GO HOOS!
April 8, 2013
7:00 on the U
Yes, I know the national championship game is tonight, but you should instead tune in for the baseball series-ender at Wake Forest, 7:00 PM on ESPNU.
April 6, 2013
Spring Game Blitz
Yep, Mike Papi hit a grand salami in the top of the 9th with two outs to bring us back from a 6-3 deficit to a 7-6 lead, then Kyle Crockett (say hello to your Wahoo lockdown closer) struck out the Wake Forest side to slam the door shut. That was pretty awesome.
But football pays the bills around here, so I will now empty my Spring Game notebook for your perusal.
See that? That's a plate of sweet and sour chicken. And that's the same flavor I had in my mouth-hole as I walked back to my car after watching today's Spring Game.
Sweet -- It was a beautiful day for spring football. We've been lucky with the weather for a couple of years in a row now, ever since that weird hailstorm hit the stadium and lacrosse game in 2011.
Sour:
If Tom O'Brien and Steve Fairchild can't save him from himself, Mike London's failure to find a legit quarterback and field a competent offensive line will cost him his dream job.
(I made that really big because it's the single most important point I'll make in this long, winding narrative.)
Sweet -- Defensive front seven. Specifically, depth along the defensive front seven. Specifically, the quality of depth along the defensive front seven, and the linebacker blitzes Jon Tenuta dials up in order to supercharge the front seven's effectiveness. By all accounts, this was a vanilla gameplan today, yet the overload blitzes were flowing, and they were successfully overloading the blocking unit.
Sour -- Wake up at 12:45 PM on a Saturday, get out of bed, and walk across the street to watch some football. Is that too much to ask? For current UVA students, apparently it is. I hope you fail your History of Jazz midterm, you fucking eggheads.
Sweet -- Offensive pacing seems to be pretty good under Fairchild. Remember Lazor's pacing? Get to the line, watch numerous receivers go in motion pointlessly, watch the play clock grind along lazily, then eventually the snap comes? Maybe? Well in the Fairchild system, it seems a bit more streamlined and straightforward. Get to the line and run the fucking play, with no bullshit. When it's pro-form and nothing fancy, I like the elimination of meaningless frills. (I'd still prefer an honest-to-God high octane college spread offense, but that's neither here nor there.)
Sour -- Can we please recruit some receivers who are BOTH fast AND can catch? It seems like we have a lot of agonizing either/or in those two departments.
Sweet -- I've always liked how the London Regime wasn't bashful about moving players around from position to position until they found something that sticks. Rob Burns at tight end and Vincent Croce at fullback look like winning moves. Pawns from e2 to e4. (That was a chess reference, dumbass.)
Sour -- THREE FUCKING SAFETIES!
Sweet -- We threw a lot of slants today. God bless America. As Pierce said, that's how you win video game football.
Sour -- The defenses clearly outplayed the offenses today.
Sweet -- The defenses clearly outplayed the offenses today. (Confounded you vs. yourself scrimmage format!)
Sour -- We're facing our toughest schedule in a long , long time, maybe ever, and I'm tasting sweet and sour after the Spring Game. Not good.
Enough of this. Here are my player-specific notes from the scrimmage, and the real reason you tune in to this bad channel. I'll present them in numerical order of jersey number, just because.
#2, WR Dominique Terrell -- He played today, but I never really noticed him. He was summarily outshined by other, less-talented, less-hyped players. I'm getting toward the end of my rope with him and Jennings, two so-called playmakers who struggle to make plays.
#5, QB David Watford -- He was the buzzy quarterback from the early spring practices that were open to the media, but after this game I think the buzz has more or less fizzled. He can run a little bit, and he looked really good on the scripted QB keepers - a nice read option, a fun rollout pass, and a tidy little bootleg. This running ability is a dimension you cannot overlook. But passing the ball was a different story. He ranged from woeful to mediocre on his accuracy, and that's not good. He's got the arm strength and he's cleaned up a lot of his wasted motion in the pocket, but I just think his throws are way too chancy to have him working as our QB1. It's impossible to have confidence in Watford throwing the football. He's very Jameel Sewell-esque.
#6, WR Darius Jennings -- I'm not going to say much, other than to acknowledge his obviously immense physical gifts while simultaneously suggesting that he should ride the fucking pine until he learns how to catch the fucking football. Way too many egregious drops in the scrimmage today. Way, way, way too many. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
#7, DE Eli Harold -- He's still too small, and had a quiet day. But he'll be fine, no worries.
#8, S Anthony Harris -- He's getting better and better out there. He made a really nice play to break up a pass in the end zone at the end of the game.
#10, RB Clifton Richardson -- You get the sense that this guy can get hurt getting out of bed in the morning. Today, he ripped off two stellar, rumbling, Marshawn Lynchian runs, but got up gimpy after his second carry. Is bubble wrap legal football padding? All joking aside, Richardson looked like a star on most of his touches today. Some things I wrote about him:
#11, QB Greyson Lambert -- Today, he looked tall and strong-armed, decisive with the football, put nice zip on his intermediate throws, spun a beautiful spiral, and looked every bit the part of a future star QB. The problem is, it's not the future, not yet. It's the present. And the present Lambert (at least what I saw today) was prone to overthrowing his receivers and was guilty of locking on to his first read. Aka, shit that will lead to backbreaking interceptions in a baptism-by-fire season if he's the pick for QB1. Still, in the battle to be the lesser of three evils, I think I champion the idea of rolling the dice on Lambert's upside over the x-factor of Watford's legs and Phillip Sims' howitzer arm.
#13, LB Daquan Romero -- He's clearly one of our three best linebackers, and looked totally competent and fluid dropping back into coverage today.
