Landesberg named ACC co-player of the week
Staff Report
UVa. sports: www.virginiasports.com
Virginia sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s men’s basketball Co-Player of the Week on Monday (Jan. 18) for his play in Virginia’s victories over nationally ranked conference opponents Georgia Tech and Miami at John Paul Jones Arena last week. Landesberg shared the award with Trevor Booker of Clemson.
The 6-6 Landesberg, who is from Flushing, N.Y., scored 40 points and had eight rebounds in the two games. He also had eight assists, one blocked shot and one steal in 65 minutes of playing time. Read more
Signature win for UVa.
‘Hoos knock off #24 UAB, 72-63
Story by Chris Graham
AFP Audio: Tony Bennett’s postgame press conference
freepress2@ntelos.net
Not that they had a chance to see it for themselves, but UVa. fans will remember the Cavs’ 72-63 win over #24 Alabama-Birmingham Wednesday night.
“It’s not an easy way, but it’s something that when it’s played well stands up to good competition,” said first-year coach Tony Bennett, who got what you have to consider a signature win for his program over UAB, which had come into the untelevised game on a 10-game winning streak and seemed primed early on to make it 11.
The Blazers (11-2) led by as many as eight points in the first half, and it was 50-43 midway through the second half before Virginia took control on the defensive end. Read more
Focus | Cavs grow in 76-55 win over Oral Roberts
Story by Chris Graham
With AFP Audio
Virginia and Oral Roberts traded baskets for 10 minutes. Then the Cavs put the clamps down.
“I think the adjustments were solid. The guys played a little harder and smarter,” coach Tony Bennett said after UVa.’s 76-55 win over Oral Roberts on Saturday in Charlottesville.
It was the second win in three nights for Virginia in the Cancun Challenge, which shifts to Cancun, Mexico, next week, where the Cavaliers will take on Stanford on Tuesday with a possible matchup with fourth-ranked Kentucky on Wednesday looming. Read more
UVa.’s Landesberg on Naismith watch list
The Atlantic Coast Conference placed nine players on the Naismith 2009-10 preseason watch list. The ACC was represented by Florida State’s Solomon Alabi, Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu, Clemson’s Trevor Booker, North Carolina’s Ed Davis, Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal, Virginia’s Sylven Landesberg, Duke’s Kyle Singler and Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez. Read more
ACC InDepth | Can Cavs turn the corner under Bennett?
Before leaving, former UVa. basketball coach Dave Leitao did the program a big favor. He convinced four-star recruit Tristan Spurlock to stay in the fold.
“I was to the point where I didn’t know what I was going to do. I didn’t know if I was going to stay, I didn’t know if I was going to go. I have lots of friends from the Boo Williams team who definitely were trying to get me to go to their schools, and that definitely was something I was looking forward to,” said Spurlock, a 6-7, 215-pound small-forward sharpshooter who had been recruited by Leitao and his staff for three years before committing to the ‘Hoos before his senior season at Word of Life Christian Academy in Woodbridge.
But in the end, when everything was going down with Leitao, who resigned in March after Virginia posted its worst season in 40 years, “Coach Leitao called and told me to wait,” Spurlock said.
“He told me not to get out of my letter of intent. A lot of other people, family and friends, were telling me to get out. A lot of people in the organization told me I should get out. But he definitely didn’t. He told me to stay. He told me to wait for the new coach, to see who it was going to be,” Spurlock said. Read more
Landesberg named to Wooden Watch List
Virginia sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg (Flushing, N.Y.) is one of 50 players named as preseason candidates for the 2009-10 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year trophy. The preseason candidates were announced Wednesday (Aug. 19) by Richard “Duke” Llewellyn, Wooden Award Chairman and founder. Read more
Landesberg’s first impression: Bennett is ‘great guy’
The next question at UVa., after, Who is going to be the new basketball coach, was, What is Sylven Landesberg going to think of the guy? No need to worry there.
“First impression – right off the bat, I thought he was a great guy,” Landesberg told reporters Wednesday after the press conference in which Tony Bennett was introduced as the new head hoops man. Read more
