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   SabreMail - Feb. 1, 2010
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A Fun Thought This Morning

I've been reading UNC coach Roy Williams' book "Hard Work" over the last couple of weeks. This weekend before Virginia's game in Chapel Hill, I read a section that is even more fun this morning. After all, the Hoos just led wire to wire in a dominant 75-60 win over the Heels. Here's the excerpt from the book that's making me smile this morning:

    When all of the players are dressed and seated, a manager knocks on the door and I go in. I've seen NBA teams write 40 things up on the board before a game. I'll write down no more than three because that's all I think my players can absorb. I might write, Five guys run both ways as fast as you can or Be strong with the ball, nothing casual or The team that wins the battle of the boards wins the game. Once at Kansas, we had beaten Kansas State eight or nine times in a row in their building and I'd seen a lot of stories about them saying that the streak would end that night, so I wrote, Watch them leave early. It was the only thing I wrote. It was cocky, but it worked. At the end of the game, one of my players, Ricky Calloway, was on the free-throw line and he yelled over to me on the bench, "Coach, they're leeeeeeeaving!"

Watching the Cavaliers dismantle the Tar Heels on Sunday in the Dean Dome and seeing all those baby blue fans made me think of that passage this morning. And I can't stop smiling about it.

Go Hoos!

Kris Wright, Editor


   Recruiting News

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Mike London's first Signing Day as University of Virginia head coach is Wednesday, and as of now 17 players are expected to sign. The newest addition to the class is 6'3", 208-pound quarterback Mike Rocco, a 4-year starter for Liberty Christian School in Lynchburg, Virginia. Rocco committed Sunday, hours after returning home from an official visit to UVa.

We'll have more from Mike on Monday, but here is an excerpt from Sunday night's EDGE article, which featured quotes from Frank Rocco.

"We tried to let 24 hours go by and let the dust settle, but I think Mike was just so impressed with UVa and felt so comfortable there," said LCA head coach Frank Rocco, who is Mike's father. "He called coach [Charlie] Strong at Louisville and told him what his heart was saying. Coach Strong was very professional about it. Then he called Coach London and officially became a Wahoo."

Rocco is the fourth quarterback commitment in the class, joining Towers (Decatur, GA) product Miles Gooch, Collegiate (Richmond, VA) star Jake McGee and former Gulliver Prep (Miami, FL) star Michael Strauss, who is already enrolled at UVa. McGee is coming in more as a quarterback/athlete, meaning he'll get a shot at quarterback but the likelihood is that he ends up at another position, likely tight end or outside linebacker.

Gooch and Rocco are good athletes as well and could potentially play another position if quarterback doesn't work out. Both, though, are being recruited to play quarterback.

Three previous commits - linebacker Henry Coley, offensive lineman/defensive tackle Stephen Lawe and McGee - also visited Virginia over the weekend. There was another visitor there as well according to a source, though we are working on finding out who that may have been. We also hope to check in on Texas tight end Zachary Swanson, a 6'6", 220-pound prospect still on the target board at this point. If he gets an offer from Virginia, don't be surprised if he accepts.

Stay tuned to TheSabre.com throughout the week for continued coverage, analysis and reflection on the 2010 class and a look ahead to 2011, which will be Mike London's first full class as head coach.


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 ...

In-State QB To Sign With Virginia
Coach Mike London has added another state of Virginia talent to UVa's 2010 class. Today, London received a commitment from Liberty Christian Academy (Lynchburg, VA) quarterback Mike Rocco, who had been committed to the University of Louisville before changing his mind this afternoon. The 6-3, 208-pound senior, one of three in-state recruits that have committed since London took over, made the pledge hours after returning home from an official visit to UVa.

