Virginia 13, Bucknell 12, OT

Chris Bocklet: STUD.

The Hoos overcame a 10-6 deficit in the 3rd quarter to beat Bucknell today in overtime.  Great game.  Chris Bocklet led the way with five goals and Steele Stanwick pitched in five assists.

We were still plagued by shaky defense, poor faceoffs, and a frustrating inability to snag ground balls, but Adam Ghitelman (11 saves) was solid between the pipes and the offense did just enough -- especially in the clutch -- to win the game against a very good Bison team.

Up next is 2-seed Cornell on Saturday at 12:00 noon.  Trust me, the Big Red is not enthused about seeing this Virginia team sitting there waiting for them in the quarterfinals, especially if the Bocklet/Stanwick combo can keep things revved up.

Click here to see the tournament bracket.

GO HOOS!

BOOM!

Over the course of just the last week or so, I have said:

We're off to a surprisingly sluggish start on the recruiting trail. The in-state haul seems to have more of a Virginia Tech lean than last year, probably thanks to the coaching staff mix-up Herr Beamer triggered. It's just not looking pretty right now. I think many recruits are in wait-and-see mode, as in, wait and see how the team performs on the field before deciding whether or not they can compete for championships at UVA. Would you believe that Mike London's second season is his make-or-break season? I believe it. You can't recruit to a hopeless situation, and you better believe that enemy recruiters paint the picture of UVA being a hopeless situation. London has to dispel that notion with wins, and he has to do it right now.

and...

We could really use some instant-impact recruits in the 2012 class at defensive end, outside linebacker, and safety. Yikes.

Meet Kwontie Moore, an uber-recruit from the 757, a high four star recruit, and a future star at the middle linebacker position.  I don't like to lift info from premium sites like CavsCorner or Wahoos247, but this news is too good to keep bottled up.

Tonight, Kwontie Moore committed to Coach Mike London and will play his college football at Virginia.

This is HUGE news, for numerous reasons:

• We really, really, really needed to get that first snowball rolling down the hill.  This is a pretty big snowball.
• He's a 757 recruit.  'Nuff said.
• He's the #3 player in the state, and a national-level recruit.  Say hello to offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, and of course, Virginia Tech.
• He happens to play at Norfolk Christian School, a very "tight-knit" football family.  His current teammates include [fellow Virginia commit] Wilfred Wahee, stud defensive lineman Courtnye Wynn (#13 in VA), and stud receiver Mario Nixon (#24 in VA).  Wahee and Moore are now Virginia commits, and Wynn and Nixon list UVA as their clear leader.  This is a helluva landslide to have started, and the NCS pipeline is a fantastic one to open up.
• Many recruiting gurus are now saying that Virginia suddenly has a ton of in-state momentum.  Rumor has it the staff is awaiting commitments from defensive end Eli Harold (#2 in VA) and wideout Anthony Cooper (#7 in VA).
• Kwontie Moore is just a really, really good player.  A true difference-maker at a difference-making position, at the center of the 4-3.  I'd probably equate his status to that of Kai Parham, who was the #3 player in the state back in 2002.  Here's what Recruit757.com had to say about him:

Team: Norfolk Christian

Location: Norfolk
Position: ILB
Class: 2012
Height: 6-1
Weight: 240 lbs.

Kwontie Moore finished his junior season and is already showing flashes of brilliance. Moore is a load at running back and linebacker and has no problem enforcing his will on smaller Independent School players. Moore will be a big time college prospect in his senior year. Norfolk Christian won the State Championship for Division III in the VISAA and has enough talent returning in 2011 to compete for it again. Moore was the TCIS Player of the Year as well as a First Team Running Back and Linebacker in 2010. He already has a scholarship offer from the University of Virginia and many more will come.

This is why I follow recruiting --- bursts of football at a time of year when there is no football, and little gifts that arrive on your doorstep when you least expect it.

