Sunday night's game against No. 10 Arizona is why Sean Singletary came to Virginia. It is also why Virginia fans have tabbed Singletary as the best thing to happen to Virginia basketball since Dippin' Dots arrived at U-Hall.
Decked in their strapping new Nike unis, Virginia hardly looked like the soft, turnover-prone team that would have shown up to a big out-of-conference game in past years. Instead, the Cavaliers, led by Singletary -- a freshman from Philadelphia who chose Virginia over Kansas -- pushed the tempo throughout the entire game, keeping the Wildcats off balance.
What was as impressive as Singletary's stat line -- 15 points, eight assists, six rebounds and six steals -- was the leadership presence he added.
"He's like the coach on the floor," senior forward Devin Smith said. "He sets the tone on defense, and on offense he has to get everybody else involved."
Sunday night, everyone else did get involved, and the Cavaliers started the holiday season off with a bang. With four different players scoring in double digits -- Elton Brown, Gary Forbes, Singletary and Smith -- it represents a change to a more balanced scoring repertoire.
The freshman phenom, named the ACC Rookie of the Week yesterday, never backed down during his 30-plus minutes on the floor, even when pitted against the more experienced Arizona point guard Mustafa Shakur.
Singletary "was excited," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "He's playing against Arizona, playing against Mustafa, who's a great player, one of the top point guards in the country."
Even more remarkable was the way Singletary led Virginia to the victory. The Cavaliers shot only four for 17 from three-point range, a statistic that in previous years has spelled doomed for Virginia. Fans have become accustomed with the live-and-die-with-the-three mentality that had evolved due to a lack of a strong center. Sunday, though, the Cavaliers won with defense, rebounding and point guard play.
On the defensive end, Singletary added six steals, constantly disrupting the passing lanes and dropping down to the post to help center Elton Brown and forward Devin Smith, both of whom were mismatched against Arizona center Channing Frye. His defensive intensity in the 2-3 zone could be a sign of things to come throughout the season.
"He was excited to play, and I thought he did a good job with [the defensive zone]," Gillen said. "He was active in the zone."
Although Singletary easily led the team in steals and managed a couple rebounds, there were times when his intensity and tendency to energize the crowd led to defensive breakdowns and blown assignments. Then again, that's to be expected when playing his first primetime college game, surely his first of many to come. Arizona head coach Lute Olsen chalked up Singletary's success to other factors.
"What we have generally found out with freshmen is that they will play very well in the security of the home crowd," he said. "Generally speaking, they'll have problems that may come up on the road. But he is very, very good."
Whether Olsen's prediction holds true remains to be seen. But one thing is certain, Sean Singletary is legit. If nothing else, one play on Sunday helps prove this point.
Halfway through the first half, Singletary drove into the lane and made a play that will long be talked about in Virginia basketball circles. From the top of the key on the left side, Singletary cut into the paint, executed a 180-degree spin and with his right hand, lofted a high-arching floater that banked perfectly off the glass and dropped through the net, which sent the student section into a frenzy.
Thanks to yesterday's win, and Singletary's arrival, there is a palpable excitement toward the rest of the Virginia season. Singletary, while young in years, is wise in maturity.
"We're not going to let our highs get too high or our lows get too low," he said. "We're just going to go out and play."
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