FBS Schools Showing Interest in Rositano
Image: Spenser RositanoStone Bridge (Ashburn, VA) defensive back Spenser Rositano manned a cornerback spot as a sophomore in 2008, tallying 59 tackles, five pass break-ups and two interceptions on the year. The 6-1, 190-pound prospect moved to safety this past season and flourished, amassing 129 tackles with five pass break-ups and three fumble recoveries. Rositano was a big reason why the Bulldogs made the Group AAA, Division 5 state championship game in 2009, and now he hopes for success on the recruiting trail.

4-star UVa Recruit Pleased with Performance
Image: James JohnsonJames Johnson, who has seen the work he put in this past offseason pay off. Johnson knows there is much room for improvement, but he is pleased with the way his game continues to progress.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...


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   News, Notes, and Fan Discussion

Blog Banter: Allow me to introduce myself ...

By Blair Capps

Greetings and salutations, Sabre faithful. My name is Blair Capps and I will be blogging for The Good Ol Blog, keeping you updated on the latest in Virginia sports.

Now that the awkward first introductions are over, let me tell you a little more about myself. I'm a third-year at Mr. Jefferson's esteemed university (or THE University), currently working towards a double major in English and Classics with a minor in Media Studies. Basically, I want as many degrees as possible that require a ton of reading.

However, being a student is only my day job. By night, and on weekends, I'm an amateur sports reporter and blogger who is trying to build a resume in the hopes of one day having a career in sports journalism. I hold a special affection for football, men's lacrosse, men's soccer and basketball. Baseball, of the college variety, recently gained a place in my heart after UVa's 2009 season.

At the present moment, I have just finished up an internship with the ACC. I was Virginia's student blogger as a part of the Road to Tampa Bay marketing campaign. Some of you may be familiar with my blog or Twitter page, which would be awesome since don't know how many people actually read it. Virginia's Sports Information Director Jim Daves once demoted me to the second row of the Scott Stadium press box in favor of more prestigious publications. Ha!

In addition to my new media experience, I am also a member of The Cavalier Daily's staff at UVa. I hold the position of Gameday editor, and am in charge of assembling the paper's annual football special edition "GRIDIRON".  If you are familiar with The Cav Daily, Gameday is the weekly page on the back of the sports section that details a "game of the week" chosen by me. I write the content, design the layout, and add my own fun twist to the paper. If you are in Charlottesville on Fridays, pick one up!

Outside of my forays into journalism, I enjoy reading books upon books upon books, watching Around the Horn, hanging out with my sorority sisters in Sigma Sigma Sigma, and just being active. Yes, I did say sorority. "Blair" is one of those ambiguous names that could go either way. Since most people never actually meet me, and just read my articles about sports, they assume that I'm a guy. However, being a girl in this business is a ton of fun, and I couldn't ask for better co-workers.

I look forward to bringing you updates on Virginia sports, and adding a different perspective to your usual Sabre fare. Feedback on my blog posts and eventual articles on the main page is always appreciated, as I am trying to improve my journalistic skills at every opportunity. I thought I had escaped the Twitter menace with the end of my ACC internship, but Kris wants me to give The Sabre Twitter page some new life. If Sylven Landesberg is eating Chik-Fil-A on Grounds, or something, I promise you all will be the first to know about it.

Read more posts on The Good Ol Blog.


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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