I'm ecstatic about this commitment.  Maybe more than any commit since I started following recruiting in the late '90s.  Mike London is a defensive coach, and he now has his defensive centerpiece.  I don't want to overstate it, but imagine the day the Baltimore Ravens drafted Ray Lewis.

WAHOOWA!

Interview with Jim Reid

Coach Reid hopes to oversee a major improvement on defense in 2011.

Reid Looking for Improvement from Defense

This is a great interview conducted by Jeff White (who I think was one of the greatest hires this athletic department has made -- White's coverage of UVA sports has been fantastic.)


Some of my thoughts from the Q&A:

• The D really missed Ras-I Dowling last year, especially given the situation where almost every week the they were faced with him being "questionable" for the game, and maybe able to play.  More than his ability in coverage, the team missed his tackling along the boundary.  I get the sense that Reid feels strongly that Ras-I would have helped to limit a lot of those big perimeter running plays we gave up last year.
• The coaching staff loves Will Hill.  Here's what Reid had to say:  "Will Hill is a highly intelligent guy, and he is going to play both nose and tackle for us. He understands everything that goes on. He had a great Boston College game towards the end of the year, and he's a guy that just keeps his mouth shut and works. He plays with great violence, great effort and great understanding. He's really terrific."
• I guess that explains why Hill is above Chris Brathwaite in the pecking order at d-tackle.  But Reid still had some glowing comments about Brath:  "The player that made tremendous improvement from Practice 1 to 15 is [redshirt freshman tackle] Chris Brathwaite. At first it was, 'Who is this? Oh, jeez, Brathwaite.' And then, 'Wait a minute, look at Chris.' And then at the end, 'Wow.' He went from 294 [pounds] to about 275 and then became a really fast player. We all like him, and Chris has done a nice job."
• With so many seniors on the roster and in the starting lineup, it's going to be key to see how the snaps shake out with the backups.  With Nick Jenkins and Matt Conrath both exhausting their eligibility after this season, it reads like Hill and Brathwaite could easily be our starting DT tandem heading into the 2012 season.
• We're set at RDE with Cam Johnson, but it sounds like Reid is slightly worried about a lack of pure pass rushers on the roster.  And remember, Johnson is another one of those seniors.  We need to find/develop/recruit elite pass rushers if we want this 4-3 defense to be worth a damn.
• It sounds like Reid has high hopes for Aaron Taliaferro at sam this season.
• The staff's love affair with Daquan Romero continues...  "Da-Da Romero was really good. Having a spring here is going to help him, because he was swimming [at first]. It's not going to be new to him at preseason camp, and I'm telling you he's a hard, hard, hard worker. He's going to get it, and he did some very good things athletically this spring, made some very good moves. Played tough and physical."
• We're thin in the secondary, and I thought Reid very obviously dodged the question that tried to dig deeper into that situation.  Hope (pray) that Tra Nicholson and Brandon Phelps are ready to play this fall.
• "Honestly, I think this group coming in is going to make us better. I really do."  Expect to see some true freshmen suiting up on defense this season.  Romero, Nicholson, and Phelps, obviously.  But who else might see some time?  I'm guessing we'll see Kevin Green in the mix at safety, and maybe a guy like Thompson Brown groomed as a situational pass rusher.  And of course, there are the redshirt freshmen.  Henry Coley will play, as will Chris Brathwaite.  Pablo Alvarez will be on the two-deep at safety.  Drequan Hoskey might make it onto the two-deep at corner.  Stephen Lawe might factor in on the d-line, though I get the feeling he is kind of lost in the shuffle right now.  No doubt, we'll be seeing some new faces on defense this season.
• Taking it one step further...  Here's my updated guess for the starting lineup on defense in 2012:  RDE) Bill Schautz, DT) Will Hill, DT) Chris Brathwaite, RDE) Jake Snyder/Brent Urban, OLB) LaRoy Reynolds, MLB) Steve Greer, OLB) Daquan Romero, S) Pablo Alvarez, S) Kevin Green, CB) Tra Nicholson, CB) Rijo Walker/Brandon Phelps
• We could really use some instant-impact recruits in the 2012 class at defensive end, outside linebacker, and safety.  Yikes.

