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18 Jan, 2023
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UVA Spring Sports Roundup 3/27
By Josh Burton
The first official week of spring brought a lot of success for UVA’s spring sports. Let’s take a look at how they’ve fared and what lies ahead.
Baseball
The 9th ranked Hoos have continued to build on the momentum since beating Wake Forest, winning all five games since our last writing. They beat defeating Georgetown, swept the weekend series at Pitt, and came back to take down Richmond at the Dish last night.
✅ Comeback win No. 1️⃣4️⃣
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) March 27, 2024
📝 𝙍𝙀𝘾𝘼𝙋 & 𝙃𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙎 🎥
👇
There have been major storylines so far on both sides of the field for the Cavaliers. They have been one of the nation's top offensive teams, ranking 1st in hits and doubles, 2nd in batting average and 4th in on base percentage while also being in the top 25 for home runs nationally.
On the other side of the field is where some of the potential issues have shown for the young Wahoo squad. The Hoos currently rank outside the top 100 in ERA while just barely making the top 100 in fielding percentage. In 14 of their wins this season, they’ve had to come from behind. While the offense is showing to be one of the premier units in all of college baseball, they simply can’t expect to continue this pace all year.
The good news is this is a fairly young group of arms who are still working to find their fit within the system. Sophomore Kevin Jaxel has been coming on strong of late, making his first career start on Sunday in the win over Pitt. While he was aided by some short innings to keep his pitch count down, he was able to go five innings, giving up only one run. His emergence as a top pitcher out of the pen while also being capable of starting in a pinch could pay major dividends for this team.
It was announced last night that Jack O’Connor is out for the remainder of the season. Jack was last seen in the Sunday game against Wake Forest, where he had to leave mid-batter. This is another tough blow for the pitching staff. They will certainly need more guys to step up without one of the better arms on the staff.
Up next the Wahoos have one of their toughest tests of the season, a weekend series at #11 Duke. Fans may remember the Hoos ousting Duke in the Super Regionals last year to advance to the College World Series. This will be a Thursday-Saturday series with the opening game's first pitch set for 6 pm.
Men’s Lacrosse
This year it feels like every week has been another opportunity for someone on the #2 ranked Men’s Lacrosse team to write their name in the history books. This week was no different as they picked up wins over Albany and Drexel, with Connor Shellenberger becoming UVA’s all-time points leader in the victory over Albany.
Connor Shellenberger set the UVA men's lax points record in just 58 games, 11 games fewer than Steele Stanwick (269 points) and 15 fewer than Matt Moore (277). He's averaged over 4.8 points per game for his entire career. Incredible stuff.
— Caroline Darney (@cwdarney) March 20, 2024
This week the Hoos will only have one contest as they travel to #16 Harvard on Saturday (3/30). This game is scheduled to get under way at noon.
Roundup
UVA Softball had a big week as they picked up a win over Rutgers followed by a major 2-1 series victory over #11 Clemson at Palmer Park for their first series win over the Tigers in program history. Senior pitcher Madi Harris had a huge weekend on the mound, going 2-0 over 9.1 innings including pitching 5 shutout innings in relief in Sunday’s series-deciding finale. They kept the momentum rolling with a win at Liberty last night. Softball will be back in action tonight at JMU (weather permitting) before heading to Villanova for a quick two-game series this weekend.
#8 Women’s Lacrosse had a mixed bag of results this week as they took down #6 JMU before falling to #7 Syracuse in a tight 15-14 contest. They’ll be back in action at Duke this Saturday for a 1 pm start.
It was another great stretch for #4 Men’s Tennis both individually and as a team. Heading into the week, Inaki Montes was named ACC Player of the Week while also picking up ACC Doubles Team of the Week with his doubles partner James Hopper. The team went on to pick up road victories over #14 Florida State and Miami in identical 4-1 sets. They won’t be in action again until next Wednesday (4/3) when they travel to Virginia Tech for a 3 pm start time.
#6 Women’s Tennis had a good week, winning the first two contests of a four-match homestand, defeating Syracuse and Boston College last weekend. They’ll host #10 NC State this Thursday (3/28, 4 pm) before hosting Wake Forest on Saturday (3/30, 1 pm).
Lastly, I have to give a shout out to the Women’s Swimming and Diving team as they won their fourth consecutive national championship over the weekend. Head Coach Todd DeSorbo was named CSCAA Coach of the Year while Gretchen Walsh was named Swimmer of the Year.
Wahoowa on FOUR Straight National Championships from our Women’s Swimming and Diving team! Congratulations to Coach Todd DeSorbo, his staff, and our incredibly talented student-athletes on this remarkable accomplishment! Thanks for giving me another reason to cannonball. pic.twitter.com/h5I1OBWx8H
— Jim Ryan (@presjimryan) March 24, 2024
(Featured Image Credit: Josie Drumheller/UVA Athletics)
Intel Report 3/25/24: New Offseason
The next month or so figures to be a hectic time for the Virginia basketball program, as has become the norm all around college basketball when the season ends. In this first Intel Report of the 2024 offseason, I look at what to expect with upcoming stay or go decisions. And UVA’s early transfer recruiting plan is taking shape.
