Men's Hoops Visits Clemson Saturday

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Jan. 13, 2000

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia is currently 10-5 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. The Cavaliers arecoming off a 65-62 loss to N.C. State at the Entertainment and Sports Arena(Jan. 12). Prior to playing N.C. State, Virginia defeated Georgia Tech83-65 at University Hall (Jan. 8). Clemson stands at 6-9 overall and 0-3in the ACC. The Tigers are coming off a 60-57 loss at Florida State (Jan.12).

Virginia (10-5/1-2) vs. Clemson (6-9/0-3)
January 15, 2000 – 12 Noon
Littlejohn Coliseum
Clemson, S.C.

Television: Today’s game against Clemson is scheduled to be televised byFox Sports South and HTS. Mike Goldberg will handle the play-by-play. DanBonner is the analyst.

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. Clemson
Virginia leads the all-time series with Clemson 54-43. All-time theCavaliers are 13-18 at Littlejohn Coliseum and 17-28 in Clemson.

Virginia had its two-game winning streak against the Tigers snappedin the second meeting of last season. The 88-65 loss at Clemson onFebruary 17 was UVa’s fourth consecutive loss at Littlejohn Coliseum. Inthe first meeting of the 1998-99 season, the Cavaliers posted a 65-58 winon January 17 at University Hall.

Virginia’s last win in Clemson was a 62-44 triumph during the1994-95 season.

Overall the Cavaliers have won 13 of the last 19 games of the seriesdating back to the 1989-90 season.

Cavaliers Cage Tiger Offense
Virginia has held Clemson to some of the lowest field goalpercentages in Virginia and Clemson history over the last few seasons.

Clemson has managed to shoot better than 40 percent from the fieldonly five times in the last 13 meetings against Virginia.

The Tigers shot 23.8 percent (15-63) in a 52-44 Virginia win inCharlottesville in 1994, which ties for the third-lowest shootingpercentage by a UVa opponent in school history.

Clemson followed that effort by shooting 24.0 percent (12-50) thenext year in Charlottesville. That is the fifth-best field goal defense inVirginia history. The 12 field goals made are the second fewest ever madein a game by a Virginia opponent. The Cavaliers limited James Madison to11 field goals in 1982 to set the school record.

Cavaliers and Tigers Play Nailbiters
In the 39 games between the two teams since the 1981-82 season, 22have been decided by eight points or less. Virginia has won 16 of the 22games. The largest margin of victory by either team in that time wasVirginia’s 89-60 win at home in 1982. Seven games during the period havebeen decided by one or two points and Virginia has won them all. UVa haswon eight consecutive games decided by one or two points in the seriesgoing back to the 1972-73 season.

In Virginia’s last two victories, it has won by a combined 11points. The Cavaliers gained a dramatic 78-74 overtime win inCharlottesville in the 1997-98 season and captured last season’s firstmeeting 65-58 in Charlottesville in January. By contrast, in the last twogames at Clemson, Virginia has lost by a combined 40 points. UVa suffereda 69-52 setback in the first meeting of the 1997-98 season and then lostlast season at Littlejohn 88-65 in February.

Scoring Off the Bench
Much of Virginia’s improvement in the 1999-2000 season over lastyear can be attributable to being able to substitute scholarship playersoff the bench.

Last season, UVa averaged 12.4 points of bench scoring per gamecompared to 28.9 points this season. Last year, Virginia received 373points from the bench in 30 games and in 15 games this year, the Cavaliershave scored 433 points off the bench.

In the 1999-2000 season, Virginia’s bench has outscored itsopponents 433-252 or 28.9 ppg. to 16.8 ppg. UVa’s bench accounts for 35.0percent of the Cavaliers’ offense, while opponent benches contribute 24.4percent of the points.

In three ACC games this season, Virginia’s bench has outscored theopposition 68-44 or 22.7 ppg. to 14.7 ppg. The Cavalier bench isresponsible for 27.8 percent of the offense as opposed to 18.4 percent byopponents. In its first ACC win, Virginia’s bench outscored Georgia Tech’s22-3.

UVa has scored at least 22 points off the bench in all but threegames. Against both St. John’s (Dec. 4) and Richmond (Dec. 21) theCavalier bench scored 16 points. UVa received 17 bench points against N.C.State (Jan. 12). The high water mark for bench scoring in 1999-2000 is 47points against Elon (Nov. 19).

