Below is the season preview I wrote for the 1994-95 Cavaliers. This product was written for an outfit called Atlantic Coast Sports Online. If you subscribe to the HOOpS Online 3-Point Shot ($50/year), you will enjoy a preview like this one. If you choose the HOOpS Online 2-Point Shot ($25/year), this type of analysis is what you can look forward to in game stories.
Ten years ago, the University of Virginia Cavaliers won a trip to Seattle, Washington for the Big Dance. Well, the Waltz returns to the Great Northwest this year, and the Cavaliers have their best chance to make it back in years. Potential superstar point guard Cory Alexander returns from The Lost Season to join a heralded freshman class and all but one player from the 1993-94 team that nearly stole the ACC championship from vaunted North Carolina. No wonder head coach Jeff Jones approaches the new season with "anxiousness and anticipation."
1993-94 IN REVIEW
Virginia approached the 1993-94 basketball season with Great Expectations. Virtually everybody returned from the team that had advanced to the Sweet Sixteen the year before, including leading scorer and playmaker Cory Alexander, who was expected to make a run at All-American. Preseason polls unanimously included Virginia in the Top 20. At one point, Virginia rose to 11th in a major poll. The only cloud on the horizon was the lack of a big man. The loss of Ted Jeffries would be something to overcome.
The preseason fueled Cavalier hopes. The Cavaliers hosted the powerful Australian National Team. The Aussies were undefeated on their American tour coming into University Hall. They had walked over such powers as UCLA, Kentucky, Maryland, and... NC State. In fact, the lowly Wolfpack had given the Men from Down Under their toughest game. Virginia led most of the way on the strength of Alexander's shooting. When the Aussies rallied in the last few minutes to tie the game at 81, Alexander took over. He rebounded an Aussie miss and raced down court. The Australian point guard fouled Alexander, and with .1 left on the clock, Cory sank the winning free throw. The game winner capped off a 26-point, 7- assist, 6-rebound game. Freshman guard Harold Deane gave an early indication of his potential as Virginia's sixth man. Deane scored 10 points on 4-4 shooting, and contributed heady play and tough defense alongside Alexander. When the fans packed University Hall the following Monday night for the season opener against Connecticut, they brought high expectations.
Expectation turned to humiliation, then to despair. The outcome and results of That Game are well-known to all Cavalier fans. When the news came the next day that Alexander had suffered a broken ankle, the season looked lost. Preseason rankings flew out the window, replaced by national tittering. The next three games appeared to confirm fears, as Virginia struggled to defeat such basketball powers as William & Mary, Rice and Coppin State. Only the faithful could see anything to be impressed with in these victories, but highlights were present. Most signally was the clutch play of Deane, and a stubborn defense that kept UVA in games when the offense was, quite simpy, putrid.
After four games, the Cavaliers had managed to eke out a 3-1 record. But the time had come to venture forth from the comforting confines of U Hall. The first stop was Norfolk's Scope against in-state rival Old Dominion. The Cavaliers had humiliated the Monarchs the year before. ODU smelled an opportunity for revenge. The ODU faithful packed Scope.
With twelve minutes to play, it looked like UVA would prevail. The Cavaliers had a seven-point lead. But then they fell apart. Missed free throws, bad decisions, and Odell Hodge on the boards allowed Old Dominion to roar back and send the Cavaliers packing.
A road trip to California was next, and Stanford treated the visiting Hoos as rudely as Old Dominion had. Again, Virginia squandered a seven-point second half lead. Stanford freshman guard Brevin Knight keyed the Cardinal, thoroughly out-playing fellow frosh Deane. The loss left the Cavaliers reeling.
Virginia brought a 3-3 record home from California. With Big 1Ten1 power Minnesota -- a preseason top 10 pick -- coming to U Hall after Christmas and a road trip to UNLV the following week, the future looked dim for Virginia.
The Cavaliers gave the few fans who braved blizzard conditions to watch the matchup against the Golden Gophers a treat. Virginia stomped the Rodents. At halftime, only Virginia's poor shooting allowed the dominated furballs to be within ten points. The Cavaliers came out and extended their lead early in the second half. Then cold shooting returned to haunt the Cavs, as it would time and time again throughout the season. Minnesota came back. They took the lead. But then the Hoos made their stand. Junior Burrough provided the offense, and the defense denied Minnesota good shots. When it was over, Virginia had pulled off a convincing upset victory.
After a lackluster win over Jerry Falwell's Liberty Flames (who would later give UNC all it wanted in the NCAA tournament), Virginia went west once again. This time it was UNLV. Only the most daring gambler would have bet on the Cavaliers to pull off what very few teams had been able to do in the last 14 years: win in the Mack Center. But very few teams had a defense like the Cavaliers. When the game was over Virginia's defense had provided a 59-39 victory. It was the lowest point total UNLV had ever managed at home.
The Cavaliers rode the wave of this success through the first week of the ACC season. Good fortune provided home games against Charlie Ward-less Florida State and hapless North Carolina State, followed by a road trip to Clemson. Virginia capitalized on its good fortune for a six-game win streak, a 9-3 overall record, and a share of first place in the ACC at 3-0. Deane, Burrough and Jason Williford shined. Two of the victories were a 20-point blowout of FSU on ESPN and a convincing triumph at Clemson, also on ESPN.
Reality visited U Hall again, this time in the form of back-to-back games against Duke and Carolina. Duke thrashed the Cavaliers, and Carolina... lost! With the crowd going insane, the defense daring Carolina to hit an outside shot, Deane dogging Derrick Phelps for 19 points, and Burrough banking treys off the backboard, the Cavaliers pulled off the miracle upset.
The tarring of the hated Heels would be the high water mark for Virginia. After that victory, the Cavs were 10-4, 4-1 in the ACC, and riding high. Could Jeff Jones garner his first-ever victory over Georgia Tech? Uhhhh, no. In what had to be the weirdest game in the ACC last year, Tech hung on to defeat the Cavs in Atlanta. Travis Best and James Forrest dominated Virginia in the second half. Until Best fouled out in the last two minutes, he repeatedly schooled the freshman Deane. Even so, Virginia had a chance due to abysmal free throw shooting by the Jackets. Unfortunately, Deane matched Tech missed free throw for missed free throw, and the opportunity slipped away.
It looked like more of the same at Wake Forest the next game. Virginia stumbled out of the gate, falling down 23-7. Randolph Childress powered Wake's offense while Tim Duncan shut down Virginia's inside game. With ten minutes left in the game, Wake held a twelve-point lead. Then a funny thing happened. Virginia clamped down on the Deacons. Wake Forest would not score a field goal in the last nine minutes of the game. The Cavaliers scratched and clawed their way back into the game. Cornel Parker culminated the comeback with a slashing drive to the basket and a one-point Virginia lead. When Childress's desperation length-of- the-court drive missed at the buzzer, Virginia had stolen the game.
Maryland, the ACC's other surprise team, was next. The Twerps came into University Hall brimming with confidence. Autograph-seekers flocked to Joe Smith before the game. Virginia's defense flocked to him during the game. Chris Alexander blocked his shots three times; Deane swatted away a short jumper. When it was over, the Cavaliers were victorious, and Smith had suffered one of his worst performances of the season. Virginia was 12-5, 6-2 in the ACC.
The second half of the ACC season was a month-long slide into the mediocrity expected when Alexander went down. Back-to-back thumpings at the hands of Florida State in Tallahassee and NC State in Raleigh cast a bucket of cold water on Cavalier hopes. A less-than- impressive win over Clemson preceded back-to-back thrashings on Tobacco Road. First Duke humiliated Virginia again, then Carolina survived an early scare and capitalized on the expected Virginia drought to hand the Cavs their fourth loss in five games.
