Men's Basketball Takes On Loyola Wednesday

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Dec. 7, 1999

Virginia (4-3) vs. Loyola (4-3)

December 8, 1999 * 7:30 p.m.
University Hall
Charlottesville, Va.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia is currently 4-3 overall, but the Cavaliers have lost their lasttwo games. UVa is coming off an 85-63 loss to St. John’s at Madison SquareGarden last Saturday (Dec. 4). Loyola is also 4-3 on the season, but theGreyhounds are coming off a 71-57 victory over Rider at home on Sunday(Dec. 5). Loyola is currently 1-1 in the Metro Atlantic AthleticConference with a 76-60 loss at Marist last Friday (Dec. 3) and the victoryover Rider.

Television: Wednesday’s game is not scheduled to be televised.

Radio: All UVa games are heard on the Virginia Sports Network originatingat WINA/WQMZ in Charlottesville. Mac McDonald calls the play by play. JimHobgood provides the analysis.

The Series vs. Loyola

Virginia leads the series with Loyola 5-0, including an 89-70victory over the Greyhounds in Baltimore, Md., last season. Three of thefive games in the series have been played in Charlottesville. Virginiadefeated Loyola 67-61 at home in the 1996-97 season and 72-60 in U-Hall inthe 1984-85 campaign. The series dates back to the 1913-14 and 1914-15seasons with the Cavaliers winning 34-33 in Baltimore and 48-26 inCharlottesville, respectively.

Forward Chris Williams scored 26 points and grabbed six rebounds,and guard Chezley Watson scored 20 points and had four assists to lead theCavaliers to their victory over Loyola last season.

Virginia vs. the MAAC

This is Virginia’s first and only game against a Metro AtlanticAthletic Conference (MAAC) team this season. The Cavaliers are 10-0all-time against teams from the MAAC with Loyola being the only MAAC schoolVirginia has played more than once. UVa is 5-0 all-time against Loyola andthe Cavaliers hold a 1-0 edge over Canisius, Fairleigh Dickinson, Iona,Manhattan and Siena. The FDU and Iona games all took place in the 1980s,while the Cavaliers battled Canisius in 1965, Manhattan in 1993 and Sienain 1991.

Changes in Virginia’s Starting Lineup

Virginia head coach Pete Gillen has used six different startinglineups and has had a total of 10 different players start in the firstseven games of the Cavaliers’ 1999-2000 season. Only one player, sophomoreAdam Hall, has started all seven games.

The Cavaliers opened the season with junior Stephane Dondon andsophomore Chris Williams at forward, and junior Colin Ducharme at center.Junior Donald Hand and Hall started in the backcourt. In the second game,a 98-57 triumph over VMI, Gillen started freshman Travis Watson at centerinstead of Ducharme. With the same starting lineup in the third game ofthe season against South Carolina, the Cavaliers suffered a 73-71 setback.

Gillen changed his starting lineup for the third time againstProvidence and it resulted in an 80-64 victory. Hall, Williams and Watsonremained in the starting lineup, but junior guard Keith Friel and freshmanguard Majestic Mapp started in place of Hand and Dondon. The Cavaliersused their fourth different starting combination against Arizona State(Hall, Williams, Watson, Mapp and Hand) and came away with a 70-64 victory.

In a 74-62 loss at Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge onNovember 30, Virginia started senior Willie Dersch, Ducharme, Hall, Handand Watson. UVa started its sixth different lineup against St. John’s lastSaturday (Dec. 4) when freshman Roger Mason, Hall, Hand, Watson andWilliams were in the Cavaliers’ starting lineup.

Opponents Shoot Blanks at University Hall

Virginia is 35-7 against non-conference opponents at UniversityHall over the last seven seasons. Among the reasons the Cavaliers havebeen so successful in non-conference games is their ability to out-shootand out-rebound the other team.

In their wins, the Cavaliers have shot 46.6 percent from the fieldcompared to 36.7 percent for the opposition. Virginia also out-rebounds theother team by more than 10 rebounds per game (46.0/g to 35.3/g).In contrast, the tables are turned in Virginia’s home losses. The opponentsshoot much better than Virginia (43.2 percent vs. 37.2 percent) andout-rebound the Cavaliers by a wide margin (44.7/g to 32.4/g).