Only once has the UVa bench been outscored by an opponent’s thisseason and that was by Richmond as the Spiders tallied 22 points comparedto Virginia’s 16.

Truly Halves
Both the Cavaliers’ and their opponents’ scoring are nearly equalin the first and second half of games this season. Virginia has scored 614points in the first half of games this season while scoring 613 points inthe second half. UVa’s opponents have totaled 505 first-half points and509 in the second half.

Lucky 13
The Cavaliers set a season high by making 13 three-point fieldgoals in 23 attempts in their 83-65 victory over Georgia Tech (Jan. 8).UVa’s percentage of three-pointers made (56.5 percent) is also a new seasonhigh. The 13 threes ties for the sixth most ever made in a game by theCavaliers. Virginia also made 13 three-pointers against Elon (11/28/98)and Loyola (12/30/98).

The Virginia school record for threes in a game is 15, accomplishedagainst North Carolina (2/14/90) and Hampton (11/25/98).

Twice this season the Cavaliers made 11 threes in a game. UVa made11 three-pointers against Loyola (Dec. 8) and Belmont (Dec. 28).

The 13 of 23 three-point performance by Virginia is its highestpercentage of three-pointers made in a game when attempting at least 20three-point field goals. UVa has attempted 20 or more three-pointers in agame 99 times.

Winning Streak Halted at Five
The Virginia men’s basketball team’s five-game winning streak wassnapped by Duke with a 109-100 overtime loss (Jan. 5). The five-gamewinning streak was the Cavaliers’ longest since winning seven consecutivegames in the middle of the 1994-95 season.

UVa has won six of its last eight games.

Nine Wins after 12 Games
Prior to the loss to Duke (Jan. 5), Virginia had won nine of itsfirst 12 games in the 1999-2000 season. It marked the Cavaliers’ beststart in three seasons. The last time Virginia was 9-3 to begin a seasonwas in the 1996-97 campaign.

Five Consecutive Home Wins
Not only did Duke put a damper on Virginia’s overall start, but theBlue Devils also stopped UVa’s five-game home winning streak. The streakwas the longest to start a home season since the 1992-93 season when theCavaliers won eight straight home games.

Three Players Score 20 Points vs. Duke
In the Cavaliers’ 109-100 overtime loss to Duke (Jan. 5), UVa hadthree players score 20 or more points. Sophomore Chris Williams led theway with 27, while freshman Roger Mason tallied a career-high 22 points.Junior Donald Hand rounded out the trio with 20 points. It marked thefirst time since the 1994-95 season that Virginia had three players score20 or more points in the same game.

Oddly enough, the previous occasion that three UVa playerssurpassed the 20-point plateau was against Duke in a 91-88 overtime victoryin Durham on January 14, 1995. Junior Burrough (23), Cory Alexander (22)and Harold Deane (22) were the three players that combined to accomplishthe feat.

Two Teams Reach Triple Digits
When Virginia (100) and Duke (109) reached triple digits on January5, it marked the first home contest in the history of Virginia men’sbasketball that both teams scored 100 or more points in the same game.

Virginia’s 128-98 home victory over George Mason in the 1994-95season was the closest both teams had come to scoring 100-plus points inthe same game.

The 100-point output by UVa against Duke was also the first time ithas scored 100 or more points in an ACC game since a 100-82 triumph overClemson in the 1992-93 season.

Watson Adds Name to Record Book
With 16 rebounds against Duke (Jan. 5), freshman Travis Watson seta Virginia record for the most rebounds by a freshman in an ACC debut. Therebounding performance was also the best by a UVa freshman since RalphSampson set the single game school record for rebounds by a freshman with22 against Old Dominion (12/29/79). In addition, Watson’s 16 rebounds arethe most in a game by a Virginia player since Norman Nolan grabbed 16against George Mason (11/22/97).

In games through January 12, he is tied for first in the ACC inrebounding with 9.5 per game.

