Fan-Friendly NBA Fix

I love Bill Simmons, as most people do. I also [used to] enjoy the NBA. If you're lukewarm on both the Sports Guy and the NBA, you probably want to skip this article. But if you like either, you need to read this!

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Season Defined

Well, I went out on a limb and said the Miami game was a must-win for the basketball program; that it was a game that would ultimately define the season. The Hoos hung for a while, but eventually fell 74-62. Mike Scott was held scoreless, and seemed listless all game.

Season defined.

We weren't good enough to survive an unfairly-scheduled five-game meat grinder against ACC teams headed to the NCAA Tournament (Wake, VT, Maryland, FSU, Clemson), and the losing set us on a downward spiral that led to another loss in Coral Gables. Next is a home game against Duke, and another certain loss. Next week's game at Boston College represents our last chance to rally for a .500 record this season.

I think we all knew that there would be no quick fixes for Tony Bennett with this team. However, the 5-2 start in ACC play inflated everyone's expectations... that the team failed to live up to those expectations isn't much a surprise to me. I think there are really a few things that need to happen before Virginia Basketball is an NCAA Tournament contender once again:

1) Cycling the Leitao players out of the program.
Our roster is littered with scholarship players who are poor fits for Bennett Ball. Guards who aren't sound with the ball, aren't particularly good off the bounce, aren't consistent defenders, and aren't reliable shooters/scorers -- Farrakhan, Jeff Jones, and Calvin Baker. Wings who are one-dimensional or no-dimensional -- Tristan Spurlock and Solomon Tat. A big who lacks the basketball experience/acumen to play sound low post defense -- Assane Sene. We're trying grind out a season with an extremely flawed and at times downright dysfunctional roster. To Coach Bennett's credit, sometimes it has worked. But we need to see these players listed above exiting the program, and their scholarships filled by players who are better fits in Bennett's systems... and frankly just all-around better players overall.

2) Layering talent. Specifically, layering talent that can SCORE.
Anyone who has watched UVA play this season can tell you that we have Sylven Landesberg scoring the ball, often Mike Scott scoring the ball, and on rare occasions Sam Zeglinski, Mustapha Farrakhan, or Jeff Jones scoring the ball. Jerome Meyinsse has pitched in some garbage buckets from time to time. Beyond that, we have no scoring. Sene and Jontel Evans are offensive liabilities when they're on the court, and that's putting it very gently. Virginia Basketball won't win consistently until/unless we can put three reliable scorers and five scoring threats on the court at all times, which means we need a MINIMUM of six players on the roster who can score on a dependable basis. Right now we have two such players (maybe two-and-a-half if you count Sammy.) Coach Bennett preaches defense and ball security first, but you can't ever win games if you can't outscore the other team. We need an influx of athleticism, of low post grit, of winning mentality and hustle, but especially of confident and competent scoring ability. Every single recruiting class needs to include at least one guard who can score and one big who can generate offense. More importantly, every recruiting class must include legit ACC-level talent. No more scholarship-swallowing stiffs!

3) Overcoming the losing mentality.
Face facts. It's a harsh reality, but right now the Virginia basketball team is soft. Need proof? They have generally struggled to win close games this season (think back to the Stanford, Penn State, Auburn, and both Virginia Tech games.) Other than against Cleveland State and ACC cellar-dweller NC State, they have proven themselves unable to overcome adversity. They allow poor efforts to snowball into embarrassing blowouts (think back to the USF, Maryland, Florida State, and both Wake Forest games.) But why is this happening? With an energetic new coach and a mostly excited fanbase, how has this happened? I think you need to look no further than a damning lack of on-court leadership. There may be some big personalities on this team, but none of them have stepped up as the rallying point for the team during difficult times. I think Coach Bennett can develop some leaders, but I also think overcoming three seasons worth of losing will be a difficult thing for this current group of players to accomplish. We have no players who strike me as the type of guy who just flat out refuses to lose. And that's an alarming realization. Losing has become weirdly comfortable to these guys, it seems.



So what's the answer?

At this point, all I can say is CLEAN HOUSE.

