As my collegiate sports writ ing career comes to a close, I am constantly asked about my future plans in the sports world.
Most people know the ACC boasts powerhouse programs in football, basketball and even soccer. ACC fans should not forget about baseball, though. Baseball America ranks four Conference teams in the Top 25 - Florida State (1), Georgia Tech (8), Clemson (19) and North Carolina (20) - proving the ACC is one of the nation's most challenging conferences. "The ACC is gonna be a difficult league this year," Tar Heel Coach Mike Fox said.
What a difference one month and the addition of Adam Hall can make. Coach Pete Gillen benched Hall for the duration of the last meeting between the two teams for still undisclosed reasons.
This, evidently, is what 10-on-1 basketball looks like. Clemson had Will Solomon, the ACC's leading scorer, but Virginia's overwhelming depth was more than enough for a comfortable 76-62 win last night at University Hall. Third-year floor general Donald Hand poured in 21 points to lead four Cavs in double figures, while swingman Adam Hall smothered Solomon, limiting the sophomore guard to 13 largely meaningless points. "That was the best defense we've played in a long time," Cavalier Coach Pete Gillen said.
Renee Robinson can get out of control. Just ask her teammates. Ask her coach. The fourth-year Virginia point guard can yell, scream and taunt with the best of them.
Now that the Cavalier men's basketball team has claimed sole possession of fourth place in the Conference with Saturday's 88-82 victory over N.C.
After emerging from my one-year tour of duty as Sports Editor for this publication, I decided to return to the real world and - for only about the fifth time in two years - actually attend a men's basketball game as a fan.
The North Carolina basketball teams grabbed half of this week's ACC honors as shooting guards Joseph Forte and Nikki Teasley were named Men's Rookie of the Week and Women's Player of the Week, respectively. Forte scored 40 points in the Tar Heel wins against N.C.
Renee Robinson's tie-breaking foul shot with 0.4 seconds left capped a 57-55 victory over Arkansas State yesterday, giving Virginia women's Coach Debbie Ryan her 520th win in her 700th career game. The victory boosted the Cavs' record to 19-6 overall.
Don't call it a comeback, just call it coming home. After dropping three consecutive away games, the Virginia men's basketball team returned to University Hall Saturday night ready to plays with home-court advantage against N.C.
After picking up three personal fouls in a little over two minutes, Virginia center Travis Watson was forced to take a seat on the bench with his team only up four against N.C.
Senior leadership is a slippery term, one bandied about with careless abandon in the world of collegiate athletics.
After a lopsided victory over James Madison last Wednesday, the Virginia wrestling team took a step backward Saturday by falling to Virginia Tech, 23-20, at Memorial Gymnasium.
Steve Swanson was named head coach of the Virginia women's soccer team yesterday, four weeks after former coach April Heinrichs left the Cavalier program to take the helm of the U.S.
Sometimes women's basketball - especially ACC women's basketball - can launch a happy, go-lucky student-athlete into the depths of depression and misery.
After enduring a grueling four-game road trip, the Virginia men's basketball team should be relieved to return to the friendly confines of Charlottesville. The Cavs' long road has come full circle and they will try to piece things back together against N.C.
Coming off an emotional loss Monday to North Carolina, the No. 24 Virginia women's basketball team looked to put its season back on track against Florida State last night at University Hall.
Like eating a good breakfast to start the day, a wrestling team needs a strong start in the lower weight classes to get the momentum rolling in its favor. Virginia (3-4, 0-1 ACC) got jumpstarted last night by steam-rolling its way through the first five matches of the night en route to a 27-7 victory over James Madison (3-3) at Memorial Gym. "I really thought like we broke these guys," Cav Coach Lenny Bernstein said.
ATLANTA-Dining hall meals and eight o'clock classes have never sounded so good. The Virginia men's basketball team will be thrilled to get back to Charlottesville after capping a 1-3 ACC road trip with a 68-47 loss at Georgia Tech last night that was as frustrating for the Cavaliers as the score indicates. Virginia (15-8, 5-5 ACC) knew it would have to deal with the inside brawn of Yellow Jacket twin towers Alvin Jones and Jason Collier.
Sports columnists are a jealous bunch - myself included. Not lithe enough to tiptoe a sideline, not explosive enough to dunk a basketball, not buff enough to bench press Muggsy Bogues, we instead spend our precious days and nights stabbing our sardonic pens right through the backs of the athletes we always revered but never were good enough to become. Rarely does a sports journalist turn defense attorney, but that's exactly what I'm prepared to do.