  • Barker Closes out Career in the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge: Virginia Cavaliers offensive lineman Will Barker will become the fourth senior from the 2009 football squad to close out his career in a senior all-star game, when he appears in the 2010 Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge. Kickoff for the Feb. 6 event is scheduled for 2 p.m. (EST) at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. The fourth-annual game will be televised on CBS College Sports.
  • No. 20 Virginia Falls At Wake Forest, 64-57: The 20th-ranked Virginia women's basketball team fell on the road to Wake Forest, 64-57, Sunday afternoon. Lexie Gerson was the Cavaliers' high scorer with a career-high 15 points, while Monica Wright had 13 points and seven rebounds. Virginia's record dropped to 15-6, 4-3 in the ACC with the loss. Wake Forest improved to 13-8, 4-3 in the league.
  • Women's Tennis Tops No. 15 Fresno State 5-2: The No. 26 Virginia women's tennis team rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 5-2 win over No. 15 Fresno State on Sunday in the consolation match of the Fresno ITA Regional. The fifteenth-ranked Bulldogs are the highest ranked opponent the Cavaliers have defeated this season. The Hoos fell to No. 25 Florida State 4-2 on Saturday in a first round match at the Fresno ITA Regional.
  • No. 19 Virginia Wrestling Pummels Princeton, 42-0: The No. 19 Virginia wrestling team dominated Princeton Saturday afternoon, winning all 10 bouts in a 42-0 road victory over the Tigers at Dillon Gym in Princeton, N.J. Six of the Cavaliers' wins resulted in bonus points, highlighted by pins by Brent Jones, Matt Snyder and Dave Ebbott. The Hoos lost 25-12 to Rutgers on Friday night.
  • Virginia Wins Seven Events at The Armory: The Virginia track and field team won seven events on Saturday at The Armory II meet, while junior Catherine White hit the NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the 3000m. White's time of 9:24.43 is the program's second-best 3k mark of all-time, trailing just Claire Forbes, who ran 9:18.80 in 1992. In the men's 3k, sophomore Ryan Collins won his first individual title of the season, leading all runners across the line in 8:08.71, shaving two seconds off his previously fifth-best time in program history.
  • Cavalier Men Win 4x800m Title at Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden: Virginia's men's 4x800m relay team won the Byron Dyce Men's College 4x800m Relay Friday night at the Millrose Games in Madison Square Garden, finishing with a time of 7:32.49 to outdistance second-place New York AC (7:34.48) by almost two seconds. The relay was made up of sophomore All-American Lance Roller, freshman Zach Vrhovac, junior transfer John Minen, and freshman Robby Andrew.
  • Virginia Downs Pitt in Final Dual Meet: The Virginia swimming and diving teams each recorded victories over Pitt in the final dual meet of the season at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Cavalier women's team earned a 176-121 win while the men's squad downed the Panthers 164-124. Prior to the meet, Virginia honored its 15 seniors.
  • $10 Tickets Sold Out For Wake Forest Game: The $10 tickets for Virginia's home men's basketball game with Wake Forest on February 6 are sold out.

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

   UVa Bookstores - The Place for Wahoo Gear!

2010 UVa Bookstore Basketball Fan T-Shirt

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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 Tony Bennett expects out of our team: Passion, Toughness, Integrity, Unity. These qualities surround a basketball with The Tradition is Back Imprinted inside.

   SabreMail History

Issue No. 283 - March 12, 2007

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Half of UVa's current 2007 recruiting class was in action over the weekend. Last Friday, Mustapha Farrakhan led Thornton Township (Harvey, IL) to a Class AA sectional title championship. The 6'3" guard led Thornton with 15 points - 11 in the fourth quarter - in the 60-49 win over Thornwood.

Thornton, which is now 24-5 on the season, moves on to face Hillcrest tomorrow night in a supersectional. The winner of that game moves on to the state quarterfinals.

Hargrave Military Academy (25-5) traveled to Washington, D.C., for its final tournament of the season - the National Prep School Basketball Finals. Hargrave, one of four teams selected, fell in the opening round to Bridgton Academy by a score of 121-118 (2OT). UVa signee Mike Scott, a 6'8", 215-pound forward, finished with 21 points in a losing effort.

Check Out SabreMail #283.

   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 and Bill Lazor: New UVa assistants Shawn Moore and Bill Lazor held teleconferences with the media recently. The Sabre will have a follow-up stories on the hires.
  • 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.
  • Restrepo: Paul Montana writes about goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, a key cog in the Hoos' National Championship in men's soccer.


In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Cavaliers Crush Host Heels
Image: Sylven LandesbergCHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Even with a surprisingly capable Virginia team and a surprisingly struggling Carolina team taking the floor Sunday night, few could have thought that the Tar Heels would not only lose their contest against the Cavaliers, but never even hold a lead. Such was the case at the Smith Center, however, as an 18-0 second-half run propelled the Hoos to a 75-60 victory - a shocking result for both parties.

