After ice-cold second half, Tigers trounce Cavaliers, 67-50
By Scott Ratcliffe
Photo: UVA Athletics
A lengthy second-half scoring drought haunted the Virginia men’s basketball team against Clemson Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena, as the Tigers cruised to a 67-50 victory in the final game for the Cavaliers of the calendar year.
For Clemson, the win snapped an 11-game losing streak against Virginia. Sophomore guard Reece Beekman’s career-best 20 points weren’t enough, as poor shooting and miscues sent UVA to 7-5 on the season (1-1 ACC).
Trailing by 10 in the opening minute of the second half, the Wahoos scored 8 unanswered points to get back in the game.
Armaan Franklin got it started with a 3, then Beekman poked the ball free for a breakaway jam before Kihei Clark buried his first 3 points of the night, and just like that, Virginia was only down 37-35 with still 17:34 to play.
That would be the last UVA field-goal make for a long, long time, as the team failed to convert on its next 11 shot attempts. Clemson (9-4, 1-1) used a 7-0 run to reassume control, 46-37, with 11:36 remaining, as the Hoos remained ice cold.
Alex Hemenway’s corner 3-pointer gave Clemson its largest lead of the game up to that point, 51-37, with 10:21 left, as Virginia’s cold stretch without a field goal extended to over nine minutes.
Finally, with 6:32 to go, a Franklin jumper swished through, putting an end to a stretch of 11:03 without a made basket, but that only trimmed it to 13, 55-42. The Hoos misfired on their next five field-goal attempts until Beekman hit a 3 with just 49 ticks left, and the fat lady had already packed up and left.
In the second half alone, UVA made just 5 of its 23 shot attempts (22 percent), and only 3 of 15 (20 percent) from long range.
For the contest, the Cavaliers shot 37 percent (15 for 41) from the field — 27 percent (6 for 22) from 3-point land — but managed to sink 14 of 19 free throws (74 percent). UVA turned the ball over 14 times — which turned into 24 Clemson points — and the Hoos were outrebounded, 35-26.
Beekman added three more steals to his season total in addition to leading the team in scoring on 7-of-10 shooting (3 for 5 from 3-point range). Franklin was the only other Cavalier in double figures with 13 points (5 for 13 FG; 1 for 7 from 3) to go with his team-best 8 rebounds.
Jayden Gardner struggled with his shot, making just 2 of his 9 shot attempts, but finished with 9 points and 6 boards. Clark added 6 points and 3 assists, while Kadin Shedrick posted 6 of the Cavaliers’ 11 blocks on the evening. UVA’s bench was outscored 17-0 by Clemson’s non-starters.
Hunter Tyson led the Tigers with 17 points, while P.J. Hall added 11 and senior guard David Collins posted a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
FIRST HALF
The Tigers grabbed an early 9-5 advantage after connecting on their first three shots from downtown. Beekman was aggressive offensively out of the gates, making his first four baskets (including a pair of 3-pointers) as he and Gardner combined for 19 of the Cavaliers’ first 21 points.
Beekman notched a season-high 12 points by the 6-minute mark, but the Tigers extended their lead to double digits, 31-21, by the final media break, after a few late-shot-clock buckets fell from Naz Bohannon followed by a Hall triple, capping a 7-0 spurt.
Beekman’s next basket — which gave him a career-high 14 points — temporarily stopped the bleeding, but Clemson went back up by 10 as Hall slammed one home with just over a minute until halftime, and took a 35-27 lead into the locker room after Franklin sank a jumper to beat the buzzer.
Beekman finished the half 5 for 5 from the field, as the Cavaliers shot the ball well — 10 for 18 (56 percent) and 3 of 7 (43 percent) from deep — but committed 8 turnovers by halftime.
UP NEXT
The Hoos will have over a week off before resuming ACC play on New Year’s Day at Syracuse (8 p.m., ACCN), the first of three straight conference road games to start the new year.
Team Notes
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
- Virginia fell to 7-5, 1-1 ACC
- UVA started the second half on an 8-2 run
- UVA trailed 35-27 at halftime
- UVA forced one shot clock violation (14 in 2021-22)
- The last time Virginia lost by 17 or more at home was on Feb. 26, 2011, when Boston College defeated the Cavaliers, 63-44
- Clemson held a 17-0 advantage in bench points and scored 24 points off 14 UVA turnovers
Series Notes
- Virginia is 79-53 all-time vs. Clemson, including a 45-17 at John Paul Jones Arena
- The loss ended Virginia’s 11-game winning streak in the series,
- The loss ended the Cavaliers eight-game winning streak against the Tigers in Charlottesville
- Head coach Tony Bennett is 13-4 all-time vs. Clemson
Player Notes
- Double Figure Scorers: Reece Beekman (20), Armaan Franklin (13)
- Beekman had career highs in points (20) and 3-pointers (3)
- Beekman scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half
- Shedrick had a career high six blocks, recording his eighth game with three or more blocks
- Franklin matched a career high with eight rebounds
Bronco announces staff changes for bowl; who’s in, who’s out & his thoughts on what Armstrong should do
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Bronco Mendenhall announced coaching staff responsibilities for the upcoming bowl game, talked about what players are in and those that are out, and gave his opinion on whether quarterback Brennan Armstrong will remain at Virginia during a pre-Christmas chat with media after Wednesday’s practice.
Armstrong told media last week that he was definitely not entering the transfer portal, but that he would choose between remaining for another season at UVA or going to the NFL, based mostly on the feedback from the league.