Virginia came into its home game against Georgia Tech desparate for a win. At 13-9, 7-6 in the ACC, the Cavaliers needed a minimum of three more wins to make the NCAA tournament. And Georgia Tech was the Team Virginia Cannot Beat. University Hall was a tense arena as tip-off neared. The Cavaliers started the game tight. Several times in the first half, Georgia Tech appeared on the verge of blowing the Cavaliers out. Each time, the crowd made a surge, and Virginia made a stand. At the end of the first half, the Cavaliers were within striking distance. Early in the second half, one of the pivotal moments occurred. Best, annoyed by Deane's smothering defense, threw an elbow. Deane sank the free throws and Best had to sit out. Virginia took the lead. They wouldn't hold it, however. The teams fought down to the wire, until a Best jumper sent it into overtime. Deane and Best were to be the crucial performers in overtime as well. With Georgia Tech leading by one, Best tried to rub Deane off a top of the key pick. Ivano Newbill laid Deane out with an illegal pick (hotly-disputed by Tech fans). Deane pulled himself up off the floor and calmly dropped two foul shots through for a one-point Virginia lead. When Tech got the ball back and a few seconds left, everyone knew what was coming. Best would take Deane one-on-one. Instead of pulling up for a jumper like Deane expected, Best penetrated into Virginia's defense. The help came, and Best missed. Virginia won, the fans rushed the floor. It would be Virginia's last ACC victory. Losses at home to Wake Forest and at Maryland sandwiched a win over Virginia Tech in Roanoke.
As the ACC tournament started, Virginia knew it had to beat Maryland in the first round in order to get an invitation to the Big Dance. Maryland felt the same way, although most observers considered them in the tournament after beating Virginia the week before. The first half of the game was utterly forgettable, as both teams played nervously. Then early in the second half, Maryland began to take control, just as they had the week before at Cole Field House. But this time the outcome would be different. This time Harold Deane would take control. Deane went on a 10-0 run to stake Virginia to a four- point lead. Then Jamal Robinson took over the scoring load. Together, the two freshmen powered Virginia into the tournament semi-finals against top seeded Duke.
Deane again would carry Virginia to victory. He was unstoppable in the first half, pouring in thirteen points. Duke coach Mike Krewzhawewski (Coach K) was so concerned with Deane's scoring that he assigned all- world defensive player Grant Hill to guard Deane. The move worked, but the price was high. Hill was so busy chasing the 6-1 Deane around that Hill was taken out of his own offense. Deane's teammates stepped up; Hill's didn't. Finally, at the end of the game, Hill was so exhausted he couldn't hit a shot, and at a critical point, with Duke leading by two, Deane beat Hill downcourt after a Virginia defensive rebound, and drained a three-pointer to give Virginia a one-point lead it would never relinquish. With a minute to play, Robinson iced the victory with a slashing, whirling, spinning, leaping playground move past Marty Clark and over Cherokee Parks. Virginia was in the ACC Finals.
Carolina's size would prove to be too much. Although Virginia fought hard the whole game, and kept it close, Carolina pulled out the victory. Deane again led Virginia, but Jerry Stackhouse won the tournament MVP trophy as a member of the winning team. Robinson joined Deane on the all-tournament first team.
Virginia's ACC Tournament performance locked up an NCAA tourney bid. Virginia opened against New Mexico, a small, jump-shooting team. Their leader was 5-7 Greg Brown, a lightning-quick, deadeye guard. Brown and teammates had Virginia down by 15 points with 15 minutes left in the season. Then Deane put the clamps on Brown and fired up UVA's offense along with Burrough. The Cavaliers snuck out a 57-54 victory to advance to the round of 32. That would be as far as UVA would go. Arizona's backcourt of Khalid Reeves and Damon Stoudamire was too much for the Hoos.
All things considered, 1993-94 was a successful year for Virginia. The Cavaliers finished 18-13, 8-8 and in fourth place in the ACC, advanced to the ACC tournament final and the second round of the NCAA tournament, all without their best player. "I think the biggest thing that comes out of a season like the one we had last year is an understanding that through hard work, perserverance, a belief in one another and with some luck, you can get through the tough times and turn what could have been a negative into a positive," Coach Jones reflected. "That's a lesson our players and coaches learned, and hopefully will use to our advantage in the future." With all but one major player returning, and Alexander due back, the Cavaliers are in great position to make the most of that lesson in 1994- 95.
1994-95 ANALYSIS AND OUTLOOK
The future's so bright, somebody ought to wear shades. Virginia has not amassed so much talent on one team since the Ralph Sampson years, and this year's team spreads the talent around rather than concentrating the lion's share of it in one 7-4 body. "Good teams have good players and, in most cases, the team with the most good players wins," Jones said. "We've got good players and our depth should be improved." Thus, expectations for Virginia will be high, and the pressure will be on Jeff Jones's team to perform well. "I just don't want the expectations to get out of hand," cautions Jones. "But you should expect a lot."
HALFCOURT DEFENSE
Let's start with defense. Why? Because that's where it all begins for Virginia. Jones's teams always play excellent man-to-man defense. Last year, defense saved Virginia and was largely responsible for the NCAA tournament berth. The Cavaliers led the ACC in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 39.4% shooting. Gutty man-to-man made up for poor shooting.
This year the defense will again be important. While UVA's offense should be improved, the lack of size inside remains a liability. Virginia will again have to rely on shutting down the other team. The loss of Cornel Parker will hurt; but don't cry for Virginia. Barnes, Burrough and Alexander return inside to handle the rebounding and swarm opposing big men. Alexander is a ferocious shot blocker. Barnes and Burrough play tough in the post. Jones wants to see improvement in the defensive rebounding. "I was probably disappointed with our consistency on the boards. That's an area we must improve. If we're going to get out in transition, we've got to make the most of the opportunities to rebound the ball at the defensive end and get it down the court quickly."
Jason Williford is another excellent defensive player who creates fast break opportunities with his quick hands and play in the passing lanes. Jason plays on the perimeter, but will also sneak into the lane for a key rebound or defensive play. "Every now and then I have to go in there and throw some 'bows [elbows] around," Williford commented. Robinson showed an enthusiasm for in-your-jock defense all year. With his quickness and long arms, he can stick with most offensive players. Robinson can also jump, and started blocking some shots late in the year. Finally, towards the end of the year, Jamal began making big steals by jumping into passing lanes. However, Robinson's inexperience plagued him with fouls, and caused him to make other mistakes. He seemed to absorb Parker's attitude towards defense. If he can maintain that attitude and continue to learn, Robinson has the potential to be an even better defensive player than Parker, because Robinson possesses quickness and leaping ability Parker never had.
The backcourt is where Virginia's defense might suffer. Deane, who should start next to Alexander at guard, is an excellent defensive player who can steal the ball and block shots as well as stick to his man. However, at 6-1 he may have a hard time with some of the taller shooting guards. "You just gotta play hard and use your mind," Harold said of the challenge. "Sometimes I'm gonna play against taller players, I know that, but I've already been thinking about what I'm going to have to do." The Badger feels up to the task. "This year I've gotten stronger and I think I'm going to be able to guard some different people." Deane also lacks some quickness, which cost him at times last year. Quick guards like Best and Charlie Ward gave Deane a hard time. But he proved in the NCAA tourney that determination can make up for a lack of quickness.
The other guards, however, are not proven defensive standouts like Deane. Alexander's defense in 1992-93 was mediocre. It was just there. With the exception of a game-winning block against Kevin McLinton and Maryland, Alexander did not make many big defensive plays. You would like to see a player with his speed and quickness produce more steals. With Alexander, steals would mean dunks, and at University Hall that would mean momentum. Jones isn't worried. "Cory Alexander and Harold Deane are very fine defenders who should allow us to get after some people defensively at the full court and half court level. They're tenacious, quick and strong."
Curtis Staples, the incoming freshman sensation, showed in the post-season high school all star games that he is more than willing to play tough man-to-man. "I work on my defense just as hard as I work on my shooting ability," Staples remarked. "I feel like I play pretty good defense." But he is unproven, and is likely to struggle against ACC stars like Randolph Childress, Lakista McCuller, Donald Williams, and James Collins. Look for Deane to draw the assignment of guarding the other team's primary ballhandler or biggest scoring guard.