Three of the five-highest shooting percentages by non-conferenceopponents on Virginia’s home floor the last seven seasons have come inVirginia losses. Liberty shot 50.0 percent in the 1997-98 season andstunned UVa 69-64. Ohio shot 47.4 percent in a 94-83 win during the 1994-95season, while Connecticut shot 46.3 percent in winning the 1993-94 seasonopener.

Only 14 of the last 42 non-conference opponents to come to University Hallhave managed to make more than 40 percent of their field goal attempts.

Non-Conference Teams at University Hall

Virginia is 176-27 (.867) all-time in U-Hall against non-conferenceopponents since the building opened for the 1965-66 season.The Cavaliers have won 58 of their last 66 home games againstnon-conference opponents dating back to the 1989-90 season (basically thisdecade).

Opponents Shot 50 Percent in Last Three Games

In Virginia’s last three games, its opponents have shot 50 percentor better. Arizona State shot exactly 50 percent (28-56) on November 27,Minnesota connected on 55.1 percent (27-49) from the floor, and St. John’sconverted a UVa opponent-best 55.4 percent (31-56) from the field.

Last year, Virginia did not have opponents shoot 50 percent orbetter in three-straight contests on two occasions, however, the oppositionshot better than 50 percent in back-to back games.

Duke (1/10) shot 60.5 percent (46-76) followed by a 58.0 percent(29-50) outing by N.C. State (1/14) for the first back-to-back 50 percentshooting performance. In the second instance, Maryland (2/6) shot 54.2percent (32-59) followed by a 58.7 percent (37-63) effort by Duke (2/11).

Not so “Free” Throws

After leading the ACC in free throw percentage (.734) for the firsttime since 1979 last season, the Cavaliers have struggled from the freethrow line in the early portion of the 1999-2000 campaign.

Through the first seven games of the season, UVa has shot 64.3percent (128-199) from the free throw line. The Cavaliers have shot over65 percent from the charity stripe only twice this season.

Virginia’s best performance from the free throw line was a perfecteight for eight outing against Minnesota on November 30. The effort tiedfor the sixth best performance in school history. UVa made all eightattempts from the line vs. Wake Forest (1/26/85) and Houston (12/10/89).Prior to the Minnesota game, the last time the Cavaliers were perfect fromthe free throw line was a six for six effort against Georgia Tech onFebruary 22, 1990.

Donald Hand and Travis Watson Lead the Way

Junior guard Donald Hand led the Cavaliers in scoring last season(17.1 ppg.) and is leading the team in scoring through the first sevengames of the 1999-2000 season (15.3 ppg.). Hand has led the team inscoring in three games. Freshman forward Travis Watson is third on theteam in scoring (12.4 ppg.) and is the team’s leading rebounder (9.3 rpg.).Watson has led the team in scoring twice and in rebounding five times. Hehas two double-doubles in points and rebounds.

Virginia Loses to St. John’s in Madison Square Garden

Despite a season-high 20 points from forward Chris Williams, and 10points and nine rebounds from Travis Watson, UVa dropped an 85-63 decisionto St. John’s University in Madison Square Garden last Saturday (Dec. 4).Erick Barkley led five St. John’s players in double figures with 27 points.The Red Storm shot 55.4 percent (31-56) from the field, including 50percent (6-12) from three-point range, in the victory over the Cavaliers.The loss was Virginia’s second in a row.

Cavaliers Lose to Minnesota in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Virginia shot a season-low 36.4 percent from the field and theCavaliers were out-rebounded 41-32 in a 74-62 loss at Minnesota in theACC/Big Ten Challenge on November 30. Terrance Simmons paced fourMinnesota players in double figures with 15 points, while freshman forwardTravis Watson scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed a team-high sevenrebounds to lead the Cavaliers.