The scholarships of Calvin Baker, Jamil Tucker, Solomon Tat, and Jerome Meyinsse come off the books after this season. Baker and Tat are good stories, and Mayo plays hard, but I say good riddance to all. None of them are legit ACC-level players.

Rumors are swirling that Tristan Spurlock and/or Assane Sene might transfer after this season. If it happens, I say good riddance. Spurlock is about the worst fit any player could be with a Bennett team, and Sene hasn't improved in nearly 19 months in Charlottesville. He's not skilled enough and not disciplined enough to ever be a reliable contributor to a Bennett team.

Finally, Sylven Landesberg might still be mulling the jump to the NBA. I don't think he's ready, at all. I hope he gets that message and decides to stick around, because losing his scoring ability would absolutely cripple any chances that next year's team has to be competitive in ACC play. But if he puts on the blinders and charges ahead to the next level, I have to say good riddance. He's still a defensive liability, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. His flat unwillingness to step up as a leader has been beyond frustrating to watch.


Tony Bennett needs to be ready to build around the core of this team -- Landesberg (if he stays), Mike Scott, Sam Zeglinski, Jontel Evans, and the incoming freshmen.

The "next step" for the 2010-2011 effort will be to establish a few more reliable scorers, develop some sort of baseline toughness level for the team, and assemble another good recruiting class.

It's going to be a long, hard process, and it's only just begun. More patience is required... which really sucks. I'm tired of waiting.

Pizza Cone?!

Brace yourselves. This is not related to UVA athletics in any way, shape, or form. But it needs to be said. By me. To you. Right now.

My friend Alex is making a special trip from Charlottesville to New York City, just so he can try the culinary masterpiece (read: Frankenstein's Monster) known as the PIZZA CONE.

Learn more about the cone HERE.

And HERE.

Good luck, Alex. Good luck and godspeed.


As a treat to my loyal Wahooze readers, Alex will be preparing a blow-by-blow account of his pizza cone experience, to be featured here! So be ready and be excited for that, coming early next week!

UVA @ Miami -- a game to define the season

Yeah, I know I preached patience a couple of days ago, but after really digesting this five-game losing streak I have a new point to make: Any progress Tony Bennett has made with Virginia Basketball this season is teetering in the balance with four games to play prior to the ACC Tournament. Losing all four to finish 14-15 and on a nine game losing streak would completely demolish the faith the fans have placed in Bennett Ball, and I think it would strike a resounding blow against whatever confidence the players have built up in their coach's systems.

Make no mistake, we need to win another game or two down the stretch.

@ Miami
Duke
@ Boston College
Maryland

That's the schedule. At this point, I think we have to assume losses to Duke (a legit Elite Eight type of team this season) and Maryland (whose big guards offer a matchup nightmare for Virginia), which leaves the two away games against Miami and BC.

If we lose tomorrow night in Coral Gables, is there any chance we could pick ourselves up off the mat after the inevitable beatdown at the hands of Duke in order to rally for a victory at BC? I think no.

I also think that going from 14-6 / 5-2 ACC to 14-15 / 5-11 ACC would be an extremely tough pill to swallow for everyone following Virginia Basketball.

If we enter the ACC Tournament at 14-15, there's no chance we'd be able to win two games in a row -- including against a top-four conference team on Friday -- and thus no chance to rally to 16-16 and a chance at the postseason.

So yeah, I'll go ahead and say it. While we all need to have patience in the product Coach Bennett is building over the long haul, I think tomorrow night's game against Miami is a MUST-WIN for the Virginia Basketball program. For better or worse, it's a game that will ultimately define this season. Will we remember the baby steps we've taken forward this season, or will we remember the ten game collapse that ended it?

#1

In case you missed it, college baseball season opened this past weekend. #2-ranked Virginia traveled down to Greenville NC to take on the #11-ranked ECU Pirates. UVA won 6-2 on Friday night behind six strong innings from ace Danny Hultzen, lost 6-1 on Saturday, and then won the series with a 14-11 victory on Sunday. The 2-1 series win over a top-15 caliber squad earned Virginia a slight bump up in the latest rankings. Congratulations to Coach Brian O'Connor and the Virginia Baseball team -- now ranked #1 in the nation for the first time ever!