#14, QB Phillip Sims -- He has a potbelly and looked about the same as you remember him: huge arm, nothing else of note. He hasn't progressed since the end of last season. It's clear to me that he's not a very good option to be our starting quarterback. He made some impressive throws today (he can still flick it a country mile), but the energy level just seemed to be down and suppressed whenever he was in the game. Can't have a QB1 with a black cloud floating over his head. Looks like he's third in the pecking order for a reason.
#17, WR Miles Gooch -- Gotta love the Gooch. Problem is, it looks like he might have bulked up too much at this point. He still runs like a broken robot, but now his body looks like a tight end's (or H-back's) body. He's a plus-plus blocker, and he's sure-handed, but his movement skills are simply lacking.
#19, WR E.J. Scott -- He's not big, he's not really fast, but dammit he's one of our best wide receivers. He gets open and he catches the ball. Don't get cute, coaching staff. Don't overthink it. Just play the guys who actually make plays. E.J. Scott is one of those guys, and true to form, he made plays today. (I especially like E.J. in the slot, where he saw a lot of action today. Screw Dom Terrell.)
#20, WR Tim Smith -- Smitty looked really, really good today. Like he's poised for a huge senior season. Fingers crossed that he can stay healthy for a change.
#23, RB Khalek Shepherd -- I've always liked Khalek as a runner, and today he was quick and squirted nimbly through holes. I think he's a really good #2 running back, and it blows my mind that he might be our #4 or #5 guy in the backfield. Wow. Now why in the hell was he working behind Kye Morgan in the pecking order today?
#25, RB Kevin Parks -- KP is about to be thrown under the wheel by everyone jumping over each other to climb aboard the Ricahrdson bandwagon. But for my money, I like Parks running behind a shaky o-line, as his cutback ability and knack for getting low and running behind his pads will more often yield positive yards over Richardson's bulldozing style. In the Spring Game, KP looked really decisive in his cutbacks and lane selection, no dancing whatsoever, and I liked what I saw. Low to the ground, surprising power. He is - and should be - our starter at running back.
#28, S Wil Wahee -- He might be a career backup and special teams maven, but I thought he looked quick and active playing safety in today's scrimmage. I liked what I saw.
#30, CB C.J. Moore -- He looked pretty good in coverage today. Fluid. Natural.
#30, P Alec Vozenilek -- I'm not going to say something stupid like "a punter is our best player," but Voz looks like the kind of punter who can give us a real edge in football games. He was crushing his punts today, and made a wonderfully athletic play in squeezing off a punt after a bad snap into the end zone. He had a great day, and could be a real weapon for us, coupled with what looks like a pretty good defense.
#34, LB Kwontie Moore -- He's big and can really hit. He was involved in an encouraging number of positive plays this afternoon, though I still think he trails Coley by a large margin in the race to be the starter at MLB.
#36, RB Kye Morgan -- For some reason, he got totes ahead of Khalek Shepherd. Sadly, I wasn't impressed with Morgan. At all. He looked like "just a guy."
#42, LB Demeitre Brim -- Did you know it's pronounced "breem?" Yeah, it blew my mind, too. Tenuta blitzed him a lot, and he looked good in that role. In fact, he looked good in general. Zero worries about this new starter at OLB.
#43, DE Trent Corney -- We've found ourselves a dandy little edge rusher here, folks. You can tell he's still really raw, but you can also tell that he's a physical marvel and a nightmare for slow-footed or weak-armed blockers. I think he'll be a pleasant surprise this season as a wave player at end. The guy is explosive.
#44, LB Henry Coley -- I'm a fan. Today, he looked really big, and really ready to be our guy at mike... though Kwontie Moore also had a nice day with the 2s.
#59, LB Mark Hall -- He's on the second team defense, but he looked big and active to me today. I was impressed.
#64, DT David Dean -- Another guy with whom I came away impressed. He's short, stocky, squat, stumpy, however you want to call it. But he's also clearly quite powerful, and did a lot of good work by simply gaining favorable leverage today.
#78, OT Morgan Moses -- Big Mo wasn't perfect today, but he was better than I expected as an unconventionally enormous left tackle. He was lively all afternoon, and seemed dialed in. It looks like he is accepting a leadership role with this team. I hope for the best here, but still fear the worst. Today did nothing to make the situation seem less murky. It could be pretty good, it could be okay, it could be really bad. The good news is that Mo generally got the best of Eli Harold today. (Or maybe that's just bad news for Eli? Damn the befuddling nature of an us vs. ourselves Spring Game!)
#80, WR Adrian Gamble -- He's going to be a good one, I think. Today he flashed a great size/speed target, and showed off some decent hands. He made a nice adjustment on a severely underthrown Lambert bomb, and that impressed me. We need receivers who can get the ball, and Gamble might be that type of guy at some point down the line. We took a lot of deep shots today, and at least half were directed at #80, so the staff must be drinking the Gamble kool-aid.
#83, TE Jake McGee -- He was quiet until late in the game, but I saw nothing to dispel the notion that he's our best receiving option. I just love the guy.
#86, WR Jamall Brown -- I don't think he'll play this season, but he did make a really nice diving catch late in the game, wearing a defender like a cape.
#87, WR Kyle Dockins -- I thought he'd look like a small tight end miscast as a wide receiver, but he didn't. They split him out wide at flanker, and I thought he looked really good. He's a possession guy, big, rangy, great hands. But maybe big dudes with good hands are what we need. He moved around like a wide receiver, not like a tight end. Another season of polish and he could be a real player. We might see him in spurts this fall, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him show some flashes of brilliance on the field... especially if he works his way into the red zone offense. I really like what's coming into focus with this kid.