Changes in Virginia’s Starting Lineup
Virginia head coach Pete Gillen has used seven different startinglineups and has had a total of 10 different players start in the first 15games of the Cavaliers’ 1999-2000 season. Virginia is 5-2 in games thisseason with new starting lineups. Only one player, sophomore Adam Hall, hasstarted all 15 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, a98-57 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 against Providence and itresulted in an 80-64 victory. Hall, Williams and Watson remained in thestarting lineup, but junior guard Keith Friel and freshman guard MajesticMapp started in place of Hand and Dondon. The Cavaliers used their fourthdifferent 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 (Dec.4) when freshman Roger Mason, Hall, Hand, Watson and Williams were in thestarting lineup.

Gillen used his seventh different starting lineup in a 98-67 winover Loyola (Dec. 8). Dersch and Williams started at forward with Watson atcenter. At the two guard positions, Hand and Hall received the startingnod. That lineup has started Virginia’s last eight games.

Warming Up From Long Range
In its last eight games, Virginia has heated up from three-pointrange, as it has made 72 three-point field goals in 171 attempts for 42.1percent. The percentage of three-pointers made has improved dramatically,especially when you consider what the Cavaliers were shooting beyond thearc in the first seven games (26.6 percent, 33-124). In the first sevengames, UVa made 4.7 threes per game, compared to 9.0 per outing in the lasteight contests.

Overall, UVa is shooting 35.6 percent (105-295) from three-pointrange. Virginia made a season-high 13 three-point field goals againstGeorgia Tech (Jan. 8). Previously, the Cavaliers made 11 three-point fieldgoals against Loyola (Dec. 8) and Belmont (Dec. 28) with seven differentplayers accounting for the threes against Loyola.

Forcing Turnovers
The Cavaliers have forced their opponents into 20 or more turnoversin five of the last eight games, and in 10 of 15 games this season. Duke(16), Dartmouth (13), N.C. State (12), Minnesota (11) and St. John’s (9)are the only teams that turned the ball over less than 20 times againstVirginia this season. The Cavaliers are 1-4 when opponents turn the ballover less than 20 times a game. UVa’s opponents are averaging 20.1turnovers per game (302 in 15 games) in 1999-2000.

School Record Pace for Steals
The Cavaliers are averaging 9.5 steals per game in the 1999-2000season and at that pace, UVa would set a school record for steals. Lastyear, Virginia posted an all-time best 257 steals for an average of 8.6 pergame. At their current rate, the Cavaliers would conclude this season witha school record 285 steals (based on 30 games).

On four different occasions this season, Virginia has registered 15steals in a game, which ties for 11th place on UVa’s single game stealslist.

Among the NCAA Statistical Leaders
Virginia is ranked among the NCAA leaders as a team in scoringoffense, while sophomore forward Chris Williams is ranked among the leadersin field goal percentage. The NCAA statistics reflect games played throughJanuary 10.

The Cavaliers are 12th in scoring offense with an average of 84.0points per game. After the N.C. State game (Jan. 12), UVa’s averagedropped to 82.5 ppg.

Individually, Williams is 19th in the nation in field goalpercentage at 59.7 percent (83-139). His percentage fell slightly to 59.2percent (87-147) after the game against the Wolfpack.

Shooting Well
The Cavaliers are shooting an impressive 48.2 percent (441-914)from the field in the 1999-2000 season. If you subtract UVa’s three-pointfield goal shooting (35.6 percent, 105-295), the Cavaliers are hitting anoutstanding 54.3 percent (336-619) from the floor.

Virginia is second in the ACC in field goal percentage throughgames played January 12, trailing only North Carolina (50.6 percent).

Virginia has shot 50 percent or better from the field in five of 15games this season, including four of the last eight contests. UVa has shot45 percent or better in all but three games – Minnesota (36.4 percent ,24-66), N.C. State (17-41, 41.5 percent) and Richmond (42.6 percent, 23-54).

Cavaliers Set Season Highs Against Dartmouth
Virginia set season highs in three categories in its 89-50 win overDartmouth (Jan. 2). The Cavaliers shot an impressive 60.3 percent (35-58)from the field. The percentage is the highest since UVa shot 60.5 percent(23-38) against Wake Forest on February 24, 1996. Virginia’s previousseason high in 1999-2000 was 54.3 percent (38-70) vs. Hampton (Dec. 10).

The Cavaliers connected on 10 of 20 three-point attempts for aneven 50 percent against the Big Green to establish another season high.UVa has since topped that three-point percentage with an outstanding 56.5percent (13-23) performance against Georgia Tech (Jan. 8).