The halfcourt defense will be fine. The keys to watch will be the defensive rebounding, defense on the point guard, and help against screens. Last season when Virginia's defense broke down, it was because the big men failed to step out and shut off the drive when the opposing team set screens for their guards. Burrough, Barnes and Alexander have to step out strong and stop the ball when it comes around a screen. If they let guards get into the lane, the entire defense crumbles. But the Cavaliers know they can play defense. Co- captain Burrough said, "One of the key things is that we have a lot of confidence in each other down there on the defensive end, and if we can just take that confidence that we have on defense, of stopping the other team, down to the offensive end -- which I think we are going to do a better job of this year -- that's what is going to make this team that number seven ranking."
Virginia Defensive Player of the Year: Harold Deane. Chris Alexander should be the runner-up here. Jason Williford will also compete. But Deane will be the most likely candidate to take Parker's role of stopper. With his intelligence and quick hands, look for him to make lots of steals. This past summer, Deane led all players at the U.S. Olympic Festival with 3.7 steals per game in only 19 minutes per game. Deane also blocks shots. And don't underestimate The Badger's ability to annoy and psychologically take an opponent out of his game. Alexander's shot-blocking and Williford's roving team defense will also be critical.
HALFCOURT OFFENSE
The Cavaliers occasionally had a hard time putting the ball in the basket last year. Understatement? Probably. OK, definitely. Scoring was Virginia's Achilles heel. More accurately, it was Virginia's broken ankle. Or, to be entirely precise, it was Cory Alexander's broken ankle. When Cory went down for the season less than halfway through the first game, he took most of Virginia's offense with him. Cory was Virginia's only reliable offensive performer, and their only proven outside shooter.
Cory is back. That alone will improve Virginia's offense. Look for Deane and Williford to capitalize on Cory's return. With Cory in the lineup, those two will be under less pressure to shoot the outside shot. They'll be able to shoot because they have an open shot, not because they have to shoot. Both Williford and Deane are good three-point shooters when they are open; neither is very effective from that range with a man in his face. Cory's ability to beat his man on the dribble -- with an excellent crossover dribble and quick first step -- and shoot over big people will open Deane and Williford up for a lot of good looks from behind the arc. Williford knows what a difference having Cory back will make for him: "I'm just glad [Cory's] out there, because I know his every move. So when he's out there I play better and he just makes everybody else play better."
Don't be surprised to see Virginia launch a three- point assault on the ACC. Alexander is a very good three-point shooter, having connected on 64 out of 174 treys in his sophomore year. Cory has range to the NBA line. Deane, Williford and Robinson are all capable of having big nights from behind the line. Deane in particular will hit the big shots at crucial times. Staples gives Virginia another capable outside shooter. Staples made 48% of his three pointers as a senior at Oak Hill Academy. He hit more threes by himself (164) than the entire Virginia team (134, last in the ACC). "Curtis Staples is the best shooter I've ever played with in my entire life," Cory raved. "He can shoot the lights out," Williford marveled. "I don't think I have ever seen anybody shoot as quick as he does. He has the quickest release."
Staples' outstanding shot is the result of his extraordinary work ethic. "In the summer I have a lot of time so I shoot anywhere from 800 to 1,000 shots a day, but now since the season has started I don't shoot as many. I still get in to shoot anywhere from 300-400 shots after practice. I'm always here early and I just come in and shoot. I don't have to shoot any set number of shots, I just I come in and shoot til I feel comfortable. And really I don't feel comfortable without shooting a lot of shots because I feel like the more you shoot the more consistent you are. So that has been a key for me in the past and I think that has really sharpened my shooting a lot -- shooting a lot of repetitions and becoming consistent." If Staples can shoot consistently in the ACC, he will see plenty of playing time.
Then there's "Bank Shot" Burrough....
The addition of an outside game should be a welcome development for Burrough and Barnes. Burrough is a horse in the lane, with an excellent assortment of post-up moves. He also has a nice short jumper when he uses it right. Junior, however, has been woefully inconsistent in his three years at Virginia. His unwillingness to pass out of double teams has plagued the Cavaliers. Junior also tends to rely on a turnaround jumper that just does not work against the tall leapers of the ACC. Junior needs to do two things if he is going to help the Cavaliers win the ACC and make the Final Four: 1) Recognize double teams and hit the open man; and 2) Remember always to go towards the hoop instead of falling away. When Junior works hard for inside position and attacks the basket, he is unstoppable. When he gets lazy and tosses up turnaround jumpers, he is pathetic. When Junior tries to go up against two and three defenders, consider it a turnover. With Alexander, Deane and Staples on the perimeter, Junior has no excuse not to kick it back out.
Barnes is something of an enigma on offense. He has a nice medium range jumper, good power inside, and some nice moves, but tends to lose confidence. Yuri also has trouble deciding when to dunk the ball and when to lay it off the glass. "My knee was kind of hurting last year and I wasn't that confident in my leaping ability. I got sort of crossed in decision-making. That won't be a problem this year." When Yuri is into his offensive game, he is a major force for the Cavaliers. So far in the preseason, Barnes has looked quicker and more confident in his post offense. He has demonstrated a sweet jump hook with either hand. Barnes, of course, is in a terrible position, being forced to play center against the ACC's big men.
Barnes and Burrough provide the lion's share of Virginia's inside offense. Chris Alexander was not an offensive threat last year, although he did provide some timely offensive putbacks. However, early in the preseason, Alexander has looked much improved offensively. He has shown some aggressive post moves and an improved touch inside the paint. Williford and Robinson will also convert on occasional offensive rebounds. Look for Robinson to be the recipient of some alley-oops from all three Cavalier guards. Virginia will look to freshman Norman Nolan, a high school All-American from Baltimore Dunbar to provide inside scoring off the bench. Nolan is built a lot like Burrough, and has a variety of post moves, but so far has had trouble finishing plays. Nolan also is reputed to possess a good medium-range jumper.
But Virginia's offense will be guard- driven. Cory Alexander is where everything will begin, and the rest of the offense will build off what he can produce. "Cory's our leader," said Williford. "He's our point guard, he runs the team." Jones has high expectations for Alexander. "There are times during a game and a season when you know that a certain individual will step up and make the play, make something good happen for the basketball team. Bryant Stith and Jeff Lamp have been like that for Virginia in the past, and I think Cory Alexander will be that type of player for our team this season."
Because so much of Virginia's offense is riding on Alexander, it will be crucial to Virginia's success that he avoid turnovers. As a sophomore, Cory averaged 3.1 turnovers per game, and his assist-to-turnover ratio was a mediocre 1.36 to 1. The turnovers need to go down, and the ratio needs to go up. Cory also needs to take good shots, and to be cognizant of when his teammates are open. As a sophomore he had a tendency to try and do it all. With the quality of the players now surrounding Cory, he doesn't need to do that anymore.
Virginia's offense will be better. "I think there's good reason to expect our shooting to improve considerably this season," said Jones. "The addition of Curtis Staples, the return of Cory Alexander and our improved depth should help.
"Our handling of the basketball on the perimeter and up front should make us more difficult to guard and allow our players to create opportunities for themselves and their teammates. Any one of our guards or wing players is capable of catching an outlet pass and getting the ball down the floor. We shouldn't have to designate just one or two players to handle the ball, and that puts more pressure on the defensive team. I also look for our big men to do a better job of getting the ball back to our three-point shooters when opponents sag back defensively."
"Everybody was here this summer working on the shot. You see vast improvement in everybody's shot," according to Junior Burrough. "I think it's all about confidence," said Williford. "If we come out at the beginning of the year and we're knocking down shots, our confidence can only grow, and when you shoot the ball with confidence, nine times out of ten you make it. So shooting is all about confidence and not thinking about it, but just going out there and doing it."
Virginia Offensive Player of the Year: Cory Alexander, obviously. Nobody else on this squad is nearly as complete or capable an offensive performer. Staples may be in a couple years, but for this year, Cory is the Man. Runner-Up: This is a tough call. Probably Burrough, who should be the second-leading scorer for the team. Others who will have big impacts are Deane and Staples at shooting guard, and Robinson and Williford at small forward. If Virginia establishes a consistent transition game, look for Robinson's minutes to go way up. Chris Alexander may be the most improved Cavalier offensively.
TRANSITION GAME
The Cavaliers don't give up many fast breaks. They get back on defense. Any team that holds its opponents to under 40% shooting is not giving up a lot of easy baskets. However, Virginia hasn't converted on many breaks the last couple years, either. Expect all that to change this year.
