Streaking The Lawn

ACC Announces First 3 Virginia Football Game Times and TV Coverage Info

2012-05-17T19:29:09Z

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced the first three weeks' worth of game times for the 2012-2013 (see what I did there?) football season. Without further ado, here they are:

September 1st: Richmond @ Virginia - 3PM RSN

September 8th: Penn State @ Virginia - Noon, ABC

September 15th: Virginia @ Georgia Tech - 3:30 PM, ESPNU

The RSN game against Richmond will be seen regionally on Fox Sports Florida or Sun Sports, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Carolinas, Comcast Sports Mid Atlantic or NESN, but can also be watched, subject to blackout, on ESPN3. The 3PM start should allow ample time for tailgating before the game (not to mention a chance to recharge before post-game celebration festivities in C-Ville).

Wahoo fans have been eying that Penn State matchup for a while, and the national placement on ABC will give the whole nation, and hopefully plenty of recruits, a chance to check out the Hoos. While that exposure is a big plus, UVA got the dreaded noon slot for this game. Set those alarms now, students! The good news for me is that in the real world, people apparently don't whine about waking up at 10 or 11 AM, so hopefully I could adjust to that lifestyle. Last season, Virginia fans somehow avoided the 12PM time slot at home, likely as a reward for fourth-year students (or possibly by luck of the draw).

UVA kicks off the conference slate Week 3 in Atlanta with a 3:30 start on ESPNU.

One-third of UVA's regular season game-times are currently available, as UVA already has a nationally televised Thursday night game at home against North Carolina on November 15th at 7:30 PM on ESPN. The rest of the information is typically released two weeks prior to each game.

The 2012 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game will be played on December 1 in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. You could catch the Hoos compete for an ACC title on either ABC at 8 PM or ESPN at 7:45.

Baseball Travels to College Park; Puts their Lives in Jeopardy for You!

2012-05-17T15:01:01Z

The final weekend series of the year was always one of my favorite weekends of the baseball season. It is always a Thursday through Saturday series and we usually got back in time to ~~go out on the corner Saturday night with nothing to do on Sunday~~ hang out with the guys! Practices with no school to worry about made for great days of tropical smoothie, Xbox, or maybe a little fungo golf. This year should be as enjoyable for the Cavaliers as they travel to Maryland in their final weekend to take on the ~~GREAT~~ Terps.

These past two years were supposed to be different for Maryland. Bakich was entering his third year of his journey to get Maryland to the top of the ACC and had what many considered a strong contingent of JUCO transfers. Then the ACC schedule started and real baseball started getting played. After starting off 11-1 which included a series win over UCLA in Los Angeles, the shit hit the fan and they got swept by Wake Forest. Yes, they were swept by WAKE FOREST. You know how many other series Wake has won? Two (VT and GT).

Anyways, the Terps currently sit at 31-22 overall with a 9-18 record in the ACC. Right now they are two games behind VPISU and GT for the final spot in the ACC Tournament. Last time the Terps even made the ACC tournament? 2005, when every team made the tournament. Last time the Terps made the NCAA tournament? 1971. I am beginning to wonder why that school even has baseball anymore. (I jest. I hate it when any University gets rid of baseball, but that is for another discussion)

Historically, the Cavaliers have owned the UMD series with a 105-76-1record. Thing have been even uglier since Coach O'Connor took over in Charlottesville. Since Oak has been at the helm, Maryland has only been able to win a single game. That lone loss came in 2009 when UVa's own Robert Poutier's little brother David Poutier carried the Terps to an 8-7 victory.

Just a few weeks ago the Terps had the best ERA in the ACC. They have three starters that are more than capable of pitching in the conference. Their Friday night starter, Senior RHP Brett Harman 2.72 ERA to go along with his 6-3 record. He's got a strong strikeout to walk ration (68-17) and matches up with Branden Kline tonight. The other two starters haven't been released by Maryland, but I imagine it will be Michael Boydon and David Carroll who took the mound against FSU two weeks ago. Both have respectable ERAs and a combined 6-6 record, but the talent of the Cavalier lineup should be able to handle all three pitchers.

Currently ninth in the ACC in batting, the hitters of the Terp's lineup have not held up their share of the bargain. More surprising to me is that Maryland does not lead the conference in home runs. Shipley Field, where UMD plays their home games, is one of the smallest in the conference, if not the country. A team .267 average is lead by .311 hitter Jordan Hagel who is the lone Terp that has played in most of their games and is batting over .300. They also rank eleventh in the conference in slugging percentage and on base percentage, but they don't strike out a lot. I would attribute this to their field which is all turf. They put the ball in play a lot but with the lack of bad hops and dirt, they are probably seeing less base runners than their counterparts. That also leads to their .973 fielding percentage which is tied with Clemson for the conference lead.