Freshmen Making Significant Contribution

Three freshmen are playing significant minutes for Virginia in theearly part of the 1999-2000 season. Forward Travis Watson, and guardsMajestic Mapp and Roger Mason have each seen action in all seven ofVirginia’s games.

Watson has started six games for the Cavaliers and is the team’sleading rebounder (9.3 rpg.) and third leading scorer (12.4 ppg.). He alsoleads the team in field goal percentage (60.3 percent, 35-58) and blockedshots (seven), and is tied for second on the team in steals (10). Watsonis averaging 27.3 minutes of playing time a game.

Mapp is averaging 7.0 points and 0.9 rebound a game while playingan average of 19.4 minutes. He has started two games and is shooting ateam-high 57.1 percent (8-14) from three-point range. Mapp has 16 assistsand 13 turnovers.

Mason is averaging 5.3 points and 2.4 rebounds a game, and has nineassists and nine turnovers. He is averaging 16.6 minutes of playing time agame and has nine steals.

Head Coach Pete Gillen

Pete Gillen is in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach andsports a 292-147 record. Gillen is in his second year as head coach atVirginia. His two Virginia teams have compiled an overall record of 18-19.Gillen has led his teams to postseason play 11 times (eight NCAA, threeNIT). He has been selected as the conference Coach of the Year five times- all while coaching Xavier (Midwestern Collegiate Conference).

He successfully began his coaching career at Virginia with an 86-70win over Virginia Commonwealth on November 13, 1998.

Nine Different Double Figure Scorers

In the first seven games in the 1999-2000 season, the Cavaliershave had nine different players score in double figures in a game.Virginia had only seven players reach double figures in scoring lastseason. Senior forward Willie Dersch became the ninth Cavalier to score indouble figures in the 1999-2000 season when he tallied 10 points againstArizona State in the Puerto Rico Shootout on November 27. The other doublefigure scorers this season are: (only first double digit performance islisted) sophomore guard Adam Hall (12 vs. VMI), junior guard Donald Hand(18 vs. Elon), freshman guard Majestic Mapp (10 vs. Elon), freshman guardRoger Mason (10 vs. Elon), freshman forward/center Travis Watson (15 vs.Elon), sophomore forward Chris Williams (16 vs. Elon), junior guard KeithFriel (14 vs. South Carolina), and junior center Colin Ducharme (10 vs.South Carolina).

Spreading the Minutes Around

True to his word, head coach Pete Gillen is going deep into hisbench in 1999-2000. After the first seven games of the season, Virginiahas nine players averaging double figures in minutes. Sophomore forwardChris Williams is the only player averaging more than 30 minutes per game(30.3).

Only three other players, junior guard Donald Hand (28.6), freshmanforward/center Travis Watson (27.3) and sophomore guard Adam Hall (24.4),are averaging more than 20 minutes per contest. The other playersaveraging double figure minutes are: freshman guard Majestic Mapp (19.4),freshman guard Roger Mason (16.6), senior forward Willie Dersch (12.9),junior guard Keith Friel (12.6), and junior forward Stephane Dondon (10.4).Junior center Colin Ducharme is averaging 9.3 minutes per game.

A Sign of Things to Come

Sophomore forward Chris Williams broke out of a mini scoring slumpwith a season-high 20 points against St. John’s on Saturday (Dec. 4), with14 of his points coming in the second half. The 14 second-half points werejust two shy of his 1999-2000 season high (16 vs. Elon and VMI).

Against St. John’s, Williams connected on eight of nine attemptsfrom the floor and also pulled down seven rebounds, had three steals andblocked two shots in 29 minutes of action. He improved his field goalpercentage to .574 (35-61), which is second best on the team.

As a freshman last season, Williams averaged 16.8 points and 7.5rebounds per game and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and to theAll-ACC Third team.

Cavaliers Finish Fifth in Puerto Rico Shootout

After dropping its first round game in the Puerto Rico Shootout toSouth Carolina 73-71 on November 25, UVa won its next two games to finishfifth in the tournament. The Cavaliers defeated Providence 80-64 onNovember 26, and then posted a 70-64 victory over Arizona State in thefifth place game on November 27.