"We're going to run," Alexander announced flatly. "Whenever we get the ball, we're just gonna go."
Jones hopes to apply more pressure on defense, and develop more of a transition game. "Our improved depth and quickness should enable us to apply more pressure which hopefully will speed up the game and make it less of a half court slug out. I'm also hopeful that we'll be able to generate more turnovers and get out in the open court."
Having Alexander back at the point will help. Cory is one of the fastest players on the dribble in the game. "I don't think there's anybody in the country who can start at one baseline, and keep up with me to the other end of the court. And if they can, I'm confident enough in my ball-handling that I can go around them and get the shot." Big words, but Cory pushes the ball hard, and makes good decisions with it. His open court passing is superlative. "I love playing with him," Yuri Barnes raved. "He just sees everything, and he just loves to pass. He loves to, I mean he gets crazy and kind of flashy sometimes, but I love to run with him. Because I know if I'm open he will give me the ball. If I'm streaking down the court -- and I usually beat my man down the court -- he'll get me the ball."
A better fast break will depend on improved defensive rebounding and outlet passing, and on generating more steals. Towards the end of last year, the Cavaliers greatly improved their outlet passing and the long upcourt passes. They ran more in the tournaments than they had in the regular season. Cory's speed and quickness will help.
If Virginia can produce more steals, the entire offense will improve. Last year, Deane and Williford did a good job of causing turnovers and driving scoring spurts. Virginia will need more of that this year. Towards the end of the season, Robinson demonstrated an ability to jump into the passing lanes with his long arms. One of Alexander's weaknesses to date has been a relative lack of steals. Virginia needs him to concentrate more on forcing turnovers. With his incredible quickness, Cory should be able to be one of the league leaders in steals. With Deane as the designated stopper instead of Parker, look for Virginia to create more turnovers. Parker was more of a cover man; Deane is more of a thief than Parker. Coach Jones could help by employing more trapping defenses, which he plans to do. With Alexander, Deane, Staples, Robinson and Williford, the Cavaliers have the people at the 1-3 positions to do it.
Another factor in Virginia's sub-par transition offense has been coaching. Virginia coaches its guards and small forwards to bring it up themselves when they get the rebound, instead of looking for the point guard. The theory is that this allows the team to get the ball upcourt faster. In theory, sound. In practice, it led to bad decisions. The most important factor in a good fast break offense is having the ball in the hands of a good decision-maker. When the Cavaliers got the ball into Cory's hands in the middle of the floor, Virginia generally scored an easy basket. When they did not, it was unpredictable. Cornel Parker was the worst, often going out of control and drawing charges or blowing layups. Deane can run a break, but he does not possess Cory's instinct for making the right move at the right time. Deane also does not have Cory's speed and leaping ability, which force the defender to concentrate on stopping Cory first, making it easier to pass off.
An improved fast break would make Virginia a far more powerful basketball team in a number of respects. First, the shooting percentage would automatically go up because of the increase in easy shots. Second, an ability to score in spurts would lessen the pressure to stop the opponent on every possession and decrease the psychological wear and tear on the team. Third, a defense emphasizing steals and turnovers produces a far bigger payoff for the energy invested than a defense geared around simply stopping the other team. The former produces dunks and layups; the latter produces half court offensive sets against the opponent's set defense. Finally, an up-and-down game maximizes the effect of Virgiia's depth. In this year's ACC, that depth is a huge advantage and it will be critical for the Cavaliers to make that advantage work for them.
THE PLAYERS
RETURNING PLAYERS: Just about everyone is back. Returning starters are:
** C Yuri Barnes, 6-8, 235 Senior from Richmond, VA.
Yuri played well in the pivot for the Hoos last year. Although he had a tendency to disappear offensively and lose confidence, he was a big part of Virginia's effective interior defense. Yuri is a battler with a should-be-world-famous scowl. He has a nice mid-range jumper that always took people by surprise, moves toward the hoop when the guards penetrate and gets out on the break. Yuri is too small to play center in the ACC. Yuri probably would have improved much more last year if he could have stayed at PF. With Montross and Sharone Wright leaving, that makes two less beefy centers to contend with.
Yuri appears to have gotten quicker, and his post moves are more aggressive. Yuri spent the summer working on his shot and "getting stronger, learning how to just use strength more." Yuri of course is smaller and lighter than most of the centers he goes up against, "but I'm not weaker than them. I've been working on learning how to muscle people more. I think I'm quicker than them, too." Jones is looking for more consistency from Yuri, particularly on the defensive boards. Barnes is one player whose minutes may go down due to the improvement of Chris Alexander and the addition of Norman Nolan.
* * * * * * * * * *
** F Junior Burrough 6-8, 245 Senior from Charlotte, NC
Junior. Ah, Junior. Came in to UVA highly touted and has always been interesting. Junior's a good kid who seems determined to do his own thing on the court. He has a nice shot when he takes good ones, but unfortunately hits just enough bad ones to further encourage him. Junior was extremely inconsistent on offense; he was great or abysmal. Junior can't jump, which is part of his problem, and he's pretty slow. But when he remembers, he's an excellent rebounder and his interior defense is grossly underrated. Junior plays tough defense with little notice. "I do think my defense is underrated. I've guarded every big time player that we've had to play against, and I've been very successful guarding them because of the team defense. It's really not just one player anyway. I think it's underrated but it really doesn't bother me as long as the team defense is still the number one team defense in the ACC. I don't care if no one ever thinks I play defense as long as the coaches know I'm out there playing defense, and my teammates know that nobody's down there just scoring on us in the post."
When Junior works for good offensive position in the paint, moves toward the hoop instead of fading away, and thinks to dish when the double-team takes away his shot, he is as good as any low post player in the conference. Next year Virginia would like to see him play intelligently more than every third game or so. As a senior who will be looked to for leadership by the younger players, Junior needs to be more conscientious with the mental parts of the game. Junior recognizes the need. When asked where he wants to improve his game, Junior replied, "A lot more consistency. Passing out of the double team more instead of shooting. It really hurts me to say that, but... Just being smarter with the basketball, less turnovers. I want to have more positive things going on instead of just shots.
"That's one of the things me and [Cory] have talked about, is that we don't have to do the things we've had to do. I don't have to take the shots out of double teams. I don't have to do those things any more, and it makes it easier for myself. It shows the fact that I can give the ball up and go down and play defense four or five trips and not even have taken a shot, I think that's going to show that I'm a better basketball player than what's been shown the last few years, that shows the sign of maturity of being a senior, knowing that there is an opportunity for us to do some good things if we let it happen."
"Junior is a much better basketball player than he's ever been before," said Cory. We certainly hope so.
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** F Jason Williford 6-5, 205 senior from Richmond, VA
Many Virginia fans believe Jamal Robinson should start ahead of Williford. Many others are waiting for Jason to consistently fulfill the great promise he has shown at times. Jason may be UVA's most underrated player. He does everything: excellent defense creating opportunities with quick hands and anticipation; defensive rebounding and offensive stick-backs; knocking down the open three; and clever passing. Jason's all-around game is solid, and he is something of an emotional leader. "I like to get the crowd into the game. I think that's important. Emotionally before the games I'm not real vocal, you know, I'm not in there yelling and getting everybody fired up. I just try to lead out here on the court and let my actions speak for themselves." On the court and off the court he gives to the team. What Jason needs to improve on is offensive consistency and a tendency to try to do too much. Jason would try tough shots, miss them, then get down on himself.
"That's been my whole roller coaster ride, throughout my career here," Jason acknowledged. "I don't know, it's like if I get that first shot in or whatever then I tend to play better throughout the whole game, but if I miss the first two or three then my confidence just goes out. That's one thing that I have been working on all pre-season and I am going to continue working on. I think it's just realizing, hey this is my last go around, so just leave it all out there, every game. And that's what I have to do."