#92, TE Rob Burns -- He's huge, tough, rugged, and looks like a thumper at the tight end position. A throwback type. He struggled a little bit with the in-line blocking today (timing and footwork issues, I think), but was a shockingly great receiver. His run after catch was captivating, as he was a terror for the defenders trying to bring him down on two separate occasions. He's clearly developed quickly after the position switch from defensive end, and if he can keep this pace of improvement up, he'll be a really pleasant surprise this fall. Seriously, the play of #92 was one of the biggest reasons to smile after the Spring Game.
#99, DT Brent Urban -- Stud. Seriously. Mark my words, we'll all recognize him as a stud at the end of the 2013 season. Today, he was simply fantastic in all phases of the game. That might have been because of shoddy blocking up front, but I don't buy that. Urban looked legit, like a bigger, stronger, more confident Matt Conrath.
There you go. Sorry I didn't have more notes on the o-line, but I spent most of my time watching the quarterbacks. Anyway, there's more football stuff coming here on Wahooze, so stay tuned.
But football pays the bills around here, so I will now empty my Spring Game notebook for your perusal.
See that? That's a plate of sweet and sour chicken. And that's the same flavor I had in my mouth-hole as I walked back to my car after watching today's Spring Game.
Sweet -- It was a beautiful day for spring football. We've been lucky with the weather for a couple of years in a row now, ever since that weird hailstorm hit the stadium and lacrosse game in 2011.
Sour:
If Tom O'Brien and Steve Fairchild can't save him from himself, Mike London's failure to find a legit quarterback and field a competent offensive line will cost him his dream job.
(I made that really big because it's the single most important point I'll make in this long, winding narrative.)
Sweet -- Defensive front seven. Specifically, depth along the defensive front seven. Specifically, the quality of depth along the defensive front seven, and the linebacker blitzes Jon Tenuta dials up in order to supercharge the front seven's effectiveness. By all accounts, this was a vanilla gameplan today, yet the overload blitzes were flowing, and they were successfully overloading the blocking unit.
Sour -- Wake up at 12:45 PM on a Saturday, get out of bed, and walk across the street to watch some football. Is that too much to ask? For current UVA students, apparently it is. I hope you fail your History of Jazz midterm, you fucking eggheads.
Sweet -- Offensive pacing seems to be pretty good under Fairchild. Remember Lazor's pacing? Get to the line, watch numerous receivers go in motion pointlessly, watch the play clock grind along lazily, then eventually the snap comes? Maybe? Well in the Fairchild system, it seems a bit more streamlined and straightforward. Get to the line and run the fucking play, with no bullshit. When it's pro-form and nothing fancy, I like the elimination of meaningless frills. (I'd still prefer an honest-to-God high octane college spread offense, but that's neither here nor there.)
Sour -- Can we please recruit some receivers who are BOTH fast AND can catch? It seems like we have a lot of agonizing either/or in those two departments.
Sweet -- I've always liked how the London Regime wasn't bashful about moving players around from position to position until they found something that sticks. Rob Burns at tight end and Vincent Croce at fullback look like winning moves. Pawns from e2 to e4. (That was a chess reference, dumbass.)
Sour -- THREE FUCKING SAFETIES!
Sweet -- We threw a lot of slants today. God bless America. As Pierce said, that's how you win video game football.
Sour -- The defenses clearly outplayed the offenses today.
Sweet -- The defenses clearly outplayed the offenses today. (Confounded you vs. yourself scrimmage format!)
Sour -- We're facing our toughest schedule in a long , long time, maybe ever, and I'm tasting sweet and sour after the Spring Game. Not good.
Enough of this. Here are my player-specific notes from the scrimmage, and the real reason you tune in to this bad channel. I'll present them in numerical order of jersey number, just because.
#2, WR Dominique Terrell -- He played today, but I never really noticed him. He was summarily outshined by other, less-talented, less-hyped players. I'm getting toward the end of my rope with him and Jennings, two so-called playmakers who struggle to make plays.
#5, QB David Watford -- He was the buzzy quarterback from the early spring practices that were open to the media, but after this game I think the buzz has more or less fizzled. He can run a little bit, and he looked really good on the scripted QB keepers - a nice read option, a fun rollout pass, and a tidy little bootleg. This running ability is a dimension you cannot overlook. But passing the ball was a different story. He ranged from woeful to mediocre on his accuracy, and that's not good. He's got the arm strength and he's cleaned up a lot of his wasted motion in the pocket, but I just think his throws are way too chancy to have him working as our QB1. It's impossible to have confidence in Watford throwing the football. He's very Jameel Sewell-esque.
#6, WR Darius Jennings -- I'm not going to say much, other than to acknowledge his obviously immense physical gifts while simultaneously suggesting that he should ride the fucking pine until he learns how to catch the fucking football. Way too many egregious drops in the scrimmage today. Way, way, way too many. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
#7, DE Eli Harold -- He's still too small, and had a quiet day. But he'll be fine, no worries.
#8, S Anthony Harris -- He's getting better and better out there. He made a really nice play to break up a pass in the end zone at the end of the game.
#10, RB Clifton Richardson -- You get the sense that this guy can get hurt getting out of bed in the morning. Today, he ripped off two stellar, rumbling, Marshawn Lynchian runs, but got up gimpy after his second carry. Is bubble wrap legal football padding? All joking aside, Richardson looked like a star on most of his touches today. Some things I wrote about him:
- "Beast. Fucking beast."
- "He's a GD load."
- "Fucking beast." (I seriously wrote this twice.)
- "Makes your balls ache when he runs." (Use your imagination for that one.)
- "People are going to love this guy if he can stay on the field."
