UVA Bookstores Cyber Week Sale

TheSabre.com's longest running sponsor, UVA Bookstores, is holding a Cyber Week Sale through Thursday, Nov. 29 2012 while supplies last. This is a great opportunity to support the site's sponsors!

Some of the great deals include:

Fathead V-Sabre Wall Decal - Reg. $89.99, Now $19.99!

V-Sabre Virginia Sweatshirt - Reg. $34.99, Now $16.88!

V-Sabre Virginia Varsity Jacket - Reg. $99.99, Now $59.88!

For all of UVA Bookstores' great Cyber Week Sale items, click here!

This Week In Recruiting With Chris Horne

Tabor Academy (Marion, MA) senior defensive tackle/offensive lineman Tevin Montgomery is expected to make his college choice this week. The 6'5", 290-pound prospect is expected to choose from Boston College, Vanderbilt, and Virginia.

Montgomery has visited all three schools at least once, including a trip to UVa back in August. He took an official visit to Boston College the weekend of Nov. 17, and BC, which just let go head coach Frank Spaziani, is the only school to receive an official visit from the talented athlete. What that means remains to be seen, though a decision should come by the end of the week.

This week I hope to reach Montgomery for the latest on his recruitment. And if there is any breaking news, I'll be sure to report it.

Otherwise, Virginia's class of 2013 is set for the most part, but the Hoos could still add another player or two before February Signing Day rolls around. At the top of the Cavs' list is heralded senior defensive back Priest Willis, who at least plans to give UVa a closer look with an official visit scheduled for this coming weekend.

Willis is a cousin of Cavalier freshman linebacker Demeitre Brim, but this weekend's visit will be huge for Virginia's chances going forward. The Marcos De Niza (Tempe, AZ) product has offers from some of the top programs in the nation. He already has taken officials to Nebraska and Florida State, and he is considering LSU, Notre Dame, and others.

TheSabre.com plans to have more on Willis' recruitment before and after his trip to UVa this weekend.

The Contact Period for 2013 Class recruiting is underway, meaning the staff can make in-home and in-school visits with high school senior recruits. With most of the class complete, the staff will be busy keeping the committed players in the fold (most of the class seems solid) while also wooing those few remaining uncommitted targets.

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 ...

Mizzell Setting The Bar High For Next Season
Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell burst onto the varsity scene as a sophomore in 2010, when, as Bayside's (Virginia Beach, VA) starting tailback, he rushed for 1,472 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. The 5'10", 190-pound prospect doesn't plan on waiting a year before becoming an impact player at the University of Virginia.

Sabre Scoop: Updates On Cook, Mizzell
In this latest edition of Sabre Scoop, Bayside (Va. Beach, VA) 5-star RB Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell talks recruiting and Fork Union (VA) safety Malcolm Cook answers how solid his commitment to Virginia is. Also get the latest news and notes on the football recruiting trail.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Smith, South Iredell Advance To State Championship
• Corporan Talks Visit, Commitment Status

Give The EDGE As a Gift!

Give the Perfect Gift to your favorite Wahoo fan this year, an annual subscription to Sabre EDGE! TheSabre.com is your one-stop shop for all UVa sports information, commentary and discussion. Read articles from our excellent staff of sportswriters, including TheSabre.com's editor-in-chief, Kris Wright. Our resident recruiting expert, Chris Horne, will keep you up to date with recruiting from around the state and beyond. No one covers Virginia's premier sports better than TheSabre.com. Take your fanship to the next level with a Sabre Edge subscription! Scroll to the bottom of the page to see what Sabre EDGE has to offer.

Gift Subscriptions are for a full year and cost $59.99. A gift message can be included and you can request a specific date range for the email notification to the gift recipient. All credit card orders are safe and secured through GoDaddy.com Digital Security. Give the Sabre EDGE as a Gift Today!

License Plate section is up in Wahoowa!

In recent months, 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.

Virginia Teams Prep For ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The Virginia men's and women's basketball teams hit the court for ACC/Big Ten Challenge games this week. The UVa men's game is at Wisconsin on Wednesday, Nov. 28. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN2. The Virginia-Wisconsin game is the first meeting between Virginia and Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the third meeting overall. The teams split the two previous meetings.