Williford's goal for improvement is the same as Junior's: "Be more consistent. I think this year I might not have to score as much, but rebounding and defensively I have to be just consistent night in and night out. That's the only thing I see in my game that I need to improve on. I think I do a lot of things well, and I just have to be consistent." If Jason achieves that goal, he could be the most valuable player on the team. He is always willing to do whatever the team needs, and to submerge his game for the good of the team. He takes his role as a senior and a team co-captain seriously. "Guys are going to have to take leadership roles. The seniors, we're going to have to. We have to let everybody know that this is a team thing, and that we can only do it as a team. If guys start to get that individual mentality then we as leaders are going to have to bring them back down and say, 'Look, this is our team, we're doing this for the good of the team.'"
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** G Harold Deane, 6-1. 170 sophomore from Ettrick, VA
What is there to say about The Badger, Ice, the Deane? When Deane came to UVA from Fork Union Military Academy, everybody expected him to keep the bench warm for the starters. Instead, the Badger played himself into the sixth man position during the preseason, then stepped into the starting PG position when little-known Cory Alexander went down with a broken ankle. ;) Harold excelled. While he struggled with his shooting at times, the Badger never backed down from a challenge and always stepped up in the clutch. Harold's three-pointers ignited numerous Virginia rallies, and his excellent defense frustrated opposing point guards. Harold not only can steal it from you, deny you, get in your face and frustrate you, but he can also block your shot. Just ask Joe Smith. ;) During the ACC tourney Harold showed an ability to create off the dribble that had not been expected.
The Badger had an up and down freshman year, but he never backed down. Hence, the nickname. Deane starred in early season victories over Rice (11 points, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and a key trey to give UVA the lead) and Coppin State (15 points and 5 assists), but struggled in consecutive road losses against ODU and Stanford -- both of whom visit University Hall this year. The Badger had an outstanding January, with 13 points, 5 assists and no turnovers against Florida State; 19 points and 4 rebounds at Clemson; 18 points, 4 assists and a blocked shot in the upset victory over North Carolina; 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and no turnovers in the come-from-behind win at Wake; and 12 points, 5 assists, 2 blocked shots and 2 steals against Maryland. Then February rolled around, and Deane's game went into hibernation. He was horrible in humiliating losses at Florida State and NC State; bounced back for a 13 point, 4 rebound, 3 assist, 2 steal and 0 turnover performance in Jeff Jones's first ever victory over Georgia Tech; then struggled against Wake Forest and Virginia Tech. It was no coincidence that Deane's struggles accompanied a dreadful 2-6 second half of the ACC season.
But just when Virginia looked dead and Deane like a confused freshman, Harold came back. It started with the second half of the final regular season game, at Maryland, when Harold took charge and almost stole the victory for the Hoos. He finished that game with 16 points. The following week, when Virginia absolutely, positively had to have a win to make the NCAA tournament, Harold was The Man. After a poor first half by both tams, Maryland jumped out to an early second half lead, and it was looking like a rerun of the week before. But it was not to be. With Maryland leading by 6, Deane went on a 10-0 run to give Virginia an edge the Cavaliers would never relinquish. Then Duke was next. Harold shredded the Blue Devils defense for 13 first half points, prompting Coach K to put 6-8 all-world defender Grant Hill on Deane. The ploy worked -- until crunch time. With the clock running down and Virginia trailing by two, Deane rebounded a Hill miss and raced down court. Beating Hill to the other end, Deane stopped at the three-point arc and popped the shot that gave Virginia the lead for good. Harold's heroics continued in the championship game against UNC, where he scored 19 points and single-handedly brought the Cavaliers to within two in the last minute. With Virginia down by seven and seemingly out of it, Deane drained a trey, then stole the ball from Stackhouse, drew the foul, and sank both free throws to cut the Tar Heel lead to two. But it wouldn't be enough.
Like Cavalier fans, Coach Jones was pleased with Deane's freshman campaign. "I think when you consider the situation Harold Deane was put in last season after the injury to Cory Alexander, what might be considered a solid freshman year becomes a remarkable freshman year. He showed the type of competitor he is because he never backed down from the challenges he faced last season."
Harold learned a great deal from his freshman experiences, probably far more than he would have had Alexander not gone down. Jones expects those lessons to benefit the son of a coach from Ettrick, Virginia. "He learned a lot about what he's capable of doing and not capable of doing, and he also learned how to run a basketball team. He'll be more confident this season, more experienced and more under control because of the lessons he learned as a freshman. We asked him to do a lot last season and I think his shooting suffered because of the added responsibilities. This year he should be a hungry offensive player and he'll be asked to run the team for us at times, but I think his shooting will be a little bit more consistent."
Harold's shooting started to improve in the ACC tournament. He shot 50% from the floor, including 42% in three-point shots. He continued that shooting at the Olympic Festival last summer, hitting 10-22 from the floor, including 3-7 in threes. His goal is to raise his shooting percentages to above 40% from the floor and 80% at the line. If the experiences of other recent ACC guards -- including Alexander -- are any indication, Deane should achieve those objectives this year.
This coming year Deane will have to work on only taking good shots and cut down on his turnovers. Harold's goal for himself is to have the fewest turnovers of any guard in the ACC. He also plans to be more consistent. "Last year I played well in the tournament, but you gotta do it the whole season." Deane said. "This year that's what I'm going to try to do. Last year was like a roller coaster, up and down season for me, but now I got a year under my belt and the confidence is going to be there for me. I'm going to try to do well from the beginning, throughout the whole season, and be consistent." Harold's role on the team will change. He will be able to spot up for threes more often, and will have the benefit of playing alongside a bona fide offensive threat. Cory will make Harold better and vice versa. Ice has leadership potential.
Last summer, Harold played for the gold medal South team in the U.S. Olympic Festival. Harold had a solid performance in 19 minutes per game. He led all players in the festival with 3.7 steals per game, shot 10-22 from the field including 3-7 behind the arc, hit 5-of-5 free throws, and averaged four rebounds per game.
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_Top Returning Reserves:_
** F-G Jamal Robinson, 6-6, 180 sophomore from Jamaica, NY
Jamal came into last year as UVA's most highly-touted recruit. Early in the season he didn't look like much. He seemed lost on defense, tentative on offense, and his shot was not there. However, Jamal improved greatly over the year and provided many exciting plays. His jams and drives to the hoop are well-known but his three-point shooting was the biggest improvement in his offensive game. By the end of the season, Jamal had become a reliable three-point shooter, and dependable ballhandler. He played nearly as well as Deane in the ACC tournament, joining the Badger on the first-team all-tournament team.
Jamal is a surprisingly good rebounder for a skinny little twerp, and is eager on defense. His great leaping ability and quickness will make him a great defensive player once he learns. Because of his physical abilities, Jamal has the potential to be an even better defender than Parker. Jamal is still far more effective in transition than the halfcourt offense, but he can drive the baseline as well as anyone in the ACC. If Virginia selects a high pressure, attack the hoop style of game, Jamal will excel. He's young and tends to get over-excited, but like Harold, he has great leadership potential.
"The goal for Jamal this year is to put those things together with the experience he gained last season and be a more consistent player. He is extremely gifted and could be one of the better players in our conference," his coach claimed. Jamal has the ability. He will give Virginia a lot of flexibility, as he can play guard or forward. Jamal spent the summer working on his outside shot, which should help him. If he shows a consistent jumper, it will force the other team to come out, which should allow Robinson to use his incredible quickness to slash to the hoop. JAM-all should provide plenty of excitement for Virginia fans this year.
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** Chris Alexander, 6-8, 229 Junior from Long Branch, NJ
Chris was one of the more pleasant surprises of last year. He is a pure shotblocker who also does a decent job on the boards. Offensively, Chris is not a force, although he rarely made mistakes. He gave some timely offensive putbacks. UVA would not have been nearly as successful as the team was without Chris, because he gave Virginia a third big man who could come in and make positive contributions. His blocks of Joe Smith in the game in U-Hall were classic. "Chris came into his own as a basketball player last season and he really made some positive contributions to our team," commented Jones. "He's the perfect example of someone working hard, being patient and making the most of his opportunities.