UVa blocked nine shots against Dartmouth for another season high.The former season best was eight blocks against VMI (Nov. 21). The nineblocked shots ties for the 14th best single game total in school history.

Season Lows
The Cavaliers set season lows in several statistical categories intheir 65-62 loss at N.C. State (Jan. 12). UVa’s 17 field goals made and 41attempted are both season lows. The previous season low for both fieldsgoals made and attempted was against South Carolina (Nov. 25) when UVa was23 for 50 from the field. Virginia did not block a shot in the N.C. Stategame to set another season low. The last time UVa failed to block a shotin a game was against Florida State (2/4/98). The Cavaliers 62 pointsequaled their season low, which first occurred against Minnesota (Nov. 30).

Leading Rebounder
Freshman forward/center Travis Watson came to Virginia with thereputation as a great rebounder and has lived up to that billing so far in1999-2000. Watson has led the team in rebounding in 12 of 15 games thisseason, including nine of the last 10. He is averaging a team best 9.5rebounds per game (tied for 1st in the ACC) overall and 12.0 in ACC play.He has been in double figures in rebounds five times. Watson grabbed acareer-high 16 rebounds in the ACC opener against Duke (Jan. 5).

In addition to leading the team in rebounding, Watson is also topson the club in blocked shots with 20, which includes a career-high fiveblocks against Dartmouth (Jan. 2). He is third on the team in scoring at11.1 points per game and tied for third in steals with 18. Watson isshooting a very respectable 53.3 percent (65-122) from the field. He hasled the team in scoring twice, and has five double-doubles in points andrebounds.

Williams Named ACC Player of the Week
Sophomore forward Chris Williams was the ACC Player of the Week forhis performance in Virginia’s victories over Belmont (Dec. 28) andDartmouth (Jan .2). Williams scored 44 points, grabbed nine rebounds andshot 70.4 percent (19-27) from the field in the two games.

Williams has broken out of an early season scoring slump byaveraging 17.3 points per game over the last nine games. During thenine-game stretch, Williams is shooting 63.2 percent (60-95) from thefloor. He has made 29 of 39 free throws (74.4 percent) in the last ninegames. Williams, the 1998-99 ACC Rookie of the Year, is also averaging 5.2rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.6 steals a game during the recent stretch.

After going six games without making a three-point field goal(0-9), Williams has made five of his last eight attempts from beyond thearc in the last two contests. Overall, he is 11-37 (29.7 percent) fromthree-point range.

Williams has scored in double figures in seven consecutive gamesand in 10 of his last 11.

On the season, Williams is second on the team in scoring at 15.1points per game (11th in the ACC) and is shooting 59.2 percent from thefloor (1st in the ACC). He also leads the team in steals (25) and issecond in rebounding (5.5 rpg.).

As a freshman in 1998-99, Williams averaged 16.8 points and 7.5rebounds per game.

‘Hand’ing” Out Assists
Junior guard Donald Hand has moved into ninth place on Virginia’sall-time assist list with 297 in his career. Cornel Parker (1991-94) iseighth with 313. John Crotty (1988-91) holds the all-time UVa assistrecord with 683.

Hand leads the Cavaliers with 75 assists (5.0 apg.) this season(5th in the ACC), including 53 in his last eight games (6.6 apg.).

In addition to leading the team in assists, Hand is also first inscoring at 15.4 points per game (9th in the ACC). He leads the team with30 three-point field goals (tied for 5th in the ACC) and is shooting 40.0percent from three-point range (4th in the ACC). Hand is also shooting72.2 percent (57-79) from the free throw line (10th in the ACC). He hasone double-double in points and assists to his credit.

Last season, Hand led the Cavaliers in scoring at 17.1 points pergame and also averaged 4.1 assists per game.

Hot Hand
Junior guard Donald Hand truly has had a hot hand over the lastfive games. During the last five contests, Hand has averaged 18.4 pointsper game, including a season high 27-point performance against Georgia Tech(Jan. 8). He is shooting 46.8 percent (29-62) in the last five games,including an impressive 53.6 percent (15-28) from three-point range. Handis also pulling down 4.6 rebounds per game, and totaled 27 assists and fivesteals in the last five games.