“I haven’t even asked [Armstrong] yet,” Mendenhall said. “I know what [the NFL report] is going to say and we’ve talked openly about that. In my own mind, I already know and I’ll be shocked if it’s anything different.”
Mendenhall said he knows a number of NFL player personnel and general managers, he trusts in the feedback they give players. The letter sent out to players is not a long evaluative analysis.
“The letter will basically say, come or go,” Mendenhall said.
So, what does Mendenhall believe the NFL will say to Armstrong?
“The letter will recommend for him to come back to school and break every record in the galaxy,” Mendenhall said.
Armstrong said that he has not received the letter yet, but that he hasn’t made a final decision at this point.
“You’ll find out after the bowl game,” Armstrong said. “I still haven’t decided myself, so I can’t tell you anything yet.”
Could Armstrong be hedging on whether or not the bulk of his offensive line decides to stay, providing the protection he’ll need to break every record in the galaxy? Three of those starters, Bobby Haskins, Olusegun Oluwatimi and Ryan Swoboda, are presently in the transfer portal.
“There are a lot of moving parts,” said Armstrong, who noted that he’s trying to recruit those linemen to return for another year. “That’s why I haven’t made my decision yet, there are so many moving parts.”
Mendenhall officially announced that quarterbacks coach Jason Beck will be the acting offensive coordinator for the Fenway Bowl, replacing former OC Robert Anae, who left the program and is being courted by Syracuse.
Also, Matt Edwards, UVA’s senior analyst, will be moving up to coach tight ends and inside receivers, which were also Anae’s responsibilities. Edwards is the grandson of the late Hall of Fame BYU football coach LaVell Edwards. Drew Meyer, who is in his fifth season on the staff and was a All-Big Ten punter for Wisconsin, has been elevated to work with special teams.
Shane Hunter, who coaches UVA’s safeties, will also be the lead coach on any cover teams for special teams, and Kelly Poppinga will be the lead coach for return teams in the bowl.
Meanwhile, Mendenhall said the following players will miss the Dec. 29 bowl game against SMU due to surgeries that could not be put off any longer: Haskins, slot receiver Billy Kemp IV, wide receiver Luke Wentz and wide receiver Demick Starling, who broke his arm on the first day of bowl practice. Also, true freshman West Weeks, who broke his leg in the regular-season finale against Virginia Tech.
Three players who entered the portal early, reserve quarterbacks Ira Armstead, Jacob Rodriguez and nose tackle Jordan Redmond, will not participate in the bowl game.
Mendenhall said that he has encouraged all the UVA players presently in the transfer portal to reconsider their choices.
Bronco wants players in portal to wait and see who their position coaches will be. pic.twitter.com/zoACKoRB4g
— Jerry Ratcliffe (@JerryRatcliffe) December 22, 2021
“I hope every player that is considering elsewhere won’t make a decision until they see what happens to UVA, not only from the head-coaching perspective, of which I’m really impressed,” said Mendenhall. “Besides Coach (Tony) Elliott, I’d like every person in the portal to see who’s going to coach you. Why? It’s UVA. Where would they go in life that could be better?
“I’ve asked them to wait as long as possible to see who will be the next version of UVA. The best decisions are made on the most information. Many times, outside sources have us rush and post timeframes, and they give us partial information that might benefit them without seeing everything else. I want them to know all their options. I’d prefer they all remain to continue on, however, they get to choose just like coaches get to choose.”
Shellenberger, Moore, LaSalla named USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-Americans
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
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Virginia men’s lacrosse players Connor Shellenberger (Charlottesville, Va.), Matt Moore (Garnet Valley, Pa.) and Petey LaSalla (Miller Place, N.Y.) have been named 2022 Preseason All-Americans, according to USA Lacrosse Magazine.
Shellenberger was named a First Team selection, while Moore and LaSalla were tabbed Second Team recipients.
In 2021, Shellenberger was named a First Team All-American by both USA Lacrosse Magazine and the USILA. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament after leading the reigning national champion Cavaliers in points (79) and assists (42), both of which were also good for fourth nationally and UVA freshman records. Shellenberger scored 14 goals and dished out 10 assists in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, a school record in points (24) in a single NCAA Tournament run. Shellenberger also registered at least one point in all 18 games and tallied at least two assists in 13 games.
Moore garnered USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American (Honorable Mention) accolades last season. Moore finished the 2021 season 10th in the nation in points (67) and became just the fifth Cavalier all-time to register at least 100 goals and 100 assists in a career. Moore scored 33 goals and dished out 34 assists on the season to finish second on the team in points. His eight NCAA Tournament goals, including five in the national championship showdown against Maryland, earned him NCAA All-Tournament honors.
LaSalla was a Third Team All-American, according to USA Lacrosse Magazine in 2021. One of the nation’s best faceoff midfielders, LaSalla led the country with 277 faceoff wins, also a UVA single-season program record. He set another program record after finishing third in the nation with 137 ground balls. LaSalla’s 62.4 winning-percentage at the center X was good for 12th in the nation. Last season, he also became the first player in UVA history to tally five games with at least 20 faceoff wins in a single season, which is also a career record.
ACC modifies COVID-19 game rescheduling policy
Courtesy ACC Media Relations
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Wednesday that it has modified its 2021-22 COVID-19 rescheduling policy.
The decision was unanimously supported by the league’s athletics directors as a result of the current rise in COVID cases and its impact on winter sport programs. If possible, games that cannot be played as scheduled will be rescheduled. If a game cannot be played and cannot be rescheduled, it will be considered a no contest.