"He provides a shot- blocking presence inside that we really need and he should improve even more this year. Chris still has a ways to go offensively, but he's improved every year and I think he'll be a more confident and relaxed player this year." Jones had enough confidence in Alexander to make him a co-captain of this year's team. Alexander has already improved over last year, gaining 14 pounds over last year's playing weight. Alexander is up to almost 230. So far in the preseason he looks much more confident on offense. He has shown a variety of aggressive post moves and a soft touch around the basket that were missing last year. If he carries that forward into the season, he will see a great deal more time at center. He is already a true shot blocker, who knows how to go straight up and keep his body away from the offensive player.
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NEWCOMERS:
** Cory Alexander, 6-1, 176 Senior from Waynesboro, VA
Although not technically a newcomer, Cory did miss the entire season. It will be almost like adding a transfer. As a sophomore Cory was the straw that stirred the drink, and last year was expected to be his year to explode into stardom. Cory appeared ready to do so with his game against the Australian National Team when he scored 26 points, still managed 6 assists, and added 7 rebounds. We all know what happened next. Cory will be the focal point of the offense at the point. His ability to create off the dribble will give opposing teams incredible problems. Cory has one of the best first steps in the game, an awesome crossover dribble, great elevation, and a beautiful release. Cory is one of the quickest players around with the ball. However, Cory needs to improve his shooting percentages. He shot 45% from the field, which is not too bad, but only 36% behind the arc and 70% from the line. With his perfect form, Cory should be able to shoot far better than those numbers. Concentration is the key for Cory. He also needs to cut down on his turnovers and improve his defense.
Cory has a lot to prove in his last year. Whil everybody was touting him as All-American and All-ACC prior to last year, the accolades are few and far between this campaign. It really makes no sense, but shows how forgetful the media are. All the physical abilities remain, and last year should lead to greater maturity. There is every reason to expect that Cory will be a better basketball player than he would have been last year. "I'm back," he said, and you should believe him.
This team is built around Cory Alexander. "This is my team," he said, and the team knows it. "He adds a whole new dimension to our team," Chris Alexander noted. "We're all looking forward to it, because he is such a good player and he's going to be the one. Wherever we're going to go, he's going to be the one to take us there." "He runs the team. He just makes everybody else play better," added Williford. "Cory has the ability to create shots for himself and for his teammates. Other players on our team have that ability, but probably not to Cory's extent," according to Jones.
Cory does make everybody around him better, particularly offensively. He can drain an NBA trey, or put the ball on the floor and explode to the basket. He presents impossible problems for opposing defenses. When he moves to the hole, the defense has to react, and when they do that leaves other people open. So far in the pre-season, the three-pointer from the corner has been wide open. Cory's scoring everybody remembers; his passing may be better. "My points may go down, but I'm not worried about that. I just want to win."
Cory also will bring intangibles to the team. He is a vocal, enthusiastic leader who should provide emotional fire for the team. "I'm excited. I'm very excited about having the chance to come in and play with Jamal and Harold, and Curtis and Norman and Chase. These guys I've never really played with before when there's a crowd. I'm just ready to get the chemistry going. I'm looking forward to it," Cory said. He thinks that excitement will rub off on the team. "I can be excited because then it's going to reflect on the rest of the team, and it's going to make us a better team."
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** Curtis Staples, 6-2 Freshman from Oak Hill Academy
Curtis was called by his high school coach the best shooter they had "ever, ever, ever had." This coach had Cory Alexander, Jerry Stackhouse, Jeff McInnis and other future college stars on his teams. Curtis hit more three-pointers last year than the entire Virginia team. Staples shot 48% from behind the arc. Curtis apparently is also good off the dribble. If he can play defense he will push for playing time as a freshman. As good as Harold is, I would not be surprised to see Staples and Alexander as the starting guards come tournament time. As Staples' coach said, a player who can shoot the way Curtis can has to get PT. Part of the reason for Curtis' success shooting is his work habits: he shoots 500 shots a day, half from three-point range.
"Curtis has worked to make himself into a great shooter. He doesn't have a picture-perfect jump shot, but he's got a quick release and is a threat to shoot the ball inside 25 feet," Jones said. Curtis counts on his work ethic leading to playing time. "I'm just going to try my best to come in prepared for practice, playing well in practice. I'm gonna come in and practice hard because I don't like to sit down, personally. I've never sat down my whole career playing, and I don't plan on doing it. So I'm going to come in and play hard."
Curtis's shooting is indeed impressive, but he for one is a little tired of everybody talking about only his shooting. "I guess coming into Virginia everything was overshadowed by my shooting ability, because if you heard the name Curtis Staples, the first thing that came out of somebody's mouth was he's the greatest shooter, he can really shoot the ball. You know, they never talk about my defense or my ball- handling. They never talk about anything else but shooting because it kind of overshadows my game. But I feel like I play pretty good defense, and I'm not a one-sided player. I feel like I play offense and defense but just my shooting stands out. That's all they talk about, but I feel like I can become a complete player."
Curtis was impressive in the post-season all star games. In the McDonald's game in New York, he scored 14 points and hit two of three from three-point range. He also passed the ball well and showed a good team attitude. Curtis was one of the few players on the court interested in playing defense. He matched up against Trajan Langdon, who is going to be a great one. At the Capital Classic, Staples and Langdon were the starting backcourt for the US All Stars, and they dominated the game. Curtis led all scorers with 24 points on 10 of 14 shooting. He excelled in the fast break, again demonstrating his intelligent and unselfish play. Curtis also played tough man-to-man defense. In fact, Curtis played so well in the post-season that he moved into the top 10 incoming freshmen.
Curtis's goals for his career at Virginia are lofty. "I'd like to break a lot of records here, shooting records. Eventually become some one who, when you think of Virginia basketball, you would think of someone like myself. Because I think that if all the All-Americans who have come from the state of Virginia had stayed here, that Virginia would have won a national championship. I feel like I'm trying to start a trend of the top players in the state staying in the state and not leaving. And I hope it will work." As do Virginia fans.
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** Norman Nolan, 6-8, 240 Freshman from Baltimore Dunbar
Norman first impressed college scouts summer 1993 with his performance at the Nike camp, when he earned a spot in the "Top 20" Showcase game and scored 14 points. Curtis, incidentally, scored 18 in that game for the other team. Norman was a leader for the Baltimore Dunbar team this year. Norman has good work habits to go along with all the physical skills to be an offensive force inside. Norman will push for playing time on a deep front line.
Nolan has already shown a variety of strong post moves, and he catches the ball well. With his strength, he should be able to rebound, and play defense. "I need to work on my defense. Sometimes I let them set too deep in the paint, and that could catch up with me." "Norman has a tremendous amount of ability. He is capable of banging inside, but also has the ability to move away from the basket," Jones stated. "He has a soft touch around the basket, and he can step away and shoot a facing jump shot. Norman's an efficient player in that he doesn't need a lot of catches to be able to put the numbers up. He'll run the floor and get things in transition, he'll get things off the offensive boards, he'll find ways to get to the free-throw line."
Norman came into school out of shape, which slowed his early development, but by the time practice started, he had come around. He also needs to work on finishing plays, which is something Jones wants to see all his players improve. But Nolan expects to see plenty of playing time. "Coach Jones told me that when I came in I was going to play a lot as a freshman. I would expect more than half the time. But that's not what's on my mind right now. I just want to win."
Norman had lackluster performances in the two McDonald's high school all-star games. To Norman's credit, however, he was playing on a bum knee which was scoped shortly after the Capital Classic. But now, says Norman, "the knee is fine."
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** Chase Metheney, 7-4, 221 Freshman from Charlotte, NC
Chase Metheney is a perfect example of why you should never believe what you read about a kid while he's being recruited. Chase was listed as 255 at the start of his senior year. At the end of the year, they were saying he was up to 268. That is a joke, and a cruel one. Chase is listed in Virginia's pre-season guide at 221, and from looking at him, that figure is realistic. And when you look at his physical statistics, you can easily deduce the pros and cons to Chase. He's very tall. But he's underweight and weak. One recruiting guru called him a "lowercase Shawn Bradley."
Chase is the mystery element. He missed his chance to participate in the Nike camp summer of 1993 because he broke his hand in the first session. Plus he played high school in a private league where he was by far the biggest player. He is considered raw, a project whose defense is far more developed than his offense. However his high school coach said he improved greatly over the course of his senior year, and he was good enough to be selected for the US All Stars in the McDonald's Capital Classic. In that game, Chase showed that he has a long way to go to be a prime time player. He was slow and awkward, and looked out of his element. However, he did use his height well on defense.