Maryland is taking steps in the right direction. They don't seem to get a lot of support from their athletic department but Bakich is seemingly putting this program on the right track. They have a lot of young talent, but their high influx of JUCO transfers mean they're not on campus that long. Luckily for the Cavaliers, this year is not the year Maryland starts competing on UVa's level. I see the Cavaliers sweeping the Terps this weekend and securing the four seed for Greensboro with an outside shot at the three seed.

First pitch tonight is in the ~~ghetto~~ College Park tonight at 6. I will be doing my best to get to tomorrow's game so if you can make it, come out and support the Hoos!

Early Look at Virginia 2012-2013 Basketball Schedule Reveals Compelling Matchups, Fewer "RPI-Killers"

2012-05-17T12:00:43Z

When the ACC announced next season's ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchups, revealing a UVA trip to Wisconsin, another piece of Virginia's 2012-2013 scheduling puzzle was discovered. And at first glance, the out-of-conference section of the schedule looks to be substantially more challenging than the one UVA went 13-1 against last year on the way to an NCAA Tournament bid.

Though Virginia finished last season with a 22-8 regular season record, including a 9-7 performance against a difficult ACC schedule, fans still were uncomfortable with the team's selection hopes because of a weak OOC schedule. UVA competed against the 227th-toughest non-conference in the nation, which led criticism from pundits and even rival coaches.

Last season's scheduling failures weren't all about a lack of quality wins; the Hoos picked up a huge victory against Michigan, solid wins against Drexel and George Mason, and tough road victories at Oregon and LSU. The main problem stood with the bottom half of the schedule, which included too many matchups against the most fattening of the nation's "cupcakes," inflating the team's computer numbers.

Luckily, Tony Bennett appears to have made correcting this problem a focus. After last season, he acknowledged the issue, according to David Teel:

"I think we played enough quality games," Bennett said during a season-ending gabfest with reporters. "We talked about this in our head coaches' meetings at the ACC in the spring about when you schedule you have to be careful, and a lot of it's projecting so it's hard to know for sure how teams will be, but not having too many real low RPIs.

"We talked about, I think the number is 250 or below. It's OK to have two or three of those. We might have had five. It might have worked out that way, and some were really low, the mid-threes or something. When you have those, (they) can really pull you down."

Actually, Virginia played, and defeated, six opponents ranked below 250th: Nos. 272 Winthrop, 277 Seattle, 311 Towson, 320 Maryland-Eastern Shore, 337 Longwood and 343 South Carolina State.

Here's a look about what we know about next year's schedule, as compared to last year's. I matched last year's RPI and KenPom data with next season's announced opponents. Note that we will have 4 games as part of the Preseason NIT, for which opponents are not yet known. Additionally, the ACC has expanded the in-conference schedule from 16 to 18 games, which will cannibalize two out-of-conference matchups. Teams are allowed to schedule 28 games, but the Preseason NIT counts as an exempt tournament, which only counts as one game. Thus, UVA could potentially play up to 31 games this year (or 13 outside the ACC).

2011-2012 Opponent	RPI	KenPom	2012-2013 Opponent	RPI (Previous)	KenPom (Previous)
Michigan	14	29	@ Wisconsin	23	5
Drexel (neutral)	64	41	NIT (NY)*	45	29
@ Oregon	67	50	NIT (NY)*	45	29
George Mason	82	106	@ George Mason	82	106
@ LSU	84	97	(extra ACC Game)**	83	63
TCU (neutral)	114	156	@ (extra ACC Game)**	83	63
Drake (neutral)	133	145	Tennessee	86	61
Wisconsin-Green Bay	148	180	ODU (neutral)	103	99
Winthrop	272	256	NIT Home game***	145	144
@ Seattle	277	222	NIT Home game***	145	144
Towson	311	338	@ Wisconsin-Green Bay	148	180
Maryland-Eastern Shore	320	331	???
Longwood	332	342	???
SC State	343	344	???