Junior guard Donald Hand was named to the All-Tournament team afteraveraging 19.3 points in the three contests. He was 20 of 28 (71.4 percent)from the free throw line, including a 14 of 17 effort against Providence.Hand scored a season-high 26 points in the win over the Friars.

No Three-Pointers

Virginia held Arizona State without a three-point field goal onNovember 27, marking the sixth time since the inception of the three-pointfield goal in the 1986-87 season that UVa has accomplished the feat.Interestingly, two of the five previous games that Virginia held opponentswithout a three-pointer came last season in a span of eight days (Loyola0-7 on 12/30/98 and Maryland 0-7 on 1/7/99).

Only Two in Double Figure Scoring

The Cavaliers had only two players score in double figures in theirvictory against Providence (Nov. 26) and their loss to St. John’s (Dec. 4),marking the only times this season Virginia has not had at least threeplayers score in double figures in a game. Last season, Virginia failed tohave at least three players score in double figures four times, but onlywon one of those contests (a 65-58 win over Clemson on January 17, 1999).

Back-to-Back 90 Point Games

The Cavaliers scored over 90 points in back-to-back games to openthe year for the first time since the 1975-76 season. Virginia began the1999-2000 season with a 97-66 win over Elon, then defeated VMI 98-57. Thelast time the Cavaliers scored that many points in the first two games of aseason was in 1975-76 when they posted 113-65 and 101-57 victories overHampden-Sydney and Washington & Lee, respectively.

The combined margin of victory over Elon and VMI (72 points) is thelargest in the first two games of a season since 1975-76 when UVa won by 92points.

Double Double in Debut

Freshman forward Travis Watson became only the third freshman inVirginia history since the restoration of freshman eligibility in 1972-73to record a “double double” in the first game of his career. Oddly enough,it is also the second straight year that it has happened.

Watson totaled 15 points and 14 rebounds in only 19 minutes in theseason opener against Elon on November 19. He earned his first careerstart against VMI on November 21 and totaled 16 points (7 of 9 FGs, 2-2FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals in 25minutes of action.

Current sophomore Chris Williams opened his UVa career with a 20-point,10-rebound “double double” against Virginia Commonwealth last season.The first player to record a double double in his first game was ScottJohnson, who scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 27 minutes in the1995-96 season opener against Tennessee-Martin.

The performances of several notable Cavaliers in their collegedebuts are listed below.

Watson Perfect From Field

Freshman forward/center Travis Watson was a perfect six-for-sixfrom the field against South Carolina on November 25 to tie for Virginia’sfifth best perfect shooting game from the field of all time. It is the11th time that a player has made all six attempts from the field. Prior toWatson, the last UVa player to make every attempt (minimum of five) fromthe floor was Kenny Turner, who tied the school record with a nine-for-nineeffort against Samford on 11/28/89. Jeff Jones (vs. Alabama-Birmingham3/18/82) also shares the school record with Turner.

Dersch and Hand Elected Captains

Senior forward Willie Dersch and junior guard Donald Hand have beenelected captains of the 1999-2000 Virginia basketball team by theirteammates. Both players served as captains of the basketball team lastseason.

In 1998-99, Dersch started 26 of the 30 games in which he playedand received the team’s Michael McCann Leadership Award. He averaged 10.2points and 2.8 rebounds a game last season. The three-year letterwinner isthe only senior on the 1999-2000 UVa team.

Hand started all 30 games last season and was the co-recipient ofthe Bill Gibson Cavalier of the Year Award as the team’s most valuableplayer. Hand led the Cavaliers in scoring (17.1 ppg), assists (123, 4.1ppg.), steals (57), free throw shooting (86.2 percent, 162-188) andthree-point field goals (50). He was the top free throw shooter in theAtlantic Coast Conference last season. His 41 points in Virginia’s 82-79overtime victory over North Carolina State last February are a UVasophomore record and the most points scored by a Virginia player sinceBarry Parkhill established a school record with 51 points againstBaldwin-Wallace during the 1971-72 season.

