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Keeping up with Sean Singletary

Anyone looking for something positive to say about Virginia athletics?

Chances are, you realize that - unless you're into one of the non-revenue sports - if you're hoping to find something positive, the present is not the place to look.

So, I took a trip down memory lane Tuesday and caught up with Sean Singletary, the 2008 Virginia graduate whose No. 44 was retired last year, and who was the star of the team that made the NCAA Tournament in 2007. Singletary has been in town a good part of the summer working out with new men's basketball strength and conditioning coach Mike Curtis in preparation for the upcoming NBA season; he leaves at the end of this week for the preseason.

But before I get to Singletary's NBA aspirations, a somber note. Singletary told me that his mother, Jacqui Singletary, was diagnosed with a brain tumor several weeks ago, and then just a week ago was also diagnosed with diabetes. Jacqui is already a cancer survivor; she is in remission from breast cancer, which was diagnosed in May of 2004. Sean's father, Harold Singletary, is also in remission from prostate cancer, which was diagnosed in 1999.

The good news is that Singletary's next stop is his hometown of Philadelphia, where perhaps he can be of assistance to his ailing mother and the rest of his family. As of Tuesday, Singletary has a conditional contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and is hoping to earn a guaranteed contract.

Life has never been easy for Singletary, who has seen hometown friends killed in addition to watching family members suffer through numerous ailments. Obviously, life remains trying for Singletary with his mother's most recent health problems.

I did not press the issue any further, as I did not feel it was appropriate. Rather, I simply wished him and his mother the best. I hope that Cavalier fans and students can do the same.

"She's always been strong and she's always been encouraging of me," Singletary said of his mother. "I have a lot to live for, not only for myself, but just for her and all the sacrifices she's made for me."

Now, on a lighter note, I had a lengthy discussion with Singletary about his NBA career - past and future - and his feelings about both ex-Virginia men's basketball coach Dave Leitao's absence and the hiring of current coach Tony Bennett.\n\nA long journey home\nWhen Singletary played on the road with the Cavaliers in his senior season, chants of "D-League!" - as in, National Basketball Developmental League - followed him. But that's nothing he wasn't already used to.

"Ever since I was younger, I never really got much attention or anything," Singletary said. "I never was really highly recruited out of high school ... Even when I got All-ACC my sophomore year, I never was thought to play in the NBA, and then I got it again - three years in a row - and still [nothing]. So it's nothing new to me. I'm used to this."

Still, Singletary has yet to make a name for himself in the pros. Drafted in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft, Singletary has already been with four different teams. After the Kings drafted him 15 months ago, he was traded to the Rockets in August. Another two weeks, and he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he finally started his rookie season. He became close with some of the players there - including the point guard playing in front of him, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash - but Singletary was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in December, where he played out the season.

The trade was made particularly tough because of the timing. Nash was unavailable to play because of an injury against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Singletary had a shot for some big minutes against a premier team. But that chance never came.

"I know I would definitely have gotten good minutes against L.A.," Singletary said, "but I got traded right before the game."

So, he went on to the Bobcats, who already had the likes of Raymond Felton and DJ Augustin to play point guard. Ending the season with combined stats of 2.4 points, 0.8 assists and 0.3 steals in 8.2 minutes per game, Singletary had the option for a second year in his contract with Charlotte but elected not to take it with two young point guards playing in front of him.

"It's not about always what you do on the court," Singletary said. "It's about what the front office has in mind most of the time."

Then, this summer, Singletary went on to play in the NBA summer league with the Detroit Pistons, where he finally got some minutes. In 16.4 minutes per game, Singletary averaged 7.4 points, 3.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals. His play in the summer league, plus his performance in practice, Singletary said, finally raised some eyebrows.

"A lot of teams saw that," Singletary said, "and that's why a lot of teams offered me conditional deals."

One of those teams was Philadelphia. After working extensively with Curtis on shooting and core work, among other things, Singletary will head home this season.

