Your guide to breaking news, recruiting updates and important offers from TheSabre.com! |
|
SabreMail - March 18, 2013 |
Sabre Links
Home Page Sabre Edge
Articles/Features
|
||||
Bennett On NIT After being bypassed for an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Virginia men's basketball team received a berth in the National Invitation Tournament as a No. 1 seed. That means the Hoos, appearing for the first time since 2006, have the right to host NIT games for the first three rounds if they win to advance. The Cavaliers open tourney play with Norfolk State at 9 p.m. on Tuesday night at the John Paul Jones Arena. The game is set to be televised by ESPNU. Despite what UVa coach Tony Bennett described as a feeling of being on the outside looking in, the team gathered to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show. When the brackets failed to include Virginia, the team headed out of the JPJ to await its NIT fate. Once the Hoos learned they were in the NIT, the focus shifted to that tournament and the Spartans. NSU (21-11) won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season title. "I told our guys if we have a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, we'll be thankful for that," Bennett said. "If not, I said, then be very thankful to play in the NIT, and let's be the best NIT team we can be." Conventional bracketology had Virginia among the last four teams out of the NCAA Tournament field after a shaky finish to the season. The Cavaliers likely needed two more wins after the victory over Duke in Charlottesville, but they came up with just one among the games against Boston College, Florida State, Maryland, and NC State (in the ACC Tournament). Bennett said that the Hoos had their chances to play their way into the field, but that the quality of play didn't rise to where it needed to be to get the job done. "In some ways, we deserved to be strongly considered but in some ways, we couldn't finish out strong. I said if that's the reason why we don't get in, we had our chances to play our way in and we didn't," Bennett said. "We had a chance to probably secure it but we didn't get it done down the stretch." For Virginia fans and message board posters, the focus shifted in a lot of ways to the computer numbers, namely a suspect RPI and a lousy non-conference strength of schedule rating. Questions abound about decisions to play teams in the bottom 100-150 of the RPI as well as early season tournaments with dangerous implications for bubble teams that pick up a bad loss. Reporters asked Bennett about his scheduling on Sunday night's teleconference. "It wasn't by design we played that poorly of a rated non-conference schedule. We didn't schedule all of those, but we took the chance that we were going to be in the Preseason NIT and we couldn't come through," Bennett said. "You've always got to look at [scheduling]. It's an interesting one because when the Old Dominion game came out, they were projected as the third team in their league - we didn't take care of business, we didn't win, so that's on us - but that's a quality game based on the last nine years and even what's projected going in. Most of the tournaments you play in, whether it is the Maui Invitational, the Paradise Jam, you play [good competition for ratings] in those no matter what. The Preseason NIT is a very prestigious tournament, but there is that risk [of playing lower teams in the ratings]. ... That's a risk. You don't beat them, that's going to mess with your non-conference strength of schedule. Going into this thing knowing we'd be at Wisconsin and all of those deals, we really thought it was a schedule that would be very solid and it could have been obviously if we could have won in the Preseason NIT, that changes everything with your numbers. ... So I think it was a sound schedule, it really was, but you had to take care of business and we didn't take care of business going on the road to George Mason and all of that stuff. It may make me think about playing in those tournaments. [chuckling] I think you want to make sure you're playing those [good ratings] teams when you go to Maui or those as opposed to having to win your way." The future schedules, of course, can be broken down heavily in the weeks to come. First things first, though. The Hoos want to earn a trip to Madison Square Garden for the NIT Final Four. That quest starts with Norfolk State. "Coach Evans has done a great job. I really respect what he's done over the years. When you go [undefeated in your conference regular season], that's impressive," Bennett said. "A couple of years ago we were so fortunate to beat them when Assane [Sene] tipped one in." UVa Athletics Media Relations Official Release with NIT ticket and parking information |
|||||
Recruiting News | |||||
This Week In Recruiting With Chris Horne Football Recruiting The initial series of "Strategy Session" articles for the class of 2014 comes to an end this week with a focus on defensive backs and special teams. UVa is off to an excellent start with DB recruiting, having landed consensus 5-star safety Quin Blanding. Who is next on the staff's target list? I'll break down the potential need areas and top targets later in the week. In case you missed it, be sure to check out last week's feature (linked below), which focused on the defensive line and linebacker positions, in addition to discussing the latest developments based on the pre-spring football roster. Virginia football's spring season begins Monday and runs through the Spring Game on April 6. This is another key time in recruiting, with prospects taking to the road to check out spring practices and visit schools. Chancellor (Fredericksburg, VA) offensive tackle Steven Moss, one of the most coveted linemen in the nation in the class of 2014, is expected on Grounds this weekend for a visit. The 6'5", 290-pound rising senior has visited Virginia numerous times before. Stay tuned to TheSabre.com for more on Moss and other visitor news and reports in the coming weeks. Basketball Recruiting Last week featured articles on UVa class of 2013 signee Devon Hall and class of 2014 commitment BJ Stith. While Stith, a 6'5", 195-pound wing guard, has one more season left to play at Brunswick High School (Lawrenceville, VA), Hall has completed his high school career and is now preparing for his upcoming first year at Virginia. With Jontel Evans' departure, the competition at point guard looks to be open heading into the 2013/2014 season. "I'm going to work my butt off. It's going to be a learning process, no doubt. I want to get stronger and just work hard. I'm going to have to work to come in and play. I feel like I can come in and make an impact and try to win with coach's defensive style," Hall said. For more from Hall and Stith, who is the son of former Virginia basketball great Bryant Stith, check out the EDGE articles linked below. This week, I hope to catch up with Virginia class of 2013 recruit London Perrantes for a look back at his stellar senior season and a look ahead to his career in Charlottesville. The 6'1", 185-pound point guard was just named 2012/2013 Mission League Player of the Year.