For men’s and women’s basketball, a team must have a roster minimum of seven game available student-athletes and one countable coach to play a game. If a team does not have the requisite number of participants, and elects not to play, the game shall be a no contest. If a team has the requisite number of participants and does not participate, the game will be declared a forfeit. This policy shall be retroactive to any results beginning with the 2021 ACC winter sports schedule.
Finally, the ACC’s Medical Advisory Group continues to monitor and discuss the current circumstances and, if necessary, may make adjustments to the current protocols.
Details of Tony Elliott’s contract revealed
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Virginia football coach Tony Elliott. Photo by Crystal Graham.
New Virginia football coach Tony Elliott signed a six-year contract worth $4.1 million the first season, rising $150,000 every other year to a peak of $4.55 million in 2027.
The deal was first reported by Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch through an open records request.
Outgoing UVA coach Bronco Mendenhall, who will lead the team through the Dec. 29 bowl date with SMU in Boston, was paid $4.25 million for this past season when the Cavaliers started 6-2 and entered the postseason at 6-6. New Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry is being paid $4 million a year for his first two seasons with the Hokies.
According to the report, Elliott’s annual base pay is $500,000 with a supplemental pay deal of $2.5 million in addition to $1 million in licensing and $100,000 in deferred payments. The package also includes a $350,000 signing bonus and $40,000 in moving expenses.
Elliott’s contract will automatically extend if he leads Virginia to an ACC championship appearance or a 10-win season. UVA has experienced only one 10-win season in its football history, in 1989 under George Welsh. Should Elliott take the Cavaliers to an ACC championship game it would add a $50,000 bonus, and a conference title would add $100,000. A bowl game is worth a bonus of $25,000 to $100,000 depending on the bowl, and an appearance in a College Football Playoff game would be worth a $500,000 bonus.
If the Cavaliers finish in the Top 25 rankings, Elliott would receive a $50,000 bonus, while a Top 20 finish would be worth $75,000, Top 15 $100,000, Top 10 $125,000, Top 5 $150,000. ACC coach of the year honors would be an additional $75,000 bonus.
Other perks in the contract include two cars provided by the VAF, a country club membership, a suite and 10 season tickets for football, and eight season tickets for men’s basketball games.
Should Elliott elect to opt out of the deal for another school, there is an $8 million buyout that shrinks by $2 million per year.
Cavaliers return to ACC play against Clemson
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
Virginia (7-4, 1-0 ACC) hosts Clemson (8-4, 0-1) in ACC action on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena has been moved to 7 p.m. on ACC Network.
For Openers
- Virginia (7-4, 1-0 ACC) returns to ACC action for its first of two meeting against Clemson (8-4, 0-1).
- UVA has an 11-game winning streak in the series against Clemson.
- UVA ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense (55.2 ppg) and 16th in turnovers per game (10.2).
- UVA has limited its foes to 49.6 points per game, 33.1 percent field goal shooting and 25 percent 3-point shooting in its seven wins.
Broadcast Information
- The Virginia-Clemson game will be televised on ACC Network and streamed online at WatchESPN.com and ESPN App.
- The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
- Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
- UVA is led by its returning backcourt of Kihei Clark (9.8 ppg & 4.2 apg) and Reece Beekman (6.1 ppg, 4.6 apg & 2.1 spg), and the additions of transfers Jayden Gardner (15.3 ppg & 8.3 rpg) and Armaan Franklin (11.4 ppg).
- Clark has played 104 games at UVA and is averaging career-highs in field goal percentage (42.4%), 3-point percentage (40.9%) and free throw percentage (90%).
- The Cavaliers added transfers Gardner (East Carolina) and Franklin (Indiana) to fill the void left by standouts Sam Hauser (16 ppg), Jay Huff (13 ppg) and Trey Murphy III (11.3 ppg).
- Gardner averaged 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in 79 career games at East Carolina, while Franklin averaged 11.4 points and shot 42.5 percent from 3-point range in 2020-21.
- Kadin Shedrick (6.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg & 2.6 bpg) and Francisco Caffaro (3.8 rpg) anchor the paint, while Taine Murray (42.7% 3FGs), Igor Miliĉić Jr. (42.1% 3FGs), Carson McCorkle (33.3% 3FGs), Malachi Poindexter and Kody Stattmann provide perimeter depth.
Virginia All-Time vs. Clemson
- Virginia is 79-52 all-time vs. Clemson, including a 45-16 home mark, in a series that dates back to 1935-36.
- UVA defeated the Tigers 85-50 in the lone meeting last season at Littlejohn Coliseum
- UVA has an 11-game winning streak in the series, limiting the Tigers to 50 or fewer points in six of the wins.
- The Cavaliers have an eight-game winning streak against the Tigers in Charlottesville.
- UVA is 13-2 in its last 15 meetings against the Tigers.
- Head coach Tony Bennett is 13-3 all-time vs. Clemson.
On The Horizon
- Virginia travels to Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 1. Tipoff at Carrier Dome is set for 8 p.m. on ACC Network.
Kate Douglass wins gold on final day of FINA Short Course World Championships
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Kate Douglass. Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
Junior Kate Douglass closed out the last day of competition at the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships with a gold medal in the women’s 4×50 freestyle relay in Abu Dhabi.
