Status: Sour

There is a lot of stuff I should be talking about on this blog right now, and over the course of the last month or so.  Clifton Richardson transferring*, Phillip Sims flunking out of school**, slicing the 200 minute pie for basketball***, breaking down the end of the baseball season**** and looking ahead to next season*****, etc.  But the honest truth right now is that between the 4-8 football disaster, the basketball season ending with a home curb-stomping at the feet of Iowa, Virginia lacrosse going belly-up, baseball being thoroughly dominated on its home field by Mississippi State and their mouthbreathing yokel fans, and Phillip Sims making me look like a fucking assclown in just 10 short months... I'm running low on inspirato right now.

Perhaps the most painful thing to me is that I'm suddenly coming to grips with the concept of it being late May and early June, and instead of looking forward to football season, I'm just dreading it.

The newest blow to my confidence level was Sunday's news that defensive end recruit Jeremiah Clarke committed to UNC.  Clarke isn't a program-changing recruit, but he's a kid for whom we had been the clear leader since jump street; a kid who just two months ago at the UVA Spring Game, was asking anyone who'd listed where he could buy more UVA socks to add to his collection.

To me, Clarke-to-UNC was a real bummer.  Much moreso than a typical lost recruit.

I specifically took it as a bad sign, and it led me to find a few reasons to doubt Mike London's ability to close on recruits.

I'm an optimistic person. I work hard to stay happy and see the good in the world.  When it comes to Virginia football, I try to keep the faith, but losing Clarke to UNC hurts.  It was clear that we really wanted - and needed - this kid.  He was buying UVA socks two months ago, and now he's a Tarheel.

London's best asset as a head coach is the recruiting.  If we're not stacking up premier recruiting classes... then... ... ... ?

Not trying to be a jerk, just being pragmatic.  The coaching will be improved with the influx of experience on the staff.  But if the recruiting drops off to the "UVA average," then what exactly is London bringing to the table as our head coach?

I now officially worry that we've already lost too much traction for London to remain viable as our head coach.  We need good recruiting from Mike London to make up for some of his deficiencies. If we're not getting those recruiting results, then we might as well have an Xs and Os guy who doesn't recruit very well.  (Al Groh says hello.)


Anyway, that felt good to vent.  I don't want to do the clichéd "wait 'til next year!" thing with basketball and baseball just yet.  It's too painful, knowing how hollow it usually rings.  So instead, I will focus on what will actually make me happy as a UVA fan right now, and that is scouring the interwebs for potential head coaches if/when London gets canned after the 2014 season, and daydreaming ways to fix the ACC divisions and scheduling conventions.

So until this writer's block eases off and I have something getting me fired up to write, adios.  I'll be back soon.  And who knows?  Maybe this bitchpost uncorked some passion inside of me.  I guess we'll see.




* Doesn't really matter, KP was going to be our bellcow, anyway.  But now we're thin in the power back department, although I am excited to see the path cleared for more carries for Khalek Shepherd and Smoke Mizzell.

** Fuck it, dude.  Better to burn out than to fade away.  At least this un-muddles the QB situation a little bit.  But yeah... Phillip Sims can pound sand.  He had a chance to be great, but pissed it all down his leg.

*** Thanks, Mike.

Post coming soon... maybe.

The long and short of it: Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell throttle back to 28 mpg, hopefully keeping them fresh for March.  Justin Anderson emerges as our best player, but only gets 25 mpg in the process.  Anthony Gill explodes onto the scene, but tops out at 22 mpg in a crowded frontcourt. Brog works at the point for long stretches, but is eventually overtaken by the two freshmen and ends up getting his time at off-guard.  Mike Tobey rounds out the thickest part of the rotation, and the rest of the guys end up being role players.

**** We were outclassed in every facet of the game by the Bulldogs, and it hurt.

***** We're going to be good.  Damn good.