Imagine you are whisked away to the near future. It's the first week of November and you find yourself sitting in one of the 8,457 seats in University Hall. On a day that should be unspectacular for most of America, you are about to witness one of the most inspiring sights that Virginia sports has offered in many years.
A horn blasts throughout the arena, as the fan next to you flies out of their seat, jumping up and down yelling at the top of their lungs, while clapping and staring toward the scoring table.
Nothing seems out of the ordinary at first. That is until you spot the number of the player that is checking into the game.
No. 11.
Before you know what's going on you jump out of the seat to join in the loudest noise you think you will ever hear. In a rush of emotions you finally comprehend what is happening and it hits you hard.
Majestic is back.
In what is surely to be a memorable moment for all involved, the scenario described above is beginning to look more like a reality with every passing day.
Majestic Mapp, who has missed the past two basketball seasons because of injury, heard what must be some of the sweetest words to an injury-plagued player.
"Cleared for full speed workouts."
Those also are five of the sweetest words for Virginia basketball fans who have endured a less than cheery Hooville over the past four or five months.
After the second half collapse in February and March, and the disheartening news that Roger Mason Jr. was departing, the fans needed a pick-me-up. While the signing of Devin Smith certainly was an important addition for the Cavaliers, the news that Mapp is on schedule to at least suit up this season is monumental.
Why could this be such a turnaround for the Cavaliers you ask? It can be summed up in one word.
Leadership.
A lack of clear leadership hampered Virginia down the stretch, as the team couldn't see eye to eye on certain situations, which ultimately led to poor play on the court.
Mapp, who will be playing in his second year of eligibility, figures to be the glue that holds the Cavaliers together this season.
It is virtually unknown if, or how much, Mapp will play this year. Coach Pete Gillen told the Richmond Times- Dispatch that he's "cautiously optimistic." Who could blame him?
The horrible luck that has shrouded over Mapp like a storm cloud with gale force winds is well documented. He hurt the knee in a pickup game in August 2000. Two seasons, four surgeries and what must seem like a lifetime's worth of rehab later, Mapp finally was cleared to begin working on his basketball game once again.
It would be a tough sell to convince a knowledgeable fan that Mapp will be Virginia's starting point guard when games start in November (especially if you don't want to jinx the kid), but to dream certainly is no crime.
It is next to impossible to not root for a kid that had a world of potential and skill, only to have that taken away by an injury to the Medial Collateral Ligament, the same injury that sidelined Virginia football star Anthony Poindexter in 1998.
Now the Cavalier coaching staff and fans will just have to sit back and wait to see how much Mapp will be able to contribute in the 2002-2003 season. The best case scenario would be for Mapp to quickly regain his basketball sense in off-season workouts and stay healthy enough to start when the season starts. That scenario is unlikely at this point, and it appears reasonable that Mapp will be able to contribute 15-20 minutes a game at the beginning of the season, while working his way back slowly.
Not to be dismissed are his two difficult, yet ultimately helpful, seasons watching ACC play from the bench. While that might seem like a crazy statement (how can two seasons on the bench be helpful?), Mapp has seen everything that the ACC has to offer, inside and out. When he comes back into the fray, he won't be wowed or taken aback by anything the ACC is sure to throw at him.
Most importantly for the Cavaliers, however, will be his natural knack for leadership. He has witnessed the situations, which call for a vocal leader, and after two years of near silence, there is no question he will be ready to speak up.
Mapp brings a different kind of attitude to the table. An attitude of respect for the game that took two years of his college life and turned them into what must have seemed like neverending rehab.
Mapp carries an air about him that makes you respect the man. A confidence that Virginia basketball sorely needs. So whether he plays 30 minutes or two minutes a game by season's end, having a No. 11 run across his chest instead of a turtleneck sweater will be important enough.
So think back to that image of the future, when Mapp checks in for the first time in three years and imagine how excited you are to see him mark a man on defense.
Now just imagine how he will feel.
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