Bennett: ‘You have to protect the program’
Column by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The Love Affair with Tony Bennett hit a rocky point for Cavalier fans, looking back on it now, sometime around the snowstorm that sent the 14-7 UVa. team back home from Maryland and set up a killer stretch of games that eventually knocked the ‘Hoos from NCAA Tournament contention.
Losing 10 of the last 11, then losing star sophomore Sylven Landesberg and heralded freshman Tristan Spurlock, has pushed some in Wahoo Nation to the brink of wanting to maybe re-evaluate the ol’ relationship.
But the cool Bennett is taking things to that end in stride. Continue reading “Bennett: ‘You have to protect the program’” »
Live Blog: UVa. vs. Duke
Moderated by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
ACCVirginia.com is live at the John Paul Jones Arena for tonight’s men’s basketball game between the University of Virginia (14-12, 5-8 ACC) and #5 Duke (24-4, 11-2 ACC).
The opening tip is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. The game is being broadcast on Fox SportsNet.
Editor Chris Graham is courtside and will provide score updates and analysis and commentary during the game.
Zzzzz … UVa. sleeps through another one
Cavs have hit the wall in back-to-back blowout losses
Column by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Yeah, I’m Master of the Obvious for pointing this out, I know, but somebody’s gotta say it.
Three games in five nights, two on the road, all against teams trying to build their resumes for NCAA Tournament bids. Yeah, you’re going to have a hard time facing those odds.
“I do not think we were fatigued. Our minds were fatigued,” said junior forward Mike Scott, echoing his teammates and coach after the Cavs went down to their fourth straight loss, 69-50 on Wednesday night at home against Florida State.
The snowstorm that moved UVa.’s game at Maryland from last week to Monday night has to be part of the equation as to explaining the recent struggles. You can’t say that the ‘Hoos would have be guaranteed to have won the Maryland and FSU games if only they’d had fresh legs, but back-to-back 19-point losses are out of character for this group, which as recently as last week appeared to be a solid NCAA Tournament team. Continue reading “Zzzzz … UVa. sleeps through another one” »
UVa. women knock off UNC in double-OT
Staff Report
UVa. sports: www.virginiasports.com
No. 21 Virginia defeated No. 20 North Carolina, 82-78, in double overtime on Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena. Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.) led all scorers with 33 points, while Telia McCall (Marietta, Ga.) hauled down 20 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
Virginia improved to 19-6 overall and 8-3 in the conference. The Cavaliers snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Tar Heels, winning for the first time since March 2, 2003 (a 69-59 victory at University Hall). UNC dropped its fifth-straight contest, making its record 16-8 overall and 4-6 in the ACC.
Wright was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line, and added nine rebounds in addition to her 33 points. It was her league-leading sixth 30-point game of the season and she moved up another spot on the ACC’s all-time scoring list. With 2,384 points for her career, she passed NC State’s Genia Beasley (1977-80; 2,367 points) and now is in third place. Continue reading “UVa. women knock off UNC in double-OT” »
UVa. basketball: Back to reality
Choke points at point, center put Cavs’ NCAA run on the ropes
Column by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
All season long I’ve been saying the same thing about the Virginia basketball team that for a good run had everybody thinking, improbably, that the Cavs were headed back to the NCAA Tournament in Tony Bennett’s first year in Charlottesville.
How are they doing it?
Seems like opposing coaches are starting to figure out that this year’s UVa. group, at least, has not one, but two, choke points – at one and five.
“They’re leaving Jontel Evans all alone out there,” broadcaster Dan Bonner observed in the first half of Virginia’s 61-55 loss at Virginia Tech Saturday night, observing astutely that opponents aren’t all that concerned about the freshman starting point guard on the perimeter, nor should they be.
Evans is shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 18.2 percent (2-for-11) from three-point range and 50 percent (5-for-10) from the free-throw line in 2009-2010, horrific numbers across the board for a guard in the Bennett motion offense, which is designed first and foremost to get players open looks from the mid-range and from three. Continue reading “UVa. basketball: Back to reality” »
UVa.-Maryland game moved due to winter storm
Staff Report
UVa. sports: www.virginiasports.com
The Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball game between Maryland and Virginia scheduled at the Comcast Center for Wednesday, Feb. 10, has been postponed until Monday, Feb. 15.
The game’s starting time and television broadcast information will be announced at a later time. All tickets for the originally scheduled game will be honored on the 15th.