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 ...
Devon Hall Turns Attention To UVa
Stith Talks State Title, Offseason Goals
Strategy Session 2014: DL and LBs More recent recruiting updates on The Sabre ...
|
|||||
Support TheSabre.com | |||||
Thank You To Our Sponsors Sponsorships are a critical component of your fan community and their success will permit us to continually improve our services to you. If you are in the market for any of the products and services offered by your sponsors, please give them first chance at your business. Sponsors power TheSabre.com, the No. 1 media source covering UVa Athletics. Thank you for supporting your Sponsors! Check out the current site sponsors here. If you would like to sponsor the site, please contact us. |
|||||
News, Notes, and Fan Discussion | |||||
UVa's Football Schedule Released Virginia Athletics Media Relations Official Release The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2013 football schedules for the 14 schools that will be conference members for the 2013-14 academic year. Virginia's slate features 12 regular-season games, including eight home contests. The schedule marks the first time in Virginia’s history the Cavaliers will play eight home games. Starting times for all contests and the home game designated for Homecomings will be announced at a later date. "This is a very challenging schedule, but it is the type of schedule I want us to play each and every year," Virginia head coach Mike London said. "We will have to be our best in every practice and every game. With eight home games, our fans can really make a difference. We can't do it without them." Virginia will play home games against BYU (Aug. 31), Oregon (Sept. 7), VMI (Sept. 21), Ball State (Oct. 5), Duke (Oct. 19), Georgia Tech (Oct. 26), Clemson (Nov. 2), and Virginia Tech (Nov. 30). Virginia will travel to conference games at Pittsburgh (Sept. 28), Maryland (Oct. 12), North Carolina (Nov. 9) and Miami (Nov. 23). The Cavaliers will have bye weeks on Sept. 14 and Nov 16. Read the full news release here. Check the other ACC schedule news here and here.
Virginia Wins Blue Gray Tennis Classic Virginia Athletics Media Relations Official Release The Virginia women's tennis team won the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic championship, defeating No. 50 Tulane, 4-1, Sunday afternoon at Lagoon Park Tennis Center. The Cavaliers claimed the doubles point and freshmen Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) and Stephanie Nauta (Galveston, Texas) and senior Erin Vierra(Norwell, Mass.) won their respective singles matches. Virginia evens its record at 6-6. UVa returns home for a pair of ACC matches on March 22-23 against Boston College and Virginia Tech. First serve is set for 12 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Snyder Tennis Center.
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. Monday night's show features Virginia ACC Tournament legend Travis Watons and ACC Sports Journal's Dave Glenn. 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 ...
To read the full stories or gather more information on Virginia athletics, check out Virginiasports.com.
|
|||||
UVa Bookstores - The Place for Wahoo Gear! | |||||
Virginia Baseball V-Sabre T-Shirt The Virginia Baseball V-Sabre T-Shirt features a front chest imprint. A two color Virginia is screened diagonally in the UVA Baseball team font between navy baseball stitches. The V-Sabre logo is imprinted on the bottom left of the baseball. This unique design will look great at Davenport or at your local ballpark.
|
|||||
SabreMail History | |||||
Issue No. 171 - January 7, 2005 Will they stay or will they go?
Fortunately for the Wahoos, Ferguson and Blackstock already have indicated that they plan to return for their senior seasons. Brooks also is reportedly leaning toward staying at UVa, while Miller has not made any statement about his plans. Of course, it would be hard to fault Miller for leaving. He just won the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end and is on schedule to graduate in May. Read SabreMail No. 171 here. |
|||||
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:
In Case You Missed It Recent Sabre articles ...
NCSU Ousts UVa At ACC Tournament
Double Bonus: Maryland 2
Hoos Rally Past Terps
Maryland Primer No. 2 2013
Double Bonus: FSU
FSU Snaers Win Over UVa
FSU Primer No. 2 2013
Double Bonus: Boston College 2 |
|||||
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 Wahoo, then the Sabre Edge is right for you. Check it out! |
SabreMail is a trademark of TheSabre.com - Copyright © 2001 - 2013 - All Rights Reserved |
You are receiving SabreMail because you signed up for an account with TheSabre.com using this email address. If you would like to UNSUBSCRIBE from SabreMail, please log in to your account with TheSabre.com and then select ACCOUNT INFO at the top of the page. From there you may deselect SabreMail Weekly Updates. If you have difficulty with this or do not remember your account information, please send an email to staff @ thesabre.com to request to be removed. Please include the email address that the mailings are sent to. Thank you. |