#11, QB Greyson Lambert -- Today, he looked tall and strong-armed, decisive with the football, put nice zip on his intermediate throws, spun a beautiful spiral, and looked every bit the part of a future star QB. The problem is, it's not the future, not yet. It's the present. And the present Lambert (at least what I saw today) was prone to overthrowing his receivers and was guilty of locking on to his first read. Aka, shit that will lead to backbreaking interceptions in a baptism-by-fire season if he's the pick for QB1. Still, in the battle to be the lesser of three evils, I think I champion the idea of rolling the dice on Lambert's upside over the x-factor of Watford's legs and Phillip Sims' howitzer arm.
#13, LB Daquan Romero -- He's clearly one of our three best linebackers, and looked totally competent and fluid dropping back into coverage today.
#14, QB Phillip Sims -- He has a potbelly and looked about the same as you remember him: huge arm, nothing else of note. He hasn't progressed since the end of last season. It's clear to me that he's not a very good option to be our starting quarterback. He made some impressive throws today (he can still flick it a country mile), but the energy level just seemed to be down and suppressed whenever he was in the game. Can't have a QB1 with a black cloud floating over his head. Looks like he's third in the pecking order for a reason.
#17, WR Miles Gooch -- Gotta love the Gooch. Problem is, it looks like he might have bulked up too much at this point. He still runs like a broken robot, but now his body looks like a tight end's (or H-back's) body. He's a plus-plus blocker, and he's sure-handed, but his movement skills are simply lacking.
#19, WR E.J. Scott -- He's not big, he's not really fast, but dammit he's one of our best wide receivers. He gets open and he catches the ball. Don't get cute, coaching staff. Don't overthink it. Just play the guys who actually make plays. E.J. Scott is one of those guys, and true to form, he made plays today. (I especially like E.J. in the slot, where he saw a lot of action today. Screw Dom Terrell.)
#20, WR Tim Smith -- Smitty looked really, really good today. Like he's poised for a huge senior season. Fingers crossed that he can stay healthy for a change.
#23, RB Khalek Shepherd -- I've always liked Khalek as a runner, and today he was quick and squirted nimbly through holes. I think he's a really good #2 running back, and it blows my mind that he might be our #4 or #5 guy in the backfield. Wow. Now why in the hell was he working behind Kye Morgan in the pecking order today?
#25, RB Kevin Parks -- KP is about to be thrown under the wheel by everyone jumping over each other to climb aboard the Ricahrdson bandwagon. But for my money, I like Parks running behind a shaky o-line, as his cutback ability and knack for getting low and running behind his pads will more often yield positive yards over Richardson's bulldozing style. In the Spring Game, KP looked really decisive in his cutbacks and lane selection, no dancing whatsoever, and I liked what I saw. Low to the ground, surprising power. He is - and should be - our starter at running back.
#28, S Wil Wahee -- He might be a career backup and special teams maven, but I thought he looked quick and active playing safety in today's scrimmage. I liked what I saw.
#30, CB C.J. Moore -- He looked pretty good in coverage today. Fluid. Natural.
#30, P Alec Vozenilek -- I'm not going to say something stupid like "a punter is our best player," but Voz looks like the kind of punter who can give us a real edge in football games. He was crushing his punts today, and made a wonderfully athletic play in squeezing off a punt after a bad snap into the end zone. He had a great day, and could be a real weapon for us, coupled with what looks like a pretty good defense.
#34, LB Kwontie Moore -- He's big and can really hit. He was involved in an encouraging number of positive plays this afternoon, though I still think he trails Coley by a large margin in the race to be the starter at MLB.
#36, RB Kye Morgan -- For some reason, he got totes ahead of Khalek Shepherd. Sadly, I wasn't impressed with Morgan. At all. He looked like "just a guy."
#42, LB Demeitre Brim -- Did you know it's pronounced "breem?" Yeah, it blew my mind, too. Tenuta blitzed him a lot, and he looked good in that role. In fact, he looked good in general. Zero worries about this new starter at OLB.
#43, DE Trent Corney -- We've found ourselves a dandy little edge rusher here, folks. You can tell he's still really raw, but you can also tell that he's a physical marvel and a nightmare for slow-footed or weak-armed blockers. I think he'll be a pleasant surprise this season as a wave player at end. The guy is explosive.
#44, LB Henry Coley -- I'm a fan. Today, he looked really big, and really ready to be our guy at mike... though Kwontie Moore also had a nice day with the 2s.
#59, LB Mark Hall -- He's on the second team defense, but he looked big and active to me today. I was impressed.
#64, DT David Dean -- Another guy with whom I came away impressed. He's short, stocky, squat, stumpy, however you want to call it. But he's also clearly quite powerful, and did a lot of good work by simply gaining favorable leverage today.
#78, OT Morgan Moses -- Big Mo wasn't perfect today, but he was better than I expected as an unconventionally enormous left tackle. He was lively all afternoon, and seemed dialed in. It looks like he is accepting a leadership role with this team. I hope for the best here, but still fear the worst. Today did nothing to make the situation seem less murky. It could be pretty good, it could be okay, it could be really bad. The good news is that Mo generally got the best of Eli Harold today. (Or maybe that's just bad news for Eli? Damn the befuddling nature of an us vs. ourselves Spring Game!)
#80, WR Adrian Gamble -- He's going to be a good one, I think. Today he flashed a great size/speed target, and showed off some decent hands. He made a nice adjustment on a severely underthrown Lambert bomb, and that impressed me. We need receivers who can get the ball, and Gamble might be that type of guy at some point down the line. We took a lot of deep shots today, and at least half were directed at #80, so the staff must be drinking the Gamble kool-aid.
#83, TE Jake McGee -- He was quiet until late in the game, but I saw nothing to dispel the notion that he's our best receiving option. I just love the guy.
#86, WR Jamall Brown -- I don't think he'll play this season, but he did make a really nice diving catch late in the game, wearing a defender like a cape.
