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01-15-2025, 11:22 AM
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#201 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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November 7, 2027
This Virginia Cavaliers team will attempt to build on the legacy of last year's team, winners of 35 games, the ACC tournament, and the NCAA South Region. Code:
Fall training is over, and it's time to see how much improvement our players made: Code:
It was very easy to identify the stars of coach Toby Whittaker's 2026/27 team. Trevor Bocanegra and Joe Cavallini are both making a very good living playing basketball, after earning an array of post-season honors. This year, there doesn't seem to be an identifiable lead dog, a player, or two players, who stand out from their teammates. Center Chris Burke and point guard Anthony Carreno are returning starters. Chris takes great pride in the work he does on the defensive end of the court: rebounding, guarding post players, and protecting the rim. Any offense Chris contributes is a bonus. He's averaged about three shots per game in two years as a starter. Anthony established himself as a sneaky-good third scoring option last season, while still distributing the ball to his high-scoring teammates. He's worked hard to add stalwart defense to his skill set. Two players who were key members of last year's rotation are being promoted to the starting five: big man Jonathan Mooney and shooting guard Larry Wallace. Jonathan is strong and powerful. His game is similar to Chris Burke's, with a bit more offensive flair. Like Chris, he'll work hard on defense and crash the boards. He also comes out of camp with a few more tools in his arsenal of post moves. Larry's trademark is a smooth, productive mid-range game. He is a good athlete, and he's made himself into an adequate defender, enabling us to project him as more than a offensively-oriented role player. Redshirt junior Chris Como has earned the first shot at the remaining spot in the starting lineup. The Amherst transfer was very productive in a limited role last season. Can he maintain that level of production as he assumes a more important role? If he can't, John Steinberg will be the next man up. Both Chris and John will be counted on to stretch the floor. Sophomore Isaiah Young and freshman Cedric Maddux, along with Steinberg, will be the first players off Coach Whittaker's bench. Isaiah is a rugged post player, and Cedric is a promising point guard. Guard Aaron Jackson, wing Cedric Dessauvage, and post Malik Galloway are also available; Will Hubbard and Tanner Herring will redshirt this season. It's very difficult to predict how good this team will be. On paper, our roster isn't strong or deep enough to compete with North Carolina, Duke, or Maryland. We lack the Blue-level star power Trevor and Joe provided last year. Four of our starters are Green players, and one (Como) is Yellow. I have no idea who, if anyone, will step up and become a star. |
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01-15-2025, 02:14 PM
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#202 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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December 1, 2027
Recruiting Update Good news is good news, even if it's expected. Today, Grayson Kitchen announces his commitment to the UVA basketball program. Signing Grayson is a power move for us. If we're the flagship program in our state, we should be a serious contender in the race to sign the state's top player. If we're also an elite program, we should be in the running to sign that player, even if he's a five-star, All-American talent. Grayson is all of these things, and he's on his way to Charlottesville. Ohio State and Kentucky were the last teams Grayson eliminated from his list. Grayson is a more inside-oriented player than his future classmate Jake Gardiner. He's a very good rebounder, and he's shown the ability to create his own shots in high school. I can envision Grayson and Jake playing together. Welcome to the Cavalier family, Grayson! Taylor Rathbone still considers us his first choice, and I've been thinking about ways to construct a team around three wings. Now, however, the plot of this season's recruiting story might be turning again. You may remember me mentioning Hayden Allen in a previous post. He's a 6'11" power forward, who (rather delightfully) attends Glen Allen High School, outside Richmond. Back in September, I was trying to decide whether to recruit which of two big men--Hayden or Myles Burks--more heavily. I picked Myles, because he listed UVA among his top schools, and Hayden did not. At that time, Myles wanted most of all to play for Pitt. Hayden's first choice was UNC. Both young men held offers from their favorite programs, so when we couldn't increase Myles's interest in us, I figured he was signed, sealed, and delivered. I also figured we had even less of a chance to sign Hayden. Decision Day arrived, and Myles committed to North Carolina. Hayden hadn't made his choice, but I would have sworn he had at least one offer. He was, however, listing us as a favorite, so I had Coaches Whittaker and Mazur visit him, and brought him to Grounds for an official visit. By then I had spotted Taylor Rathbone and offered him a scholarship. As I look at my call list now, I see two names: Taylor Rathbone and Hayden Allen. "Looks like Hayden is still pondering his decision," I think to myself. Then, I look closer, and this is what I see... Code:
Not only has Hayden not made up his mind, he currently has no offers to choose from! I just spent some time looking at the rosters of the other teams on Hayden's list. I counted the number of players each team has on scholarship now. All four teams have full contingents of 13. Then I figured out how many of those are seniors. Unless the AI coaches don't have to follow the same rules I do, the number of scholarships they can offer is limited by the number of graduating seniors they have. Long story short: none of the other four teams on Hayden's list have a scholarship to offer him! They've filled out their recruiting classes already. We need a five-star big man more than we need another five-star wing. As much as I dislike pulling a scholarship from the #2 player in the nation, I'm going to do it and offer it to Hayden instead. |
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01-15-2025, 03:17 PM
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#203 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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January 1, 2028
The crazy story of our recruiting season has reached its ending, and it's a happy one. Hayden Allen informs us that he'll accept our offer! Hayden projects as a post anchor with the potential to control the paint at both ends of the floor. He'll join a solid group of big men on next year's roster, including Chris Burke, Isaiah Young, Malik Galloway, and Will Hubbard. Hayden will almost certainly be a prime candidate for a starting role beside Burke. High school All-Americans don't usually ride the bench. Our three incoming recruits boast a total of 14 stars between them. That's a heck of a class. Welcome to UVA basketball, Hayden! We also learn Cedric Maddox will be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season, due to his unsatisfactory academic performance. I had made a late decision to redshirt Aaron Jackson, but now Aaron will move into the rotation in Cedric's place. |
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01-15-2025, 04:15 PM
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#204 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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January 12, 2028
Code:
Ideally, our non-conference schedule gives us an opportunity to define our team's identity before we face the demands of ACC play. This year, it looks like we're hitching our hopes to a defense that has been very difficult to score against. The 66 points we gave up to Evansville is the most we've surrendered in any game so far, and we've held five opponents under 50. Connecticut is the only Division I team that has allowed fewer points per game than we have (52.0 to 54.8). The season begins with a trip to the four-team Travelers Invitational tournament. Our opening-game victory against Utah State is the 200th of Toby Whittaker's career. His career record is 200-75, and his .725 winning percentage ranks 21st among qualifying coaches. Two nights later, we lose a close one to powerful Kentucky. We're ahead, 61-60, with a minute left. We force the Wildcats to take a poor shot, but they outfight us for the rebound, reset their offense, and score the game-winning basket with five seconds left. As you can see, the 'Cats then go on to win 12 more games in a row. We catch up with Joe Cavallini, a Canisius High graduate, when we visit Buffalo. Joe is rehabbing the ankle injury he suffered in his second professional game, so he can watch John Steinberg come off the bench to score 37!! points; John follows this performance up with 19 more at Evansville. We barely escape an embarrassing upset at the hands of St. Peter's, who had won a single game at that point in the season. We trail by 11 points at halftime, and it gets worse from there. With 12:19 to play in the second half, we're behind, 55-37. We're still four points behind with 2:25 remaining, and we don't take the lead until Chris Como drains a three a minute later. Then, we fall behind to Morehead State, and this time we can't come back. Committing 21 turnovers will do that to a team. At this point, I'm wondering if we're simply a mediocre team this year...and then my hope is restored by a delightful victory over a top-ten Syracuse team at JPJ. Which UVA team is the real one? I suppose we'll find out as we run this gauntlet over the next two months: Code:
The Hoos seem to be settling nicely into their roles. Larry Wallace (17.5 PPG) and Chris Como (16.0 PPG) are the scorers. Chris Burke (8.8 RPG) and Jonathan Mooney (8.5 RPG) are the rebounders, and Chris (2.5 BPG) protects the rim. Anthony Carreno (5.9 APG) runs the offense. And John Steinberg (11.3 PPG) provides instant offense. It's a likeable group of players, and it will be fun to see how they fare in ACC play. |
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01-16-2025, 08:51 AM
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#205 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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February 12, 2028
I missed the exact halfway point of the ACC season, so my update is a game late. Code:
To say I'm pleased with the way this season has gone so far would be an understatement. A string of five consecutive road games to open the ACC schedule was going to force this largely untested group of players to grow up quickly, and they have done. Only Miami seems to have our number this year. If Chris Como could play against the Virginia Tech Hokies every game, he would be a unanimous choice for Player of the Year. He scores 29 points in our victory at Blacksburg, and piles up 33 more when we beat our in-state rival at JPJ. He's actually scoring more against ACC teams than he did against our non-conference opponents. The victory over Tech in Charlottesville moves us into a tie with North Carolina and Duke atop the ACC standings, and earns us our first appearance in the Top 25. The Blue Devils, however, endure a frightful string of four straight losses which drop them two games off the pace. Code:
We're in a great spot right now; honestly, we're doing better than I thought we might. But our regular season will end with a very challenging gauntlet of games that includes matchups with all three of the other nationally ranked ACC teams. A lot can change over the course of the next month or so. |
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01-16-2025, 09:48 AM
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#206 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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March 5, 2028
Code:
Our form suffers a bit over the last weeks of the season--we lose three out our last five games--but we knew we'd face a particularly tough set of opponents. Two of those losses come at home, both by two points, and one happens in overtime. Our victory at Florida State is nothing but satisfying. Larry Wallace and Chris Como combine for 53 points (26 for Larry, 27 for Chris) as we erase a Seminole lead that extended to eight points with 6:43 left to play. The first of those baskets gives Larry 1001 points for his Cavalier career. On the same night, Virginia Tech beats North Carolina, and we move into first place in the conference. Larry has a chance to win the Boston College game for us, but he misses two free throws with the score tied at 66 and three seconds left in regulation time. Given five minutes of life, the Eagles snatch the victory on a Jose Judson bucket as time expires. It's one of only two baskets Jose scores that evening. We're tied atop the ACC standings with North Carolina, so our trip to Chapel Hill takes on even greater importance. We struggle with the Tar Heels' quickness; the 10-point loss seems more lopsided than that. This year's Hoos are nothing if they're not resilient, however. Three nights later, we're back in the Triangle for a date with NC State. We take an early lead and extend it as far as a dozen points early in the second half, but the Wolfpack comes snarling back. In fact, they have two chances to win the game in the last half minute, but they miss two free throws and a wide-open three-pointer. Thank you, Great Basketball Deity. Meanwhile, Duke is hammering UNC, so we and the Heels both take 10-4 records into the final two rounds of ACC play. We face Maryland next. The script bears a close resemblance to the one we wrote in Raleigh. First, the away team opens up a lead. Then, the home team battles back as their fans roar their approval. The ending is a bit different; instead of us having chances to win and squandering them, the visiting Terps seize the day and win on a clutch basket by redshirt senior Sam Struble. Now, even if UNC loses its last game, our loss at their hands will give them the ACC championship. Still, we close the regular season in style, honoring Larry Wallace, Jonathan Mooney, Cesaire Dessauvage, and walk-on Sam Ramirez with a victory over Duke on Senior Day. Code:
The polls don't love us; we're usually ranked lower than teams who are behind us in the ACC standings. Still, we're earning a spot in the top tier of the best basketball conference in the country, according to RPI. |
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01-16-2025, 09:55 AM
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#207 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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March 10, 2028
ACC Tournament, Second Round Code:
Clemson scores only 19 baskets, but 11 of them are worth three points each. Meanwhile, a bout of foul trouble wrecks our rotation, and the two guys who play the most minutes in the backcourt for us commit nine turnovers each. Our early exit from the ACC tourney will probably make our path through the NCAA tournament even more treacherous. Record: 22-8. |
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01-16-2025, 10:21 AM
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#208 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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March 12, 2028
Miami defeats Duke, 77-67, in the ACC tournament final. North Carolina ended up losing their first tournament game, too; they were upset, 71-60, by Wake Forest. The NCAA tournament committee chooses seven ACC teams for its field. We're assigned the #4 seed in the West Region. Southern California is the top seed in our bracket; the other #1s are UCLA, Tennessee, and Michigan State. Amherst, led by new head coach Stephen Corr and high-scoring junior Colton Mullins, finishes the year with a 24-9 record and another NEC tournament victory. They're the #14 seed in the East. March 17, 2028 NCAA West Region Code:
The Ohio Bobcats wear green for this St. Patrick's Day contest, but it doesn't help them gain enough luck to upset us. We don't allow the Bobcats to make a single three-pointer, and we take very good care of the basketball. Coach Whittaker has the Hoos playing at a slightly more urgent pace, since we have an edge in athleticism we often don't possess against ACC opponents. Chris Como leads us with 20 points, a bit over his average of 17.4 PPG. Record: 23-8. March 19, 2028 NCAA West Region, Second Round Code:
Next we face a very good five seed in the #11-ranked Gators. They play defense with as much energy and tenacity as we do. Tonight, they're just a bit better than we are. Larry Wallace posts a double-double in his final collegiate game. Record: 23-9. |
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01-16-2025, 11:53 AM
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#209 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 2, 2028
The High School All-America Game features two UVA signees, both members of the East squad. Here's the box score: Code:
April 3, 2028 Michigan State wins the NCAA championship, defeating Purdue, 72-60, in an all-Big Ten final. UCLA and Massachusetts are the other semifinalists. Code:
Larry's breakthrough season is recognized with a spot on the All-ACC first team. Chris Como loses out to two fine shooting guards, one of whom is the conference Player of the Year. Toby's success in leading a team that lacked true star power to second place in the ACC standings is recognized with a CotY plaque. It's his second ACC honor, and the seventh of his career. |
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01-16-2025, 12:03 PM
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#210 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 3, 2028
Code:
This is the profile of a team that lacks top-flight talent, but one who plays hard for 40 minutes and makes their opponents earn every point they score. We struggled to beat teams at our level (9-7 against teams in the top 50) while we made sure to win the games we ought to win. They weren't a great team, but they were a likeable one. Code:
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We were a fairly predictable team, in the sense that nobody did anything you would find atypical for a player at his position. We didn't get much scoring from our big guys. Jan Billups is the only post player I've coached at UVA who has posed much of an offensive threat. Basically, if a team stopped two of our four scorers, they usually beat us. We weren't great at developing Plans B or C. |
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01-16-2025, 12:26 PM
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#211 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 3, 2028
Senior Snapshots Code:
Code:
Code:
His 710 rebounds rank him seventh on UVA's career leaderboard. Code:
How many three-star recruits develop into All-ACC first team players? I'm thinking the answer is "Not many." But that's what Larry did over the course of his four years on Grounds. He advanced from a productive sixth man to become our top scorer. His senior season wouldn't look out of place in Joe Cavallini's career. Larry lands on our leader boards in every category that has to do with scoring or shooting; his quietly achieved total of 1271 points ranks seventh all-time at UVA. These are the last remaining players who were recruited by Toby's predecessor and mentor, Tom Schumann. Thanks for the memories, gentlemen. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-16-2025 at 12:28 PM. |
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01-16-2025, 01:41 PM
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#212 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 8, 2028
None of our seniors were chosen in the professional draft this year. Code:
For the first time, the national recruiting rankings are worth perusing here. Taylor Rathbone, whose name you might recall from last season's story, ended up in a good place. He's the featured member of one of the best incoming classes in the nation. Code:
Grayson Kitchen and Hayden Allen both possess Blue potential as they enter college. Jake Gardiner, who would be the centerpiece of almost any other UVA recruiting class, must take third billing in this one, and he's a Green-level recruit. Code:
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01-16-2025, 01:50 PM
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#213 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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May 1, 2028
Congratulations to former assistant Jonathan Summers, who is accepting the head coaching position at Swarthmore. Coach Summers arrived in Charlottesville when Toby did, holding the position of Scouting Director for the past four seasons. We hire Scott Webster to take his place. Coach Webster's rating of 77 for Scouting is almost exactly the same as Coach Summers' was during his last year on our staff. He began his career with a year at South Carolina, before spending the past four at Oregon State. Our annual budget has been cut back to $703,406. We got a Facilities upgrade that took our score to 89, third best in the ACC. We'll have $23,447 to spend on recruiting each month. With a full roster of 13 scholarship players, we have no room to sign anyone from the transfer portal this spring. |
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01-16-2025, 05:10 PM
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#214 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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July 1, 2028
Recruiting Preview We have 13 scholarship players on our roster this season. Here's what the positional breakdown looks like. The players who would start if there were a game today are shown in bold print. Big Men: SR, JR, SO, SO, FR Wings: SR, SR, FR, FR, FR Point Guards: SR, JR, SO Some of the underclassmen might gain ground on their older teammates once we've been through preseason training. The four graduating seniors are center Chris Burke, wings Chris Como and John Steinberg, and point guard Anthony Carreno. They've all played pivotal roles on our team already, and they're all predicted to be key players this season. A recruiting class made up of two wings, a big guy, and a point guard would make sense. Although I'll never pass up a talented player who wants to come to UVA, we honestly don't need to panic if we don't bring in a five-star SF or SG. We have two true freshman ballers-in-the-making. A true lead guard would be a great fit for us, and finding a solid big man to replace Burke will be a priority. |
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01-16-2025, 06:03 PM
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#215 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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August 1, 2028
Here's how our call list looks as we begin our recruiting season: Code:
It's a very interesting list, with intriguing players who fall into two groups. There's a group of guys whom all the recruiting experts know: five-star talents who regard UVA highly, but are considering other programs at least as seriously. Luke Campbell and Isaac Lee are good examples of this kind of player. Luke is the #1 center in the class and the #3 player overall, and he's a Virginia native. Isaac, from the Philadelphia suburbs, actually seems to like us better. He has us on his initial list of top schools, and Luke does not. Then, there is a group of players who are not as highly regarded, but are expressing a lot of love for our program. Dennis White, Henry Candelario, and Andrew Patterson fit into this category. Each of them is a three-star recruit, but each of them give us the feeling they'll be good at the roles we might like them to play. The player I'll feature most prominently this time is in a category of his own. Code:
I made an offer to Caleb before we evaluated him, based on his assist/turnover ratio and all those steals he's accumulating in high school ball. His skills seem to support the numbers very well, painting a picture of a traditional point guard who orchestrates his team's offense, creates shots for his teammates, and does more than his share at the other end of the floor. He likes Pitt a lot, but the Panthers haven't made him an offer yet. I'm giving Caleb the royal recruiting treatment this month, which will cost us only $4003 because he lives so close to Grounds. I'll also recruit most of the other players I've mentioned as actively as they'll let us. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-17-2025 at 10:55 AM. |
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01-16-2025, 06:14 PM
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#216 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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September 1, 2028
Pitt made an offer to Caleb Roberts last month, and it looks like he's narrowed his choices to them and us. He's upgraded his interest to Very High, so I'm not conceding to the Panthers yet. I'm in a very similar situation with Isaac Lee. Code:
Both Caleb and Isaac have made their official visits. I wonder which of them would be more likely to choose UVA? Luke Campbell has added us to a list of three favorite schools. Unfortunately, he lists us third behind North Carolina and Michigan State, both of whom have made him scholarship offers. Now we have too, and we still have our campus visit card to play with him. Can we convince Luke to play his college basketball in his home state? Let's bring him to Grounds and see what happens. |
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01-17-2025, 10:15 AM
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#217 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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October 1, 2028
Recruiting in FBCB is both lots of fun and potentially very frustrating. That's part of what makes it lots of fun. Has our success with last year's recruiting class made me overly confident in UVA's ability to sign the top players in the nation? We're running second or third with all the players I'm most interested in. Caleb Roberts is still ranking Pitt above us. Luke Campbell lists UNC and Michigan State ahead of us. Isaac Lee has us second behind Villanova. Amari Hawkins, a dynamic shooting guard from Pennsylvania, prefers Temple and Syracuse. Even Dennis White (Longwood and VMI) and Andrew Patterson (Coppin State) express more interest in another program. Granted, that might be because we haven't made offers to them. Could my hubris put us in a situation where we don't sign anyone from our "wish list" at all? This four-star big man is emerging as an attractive option: Code:
So, as it stands now, we've extended offers to Roberts, Campbell, Lee, and McCarthy. Wish us luck on Decision Day... Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-17-2025 at 10:15 AM. |
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01-17-2025, 11:08 AM
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#218 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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November 1, 2028
Decision Day With apologies to Robert Browning, this is what happens when my reach exceeds my grasp. For the first time I can remember, a team I'm coaching has no good news to report on Decision Day. Luke Campbell commits to North Carolina. Isaac Lee commits to Villanova. James McCarthy commits to Maryland. I suppose these decisions make sense. Luke picks a more prestigious program. Isaac picks a program very close to home. James picks a program that recruited him from the start. The best news comes from Caleb Roberts, who is still making up his mind. He hasn't yet committed to Pittsburgh, so our chance of signing him is greater than zero. Now it's time to turn elsewhere. I have three scholarships to offer. There is one intriguing player left on my call list who is looking for a forever home: Ohio guard Rob Kearns. Code:
I'm also going to take closer looks at two players who haven't received offers. One of them is Nick Dunphy, a four-star PF from Washington, DC. I don't prefer making offers until we've evaluated a player, but I'm trusting my gut and the national scouts this time. Have an offer, Nick. The other is Northern Virginia product Kyle Driscoll. He's the #20 player in the class and the top shooting guard in the region. Like Taylor Rathbone last year, Kyle isn't getting any recruiting love from the blue chip programs in which he's expressed interest. Will he be open to our overtures? He doesn't have us on his list yet, so we can only visit him at home. We can make him an offer, which we do. So, as we head into November, our four offers are held by Roberts, Kearns, Dunphy, and Driscoll. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-17-2025 at 11:12 AM. |
