Hokies Vs. Hoos Food Fight

The 9th Annual Hokies vs. Hoos Food Fight presented by Martin's pits Virginia Tech fans against Virginia fans to see which school can raise the most donations for the Central Virginia Food Bank. Last year, the two fan bases provided 75,000 meals to Central Virginians in need!

The Food Fight competition takes place between the two basketball games featuring UVa and Virginia Tech. So the Food Fight begins this Thursday, Jan. 24 as the Cavaliers travel to Blacksburg and ends on Feb. 12 when Hokies head to Charlottesville. There are three ways to earn points for your team:

• 1. Donate online at this link! Donations accepted from 1/24-2/12. ($1=5 points)
• 2. Donate non-perishable food items or monetary donations at your local Martin's grocery store! Donations accepted from 1/28-2/10. (1 food item=1 point)
• 3. Volunteer to sort food at the Central Virginia Food Bank on Thurs. 1/31 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.! (1 two-hour shift=100 points)

The Hoos have won the Food Fight four years straight and lead the series 5-3 all-time. After the first week of competition, Virginia led the 2013 food fight with 3,992 points vs. 1,884 points from the Hokies.

Make sure to support this great cause and the Hoos!

This Week In Recruiting With Chris Horne

Wednesday, Feb. 6, is National Signing Day for the Class of 2013!

TheSabre.com will have full coverage, including our Signees Page, where you can find out which letters of intent have been officially announced and learn more about UVa's incoming class. As of Feb. 4, the University of Virginia expects to officially welcome 19 high school seniors into its program. One new recruit - linebacker LaChaston Smith - enrolled in January after graduating from South Iredell High School (Statesville, N.C.) in December.

Rivals.com gives UVa's class its best ranking at No. 24 in the nation and fourth in the ACC. Rivals also has the Cavaliers with one 5-star level recruit in Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) tailback Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell, who I plan to catch up with this week for his thoughts on signing with the Hoos.

Of course, Virginia may not be finished just yet. The Cavaliers are right in contention with 6'6", 295-pound offensive lineman George Adeosun, who has become one of the hottest prospects in the country the past few weeks. The Alpharetta (GA) product is considering offers from Arizona State, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Virginia ... all offers that he picked up in a two-week span.

Adeosun made official visits to UVa (Jan. 18) and Oklahoma (Jan. 25) before heading to Arizona State this past weekend. As of last Tuesday, he was hoping to make a decision on or just before Signing Day. Stay tuned for more on his status.

After the letters of intent are in, stay tuned to TheSabre.com for full analysis of the class.

Also, on the basketball front, I'll check in on how UVa recruits Devon Hall and London Perrantes are faring as their seasons wind down. I'll check in on 2014 recruit BJ Stith as well. Stith and the rest of the Brunswick (Lawrenceville, VA) Bulldogs varsity squad were at JPJ to see UVa take down Boston College on Jan. 26.

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.

More recent Sabre recruiting updates ...

Strategy Session: 2014 QBs & RBs
Signing Day 2013 arrives next Wednesday, February 6. As 2013 recruiting comes to an end, 2014 recruiting, which has already been underway for some time, comes into full focus for the University of Virginia coaches and major D1 coaches all across the country. In a series of "Strategy Sessions" over the course of the next month, I will analyze each position and examine which spots will be the biggest needs in the Class of 2014. Up first are two of the most visible spots on the field: Quarterback and tailback.

Marshall Unfazed By Lazor Departure
On Tuesday, it was announced that Bill Lazor, who just completed his third year as UVa offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, had left the program and accepted an assistant coaching position with the Philadelphia Eagles. Virginia quarterback commitment Brendan "Whitey" Marshall, who spoke with the departing Cavaliers assistant on Tuesday, will stand by his commitment to the Hoos despite this new development.

More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...

• Adeosun Set For Final Official
• Sabre Scoop: Adeosun's Stock Soars
• Chancellor Sophomore OL Has Two Offers

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Watson is UVa's 2013 ACC Tournament Legend

Virginia Athletics Media Relations Official Release

Former Virginia standout power forward Travis Watson is the Cavaliers' 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Legend. The 2013 Legends, who will be honored at the ACC Tournament in March, were announced Thursday (Jan. 31) by ACC Commissioner John Swofford. The 60th ACC Tournament is scheduled for March 14-17 in Greensboro, N.C.

The 2013 ACC Tournament Legends also include Gene Corrigan (ACC), Ace Custis (Virginia Tech), Trajan Langdon (Duke), Terrell McIntyre (Clemson), Tharon Mayes (Florida State), Mike O'Koren (North Carolina), Mark Price (Georgia Tech), Carl Tacy (Wake Forest), Gerry Ward (Boston College), Dereck Whittenburg (NC State), Gary Williams (Maryland) and Mike Wittman (Miami).

