt. The 6-3, 230-pound Gebhardt has a top three of Air Force, UAB and UVa. He plans to take an official visit to UAB, which has offered, this weekend. He plans to take an official visit to UVa on the weekend of the 29th, but as of last week the Cavaliers had not offered the linebacker prospect.

Another potential offer candidate is Maury (Norfolk, VA) defensive back Keenan Lambert. The 6-1, 190-pound senior was scheduled to visit Virginia this weekend, but we'll check back for the latest. We'll also check in on Highland Springs (VA) defensive tackle Rashad Winston, a Richmond commit who would consider the Cavaliers if an offer were to come. Green Run (Virginia Beach, VA) running back Dejor Simmons, who was considering an official to UVa this weekend, has committed to JMU according to VirginiaPreps.com.

With just over two weeks left until the National Signing Day, which takes place on Feb. 3, news on football recruiting targets should heat up. Stay tuned for more from TheSabre.com throughout the coming weeks.

As 2010 class recruiting winds down, 2011 recruiting is picking up. Last week, as reported on TheSabre.com, Virginia officially offered Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) stud cornerback Demetrious Nicholson. Nicholson, a first-team all-Tidewater selection in 2009, now has eight official FBS offers in the fold.

An offer is expected to go out soon to Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) quarterback Lafonte Thourogood. The 6-2, 215-pound prospect totaled about 1,800 yards of offense in 2009 and headlines a talented Dolphins junior class.

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 ...

Star VA DL Talks Army Combine Performance
Dinwiddie (VA) defensive lineman Corey Marshall turned in a fantastic 2009 season, totaling 112 tackles including 21 tackles for loss and six sacks. The 6-1, 255-pound junior, a first-team all-metro selection by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, showcased his talents at last week's U.S. Army All-American Junior Combine in San Antonio. How did he perform?

K.T. Harrell Producing Big, Helping Team To Wins
Asked how many points per game he is averaging, K.T. Harrell didn't have an answer. Certainly, the 6-4, 205-pound guard knows he is doing well, but he is simply not interested in individual accolades. Only one stat matters to the Brewbaker Magnet (Montgomery, AL) senior, and that's wins.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• GA LB Sets Official Visit to UVa
• Bayside Jr. CB Earns 8th FBS Offer
• Thourogood Being Targeted As A QB
• 2011 Profile: Star LB Curtis Grant

UVA Bookstores is holding a clearance sale. You can receive 40% off select items like sweatshirts and a replica football jersey!

Wright Becomes UVa's All-Time Leading Scorer

UVa Athletics Media Relations, Official Release

Monica Wright scored 20 points to pass Dawn Staley as the women's career scoring leader in Virginia history, but No. 23 Virginia lost 61-60 to Maryland on Monday night.

Wright, a preseason All-American and the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year, came into the game needing 16 points to pass Staley's total of 2,135 points. Staley, the best player in school history, played from 1989-92 and was a two-time national player of the year. She was also the Cavaliers assists leader until Sharneé Zoll passed her record in February 2008. Wright now has 2,140 points for her career.

Staley, who now coaches at South Carolina, also led the Cavaliers to three consecutive Final Four appearances.