#87, WR Kyle Dockins -- I thought he'd look like a small tight end miscast as a wide receiver, but he didn't. They split him out wide at flanker, and I thought he looked really good. He's a possession guy, big, rangy, great hands. But maybe big dudes with good hands are what we need. He moved around like a wide receiver, not like a tight end. Another season of polish and he could be a real player. We might see him in spurts this fall, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him show some flashes of brilliance on the field... especially if he works his way into the red zone offense. I really like what's coming into focus with this kid.
#92, TE Rob Burns -- He's huge, tough, rugged, and looks like a thumper at the tight end position. A throwback type. He struggled a little bit with the in-line blocking today (timing and footwork issues, I think), but was a shockingly great receiver. His run after catch was captivating, as he was a terror for the defenders trying to bring him down on two separate occasions. He's clearly developed quickly after the position switch from defensive end, and if he can keep this pace of improvement up, he'll be a really pleasant surprise this fall. Seriously, the play of #92 was one of the biggest reasons to smile after the Spring Game.
#99, DT Brent Urban -- Stud. Seriously. Mark my words, we'll all recognize him as a stud at the end of the 2013 season. Today, he was simply fantastic in all phases of the game. That might have been because of shoddy blocking up front, but I don't buy that. Urban looked legit, like a bigger, stronger, more confident Matt Conrath.
There you go. Sorry I didn't have more notes on the o-line, but I spent most of my time watching the quarterbacks. Anyway, there's more football stuff coming here on Wahooze, so stay tuned.
Links for Tori
Had lunch with my good friend Tori yesterday, and these two pieces came up. T-Bone, here are the links you requested. Great seeing you, girl. Thanks again for the help getting football tickets for the group!
This Bubble Will Burst: How Greed Will Bring Down Modern Amateur Athletics
Pat Haden was the first to say it publicly. That doesn't mean he was the only one thinking it. When the USC athletic director told SI.com's Stewart Mandel that his fellow ADs and other school leaders need to think long and hard about the potential repercussions of an NCAA loss in the antitrust lawsuit originally filed by former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon, Haden echoed the thoughts of dozens of his colleagues.
Really, these should be required reading for anyone who enjoys this blog. So if you haven't seen them before this, please crack them open and take a peek.
This Bubble Will Burst: How Greed Will Bring Down Modern Amateur Athletics
Something smells rotten in the state of amateur athletics. All this talk of TV contracts, TV markets, and TV valuations in the latest round of conference realignment has made me feel all, well, bubbly.
Spring Game notes coming soon...
April 3, 2013
Reading the Spring Football Tea Leaves
Short post today. Sorry guys, been really busy.
Anyway, here are a few quick nugs that might just surprise you if you haven't already been following the Spring storylines coming from Virginia Football...
-- David Watford is currently running with the 1s, and seems to have a laserlock on the QB1 job this fall. Greyson Lambert is giving chase. Phillip Sims is running a distant third. Word out of spring practice is that Watford put his redshirt year to good use, and has emerged as a take-the-reins type of team leader. His accuracy has also improved (which is a good damn thing.)
-- Clifton Richardson looks better than he ever has, and seems poised for a big season running the football. Kevin Parks could face a tough challenge holding off Richardson and Smoke Mizzell this fall. Crowded backfield: a VERY good problem to have.
-- Morgan Moses has moved to left tackle, full time. He's apparently improved a lot. It still scares the crap out of me.
-- Mo's vacated right tackle position appears to be a problem, with neither Jay Whitmire nor Sean Cascarano being able to step up and generate a sense of security.
-- An avalanche of accolades have buried Vincent Croce, who moved from defensive tackle to fullback prior to spring practice. Croce couldn't keep the weight on at DT, but appears to be using his tight end skills (played that position in HS) and defensive mentality in making a noticeable impact at fullback.
-- The defensive line rotation is being firmed up. Eli Harold and Jake Snyder at end, with Mike Moore off the bench, and Brent Urban and David Dean at tackle, with Justin Renfrow off the bench. All reports have been positive with this unit, and especially David Dean. Good news, as we attempt to move forward without Chris Brathwaite.
-- Henry Coley is taking hold at mike linebacker. This has met with some disdain on the message boards, with the high expectations surrounding Kwontie Moore seeming to not be met (so far).
-- Lots of general buzziness around both Daquan Romero and Demeitre Brim at outside linebacker. We might just have two above-average - albeit inexperienced - starters in those roles. Blitzing in the Tenuta scheme seems to fit both players to a tee.
-- The secondary has also gotten a lot of positive attention, from top to bottom. Specifically, Maurice Canady, Anthony Harris, and Anthony Cooper have received accolades.
-- Overall, practices have been much more physical this spring. Lots of live tackling, hitting, physicality. Jon Tenuta and Tom O'Brien are largely credited for that change. Hopefully the philosophy shift bears fruit this fall in the way of a tougher, grittier team.
-- It's spring practice. Most of what you hear will be positive. I'll see it with my own two eyes on Saturday at the spring game, and will provide you with a full report.
Also in the "coming soon" department, for all of you hoopheads:
- Slicing the 200 Minute Pie, 2013-14 Edition -- It's a rite of passage at the end of every basketball season. This edition is taking me longer to put together because we'll run a legit 13 deep and the exercise of slicing up the pie is freaking difficult!
- A Look Around the ACC -- Who's leaving, who's back, and who's coming in for each of the 15 ACC basketball teams? What's the pecking order for next season's ACC basketball season? (Hint: Virginia just might be in the top three of the conference!)
- What the Final Four Tells Me We Need -- I'll break down what the teams in this year's Final Four have that we lack. Pretty straightforward.
