Second-Chance Points Key Against Miami

The Virginia men's basketball team pulled out a close 52-51 victory against Miami on Saturday night to start ACC play with a win for the fourth straight season. Cavalier senior forward Mike Scott led all scorers with 23 points, while no other UVa player reached double figures. Seven other Cavs did contribute to the scoreboard with six of those players putting in three points or more. Still, it proved to be a tough night for the Hoos offensively. They shot just 38.2% for the game and made just 4 of 13 3-pointers. The hosts earned just 10 free throw attempts and made only six.

Fortunately with points coming at a premium, UVa did find a way to score enough to win the game and one key factor proved to be second chance points. Despite trailing in the offensive rebounds category (13-11 in favor of Miami), the Cavaliers did post more second chance points (12-7 in their favor) than the visitors. Virginia recorded 10 second chance points in the first half, accounting for nearly half of its 26 total points before intermission. Among the O-Board highlights: Malcolm Brogdon grabbed a rebound and put it back in for two points and Darion Atkins slammed home a tip-dunk for a bucket.

Cavalier coach Tony Bennett said getting some easy points is essential on nights where you struggle to score.

"A lot of times it was Jontel [Evans] or Malcolm or it was sometimes our guards who just happened to be down there and they'd spear one and we'd get a bucket out of it or kept the possession going. That was important no question," Bennett said. "When you're laboring to score, you look for things - and we talked about this a lot last year - free throws, second chance points, transition buckets. At the free throw line, 6 of 10, there wasn't a lot there and we missed the front end of the bonus at a crucial time so any extra points we could get, we had to find some alternative ways [to score]."

The Hoos are back in action this week with a road game at Duke on Thursday. That game is at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

This Week In Recruiting

Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, VA) linebacker Kwontie Moore and Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) defensive end Eli Harold were participants in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 7. For Moore, rated the no. 1 inside linebacker in the country by Rivals.com, the all-star event was an opportunity to silence any critics.

"I'd rate my performance well," Moore said. "I feel like I did pretty good. I went there trying to prove something. I wanted to prove I am the number one inside linebacker in the country. I feel like I played well. Some people have been second-guessing me, but I feel like I did well."

The 6'1", 242-pound senior discusses other topics, including Harold and Good Counsel (Olney, MD) wide receiver Stefon Diggs, in an EDGE article coming out this week. TheSabre.com also hopes to catch up with Harold for his thoughts and views on the Army Bowl week.

Some more recruiting notes ...

• Jan. 9-12 is a "Dead Period" in Division 1 men's football recruiting. In this time, no in-person contact is allowed between coach and prospect.
• This week, TheSabre.com will have a general update on the 2012 recruiting class, including a look at which prospects remain on the board and which prospects have come off the board in recent days. In particular, we will have the latest on Salem (Virginia Beach, VA) running back/defensive back Divante Walker and North Hall (Gainesville, GA) running back Imani Cross. As of last check, UVa is scheduled to host each of the latter two prospects on official visits later this month.
• On the basketball recruiting front, check out the Good Ol Blog this week for a season update on Virginia's 2012 recruiting class. Milton (Alpharetta, GA) forward Evan Nolte scored MVP honors at the Beach Ball Classic recently, and all four of Virginia's 2012 recruits seem to be performing well for their respective teams.

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 since the last SabreMail ...

Checking In On The Stith Brothers
UVa officially offered 6'6", 200-pound forward Brandan Stith last summer, and at the time the offer carried the condition that Stith would prep for one year following his Brunswick (Lawrenceville, VA) career. TheSabre.com caught up with Brunswick head coach Bryant Stith to ask if anything has changed with respect to Virginia's offer to Brandan, who is averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks through 11 games.

Moore, Morgan Reflect On Semper Fidelis Bowl
Three players from the University of Virginia's 2012 recruiting class suited up in the January 3 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. Michael Moore, Kye Morgan and Courtnye Wynn all played for the East, and all three saw significant action. TheSabre.com caught up with Moore and Morgan for more on their experiences in Phoenix, Arizona.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• UVa Recruits Show Well In Chesapeake Bowl
• Video: UVa Recruits at Marines Bowl (blog)
• UVa Recruits Play In Army Bowl (blog)

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UVa Greats Set to Return for Step Up to the Plate

Virginia Athletics Media Relations official release

Celebrating a decade of support for the Virginia Baseball program, the 10th annual Step Up to the Plate fundraiser will be held Friday, Jan. 20, at 6:30 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena. Several former Cavalier players who currently play professional baseball will be in attendance and participate in the speaking program with special guest, Kyle Peterson, ESPN's college baseball analyst and former pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers. Peterson will serve as the special host for the event.