Wow, sorry for riffing there.

Maryland Hires Mark Turgeon

Welcome to the ACC.  You are now the enemy.

Mark Turgeon Accepts Maryland Offer

Maybe not as good as Sean Miller, but a MUCH better hire than I expected.  This is a guy who (in my opinion) will elevate Maryland Basketball back to its early 2000's level.  I'm actually glad about this --- not for Maryland, I fucking hate Maryland --- but for the ACC as a whole.  I was honestly and legitimately worried about the conference's position among the Elite Six.  Now with Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Tony Bennett, Mark Turgeon, Brad Brownell, Leonard Hamilton, and a good up-and-comer in Steve Donahue, the ACC can boast a decent fraternity of basketball coaches.

Updating my Ranking of the Basketball Coaches of the ACC:
#1 -- Mike Krzyzewski
#2 -- Roy Williams
#3 -- Tony Bennett
#4 -- Mark Turgeon
#5 -- Brad Brownell
#6 -- Leonard Hamilton
#7 -- Seth Greenberg
#8 -- Jim Larranaga
#9 -- Steve Donahue
#10 -- Mark Gottfried
#11 -- Brian Gregory
#12 -- Jeff Bzdelik

With eight of the twelve (67%) coaches joining their schools within the last two years, it will be interesting to see how the conference's top-to-bottom style of play could change.  And it will be interesting to see how Tony Bennett's conservative, grind-it-out systems can compete with these new styles.  All I know is that nothing matters without good players, and I feel good about the players Bennett is bringing in.

UVA Sports Over/Under!

Can Danny Hultzen gun the Hoos back to Omaha?

I did this Over/Under thing way back in August '09.  Lots of fun.  I think I hit some other Over/Unders in the 100 Things list back in September '10.  Good news, fans-o-mine --- we're back for Part III!

For those of you who are new to the blog and/or unfortunately Vegas-dumb, here's how an Over/Under works...

An over-under or over/under bet is a wager in which a sportsbook will predict a number for a statistic in a given game (usually the combined score of the two teams), and bettors wager that the actual number in the game will be either higher or lower than that number. For example, in Super Bowl XXXIX, most Las Vegas casinos set the over-under for the score of the game at 46.0. A bettor could wager that the combined score of the two teams would be either more than or less than that number (as it happened, the combined score was 45, so anyone who had bet the under won).

No more foreplay.  Let's get down to business.

Over/Under -- In the 2011 postseason, Virginia Baseball advances to the: COLLEGE WORLD SERIES.
Sadly, I'm betting the under.  I think we're destined to lose in a home super regional yet again.  A few reasons: 1) We peaked too early in the season, which we also did last year.  The exam break killed us, and we never got fully back into the groove.  I've got a gut feeling we'll see more of the same this year.  2) We know Danny Hultzen is lights out, but I worry about the other three starting pitchers.  Tyler Wilson, Will Roberts, and Cody Winiarski have all had some great moments this season, but they have also had their share of shaky starts.  And all are righties.  3) We generate timely offense, but we don't hit for a great average, and we don't hit with much power.  Those two issues could bite us in the ass in the postseason.  We're 43-5 right now (20-4 ACC), and #1 in most major polls, but I see some flaws that could be potentially damning against the right (read: WRONG) competition... like Oklahoma last year.

Over/Under -- Virginia Football wins in the 2011 regular season: SIX.
Sweat drop down my balls, I'm going bold with the mother-loving OVER.  Pencil 'em in: William+Mary, Indiana, Southern Miss, Idaho, NC State, Duke.  That's your six.  And we'll win one of these others: UNC, Georgia Tech, Miami.

