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   SabreMail - Jan. 25, 2010
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Baker's Absence Draws Attention

Calvin Baker, a senior guard and captain for the men's basketball team, did not make the trip to Wake Forest on Saturday. When asked about Baker's absence after the game, UVa coach Tony Bennett simply said "Coach's decision" without further comment.

Two reports this morning, however, indicate that Baker is unhappy with his current role on the team and playing time. Whitey Reid, beat writer for The Daily Progress, and David Teel, columnist for The Daily Press, both indicate in those reports that Baker's future with the team is uncertain. Read Reid's story here and Teel's blog post here. Baker had been supplanted by freshman Jontel Evans in the Cavaliers' starting line-up the past three games. In Baker's most recent outing, he logged just 7 minutes against UNC-Wilmington.

A third report released later in the morning by Jeff Whtie at VirginiaSports.com, however, indicates that Baker is back with the team. "He's back, and we're moving forward," Bennett said in the report on Jeff's Blog.


   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

The final week-and-a-half until the 2010 Signing Day should be interesting for the Virginia Cavaliers. Coach London secured commitment No. 14 over the weekend, when 6-4, 220-pound quarterback prospect Miles Gooch pledged to the Hoos. Gooch, who threw for 2,204 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior for Towers High School (Decatur, GA), originally had pledged to Toledo.

We hope to have more on Virginia's newest commitment early this week. We'll also follow up with 6-7, 330-pound offensive tackle Morgan Moses, who made an official visit to Virginia over the weekend. Moses signed with Virginia but currently remains shy of qualifying and is considering other schools, including LSU and South Carolina. He made official visits to Florida and South Carolina as well, but last week he said he isn't considering those two as high as the others.

We also plan to have more with 6-6, 225-pound tight end Zachary Swanson. Swanson, a 3-year starter at Katy High School in Texas, took an official visit to UVa as well this past weekend. The former Stanford commit is also considering Baylor and Miami, amongst others.

So far, TheSabre.com has gotten reaction from three firm commits who trekked to Charlottesville last weekend. S Kyrrel Latimer, RB Kevin Parks Jr. and CB Rijo Walker made their official visits to Virginia and all three had great experiences, reaffirming Virginia as their college choice. Check out the EDGE for the latest on these prospects and for more on the other commits who were in town over the weekend.

Maury (Norfolk, VA) offensive lineman Stephen Lawe plans to take his official to UVa this coming weekend. There is a good chance the 6-5, 290-pound senior commits to the Hoos. Stay tuned later in the week for info on other expected visitors.


James Johnson continues to perform

One of Virginia's most highly rated 2010 class men's basketball recruits, 6-9 1/2, 230-pound power forward/center James Johnson has averaged about 17 points and 10 boards per game for Elsinore (CA). In only his second season playing high school varsity basketball, Johnson is pleased with his performance.

"I think the thing I'm most happy with now is going through the offense better," Johnson said. "I'm more accustomed to team ball now, being able to see where other guys are on the court. My passing has improved. My defense has been getting better."

Johnson scored 25 points (including 3 "monster dunks" according to his father, Ted) in this past weekend's victory, which put Elsinore at 16-4 on the year. For more on the talented prospect, be sure to check out the EDGE during the week.


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 ...

Recruiting Report: #14 On Board
Previously committed players such as Kyrrel Latimer, Kevin "KP" Parks Jr. and Rijo Walker enjoyed the weekend in Charlottesville, but the big news so far is that Virginia has secured a commitment from Towers High School (Decatur, GA) product Miles Gooch, a 6-4, 220-pound quarterback prospect

2011 Profile: Phoebus LB Caleb Taylor
Image: Caleb TaylorPhoebus (Hampton, VA) linebacker Caleb Taylor turned in a big-time sophomore season, earning first-team all-state honors for his performance in 2008. A highly anticipated 2009 season ended quickly, though, when the 6-2, 230-pound junior went out with a knee injury in the Phantoms second game of the year. Taylor missed the rest of the season, including Phoebus' march to a second consecutive state championship, but was recently cleared for action.

Burns Reflects on UVa Junior Day
Image: Rob BurnsOne of the taller prospects on hand at Virginia's football recruiting junior day last Saturday was Rob Burns, a 6-7, 220-pound defensive end/tight end prospect out of Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, VA. Burns, who received an official offer from UVa a few days after Christmas, spoke about the experience in Charlottesville.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...