This team is legit, my friends. A return trip to Omaha for the College World Series is definitely in the crosshairs...

Up next for the Hoos: George Washington on Wednesday and a three-game series against Rhode Island this weekend, all at home. 2-1 today, very possibly 6-1 this time next week.

GO HOOS!

Patience...

So we peaked at 5-2 in the conference after our solid home win over NC State. Since then, the schedule has stiffened, and the bottom has fallen out of the 2009-2010 version of Virginia Basketball. Five losses (including blowouts in the last three) later, and it's clear that this team is still lacking talent... in a very big way. We have two players -- Sylven Landesberg and Mike Scott -- who are ACC-caliber starters. The rest of the team is depth chart role players, at best. I had a feeling we had peaked at 5-2; that it'd still be a battle to finish at .500 in the ACC. But this five-game slide hasn't dampened my excitement for the future. Our 16th-ranked recruiting class is ripe with talent and specifically fills several glaring holes on this roster. K.T. Harrell should be able to step right in as the reliable third scoring option. James Johnson will give us immediate and legitimate beef in the post. Joe Harris could deliver a game-changing shooting stroke from the perimeter. Will Regan will offer grit in the paint and another strong presence on the glass.

This season is the first step. The players are [slowly, painfully, glacially] learning how to play Bennett Ball. They are improving their fundamentals. Short term gratification is being sacrificed for long term success. Once Coach Bennett receives his first wave of reinforcements and can truly begin to mold this team to fit his vision, we'll start to see real progress.

Hang in there. Be patient.

Projected Football Two-Deep

I owe you guys a post detailing the new coaching staff, and that's coming. I just need a bit more time to break down and digest the Bill Lazor (offensive coordinator) hire, and figure out what type of offense his "pro style" truly entails.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to put together an [insanely early] guess at what our two-deep depth chart will look like. Here goes...


(Note: * indicates a position switch.)

OFFENSE:
QB) Ross Metheney (RS Fr.) / Michael Strauss (Fr.)
RB) Dominique Wallace (RS Fr.) / Torrey Mack (So.) / Perry Jones (So.)
FB) Ryan Cobb* (Fr.) / Curt Orshoski (Jr.)
WR) Kris Burd (Jr.) / Jared Green (Jr.) / Dontrelle Inman (Sr.)
WR) Tim Smith (So.) / Javaris Brown (So.) / Quintin Hunter (RS Fr.)
TE) Joe Torchia (Sr.) / Colter Phillips (So.) / Paul Freedman (So.)
LT) Landon Bradley (Jr.) / Lamar Milstead (Jr.)
LG) Austin Pasztor (Jr.) / Isaac Cain (Sr.)
C) Anthony Mihota (Jr.) / Jack Shields (Sr.)
RG) B.J. Cabbell (Sr.) / Billy Cuffee (Jr.)
RT) Oday Aboushi (So.) / Morgan Moses (Fr.)

DEFENSE:
RDE) Cam Johnson* (Jr.) / John-Kevin Dolce* (Sr.)
NT) Nick Jenkins (Jr.) / Buddy Ruff (So.)
DT) Zane Parr* (Jr.) / Brent Urban* (RS Fr.)
LDE) Matt Conrath (Jr.) / Will Hill (So.)
WLB) Ausar Walcott* (So.) / Tucker Windle (So.)
MLB) Steve Greer (So.) / Darnell Carter (Sr.)
SLB) Bill Schautz (So.) / Jared Detrick (Sr.)
FS) Rodney McLeod (Jr.) / Mike Parker (Sr.)
SS) Corey Mosley (Jr.) / Corey Lillard (So.)
CB) Ras-I Dowling (Sr.) / Javanti Sparrow (So.)
CB) Chase Minnifield (Jr.) / Dom Joseph (Jr.)

SPECIALISTS:
K) Robert Randolph (Jr.) / Drew Jarrett (So.)
P) Jimmy Howell (Jr.) / Nathan Rathjen (Sr.)