Douglass finished with five World Championship medals for Team USA, swimming on four relays and winning an individual in the 200-meter medley. The UVA school record holder in the 50-yard freestyle, Douglass anchored the 4×50 free relay with the second-fastest anchor split in the pool and propelled Team USA to gold after the team trailed Sweden heading into the final swimmer.
She surpassed Sweden’s Louise Hansson (23.81) with a 23.42 split as Team USA clocked in first in 1:34.22 ahead of Sweden’s 1:34.54.
Douglass and Madden also swam the prelims of the women’s 4×100 medley relay that finished fourth in prelims and finals. Douglass swam the butterfly leg, while Madden anchored with freestyle.
Virginia’s Douglass, Madden and freshman Emma Weyant combined for eight medals in the five-day meet. Douglass took home two golds (4×100 free relay), two silvers (4×50 medley relay & 4×50 mixed medley relay) and a bronze (200 individual medley). Madden won a bronze (200 free) and silver (4×200 free relay) and Weyant won silver (4×200 free relay).
Virginia Tech QB Burmeister has entered the transfer portal
By Jerry Ratcliffe
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Virginia’s Tony Elliott isn’t the only new coach in the state dealing with the transfer portal. Virginia Tech’s new head coach Brent Pry is also getting hit hard.
According to Andy Bitter, who covers the Hokies for the Athletic, Tech quarterback Braxton Burmeister has officially entered the portal. Burmeister was the Hokies’ starter in 12 games and helped Tech upset Virginia in the regular season finale in Charlottesville.
With Burmeister in the portal, Tech and Pry head into the 2022 season without their leading passer (Burmeister), without their top two rushers (Burmeister and running back Raheem Blackshear, who has declared for the draft), their top three pass catchers (Turner, Robinson, Blackshear) and their three most experienced offensive linemen (Hoffman, Lecitus and Tenuta).
Burmeister, who will not play in the Pinstripe Bowl against Maryland, passed for 1,960 yards and 13 touchdowns, plus rushed for 508 yards and two TDs. Bitter reported that Burmeister wanted to play in the bowl game but Virginia Tech told him he couldn’t.
Blackshear rushed for 719 yards (5.9 ypc) and six touchdowns. He also had 23 receptions for 244 yards and a score.
UVA tight end Jelani Woods will play in East-West Shrine Bowl
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Virginia tight end Jelani Woods celebrates his first touchdown as a Cavalier in Saturday’s win over Illinois. (Photo: UVA Athletics)
Jelani Woods, who enjoyed one of the best seasons ever by a Virginia tight end, has accepted an invitation to play in the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl (Feb. 3, Las Vegas), joining teammate Nick Grant, who accepted an invitation earlier this month.
The game will be played at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders as part of NFL Pro Bowl week. Noted for being the nation’s longest-running college football all-star game, The Shrine Bowl supports Shriners Children.
Woods, who has indicated he will enter the NFL Draft and forgo another year of college eligibility, will play for Virginia in the Fenway Bowl against SMU on Dec. 29. He played one season for the Cavaliers after transferring from Oklahoma State.
Woods hauled in 44 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns this season, the second-most TD catches by a tight end among Power 5 schools. His eight are one of former Cavaliers All-American Heath Miller’s 2022 single-season school record. Woods is hoping to become only the third UVA tight end to eclipse the 600-yard receiving mark.
Virginia, Indiana agree to two-game football series
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Virginia has agreed to a two-game football series with Indiana for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
UVA will host the ‘27 game on Sept. 4, and will return the game to Bloomington on Sept. 16 in ‘28. The Cavaliers have three other games scheduled with Big Ten foes between 2022 and 2027, with a trip to Illinois on Sept. 10 in ‘22, a game at Maryland in 2023 and a home game with the Terps in ‘24.
Virginia has a 2-2 record against Indiana, having won the first two meetings in 2009 (47-7 in Charlottesville) and 2011 (34-31 in Bloomington), and the Hoosiers taking the last two in 2017 (34-17 in Charlottesville) and 2018 (20-16 in Bloomington).
The next two games against Indiana is a reflection of the alliance between the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced last August, which included a collaborative effort in scheduling future games.
Syracuse interested in hiring Anae, Beck; Atuaia to Washington State?
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Robert Anae, who exited the Virginia football program over the weekend, may not be unemployed for long. The former Cavaliers’ offensive coordinator is being courted by Syracuse.
According to reports, Syracuse coach Dino Babers is interested in bringing both Anae and UVA quarterbacks coach Jason Beck onboard the Orange program. Beck has been named the designated play-caller, formerly Anae’s responsibility, for the Cavaliers’ upcoming bowl game against SMU in Boston on Dec. 29.
Meanwhile, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported that Washington State is expected to hire another Virginia assistant, running backs coach Mark Atuaia, who also was part of Mendenhall’s staff at BYU before coming to Virginia six years ago.
Babers would like to bring in Anae as Syracuse’s offensive coordinator, and Beck as the Orange quarterbacks coach. Babers did not retain Sterlin Gilbert, his team’s offensive coordinator/quarterback coach after a 5-7 season (2-6 in the ACC).
Both Anae and Beck came to Virginia with Bronco Mendenhall, who unexpectedly resigned days after the Cavaliers dropped their regular-season finale against Virginia Tech. In that game, Anae’s offense had a first-and-goal on its final possession, trailing by five, when he called a highly controversial tackle-eligible pass play that failed miserably.
While Anae directed a record-setting UVA offense this past season, he drew heavy criticism from the fan base for his poor timing and poor choice of “trick plays,” and questionable play-calling, along with game strategy.