*Mean data for the 8 announced teams (of 12) that could be in UVA's "pod" - for more on Preseason NIT, try this.
**Median data from last year's final ACC rankings
***Median data among Michigan, Pittsburgh, and Kansas State, the other Preseason NIT hosts (and likely opponents in NY)

While teams' previous performances are obviously not perfect predictors of future success, they should be decent measures for our purposes of where each program currently stands. For the games where I used averages, there is still quite a spread over which RPIs could fall; let's just fudge this one and assume that our matchups will be close to the "typical" matchup.

One of the most glaring early priorities for Virginia is avoiding an upset against two lesser opponents at home in the Preseason NIT. If UVA wins both, the team will get a trip to Madison Square Garden and two likely games against NCAA tournament teams. With a loss, Virginia will play two games against teams with middling RPIs instead.

There are plenty of factors that go into designing a schedule that don't tend to be forefront in the minds of fans. These may be recruiting promises (trips close to home for Joe Harris in Seattle and Paul Jesperson in Green Bay?), revenue factors, and court availability. While acknowledging these occur, let's take a look at how the schedule looks from a few purely "committee-based" goals:

(1) Chances for "marquee" wins

Last year, beating Michigan at JPJ sent Virginia to the NCAA tournament - the Hoos came up short against Duke, UNC, and FSU, but that non-conference victory was enough to prove to the committee that Virginia could actually beat elite teams. This year, the Hoos will have chances again, though not the same great one on their home court. The games at Wisconsin and against Michigan/KSU/Pitt at MSG (if we make it) will be big opportunities to make statements. A matchup against ascending Tennessee could give Virginia that chance in Charlottesville if the Vols put it together next season.

(2) Strong road wins

While winning at Wisconsin would obviously put Virginia on the map in this category, many a brave soul have tried and failed in the Kohl Center. Luckily, the @GMU date will be a prime time to win on the road too. No real other opportunity to impress in the out-of-conference, so UVA may have to defeat the Badgers or do its road work within the ACC.

(3) Avoiding bad losses

Last year, UVA had one of these out-of-conference against TCU in the Virgin Islands. Not only did this game go down as a sub-100 RPI defeat, but it prevented a future matchup in the Paradise Jam Tournament against Marquette. Once again, the pressure will be on in the preseason tournament against lesser opponents, as mentioned above. Luckily, this time the games will be in Charlottesville rather than makeshift courts in the ballrooms of Caribbean resorts. (Yes, I am bitter). The 3 or 4 unscheduled games will likely be against opponents that will fall into the "should-win" category. We should win those too.

(4) Don't play the "RPI-killers"

When Towson, Eastern Shore, Longwood, and South Carolina State stepped on the court at John Paul Jones Arena last season, UVA's RPI immediately plummeted. Even a blowout win (or a squeaker in the case of Towson...) couldn't stop the bleeding. As stated above, with a strong arsenal of quality opponents already on the schedule, Tony Bennett and Co. will likely fill out the slate with games against lesser competition. And with more road dates on the calendar this year than last year already, those will likely be at home. Availability and price of "guarantee games" makes a dip into the RPI 250+ tempting and perhaps inevitable. If the team does whatever it can to minimize dates with the RPI-killers, it should be in good shape headed into the ACC part of the calendar.

From a scheduling and RPI perspective, there are still existing unknowns, but the Hoos appear to be in better position to play against a tough out-of-conference schedule. At the very least, the expanded ACC slate and a few compelling OOC matchups should have fans on the edges of their seats all year and a young Wahoo team getting some quality experience early on. We'll know the full makeup of the 2012-2013 Virginia Basketball schedule later this summer and will have plenty of thoughts on it upon its release.

So we’re hungry. Never satisfied. You’re one game from playing for the conference championship and...

2012-05-16T21:48:45Z

So we’re hungry. Never satisfied. You’re one game from playing for the conference championship and you can’t sit back on what you did before. Now we have to do everything again, do it over and do it better.

Virginia head coach Mike London

Virginia lands Cutler

2012-05-16T18:30:11Z

The Virginia Cavaliers have grabbed their 7^th commitment for the 2013 class, as Ocean Lakes Quarterback Corwin "Turtle" Cutler committed to UVA today. Cutler is the 3^rd commit for UVA from the State of Virginia, joining Varina Safety Tim Harris and Oscar Smith Wide Receiver Zack Jones, and the 2^nd Quarterback in the class, along with Good Counsel QB Brendan Marshall. Virginia was the only school that has offered Cutler to this point. The Ocean Lakes signal-caller is a 3-star prospect, and is rated the 21^st best player in the state by Streaking the Lawn. Cutler will join former teammate and Cavalier signee Eli Harold in Charlottesville next year.