Defense Keys Victory At UNC
Image: Tony BennettVirginia coach Tony Bennett always says good basketball has to start on defense. Virginia players have repeatedly said you have to stay in the pack, a reference to playing together and working as a group in Bennett's Pack-Line defense. For one night in Chapel Hill, Cavalier fans saw exactly what that defensive attitude can create as the visiting Hoos won 75-60 against the Tar Heels.

ACC Scouting Report: UNC
Image: Sammy ZeglinskiComing off of a difficult home loss, the Cavaliers get a chance to bounce back Sunday against UNC. Following consecutive losses, Tony Bennett and this UVa team really can show what kind of year this will be with a strong performance on the road at the Dean Dome. The Dean Dome and Chapel Hill in general, has been a difficult trip for the Cavaliers in the past. UVa enters Sunday with a 5-63 record all time in Chapel Hill, including going 2-21 in the Dean Dome. Despite those statistics UNC isn't playing at the level it has experienced over the last few years. With the Tar Heels coming in at 13-7 and in 9th place in the ACC standings, the Cavaliers have a shot to pull off the upset and get back on a winning trend in the ACC.

Late Drought Dooms UVa
Image: Jeff JonesFor the majority of the second half on Thursday night, the Virginia men's basketball team appeared ready to take home its third ACC home win of the season. For the final five minutes of regulation and then overtime, however, the Cavaliers struggled to score and struggled to get stops, leading to a disappointing 76-71 loss against rival Virginia Tech. UVa stands at 12-6 and 3-2 in the ACC.

Hoos Fall In OT Against Hokies
Image: Sammy ZeglinskiWhen Sammy Zeglinski stepped back near the painted Wachovia logo on the floor of the John Paul Jones Arena and knocked down a step-back, contested 3-pointer with two seconds remaining - a shot with an absurd level of difficulty - UVa appeared to have new life against Virginia Tech with the score tied at 65. The storyline no longer had to read that the Cavaliers blew a 10-point lead at home to their most hated rival. The near-capacity crowd and the momentum were on Virginia's side. But the visiting Hokies didn't fold and stole a 76-71 win from the Hoos in Charlottesville.

ACC Scouting Report: Virginia Tech
Image: Sammy Zeglinski5-5. That is the regular season record Virginia Tech and UVa hold against each other since the Hokies joined the ACC in 2004. While the football rivalry dominates the headlines, the basketball games have provided some memorable moments for both fan bases in what has become a hotly contested match-up. This year should be no different as the teams, at least on paper, seem to be set for another barnburner in Charlottesville.

Photo Gallery: UVa, 75, Miami 57
Image: Mustapha FarrakhanThe Virginia men's basketball team has picked up two big ACC victories in the John Paul Jones Arena this season, including the most recent 75-57 triumph over Miami. Can the Cavaliers make it 3-0 at home in league play Thursday night against Virginia Tech? Get geared up for the in-state showdown with this EDGE photo gallery that features 74 images of the Hoos, including Mustapha Farrakhan.

Breaking Down The Wake Forest Loss
Image: Sylven LandesbergVirginia lost its first ACC game of the season over the weekend at Wake Forest, falling 69-57 on Saturday in Winston-Salem. The Cavaliers found themselves in foul trouble, struggling to make shots and out-matched on the boards. In a conference road game, that's a lot to overcome. So now that we've had a few days to digest the defeat, let's take a closer look at what happened to the Hoos against the Demon Deacons.


   Sabre Edge

Get your Wahoo fix. Subscribe to Sabre Edge!

Every week, Sabre Edge provides you with exclusive articles, columns, special features, interviews and recruiting news, including daily recruiting updates. There's even a special message board just for subscribers. And to top it off, you get 10 percent off all of your UVa Bookstores purchases during your subscription.

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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