Double-Double for Hand
Junior guard Donald Hand registered his first double-double of theseason and the third of his career against Hampton (Dec. 10) with 15 pointsand 11 assists. Hand’s 11 assists established a new career high. Hisformer career high was nine assists against Duke (Jan. 24, 1998). It isHand’s first double-double in points and assists. His first twodouble-doubles came last season against Wake Forest (Feb. 3) – 25 points,11 rebounds, and Georgia Tech (Feb. 25) – 28 points, 13 rebounds.

Friel Finds the Range
In the last five games, junior guard Keith Friel has made 12 of his24 three-point field goal attempts (50.0 percent). His best two outingscame against Belmont (Dec. 28) when he made four of eight attempts, andversus Dartmouth (Jan. 2) when he drilled four of five three-point tries.

Prior to the last five games, Friel had connected on 11 of 32three-point attempts (34.4 percent).

On the season, Friel is 23 for 56 (41.1 percent) from beyond thethree-point arc (3rd in the ACC). Twenty-three of his 26 field goals arethree-pointers.

In two seasons at Notre Dame, Friel shot 39.7 percent (60-151) fromthree-point range, including 46.4 percent (45-97) his last season (1997-98).

Hall’s Scoring Runs Hot and Cold
Sophomore guard Adam Hall broke out of an early-season scoringslump with three consecutive double-figure outings, but has failed to reachdouble digits in four of the last five games.

After scoring, 18, 15 and 23 points against Loyola (Dec. 8),Hampton (Dec. 10) and Richmond (Dec. 23), respectively, Hall only averaged6.3 points in the three contests prior to scoring 11 points against GeorgiaTech (Jan 8). Against N.C. State (Jan. 12), Hall scored five points forhis fourth single digit outing in the last five games.

Despite the inconsistent scoring, Hall has shot very well from thefield in the last eight games. He has shot an impressive 59.0 percent fromthe field (36-61). He has also made nine of his last 21 three-pointattempts after starting the season one for 11 (9.1 percent).

On the season, Hall is shooting 54.4 percent (56-103) from thefield, but is struggling at the free throw line having made 23 of 48attempts (47.9 percent).

Mason’s First Three-Pointer a Big One
Freshman guard Roger Mason’s first three-point field goal forVirginia couldn’t have come at a better time. Mason’s first three-pointfield goal of his collegiate career came with 3:21 remaining to play in theCavaliers’ game at the University of Richmond (Dec. 21) and broke a59-59 tie. The three-pointer gave UVa a lead it would not surrender in thegame’s closing moments as Virginia defeated the Spiders 69-65. It was theonly three-point attempt of the game for Mason, who missed his first 10three-point attempts this season.

Mason Named ACC Rookie of the Week
Guard Roger Mason turned in a pair of terrific performance in UVa’sACC games against Duke (Jan. 5) and Georgia Tech (Jan. 8) and was named theACC Rookie of the Week.

In his ACC debut against Duke, Mason scored a career-high 22 pointson nine of 12 shooting from the field (75.0 percent), including a perfectthree for three effort from three-point range. He also made his lone freethrow, grabbed three rebounds, and had two steals while playing 28 minuteswith no turnovers.

Against Georgia Tech, Mason scored 14 points on three of fiveshooting from the floor. He made all three of his three-point field goalattempts and was a perfect five for five from the free throw line. He alsoadded two rebounds and one assist.

In three ACC games, Mason is averaging 13.7 points per game and isshooting 63.6 percent (14-22) from the field. He has drilled seven of hiseight three-point attempts (87.5 percent) and is a perfect six for six fromthe free throw line. He has seven rebounds, five steals and two assist tohis credit while committing four turnovers in 70 minutes of playing time.

Lone Senior Stepping Up
Virginia’s lone senior, guard/forward Willie Dersch, has made themost of his return to the starting lineup. Dersch has started the lasteight games (UVA is 6-2) and has responded by scoring in double figuresfour times. He is averaging 6.8 points per game in the last eight games.During that span he is shooting 54.5 percent (18-33) from the floor,including 46.2 percent (6-13) from three-point range. He has also made all12 free throws in the last eight games and is averaging 1.8 assists pergame during that stretch.