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01-17-2025, 12:12 PM
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#219 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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November 5, 2028
Here are your 2028/29 Virginia Cavaliers... Code:
How did training camp go? Code:
Coach Toby Whittaker is guardedly optimistic about his team's chances this season. Several Hoos emerge from camp even better at things they already did quite well. Three starters return from last year's team, all seniors. Center Chris Burke is a veteran with 106 starts and over 3000 minutes of college basketball to his credit. Chris has raised his defensive rebounding and post defense to elite levels, and he's the strongest man on the team. He's quite a good passer for a big man, too. Any offense we get from Burke is a bonus. Such is not the case for his classmate, Chris Como. After a season in which he led the team in scoring with 17.1 PPG, Chris refined his shot even further during the offseason. Chris was once almost exclusively an outside shooting specialist, but now he's a three-level scorer and an increasingly effective defender. Joining Como in the backcourt will be senior point guard Anthony Carreno. Even he believed he'd one day lose his starting job to a more highly touted player, but Anthony enters his third season as our point guard. He is a creative passer and a reliable defender, and he shoots well enough to qualify as a secondary scorer. Junior Isaiah Young will receive the first opportunity to lock down the other starting job in the post. Isaiah's first priorities are rebounding and defense, but he's also made over 55 percent of his field goal attempts in Virginia colors. First year Grayson Kitchen has won the remaining spot in the starting five. He shows signs of being able to create his own shot at the collegiate level, and he is a long, active perimeter defender who can contain his man and force turnovers. He's good now, and he'll only get better. If Grayson ends up taking a while to adapt to college ball, John Steinberg is ready to step in. The senior swing man has always been capable of breaking a game apart with his shooting ability, but this year he's paid more attention to what happens at the other end of the floor. At the very least, John will be a productive, reliable sixth man. The first reserve big will be another prized freshman, Hayden Allen. It's tempting to rush such a promising player into action, but the presence of the reliable, hard-working Young allows us to give Hayden time to develop. We think he's an ACC star of the future, and he'll have the chance to show us glimpses of that future this season. Cedric Maddox has gotten his academic house in order, and he'll back up Carreno at point guard. We also have Aaron Jackson available here; we planned on redshirting Aaron last season, but Cedric's suspension caused us to call him up for active duty. Malik Galloway was unhappy last season, possibly because he wanted to play more than the four minutes per game he averaged as a freshman. But Malik hasn't shown us the improvement some of his teammates have displayed. He'll be the ninth man in our rotation this season. Guard Tanner Herring and forward Will Hubbard return from their redshirt years, but neither made much progress during camp. They'll scrap for minutes this season. The third member of our incoming class, wing Jake Gardiner, will redshirt this season. This is the first Virginia team comprised entirely of players Toby Whittaker has recruited, the first team through which the strands of DNA he's sought to cultivate run from top to bottom. One of those strands is tough defense. Every scholarship big man on the roster rates at least 55 for Post Defense. Every wing and guard except one scores at least 60 for Perimeter Defense. The Hoos were tough to score against last year, and the same should be true this time around. The presence of two bright first year stars should make this season even more exciting. Kitchen and Allen were both high school All-Americans. If they are indeed ready for prime time, we could be enjoying another special year. |
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01-17-2025, 03:34 PM
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#220 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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December 1, 2028
Recruiting Update The first good news of the recruiting season comes our way, and it was worth waiting for. Today, Caleb Roberts announces his decision to sign with UVA! The consensus choice as the top point guard in his class, Caleb checks every box on our "point guard task list." If he's as good as we think he is, he could easily be our first choice at his position from the beginning. Caleb had leaned toward playing for Pitt all along, but in the end, Coaches Whittaker and Mazur convinced him to play his college ball in his home state. Welcome to the Cavalier basketball family, Caleb! We also learn that Rob Kearns is choosing Cincinnati. Rob and his family are using the same logic that led the Robertses to pick UVA. Rob is a point guard, so while we'll miss him, we didn't need him as badly as we did before Caleb came on board. Nick Dunphy and Kyle Driscoll now have several offers to consider. Nick's top choices are Maryland and Villanova, while Kyle currently prefers Seton Hall. Neither player has visited us, however, so can bring them to Grounds now if we'd like. I'm not as sure about that course of action as I was a month ago. The offer-shuffling that seems to happen after Decision Day has changed our recruiting forecast in some interesting ways! Guard Tristan Horan has been on our list from the start. He's a five-star prospect from Illinois who's always maintained Average interest in playing for us. Sometime in the late summer, Tristan moved us onto his list, so I invited him for a visit. He's good. Why not? Code:
Two other guards, both outstanding prospects, are demonstrating increasing interest. Barthélémy Macquet hails from the tiny village of Howley, located in northwestern Newfoundland. He plays point guard for his high school; if his coach has any sense at all, Bart probably has the ball the overwhelming majority of the time. We're second on an eclectic list of programs Bart has created, behind Minnesota. Donovan Sanchez is from the less exotic community of Dracut, Massachusetts. A four-star shooting guard, Donovan is Massachusetts' Mr. Basketball. Like Tristan, Donovan has been on our radar all along, but he's recently begun expressing Very High interest in playing for us. And, like Tristan, any offer he had has been pulled back. The best available big man is center Cam Broderick. He's a four-star player from Indiana whom we haven't evaluated yet. Four schools, including Maryland and Duke, are on Cam's list, but none have offered him a scholarship. We have three unclaimed offers. Right now, two of them are held by Dunphy and Driscoll. Donovan Sanchez is the only player I've mentioned for whom UVA is his first choice. I'm going to give one of our offers to Donovan and recruit him to the max. Code:
Dunphy has two offers from schools he ranks ahead ahead of us. He therefore seems less likely to pick UVA than any of the other guys. Based on that fact, we won't offer him a scholarship. Driscoll also holds an offer he prefers more. That will eliminate him from the contest, too. Now, we're left with Horan, Marquet, and Broderick. We have two offers remaining. Both guards list UVA behind a school who hasn't offered them. We aren't on Broderick's list at all, but he's the only post player left, and we could use a big dude. I'm leaning toward Horan and Broderick right now. Fortunately, I don't have to make my mind up yet. The season has begun, so I can think about it while we play the games on our December schedule. |
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01-18-2025, 09:16 PM
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#221 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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January 1, 2029
Recruiting Update Patience has paid off. In the space of two months, our recruiting class moved from "tragically empty" to "impressive haul." Today, we receive commitments from Tristan Horan and Donovan Sanchez. Tristan is a high school All-American with the skills profile of a lead guard. I can envision him forming a very effective backcourt duo with Caleb Roberts, who is more of a pure point guard. Donovan plays with a bit of an edge, willing to switch onto bigger players on defense and mixing it up as a rebounder. Welcome to the UVA basketball family, Tristan and Donovan! I still need to sort out the situation with our fourth scholarship. Cam Broderick ends up signing with Michigan State, despite our best efforts to lure him to Charlottesville. Bart Macquet is still unsigned; in fact, he hasn't received an offer yet. I think he'd consider an offer from us very seriously. But he's a point guard, and we've already signed three guards this time. Only one available post player appeals to me at all: Dexter Worrell, a lean center from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Dexter is a three-star player with All-State credentials. He wasn't on our radar before because of his Low interest in playing for us, but as of now there aren't any schools on his "wish list" at all. Perhaps he's wondering if he'd like to play college basketball. As crazy as it might sound, I'm going to hand Dexter that last remaining offer and see what happens. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-20-2025 at 11:14 AM. |