Ducharme Eighth on Blocked Shot List

Junior center Colin Ducharme is currently eighth on Virginia’sall-time blocked shot list with 78. He needs five more blocks to move pastTed Jefferies (1990-93) into seventh place.

Ducharme is tied with current teammate Chris Williams for theninth-best single season block total with 41. Ducharme notched his 41blocks while leading the team in that category in 1996-97. Williams’ 41blocks came last year. In addition to leading the team in blocks in1996-97, Ducharme also held that honor in 1997-98 with 34.

Two Exhibition Wins

Virginia won both of its 1999-2000 exhibition games. The Cavaliersdefeated the Down Under Bandits 97-67 on November 4 at University Hall.UVa closed the exhibition season with a 94-70 victory over the NantucketNectars Naturals on November 10, also at University Hall.

Leaders in Exhibition Games

Sophomore guard Adam Hall led the Cavaliers in scoring in the twoexhibition games by averaging 15 points. Junior guard Donald Hand averaged11 points, including a team-high 16 points against the Down Under Bandits.Junior center Colin Ducharme averaged 13 rebounds per game and added sixblocked shots. His return after missing most of the 1998-99 season with abroken ankle gives the Cavaliers a much needed boost in the reboundingdepartment. Freshman forward Travis Watson added 17 points and 13 reboundsin the two wins.

1999-2000 ACC Pre-Season Media Prediction
(Indicates first place votes)

     Team                   Points1.   North Carolina (74)     7922.   Duke (16)               7123.   Wake Forest             5774.   Maryland                4815.   NC State                4426.   Georgia Tech            3967.   Virginia                3588.   Florida State           1799.   Clemson                 113

Five Players Mentioned for ACC Pre-Season Honors

Virginia had five players receive votes for various 1999-2000Pre-Season Atlantic Coast Conference teams as selected by the mediaattending the conference’s 38th annual Operation Basketball held on October24 in Greensboro.

Headlining the UVa list is sophomore forward Chris Williams who wasselected to the pre-season All-ACC second team. Williams also receivedconsideration as the pre-season ACC Player of the Year. Last season,Williams was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and also garnered third teamaccolades. He was Virginia’s second leading scorer at 16.8 points per gameand also led the squad with 7.5 rebounds per outing.

Junior guard Donald Hand was a 1999-2000 honorable mentionpre-season All-ACC selection, having received the 13th-most votes. Handled the Cavaliers in scoring in 1998-99 with 17.1 points per game and wasan honorable mention All-ACC pick at the conclusion of the season.

Three members of Virginia’s heralded freshman class receivedconsideration as the 1999-2000 pre-season ACC Rookie of the Year. Pointguard Majestic Mapp, guard Roger Mason and forward Travis Watson were amongseven league players to receive votes for Rookie of the Year.

Two New Staff Members

Head Coach Pete Gillen welcomes two new members to his staff, ScottShepherd and Alexis Sherard.

Shepherd and Sherard replace Bobby Gonzalez, who became the headcoach at Manhattan College, and Michael Malone, who is now an assistantcoach at Manhattan.

Shepherd joins the Virginia coaching staff after spending the lastfive years as the head post-graduate basketball coach at Hargrave MilitaryAcademy.

Sherard is the director of men’s basketball administration. Hecomes to Virginia after spending last year as an assistant coach atBinghamton University in Binghamton, N.Y. No stranger to head coach PeteGillen, Sherard worked for Gillen for two years (1996-98) as theadministrative assistant in the men’s basketball office at ProvidenceCollege.

Friel Ready to Play

After sitting out the 1998-99 season due to NCAA transfer rules,junior guard Keith Friel is expected to be a major contributor in the1999-2000 campaign. The 6-4 shooting guard averaged 8.9 points and 2.0rebounds as a sophomore at Notre Dame during the 1997-98 season. He ledthe Irish in three-point field goals (45) and three-point field goalpercentage (46.4 percent – 45 of 97) that season and provides the Cavalierswith a long range shooting threat. Friel has two years of eligibility atVirginia.

