TWO YEARS ago I had an epiphany. That little white lab coat hanging in the front of my closet, stylish as it was, needed to be exported to the very back, somewhere between the rainbow-striped blouse and polka-dot skirt my mom had bought me the previous Christmas.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When J.J. Redick has an off day, it usually spells trouble for the depth-deficient Duke Blue Devils. But when Redick's picture-perfect threes took a sour leap from the bottom of the net to the back of the rim Friday night, Lee Melchionni didn't get a whiff of danger, he smelled an opportunity. The junior forward led Duke with 16 points as the eventual champion Blue Devils routed Virginia, 76-64, in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals at the MCI Center in Washington. Redick's line featured 4-17 shooting, including 3-12 from three, but Virginia's backcourt still pounced on the conference's leading scorer, oftentimes leaving Melchionni open on the perimeter. "J.J.
Pete Gillen stepped down as head coach of the Virginia men's basketball program yesterday, following a 14-15 (4-12 ACC) finish, the team's first losing season since 1998-99. "The team did not reach the goals we thought were achievable entering the 2004-05 season," Athletics Director Craig Littlepage said in a statement released by the University. Littlepage and Gillen had been talking about the future of the program for several weeks, Littlepage said yesterday during brief remarks to the media at University Hall.
Four years ago four horsemen set out on a mission. Four freshmen galloped onto the court with the aplomb of seasoned veterans.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- A shot to Skip Prosser's players is like the ring of a bell to Pavlov's dogs: when it goes up, they had better salivate for the rebound, or else there will be a price to pay. The Demon Deacons obeyed their instincts and their coach's philosophy yesterday afternoon, out-rebounding Virginia 38-23, including 13-7 on the offensive end, en route to a 90-68 victory at Joel Coliseum. "We missed a lot of shots, so we gave ourselves the opportunity to get offensive rebounds," Prosser said.
Gary Forbes and Sean Singletary sat at the head of the Virginia bench, their arms locked and their fists clenched. It was double overtime.
Gary Forbes came off the Virginia bench with one mission: stop Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell. That defensive substitution turned into the offensive spark the Cavaliers needed to avenge a Jan.
Starting at forward, a 6-foot-10 sophomore from Philadelphia, No. 32, Jason Cain. The mustachioed -- no, scratch that, the mustache-free Cain made his second-straight start last night, as Virginia coach Pete Gillen opted for beanpole over bulk in his starting lineup. Back up, you say?
The rocky road through ACC play hasn't been very smooth for the Virginia men's basketball team. Coach Pete Gillen thinks his offense is turning out, but the defense -- well, if anyone finds it roaming lost around Charlottesville, Gillen probably would be grateful for its safe return to University Hall. The Cavaliers quickly have turned a 9-2 start into a 10-9 (1-7 ACC) struggle with eight games left to play.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- When Donnie McGrath saw a hole, he pounced. The junior guard peeped nine in Virginia's zone defense last night, and he made the Cavaliers pay for every one. McGrath scored 27 points on nine for nine shooting from beyond the arc to lead his Providence Friars past Virginia, 98-79, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence. "Shooting nine for nine is tough to do when no one's in the gym," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. McGrath had Virginia's zone defense to thank for his performance, which tied an NCAA record for three-point percentage in a game. "I think we attacked the zone pretty well," McGrath said.