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01-19-2025, 03:01 AM
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#222 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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January 10, 2029
Code:
Thirteen wins in non-conference play, including a two-point thriller at Villanova and a single loss to a Top 10 team in a tournament final? I'll take that, thank you. We begin with a trip to Hawai'i for the Maui Shootout, where we're seeded third behind Syracuse and Kansas. Chris Como drops 34 points on George Mason, and follows with 39 more against Long Beach State. Chris goes 10-for-15 from behind the arc in that contest, tying the UVA record for made threes in a game. We fall to the Orange in the tournament championship, as Chris scores "only" 19 points. Next, we host Amherst in our home opener. Although Chris insists he has no ill will toward the program who wasted a year of his eligibility by sitting him on the bench without playing for a full season, here's what happens that night: Code:
Anthony Carreno is the hero of the win at Villanova, as he breaks a 62-62 deadlock with a steal and layup to stun a capacity crowd at the Wells Fargo Center into silence. Back at home three nights later, Chris Burke passes Sébastian Petit to become the Hoos' all-time top rebounder, and goes on to grab 13 boards and end the night with an even 1000 for his career. Lafayette manages to keep Chris Como under control, holding him to only three points, but we allow their entire team to score only 38 and win comfortably. And we enjoy a trip to sunny southern California early in the new year, where Chris collects the 1000th point of his career. Code:
Think about this: There is a team in the ACC with ten wins already, and there are eight teams in their own league that are supposedly better than they are. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-19-2025 at 03:02 AM. |
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01-19-2025, 01:24 PM
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#223 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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February 1, 2029
Recruiting Update Apparently we weren't the only school who discovered Dexter Worrell last month. We learn today that Dexter is committing to St. John's. The universe is sending me a powerful message: recruit Bart Macquet. The Newfie point guard has had an offer from Villanova for months now, but he hasn't said yes. Nor have any of his other favorite schools made him an offer. I already have three guards in this class, and two of them are five-star recruits. Bart is regarded that highly, too. If I reduce the question to its simplest form--do I want Bart Macquet to play for Virginia?--the answer is "of course." I'm going to offer him the chance to do just that. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-20-2025 at 12:22 AM. |
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01-20-2025, 01:02 AM
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#224 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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February 7, 2029
Code:
The first half of our conference schedule goes quite well, beginning with an exciting victory against a Wake Forest team that comes to JPJ with a 13-0 record. Anthony Carreno calmly sinks two free throws with 15 seconds remaining to give us the lead, and then we force the Demon Deacons into an off-balance three-point attempt that goes awry. First year Grayson Kitchen also gets to play the hero role with a pair of clutch free throws; he steps to the line with all zeroes showing and the Hoos trailing Boston College, 62-61. We avenge our loss to Clemson at home by routing them at their place. John Steinberg comes off the bench to fire in 10 points in 10 minutes on an evening when Chris Como can't find the range. There aren't many of those this season; although his torrid scoring pace has slowed a bit, Chris still leads the ACC in scoring with 23.0 PPG. We end January a game behind Duke in the ACC standings, and we have the chance to take the lead when we visit Cameron this week. In a game that's a college basketball fan's delight, we're tied at 52 after 20 minutes. A slow start to the second half seals our fate, creating too much of a deficit for us to overcome. Chris Como's 29 points are canceled out by Harris Warr's 26 and Pat McInerney's 23. You might remember seeing their names; we briefly recruited Warr, and we pursued McInerney fairly heavily. Code:
It's going to be tough for us, or anyone else, to catch Duke over the second half of the season because the contenders have several games against each other. We visit UNC, Wake Forest, and Maryland over the course of the next month. |
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01-20-2025, 01:03 AM
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#225 | ||
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Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Quote:
When in doubt, I always offer average guys without any offers a scholarship offer and send the house on them because it makes them usually consider me so long as I'm not a doormat prestige program. It doesn't necessarily mean that they'll sign, but if I can get into the Top 5 I can usually have a fighting chance. There's no real downside unless you're only rocking with a few schollies. Quote:
Not a bad run though! Catching up. |
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01-20-2025, 11:19 AM
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#226 | |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
That's very good advice, and I followed it fairly well with Cam Broderick and Dexter Worrell. Both of them were three-star players with no offers, and despite my efforts, they picked other schools. Dexter surprised me more than Cam did, because Dex is a Virginia kid. Cam is from Indiana, and he stayed closer to home. Not a bad run though! Catching up.[/quote] That's what I thought, too. The Final Four team had two seniors who were about to be drafted. Trevor Bocanegra would probably make an all-time All-ACC team right now. Last year's team were Green and Yellow-quality players, so I'm happy with a season like the one we had. We actually gained three points of Prestige. Thanks for the visit! |
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01-20-2025, 12:00 PM
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#227 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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March 3, 2029
Code:
We begin the home stretch with a disappointing loss in Chapel Hill. Neither team seems to want to win this one. Cedric Maddux has a golden opportunity to tie the score and send it into OT, but he misses two free throws. We get another chance when the Heels turn the ball over on their next possession, but we simply hand it back to them with an errant pass. Cedric redeems himself against Wake Forest when he makes two from the line to give us the three-point margin we hold at the end of the game. After that night's action, we find ourselves tied with UNC and Maryland, but Duke is still unbeaten in the conference, three games ahead. North Carolina falls off the pace on Valentine's Day, when Boston College upsets them at the Dean Dome. Meanwhile, 24 points from Chris Como and 28 rebounds from the combo of Chris Burke and Isaiah Young power us to a big win over Florida State. Then Chris torches Boston College for 36 points, while Grayson Kitchen assembles a 16 point/11 rebound double-double and Anthony Carreno falls an assist shy of a similar feat. When we beat Georgia Tech while Miami is trouncing Maryland, we find ourselves in sole possession of second place. We win out from there; I'm not sure if the Dukies take their foot off the gas after they know they've won the conference or not, but they stumble a bit at the finish and allow us to close the gap. We get some bad news from our medical staff. Cedric Maddux has sprained his ankle, and he's going to miss the ACC tournament, at the very least. If we make a long run in the NCAAs, Ced might rejoin us, but even that is far from a certainty. His loss leaves us perilously thin at point guard. I could pull Aaron Jackson's redshirt (again), but I'd prefer not to throw away another year of Aaron's eligibility. We'll ride or die with Anthony Carreno and hope we don't fall apart too badly when AC isn't in the game. Code:
We are playing well as we head into the ACC tournament. We're winning games we should win and pulling off an upset or two along the way. Let's hope our form continues through the postseason. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-20-2025 at 12:04 PM. |
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01-20-2025, 12:39 PM
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#228 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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March 9, 2029
ACC Tournament, Second Round Code:
I forgot to readjust my depth chart before today's game. I put John Steinberg into the starting five for his Senior Night game, and left him there for this contest. John makes me look like a genius, and Grayson Kitchen plays well in a reserve role. Our 99 points are the most we've scored all year, so I'll let this lineup remain in place unless we lose. Tanner Herring does just fine as a backup point guard, handing out two assists and committing no turnovers in 11 minutes of action. Record: 27-4. March 10, 2029 ACC Tournament Semifinal Code:
We are uncharacteristically sloppy against Maryland, committing 23!! turnovers, but we dig deep, play solid defense, and shoot well from outside. That's enough to get the better of the Terps and earn a trip to the final. Anthony Carreno gets in foul trouble, and perhaps that's why we're so profligate with the ball. Without Cedric Maddux, AC is our only secure ballhandler; that's a problem we'll solve and then some with our quartet of guards coming in next year, but we can't call them up from their high school teams just yet. So many of the names on Maryland's roster are familiar to me. We recruited quite a few of them. If we play this way against Duke we'll get run out of the gym. Record: 28-4. March 11, 2029 ACC Tournament Championship Code:
When the announcer at the Greensboro Coliseum tells the crowd that Chris Como has committed his fifth personal foul, his voice can hardly be heard over the standing ovation he receives. Virginia fans, Duke fans, and neutral fans join in recognizing him for his efforts to shoot his team into an ACC tournament championship. Chris's 45 points break Trevor Bocanegra's school record of 43. He passes Sébastien Petit and moves into second place on the single season scoring list with 798 points. Again, our carelessness costs us dearly. Tonight's banquet of turnovers brings our two-game total to 47. You can't consistently beat good teams when you give them that many extra possessions. We managed to do it once, but not twice. Record: 28-5. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-20-2025 at 01:32 PM. |
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01-20-2025, 01:20 PM
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#229 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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March 11, 2029
We're surprised and delighted when the NCAA tournament committee picks us as the #1 seed in the East Region. Syracuse, Texas, and Duke are the other top seeds. March 15, 2029 NCAA East Region, First Round Code:
The Pioneers got their ticket to the Big Dance by rolling through the Northeast Conference tournament as a #6 seed. They're a popular Cinderella story in the days leading up to the game, coached by an avuncular veteran named Doyle Carroll who's lost twice as many games in his career as he's won. We don't make especially obnoxious villains, however. UVA aren't media darlings; we're almost never ranked in the top ten. Our best-known player was a two-star recruit. There still seems to be a sense we punch a bit above our weight, too. That two-star recruit, Chris Como, picks up where he left off in the ACC tourney. His 38 points give him 83 in his last two games, and he's scored 38 or more in three of his last four contests. Record: 29-5. March 17, 2029 NCAA East Region, Second Round Code:
Most experts think Ira Sanchez will be the first player chosen in next month's pro draft. Our Chris Burke does a fantastic job guarding him tonight. And while the Wildcats "hold" Chris Como to a 5-for-18 performance from behind the three-point arc, he still finishes with 28 points. Best of all, we only turn the ball over nine times. Record: 30-5. March 22, 2029 NCAA East Region Semifinal: the Sweet Sixteen Code:
With three seconds left, Isaiah Young sinks two foul shots to give us a 76-71 lead. Without those two points. Rubin Privett's 60-foot laser would have tied the score and sent the game into overtime. Cedric Maddux isn't at full strength yet, but he suits up for tonight's game. I would have preferred Cedric not play as much as he does, but Anthony Carreno gets into some foul trouble. USC's Scott Hepburn plays well in the final game of a very good collegiate career. Record: 31-5. March 24, 2029 NCAA East Region Final: the Elite Eight Code:
For the second time in three years, Coach Toby Whittaker and his Virginia Cavaliers are on their way to the Final Four! The Hoos need a second-half rally to pull out the victory; they trail 31-26 at the intermission. The Panthers' strategy involves keeping the ball out of Chris Como's hands as much as possible, and it works quite well. Chris manages only 10 shots, considerably below his average of 14.8 per game. However, Anthony Carreno takes advantage of the additional room the Pitt defense gives him, scoring 18 points and finding his teammates for 7 assists. Another outstanding collegiate player, Pitt's David Franz, acquits himself well in his final game at this level. He's the reigning Big East Player of the Year, and he's looking forward to a professional career. Record: 32-5. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-20-2025 at 01:31 PM. |
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01-20-2025, 07:51 PM
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#230 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Cliffhanger...
__________________
Email: [email protected] |
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01-21-2025, 11:55 AM
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#231 | |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
...which shall soon be resolved! |
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01-21-2025, 12:12 PM
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#232 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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March 31, 2029
NCAA National Semifinal: the Final Four Code:
For the second time in three years, the Virginia Cavaliers will have a chance to play for the national championship. The Bruins, champions of the Midwest Region, match up well with us, so nobody is surprised when the game is a close one. Neither team leads at any point by more than the eight-point margin we hold at the final buzzer, and UCLA led by seven points on three different occasions during the first half. UCLA was the #2 seed in their region. The team seeded ahead of them, Texas, was upset in the first round by #16 Miami of Ohio. Once again, our big men do an excellent job on a player who should enjoy success at the professional level. Waylon McElrath will be a lottery pick next month, and we hold him to half his usual output of points and rebounds. Their other senior star, Daniel Rigdon, does some real damage from long range, but so does ours. Chris Como demonstrates why he's become so difficult to guard. He's improved his ability to get to the rim, and if an opponent fouls him on the way, he will make them pay at the free throw line. Now, only one team stands in the way of the most coveted prize in college basketball. And, as you might have guessed, it's Duke. Record: 33-5. |
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01-21-2025, 08:48 PM
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#233 |
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Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Wowwwwww, was not expecting this!
__________________
Current dynasty: OOTP25 Blitz: RTS meets Moneyball / Women's Basketball Alternate History | OOTP Mod: Managerial Strategy Files | GM Excel Competitive Balance Tax/Revenue Sharing Calc | FBCB Mods on Github |
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01-22-2025, 12:52 PM
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#234 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 2, 2029
NCAA Championship Code:
The Virginia Cavaliers are the 2028/29 national champions! A team with a different personality would view this year's story as one of revenge. Revenge for the loss to Texas A&M in the national final two seasons ago. Revenge for the loss to Duke in the ACC tournament final. But senior Chris Blake, the only player to start both national finals for us, dismisses revenge as a motivating factor for himself or his teammates. "[Revenge] is a negative emotion," Burke explains. "It focuses on something you didn't quite achieve. None of us need that to drive us, to make us work hard." Chris and his teammates do, however, think about the fact that most of them weren't recruited by teams like Duke. Most of them came out of high school as three-star players. "Going to the Final Four gave us a higher profile with the guys at the top of their class," assistant Alec Mazur says. "Before then, we simply weren't impressing the four- and five-star players." Freshman Grayson Kitchen is the only one of our starters who was rated among the top 300 players in his high school class. But, honestly, the "David vs. Goliath" trope doesn't work perfectly here. Duke is, historically, a very good team in our universe, but not a superpower. Their Prestige is 95; right now, there are 11 teams with higher ratings. The Blue Devils have never won fewer than 22 games in a season, and they've never missed the NCAA tournament, but they've never won the championship. In fact, this is their first trip to the Final Four--and, as you know, it's Virginia's second. This year's Duke team is, by far, their best yet. It opened the season with 26 consecutive victories. Beating them tonight qualifies as an upset, but not an earth-shattering one. For a while, it looks like Duke will cruise to a fairly easy victory. At the final media timeout of the first half, the Blue Devils lead 33-21. The action that stops the clock--a wild pass from John Steinberg that sails out of bounds--is fairly representative of how the game is going for us during the first half. Chris Como's marksmanship is all