Crucial Offseason
This could be a crucial offseason for the UVA program, even a turning point in some areas. The coaching staff intends to reevaluate some of the things they do schematically. There was talk of that long before the NCAA Tournament debacle made it a national topic. Maybe we’ll get clues about it over the offseason. My guess is that people wanting a major overhaul or staff changes will be left disappointed, but I do expect we’ll see the Hoos running new offensive sets next season.
There are new developments on the Name Image and Likeness (NIL) front that I plan to get into in the weeks ahead. The University along with key boosters are stepping up their commitment with the goal of making sure the men’s basketball program has resources on par with the nation’s best. And just as importantly, there are signs of Bennett and the coaching staff starting to embrace NIL more than before.
First things come first though. It’s portal season. Virginia needs to get their own house in order, find out who’s coming back. Hopefully, that will be cleared up this week. Then, most of the focus over the next month will be on transfer recruiting with a dash of high school recruiting mixed in.
Stay or Pro
Virginia senior point guard Reece Beekman fully intends to turn pro. Although he does have an extra season available, there’s no expectation of him choosing to use it. He was very close to staying in the NBA Draft last summer. With his degree in hand now, he’s ready to make the jump.
Sophomore forward Ryan Dunn is being projected as a mid to late first round draft choice. Everybody I’ve talked to believes it’s a near certainty that he will turn pro in the end. He could choose to go through the process while maintaining his eligibility, like Reece did last summer. That would leave the door open in case his stock falls. But unless there’s a substantial change, expect the coaching staff to operate under the assumption that he won’t be back.
Draft decisions come a little later. The entry deadline is April 27th.
Transfer Candidates
Tony Bennett gave the players the rest of the week off after Tuesday’s season-ending loss. I was told they would get into the one-on-one postseason meetings with players early this week, perhaps with some over this past weekend. Stay or go decisions usually follow those meetings. So, we should get verdicts soon. Players can enter the transfer portal up until May 1st though.
It’s a cloudier picture than has been the case in recent years at this point. Most of the talk centers around two players. I haven’t heard anything close to definitive about anyone leaving though, which usually does happen by now.
The best bet to transfer out seems to be junior guard Dante Harris. He hasn’t been productive enough to be handed the starting job next season as he probably expected. Bennett intends to bring in another guard to compete for that spot. They’re not pushing him out the door, but he may interpret it that way.
Freshman forward Leon Bond is another possibility. After redshirting, he wasn’t able to earn a consistent role this season. He really likes being at UVA and is a fantastic teammate, but I know he was frustrated by the lack of playing time. And he’ll still be fighting for a spot in the rotation next year. It’s probably around coin flip odds whether he stays.
A potential wildcard is sophomore guard Andrew Rohde. With the ruling that allows players to transfer multiple times without sitting, it’s not out of the question that he might seek a fresh start. My guess is he stays, but it’s far from a sure thing. .
Our source in Jersey City maintains his confidence that freshman guard Elijah Gertrude will still be a Hoo next season. Anyone outside of the three listed above would be a major surprise.
Portal Plan
The Virginia coaching staff has been busy all week researching and contacting transfer recruits. There are reports all over social media. Their preliminary plan is to add a point guard and a power forward, ideally two starter quality players. Beyond that, we’ll see. A lot will depend on who stays and who goes from the current roster. There aren’t any serious targets yet, as far as I know.
It does take a little while for things to shake out. While transfer recruits are free to take visits now, most of the activity starts on the weekend of April 12th following a short dead period around the Final Four. The job between now and then is to identify which transfers UVA wants to pursue, and then get them to schedule visits. In the meantime, we’ll continue to be inundated by more names filling up the portal.
As things stand, UVA has one open scholarship for next season. There will almost certainly be more space made available in the coming days.
Guards
UVA has contacted just about every top point guard in the portal so far. Washington sophomore Koren Johnson (11 PPG), Belmont sophomore Ja'Kobi Gillespie (17 PPG) UT-Martin grad Jordan Sears (21 PPG) and Furman junior JP Pegues (18 PPG)) highlight the list. Early word is that point guard will be their first priority in the portal.
They’ve also been in touch with a few intriguing wing guards. St. Louis grad transfer Gibson Jimerson (15 PPG) is a Richmond native. The Hoo recruited Stanford freshman Andrej Stojakovic (8 PPG) out of high school. And Penn freshman Tyler Perkins (13 PPG) is another in-state product. If they lose multiple transfers, players like that could become a real possibility.