Stay tuned!
March 29, 2013
UVAMBB Power Rankings -- FINAL
Previous editions:
- UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 2/16/13
- UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 1/31/13
- UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 1/15/13
- UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 12/21/12
- UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 12/4/12
Before the season began, there was some trepidation among pockets of the Virginia die-hard fanbase over whether or not Joe Harris could shoulder the load as the team's primary scoring option; over whether or not he could be the Batman instead of just the Robin.
[Brace for extended comic book metaphor.]
Now that the season is over and I'm reflecting back, I think Joe Harris did a fine job as our Batman. Now, maybe it was the creaky-knees, heart-maybe-not-totally-in-it Batman from Dark Knight Rises -- Joe's struggles down the stretch and in the postseason certainly weren't pretty.
But that being said, I'm not convinced that this season was a Batman movie. I think it was more like a Justice League movie. Or maybe more precisely, a Justice League prequel.
Okay, so Joe is Batman. Then that means Akil Mitchell is Green Lantern. And Mike Tobey is Martian Manhunter. Evan Nolte is Aquaman (not really sure why, it just fits). Teven Jones? The Flash. Paul Jesperson... uhhh... Wonder Woman? Darion Atkins is Hawkman. Jontel Evans is Red Tornado. Taylor Barnette = Green Arrow. And of course... Justin Anderson is a young Superman.
Enough of that nonsense, on to the Power Rankings... and a new #1 that just might surprise you.
#1 Justin Anderson (previous rank: #3)
Look, I'm not trying to be insulting here. For the balance of the season, Joe Harris was clearly our best player. But in the postseason, Justin Anderson was just as clearly taking over the top spot. He's dynamic, explosive, galvanizing, and of all the players on our current roster, has the best chance to be the fiery on-court leader we sorely lack. Joe is a great player, but as Mike noted yesterday, JA has the potential to be a transcendent player. He's a difference-maker in every sense of the term. A matchup nightmare, because he's too quick for big guys and too strong for small guys. And frankly, he's the kind of player UVA just never has. Heading into next season, I think Anderson will bully his way into "centerpiece" status. The irony is that Joe could then slide comfortably back into a Robin type of role.
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| If he's Robin, at least he's this one... |
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| ...and NOT this one. |
I think Joe's 32.5 minutes per game need to come down to around 28 for next season. Watching him labor around out there at the end of the season was really painful and disappointing. He didn't come close to living up to his All-ACC First Team status in the postseason. But he's still a knockdown shooter with an extremely well-rounded game; a fantastic offensive weapon and also a gritty all-around player.
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| Just becaise it's cool to put a pic of Martian Manhunter on the blog. |
Just like JA staged a last-second coup over Joe, Tobes did the same thing to the Big Fundamental. Said simply, Mike Tobey is the kind of big man you can build an entire team around. The fact that he's going to be a tertiary offensive option next season tells you just how special the 2013-14 team might be. UVA hasn't had a center with this type of offensive skill in what? 20 years?
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| BIG FUNDAMENTAL |
He had long stretches of the season where he was completely indispensable, but he really petered out in the postseason. He's still a fantastic rebounder, a plus-plus defender, a plus finisher, and a serviceable offensive weapon. He's also my favorite player on the team. Two things I love about him: 1) The way he RIPS down rebounds, and 2) The way he won't let the opposing team see the ball go through the hoop on a dead ball play stoppage. Can't wait to watch him play out his senior season -- he'll be worthy of serious ovation on Senior Night 2014.
#5 Jontel Evans (previous rank: #4)
I'm a total dick for saying this, but I won't miss him. In so many agonizing ways, his weaknesses and shortcomings overcame whatever positives he brought to the table. I rank him #5 because of his quality minutes and assists, which were always up around 3-4-5-6 a game. (Of course, a point guard who is any sort of offensive threat wouldn't be passing off the ball so much, and wouldn't allow the defense to sag off of him and collapse and clog the lane so often. Watch Tobey and Mitchell's production skyrocket with a real point guard running the offense next season.)
#6 Taylor Barnette (previous rank: #9)
We don't win that St. John's game without our version of the Microwave.
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| Not sure why, it just fits. |
He hit the so-called "rookie wall" and he hit it hard. Once he lost confidence in his shot, his all-around game just sort of totally fell apart. I still really like him, and I think next season will be his understudy season working behind Joe Harris.
#8 Paul Jesperson (previous rank: #5)
Okay, I've seen enough to form an opinion here. He's a head case. He's got the talent and skill to be a really good player - solid D, can shoot the 3, surprisingly good rebounder, surprisingly good finisher at the rim - but he just can't seem to get it all firing on all cylinders. He plays like he's sleepwalking through it. He's a prime candidate to see a serious drop-off in playing time next season. This offseason, it's shit or get off the pot, Jespy.
#9 Darion Atkins (previous rank: #7)
Damn those shin splints. He's was on fire early in the season, and then it all came crashing down with the injury. Good defender, nice shotblocker, sneaky good offensive player... but Anthony Gill is rotating into the equation to eat Darion's lunch.
#10 Teven Jones (previous rank: #8)
If Darion has Anthony Gill coming to eat his lunch, then Teven has Malcolm Brogdon coming to eat his lunch, Devon Hall coming to eat his breakfast, and London Perrantes coming to eat his supper. I like a lot of what Teven brings to the table, but he's simply about to be lost in the shuffle at point guard. I'm still pulling for the kid, and if we can find a redshirt for one of the freshman point guards, then Teven's minutes might still be there for him.
It was a good season. Lots of highs, lots of lows. In the end, I'd say the squad played exactly to expectations, which is a good thing.