On the year, Dersch is averaging 5.6 points per outing and isshooting 50.9 percent (29-57) from the floor. He is averaging 2.1 reboundsand possesses a 2.3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio.

Hare Sets Career High
Junior guard Josh Hare scored a career-high 10 points in theCavaliers’ 102-56 win over Hampton (Dec. 10). He made four of eightattempts from the floor (1-4 on three-pointers) and one of two free throws.The field goals attempted and made are career bests as well. He also addedfour rebounds.

Freshmen Making Significant Contribution
Three freshmen are playing significant minutes for Virginia duringthe 1999-2000 season. Forward/center Travis Watson, and guards MajesticMapp and Roger Mason have each seen action in all 15 of Virginia’s games.

Watson has started 14 games for the Cavaliers and is the team’sleading rebounder (9.5 rpg.) and third leading scorer (11.1 ppg.). He alsoleads the team in blocked shots (20), and is third in field goal percentageat 53.3 percent (65-122, players with at least 15 field goals attempted)and tied for third in steals (18). Watson is averaging 27.2 minutes ofplaying time a game.

Mason is averaging 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds a game. He isaveraging 18.5 minutes of playing time a game and has 18 steals and 14assists. He has started one game.

Mapp is averaging 4.8 points and 0.6 rebound a game while playing17.6 minutes per contest. He has started two games and is shooting 37.9percent (11-29) from three-point range. Mapp has 35 assists and 29turnovers, and also has 12 steals.

Head Coach Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen is in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach andsports a 298-149 record for a .667 winning percentage. Gillen is in hissecond year as head coach at Virginia. His two Virginia teams havecompiled an overall record of 24-21. Gillen has led his teams topostseason play 11 times (eight NCAA, three NIT). He has been selected asthe 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.

Ten Different Double Figure Scorers
In the first 15 games of the 1999-2000 season, the Cavaliers havehad 10 different players score in double figures in a game. Virginia hadonly seven players reach double figures in scoring last season. Juniorguard Josh Hare became the 10th Cavalier to score in double figures in the1999-2000 season when he tallied 10 points against Hampton (Dec. 10). Theother double figure scorers this season are: (only first double digitperformance is listed) sophomore guard Adam Hall (12 vs. VMI), junior guardDonald Hand (18 vs. Elon), freshman guard Majestic Mapp (10 vs. Elon),freshman guard Roger Mason (10 vs. Elon), freshman forward/center TravisWatson (15 vs. Elon), sophomore forward Chris Williams (16 vs. Elon),junior guard Keith Friel (14 vs. South Carolina), junior center ColinDucharme (10 vs. South Carolina), and senior forward Willie Dersch (10 vs.Arizona State).

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 15 games of the season, UVa has shot 65.7 percent(251-382) from the free throw line. The Cavaliers have shot over 65percent from the charity stripe only seven times this season, but haveeclipsed that mark in six of the last 10 contests.

Virginia’s best performance from the free throw line was a perfecteight for eight outing against Minnesota (Nov. 30). The effort tied forthe sixth best performance in school history. UVa made all eight attemptsfrom the line vs. Wake Forest (1/26/85) and Houston (12/10/89). Prior tothe Minnesota game, the last time the Cavaliers were perfect from the freethrow line was a six for six effort against Georgia Tech (2/22/90).

Spreading the Minutes Around
True to his word, head coach Pete Gillen is going deep into hisbench in 1999-2000. After the first 15 games of the season, Virginia hasnine players averaging double figures in minutes. No player is averaging30 minutes of playing time per game.

Only four players, sophomore forward Chris Williams (29.9), juniorguard Donald Hand (29.4), freshman forward/center Travis Watson (27.2) andsophomore guard Adam Hall (24.4), are averaging more than 20 minutes percontest. The other players averaging double figure minutes are: freshmanguard Roger Mason (18.5), freshman guard Majestic Mapp (17.6), seniorforward Willie Dersch (15.4), junior guard Keith Friel (12.5), and juniorforward Stephane Dondon (10.1). Junior center Colin Ducharme is averaging7.9 minutes per game.

Ducharme Seventh on Blocked Shot List
Junior center Colin Ducharme is currently in seventh place onVirginia’s all-time blocked shot list with 83. Ducharme needs four blocksto move past Olden Polynice (1984-86) into sixth place. Polynice had 86career blocks.