Watson was a three-time All-ACC performer and four-year letterwinner from 1999-2003. The 6-8 Watson totaled 54 games in which he scored and rebounded in double figures, the 12th highest total in ACC history. Watson averaged in double figures in each of his four seasons at UVa, totaling 1,546 career points, which is 14th on the Virginia career list. He also grabbed 1,115 rebounds in his career, more than any Cavalier save for the legendary Ralph Sampson. Watson's career rebound total places him 15th on the ACC career list.

Named second-team All-ACC in 2001, 2002 and 2003, Watson led the ACC in rebounding in 2002 (9.7) and 2003 (10.4), finished second in 2001 (9.1) and was fourth as a freshman in 2000 (8.3).

Fairchild Named Offensive Coordinator

Virginia Athletics Media Relations Official Releases

Virginia head football coach Mike London announced that offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor had resigned his position with the Virginia football program to accept a coaching position in the National Football League last week.

"I appreciate Bill Lazor's time here as a member of my staff," London said. "We are now wrapping up our recruiting and starting our preparation for the 2013 season. We will move quickly to find a new offensive coordinator to keep the program moving forward."

It didn't take long to find a replacement. London announced the hiring of Steve Fairchild as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last week as well. Fairchild boasts 31 years of coaching experience at both the NFL and collegiate levels, including 16 seasons as an offensive coordinator. Most recently Fairchild was the senior offensive assistant for the San Diego Chargers after a four-year stint as the head coach at Colorado State, which included the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history and a victory in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl.

"Steve Fairchild brings a wealth of experience to Virginia and when you look at the offenses of the teams he has coached, you see high achievement," said London. "Throughout his career you find Steve was a part of coaching staffs that have had tremendous offensive success and we are really fortunate to have him join our staff. Larry Lewis spoke very highly of Steve as they worked together at Colorado State."

"I am very excited to join the football program at the University of Virginia," said Fairchild. "I can't wait to get started. I'm excited about the type of football team we can have and anxious to get to Charlottesville and get to work."

For more on Fairchild from UVa's official release, click here.

Signing Day Celebration At JPJ

Virginia Athletics Media Relations Official Release

Virginia head football coach Mike London and his staff will announce the Cavaliers' 2013 recruiting class at a National Signing Day celebration to be held at John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The event is free of charge and open to the public. Parking in the arena's main (west lot) is also complimentary.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the 90-minute event. Fans will have the opportunity to interact, take photos and get autographs with the coaches and members of the 2013 Cavalier football team on the arena floor for 40 minutes before the start of the program. London and his coaching staff will then provide commentary and coaching insights about the recruiting class accompanied by highlights on the large video screens in JPJ.

All fans attending the event will receive a voucher good for a hot dog or slice of Domino's pizza and a Pepsi product courtesy of the Virginia athletics department. Fans in attendance will also receive raffle tickets and have the opportunity to win a pair of season tickets, pairs of single-game tickets for each home game, a television from Crutchfield, a signed Virginia football helmet and other special prizes.

Roster cards featuring information on each signee, along with other promotional items, will be distributed by the Virginia cheerleaders and Cavman to fans as they enter JPJ.

WINA radio (1070 AM) will broadcast its popular "Best Seat in the House" show live from the event and the Charlottesville Newsplex stations will also provide coverage of the activities.

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 basketball star Wally Walker and TheSabre.com recruiting analyst Chris Horne.

Make sure to check out Hoos Talking on SportsRadio 910 AM (WRNL) or stay tuned to TheSabre.com for archived audio of the broadcasts.

Around the World of Wahoo Sports ...

• No. 11 Virginia Claims 21-19 Win at Maryland: The 11th-ranked Virginia wrestling team finished ACC dual action with a 21-19 victory at Maryland on Friday. The Cavaliers (13-3, 4-1 ACC) earned their first win in College Park since the 2005 season.
• Virginia Wins Six Events at Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup: The Virginia men's and women's track and field teams had strong performances Saturday at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup on the campus of Penn State. In an event that featured 12 men's squads and 13 women's squads, the Cavaliers won six events as the women finished third at the meet and the men finished fourth. The Cavaliers took both 400m titles, with Payton Hazzard winning men's race at 47.17, the second-fastest indoor time in school history. Jordan Lavender won the women's 400m title in 54.69, matching her personal record. Virginia took the men's mile with Mark Amirault winning at 4:03.40. Amirault's time is the sixth fastest in school history. Ryan Satchell won the men's triple jump with a personal record of 50'8.75", the sixth best mark in school history. Natalia Kuhn won the women's 600m at 1:32.88 and Barbara Strehler took the women's 3000m title with a personal record of 9:41.14.
• Virginia Suffers First Home ACC Loss: The Virginia women's basketball team lost at home to an ACC opponent for the first time this season, falling to Georgia Tech, 65-62.
• Virginia Beats VCU in Dual Opener: The No. 12 Virginia women's tennis team defeated No. 47 VCU, 5-2, in its 2013 dual match season opener Friday. The Cavaliers (1-0) claimed the doubles point and four of six singles matches to earn the win.

