Super Bowl Sunday Flashback

Before UVa products James Farrior and Heath Miller slugged it out in Super Bowl XLV on Sunday (Green Bay won 31-25), the Ohio State men's basketball team defeated Minnesota 82-69 on the hardwood. Of course, Super Bowl Sunday, Ohio State, and basketball probably reminds some Virginia fans of a historic showdown between the Buckeyes and Cavaliers 30 years ago. Sabre user Wizard of Hoo provided these memories of that day for Hoo fans. Enjoy!

In some fans' lives, 30 years is a long time. I realize that almost all current UVa students weren't even born when arguably the greatest UVa home basketball game ever played happened 30 years ago on Super Bowl Sunday. It may serve to humor this old Hoo with a trip down memory lane to University Hall that afternoon ...

To understand the impact of the game, its context in history is important. It is hard to even imagine and more so to remember the excitement associated with that Virginia team and the No. 1 ranking it had at that time. I still feel and know that the Hoos really were the best team in the nation that year - the ranking was no fluke. After everyone in the country got a look at UVa and Ralph Sampson that day, they were quaking in their boots. The game itself was a lot different than today - no shot clock, no automatic 2 free throws at 10 team fouls and no 3-point line. That made Ralph and his cast even more dominant. Ohio State had the best front line in the Big 10 and that was something - the Buckeyes were a very powerful team.

At that time, there were about five rows of folding chairs behind the press table that were first come first serve for students to sit in - myself and friends would camp out before the game and rush down there after the doors opened. With seats almost on the court, I sat there for every home game in 1981 and 82 - Hoo wouldn't? My new bride of six months (Educ '79) would scalp a ticket outside and come in to sit with me (College '76, Med '81). She always got one for about 5-10 bucks, not a bad value for such a team - even on that day.

This game was the first time that UVa basketball had ever been on national television (ESPN was in its early stages) and the Hoos had the chance to showcase how really good we were. The size of the national audience was huge. Our game preceded the Super Bowl on NBC. Al McGuire and Billy Packer were the announcers. After that game, McGuire was always a huge Ralph fan.

Many specifics about the game have been detailed over the years - especially Ralph's 40 points and his dunks and defense against their front court. Every Cav player was a cog in an unstoppable wheel. The heroics of the players and stats however are secondary in my memory. It was the overall atmosphere of the game; our beloved Hoos were No.1 and proved it to all the college basketball fans in America. The fantastic talent and domination of Ralph were undeniable and helped win him his first of three National Player of the Year Awards. The Good Old Song was never so sweet! UHall may have been louder, more packed, more electric in future days but never since have our Hoos shown so brightly before so many with it meaning so much.

For a young Hoo fan that had suffered through years of 3rd class ACC citizenship (except for one magical night in March 1976) this was ecstasy and more than a dream come true. The pride and emotional exultation we all felt showing the nation that an egg head school like UVa could do that was beyond even our wildest imaginations. All sport fans that really love their team with deep emotion and a personal connection know what it feels like when they win something big - especially when they have never been there before on the national stage as No. 1. The real glory of that memory isn't quenched by the failure of the '81 Hoos at the Final Four that year or by the future NCAA flops of the '82 and '83 Ralph led teams. For one shining moment the dear Hoos were No. 1 and everybody had to agree - even the most cynical UVa fan was on board that train that day.

It remains to be seen if the Cavs' basketball team will ever again ascend to such heights. I hope for all our sakes that will happen. Even if they do, it will be for me, "been there done that." The magic of Super Bowl Sunday in UHall in 1981 will always remain a completely unique and immortal event.

Only two words are left to be said: Go Hoos!

Wizard of Hoo

This Week In Recruiting
By Chris Horne

Mike London's first full recruiting class as Cavaliers head coach is in the books - 26 prospects, including 17 from the state of Virginia, signed with the Hoos last Wednesday. Virginia's class scored national recognition, highlighted by a No. 19 national ranking by ESPN.com. Coach London received more ESPN pub from Bruce Feldman, who had Virginia as one of his winners of the day.