Forwards
Virginia has been tied to NC-Greensboro grad forward Mikeal Brown-Jones (18 PPG), Belmont sophomore Malik Dia (17 PPG), Northern Illinois sophomore Xavier Amos (14 PPG), and Pepperdine junior Michael Ajayi (17 PPG). They’ve also been mentioned with Miami freshman center Michael Nwoko (3 PPG). With Ryan Dunn likely moving on, Virginia could have a big opening available in the lineup.
There are a lot of rumors about which other players of interest may transfer. This should be a busy week of portal entries. Once any outgoing transfers are known, we’ll start to get some clarity on the recruiting front. Stay tuned. Another offseason of action is underway. Thanks for subscribing to Locker Room Access!
Important Spring Ahead For Virginia Basketball
In the aftermath of Virginia’s disappointing early exit from the NCAA Tournament, there’s little time for self pity. This will be an important spring for the program, with key decisions that need to be made soon.
Facing Scrutiny
Tony Bennett and his staff are catching a lot of heat right now. From the national media, from their own fans, and everyone in between. The Wahoos failed to score 50 points in five of their last nine contests, capped by the embarrassing 67-42 tourney loss to Colorado State. They’ll finish ranked outside the top 200 nationally in offensive efficiency.
This year’s team had flaws that caught up to them late in the season, as opponents sort of figured out the blueprint of how to defend them. With such poor results, it’s also fair to criticize their offensive schemes or overall philosophy. While occasional scoring struggles aren’t new for Bennett’s teams, it reached hopelessness too often this season. The staff would surely be doing plenty of self examination this offseason anyway, regardless of outside scrutiny.
Rumors persist that Tony Bennett is considering retirement after this season. I would be very surprised if he walks away. He’s been even more involved than usual in recruiting and fundraising during the season. Actions that don’t align with a coach headed out the door. Many fans are clamoring for staff changes, specifically to bring in fresh offensive ideas. I don’t know whether to expect that. It’ll be an interesting topic to watch in the coming months.
The immediate challenge is for Bennett to have a vision to sell recruits, especially potential transfer targets, to reassure them that the team they’re joining won’t suffer the same fate going forward.
Stay or Go
The transfer portal officially opened on Monday. Players have until the May 1st deadline to enter. That’s the first step in the season’s aftermath, getting their own house in order to determine what additions they may need. Under Bennett, UVA has been pretty good about getting quick transfer decisions. Typically, verdicts are in and announced within two weeks.
There aren’t many rumors about Virginia players transferring. Yet in the current environment, they’ll almost surely lose someone. Every player who’s fallen behind expectations, either in terms of performance or playing time, is a candidate. There’s no shortage of those. A lot will depend on the feedback players receive in their postseason meetings with Bennett. Frankly, it’s in his interest to free up space.
Then, there’s Ryan Dunn. The sophomore forward is being projected as a first round NBA Draft pick. He’s slid in recent mock drafts, down to the mid 20s as opposed to the teens earlier. If he does indeed receive a first round grade, he’ll almost surely turn pro as nearly every player does in that position. However, it’s also likely that he’ll start the process in the testing lane so that he can keep the option of returning to college. If so, he’ll have until the May 29th withdrawal deadline to make a final decision.
Eyeing The Portal
UVA needs to add pieces to improve their team. That’s obvious. But how many and what type of players they add is dependent on who leaves. There’s only one available scholarship as things stand. And it will be a bit of a balancing act to add players while maintaining paths for talented young players to earn meaningful roles next season.
They’ll likely be after a floor spacer at the power forward spot, with a good possibility of a starting job available should Dunn turn pro. That would be a very attractive opening for a transfer. It’ll be their first priority in the portal. They’ve already been tied to a couple names fitting the description, like Michael Ajayi from Pepperdine, but it’s too early to consider anyone a serious target.
Shot creation at guard is a desperate need, with Reece Beekman moving on. Early signs point to them planning to address that through the portal, assuming the roster space is there. They’ve reportedly contacted a few guards, but no one that jumps out so far.
Beyond that, we’ll see. This could be a year in which if the right player is there, they’ll go for it even if he’s not exactly what they set out looking for. And the talk is that Bennett is starting to embrace NIL a bit more and is willing to play up what they have going on that front. And what they have going is pretty good. That should help get their foot in a few more doors. Like it or not, NIL is a big factor in transfer recruiting.
Although the transfer cycle moves quickly, it does take a little bit of time to get into full swing. There’s a brief dead period during the Final Four, which lifts on Friday April 12th. That weekend is the start of the busy visit season.
Scheduled Visits
High school recruiting takes a backburner until portal madness is over. But there will be some activity blended in. UVA already has two official visitors scheduled for late April, right in the heart of it all. Both 2025 guards, Gonzaga (DC) combo Derek Dixon on the 20th and Sidwell (DC) point guard Acaden Lewis on the 22nd. Neither is expected to make a decision at that time, but they’re both important recruits for the Wahoos.
The early plan for UVA in 2025 has been to add one guard and one forward. Plans can easily change however, depending on how the roster shakes out after the transfer chaos is finished.
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(Featured Image Credit: Getty)
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