Cutler stands at 6'4'' 180 lbs, another tall Quarterback (Lambert, Johns and Marshall are all 6'5'') for Virginia. Although Cutler only holds one offer, he has shown well at camps this spring. Cutler won the Leadership Award at a combine in New Jersey recently and also showed well at the Baltimore NFTC and Junior Rank camp in Virginia Beach in recent weeks. Cutler has a strong arm, as well as the ability to fit balls into small windows. The future Cavalier also has good touch on passes where he has to go over defenders heads on deep routes. Cutler also plays against some of the best competition in the state, the Beach District, which won't hurt for his transition to the next level.

Even though Virginia didn't need another Quarterback for the 2013 class, Cutler is a nice luxury to have. Even with his commitment to UVA, expect Cutler's offer list to grow over the summer, especially if he continues to show well at the camps and combines he attends. With Cutler on board, Virginia now has 3 Quarterbacks from the "757" area, with David Watford and Phillip Sims already on the roster. Expect Cutler to redshirt in 2013, then learn under the more experience Quarterbacks before competing for playing time a few years down the road.

Virginia Football: 2013 Recruiting Class

Brendan Marshall, Quarterback, Good Counsel (Olney, MD)

6'5'', 210 lbs

Rating: Rivals (3*), 247sports (3*), Scout (NR), ESPN (NR)

Offers: Virginia, California

Sadiq Olanrewaju, Offensive Tackle, Salisbury School (Salisbury, CT)

6'5'', 260 lbs

Rating: Rivals (3*), 247sports (NR), Scout (3*), ESPN (NR)

Offers: Virginia, UConn, Rutgers, Temple, West Virginia

Andre Levrone, Wide Receiver, Good Counsel (Olney, MD)

6'1'' 198 lbs

Rating: Rivals (3*), 247sports (3*), Scout (3*), ESPN (NR)

Offers: Virginia, Auburn, Mississippi State

Tim Harris, Cornerback/Safety, Varina

6'2'' 173 lbs

Ratings: Rivals (4*) 247sports (4*) Scout (3*) ESPN (Top 150 Watchlist)

Offers: Virginia, California, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Syracuse

Zack Jones, Wide Receiver, Oscar Smith

5'11'' 178 lbs

Ratings: Rivals (NR), 247sports (3*), Scout (UNR) ESPN (NR)

Offers: Virginia, Illinois

Micah Kiser, Linebacker, Gilman

6'1'' 215 lbs

Ratings: Rivals (3*) 247sports (4*), Scout (NR) ESPN (NR)

Offers: Virginia, Boston College, Florida, Maryland, Oklahoma, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Stanford, Virginia Tech

Corwin Cutler, Quarterback, Ocean Lakes

6'4'' 180 lbs

Ratings: Rivals (3*), 247sports (3*), Scout (NR), ESPN (NR)

Offers: Virginia

Recruiting: Virginia's Top 25 Prospects (May Edition)

2012-05-16T13:01:16Z

Here's a new recruiting feature on Streaking the Lawn, where we rank the Top 25 prospects in the Commonwealth, and give our take on how their recruiting is going, and where it might be headed. Keep in mind that this list is fluid, and players will be moving up, down, in and out of this list as we move towards National Signing Day in February. So, without further adieu, here's Virginia's Top 25 for the 2013 class.

1. Jonathan Allen | Defensive End | Stone Bridge

Contenders: Alabama, Florida, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Penn State

The Stone Bridge defender is the state's top player. With an impressive offer list to match an impressive 6'3'' 225 lbs frame, Allen can basically go wherever he wants. Two SEC schools, Alabama and Florida, have the lead. Allen has been to Virginia several times, but not lately. Since his recruitment has taken off, the Defensive End seems more focused on the big time programs than the ones closer to home. He continues to list Virginia Tech amongst his favorites however, and if he decides to stay close to home, he will probably choose the Hokies. Allen recently cancelled a visit to Ohio State, and set a visit for Tuscaloosa for the near future. The Ashburn product was born in Alabama, and his recruitment could wrap up in favor of the Crimson Tide when he makes his visit south.