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.

Chezley Watson Leaves Team
Junior guard Chezley Watson has left the Virginia basketball team.Watson left the team prior to the Cavaliers’ game with Georgia Tech onJanuary 8 after visiting with head coach Pete Gillen. The Gainesville, Ga.native was hampered by an ankle injury this season and played in ninegames. He averaged 1.4 points per game while playing an average of 4.4minutes per game.

Watson, a two-year letterman, started 26 of the 28 games he playedin last season. He averaged 8.3 points and 3.0 rebounds a game during the1998-99 season.

Three Opponents Shoot 50 Percent
Earlier this season, Virginia had three consecutive opponents shoot50 percent or better. Arizona State shot exactly 50 percent (28-56) onNovember 27, Minnesota connected on 55.1 percent (27-49) from the floor onNovember 30, and St. John’s converted a UVa opponent-best 55.4 percent(31-56) from the field on December 4.

Last year, Virginia did not have opponents shoot 50 percent orbetter in three-straight contests, however, on two occasions 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).

Virginia Falls to Wolfpack
The Cavaliers’ comeback fell just short in a 65-62 loss to N.C.State on January 12 in Raleigh, N.C. A three-pointer by sophomore forwardChris Williams tied the game at 61-61 with 2:25 left, but the Wolfpack heldUVa to just one point, while scoring four, in the final two minutes to sealthe win.

Virginia trailed 54-45 with 7:17 left, but used a 16-7 run cappedoff by Williams’ three-pointer to tie the game at 61-61. N.C. State tookthe lead for good on a dunk by Kenny Inge with 1:34 to play. Williams andfreshman guard Roger Mason each had five points in the run, while juniorguard Donald Hand converted all four of his free throws.

Hand led all scorers with 17 points, while Williams added 13.Freshman forward/center Travis Watson notched his fifth double-double ofthe season with 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Junior guard KeithFriel rounded out the Cavaliers’ double digit scorers with 10 points.

Damien Wilkins paced the Wolfpack with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Second Half Surge Propels UVa past Jackets
The Cavaliers used a 21-2 run to start the second half to turn aone-point halftime deficit into an 18-point lead en route to an 83-65victory over Georgia Tech on January 8 at University Hall.

Guard Donald Hand buried three three-pointers during the secondhalf surge and finished the game with a season-high 27 points. He madefive of eight three-point attempts and added seven rebounds and fourassists. Forward Chris Williams and guard Roger Mason added 14 pointsapiece, while guard Adam Hall rounded out UVa’s double figure scorers with11 points. Williams added five assists, four rebounds and two steals inthe win. Mason continued his torrid shooting by making all three of histhree-point field goal attempts for the second consecutive game. He wasalso a perfect five for five from the free throw line.

A three-pointer by Mason with 44.8 seconds left in the first halftrimmed Virginia’s halftime deficit to one, 37-36. The Cavaliers took thelead for good with 18:29 to play when forward/center Travis Watson grabbedan offensive rebound and converted a short jumper. Three free throws byMason and a three-pointer by Hand gave UVa a 44-37 advantage with 16:57 toplay.

Forwards Jason Floyd and Jason Collier led the Yellow Jackets with21 points apiece.

Cavaliers Fall Short in Battle with Duke
Virginia had its five-game winning streak snapped with a 109-100overtime loss to Duke in the ACC opener at University Hall on January 5.

Sophomore Chris Williams led UVa with a season-high 27 points andadded eight rebounds. Freshman Roger Mason tallied a career-high 22 pointsand made nine of 12 attempts from the field, including all three of histhree-point field goal attempts. Junior Donald Hand contributed 20 points,seven rebounds and six assists, while freshman Travis Watson notched hisfourth double-double of the season with career highs of 17 points and 16rebounds.

The Cavaliers trailed much of the first half, but erased anine-point first-half deficit when junior Colin Ducharme converted a layup14 seconds before halftime that tied the game at 43-43.

In the second half, Virginia built its lead to as many as 10points, 74-64, with 7:40 to play, but Duke came back to take an 81-80 edgewith 3:29 to go. Hand sent the game into overtime with a basket with fiveseconds remaining. In the overtime session, the Blue Devils made all sixof their field goal attempts and outscored UVa 20-11 to earn the 109-100victory.