Former Cavaliers Ryan Zimmerman, Brandon Guyer, Michael Schwimer, Mike Ballard and Tyler Wilson all will be present and will participate in a round-table panel on stage with Peterson during the speaking program. Several more former Cavaliers also will be on hand for the festivities.

Step Up to the Plate tickets can be ordered in person at the UVa Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall, by phone at 1-800-542-UVA1 or online at VirginiaSports.com. Sponsored tables may be reserved by calling the Virginia Athletics Foundation at 800-626-8723. Proceeds from the event will support the Virginia Baseball program.

Ticket prices are $70 for adults, $35 for Virginia Baseball alumni, $30 for children 12 and under and $20 for current UVa students. A Family Four Pack is available, which includes two adult and two youth tickets for $175. Sponsored tables for the event are $2,500 and include a reserved table for a party of eight, admission to the pre-event reception and eight General Admission baseball season tickets (no trade opportunity for Reserved seats). The pre-event reception for table sponsors will begin at 5:15 p.m. There is also a group or team special rate with the purchase of 20 or more tickets - $50 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under.

Parking for the event is free in the John Paul Jones Arena and University Hall lots.

For the full release and more information, click here.

USA Today On BCS

USA Today produced an article on potential changes to the current BCS system in place for NCAA FBS level college football. The current BCS TV deal expires at the end of the 2013 season and conference leaders are meeting in New Orleans this week to discuss future options. Read the article here.

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Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Cavaliers Split ACC Contests: Simone Egwu had her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Virginia women's basketball team to a 54-47 victory at Clemson on Sunday. On Thursday, Virginia dropped a 78-73 double-overtime contest to No. 25 North Carolina at John Paul Jones Arena. Cavalier sophomore guard Ataira Franklin scored a career-high 29 points and added nine boards to lead UVa in scoring and rebounding.
• China Crosby To Miss Remainder Of Season: Virginia junior guard China Crosby will miss the remainder of the 2011-12 season, head coach Joanne Boyle announced Thursday. Crosby underwent surgery on Wednesday (Jan. 4) to surgically reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee. Crosby started 12 games this season and averaged 7.9 points and 2.3 assists per game.
• Imbriglia Takes Eighth on Platform at Georgia Diving Invitational: Senior Briggy Imbriglia took eighth on the platform as competition at the Georgia Diving Invitational concluded Thursday in Athens, Ga. "Although we didn't place as high as I would have liked, many of the divers were competing with some new and more difficult dives," UVa diving coach Rich MacDonald said. "Briggy was the highlight of the competition, making finals on all three levels. Overall, we can take a lot of positive things from Athens. We know where we need to focus. We now have to buckle down and work hard over the next seven weeks." Imbriglia earned a score of 309.50 to place eighth, the highest UVa finish of the meet. Freshman JB Kolod was 21st overall with a mark of 235.90.
• Courtney and Jenkins Named Captains: The second-ranked Virginia men's tennis team announced its captains for the 2012 season. Senior Drew Courtney and junior Jarmere Jenkins will lead the program this season.
• Virginia Men's Tennis Signs Five Players to Letters of Intent: The Virginia men's tennis team announced the signing of five players to National Letters of Intent. Jonathan Cornish, Mitchell Polnet, Harrison Richmond, Ryan Shane and Mac Styslinger will join the Cavaliers next fall. The four American recruits are all blue chip recruits and rank among the top 30 players in the class of 2012 by tennisrecruiting.net, including the No. 2 player in the class in Styslinger. In addition, Cornish is one of the top international players entering college next year.
• 2012 10-Game Mini-Packages on Sale Monday: 2012 Virginia baseball 10-game mini-packages went on sale at 9 a.m. Monday (Jan. 9). Virginia's 36-game home schedule begins Feb. 21 against William and Mary and features weekend series against Monmouth, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina and Georgia Tech. The 10-Game mini-package offers fans the opportunity to choose the 10 games that best fit their schedules. Mini-packages are available in General Admission seating areas for $40 each.
• Lacrosse Season Tickets Now On Sale: Season tickets for the 2012 Virginia men's and women's lacrosse seasons are now on sale. Virginia lacrosse season tickets may be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone at (800) 542-8821 or in person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 2012 lacrosse general admission season ticket includes admission to all Virginia home games for both men's and women's lacrosse, as well as the three games of the men's lacrosse Atlantic Coast Conference Championship hosted by Virginia. The all-lacrosse general admission season ticket is $50 for adults and $40 for youth, seniors and UVa faculty and staff.