Over/Under -- In the 2012 postseason, Virginia Basketball advances to the: NCAA TOURNAMENT, FIRST ROUND (ROUND OF 64).
Over.  I'm bullish on this one.  I think we have second weekend potential, considering:

• Mike Scott is back, and will be the headliner.
• Joe Harris will continue to improve.
• KT Harrell will bounce back.
• Malcolm Brogdon will add a missing element.
• Sammy Zeglinski will solidify the point.
• Assane Sene will be great in a complimentary frontcourt role.
• Akil Mitchell will be much better.
• Tony Bennett will be coaching to win, after devoting his first two seasons to installing his systems and mindset, and getting "his" guys.

Over/Under -- The 2012 football recruiting class will be ranked: INSIDE THE TOP 25.
I don't like this one, but... under.  We're off to a surprisingly sluggish start on the recruiting trail.  The in-state haul seems to have more of a Virginia Tech lean than last year, probably thanks to the coaching staff mix-up Herr Beamer triggered.  It's just not looking pretty right now.  I think many recruits are in wait-and-see mode, as in, wait and see how the team performs on the field before deciding whether or not they can compete for championships at UVA.  Would you believe that Mike London's second season is his make-or-break season?  I believe it.  You can't recruit to a hopeless situation, and you better believe that enemy recruiters paint the picture of UVA being a hopeless situation.  London has to dispel that notion with wins, and he has to do it right now.

Over/Under -- The number of Hokie fans who will try to convince you that Logan Thomas is the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: INFINITE.
Over.  I've already had no fewer than five try to sell me on this, and it's barely MAY.  (The Hokies lose two games against a pathetically toothless schedule, by the way.)

Over/Under -- The losing margin to Virginia Tech on November 26th: 14 POINTS.
Under.  I think we keep it close, and lose by a touchdown or so.  Got a feeling about this one this year.

Over/Under -- Number of Wahooze blog posts in 2011: 100.
I knocked out 152 in 2010.  I think I'll get to 100 this year.  This is #31.  I need to rally.

NCAA Lacrosse Tournament

The Hoos could draw a tough Cornell squad in the 2nd round.

The NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship Bracket was released yesterday.

The Hoos are the #7 seed and open up hosting Bucknell on Sunday at 3:00. With a win over the Bison, we'd play the winner of 2-seed Cornell vs. Hartford on May 21st.

All of the other ACC teams (#5-seed Duke, #8-seed North Carolina and Maryland) and #1-seed Syracuse are on the opposite side of the bracket.

We beat Cornell 11-9 on a neutral site on March 12th.  And although the bottom kind of fell out since that time, I kinda like where we are positioned right now --- the distractions (Shamel Bratton) are gone, and the team knows what hand it's been dealt.  It's easy to embrace the underdog role.  Cornell is a beatable team, and we still have enough talent to beat anybody we play.  It could be interesting.

But first... the Bucknell Bison.

Gary Williams Retires

Some [stupid] Maryland fans wanted him out, but I highly doubt they'll find anyone better.

Terps Coach Gary Williams to Retire

I personally find the timing to be very odd.  The coaching carousel stopped spinning about a month ago.  But yesterday, Jordan Williams hired an agent, making his [insanely premature] jump to the NBA official, and not just an exploratory measure.  I thought Williams was a bit tougher than to simply bail out on that type of situation, but Maryland literally has next to nothing returning next year, with Jordan Williams gone.  I can understand being on the verge of retirement and not wanting to return to that sort of bleak rebuilding effort.

Now the Terps enter a coaching search, positioned way behind the 8-ball.  Almost all of the viable ships have sailed for this season.  Who do they pursue?  Who can they hire?

We already know they don't have a lot of cash to throw around, after they cried poor and kept Ralph Friedgen around after the 2009 season.  Then they bought him out after this past season, so there goes whatever money they were able to generate.  Prying Randy Edsall away from UConn took a decent-sized salary.  I'm sure their coffers are pretty empty now.

So what does Maryland do?  No good candidates remain in a picked-over field, and they probably lack the money to pry away an established coach.  It's a pickle.

This is a terrible development for Maryland, but also a bad development for the overall quality of ACC basketball... especially considering the underwhelming hires at NC State and Georgia Tech, and the desperate reach for Jim Larranaga's 2006 glory at Miami.