Next year, my expectations are higher. You can't really predict what will happen in the NCAA Tournament, but this is what I'm looking for in 2013-14:
- 24+ wins
- Double-digit ACC wins
- At least one win in the ACC Tournament
- 5-seed or better in the NCAAT
- Sweet Sixteen appearance
Elsewhere, I've said "Sweet Sixteen or BUST," but that's not really fair. What is fair is saying that in year five of the Tony Bennett era, it should be a pretty good season. The roster is loaded, and it's time for us to take our rightful place among the programs that are truly relevant in the world of college basketball.
GO HOOS!
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| ...or bust. |
March 28, 2013
Justin Anderson: Ready to Roar
Let me start off this post by saying that the Lion King is the best Disney movie ever made. Period. If you disagree with me I would love to know how you learned to read given your obvious learning disability.
Justin Anderson ended the 2012-2013 with a bang, stuffing the stat sheet with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 blocks, 3 steals and 2 assists. It was a monster night. It's the kind of game we've been seeing from him in the NIT. It's the kind of game that UVA has needed, given the recent struggles of Joe Harris, who it may come out in the next few days has been nursing an injury. But while Justin Anderson can stuff a stat sheet with the best of them in the ACC, his greatest strengths lie in a place that cannot be measured on the stat sheet. And those skills could help Justin Anderson become, brace yourselves everyone, one of the best players in the history of this program.
We've had the good fortune to be able to go to the last few NIT games, in which Justin has really shone. For all the big time blocks and huge dunks, it is what Justin does after those plays that impresses me the most, and gets me most excited for what this kid can become. Justin plays with such energy and enthusiasm, and that energy extends to the crowd, transforming JPJ from a great place to watch a game, to a terrifying place to come play. JA can pump up that place like no other, and it all stems from his greatest attribute. Beyond his incredible athleticism, his motor is unreal. JA goes 100 miles an hour from the time he hits the floor, to the time he heads back to the locker room. It is that desire, that fire, that drive to be the best, that will drive this kid to levels that we haven't seen in quite some time, and could easily make him the face of the Tony Bennett era.
Does his game have faults? Sure it does, but he's only a first year. He already has the body and athleticism of an NBA player, which means he can spend all summer working with Bennett and the coaching staff on developing his game. I've long said that JA is the key to Bennett's ultimate success as a coach here, because he is an all-world talent. I am anxious to see what this kid can do with a summer to learn under this coaching staff, which excels at player development. Need proof? I'll point you towards the Big Fundamental (Akil Mitchell). If Justin can add a penetration game, including a pull-up jumper, in addition to improving his 3 point shot, he will be a menace and unstoppable force on the court. Who is going to guard him exactly? You throw a shifty and quick 2 at him, JA can take him on the block. If you try a bigger 3/4 on him, JA has the athletic ability to blow right past him. I say this knowing exactly what I am saying, JA is a poor man's LeBron James.
I'll get some backlash for this, but I am 100% confident that if JA puts in the amount of work I think he will in the offseason he will be our best player next season. THAT is a big statement. This is not meant as a slight to Joe Harris, but rather the astronomical potential JA possesses. This kid has a chance to become the face of the program, and one of the greatest players in UVA history.
Justin Anderson ended the 2012-2013 with a bang, stuffing the stat sheet with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 blocks, 3 steals and 2 assists. It was a monster night. It's the kind of game we've been seeing from him in the NIT. It's the kind of game that UVA has needed, given the recent struggles of Joe Harris, who it may come out in the next few days has been nursing an injury. But while Justin Anderson can stuff a stat sheet with the best of them in the ACC, his greatest strengths lie in a place that cannot be measured on the stat sheet. And those skills could help Justin Anderson become, brace yourselves everyone, one of the best players in the history of this program.
We've had the good fortune to be able to go to the last few NIT games, in which Justin has really shone. For all the big time blocks and huge dunks, it is what Justin does after those plays that impresses me the most, and gets me most excited for what this kid can become. Justin plays with such energy and enthusiasm, and that energy extends to the crowd, transforming JPJ from a great place to watch a game, to a terrifying place to come play. JA can pump up that place like no other, and it all stems from his greatest attribute. Beyond his incredible athleticism, his motor is unreal. JA goes 100 miles an hour from the time he hits the floor, to the time he heads back to the locker room. It is that desire, that fire, that drive to be the best, that will drive this kid to levels that we haven't seen in quite some time, and could easily make him the face of the Tony Bennett era.Does his game have faults? Sure it does, but he's only a first year. He already has the body and athleticism of an NBA player, which means he can spend all summer working with Bennett and the coaching staff on developing his game. I've long said that JA is the key to Bennett's ultimate success as a coach here, because he is an all-world talent. I am anxious to see what this kid can do with a summer to learn under this coaching staff, which excels at player development. Need proof? I'll point you towards the Big Fundamental (Akil Mitchell). If Justin can add a penetration game, including a pull-up jumper, in addition to improving his 3 point shot, he will be a menace and unstoppable force on the court. Who is going to guard him exactly? You throw a shifty and quick 2 at him, JA can take him on the block. If you try a bigger 3/4 on him, JA has the athletic ability to blow right past him. I say this knowing exactly what I am saying, JA is a poor man's LeBron James.
I'll get some backlash for this, but I am 100% confident that if JA puts in the amount of work I think he will in the offseason he will be our best player next season. THAT is a big statement. This is not meant as a slight to Joe Harris, but rather the astronomical potential JA possesses. This kid has a chance to become the face of the program, and one of the greatest players in UVA history.