Virginia's players and coaches recognize that "Chase has a ways to go," as Barnes said, but "once he gets more size in him and a little bit more experience he'll be a first round pick easy." "His best basketball is ahead of him," Jones averred. "All he needs to do is make the same progress he made from his freshman to senior years in high school. Back then, people didn't think he was going to be a player. They said he was clumsy and slow, and he was. But he worked at it. He's a very serious high school graduate. More serious than any I can recall."
Jones expects Metheney to be a factor this year, and stated emphatically that Virginia will not redshirt Chase. Despite the obvious need of size and strength, Metheney already brings good things to the team. "Can't nobody take it to him because he blocks everything!" Nolan exclaimed. Norman should know: in the Capital Classic Chase stuffed Norman twice in one sequence. "He's definitely intimidating on the inside," Barnes agreed. "Blocking shots and stuff; with his size he doesn't have to jump really. People aren't used to playing against somebody his size." Burrough added, "Chase is really smart about keeping his body away from people. Chris has worked with him about being able to keep the body off players." Besides the shot blocking, the players and coaches noted that Chase has good hands, and a soft touch out to about 12 feet.
"Chase is a step behind because he's not very strong, but I think he has the determination, the drive to want to play and get better," said Burrough. Everybody on the team expects Chase to improve. "He has improved a lot. He's taken good steps in improving since he's come here," said Barnes. Burrough commented that "I'm really pleased to see how he works in the weight room and on the floor. Everybody's really positive about the kind of potential he has as a player. He does work hard." Jones remarked in his press conference on Media Day, "Chase doesn't give up. He keeps plugging away."
Don't look for Chase to do much this year. If he is going to have a big impact on the ACC and meet his goal of being "the greatest center to play at UVA since Ralph Sampson," it will be in a year or two. Fortunately, this year's squad doesn't need a big contribution from Chase. If he were to be a factor in the rotation, it would be as the tenth player. Starting next year, there will be more need and room for contribution from Chase.
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POSSIBLE STARTERS:
The starting lineup is most likely already set:
C Yuri Barnes F Junior Burrough F Jason Williford G Harold Deane G Cory Alexander
This lineup has a great deal of experience and talent. Deane, while not the defensive player Parker was, is a solid defender and better offensive performer than Parker. With Cory back Harold will find it easier to spot up for threes. The "Fine Four" make up the rest of the starting lineup, and this will be their make or break year. Will they live up to the potential that had them named the second best recruiting class in the nation behind the Fab Five? Or will they go out with a whimper like UNC's 1994 senior class? Burrough and Williford need to develop consistency.
Robinson and Staples will be threats to enter the starting lineup, but Jones will probably stick with experience. Chris Alexander also has an outside shot at starting, if his offense is as improved as it appears.
KEY RESERVES:
Robinson and Staples will be important off the bench. Staples could give the Hoos instant offense and outside shooting, while Robinson will bring electricity with him. Inside, Chris Alexander will be the first off the bench and will be looked to for shot blocking. If Nolan is ready for the ACC he will provide more inside offensive power and help take the load off Burrough. Plus when Burrough is not in sync Nolan could take over.
THE COACHES
Jeff Jones has been at the University of Virginia for 17 years now. First as a player, when he set numerous Virginia assist records -- most of them since broken by John Crotty, then as a graduate assistant, then as a full-time assistant, and finally, as head coach. While most Virginia fans probably were disappointed when Virginia named Jones to succeed Terry Holland, very few now would give him up for any coach in the nation. Jones has proven himself to be a good recruiter and an outstanding coach. Most importantly, he is a class individual who reflects well on the University, and has built a program of which the school can be proud. All he lacks is color and excitement. Jones is not going to throw a chair, or threaten an opposing coach. And his interviews are straight and serious, without colorful metaphors, or requests for post-mortem burial position. It's a lack Cavaliers can live with.
Jones motivates his charges well, and knows what it takes to win. He recognizes where his players are strong and where they are weak, and he doesn't hesitate to tell people where improvement is needed. While some criticism has been directed at his use of the bench, game management, and working of the officials, Jones has shown himself to be a shrewd game coach who makes good adjustments. One example: in the game against Coppin State, Coppin forward Stephen Stewart ate Virginia alive in the first half. At halftime, Jones switched assignments, placing Parker on Stewart. Parker shut Stewart down, and Virginia came back to win the game. While it remains to be seen whether Jones is a better recruiter than Holland (people tend to forget some of the highly- regarded recruiting classes Holland brought in, because of the way they always underachieved), he has already proven himself to be a far superior game coach.
This season is crucial for Jones. His first big recruiting class is now in its last year. While they have certainly accomplished a great deal -- NIT championship, Sweet Sixteen appearance, ACC tournament title game and NCAA round of 32 sans Alexander -- there is the nagging feeling that they should be able to do more, individually and collectively. And two more recruiting classes have followed. Now the team will rightfully be expected to do more. This is the year that a Final Four run is realistic. This is also the year that Jones and his all-new coaching staff must recruit a class to replace the Class of 95. (See the Fall 1994 Recruiting Roundup issue sometime between November 10 and November 16).
Jones hired former restricted earnings coach Tom Perrin and former Virginia backup guard Anthony Solomon to replace departed assistants Dennis Wolff and Brian Ellerbe, both of whom left UVA for head coaching jobs. Neither Perrin nor Solomon is a proven recruiter, as were both Wolff and Ellerbe. They will have to show that they can compete in big-time recruiting. Perrin said he would step aside if he can't. Solomon said he will be aided by his love for the University. Jones professes confidence in both. "Tom has been in our program for a long time, worn a number of hats and had a great deal of responsibility." Perrin is reputed to be an outstanding scout who has a great knowledge of the game.
Solomon comes to Virginia after assistant coaching stints at Manhattan College (the year Virginia bounced the Jaspers from the NCAA tourney in the first round) and Richmond. He played at Virginia while Jones was an assistant. The two became very close, and when the opening came, Jones had little hesitation in offering the opportunity to Solomon. "I'm sure there's never been a harder worker to wear a Virginia uniform than Anthony Solomon."
If Perrin and Solomon can recruit on the ACC level, Virginia will have a solid coaching staff. All three coaches have strong ties to the University. They get along well. And they have a good rapport with the players. The restricted earnings coach, Pete Herrmann, coached David Robinson at Navy, and Shaquille O'Neal at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1990. For the last two years, Herrmann was an assistant coach at Kansas State. He brings experience to the coaching staff, in what he clearly sees as a step back towards a head coaching position.
THE SCHEDULE
Nov. 16 -- OLD DOMINION (P-NIT) Nov. 18-25 -- P-NIT Nov. 30 -- NORTH CAROLINA A&T Dec. 3 -- TOWSON STATE Dec. 6 -- at Vanderbilt Dec. 8 -- BETHUNE-COOKMAN Dec. 10 -- at Rice Dec. 19 -- VMI Dec. 22 -- STANFORD Jan. 4 -- at Florida State Jan. 7 -- at N.C. State Jan. 11 -- CLEMSON Jan. 14 -- at Duke Jan. 18 -- at North Carolina Jan. 22 -- GEORGIA TECH Jan. 25 -- WAKE FOREST Jan. 28 -- GEORGE MASON Feb. 1 -- at Maryland Feb. 4 -- FLORIDA STATE Feb. 8 -- N.C. STATE Feb. 11 -- at Clemson Feb. 12 -- UNLV Feb. 15 -- DUKE Feb. 19 -- NORTH CAROLINA Feb. 22 -- at Georgia Tech Feb. 26 -- at Wake Forest Feb. 28 -- vs. Virginia Tech (at Richmond) Mar. 5 -- MARYLAND Mar. 9-12 -- ACC Tournament at Greensboro, N.C.
OUTLOOK
Expectations are high for this year, due to the better-than-expected showing of last year's team, the return of Cory Alexander, and the great recruiting class. The Cavaliers are a consensus top ten team.