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   News, Notes, and Fan Discussion

Blog Banter: A Reid Leftover

Jim ReidVirginia's new defensive coordinator Jim Reid joined reporters on a teleconference after his hire and talked at length about UVa, the 3-4 defense vs. the 4-3, recruiting, and more. If you missed it, The Sabre had two articles about Coach Reid. Read them here and here. One quote that didn't make either article follows. The question was about Virginia being Coach Reid's last stop.

"At age 59, it would just be great to just have a recruiting area, a couple of recruiting areas, stay in there, welcome high school coaches in to talk some football, to win, and be able to stay here," Reid said. "The first 19 years, and I promised my wife I wouldn't make college coaching a transient profession, the first 19 years were spent at the University of Massachusetts and I was going to live and die there. Then I ended up coming to Richmond (chuckles) for two years, to Boston College for a year, to Richmond for nine years, to Syracuse for a year, to Bucknell for a year, to VMI for two years, to the Miami Dolphins for two years. When I said geez I'd like to go to Virginia, she said do you remember that promise you made to me a number of years ago? (laughs) I had to make that promise again. As long as we can do a good job here - no, no, I know we'll do a good job - as long as I can do a good job here for the University of Virginia and Coach London, I'd like to stay here and win some championships. I remember George Welsh telling me when they redid the facility here, he said we did it right and we can win a National Championship. So that's the goal."

Read more posts on The Good Ol Blog.


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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

  • Men's Tennis Scores 7-4 Win at Notre Dame: he No. 2 Virginia men's tennis team remained undefeated on the season with a 7-4 victory at No. 30 Notre Dame Sunday. The Cavaliers (3-0) won their 63rd consecutive regular season match, while handing the Fighting Irish (1-1) their first loss of the year.
  • Women's Tennis Opens Season with Doubleheader Sweep: The Virginia women's tennis team opened its 2010 dual match season by sweeping a doubleheader Sunday at the Boyd Tinsley Courts and the Boar's Head Sports Club. The No. 26 Cavaliers topped No. 33 Illinois 4-3 and Richmond 7-0.
  • No. 22 Virginia Hangs On For 57-55 Victory Over Georgia Tech: The No. 22 Virginia women's basketball team defeated Georgia Tech, 57-55, Sunday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena. Senior guard Monica Wright scored 23 points and the Cavaliers won their third consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference game.
  • No. 11 Cavalier Women Defeat No. 15 North Carolina: The 11th-ranked Virginia women's swimming and diving team defeated No. 15 North Carolina 185-113 in a conference dual meet Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Cavaliers improved to 7-1 in dual meets this year, including an undefeated mark of 4-0 against ACC foes.
  • Eighth-Ranked Virginia Men Down No. 14 UNC: The eighth-ranked Cavalier men's swimming and diving team defeated No. 14 North Carolina 168-132 in a conference dual meet Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. Virginia improved to 7-1 in dual meets this season, including a 4-0 mark against ACC opponents.
  • No. 16 Wahoos Fall To No. 14 Hokies, Top UNC: The Virginia wrestling team, ranked 16th nationally, nearly dug itself out of an early 13-point hole before falling short in a 19-16 loss to No. 14 Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon in front of a near-capacity crowd at Memorial Gymnasium. The tightly contested match featured five bouts decided by three points or fewer. On Friday, the Hoos scored a 23-12 home victory over North Carolina. UVa's Shawn Harris and Brent Jones each recorded upset wins to propel the Cavaliers to the team victory.
  • Laffan Hits Provisional Mark in Shot Put: Sophomore Maureen Laffan hit the NCAA provisional mark in the shot put Saturday afternoon at Virginia Tech's Hokie Invitational in Rector Field House. In her first throw of the day, Laffan threw a personal-best 49' 11.75" to move up to fourth on Virginia's all-time program records and finish second at the meet.
  • Chiariello Breaks School Record, Men's 4x800m Shatters Facility Records: Sophomore Vincenzo Chiariello broke Virginia's all-time program record in the weight throw on the opening day of the Hokie Invitational, while the Cavaliers' men's 4x800m relay team broke Virginia Tech's Rector Field House facility record. Chiariello tossed 61' 2.25" in the weight throw to surpass Thom McKinney's school record of 60' 5.75" from 1991. He finished eighth overall at the meet. On the track, in the men's 4x800m relay, freshman Zack Vrhovac, senior Alex Bowman, sophomore Sintayehu Taye and freshman Robby Andrews shattered Rector Field House's facility record of 7:37.76 held by North Carolina since 2000, combining for a time of 7:26.49. Their mark was just three-seconds shy of UVa's school record.