Prediction: Alabama

2. Christian Hackenberg | Quarterback | Fork Union

Contenders: COMMITTED TO PENN STATE

Hackenberg's father, Eric, played Quarterback at UVA for several years before transferring out to a lower division. This fact made many believe that the Hoos would have a leg up on the field. His father was also close with Tennessee coach Derek Dooley (who played at Virginia with the elder Hackenberg), so many thought Tennessee would be a player for the Fork Union signal-caller. In the end, Hackenberg chose the team he grew up rooting for in Pennsylvania, the Nittany Lions. There was much jockeying between 2013 QB prospects to become the first prized field general to commit to former New England Patriots coach Bill O'Brien, who has a reputation as a Quarterback guru of sorts. Hackenberg won that derby. Of the four Virginia QB's in the top 25, Hackenberg is the most polished right now. He might not have the highest ceiling of the bunch, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had the best collegiate career of the three.

3. Ryan Burns | Quarterback | Stone Bridge

Contenders: COMMITTED TO STANFORD

Ryan Burns was one of those prized Quarterbacks that considered jumping on board with Penn State earlier this spring. Burns did not pull the trigger, but Hackenberg did. Right after that Burns, took a trip to Palo Alto, and, like many recruits who see the Stanford campus for the first time, he fell in love with the school. Burns, whose family is originally from Wyoming, does not have deep roots in Virginia, so his decision to go west was not a huge shock. Virginia was Stanford's biggest competition for the Stone Bridge Quarterback. At one point many UVA fans hoped to grab commitments from both Allen and Burns, Bulldog teammates. It appears now that both of them will leave the Commonwealth for school next summer. Burns has tons of potential, but he plays in a high school offense that doesn't feature the pass very much. In fact, Burns threw more interceptions than touchdowns as a junior. He does have a great arm and is a great student, so Stanford is a great fit for Burns.

4. Bucky Hodges | Quarterback | Salem

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH

Hodges' commitment to Virginia Tech came as no surprise. The Salem Quarterback was one of several prospects that committed to the Hokies during their rained-out spring game festivities a month or so ago. Many compare Hodges to current Virginia Tech Quarterback Logan Thomas, because of their size and skill sets. It's a pretty good comparison I'd say. UVA was Virginia Tech's biggest opponent for the "757" product, but the Cavaliers' chances were never that great. The Hokies took another Quarterback recruit recently, North Carolina native Carlis Parker.

5. E.J. Levenberry | Linebacker | C.D. Hylton

Contenders: COMMITTED TO FLORIDA STATE

Levenberry was always bound for a major out of state program. The Linebacker committed to the Seminoles over Michigan a few weeks ago, in what was thought to be a very close race. Levenberry is actually a Maryland native that transferred from Dematha Catholic in Hyattsville to C.D. Hylton in Woodbridge for his senior season. Neither in state school really gathered much momentum with Levenberry, but UVA was mentioned in connection with him a lot more than Tech was. In an interview last winter, Levenberry's father, who played at Maryland, said that they had basically eliminated Virginia because of Kwontie Moore's commitment in the 2012 class. I'm sure he will see plenty of competition for playing time in Tallahassee though.

6. Taquan Mizzell | Running Back | Bayside

Contenders: Virginia, West Virginia

Mizzell is a perfect example of a prospect on the rise. Already in Rivals' Top 100, the Bayside Running Back has shown very well at every camp he has attended this spring, earning invites to Nike's The Opening combine in Oregon, and Gridiron Kings, another all-star event in Florida. Mizzell continues to reel in offers, including three, from Tennessee, Cincinnati and Clemson, on the same day recently. Although his offer list continues to grow, he named two of his earliest offers, Virginia and West Virginia, as his top two. The Bayside prospect has a great relationship with former teammates and Cavaliers Demetrious Nicholson and Anthony Cooper, which of course bodes well for Virginia. UVA is widely considered the team to beat, and it might not even be that close.

Prediction: Virginia

7. Holland Fisher | Linebacker | Manchester

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH

Fisher seemed like a Hokie all the way, and he committed to Virginia Tech early in the cycle. The Richmond native has shown well at the camps he has attended so far this spring. Fisher is quite athletic for his position, and some even thought he might end up playing safety in college. Fisher and Hodges are Virginia Tech's two most coveted commitments to date.

8. Tim Harris | Safety | Varina

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA

Harris is Virginia's highest rated commitment for the 2013 class thus far. The Varina product chose the Cavaliers after their Spring Game back in April, over a bunch of other solid offers. UVA took two commits from Varina in 2012, Tyrell Chavis and Maurice Canady, and that probably helped Virginia land Harris. The Safety caused a stir recently by telling an Ohio State blogger he is considering taking a few official visits (to Ohio State, Oregon and Virginia Tech specifically), but at this point, Virginia fans need not worry. Harris seems solid in his commitment, and a lot of times when prospects say they intend to take visits down the road, they don't end up taking place.