The women's team will face Minnesota in a Big Ten/ACC Challenge game against the Golden Gophers on Thursday, Nov. 29 in Minneapolis. The Cavaliers have a 4-1 record all-time in the Challenge, as Virginia defeated Wisconsin (2007), Illinois (2008), Purdue (2009) and Indiana (2011). UVa's lone loss in the event was at Ohio State in 2010. Virginia and Minnesota will meet for the fifth time, with the Golden Gophers holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series.

Hoos Talking Airs On Monday Nights

Hoos Talking, TheSabre.com's radio partner from Richmond, is back on the air for its fourth season! The show airs on Monday nights LIVE from 6-7 p.m. on SportsRadio 910 AM (WRNL) in Richmond or on the internet for Hoos outside of the Richmond area.

Tonight's show features UVa football's Bobby Call and UVa basketball's Cory Alexander.

Make sure to check out Hoos Talking on SportsRadio 910 AM (WRNL) or stay tuned to TheSabre.com for archived audio of the broadcasts, presented for FREE by Sabre sponsor St. Maarten Cafe.

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• Virginia Splits Games At San Juan Shootout: The Virginia women's basketball team opened the San Juan Shootout tournament in Puerto Rico with a 73-66 victory over No. 17 Vanderbilt. Jazmin Pitts scored a career-high 20 points. A whistle blown in the final 0.4 seconds of the game was the deciding factor in the team's 74-73 loss to Syracuse in the finale of the San Juan Shootout. Sarah Imovbioh led the way in that game with 20 points.
• No. 17 Cavaliers Fall at No. 12 Virginia Tech, 25-6: The 17th-ranked Virginia wrestling team dropped a 25-6 decision to 12th-ranked Virginia Tech Sunday afternoon at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg.George DiCamillo and Jon Fausey each scored wins for the Cavaliers (6-2, 0-1 ACC). Fausey earned ACC Wresler of the Week honors the previous week after he pinned then-No. 8 Grant Gambrall of Iowa.
• Virginia Ends Season with 3-0 Loss at Virginia Tech: The Virginia volleyball team wrapped up its 2012 season with a 28-26, 25-14, 25-17 loss at Virginia Tech on Friday. Senior Jessica O'Shoney had eight kills for Virginia, which concludes its first season under head coach Dennis Hohenshelt with a 9-22 record (3-17 ACC).
• Bausback Named to ACC Volleyball All-Freshman Team: Virginia volleyball freshman Natalie Bausback has been named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball All-Freshman Team.
• Cavaliers Announce Four Additions for 2013: Virginia volleyball coach Dennis Hohenshelt announced that Jasmine Burton, Haley Kole, Meghan McDowell, and Alex Thorson have signed National Letters-of-Intent to join the Cavaliers for the 2013 season. "To say I'm more than pleased with this class would be an understatement," Hohenshelt said. "They are all very good volleyball players coming from good high school program, good clubs and have been trained really well. It's a big class right now and hopefully will get a little bigger, but it was important that we add some depth to our team. We are trying to create a competitive atmosphere in the practice gym and I expect all four to be able to come in, jump into the mix and compete for playing time right away. We're happy they all chose to come to UVa to get a great education, play volleyball and be a part of our bright future."

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

Personalized TheSabre.com Hat

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Please note that the UVA Bookstore may refuse to produce a cap it deems inappropriate. As this is a personalized item, there are no refunds or returns. Please allow three weeks for shipping.Cap pictured is a mock-up only.

Issue No. 223 - January 6, 2006

Post of the Week

Subject: On the folly of comparing coaches too early
Posted by: TheGrinch on Tue Jan 3 2006 10:23:14 PM
Message: There have been a lot of posts comparing Pete's first year and Dave's first year, and their classes, etc. ...

Despite the posturing by some anti-Petes, at this point in Gillen's first year, there was very little to criticize. At this point in Dave's first year, there is very little to criticize.

It's just not fair to compare them, and it's no more fair to judge Dave a success or a failure at this stage than it was to judge Pete a success or failure at this stage. Both coaches inherited a desperate talent deficit, and deserve(d) a few years before judgement.

I think a lot of people are still bitter about being "taken in" by Pete, believing that he could lead us to the promised land, and are disappointed in the results and resolved not to "make the same mistake again," which I understand. I'm bitter about buying the line myself.

But I think it's led to excessive and unfair negativity about Dave, as if everyone wants to be the first poster to 'discover' what turns out to be Dave's fatal flaw (as defense and discipline were Pete's). Let's just let it ride.