Beck, on the other hand, is popular with UVA fans, who have expressed interest in new Cavaliers’ head coach Tony Elliott keeping the quarterback coach on his new staff. Beck, who also left BYU to follow Mendenhall to Charlottesville, has developed three record-breaking quarterbacks at UVA: Kurt Benkert (Green Bay Packers), Bryce Perkins (LA Rams) and present QB Brennan Armstrong, who is crushing the school’s all-time offensive marks.
Armstrong, who appears to be returning to the program for one more year, said he would like to work with Beck for another season.
Women’s Basketball: Virginia drops ACC opener at No. 2 NC State
Amandine Toi led Virginia with 20 points, but a big third quarter run provided sufficient separation for #2 NC State in an 82-55 win on Sunday.
UVA (3-8, 0-1 ACC) hung around for a quarter, trailing State (11-2, 2-0 ACC) by four at the end of one, but it was 42-31 Pack at the half, and NC State pulled away in the fourth quarter.
“NC State made shots. They executed while we went through a low and while we were having difficulty not just stopping them but scoring on our own,” Virginia coach Tina Thompson said. “Little by little they were just chipping away at it, making shots here and there. And even though we were getting stops and making runs, we kept allowing them to kind of be a little comfortable and do some of the things that they do well, and that’s your game.”
The Cavaliers have one more game before the holiday break, playing at Texas Southern on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 1 p.m. ET (noon local time)
Virginia returns home and returns to conference play on Thursday, Dec. 30 when it hosts Notre Dame at John Paul Jones Arena. That game tips at 7 p.m.
Tony Bennett on Barry Parkhill: “He’s a special man”
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: UVA Athletics
Barry Parkhill and his teammates from the 1971-72 basketball team were honored on the JPJ court during a break in Saturday’s game. They were the first Virginia team to earn a national ranking, rising as high as No. 10 in the country that season, giving the school its first national recognition in college hoops.
Parkhill was presented a commemorative basketball that noted this month is the 50th anniversary of the then-mop-haired guard scoring a UVA single-game record 51 points that is still the watermark of the program. “BP,” as he’s known to friends and teammates, scored the 51 against Baldwin-Wallace on Dec. 11, 1971 (see related story from last week on this website).
Virginia director of athletics Carla Williams made the presentation to Parkhill, who for the past quarter century has served UVA as associate AD for development. He spearheaded the fundraising for John Paul Jones Arena, in which his name is emblazoned on the men’s practice court.
“He’s a special man,” said UVA coach Tony Bennett, who is close friends with Parkhill, a former Cavalier All-American. “When we moved here 13-plus years ago, four houses down the street from Barry and Pat in Glenmore. Barry was great, always there, was so gracious and made me feel so good. He always encouraged me.”
Bennett acknowledged how hard Parkhill has worked along with the VAF to help the basketball program. It was Parkhill who took Paul Tudor Jones on a tour of University Hall back in the 1990s to show Jones how obsolete UVA’s former facility was, and convinced Jones to help the school rebuild a new arena.
“I haven’t met many people that don’t like Barry,” Bennett said, then cracked, “maybe Bob Rotella (internationally-known sports psychologist) on the golf course at times. I’ve been in that foursome, so you want to hear some trash talking? These young guys have nothing on Bob and Barry. He’s a fierce competitor.”
Upon being asked about Parkhill’s 51 points, Bennett said Parkhill once said to him, ‘You’d like coaching me on the offensive end, Coach Bennett, but not on the defensive end.’”
“I don’t buy that, because he’s a fierce competitor,” Bennett said. “I’m thankful for what Barry has meant to me as a friend, but of course, to the program. He stays in touch with all our guys, has them over, because he genuinely cares.”
Gardner dons his cape and destroys winless Fairleigh Dickinson
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Photo: UVA Athletics
On a day when Virginia celebrated the 50th anniversary of Barry Parkhill’s single-game scoring record of 51 points (still stands), the legendary Cavalier guard might have been wondering if the record would last through the afternoon at the rate Jayden Gardner was going.
Gardner scored a season-high 29 points in only 26 minutes as the ECU transfer helped UVA clobber visiting Fairleigh Dickinson, 82-49, on Saturday. Talk about efficiency, Gardner made 14 of 18 shots, including an assortment of crowd-thrilling dunks.
“Gardner just put a Superman cape on and we had no answer,” said FDU coach Greg Herenda, whose team dropped to 0-10 with the loss. “He’s a big body, strong, patient, and he’s really good.
“We tried to play him man-to-man the first three possessions, then we went zone, and we hung in the game for a while until Gardner realized, ‘No one’s guarding me, no one’s boxing me out.’”
Gardner, averaging close to a double-double so far this season, essentially scored at will as UVA used a 10-0 run to create separation and led 34-19 at the break. The Cavaliers opened the second half with a 14-2 run and led 48-21 with more than 15 minutes to play.
Herenda was right in that his Knights had no answer for Gardner, who scored Virginia’s last four points of the first half and the first six of the second. Tony Bennett pulled Gardner with 12 minutes to play, or who knows how many points he might have put up.
It was a much-needed win for the Cavaliers, coming off a 10-day exam break and a week-and-a-half removed from their last game, a loss at James Madison. Standing at 7-4, Virginia is now finished with its nonconference schedule and hosts Clemson next Wednesday night.
“My teammates kept setting me up for today, me finding spots, and just emphasized getting the ball inside was key,” Gardner said. “And just stuff we worked on in practice carried over, so I just got to keep it on.”
