When the Cavaliers said good-bye to J.R. Reynolds last year, they lost more than their second-leading scorer at 18.3 points per game. In more ways than scoring, Reynolds was Robin to now-senior Sean Singletary's Batman. He was, by all accounts, Virginia's best on-the-ball defender. He was an experienced ball-handler who could take the pressure off his backcourt mate against an aggressive defense and could handle the point guard reins entirely with Singletary on the bench. With Reynolds out of the picture, the looming question coming into this year was, who would be able to come in and provide the stability to help fill this gap?
As the season begins to unfold and the Cavaliers settle into their roles, the answer appears to be sophomore transfer Calvin Baker. After transferring from William & Mary last year, Baker was ineligible by NCAA regulations to suit up for games in 2006-07? but was allowed to practice with the team. This season, Virginia coach Dave Leitao has rewarded Baker with playing time, an average of 20 minutes per game?, and Baker has responded by contributing to many of the areas left vacant by Reynolds' graduation. Through seven games, Baker has scored 9.9 points per game on 50 percent shooting, played lock-down defense against what is often the opponent's premier offensive threat and provided ball-handling when Singletary was off the floor.
"He's going to get his shots, because they're going to present themselves to him," Leitao said. "As long as he maintains that while playing the same stabilizing defense that he has thus far, then his opportunities are going to continue to come."
The price of Baker's decision to transfer was a hefty one, as he was forced to watch in street clothes while Virginia surprised the basketball world by taking a share of the ACC regular-season title and earning a four seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"It was so tough, because you bleed and sweat and cry with the team during practice," Baker said. "On game days when everybody else is hyped and in their uniforms, getting in their mental state, you've got to go put on your suit and tie and go sit on the bench. Then after the game, you're still happy for the team when they win big games, but it's not the same as if you were playing."
Though the sacrifice Baker made in coming to Virginia was a big one, he had the added benefit of spending a year practicing against Singletary and Reynolds, during which he gained an understanding of Leitao's schemes at both ends of the floor. With Virginia's depth at the guard position occupied predominantly by freshmen, Baker's experience is invaluable, particularly early in the season.
"Mentally, he's a college junior," Leitao said. "He brings some things to the table that we're trying to have. I kind of know, and hopefully will continue to know, what we're going to get from him."
Looking at Baker's statistics in his freshman year at William & Mary, it is easy to see why he sought out a higher level of competition. During the 2005-06 season Baker led the Tribe in points per game (11.6), assists (100) and minutes per game (31.4). Soon after the conclusion of that season, Baker made his decision to transfer with the full knowledge of the sacrifice he was about to make.
"I was always told, to be the best you have to compete against the best," Baker said. "It was nothing that was wrong with William & Mary, it was something personally that I wanted to do."
After patiently watching the Cavaliers climb out of mediocrity and into the national spotlight, Baker is anxious to show that he can help maintain Virginia's stature as a premier team in the ACC.
"Coming back this year, I was really looking forward to it," Baker said, adding that sitting out for a year "adds to the hunger that I wanted to play well"
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