This week, stay tuned for more coverage on the 2011 class including an article on Gilman (Baltimore, MD) wide receiver prospect Darius Jennings, who picked Virginia over Ohio State and Wake Forest on Signing Day. Jennings was one of two 4-star recruits to announce for UVa on Signing Day, joining Osbourn (Manassas, VA) standout athlete Dominique Terrell.

Terrell, who told me last week that he actually committed to Coach London the Monday before Signing Day, spoke on his decision in my "Notes and Analysis" article from last week.

"Coach London, Coach Moore and Coach Poindexter came in my house. They basically said they wanted me to come home," Terrell recalled in an interview the night of Signing Day. "It was kind of a turning point because I was headed to West Virginia.

"I like Coach London a lot. I like his enthusiasm and how he handles all of the kids. All the coaches are pretty easy to get along with."

Look out for a Sabre Roundtable feature coming out this week or next. Greg Waters, JHoo and Kamikaze Hoo will join me for further discussion and reflection on the 2011 class.

I'll also look ahead this week to the 2012 class, including where Virginia's needs may be, important dates to remember, early offers and more.

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 ...

2011 Class: Notes and Analysis
Capped off by the Signing Day announcements of a pair of dynamic 4-star athletes, Mike London's first full recruiting class as Virginia Cavaliers head coach provides promise and excitement for the future. Judging from Wednesday's reaction, Signing Day 2011 energized the fan base about the future of Virginia football.

Q&A: Gary and Kathy Phelps
Gary Phelps played football at the University of Virginia from 1980-1984. Kathy Phelps attended UVa as well. Wednesday, their son Brandon will sign a letter of intent with the Cavaliers, officially becoming part of the program he committed to on June 25 last year. The Damascus (MD) star senior's parents took some time for a "Q&A" to discuss their son's success, their son being a UVa legacy, the recruiting process and more.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Woodberry Forest Junior Scores In-State Offer
• Another Huge Signing Day Get For UVa
• Virginia Gets Jennings
• FB Recruiting Notes

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License Plate section is up in Wahoowa!

A few weeks ago, SabreMail made a request for anyone who had license plates that reflected your status as a Hoo fan. The responses have started to trickle in and the Plates Photos are up and running the Wahoowa! section of the site. The Wahoowa! section of the Sabre is dedicated to all things associated with UVa Fan-dom. There are various fan-related areas including desktop wallpaper, Fan of the Week photos, V-Sabres Worldwide, and more. If you have suggestions for new and interesting things in the Wahoowa! section, please email us at [email protected] with the header: Wahoowa! suggestion.

We'd like to keep adding photos to the section so if your license plate shows that you're a Hoo fan, let us know so we can include you in our gallery. All you need to do is snap a picture of your license plate and email a jpeg version of the photo to [email protected] with the email header: License Plate Photo.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Billy Baron Leaving Virginia Basketball Program: Freshman guard Billy Baron has left the Virginia men's basketball program and transferred to the University of Rhode Island this semester.
• Virginia Cruises To ACC Win Over Wake Forest, 73-46: The Virginia women's basketball team posted a 73-46 victory over Wake Forest on Thursday night at the John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers face 14th-ranked Florida State at home on Monday night (Feb. 7). The game will begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC's Regional Sports Network.
• No. 1 Virginia Rolls Past No. 12 Kentucky 7-0: The top-ranked Virginia men's tennis team took on its highest ranked opponent of the season, but posted another 7-0 victory as it downed No. 12 Kentucky Saturday night at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar's Head Sports Club. The Cavaliers improved to 8-0 on the season. The Hoos also began their quest for an eighth consecutive ACC regular season title with a 7-0 win over Maryland on Friday night.
• No. 7 Virginia Tech Holds Off Cavaliers, 20-12: The Virginia wrestling team dropped a 20-12 decision to No. 7 Virginia Tech on Saturday evening in an ACC dual. Derek Valenti, Chris Henrich, Jon Fausey and Mike Salopek each scored individual wins for Virginia (15-6, 2-1 ACC).
• Cavaliers Tally Win Against Wolfpack in Final Dual Meet: The Virginia men's and women's swimming and diving teams concluded the dual meet portion of the 2010-11 schedule with a victory Saturday at conference foe N.C. State. The No. 11 UVa women earned a 168-117 win over the Wolfpack while the 10th-ranked Cavalier men recorded a 164-125 victory.
• Chiariello Breaks Own School Record in Weight Throw: Virginia track and field junior Vincenzo Chiariello broke his own school record in the weight throw by 9.25-inches at the VT Elite Meet over the weekend. Seven other Cavaliers had personal-best performances that made edits to Virginia's all-time top-10 records.