9. Derrick Green | Running Back | Hermitage

Contenders: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson

Like the Quarterback position, there are several highly rated Running Backs in the Commonwealth's 2013 class. Along with Mizzell and D.J. Reid, Derrick Green is among those elite backs. A power back, Green is getting a lot of attention from national programs, including Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oregon, and others. Green seemed to show some interest in both in-state programs, but he seems quite comfortable with leaving the state. With Mizzell likely bound for Charlottesville, it seems unlikely that Green would join him at Virginia. If he stays in-state, look for Green to land in Blacksburg. Unfortunately for the Hokies however, there is a great chance that he will in fact go outside the state's borders to play college ball. Right now, Clemson and Ohio State seem to hold the edge.

Prediction: Clemson

10. Doug Randolph | Linebacker | Woodberry Forest

Contenders: COMMITTED TO STANFORD, Virginia, Michigan, Notre Dame

Randolph, a talented linebacker, committed to Stanford during his junior year. However, he has taken several visits, and his recruitment is far from over at this point. Virginia, Michigan and Notre Dame all seem to have a shot with Randolph. Obviously academics are a priority for the Woodberry Forest standout. Of those three challengers, Virginia probably has the best chance to de-thrown the Cardinal for Randolph. Proximity to home, along with Virginia's academics, and Randolph's relationship with the coaching staff could all factor in down the line if the Linebacker decides to reconsider his commitment. Randolph also has a former teammate at UVA, Jake McGee, who was Randolph's teammate at Collegiate before he made the move to Woodberry Forest. For now though, Randolph still seems to want to head west.

Prediction: Stanford

11. Wyatt Teller | Defensive End | Liberty

Contenders: Virginia, Virginia Tech

Teller is the perfect example of the in-state battles we see between the Hoos and Hokies every year for certain prospects. For a while, it seemed like Virginia Tech had a leg up for the 4-star Defensive End. In recent months however, Teller has taken a bunch of visits to Charlottesville, and UVA is now the favorite. This one isn't over yet though. Teller's timetable is somewhat up in the air, and he may decide soon. Virginia isn't a lock by any means though. A lot of out-of-state schools would love to get Teller on their campuses, but for now, it looks like it's down to the 2 in-state rivals. Teller is a strong, athletic defender that will remind a lot of UVA fans of Chris Long when seeing him on tape.

Prediction: Virginia

12. Matt Rolin | Linebacker | Briar Woods

Contenders: South Carolina, Virginia Tech

Rolin, like Christian Hackenberg, seems to have a connection to several programs that are recruiting him. Those connections seem to be shaping the Linebacker's recruitment as well. Rolin's family is originally from South Carolina, and a bunch of his relatives still live there. Rolin also has a connection to Virginia Tech, as his older brother is a walk-on for the Hokies. These two schools have emerged as the two options for Rolin, with South Carolina being the team to beat at this point. Rolin's offer list is really impressive though, and he could go to almost any school he wants to, especially if he continues to perform well in camps. In the end, I believe Rolin will make the trip South to play for the Ole Ball Coach. Yeahhh, Click Clack.

Prediction: South Carolina

13. Michael Parker | Athlete | Kettle Run

Contenders: COMMITTED TO MARYLAND (2014)

Parker's recruitment has been weird. It sounds like he will have to prep for one year because of academic issues, and that has kept many (basically all) schools from accepting a commitment from him, even though they offered. This includes Virginia. Apparently Parker was very high on the Cavaliers but he has too much work to do for Virginia to accept a commitment from him at this point. So, it appears, Parker has committed to Maryland for the 2014 class, after prepping for a year. Whether he ends up sticking with this choice, who knows. His state ranking shows however that he is a very talented athlete.

14. Daesean Hamilton | Wide Receiver | Mountain View

Contenders: Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Miami

Hamilton has gained a lot of attention from programs all over the place recently, and has seen his recruitment take off. The in-state schools have an edge on the rest of the field at this point though. Although his high school's colors may scare some Virginia fans off, UVA has a pretty decent shot at landing Hamilton at this stage. Whether the Mountain View standout opens his recruitment up a bit more and looks out of state remains to be seen, but if it's an in-state battle, UVA has a fighter's chance.