Read the full news release here.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Wright Named Wooden Award Midseason Candidate: Virginia senior guard Monica Wright was named one of 21 midseason candidates for the Women's John R. Wooden Award, the nation's most coveted college basketball honor, Wednesday by The Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Committee.
• Moore Returns Home to UVa and Will Join London's Staff: Virginia head football coach Mike London announced former UVa great Shawn Moore has joined the Cavalier football coaching staff. He becomes the seventh member of London's staff. His specific position assignment will be announced at a future date.
• Hultzen Invited to 2010 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Trials: Virginia sophomore pitcher/first baseman Danny Hultzen has been invited to the 2010 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Trials, scheduled for July 5-11. Up to 38 players will be invited to the trials. The final roster will be announced July 11.
• Tchani Selected Second Overall In MLS SuperDraft; LaBauex Drafted In Second Round: Tony Tchani, a midfielder for Virginia's 2009 NCAA Champion men's soccer team, was selected second overall by the New York Red Bulls in the 2010 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft Thursday in Philadelphia. Additionally, Ross LaBauex was selected seventh in the second round by the Colorado Rapids (23rd overall).
• Caitlin Miskel Selected in WPS Draft: Virginia senior forward Caitlin Miskel was selected by the Washington Freedom in the seventh round (63rd overall selection) in the 2010 Women's Professional Soccer Draft held Friday at the Philadelphia Convention Center.
• Virginia Defeats Seminoles in ACC Dual Meet: The Virginia men's and women's swimming and diving teams defeated Florida State in a conference dual meet Thursday in Tallahassee, Fla. The No. 9 UVa men downed the No. 15 Seminoles 161-134 while the No. 11 Cavalier women earned a 163-123 victory over No. 24 FSU.
• No. 18 Wrestling Tops Appalachian State, Penn: he 18th-ranked Virginia wrestling team pushed its record to 12-3 with a 28-9 triumph at Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon at The Palestra in Philadelphia. Virginia won seven of the 10 weight classes to roll to the road win. With 12 wins this season, Virginia already has topped its 2008-09 dual-match win total (11) and tied for the second-most dual wins in school history. The 1975 and 2003 teams also claimed 12 wins. The single-season school record for dual wins is 18, set in 2007-08.Earlier in the week, UVa topped Appalachian State, 28-12.
• Heineking, Vannoy Win Events on Final Day of Virginia Tech Invitational: Junior Emil Heineking and freshman Emily Vannoy kept things rolling for the Virginia track and field team at the season-opening Virginia Tech Invitational on Saturday, with each winning their respective events. Heineking claimed the 5000m title, clocking in with a time of 14:29.99, while Vannoy won the shot put. Vannoy tossed 49' 7.25" in her debut as a Cavalier - a mark that ranks fourth on Virginia's all-time program records.
• White Wins Mile at Virginia Tech Invitational: Virginia's track and field teams opened the 2010 season at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Rector Field House on Friday evening. Junior Catherine White led the way, winning the mile run, while six Cavaliers set new personal records on Virginia's all-time top-10 performances. White claimed the individual meet title in the mile, crossing the line in 4:50.48 - good for 10th on Virginia's all-time top-10 list.
• Barrick and Singer Named Men's Tennis Captains: The Virginia men's tennis team has announced its captains for the 2010 spring season. Seniors Houston Barrick and Lee Singer will lead the program this season. Both players enter the spring season ranked nationally in both singles and doubles. Singer is No. 28 in the singles rankings and No. 17 in doubles with Drew Courtney. Barrick is No. 58 in singles and is ranked twice in doubles, No. 5 with Sanam Singh and No. 25 with Michael Shabaz.

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

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Issue No. 357 - Sept. 1, 2008

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

A large number of recruits turned out for Saturday's loss to USC, but right now most of the response has been positive. In talking with Sherando (Stephens City, VA) quarterback Ross Metheny, a number of Virginia's commitments continue to be excited at the prospect of being at UVa next year. They were also impressed with the game atmosphere.

"All the guys and I were talking about how neat the opening was, with the fly over and the adventures of Cavman," Metheny said. Specifically, the 6-3, 190-pound senior signal caller spoke with outside linebacker recruit Tucker Windle, offensive lineman Luke Bowanko, linebacker Connor McCartin, running back Dominique Wallace, safety Corey Lillard and quarterback/wide receiver Quintin Hunter.

"We can't wait to be a part of it," he said. "It is always a neat experience [at Virginia]. It was also kind of neat to see new wrinkles and new changes to the offense."

We'll have more on Metheny later today, including his take on his upcoming senior season - he has fully recovered from the broken fibula he suffered in the final game of last season and he is looking forward to the season opener this Friday.

Much can be made about how a recruit will react to one game in particular. I think most realize that it is just one game, against one of the top teams in the country no less, and will look to see how the team reacts the rest of the way this season. I would be very surprised if the outing has a big impact on commitments especially, most of which seem very solid in their commitment to the University of Virginia.

One prospect who was not solid heading into the game was Camden Catholic (N.J.) wide receiver Tyree Watkins, who was expected to be in attendance on Saturday. Watkins told TheSabre.com last month that he would watch carefully with a decision on if he would make official visits to other schools coming afterwards.

We'll also catch up with 2009 and 2010 class targets that have not committed. Top in-state 2009 recruits Morgan Moses and Logan Thomas were in attendance and we plan to talk to both of these kids this week if possible. 2010 prospects were in attendance as well, including already offered Zack McCray, a tight end/defensive end out of Brookville, and Madison County offensive lineman Caleb Farris.

Check Out SabreMail #357.

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:

• More From Reid: New UVa defensive coordinator Jim Reid held a teleconference with the media last week. The Sabre will have a second follow-up story on the hire.
• Moore: New UVa assistant Shawn Moore held a teleconference with the media last week. The Sabre will have a follow-up story on the hire.
• ACC Breakdowns: The Sabre's popular ACC scouting reports are now joined by follow-up articles from Cvillehoops13. Make sure to check it out.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Hoos Continue Winning Ways Against Canes
Three games into the conference season, it is all coming together for coach Tony Bennett and the Hoos. Scorers are scoring, shooters are hitting shots, previously insignificant players are contributing, and the entire team is defending. In the Cavaliers' 75-57 win Saturday night, the season-high crowd of 11,314 rewarded the Hoos with deafening cheers as Virginia won its seventh game in a row and its third straight in the conference, remaining alone in first place in the ACC.