To read the full stories or gather more information on Virginia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.

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Issue No. 389 - April 13, 2009

Williford Returns To UVa

Former Virginia basketball player Jason Williford has been selected as a member of the new men's basketball coaching staff at Virginia. Tony Bennett, who was officially introduced on April 1, offered Williford a position last week according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch. Williford, 35, leaves the staff of former Cavalier coach Jeff Jones at American University. Jones had high praise for Williford in the RTD.

"He didn't come in thinking that, because he'd played, he had all the answers," Jones said. "I think he understands there's a hell of a lot more to coaching than having played or knowing the game. He's really been a student of the profession."

Jeff White, the beat writer who filed the above report, also has some more coaching news up on his blog today. White believes that Ritchie McKay (associate head coach), Jason Williford, Ron Sanchez, and likely Brad Soucie (director of basketball operations), who worked with McKay at Liberty, will make up the UVa coaching staff. Read the full blog post here.

Check Out SabreMail #389.

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:

• Catching Up: The Sabre caught up with former football standout Marquis Weeks and we'll have a story for you.
• Picking Positions: JHoo takes a shot at slotting the Hoos' 26-player football recruiting class.
• Hoops Analysis: TheSabre.com gives you the inside look at the Cavaliers like no one else.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Hurricanes Blow Past Hoos
Mustapha Farrakhan and the Cavaliers gave it everything they had at Miami on Saturday, and in the end gave the game away due to costly defensive mistakes and clanging free throws. The Hoos dropped an overtime heartbreaker in South Beach, losing 70-68 in overtime.

Veterans Help Spark Defense
After Virginia's defensive debacle at Wake Forest last Saturday, I walked into the John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday curious how - or if - the Hoos' defense would respond against Clemson. After all, the Cavaliers haven't been a picture of consistency on that end of the floor this season. What happened against the Tigers, however, was a defensive gem.

Cavaliers Hold Off Clemson
During exams at Virginia, students living at Lambeth Field often let out a collective scream around midnight as a way to relieve stress. The noise Charlottesville residents may have heard Wednesday night from that side of town? It wasn't the Lambeth scream, but a celebratory yelp and a huge sigh of relief as the UVa men's basketball team survived a late Clemson rally to win 49-47 at the John Paul Jones Arena.

Hoos Have Successful Signing Day
It was all smiles and congratulations Wednesday as Virginia's letters of intent rolled in on National Signing Day. Coach Mike London cleaned house during his first full recruiting year, netting 26 signees, 17 of which hail from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Five of Virginia's new recruits are ranked in the ESPNU Top 150, which helped push the Cavaliers into the No. 19 slot overall in the national recruiting class rankings.

Where's The Defense?
In the days since the Cavaliers' disappointing loss at Wake Forest, one quote keeps jumping out at me. And considering it comes from head coach Tony Bennett, there shouldn't be any surprise that it's about defense. The problem? The Hoos aren't playing any when it matters most in games and it's costing them in the win column. It did against Wake.

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