Prediction: Virginia

15. Daniel "D.J." Reid | Running Back | Thomas Dale

Contenders: Virginia, Virginia Tech, USF, North Carolina

Reid is the third of the trio of in-state Running Backs in the Top 25. A talented back, Reid has offers from both in-state schools, as well as some other BCS-level offers. Thomas Dale has produced several Hokies in recent years, and if I were a betting man, I'd bet big on Reid signing with Virginia Tech in February.

Prediction: Virginia Tech

16. Charles Clark | Cornerback | King's Fork

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH

Clark's recruitment was really quiet before his commitment to the Hokies during their spring game weekend. The Suffolk product is a lockdown type corner, and a great get for Tech. Virginia Tech hasn't taken a lot of commits out of the 757 area code recently, but Clark was one of several from that area that have jumped at the Hokies' advances this recruiting cycle.

17. Oren Burks | Linebacker | South County

Contenders: Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Maryland

Burks continues to take visits and weigh his options. The talented backer has a lot of offers, including of course, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Both in-state schools appear to be contenders for Burks, as well as a few schools outside the state as well. Burks plays at South County, which recently produced the Vandyke brothers in back to back classes, both of which signed with Virginia Tech. That would seem to give the Hokies an "in" with Burks, but he seems open to both in-state schools at this point. Burks has visited UVA a few times and the post-visit feedback has been very positive for the Cavaliers. At this point, Burks' recruitment is very fluid, and tough to predict.

Prediction: Virginia Tech

18. Donta' Wilkins | Defensive Tackle | Potomac

Contenders: Virginia, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Miami

Wilkins has been high on Virginia for a long time, but the Potomac standout is hearing from some heavy hitters so far. Like Charles Clark, Wilkins' recruitment has been pretty quiet to date. He has visited both in-state schools to this point, and has declared UVA his leader several times. Many think that it's not if but when Wilkins will commit to Virginia, but when big out-of-state programs enter the fray, sometimes it can muddy the waters. At the end of the day though, Virginia fans should feel great about landing Wilkins.

Prediction: Virginia

19. David Prince | Athlete | Patrick Henry

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH

The Hokies have dominated one part of the state in particular in the past decade, west of the Blue Ridge. Landing David Prince is another example of that. Prince, a Roanoke native, grew up in the Hokie footprint. Other players Virginia Tech has landed from western parts of Virginia in recent years include David Wilson, Danny Coale, and 2012 commit Trey Edmunds. Its not going to be easy for Mike London and his staff to pull players from these areas, but the staff is going after kids like Prince a little harder than the previous staff did.

20. Zack Jones | Wide Receiver | Oscar Smith

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA

If there was a lock for UVA in the 2013 class, this was it. Zack Jones, the younger brother of Perry, got an offer from Virginia right after an impressive performance in Oscar Smith's state title win in Charlottesville back in December. From then until Jones committed several weeks ago, it seemed like a lock that he would end up in Orange and Blue. It seems like Perry is already letting him see what he'll look like in a Virginia uniform.

21. Corwin Cutler | Quarterback | Ocean Lakes

Contenders: Virginia, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Florida

Cutler has been getting really good reviews from his recent camp performances. The Ocean Lakes standout could see his recruitment really take off soon, if he doesn't commit first. UVA is the big favorite for Cutler, even though they already hold a verbal from Good Counsel signal-caller Brendan Marshall. According to Cutler, he's interested in Virginia Tech, Rutgers and Florida as well, if they offer. I would expect his offer list to grow big time over the next few months.

Prediction: Virginia

22. Deon Newsome | Cornerback | Hampton

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRIGINIA TECH

Deon Newsome's father, Myron, played at Virginia Tech, so his commitment to the Hokies should come as no surprise. The Hampton Crabber could play at either Wide Receiver or Defensive Back in college, so it'll be interesting to see where he is slotted next year.

23. Ryheem Lockley | Athlete | Middlesex

Contenders: Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia

Lockley's recruitment has been interesting so far. At one point, he seemed like a lock to be bound for Blacksburg. However, Virginia Tech has yet to offer the Middlesex standout. Instead, he holds offers from Virginia and West Virginia. If Virginia Tech doesn't offer, or doesn't offer soon enough, Lockley could wind up in Charlottesville. For now, we'll see where his recruitment goes, and how a potential Virginia Tech offer could change the game.