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

Winter Clearance Sale!

Save big with special deals from the UVA Bookstore's annual Winter Clearance sale. Quantities are limited, so get them before they are gone. Items include sweatshirts, backpacks, knit caps, and more!

Issue No. 522 - Nov. 14, 2011

More From Malcolm Brogdon

Virginia's Malcolm Brogdon played his first game in the orange and blue Sunday afternoon as UVa rolled past South Carolina State 75-38. Read TheSabre.com's free game recap for more on the contest and redshirt freshman James Johnson. Sabre Editor Kris Wright talked with Brogdon after the game and some of his answers to media questions that didn't make the story follow.

On his role ...

"[Coach Bennett] thinks I'm going to be in the rotation, but it just depends on how I perform and I progress. I think I'm definitely going to have the opportunity because that's the kind of coach he is, he gives his players opportunities."

On his style ...

"I definitely like to get my teammates open. I like to get in the lane and make decisions with the ball whether its finish, hand it off to a teammate, or kick it out to a shooter like Joe [Harris]. I like to shoot it; I like to handle it and shoot it a little bit."

On playing under control ...

"I think I've actually picked it up, started picking it up over the summer because I never ran point guard in high school. So it's a big adjustment to handle the ball but I'm learning from Jontel Evans, he's a really good point guard. I'm learning from him every day. Competiting against the best will get you a lot better."

On learning the defense ...

"That's been the roughest part by far. The defense we play here at Virginia is like no other really. It's about being in the gap. It's about boxing out when the shot goes up. It's about communicating - communicating is the biggest thing in our defense. If you don't play defense, you won't play. It's that simple."

On Jontel Evans ...

"The first time I played against Jontel in practice, he destroyed me. Just running circles around me. I just had to learn how to guard him and I'm still learning how to guard him. He still gets me. [His defense] is really tough too. That's equally as tough as guarding him because he's a great defender. He really is."

Read SabreMail No. 522 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:

• FanWatch: The Sabre's FanWatch series is making a comeback in 2013. Stay tuned!
• Double Bonus: The men's basketball team continues to play its ACC slate. Editor Kris Wright gives you in-depth analysis after ACC games in a feature called the "Double Bonus" so make sure to check it out.

In Case You Missed It

Recent Sabre articles ...

Jackets Halt UVa's Streak
Virginia's 60-point streak ended and as a result so did its four-game ACC winning streak. The UVa men's basketball team struggled to score down the stretch with just a single field in more than 9 minutes and that cost the visitors dearly as Georgia Tech rallied to win. The Yellow Jackets erased a 9-point deficit and outscored the Cavaliers 18-3 in the final 8 minutes to prevail 66-60 in Atlanta.

Georgia Tech Primer 2013
After gutting out a 58-55 home victory against NC State, the Virginia Cavaliers (15-5, 5-2 ACC) hit the road again for a Super Bowl Sunday showdown against Georgia Tech (11-8, 1-6 ACC) in Atlanta. Will the Wahoos extend their ACC winning streak to 5 games, or will they get stung by the Yellow Jackets? Find out in the Georgia Tech Primer.

Double Bonus: NC State
Another round of stingy defense and strong ball security led the Virginia men's basketball team to its fourth straight conference win on Tuesday night. The Cavaliers knocked off No. 19 NC State behind a defensive effort that held yet another ACC opponent to less than 60 points. UVa also committed just 8 turnovers in the 58-55 victory. Let's look at some of the other key details in the "Double Bonus."

Strong Effort Pushes UVa Past NCSU
Virginia defeated No. 19 NC State on Tuesday night, 58-55, keeping the Wolfpack as the only winless ACC team at the John Paul Jones Arena. UVa has won 12 straight games at the JPJ, matching the program's longest streak in the building. Joe Harris led all scorers with 22 points and helped the Hoos to their fourth straight conference win.

NC State Primer 2013
After riding a strong second half to a 65-51 home victory against Boston College on Saturday afternoon, the Virginia Cavaliers (14-5, 4-2 ACC) return to action at the John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday against the NC State Wolfpack (16-4, 5-2 ACC). Will the Wahoos win their fourth straight, or will the Wolfpack follow up on their first victory over UNC in 14 games? Find out in the NC State Primer.

Double Bonus: Boston College
The Virginia men's basketball team picked up its third straight ACC win by stopping Boston College over the weekend. The Hoos' 65-51 triumph marked the third straight game with a double-digit margin of victory too. It was also the fifth time in five league games that the opponent fell short of 60 points. In other words, the Cavaliers have found their stride for now as the 18-game ACC schedule rolls along. Let's take a close look at the BC win in the "Double Bonus."

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