"We're going to be a good team," Jones conceded. "We have a good blend of experience, talent, and depth. Whether we'll be great depends on a number of things -- remaining injury-free, attitude and focus." Jones knows of what speaks. The Cavaliers have talent: Cory, Junior, Curtis, Norman and Jamal were all high school All-Americans, while Williford is a multi-talented player who does everything well. They have depth: the rotation is nine, with a possibility of going to ten. Barnes, Chris A. and Metheney are at center; Burrough, Nolan, Barnes and Chris A. are all capable of giving minutes at power forward; Williford and Robinson handle the wing; Cory, Deane and Staples are the guards, with a little help from Robinson. And the Hoos are experienced: four seniors will start, a redshirt junior is first off the bench down low, and two sophomores who saw extensive action bring tournament experience to this year.
While all that depth can sometimes create problems (See, North Carolina Tar Heels, 1993-94 Volume), Virginia may have the leadership necessary to keep it all together. Everyone on the team looks to Cory Alexander, and Jason Williford brings a maturity and intensity that strikes a chord with his teammates. They both understand what Virginia has to do. "I think all the guys here realize that the only way we can reach those expectations that people place on us is that we have to play together," Williford said. "If that means somebody's minutes are cut or you're not going to be able to score as many points as in the past, then that's what you have to do. You just got to sacrifice for the good of the team, and I think this year we can do that."
"Everybody we have on our team is willing to listen, willing to learn," Cory added. "That's one thing that I think helps me out in my position, and you know these guys come in and they work hard. I mean, the first day of preseason I told them what I wanted them to do was to come in and work hard. If someone's not working hard, then to push their teammate and help him become a better basketball player, and help us become a better team. And everyone has done that all preseason long, and we did that a lot over the summer. So my job is going to be more focused on the chemistry of the team, making sure everyone gets along. I'm just another member of this team. I'm not any more special than anyone else on the team. I just happen to have the ball in my hands a lot and make a lot of the decisions. We all have a specific role being a part of this team, and we're all just going to try and take on that role. If we can do that, we're going to be successful."
The non-conference schedule should help. If the Cavaliers play up to their potential, they should win every non-conference game on the schedule, but some of the teams are good enough to provide preparation for the grueling ACC schedule. Playing in the PNIT gives the Cavaliers a chance to get some extra wins, and to go up against some top teams. ODU and probably Ohio U. will make Virginia play, but neither team has as much talent. Other potential opponents are Syracuse, Penn, Memphis and Alabama. If the Cavaliers make it to New York as they should, they will get an early chance to go up against the best. After that, games at Vanderbilt, and at home against Stanford, UNLV and even little-known Towson State (who beat St. John's in December last year) will provide challenges. The Hoos could very easily come out of December at least 9-1, and if they win the PNIT, 11-0.
The ACC lineup also may be favorable for Virginia this year. Although as Jones says, "the ACC is going to be better than in the last five years," Virginia may match up against the other teams better than they have in years. Duke and Carolina have the only talented big men in the conference, and both teams have question marks, particularly in depth. Virginia matches up well size-wise with the rest of the conference. And, as Cory said, "Nobody has more players than we have." Virginia therefore has the potential to do extremely well in the conference.
Virginia could very well win twenty games in the regular season, and grab the top seed in the ACC tournament. As they showed in the ACC tournament, the Hoos can do well in tournament play. With the strength at guard, they should be a good tournament team. The Cavaliers are a bona fide Final Four contender. Depending on tournament pairings, anything less than final eight would be a disappointment.
Virginia can improve their chances of making the Final Four by having a strong regular season. The more games they win in the regular season, the higher their seed in the NCAA tournament, and the less likely they are to run into another top team in the early rounds. If they do manage to win the ACC regular season and tournament titles (which Virginia has never managed to do), they should get the number one seed in the East. That would very likely mean playing close to home. Thus, regular season success feeds tournament success.
Virginia's players have focused on the Final Four. They clearly expect that they can make it to the end. "If we play basketball, then we'll be around at the end of the post-season," Williford said. But if they are going to reach those goals, they will have to accomplish certain things:
* Better defensive rebounding and defensive aggressiveness. While Virginia played great defense last year, they oftentimes failed to finish the job by giving up the offensive rebound. Jones wants to see more consistent defensive rebounds, and better outlet passing. This means remembering to box out. As for "aggressiveness", that means forcing more turnovers. Better defensive rebounding and more steals will mean less energy expended at the defensive end, and more easy baskets.
* Improved free throw shooting. As a team, Virginia shot 66%. Deane and Cory are mere 70% free throw shooters. As a team, the Cavaliers should be able to shoot 70%, and all the guards should be at 80%, particularly Alexander, whose shooting form is excellent. Free throw shooting played a big part in a number of losses, particularly the debacle against ODU. Free throws are all about concentration.
* Careful ball-handling and beating the press. Virginia has been prone to committing too many turnovers at times. The Cavaliers have also had some horrendous games against pressure defenses. The massacres by UConn and Florida State are two perfect examples. Even the year before, with Cory at the point, Virginia was generally poor against pressure defense. They can expect to see it numerous times this year. If they do not improve greatly in that regard, then they will not be the team they can be. This requires being intelligent with the basketball.
* Not getting caught up with shooting percentage. Many people are saying Virginia has to improve its shooting percentage. And they are right. But what is more important is that the Cavaliers not get caught up in worrying about their shooting. As Williford said, "Shooting is all about confidence and not thinking about it." If the Cavaliers concentrate on doing the other things right, the shooting will come. Better rebounding and defensive turnovers will lead to easy baskets, which does two things: it raises shooting percentage, and it lessens the pressure on the halfcourt game. Fewer offensive turnovers means more opportunities to score. And in the halfcourt offense, if the players concentrate on the little things like spacing (which Jones emphasized), being in the right place, taking care of the ball, and recognizing the open man, the shots will come and they will fall. Conversely, if the players worry about their shooting, they will 1) not shoot well, and 2) not do those other things well.
Most important, however, are the intangibles. For Virginia that means three things: consistency, over- confidence, and determination. The Cavaliers need to come out ready to play every night, whether they are playing North Carolina -- or North Carolina A&T. Burrough, Williford and Deane all mentioned consistency as where they want to improve. Jones wants Barnes and Robinson to play more consistently. And Cory needs more consistency than he showed as a sophomore if he is going to take that next step. Over-confidence is the enemy they will have to battle when they play the weaker teams.
For Junior Burrough, Jason Williford, Yuri Barnes, and Cory Alexander, this is The Last Campaign. "The last time means a lot, the fact that I've had three years in the ACC, three good years," Burrough mused. "I'm really looking forward to the opportunity of playing on definitely one of the better teams in the conference. I'm hoping we can go out there as a team and win a lot of those games. Like win at Carolina like I've never done before, and maybe beat some of those teams that have given us a lot of problems, like Georgia Tech. This is my last go around and I'm really looking forward to it." For these four seniors, there is no tomorrow, no next year. They have to leave everything out on the floor.
Finally, these Cavaliers will achieve their potential if they play with the same heart and determination which they showed last year, coming back to have a fine season after Cory's injury. If they play with the same unquenchable desire this year, it could carry them far. "Heart and determination takes you as far as you want to go," Harold Deane, The Badger, said. "If you have confidence in yourself and your teammates, there's no way that you can go wrong. Games are always won on who has the most heart, and as far as how far it's going to take us as a team, it's going to take us a long way. I think that everybody on the team knows that we can be good, and everybody knows that, but we have to go out there and do it on the floor. We can't just sit back and say, yeah we have a good team on paper, and we're predicted to do this and that. If we don't get it done on the floor, all that doesn't matter. We're going to have to start from day one, and take it from the first game of the season all the way throughout the whole entire year."
Yuri Barnes looked ahead. "I don't think we can put a limit on what we can do as a team. We have all the talent. With Cory back, it's a real good boost, and I don't think there is a limit. There's no stopping us unless it's something that we do amongst ourselves."
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That was just a sample of what you can expect from this year's season preview. If you liked that, then you should consider subscribing to the HOOpS 3-Point Shot.
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