Prediction: Virginia

24. Demetri McGill | Defensive Tackle | Ocean Lakes

Contenders: Virginia, ECU

McGill is very high on Virginia, but is waiting on the Cavaliers to offer. If Virginia does offer, McGill's recruitment will probably wrap up pretty quickly. If they don't, he'll wind up somewhere out of state probably. If UVA lands Donta' Wilkins, they will probably consider not taking another Defensive Tackle in the 2013 class, and may pass on McGill. It's all up in the air at this point.

Prediction: Virginia

25. Parker Osterloh | Offensive Tackle | Warhill

Contenders: COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH

It took until the 25^th ranked player to get an Offensive Linemen on the board. Osterloh was an in-state battle between the Hoos and Hokies that could have gone either way, until he committed to Virginia Tech during their Spring Game weekend. There are several Offensive Linemen, including another Tech commit Braxton Pfaff, that just missed the Top 25. It's worth noting that UVA commit Sadiq Olenrewaju (from Connecticut) would have made this list, so it's not like UVA is totally whiffing on Offensive Linemen so far.

2012 NBA Draft: What Mock Drafts are Predicting for Virginia's Mike Scott

2012-05-16T11:00:33Z

The 2012 NBA Draft is just a little over six weeks away, but mock NBA drafts are popping everywhere. Virginia's own Mike Scott has been spending the past couple months working out in Vegas and presumably trying to put on a little bit of muscle mass while slowing down the aging process as much as humanly possible (which is to say, basically not).

While most mock drafts at this stage are only going through first round picks, there are some more exhaustive lists, and it's in these lists that you'll find that Scott is predicted to be drafted in the middle of the second round.

NBADraft.net predicts that Scott will be taken by the Wizards as the 16th pick of the second round (46th overall). And updated as of May 5, they have him as No. 51 overall on their big board.

Meanwhile, Chad Ford from the worldwide leader only did a first round mock draft (as of April 30), but his Top 100 of 2012 has the 6'8, 237 lb. power forward as the No. 44 prospect of the draft. Ford compliments pretty much all aspects of Scott's game, including his rebounding, inside/outside ability to score, 3-point range and "high motor," but considers his age and his smaller size as negatives. Ford/ESPN predict him as either a second round pick or undrafted.

As official workouts begin and more scouting reports are available, we'll keep you updated as to Scott's progress, and provide you with our own analysis of where he might fit. SB Nation's San Antonio Spurs site, Pounding the Rock, calls Scott a potential gold mine for the Spurs.

2012 ACC-Big Ten Challenge Announced: Virginia to Travel to Wisconsin

2012-05-14T18:14:41Z

The conferences announced the matchups of the ACC / Big Ten Challenge today. The Virginia Cavaliers are slated to take on Wisconsin this year on Wednesday, November 28.

That's right, once again, just to have fun with storylines, Tony Bennett is heading back to his home state of Wisconsin for some hoops action. Bennett was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 1999-2003.

The Badgers had a great season last year, advancing to the Sweet 16 as the No. 4 seed before falling to top-seeded Syracuse by just one point, 64-63. They finished their season with a 26-10 overall record, 12-6 in the B1G, for a fourth place finish. The Badgers finished 12th in the final Coaches Poll.

Virginia has only ever faced Wisconsin twice, with each school taking a win. The Cavaliers won the first contest in 1975, 86-78, while losing the second one in 1999, 66-56. This is the first time the two teams will play each other in the ACC / Big Ten Challenge. Wisconsin is 6-7 overall in the Challenge.

Virginia hosted No. 14 Michigan in last year's iteration of the Challenge, coming up with a big win over the Wolverines as part of a 12-game win streak for the Hoos. It was Virginia's only win over a ranked opponent last year, but it was the statement game that allowed UVA fans to believe that the Hoos really could go dancing. And they did.

The Cavaliers are 7-5 all time in the ACC / Big Ten Challenge and have won the last two, against No. 14 Michigan and on the road against No. 13 Minnesota. While the ACC has a commanding 10-3 all time record over the B1G in the Challenge, the Big Ten has somehow won each of the past three.

Here is a look at the full matchups between the conferences:

2012 ACC/Big Ten Challenge schedule (times and networks are to be determined):

Tue, Nov 27

North Carolina at Indiana
NC State at Michigan
Minnesota at Florida State
Maryland at Northwestern
Iowa at Virginia Tech
Nebraska at Wake Forest

Wed, Nov 28
Ohio State at Duke
VIRGINIA AT WISCONSIN
Michigan State at Miami
Purdue at Clemson
Georgia Tech at Illinois
Boston College at Penn State