As in Pete's first year, there should be NO expectations for this year. We have seven healthy scholarship players, each with some flaws that more talented complementary players could minimize, but our talent deficit is dramatic, so the flaws can easily become the focus, instead of the strengths. Unfortunately, the rush to be the "I told you so" guy seems to be shifting our focus to the flaws.

Let's just watch the team's development and root for the establishment of a new philosophy that can catapult us to the upper level in the ACC, accepting that this year's team could get absolutely clocked and still be a success.

Read SabreMail No. 223 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:

• The Sabre Interview: Mike Ingalls is working on his latest in-depth interview with some of your favorite Hoos. Up next? Basketball star Jimmy Miller.
• Postgame coverage: Stay turned for articles on the football team's loss to VT from JHoo and Greg Waters.

In Case You Missed It ...

Sabre articles and blog posts since the last SabreMail

The Sunday Sampler 2012 - Virginia Tech
I've got nothing. Sorry, Virginia fans. I know you want my opinion or thoughts on the final two minutes and "The Great Timeout Caper of 2012" but I've got nothing. I can come up with no logical, factual, or 'reasonable doubt' mindset to describe why Virginia and coach Mike London let two minutes of precious time dwindle away as Virginia Tech set up for the game-winning field goal.

Hoos Fall To Hokies
For the first time since 2009, the Virginia football team took a lead in its rivalry showdown with Virginia Tech. It didn't last. The Hokies rallied from a 14-7 deficit in the second half to capture the 17-14 win in Blacksburg, handing the Cavaliers their ninth straight loss in the series. While the score remained closer than the last three meetings, the loss still stung for the Hoos, who finished the season 4-8 and 2-6 in the ACC.

Greg's Grades And Trends: UNC, Virginia Tech
It somehow seems fitting that Virginia's fleeting postseason hopes would end in a game that was a microcosm of the Cavaliers' inconsistent play in 2012. For 45 minutes, the Hoos made a game of it but the issues that have plagued UVa all season continued in game 11. It was the same old song we've been humming all season long. In short, the Cavaliers continue to do the things bad teams, and losing teams do.

Game Preview 2012: Virginia Tech
The theme this week is simple. End the streak. Virginia Tech has reeled off 8 straight wins in this rivalry matchup. This year's showdown carries a different feel than a year ago when the winner was headed to the ACC Championship Game. At 4-7 UVa has been eliminated from bowl consideration and it enters this contest trying to play the role of spoiler.

Wahoos Drop Mean Green
Another balanced scoring effort complemented by a good defensive outing propelled Virginia to a win in the NIT Preseason Tip-Off consolation round. The Cavaliers placed five players in double figures and held North Texas to 36.2% shooting to pick up the 80-64 victory Tuesday night at the John Paul Jones Arena. The Hoos have won three straight games.

Hoos Prepare For Rivalry Showdown
Saturday will mark the 94th meeting between rival in-state schools Virginia and Virginia Tech. The series, dating back to 1895, is led by the Hokies 51-37-5. The series was practically even until the late 90's. But the Hoos have managed just one win since their dramatic come-from-behind victory in Blacksburg in 1998. The last win was a home contest in 2003 when current Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub led the Cavaliers to a resounding victory, 35-21.

Cavaliers Crush Lamar
The Virginia men's basketball team burst out of the gates Monday night with a shooting barrage and never let Lamar back in the game en route to the 63-44 NIT Preseason Tip-Off victory. UVa canned 5 of 6 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes to build an 18-point lead, which the Cardinals never trimmed below double digits the rest of the way.

JHoo's Things I Learned 2012: UNC
Well, the last two weeks were nice, weren't they? Winning four straight games to sneak into a bowl game always was a tall task, but it was a nice dream while it lasted. On Thursday, things came crashing back to Earth for the Cavaliers, however, as North Carolina pulled away to win. Let's look at what can be learned from the UNC game.

Lamar Primer 2012
After a convincing 83-43 home victory against the Seattle Redhawks on Saturday, the Virginia Cavaliers (2-2) return to the court on Monday to take on the Lamar Cardinals (0-3) of the Southland Conference. Will the Wahoos make the most of the consolation bracket of the NIT Preseason Tip-Off, or will they fall under .500 for the third time this season? Find out in the Lamar Primer.

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