Shooting Success Helping Hoos
At Media Day for basketball this fall, reporters asked UVa coach Tony Bennett about his new team's shooting and, in particular, about the team's 3-point shooting ability. The question included a reference to the Cavaliers' poor outside shooting last season when they shot a paltry 31.6% from beyond the line. Bennett joked that the reporter meant Virginia had shooters and not makers. Things sure have changed in a few short months.

ACC Scouting Report: Miami
Virginia couldn't have had a better warm-up for taking on Miami than facing Georgia Tech. Both teams send a lot of strong, lengthy and athletic players on to the court in droves and use their depth and athleticism to overwhelm opponents. Both teams look similar physically but their philosophies and styles have some definite differences. Let's take a look at the Hoos' third ACC opponent of the season.

Meyinsse Makes Presence Felt for Cavs
In his senior season, Jerome Meyinsse is turning into a valuable asset for the school's basketball team. Wednesday night against Georgia Tech, which featured one of the most talented frontcourts that Virginia has encountered in the last four years, Meyinsse received the first conference start of his career. His eight points, six boards and two assists in 20 minutes don't blow you away, but for Meyinsse, it is uncharted territory - all three statistics were ACC career-highs for the senior.

Breaking Down The GT Win
Coming off of the UTPA game there were plenty of concerns heading into ACC play. If that game was a sign of things to come then UVa was almost certainly going to be off to an 0-2 start in the league. Now at 2-0 Tony Bennett has his guys playing inspired basketball - in back-to-back games the Cavs have played their best basketball of the season. In this breakdown of the Georgia Tech game, I'll revisit the scouting report, go through some coaching adjustments, and add a few thoughts on the intangibles that made such a great game for UVa.

Hobbo's Corner - Building Something
Another great win on Wednesday night for the Hoos vs. a very talented Georgia Tech team as Tony Bennett and company continue the process of rebuilding the fan base following the Dave Leitao era. I think back to my playing days when we beat Clemson, South Carolina, Wake and Georgia Tech all at home in an eight-day period. That week plus one day started Virginia basketball toward its greatest success culminating with two Final Fours in '81 and '84.

Cavaliers' Conditioning Paying Dividends
Mike Ingalls, or Boardhost if you prefer, made a keen observation Wednesday night after the Hoos' win against the Yellow Jackets. He noted that in the big wins over UAB, N.C. State and Georgia Tech, Virginia's players seemed to be fresher down the stretch than the other team and in better condition than last season. I suspect Mike Curtis, head strength and conditioning coach for the Virginia men's basketball program, would smile if he heard that conversation.

Team Basketball Makes Hoos Worth Watching
I know it's only two games into ACC play. I know it's only about three months into Tony Bennett's first season at Virginia. But I think it's time for Cavalier fans to support this year's team. After all, the Hoos are playing sound team basketball and winning games doing it - six straight after Wednesday night's 82-75 win against Georgia Tech - and they're 2-0 in the ACC for the first time since 1994-95 when they started 4-0.

Hoos Hit 2-0 With Win Over Jackets
Prior to the midway point of the Virginia men's basketball season, new coach Tony Bennett already has led Virginia to a landmark that it hadn't reached in over a decade. And the best news for Wahoo fans is the landmark category: wins. With the Cavaliers' 82-75 victory against No. 20 Georgia Tech at the John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday, Virginia is now 2-0 in the ACC for the first time since the 1994-95 season.

ACC Scouting Report: Georgia Tech
The Virginia men's basketball team faces its second straight ACC opponent on Wednesday night and it hopes to pick up its second straight conference win. Defeating Georgia Tech is no easy task, however, thanks to the Yellow Jackets' size in the frontcourt. Let's take a look at the scouting report.

Reid Excited To Be Reunited With London
When the University of Virginia hired Mike London in December as its new football coach, one thing outside observers pointed to as a necessity was experienced coordinators. The thought process seems simple enough - with only two years of head coaching experience and none at the FBS level, London needs experienced eyes and minds to help build the program. When it comes to the defensive coordinator position, London accomplished that very thing in hiring Jim Reid. Not that Reid agrees with the theory really.

Breaking Down The NCSU Win
A strong opening performance by UVa in Raleigh has gotten the Tony Bennett ACC era off to a great start. In what was the beginning of a new season for the Hoos, they responded with one of their best performances of the year. In this breakdown I'll attempt to revisit the scouting report, go through the coaching adjustments made by both coaches and recap intangibles that ultimately were the difference in the game.

Photo Gallery: UVa 72, UTPA 53
The Virginia men's basketball team has reeled off five straight wins, including a victory in its ACC opener over the weekend. The Hoos have won four straight games in the John Paul Jones Arena, including a 72-53 victory against Texas Pan-American. Take a look at 41 images from the UTPA contest including shots of Sammy Zeglinski, Mike Scott, Sylven Landesberg, and more.

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