While ACC play is right around the corner (UVA is 1-0 in the league), Bennett realizes his team must put things together in a hurry.
“I liked our energy to start the game defensively,” Bennett said. “[FDU] scored a few baskets in transition defense, we lost our vision and they got a couple of offensive rebounds. Those are obviously key things to be as rock-solid as you can be, but I really liked our defensive collectiveness, how we were active on the ball and got them to the end of the shot clock.
“There weren’t uncontested shots. I encouraged them in that regard at halftime and I thought they came out in the second half with that same kind of alertness defensively.
“Offensively, [FDU] mixed up some zone, and there were some good things happening. It’s always good when the game gets separated to get some other guys in, because we’re always looking for rotations and seven, eight and nine in our rotation.”
Virginia had been ineffective from behind the 3-point line for most of the game until Bennett began to integrate some of those seven-through-nine reserves into the lineup, calling off the dogs.
Both Igor Miličić Jr. and Carson McCorkle went 3 for 4 from behind the arc, while Taine Murray and Malachi Poindexter each hit their lone 3-point attempts and UVA finished 9 for 17 from long range. Eight of those nine were from that group of players off the bench.
“Tony was gracious and went to the bench, and those guys still played the same way,” Herenda said. “You know, that’s a sign of a good program and a great coach.”
Heading into ACC play from this point onward, can Virginia translate some of the positives of Saturday’s win into the rest of its schedule? Particularly Gardner, who is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder (Gardner is fourth in the ACC in rebounding at only 6-foot-6).
“Some things yes, some things no,” Bennett said afterward. “Some things are just that you get the ball and size-wise you can overpower. We did a good job against their zone and [Gardner] plays hard. I just want him to keep getting better and better, and so I’d say some of it yes and some of it no. That’s the most honest answer I can give you.
“I was excited to see him attacking. He’s got a great motor and his attitude is really good.”
Virginia shot 70.4 percent the second half (19 of 27) and 62 percent for the game (34 of 55), and 53 percent from the arc (9 for 17, 9 of 14 in the second half), while the Cavaliers’ defense stepped up and held FDU to 29-percent shooting overall.
Transfer guard Armaan Franklin finished with 12 points and ended his 3-point drought by connecting on 1 of 13. McCorkle, with 10:47 of playing time, and Miličić with 12 minutes of court time, each finished with 9 points.
Team Stats
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
- Virginia (7-4) scored a season-high 82 points
- Virginia is 2-0 all-time vs. FDU
- Virginia is 11-0 all-time vs. Northeast Conference opponents
- UVA forced three shot clock violations (13 in 2021-22)
- UVA started the second half on a 10-0 run
- UVA shot 53.6 percent en route to a 34-19 lead
- UVA is 106-2, including a 3-0 mark in 2021-22, when limiting opponents to fewer than 50 points during the 13-year Tony Bennett era
- Bennett-coached teams are 131-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 50 points (25-1 in three years at Washington State)
- UVA recognized members of the 1971-72 team, including UVA legend Barry Parkhill whose 51-point performance against Baldwin-Wallace on Dec. 11, 1971 still holds firm as the all-time single game scoring record in UVA history
- UVA is and 152-45 in non-conference action (86-9 at JPJ) under Bennett
Player Notes
- Double Figure Scorers: Jayden Gardner (29), Armaan Franklin (12)
- Gardner had 18 of his season-high 29 points in the first half
- Gardner converted 14 of 18 shots and 1 of 1 free throws
- Franklin ended a 0-for-21 drought from 3-point range in the second half
- Malachi Poindexter had a career-high seven points off the bench
- Carson McCorkle had a career-high nine points off the bench
Ordoñez taken sixth overall by North Carolina Courage in NWSL Draft
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Diana Ordoñez. Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
Junior forward Diana Ordoñez of the Virginia women’s soccer team was the sixth overall pick in the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League Draft on Saturday when she was selected by the North Carolina Courage.
Virginia has now had 19 players taken in the NWSL Draft in the 10-year history of the event. Ordoñez joins fellow Virginia players Caroline Miller, Molly Menchel, Annie Steinlage, Shasta Fisher, Morgan Brian, Danielle Colaprico, Emily Sonnett, Makenzy Doniak, Brittany Ratcliffe, Alexis Shaffer, Kristen McNabb, Veronica Latsko, Betsy Brandon, Courtney Petersen, Phoebe McClernon, Zoe Morse, Alissa Gorzak and Taryn Torres as NWSL draft selections.
Virginia has had at least one player selected in every NWSL Draft.
Ordoñez was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year this season, becoming the first Cavalier to win the honor since the 2016 season, and also garnered first-team All-America, All-Region and All-ACC honors. She finished her year with 18 goals and 39 points, leading Virginia and the ACC in both categories. Her 18 goals was second nationally, while she was also ninth nationally in total points. She was fifth among active NCAA Division I players in career points per game (1.65) and goals per game (0.73).
Of her 18 goals this season, eight of them were game winners which is the most in a single season in Virginia history and led the nation this year. This included game-winning goals against then No. 2 Duke, at No. 12 West Virginia, No. 24 Clemson and Milwaukee, and pushed her to 15 game-winning goals in her three-year career, tying for fifth in program history at UVA. Her 18 goals pushed her to 45 goals for her career to tie for the third most in a career at Virginia and it was the fourth most in a single season at Virginia. Her 39 points pushed her to 102 for her career – both marks are tied for sixth most in a season and career at Virginia. She helped Virginia claim the ACC regular-season title as the only team to go unbeaten in ACC play this season.