that is keeping us somewhat competitive. But over the final minutes of the half, we launch a 9-2 run, beginning appropriately with a redemptive Steinberg floater in traffic and ending with a buzzer-beating two-pointer from the top of the key by Grayson Kitchen. It's 35-30 at halftime, and the game feels much more competitive. The Blue Devils hold this narrow lead for the first five minutes of the second half. Then, we catch them off guard with two quick passes that travel the length of the floor in three seconds and find Chris Como free on the left wing. How Duke could lose Como is hard to understand. He hit five threes during the first half, in only six attempts. Chris's sixth three-ball ties the score at 42. Seven seconds later, Isaiah Young jumps a pass, breaks away, and finishes with a thunderous dunk. It's Isaiah's only basket of the game, and it gives us our first lead in twenty minutes of game time. A team as good as Duke doesn't simply fade away. Some adjustments by coach Glenn Ellis work well, and the Blue Devils hold a 53-49 lead midway through the half. But we're a good team, too, and when Anthony Carreno drains a three with 7:51 remaining, we lead, 54-53. We never trail again. Forty-nine seconds remain when Chris Como drives the left baseline and attempts to score on Duke's Simon Marcano. Marcano hits Chris's shooting arm, but by now the ball is already in the basket. As Chris steps to the line, the buzzer sounds. Seniors John Steinberg, Anthony Carreno, and Chris Burke check out of the UVA lineup for the final time. Each man embraces Toby Whittaker as he leaves the floor. The score is now 76-64, UVA. Chris Como takes a deep breath and swishes his free throw. It's Chris's 44th point of the game. The buzzer sounds, and Tanner Herring checks in to replace him. Chris and his coach embrace, too, and with his senior classmates by his side, he watches the final seconds of the game. Coach Whittaker celebrates first with his players and staff, in the traditional ways: posing with a large poster of the bracket, wearing commemorative t-shirts and hats; climbing a ladder and cutting down the net. Then, the coach celebrates with those he loves most: his wife, Madeleine, and their children, Caroline, Sam, and infant Patrick. Toby, who turns 40 this year, becomes the third youngest coach to guide his team to an NCAA championship, behind John Ray of Tennessee and Connecticut's Stephen Cates, who has won twice. Ray (Level 12) and Cates (Level 13), now 43, and 46 respectively, are widely considered the best fortysomething coaches in college basketball. Could Toby (still Level 8) be far behind them? That's a question for another day. Today, Toby Whittaker is experiencing the moments they all hope to enjoy once again somedeay. Record: Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-22-2025 at 12:57 PM. |
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01-22-2025, 12:53 PM
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#235 | |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
Neither was I. And, there was more unexpected joy to follow.  Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-22-2025 at 12:58 PM. |
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01-22-2025, 10:19 PM
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#236 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 2, 2029
Virginia signee Tristan Horan played in yesterday's High School All-America game. Code:
Code:
Chris's magical season, which ended with him being named the MVP of the NCAA tournament* , is recognized today with another of the college game's highest honors. Chris joins Sébastien Petit (2020) as the only first team All-Americans in Virginia history. I was hoping Grayson Kitchen might claim a spot on the freshman All-America team, but he loses out to Harley Hosey. Harley was the #1 player in their recruiting class. Code:
Again, Chris joins Sébastien Petit as the Cavaliers' only ACC Players of the Year. Grayson earns some well-deserved recognition, too. * The game doesn't award a tournament MVP, but how could it have been anyone but Chris Como? Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-22-2025 at 10:20 PM. |
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01-22-2025, 10:53 PM
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#237 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 2, 2029
Code:
We played 25 games against teams in the Top 50. That's largely a result of (1) our long NCAA tournament run and (2) the quality of the ACC. Unlike a lot of championship-quality teams, we didn't play at a fast tempo. We ranked #342 in Pace. That partially explains why we surrender so few points, but we're still very difficult to score against. We also get more than our share of rebounds. Our marginal stats look better than our raw numbers, which is something I'm happy to see. Code:
Code:
Code:
Chris Como led the nation in scoring. He took and made more three-point shots than anyone in the country, too. In fact, his 202 made threes is a new NCAA record for a single season. Chris's scoring explosion in the NCAA tournament enabled him to break a record I thought would last a long time: Trevor Bocanegra's 966 points in a single season. Chris Burke broke a UVA single season record, too: his own mark for rebounds. |
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01-23-2025, 11:28 AM
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#238 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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2028/29 Senior Snapshots
Code:
John was the epitome of a valuable rotation player during his four years on Grounds. His reputation as a shooter was such that when John entered a game, the opponent knew what he was there to do...and they still couldn't stop him with any great degree of success. Unlike some one-dimensional shooters, John took his defensive responsibilities seriously, too. So, despite the arrival of a number of players who might have cut into his playing time, he remained an important part of Coach Whittaker's game plan. Code:
Successful teams almost always have point guards they can count on. Anthony filled that role perfectly, starting over 100 games and playing over 3500 minutes after coming to us from small-town Wisconsin. He was a good enough shooter to provide us with a secondary scoring threat, and he ranks fourth all-time in three-pointers made. But Anthony's primary role was distributing the ball to his teammates. Anthony is UVA's career assist leader by a wide margin, and the top three single season assist totals in Cavaliers history are his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Code:
The term "role player" doesn't seem fair to a player like Chris, but that's exactly what he was, in the sense that he knew his roles and played them like a star. Big, strong, and hardnosed, Chris defended the paint like it was his personal property, battled for every rebound, and contested every opponents' shot he could. He holds our single season and career rebound records, and his career mark is over 300 more than his closest competitor. He's second all-time in blocked shots, too. The list of opposing big men, many of whom are now professional standouts, with whom Chris more than held his own is particularly impressive, especially considering he was not considered a top recruit coming out of his Michigan high school. His place among Virginia's best big men of all time is secure. Code:
I don't want Chris's story to be reduced to a series of tropes, because it's really true. In August 2022, Chris was one of the two players I wanted most to sign at Amherst. His potential as a shooter made it easy for me to envision Chris as a high scoring wing, an All-Conference player. Chris joined a team that was blessed with veteran wings, so I gave him a redshirt year. Then, I accepted the job at Virginia. Chris would have to shred New England Conference defenses without me. To my surprise, the Mammoths' new coach, David Getty, didn't use Chris in a single game. Not surprisingly, Chris entered the transfer portal. The Hoos had a free scholarship, so I offered it to Chris, and he accepted it. I wrote about him, "It's easy to see how a player like this can earn a spot in our rotation." Chris did that, and then he did much more. Despite the fact he started only 70 games in his UVA career, Chris finishes fourth on our all-time scoring list. He holds the school records for most points in a single season, and in a single game. The 202 three-point baskets he made as a senior are the most ever recorded in a single season, and his career total of 315 is easily the best in UVA history. Chris departs as a first team All-ACC performer, the ACC Player of the Year, and a first team All-American. He and Sébastien Petit stand together as the best players in Virginia basketball history. What's more, Chris was a remarkable presence on Grounds. He inherited enough of his great-grandfather Perry's voice to perform very credibly with one of UVA's a capella groups. And he'll complete his degree in History next month with a 4.00 GPA. Our four seniors depart with the honor of making two Final Fours. And, of course, they'll always remember that they walked off the floor for the final time as NCAA champions. John, Anthony, Chris, and Chris...thanks for the memories. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-23-2025 at 11:30 AM. |
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01-23-2025, 12:10 PM
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#239 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Congrats, great ending to Como's story...