Some thoughts generated by this exercise:

The QB position is [obviously] going to be under the microscope this spring and summer. Marc Verica figures to be back as a fifth-year senior, but if he's only marginally better than one (or more) of the young guys, I suspect Coach London will opt to go with a new face who can learn on the job in 2010. My guess is that ends up being Ross Metheney, but I could just as easily see it be spring-enrolled true freshman Michael Strauss. Finding a "franchise quarterback" will be the primary mission this season.

There's not a lot of on-field experience, but I think our tailback position is loaded. Assuming Dominique Wallace can bounce back from his Lisfranc injury, he could be the bellcow, while small shifty guys like Perry Jones, Torrey Mack, and Kevin "KP" Parks (if he doesn't redshirt) can provide the explosive element to the running game. We already know that Coach London wants to run the football. Look for these guys to see lots and lots of burn this season.

We have a lot of wide receivers on the roster right now, but none of them really have much in the way of star quality. The closest is probably Tim Smith, though Javaris Brown and Jared Green have flashed at various points in the past. Kris Burd is my favorite receiver on the team. He's not a burner, but he showed some great hands, body control, and instincts trying to snag Jameel Sewell's wounded ducks last season.

The spread offense doesn't require a fullback or a tight end, and those two positions really eroded in just one season of neglect. Look for true freshman Ryan Cobb to emerge as the starting fullback, while Joe Torchia and Colter Phillips improve from what was a shaky 2009 season for the tight ends. There is talent at the position, it just needs more focused coaching, and new tight ends coach Scott Wachenheim brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. I expect the tight ends to emerge as a surprise strength of the team this season.

The o-line is experienced and deep, but lacks top-tier ability or star power at any given position. I'm expecting a solid season from the big uglies, but nothing special. More power running should play to the o-line's strengths. Three specific players to watch: 1) Anthony Mihota, who should be able to beat out undersized Jack Shields for the starting center position now that Al Groh's doghouse has been relocated to Atlanta. 2) Oday Aboushi, who is potentially the most talented OL on the roster -- but will he be able to crack the starting lineup with only the right tackle position not filled by a returning starter? 3) Morgan Moses... if the big guy makes it into school, I'd put his odds at landing a starting spot at 50-50, and he's a natural right tackle.

There will be plenty of shuffling around on the d-line, but Matt Conrath and Nick Jenkins are two players the new staff will be able to count on to provide a big impact. Zane Parr showed a lot last year, playing in relief of an injured Conrath, and I think his game translates well to defensive tackle, playing a one-gap role. My biggest worry is the pass rush... as in, who will generate pressure on the opposing QB? The big x-factor is Cam Johnson, who figures to move from outside linebacker to defensive end. The success or failure of Johnson in that role will likely correlate pretty directly to the success or failure of the defense as a whole. Chris Brathwaite was a nice start, but Coach London MUST recruit more edge rushers!

Steve Greer is the one "sure thing" at linebacker right now. The two outside spots are wide open, and should be hotly contested this spring and summer. I projected the two guys who I feel have the most potential as dynamic playmaking starters into those starting positions -- Ausar Walcott (a converted safety) at Will and Billy Schautz at Sam. London wants linebackers who can run and flow to the ball, as opposed to the big plodders Al Groh preferred on the outside. Therefore, as many of our current OLBs shift to the DE position, we'll be left a bit thin at the linebacker positions. Yes, here is another recruiting priority.

The secondary should, beyond any shadow of a doubt, be our team's biggest strength this season. Ras-I is a future first round NFL draft pick, and Rodney McLeod, Corey Mosley, and Chase Minnifield are each entering their third seasons of either starting or playing major minutes in the defensive backfield. There's also a lot of talent waiting in the wings. If the front seven can stop (slow) the run and generate a pass rush, the secondary has the ability to make plays that will win games.

For the first time in what seems like forever, we have some stability at the kicking positions. Robert Randolph is a solid placekicker and Jimmy Howell is a solid punter. No issues at either spot.


It's really, really early, but I see some nice potential with this team. If a few key players (any QB, Dominique Wallace, Cam Johnson, any OLB) can stay healthy and step up, we could surprise some people this season.