“I am so grateful for my time at UVA and how much I developed thanks to the amazing coaching staff and my incredibly talented teammates” Ordoñez said. “I can’t thank God enough for this opportunity. I feel so blessed to get to live out my dream surrounded by my family and friends. I’d like to give a big thank you to the coaching staff at the Courage for picking me and getting my professional career started. I’m so excited for what the future holds.”
Virginia’s offensive coordinator Robert Anae no longer with program; Jason Beck will call plays in bowl game
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Virginia Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae.
Robert Anae, who served as Virginia’s offensive coordinator during the Bronco Mendenhall era, is no longer with the program.
Quarterbacks coach Jason Beck will be the designated play-caller for Virginia’s bowl game against SMU in Boston later this month. The team began preparation for the game on Saturday.
Anae, oft-maligned for some of his offensive strategies, guided the Cavaliers to record-breaking numbers this season, but came under fire for controversial play-calling at critical junctures of games.
Another medal for Kate Douglass at FINA Short Course World Championships
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
(© New Africa – stock.adobe.com)
Junior Kate Douglass won her second silver medal and third overall at the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships on Saturday (Dec. 18) in Abu Dhabi.
Douglass swam the butterfly leg of the mixed 4×50 medley relay in Saturday’s prelims. She helped pace Team USA to the top seed heading into the finals with a time of 1:37.74. Team USA finished second in the finals to the Netherlands with a time of 1:37.04 to take home sliver.
Freshman Emma Weyant made the 800-meter freestyle final on Saturday. Weyant finished seventh overall with a time of 8:20.13, improving on her 8:20.65 in prelims on Friday.
Weyant and Paige Madden have the 400-meter freestyle on Sunday and Douglass is slated for the 200-meter individual medley on Monday.
Lavel’s grandma: “[Elliott] was meant to be”
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Lavel Davis Jr. (Photo: UVA Athletics)
When Lavel Davis’ grandma heard that Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott had been named Virginia’s new head coach, she jumped for joy.
“My grandma called and she said, ‘It’s meant to be,’” Davis laughed when retelling the story this week.
Davis and Elliott have a history. When Davis was playing high-school football in Dorchester, S.C., Elliott was checking him out for Clemson. When Davis suffered a torn ACL, most schools dropped him from their recruiting list, including Clemson.
Virginia didn’t, and he turned out to be the surprise player of the Cavaliers’ 2020 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound, then-true freshman finished No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the ACC with a 25.75 yards-per-reception average. He was No. 7 in the country among freshmen with 515 receiving yards and tied for No. 5 nationally among freshmen with five receiving touchdowns.
Davis was the only freshman in the nation with 500-plus receiving yards on 20 or fewer catches, all during the 2020 season.
He was forced to sit out the 2021 season after suffering another torn ACL that kept him out of action after experiencing the injury in spring drills.
While Davis reported that he’s 85-to-90-percent healthy, he and team doctors have decided it’s best for him to skip Virginia’s bowl game later this month, even though his rehab is going smoothly now and he’s back to running pass routes.
“I’m going to rest up for next season, it’s best for my career,” Davis said. “I’d rather be safe than sorry. It would be a bigger risk coming back now rather than after a year and five months when I do return. My leg is strong. I’ve built it back up to the regular strength that it was when I got hurt.”
Davis said he was excited about Elliott being named the new Virginia coach, but some of his teammates had reservations because they didn’t know much, if anything, about the former Clemson play-caller.
“I explained to them how I met him,” Davis said. “Everybody was asking me how he was and I told them that he’s similar to Coach (Marques) Hagans (UVA’s personable wide receivers coach). That was my opinion. I’d rather they see it with their own eyes, so the talk (Elliott addressed the team a few nights ago) was great.
“The Model Program”#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/SuiQeBUtRM
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) December 17, 2021
“You can tell if a person is being genuine,” Davis said of the team talk. “He told us his background and it was really eye-opening because I didn’t know some of what he told us.”
While Davis hadn’t had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the new coach, they did speak briefly upon reuniting.
“[Elliott] said, ‘Hey, you still ugly,’ still joking with me,” Davis laughed.
Davis said he is hoping that UVA’s record-breaking quarterback Brennan Armstrong returns for another season, that the entire team is hoping for another year of Armstrong’s leadership.
“I want him to stay, but it’s his decision,” Davis said. “I don’t want to put pressure on him.”
Ever since he started playing football at age 7, Davis said he had never missed an entire season until this past campaign and that it was “very tough, very tough.”
“It was really different, but it taught me how to be a better teammate,” Davis said. “I’m just staying patient. I’m working hard, getting back to my routine and making sure I’m not a step behind when my time comes for the future.”
As grandma said, “It was meant to be.”
ACC Network officially available to Comcast’s Xfinity subscribers nationwide
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
ACC Network, the 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports, is officially now available nationally to Comcast’s Xfinity customers.
ACCN is available on Xfinity channel 1325 on Digital Starter in states within the ACC footprint and available in other Comcast markets on Digital Preferred.
Today’s news follows the Nov. 30 announcement that Comcast will distribute ACC Network (ACCN) to its Xfinity customers, allowing fans and followers of the Atlantic Coast Conference to access the multiplatform network.
Notably, with the addition of Comcast, ACCN is now fully distributed with every major satellite, telco and digital provider across the country, and available to nearly 90 million households.