March 26, 2013
Class of 2014, Off to a Hot Start
I'll start this post off by saying that this is the class that has the potential to put UVA on the national scene. Bam! Are your expectations high enough now? Virginia is absolutely loaded for the 2014 recruiting cycle. According to 247Sports, the best recruiting service in the business, the state of Virginia boasts eleven 4-star recruits, and three 5-star recruits. The talent level is incredible. UVA has been building the foundation of this recruiting class since Mike London arrived in Charlottesville. UVA is already off to a hot start, nabbing two of the top ten in the state. The focus of this class is going to be quality over quantity, as there will finally be enough depth in the program to not need to sign 100 guys to make up for attrition. Let's dive into what we should expect from this class.
Commits: 4
QB Corwin Cutler (***) All indications are that stud QB recruit Corwin "Turtle" Cutler will be doing a prep season in order to put some space between he and Grayson Lambert and/or David Watford. If not for a torn ACL, Turtle would have obliterated every single passing record in the state of Virginia. He was a massively underrated recruit last cycle, and should get his due in this cycle.
DT Chris Nelson (***) Nelson was the first commit of the 2014 class. A teammate of sophomore linebacker Demetrie Brim, Nelson is starting to gain some momentum on the national scene. Nelson has been one of the more frustrating commitments, as he is constantly giving interviews talking about wanting to get offers from and visit bigger schools. Nelson will visit UVA for the spring game on April 6th, and I assume this situation will sort itself out. With a small class expected, Coach London can be selective. All that being said, there is a reason all this talk is being tolerated, and that is that Chris Nelson is pretty darn good. At almost 300 pounds, Nelson has been playing middle linebacker and running back. The kid can move. Those quick feet and ability to play in space will make him a menace on the line. There is not much film of him in his college position, so expect his rating to increase as game film comes in and he hits the summer camp circuit.
S Quin Blanding (*****) Remember when I mentioned putting UVA on the national scene? Well here is the kid that is going to do it. UVA has dominated Bayside high school of late (Henry Coley, Tra Nicholson, Anthony Cooper, Smoke Mizzell). Quin Blanding is an incredible prospect. Think Anthony Poindexter. Really think that. Though he may not be the ferocious hitter Dex was, Blanding has the chance to be that kind of player for this program. Expectations for him are out of this world, and he should be able to meet them.
G Steven Moss (****) Moss is the latest commitment to the Hoos, having committed on Saturday. He is an offensive line prospect out of Fredricksburg who is probably best suited to play guard at the next level. Moss is the #9 prospect in the state and is a huge pull for the Hoos. Moss was long thought to be leaning out of state, but the relationships that have been developed not only with the staff, but with the rest of the recruits as a whole, won out in the end.
Relationships are the key to this whole thing. Though the subject of some controversy, the 757 Sports Academy and the Thoroughbreds 7-on-7 team both contain the top talent in the state this year. Cutler and Blanding are both members of those organizations and they are the key to securing their exceptionally talented friends.
Top Remaining Targets:
DT Andrew Brown (*****) This is the prize of the class. For as good as Quin Blanding is, Andrew Brown is potentially even better. Brown has the size and strength to be a dominant defensive tackle, but also the speed to be a dominant defensive end. It is a lethal combination making him a very rare prospect and an elite-level talent. Brown is the cousin of Corwin Cutler and trains with the 757 Sports Academy.
DT Derrick Nnadi (****) Nnadi is a bull of a defensive tackle. He is exceptionally strong and will be able to eat up blockers at the point of attack. A product of Ocean Lakes and the 757 Sports Academy, Nnadi already has connections to UVA. However his father is a Virginia Tech alum, making this recruitment an interesting one to watch.
WR Jamil Kamara (****) This class will be heavy on the defensive side of the ball. However, Jamil Kamara is a special talent outside. He is big, fast, and has great hands. He also considers Quin Blanding his "twin." Kamara plays with the Thoroughbreds and trains with the 757 Sports Academy.
DE Jayln Holmes (****) This kid is a freak. He's long been considered a Virginia Tech lean, but UVA is making some progress. He trains with the 757 Academy and the relationships with other players are going to be the biggest key to making progress with Holmes. Holmes has a chance to be feared in the ACC. Thinking about him paired with Eli Harold is terrifying.
CB D'Andre Payne (****) Though he is a DC kid, Payne also has a solid relationship with the kids from the 757. Payne's father also has a good relationship with Chip West, which is always good for the Hoos.
ATH CJ Reavis (****) Reavis is another player who was considered a heavy Tech lean. However, he recently has opened things up and UVA seems to be in the mix.
K Gary Wunderlich Brace yourselves. This is a scholarship kicker. Normally we hate this, however if we have to use a scholarship on someone, Wunderlich is the one. He is the #1 kicker and punter prospect for this cycle and may actually be worth a scholarship. It would be nice to not have to get to the ten yard line to score.
DE Jeremiah Clarke (***) Clarke is a popular recruit of late. Another Northern Virginia prospect, Clarke attends T.C. Williams, which is the school from Remember the Titans. There's not really a point to that last part, I just think it's cool. Clarke is an underrated talent at 3 stars and one we like a lot.
S M.J. Stewart (****) Speaking of NOVA kids... MJ Stewart goes to my rival high school, but I guess I can look past that. He's extremely skilled and is looking to enroll early. Stewart also has a strong relationship with Quin Blanding.
Others:
There are other names to be aware of. We'll list them here:
4-star DE Melvin Keihn (Baltimore, MD)
4-star OG Quenton Nelson (Red Bank, NJ)
4-star QB Caleb Henderson (Burke, VA)
Unranked OL Will Richardson (Burlington, NC)
That is a ton of talent on the board right now. UVA is in a great spot with most of these guys. Gary Wunderlich is taking a visit to Texas A&M soon and will decide after that. He is the most likely to commit next, but Jamil Kamara is also one to keep an eye on. He is as close to a lock as you can be, without actually committing. Should be a great year!
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