Chris Carrawell led Duke with 25 points, while Mike Dunleavy cameoff the bench to score 21 points.

UVa Downs Big Green
Virginia won its fifth consecutive game by defeating Dartmouth89-50 at University Hall on January 2. Sophomore forward Chris Williamsled four Cavaliers in double figure scoring with 24 points.

Williams connected on 11 of 15 attempts from the floor and two offour free throws in the contest. He also added five rebounds, four assistsand two steals in 32 minutes of action. Junior guard Keith Friel tallied aseason-high 14 points on five of six shooting from the field, including afour of five effort from three-point range. Senior Willie Dersch andjunior Donald Hand rounded out UVa’s double figure scorers with 12 and 11points, respectively.

Virginia shot a season-high 60.3 percent (35-68) from the field andshot 50 percent (10-20) from beyond the three-point arc. UVa also set aseason-high with nine blocked shots. Freshman Travis Watson led theCavaliers in that category with a career-high five blocks.

Senior Shaun Gee was the only Dartmouth player in double figures ashe scored 16 points.

Cavaliers Knock Off Belmont
Virginia defeated Belmont 94-74 at University Hall on December 28for its fourth consecutive victory.

Sophomore forward Chris Williams led four UVa players in doublefigure scoring with 20 points on eight of 12 shooting from the floor. Healso made four of seven free throws. Junior guard Donald Hand added 17points and eight assists, while senior forward Willie Dersch and juniorguard Keith Friel both contributed 12 points. All 12 of Friel’s pointscame on three-pointers.

The Cavaliers shot an impressive 54.1 percent (33-61) from thefield and made 11 three-pointers on 28 attempts (39.3 percent).

The Bruins jumped out to a 9-2 lead less than four minutes into thegame. Dersch then scored six of Virginia’s nine points in a 9-0 run as UVatook an 11-9 advantage with 14:40 to play in the first half. After sixties and seven lead changes, the Cavaliers jumped out in front for good,24-23, on a basket by Hand with 7:30 to go in the first half.

Belmont, which made 12 three-pointers in the game, was led by B.J.Proffitt, who scored 17 points.

UVa Rallies to Defeat Richmond
Virginia, down by as many as 11 points in the first half and byseven points at halftime, rallied for a 69-65 victory at the University ofRichmond on December 21.

Sophomore guard Adam Hall scored a game-high 23 points to leadfour Virginia players in double figures. Sophomore forward Chris Williamsscored 14 points, freshman center/forward Travis Watson had his thirddouble-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds, and freshmanguard Roger Mason scored 10 points.

UVa was down by eight points (55-47) with 10:24 left in the game,but the Cavaliers scored nine consecutive points to take a 56-55 lead with6:50 left to play. Hall scored the final five points in Virginia’snine-point surge.

The Cavaliers took the lead for good when Mason broke a 59-59 tiewith a three-pointer with 3:44 left in the game. It was the final fieldgoal of the game for UVa.

Virginia made seven of eight free throws down the stretch to holdoff the Spiders. Williams made five of six free throw attempts in thegame’s closing moments.

Greg Stevenson led Richmond with 22 points.

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 (71.4percent) from the free throw line, including a 14 of 17 effort againstProvidence. Hand scored 26 points in the win over PC.

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 a20-point, 10-rebound “double double” against Virginia Commonwealth lastseason.

The first player to record a double double in his first game wasScott Johnson, who scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 27 minutesin the 1995-96 season opener against Tennessee-Martin.

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

Who?	Opp./Yr.	Pts.	Rebs.
Junior Burrough	W&M 91-92	17	6
Bryant Stith	Dartmouth 88-89	12	6
Olden Polynice	Lafayette 83-84	8	5
Ralph Sampson	Johns Hopkins 79-80	17	8
Jeff Lamp	James Madison 77-78	24	3
Marc Iavaroni	W&L 74-75	14	9
Wally Walker	WFU 72-73	7	3

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 season 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.

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.

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.

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

	Team	Points
1.	North Carolina (74)	792
2.	Duke (16)	712
3.	Wake Forest	577
4.	Maryland	481
5.	NC State	442
6.	Georgia Tech	396
7.	Virginia	358
8.	Florida State	179
9.	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, N.C.

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.

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.