__________________
Email: [email protected] |
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01-23-2025, 01:05 PM
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#240 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 7, 2029
None of our four seniors are chosen in the professional draft. Two-star players don't get drafted, even if they grow up to be All-Americans and ACC Players of the Year. April 7, 2029 Code:
Look at that! Our guard-heavy class is rated #1 nationally. Code:
Miami and NC State sign better-than-usual classes, while Duke's class is nothing special for them. Code:
As usual, the ACC attracts some of the top high school talent in the country. This year, we have more than our share of those players. Now we'll face the challenge of developing them into the players the experts think they can be. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-23-2025 at 01:06 PM. |
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01-23-2025, 02:43 PM
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#241 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 7, 2029
With none of our players electing to transfer and no scholarships available, we don't join into the fun of the portal this year. It's time for Coach Whittaker to level up! Here's what his profile looks like now: Code:
There will be at least one new man in the ACC coaching ranks this season. Glenn Ellis, now age 71, has retired from his position at Duke. Coach Ellis ends his career with a 412-143 record and three ACC championships to his credit. Coach Ellis's departure, combined with Coach Whittaker's advancement, leaves Toby tied for second among ACC coaches when they're ranked in order of their development. North Carolina's iconic Linwood Carroll is a Level 14 coach. John Hooper of Maryland and James Richerson of Miami are, like Toby, at level 9. Duke's new man may, of course, be a seasoned pro who comes in at a high level. Speaking of leveling up: Our NCAA championship has been rewarded with a big jump in Prestige. We're now at 96. Duke (99) and North Carolina (98) are still ahead of us, but we've passed Maryland (90) to move into third place in the ACC Prestige race. Our budget got a big boost, too. It now stands at $859,291. We now have the funds to compete with the blue bloods. In fact, we have more money than either Duke or Carolina. And our Facilities score stands at 98, which is best in our conference. The Cavaliers can no longer cast ourselves as a gritty underdog. We'll now be expected to keep running with the biggest dogs in the pack. |
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01-23-2025, 02:56 PM
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#242 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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May 1, 2029
I wondered if Duke would try to hire the coach who beat them for the NCAA championship last month. They do, but Toby isn't interested. Nor is he in the mood to leave his alma mater for Wisconsin, Michigan, or Florida. The Florida job opens up because Duke lures Daniel Granado away from the Gators. Coach Granado is a Level 13 coach with 395 career victories. Ace recruiter Alec Mazur notifies us that he'll be taking the head coaching job at Stephen F. Austin. I will hate to see Coach Mazur go. He's been at Virginia since 2014, and there is no better recruiter in the business. At age 57, this is perhaps Coach Mazur's one shot at the big whistle, so I wish him well. I decide to splash some cash on a coach who is just as talented at recruiting as Coach Mazur. He's Noah Elliott, who comes to us from Washington-Maryland, where he's been the head coach for the past eight seasons. His record there was 88-163. Coach Elliott, age 56, will be well-paid; he's signed a three-year contract for $244K/year. Welcome to Charlottesville, Coach. |
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01-23-2025, 03:54 PM
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#243 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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July 1, 2029
Recruiting Preview Our roster contains only one senior: big man Isaiah Young. That offer absolutely has to go to a big man. As it stands right now, we would have one center and two power forwards on next year's roster. I can't let myself be distracted by shiny point guards and small wings again this year, no matter how talented they are.  |
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01-23-2025, 04:27 PM
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#244 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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August 1, 2029
Our initial call list contains nothing but big men. Code:
Yes, there's a small forward on there, but he's 6'10". We like Eli Jackson quite a bit. Let's take a closer look at him. Code:
Eli is a four-star center from northern Virginia, an area where we're establishing a solid recruiting presence. Four current Hoos, including Jake Gardiner and Caleb Roberts, are from that area. A traditional big man, Eli isn't flashy, but I like his potential as an inside scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker. He'll get the full recruiting treatment this month. Shad Reader is the most highly regarded big man in his class. He expresses some meaningful interest in our program, too. Code:
Shad already has an offer from Alabama, who will undoubtedly do all they can to keep him close to home. He's willing to visit us, so I'll definitely invite him to Grounds. Kyle Booth is another in-state player with the kind of skills we like in our post players: Code:
Kyle looks like he's a bit more athletic than Eli and perhaps a better shooter, while Eli has been more productive and is perhaps a more dominant defender. I'd be happy to have Kyle in Virginia colors, though. Once again, we'll bring him in for a visit and recruit him as much as we can. Now, which of these players will receive our lone scholarship offer? I have a good feeling about Eli Jackson, so I'll offer him. His expressed interest, plus the fact he's not holding an offer already, puts him on the top of my list. |
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01-23-2025, 04:37 PM
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#245 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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September 1, 2029
Shad Reader picks up two more offers this month, from Tennessee and Duke. They move ahead of Alabama on his list, with UVA fourth. I'm thinking Shad will pick either the Vols or the Blue Devils, and I'm selfishly hoping he chooses Tennessee. Kyle Booth receives an offer from Maryland. He already preferred the Terps to the Hoos, so I'm not surprised he has them listed first. I think I made the right choice when I picked Eli Jackson. St. Joseph's has made him an offer, but he has Virginia on the top of his list. Eli's other contenders include Pitt, Temple, and Duke. I'm abandoning the chase for Reader's commitment, but I'll continue to pursue both Booth and Jackson. We'll also be bringing as many players from our call list to Grounds as we can. I'll tell you more about them if they emerge as priority recruits in the next month or two. |
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01-23-2025, 04:42 PM
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#246 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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October 1, 2029
It looks like the rest of the college basketball world is conceding Eli Jackson to the Cavaliers. Eli has taken all the other schools he was once considering off his list, and continues to express Very High interest in playing for UVA. Kyle Booth gets an offer from Pitt, but he's still listing Maryland first. I'm predicting we will face Kyle in the ACC for the next four years. After the drama of last year's recruiting season, I'd love to see Eli make his commitment on Decision Day so I can focus all my attentions on the upcoming season. |
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01-23-2025, 04:52 PM
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#247 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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November 1, 2029
Decision Day I get my wish! Eli Jackson informs us that he'll be playing his college ball at Virginia. Eli plays center for his high school team, but I envision him moving to the four and playing alongside Hayden Allen. He's more than a bruiser; he's demonstrated a soft touch near the basket, and he's a good free throw shooter. A player with that skill set can be a key contributor to a winning team. Welcome to Cavalier basketball, Eli! As I expected, Kyle Booth will be suiting up for Maryland. They're also still in the running for another good big man, Morgan Mitchell. And Shad Reader is still deciding between Tennessee and Duke. The ACC could be loaded with talented post players for the next few seasons. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 01-24-2025 at 02:59 PM. |
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01-27-2025, 02:08 PM
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#248 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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November 11, 2029
Can this Virginia Cavaliers team give their program a second consecutive NCAA championship? Code:
Fall training has the Hoos ready for action. Code:
Three starters from last year's team have departed, and their losses will be missed greatly. Anthony Carreno, Chris Burke, and Chris Como won't be easily replaced. However, at the same time, coach Toby Whittaker welcomes back two players who played key roles in last year's starting five, and both emerge from camp as more complete, more dynamic players. Senior Isaiah Young might never be a game-changing offensive player, but his ability to crash the boards and play stalwart defense will be crucial to the Cavaliers' success. Isaiah has responded to the challenge of an increased role each season; this year, he'll return to a job he's already done well. Grayson Kitchen was an All-ACC freshman team member last year, and he appears ready to take his game to the next level this season. The former five-star recruit made significant improvement in a number of key skills. Grayson's classmate Hayden Allen steps into the starting lineup at center this fall. Hayden's offensive game is still a work in progress, but he's prepared to pair with Isaiah to control the paint at both ends of the floor. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the preseason was the readiness of first year point guard Caleb Roberts to play college basketball. Caleb's clever passing, secure ballhandling, and on-ball defense should play at the ACC level. He is the only Blue/Blue player on this year's roster. The fifth starter is another freshman, Tristan Horan. Tristan, a natural point guard, will shift to the off guard spot, where he'll give us a reliable second ball-handler and provide us with another offensive option. A pair of juniors, guard Cedric Maddux and post player Malik Galloway, will be the first two men off Coach Whittaker's bench. Cedric is extremely quick, and he can handle both backcourt spots. Malik looks like he's ready to accept a more important role; he's been productive in fairly limited action for the last two years. Another of our talented freshmen, guard Bart Macquet, will compete for playing time with redshirt junior Aaron Jackson. Also available are wings Jake Gardiner and Tanner Herring and big man Will Hubbard. Freshman Donovan Sanchez will redshirt this season. The recruiting classes we've brought in over the last three years have begun to close the talent gap between UVA and the ACC's elite. This year's Cavalier starters include four former five-star recruits, and there are more highly touted players on the bench. Duke, North Carolina, and Maryland will still open the season ranked higher than we are. They're all in the preseason Top Ten, while we make it onto the charts at #19 this season. Of course, what matters most is how things stand in March, not in November. It looks like the Hoos should remain in the conversation about the nation's best teams. |
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01-27-2025, 03:42 PM
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#249 |
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Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Good luck on the path to the repeat
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01-28-2025, 09:01 AM
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#250 | |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
Thanks, Chas. I love telling stories, and that is why this hobby is so enjoyable for me. FBCB seems perfectly suited for creating stories, and Chris Como's is one of my all-time favorites. One of the things I like most about FBCB is that there seems to be more than one path to creating a successful program--just like there is (was?) in the real world of college basketball. It's more than "pile up five-star players and press the 'win' button." Chris Como was far from a dominant all-around player. He wasn't especially athletic, and five of his skill scores never got higher than 32. Five Chris Comos wouldn't win many games at all, but one Chris Como could help a team win a national championship. Chris could do one thing extremely well--shoot the basketball--and his teammates took care of just about everything else. |
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