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

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   SabreMail History

Issue No. 164 - Nov. 12, 2004

Running game, defense dominate Terps

Wali Lundy

UVa fans may have been a little anxious going into last Saturday's home game against Maryland. After all, the Cavaliers had not played well in their previous two games, a loss at Florida State and a win at Duke. Meanwhile, the Terrapins were coming off an upset of the Seminoles.

As it turned out, there was no need to worry. Virginia thoroughly dominated Maryland in a 16-0 triumph, overcoming two early turnovers to run its record to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC. The Cavs rushed for 295 yards as Alvin Pearman and Wali Lundy each surpassed the 100-yard mark, while the defense forced three turnovers and produced its second shutout of the season.

Witnessing the rout was a Scott Stadium-record crowd of 63,072. That mark is likely to last, oh, maybe one more day.

Check Out SabreMail #164.

   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:

  • Shawn Moore: New UVa assistant Shawn Moore held a teleconference with the media recently. 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 all out.


In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Deacons Deal Hoos First ACC Loss
Image: Sylven LandesbergWINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Since Sylven Landesberg arrived at UVa, Cavalier opponents - non-conference and conference alike - have tried to figure out how to stop him. And a more consistent version of Mike Scott this season has given the Hoos something of an inside-outside combo, making them even more difficult to guard. As Wake Forest found out Saturday, one way to keep the Cavaliers at bay is to get that duo off the floor. With both players in first-half foul trouble, Virginia fell victim to a big halftime deficit and suffered a 69-57 setback against the Demon Deacons.

ACC Scouting Report: Wake Forest
Image: Sylven LandesbergOn Saturday the Cavaliers take on their toughest test of the season in Winston-Salem. After winning their last three contests against ranked teams, it is an unranked opponent that provides the stiffest challenge of the season so far. Led by lightning quick point guard Ishmael Smith and future NBA lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest plays at a pace and a philosophy that this Virginia team hasn't faced this year. Lets take a look at how the Deacons and Hoos match up.

Reid Ready For Recruiting Again
Image: Jim ReidVirginia's new defensive coordinator Jim Reid enjoyed his time in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. He liked working for head coach Tony Sparano. The opportunity to return to the state of Virginia, where his children and grandchildren still live, and the college ranks with Mike London was too much to pass up, though. One area he missed from college coaching? Recruiting.

The Play That Beat UNC-Wilmington
Image: Sylven LandesbergWith Monday night's game tied at 67-67 and 14.1 seconds on the clock, the Virginia men's basketball team turned to Sylven Landesberg for the final shot of the game. He didn't disappoint, knocking down a 14-footer to ignite the John Paul Jones Arena crowd and give the Cavaliers the win. How'd they do that? Let's take a look.

Defensive Shift Plays Key Role In Win
After a game of up-and-down play and an evaporated double-digit lead, the Virginia basketball team was staring a two-point deficit in the face with 2:32 remaining Monday night against UNC-Wilmington. And to make matters worse, Coach Tony Bennett's trademark defense was struggling to stop the Seahawks. That's when a subtle shift essentially saved the day for the Hoos.

Landesberg's Shot Sinks Seahawks
Image: Sylven LandesbergIt is often the case that basketball is a game of runs. But this age-old sentiment does not do justice to UNC-Wilmington's match-up with Virginia on Monday night. In the first half, a 15-0 Seahawks run was followed immediately by a 20-0 burst from the Hoos. Midway through the second half, a 12-0 run for the visitors made the game close in the final minutes. That's when Sylven Landesberg capped a dramatic final three minutes with a game-winning shot for the Hoos, who prevailed 69-67.

Photo Gallery: UVa 82, Georgia Tech 75
Image: Sylven LandesbergThe Virginia men's basketball team is off to a 3-0 start in the ACC, including an 82-75 win against Georgia Tech last week. Sylven Landesberg was among the Cavalier standouts in the victory; he posted 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block against the Jackets. Check out images of Landesberg, Calvin Baker, Jerome Meyinsse, and others in this gallery that is packed with 88 photos!

Kris' Monday Musings: Letdowns?
The Virginia men's basketball team has won seven straight games and started 3-0 in the ACC. ESPN's Andy Katz named UVa his team of the week. Excitement is soaring and fan support is climbing. And along comes UNC-Wilmington, a non-league game that was rescheduled from a December snow-out. It's the Hoos' final non-conference game in the regular season and the Seahawks are 6-11 overall. It has all the makings of a classic trap game, doesn't it?


   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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