ACCN annually televises more than 500 regular-season and tournament games from across the conference’s 27 sponsored sports, including football, baseball, softball, field hockey, volleyball, wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball, lacrosse and soccer, plus a complement of news and information shows and original programming.
Together, ACCN and its digital platform, ACCNX, combine to feature more than 1,500 ACC events each year. The network is an all-access pass to nationally competitive events, expert analysis, documentaries, classic games and in-depth features on the premiere athletic and academic conference in college athletics.
For additional information on ACCN and its availability, please visit www.GetACCN.com.
Cavaliers host Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday afternoon
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Photo courtesy UVA Athletics.
Virginia (6-4) concludes its nonconference slate against Fairleigh Dickinson (0-9) on Saturday, Dec. 18. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 2 p.m. on ACC Network.
For Openers
- Virginia (6-4) concludes nonconference action vs. FDU.
- UVA ranks seventh nationally in scoring defense (55.8 ppg) and 19th in turnovers per game (10.2).
- UVA has limited its foes to 49.7 points per game and 33.9 percent shooting in its six wins.
- Kihei Clark has a 12-game 3-point streak dating back to last season and is shooting a career-best 40.9 percent from 3-point range this season.
Broadcast Information
- The Virginia-FDU game will be televised on ACC Network and streamed online at WatchESPN.com and ESPN App.
- The game will also be broadcast on Virginia Sports Radio Network, VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
- Live statistics will be available on VirginiaSports.com and Virginia Sports app.
The Head Coach
- Dean and Markel Families Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tony Bennett has a 301-107 (.738) mark in 13 seasons at UVA and 370-140 (.725) career mark in 16 seasons as a head coach.
- Bennett won his 300th game at Virginia with the 61-43 victory against Lehigh on Nov. 26, 2021.
- The three-time National (2007, 2015 and 2018) and four-time ACC Coach of the Year (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019) guided the Cavaliers to their 10th ACC regular-season championship in 2020-21.
- In 2018-19, Bennett led the Cavaliers to their first NCAA national championship, a share of their ninth ACC regular-season title and a school-record 35 wins.
- Bennett has led UVA to 10 consecutive postseason appearances (2012-21) and seven consecutive NCAA tournaments (2014-21).
- UVA is 171-32 (.842) at home and 151-45 (.770) in non-conference action (85-9 at JPJ) under Bennett.
Hoo Are These Cavaliers?
- UVA is led by its returning backcourt of Kihei Clark (10.7 ppg & 4.1 apg) and Reece Beekman (6.3 ppg, 4.5 apg & 2.1 spg), and the additions of transfers Jayden Gardner (13.9 ppg & 8.5 rpg) and Armaan Franklin (11.3 ppg).
- Clark has played 103 games at UVA and has a 12-game 3-point streak dating back to last season, while Beekman leads the team in assists and steals.
- The Cavaliers added transfers Gardner (East Carolina) and Franklin (Indiana) to fill the void left by standouts Sam Hauser (16 ppg), Jay Huff (13 ppg) and Trey Murphy III (11.3 ppg).
- Gardner averaged 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in 79 career games at East Carolina, while Franklin averaged 11.4 points and shot 42.5 percent from 3-point range in 2020-21.
- Kadin Shedrick (6.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg & 2.9 bpg) and Francisco Caffaro (3.8 rpg) anchor the paint, while Taine Murray (42.9% 3FGs), Igor Miliĉić Jr. (33.3% 3FGs), Malachi Poindexter, Kody Stattmann and Carson McCorkle provide perimeter depth.
Virginia All-Time vs. FDU
- Virginia is 1-0 all-time vs. FDU.
- The Cavaliers defeated the Knights 88-61 in the lone meeting between the teams on Dec. 6, 1988.
- Bryant Stith had a game-high 21 points and Richard Morgan added 15 points in the 27-point win.
- Stith sank 11 of 15 free throws as the Cavaliers enjoyed a 29-12 advantage from the charity stripe.
- Curtis Williams added 11 points as 12 Cavaliers reached the scoring column.
UVA All-Time vs. The Northeast Conference
- Virginia is 10-0 all-time vs. current Northeast Conference opponents (3-0 vs. LIU Brooklyn, 3-0 vs. Wagner, 1-0 vs. Farleigh Dickinson, 1-0 vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 1-0 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn and 1-0 vs. Saint Francis University).
- The Cavaliers meet their first Northeast Conference foe since defeating St. Francis University 76-51 at John Paul Jones Arena on Dec. 1, 2020.
- Tony Bennett is 3-0 all-time vs. current Northeast Conference opponents as a head coach (1-0 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn and 1-0 vs. Saint Francis University at UVA and Fairleigh Dickinson at Washington State).
Last Time Out
- For the first time in series history, James Madison (8-3) defeated Virginia (6-4) 52-49 on Dec. 7 at Atlantic Union Bank Center.
- The Dukes held UVA to just 14 points in the first half – the lowest point total in any half by the Cavaliers under the Tony Bennett era.
- UVA jumped to a 10-2 advantage before JMU closed out the first half on a 22-4 run, which included 15 unanswered points, during the final 11:26 of the opening half. Virginia shot 27 percent (6-for-22) from the field in the first half.
- Jayden Gardner led the Virginia effort with a game-high 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added a season-high 14 rebounds.
- Not a single JMU player scored in double figures, but eight different players registered points for the Dukes.
On The Horizon
Virginia returns to ACC action against Clemson on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 8 p.m. on ACC Network.