Due to the area’s continuing unprecedented winter weather conditions and historic snow accumulations, the University of Maryland, University of Virginia and ACC have agreed that the rare postponement is in the best interest of all involved, after consultation with the campus chief of police and the University’s Associate Vice President for Facilities Management.
The University of Maryland has been closed since Friday, Feb. 5, due to the conditions created by the past weekend’s blizzard. While University crews continue to work hard to remove snow from campus roads, sidewalks, steps and parking lots, there are still large portions of gameday parking lots and sidewalks which remain impassable due to the historic snow totals, to date.
An approaching storm is projected to dump more than a foot of new snow across the region, beginning Tuesday afternoon and continuing well into Wednesday, resulting in conditions that preclude the game from being played as originally scheduled.
XLIV
Column by Mike Judge
WeekendWatchdog.blogspot.com
Will the Saints go marching in?
Or is the Super Bowl Peyton’s place.
We’ll find out starting at 6:30 p.m. (or a few minutes later) Sunday, when the Saints and Colts meet at Joe Robbie/Dolphins/Sun Life Stadium on CBS. Both teams have already visited the facility and won this season – first time that has ever happened.
Some more fun facts from our friends at http://www.the506.com/. Impress your friends. Continue reading “XLIV” »
UVa. slams Pack, climbs back into first-place tie in ACC
Story by Chris Graham
Video: Mustapha Farrakhan poster dunk
Audio: Tony Bennett’s postgame press conference
freepress2@ntelos.net
Mustapha Farrakhan had been dealing with his struggles of late by hitting the gym. Wednesday night he hit North Carolina State with a poster slam dunk that ignited the John Paul Jones Arena crowd and his Virginia teammates.
“I have not seen it yet, but it felt great,” said Farrakhan, who scored nine points in a long second-half 24-6 UVa. run that propelled the surprising Cavaliers to another ACC win, knocking off the Wolfpack by a 59-47 final.
The Virginia lead was at 43-36 after a Farrakhan three when the junior guard picked up a loose ball at midcourt and drove hard to the basket on State guard Javier Gonzalez. The lefthanded Farrakhan elevated over Gonzalez from the right side of the lane and threw the ball down with his right hand while getting fouled by Gonzalez.
The free throw pushed the UVa. lead to 10 with 6:42 to go, and a Farrakhan three from the left corner a minute and a half later pushed the lead to 13 at 51-38. Continue reading “UVa. slams Pack, climbs back into first-place tie in ACC” »
Live Blog | UVa. vs. N.C. State
Moderated by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
ACCVirginia.com will be live at tonight’s UVa.-North Carolina State ACC basketball game.
The game is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff. It is being broadcast on ESPNU.
Editor Chris Graham will be courtside at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville providing score updates and commentary and analysis on the action.
Landesberg named ACC player of the week
Staff Report
ACC sports: www.theacc.com
Virginia’s Sylven Landesberg has been named ACC Player of the Week while Maryland’s Jordan Williams has earned ACC Rookie of the Week recognition.
In Virginia’s 75-60 win at North Carolina Sunday, Landesberg scored a game-high 29 points, had five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot as the Cavaliers’ won for the fourth time in six ACC games.
In earning the award for the second time in three weeks, the Flushing, N.Y., sophomore averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two conference games. On the year, Landesberg is averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
In earning the Rookie of the Week award for the first time this season, Williams averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds as the Terps slit a pair of ACC games. In Tuesday’s 81-59 win over Miami, the Torrington, Conn., product had eight points, six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. In Sunday’s 62-53 loss at Clemson, Williams turned in his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Cavs knock off ‘Canes, sit alone atop ACC
Story by Scott German
UVa. sports: www.virginiasports.com
One would have a difficult time convincing the University of Miami basketball team that indeed Virginia is for lovers. Especially after The U finished up a disastrous four-day visit to the Old Dominion that began Wednesday with an 81-66 loss at Virginia Tech and concluded Saturday night with a 75-57 trouncing by Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena.
Sylven Landesburg scored 18 points to lead the upstart Cavaliers to their seventh straight win, and as importantly a 3-0 start in Atlantic Coast Conference play, leaving Virginia the only unbeaten team in league play.
In improving to 11-4 overall, Virginia is a perfect 3-0 against ranked teams this season. Continue reading “Cavs knock off ‘Canes, sit alone atop ACC” »