Cavaliers Welcome Five Newcomers

The 1999-2000 Virginia men’s basketball team features five newfaces, not including junior Keith Friel. Joining nine returning lettermen,including four returning starters, are Stephane Dondon, Majestic Mapp,Roger Mason, Jason Rogers and Travis Watson.

Dondon, a 6-8 forward from Toulouse, France, is a junior transferfrom Collin County Community College. He earned All-North Texas JuniorCollege Athletic Conference honors both seasons at Collin County CommunityCollege. He is the school’s all-time leading rebounder (550) and ranksfifth in scoring (859 points). He averaged 14.2 points and 8.5 reboundsper game in 1998-99 and led the team to a 22-12 record. In 1997-98, Dondonaveraged 12.1 points and 8.5 rebounds as the team finished the year with a20-11 record. Dondon was Collin County Community College’s Two-YearStudent-Athlete of the Year Award recipient.

Mapp is a 6-2 point guard from St. Raymond’s High School in NewYork City. A highly-rated prospect, Mapp was a four-year starter and twiceearned All-New York City and All-State accolades. He was a McDonald’sAll-America selection and also earned third-team Parade All-America honors.

Mason, a 6-5 guard from Silver Spring, Md., is another freshmanguard who is expected to make an impact in 1999-2000. A three-year starterat Good Counsel High School (he started at Sidwell Friends High School as afreshman before transferring to Good Counsel), Mason averaged 18.7 points,5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a senior. He was Powerade “Mr.Basketball,” as the best player in the Washington, D.C. area, as a senior.

Rogers is a 6-10 center/forward from Staunton, Va. He averaged18.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game as a senior atRobert E. Lee High School. Rogers was a unanimous first-team All-Stateselection by The Associated Press and was also named the Gatorade Player ofthe Year in Virginia.

Watson, a 6-7 forward from Brookneal, Va., was one of 16 finalistsfor the USA Basketball Men’s Junior World Championship Team. He withdrewfor personal reasons before the final 12-man roster was selected. He willcontend for a starting spot on the front line. Watson helped lead Oak HillAcademy to a perfect 31-0 record and a number one ranking in the nation onthe USA Today Super 25 list last season. As a senior, he averaged 16points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocked shots agame.

Williams and Hall Win Silver

Sophomores Chris Williams and Adam Hall played on the USABasketball Men’s Junior World Championship Team that earned a silver medalat the 16-team 1999 FIBA Men’s Junior World Championships in Portugal inJuly. Williams, the 1998-99 ACC Rookie of the Year and All-ACC third-teampick, set a tournament record for the USA with 12 blocked shots during thecompetition. He averaged 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Four Starters Return for 1999-2000

The Cavaliers return four starters from last season-Donald Hand,Chris Williams, Willie Dersch and Chezley Watson. In addition, UVa alsoreturns Adam Hall, who started 17 games, and Colin Ducharme, a two-yearstarter, who was injured after last year’s season-opener. A total of ninelettermen are back to take the hardwood in 1999-2000.

With the return of the nine letterwinners, it’s not surprising thatVirginia returns from last season:

95.3 percent (245 of 257) of the steals
92.9 percent (382 of 411) of the assists
91.0 percent (1986 of 2183) of the points
85.6 percent (5,176 of 6,050) of the minutes
82.1 percent (814 of 992) of the rebounds

Blocked shots is the only category where the Cavaliers lost ahigher percentage than they return. Virginia returns players thataccounted for 41 percent (64 of 156 blocks) of its blocked shots. The goodnews on the blocked shot front is Colin Ducharme, who swatted 75 shots inhis first two seasons, returns.

Ducharme Living on The Lawn

Redshirt junior Colin Ducharme was selected to live in one ofVirginia’s prestigious Lawn rooms during the 1999-2000 academic year. Heis the 15th men’s basketball player to be chosen to live on The Lawn andthe first since Matt Blundin, who played both basketball and football atVirginia, lived on The Lawn in 1992.

Ricky Stokes (1984), Ralph Sampson (1983) and Terry Gates (1980)are the other most recent basketball players to live on The Lawn.