So, will he make it as a contributing pro? Singletary, of course, thinks he will.

But he's not the only one on that side of the fence. If you want credibility, look no further than two future candidates for the Hall of Fame: former Suns teammates Nash and Grant Hill.

"I have been in constant contact with Steve Nash and Grant Hill, and all they do is try to keep my spirits up," Singletary said. "They know I can play, and that I'll make it in this league. They've been playing for a while, and I'm sure they know what they're talking about and I believe in myself."

Disbelieving, but optimistic\nSingletary can't understand why Dave Leitao was fired.

Leitao was Virginia's coach for all three seasons that Singletary earned All-ACC honors. He was a mentor to his young leader, and in many ways, Singletary seemed to thrive on Leitao's tough style of coaching.

Whether that was true of the rest of Singletary's teammates, though, is not a subject on which everyone agrees. Leitao, it has been said, hurt the confidence of his players with his yelling and screaming, which often took place nose-to-nose with individual players.

I brought up this allegation while speaking with Singletary. His reaction can best be described as bewildered.

"I really don't know what to say to that because I just never saw it," he said. "The guys know he's a great guy. I don't know if too many people that watch the games have seen him off the court, but on the court, that's what we needed. We needed someone to be tough on us and obviously we would let teams push us around at times. I don't understand how that could be a criticism of him being tough on us, if that's what we needed. Playing in the ACC, and guys with the ambition of playing in the NBA, you can't not be tough, and that's what he needed and that's what he brought."

And that's not all - there are plenty more reasons why Sean thinks Leitao should have stayed. Like his ACC regular-season championship in 2006-07 - the fifth such title since 1995 - and his subsequent ACC Coach of the Year award. Or the fact that his only losing season was with a team that had most of its contributions coming from underclassmen. Or bringing in the ACC Rookie of the Year, Sylven Landesberg. Or coaching a three-time All-ACC player: Singletary.

Sean told me these facts once. Then he told me again. "The facts don't lie," he said. "I memorized it, I can tell you again."

It's a good thing I'm reporting Singletary's feelings on the subject. Otherwise, I might not get another interview.

"Make sure you quote what I said," Singletary said. "I don't mind if I get flack or whatever. He's a great guy. If he wasn't a great guy, they wouldn't have hired him."

That doesn't mean, though, that Singletary is not a Tony Bennett fan.

"He's a great coach as we all know," Singletary said. "I'm sure we'll have a good season next year."

He met Bennett two weeks ago, he said, and Singletary was impressed. He even said he met Bennett's father, Dick Bennett, during training camp with the Suns last year - at which point Virginia was talking to Tony Bennett, although Singletary said he had no idea he would be hired.

Po' Mo'\nOne of Singletary's former teammates, Mamadi "Mo" Diane, had about as rough a senior season you can have. Not only was he the captain of one of the worst teams in Virginia history, he also was awful himself - he averaged only six points per game in 2008-09, the worst average since his freshman season.

I couldn't help but ask what Singletary's impressions were about his buddy's struggles. And he had a compelling answer.

"Mo was a guy that will kill you with a man-advantage," Singletary said. "J.R. and I created [in seasons past], and Mo and Jason [Cain] reaped a lot of the benefits of the creation of J.R. and I. Last season, we had young playmakers, and it was just tough for him because everybody has a position they play and it was just tough for him to create for others, because everyone was just keying on him."

Then, when Diane came alive at season's end - including a 23-point output on senior night - Singletary suggested that Diane had simply had enough.

"At the end, I know he probably just got fed up with everybody talking about him and doubting him," Singletary said. "Then he just played like there was no tomorrow and he played real well."

And that, no doubt, is how Singletary will have to play this fall with the Sixers.

"I know I can be a playmaker and I know I'm capable of a lot of things," he said. "It's just waiting for the opportunity. I'll have an opportunity now"

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