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

UVa Caps

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Issue No. 186 - April 22, 2005

Let the Leitoanium begin!

UVa coach Dave Leitao

Dave Leitao promises that his Virginia basketball teams will defend and rebound. He expects his players to conduct themselves well off the court and excel in the classroom. Oh yeah, he also says they'll win. That's the kind of program he plans on building here.

"We want to build not for today, not just for tomorrow, but for long-lasting success. That's what I'm about. That's been my history," Leitao said last Sunday after being introduced as UVa's head coach. "I really don't know it any other way. I don't like nor do I know a whole lot about failure. So I enter into this process knowing that winning is something we will do. I believe that in the bottom of my heart."

That kind of confidence and optimism has to be exciting for a Cavalier fanbase that saw Pete Gillen become increasingly frazzled and dark-humored during his seven years on the job. Hopefully Leitao won't be worn down by the challenges he will face. After all, he inherits a last-place ACC team nearly devoid of frontcourt talent.

But fans also shouldn't expect any miracles. Let Leitao build his own program in his own way, and we'll see if that leads to long-lasting success. Immediate results may be asking too much.

Read SabreMail No. 186 here.

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:

• Basketball in action: The Hoos have started ACC play. The Sabre keeps you in the loop on the hoops team!
• Pro Hoos: TheSabre.com debuted a new series. Beyond The Lawn" is a 12-month series found exclusively on TheSabre.com that follows three Virginia Cavaliers through a year as a professional athlete. Baseball's Tyler Wilson (Baltimore Orioles), track and field's Stephanie Marie Garcia (U.S. Olympic hopeful), and football's Clint Sintim (New York Giants) share their experiences throughout the year.
• Bowl wrap-ups: JHoo takes a look back at the Chick-fil-A Bowl with a postgame "10 Things I Learned" article.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles since the last SabreMail

Cavaliers Fend Off Hurricanes
Apparently there's just something about the Miami matchup for the Virginia men's basketball team that guarantees the ending will be of the nerve-rattling variety. For the third straight meeting, after all, the Hurricanes staged a late-game rally and threatened to steal another win from the Hoos. On Saturday night in Charlottesville, however, Virginia survived a final possession shot on defense to claim a 52-51 victory in its ACC opener.

Brogdon Shows Versatility Early At UVa
When Malcolm Brogdon joined the UVa men's basketball team as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Georgia Player of the Year, one thing that looked promising about the incoming freshman was his versatility. It's what coach Tony Bennett calls being a complete player, one who can contribute in multiple categories and different ways to the team. So far Brogdon hasn't disappointed.

Miami Primer
The Virginia men's basketball team soared to a 13-1 record during non-conference play, including what has grown to an 11-game winning streak. The Cavaliers hope to keep grabbing victories when ACC play begins Saturday night at the John Paul Jones Arena. First up on the conference schedule is Miami, a team coached by former UVa assistant coach Jim Larranaga. Get ready for the Hurricanes with this Miami Primer.

Greg's Game Report 2011: Auburn
Virginia's return to postseason play after a three-season absence did not go the way many had hoped. In the end, the Cavaliers were who we thought they were: a team with a good FBS offense, a defense that has difficulty with containment, misdirection and elite speed and a team that needs to desperately upgrade its special teams play. First, let's be clear - Auburn is not your typical 7-5 team. All five of the Tigers' losses this season were to teams that won 10 football games and are currently ranked in the top 18. Let's take a closer look in Greg's Game Report.

Cavs Capture Road Win At LSU
The Virginia men's basketball team wrapped up non-conference play with another solid road win on Monday night as it took down LSU 57-52 in Baton Rouge. It's been a long time since the Cavaliers have played this well. With Monday's win, they clicked off a 13-1 start for the first time since 1981-82 when Ronald Reagan was eating jelly beans in the White House and Ralph Sampson was making University Hall his house. The Hoos have won 11 straight games for the first time since 1992-93 when coach Tony Bennett was playing his rookie season in the NBA

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