Virginia Finishes 1999-2000 Season With 19-12 Record

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May 17, 2000

Virginia Returns to Postseason Play
Virginia compiled an overall record of 19-12 during the 1999-2000 season and tied for third in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 9-7 regular-season conference record. The Cavaliers received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), marking their first postseason appearance since the 1997 NCAA Tournament. UVa lost to Georgetown 115-111 in triple overtime in the first round of the NIT.

The winning season was the first for Virginia since the 1996-97 season.

Picked Seventh, Finished Third
Virginia was picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1999-2000 by media attending the annual Atlantic Coast Conference Operation Basketball event in Greensboro, N.C., in October. The Cavaliers did far better than predicted as they finished tied for third in the conference standings with North Carolina with a 9-7 record. UVa jumped to third in the conference standings after finishing ninth the previous two years.

Nine Conference Wins
Virginia’s nine conference wins during the 1999-2000 season are the most for the Cavaliers since they won 12 conference games and tied for the ACC regular-season championship during the 1994-95 season. Virginia won four conference games during the 1998-99 season and three during the 1997-98 season.

Watson Among ACC Rookie Leaders
Forward/center Travis Watson was one of the leaders among freshmen in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 1999-2000 season in a number of statistical categories and was an impact player for the Cavaliers. During the regular season, Watson ranked first among ACC freshmen in defensive rebounds (157), offensive rebounds (83), total rebounds (240, 8.3 rpg.), double-doubles (7) and blocked shots (28). He was second in field goal percentage (minimum of 50 attempts, 53.8 percent, 129-240), and fourth in field goals made (129), points scored (328) and scoring average (11.3 ppg.). He ranked sixth among ACC freshmen in minutes played (28.0 mpg.). Watson provided the Cavaliers with an inside presence despite being the shortest player playing center in the conference.

Three UVa Players Earn Conference Honors
Three University of Virginia players earned conference recognition at the end of the 1999-2000 regular season. Guard Donald Hand and forward Chris Williams both earned second-team All-ACC honors, while forward/center Travis Watson was selected to the ACC All-Freshmen Team. Williams was a third-team All-ACC selection in 1998-99, while Hand earned honorable mention All-ACC honors that season. The various teams were selected by the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association for The Associated Press.

Adam Hall Named to ACC All-Defensive Team
Virginia’s Adam Hall is one of five players selected to the 2000 Fan’s Guide Atlantic Coast Conference All-Defensive Team as selected by the conference’s head coaches. Joining Hall on the team are Shane Battier and Chris Carrawell of Duke, Juan Dixon of Maryland and Anthony Grundy of North Carolina State.

Selection of the team is organized by Barry Jacobs’ Fans’ Guide, ACCToday.com.

This is the fifth year the team has been selected. Virginia players selected to previous All-Defensive Teams include Harold Deane in 1997 and Chris Alexander in 1996.

1,000 Career Points
Junior guard Donald Hand became the 33rd Virginia men’s basketball player to reach the 1,000-point milestone when he scored 27 points against Duke on February 5. He entered the game with 982 points and scored his 1,000th career point on a jumper with 11:21 to play in the second half. Hand has scored 1,122 career points. He ranks 30th on UVa’s all-time scoring list.

Best Record Since 1994-95
Virginia’s 19-12 record in 1999-2000 is the best since the Cavaliers were 25-9 in 1994-95. The 1994-95 team advanced to the Midwest Region finals of the NCAA Tournament.

Four Consecutive ACC Wins
The Cavaliers had a four-game ACC winning streak during the 1999-2000 season. The streak included victories over Clemson (98-91, Jan. 15), North Carolina (87-85, Jan. 18), Florida State (86-81, Jan. 26) and Wake Forest (76-67, Jan. 30). The victories over Clemson and Wake Forest came on the road. It marked Virginia’s first four-game conference winning streak since the 1994-95 season when the Cavaliers posted six consecutive wins.

Two Five-game Winning Streaks
Twice during the 1999-2000 season the Cavaliers posted five-game winning streaks. The five-game winning streaks are the Cavaliers’ longest since winning seven consecutive games in the middle of the 1994-95 season.

Back-to-Back Road Wins
With its wins over Clemson (Jan. 15) and Wake Forest (Jan. 30) during the 1999-2000 season, Virginia won back-to-back ACC road games for the first time since the 1995-96 season.

300 Wins
Virginia head coach Pete Gillen won the 300th game of his career when the Cavaliers defeated then 21st-ranked North Carolina 87-85 on January 18, 2000, at University Hall. The 1999-2000 season was Gillen’s 15th as a collegiate head coach and his teams have compiled an overall record of 307-156 for a .663 winning percentage. Gillen’s two Virginia teams have compiled an overall record of 33-28.

Gillen has led his teams to postseason play 12 times (eight NCAA, four NIT). He has been selected as the conference Coach of the Year five times – all while coaching Xavier (Midwestern Collegiate Conference). He was third in the voting for Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year in 2000.

Shooting and Scoring
Virginia averaged 81.5 points a game and shot 45.1 percent (879-1950) from the field during the 1999-2000 season. It’s UVa’s best scoring average since the 1988-89 season (81.9 ppg.) and the Cavaliers’ best field goal percentage since the 1990-91 season (45.5 percent, 904-1987).

UVa ranked second in the ACC in scoring and fourth in field goal percentage during the 1999-2000 season.

Five Consecutive Home Wins
Virginia won its first five home games of the 1999-2000 season. The streak is the longest to start a home season since the 1992-93 season when the Cavaliers won eight straight home games.

Virginia was 11-3 at home during the 1999-2000 season and had two five-game winning streaks at University Hall. UVa’s two five-game home winning streaks are the longest since the Cavaliers’ won 10 consecutive home games during the 1996-97 season.

10-4 vs. Non-Conference Teams
Virginia finished the 1999-2000 season with a record of 10-4 against non-conference opponents. The Cavaliers won six of their last seven non-conference games. UVa was 4-0 against in-state opponents and stretched its winning streak to 10 consecutive games against in-state schools.

Tough Going on the Boards
The Cavaliers improved their rebounding significantly from the 1998-99 season, but were still out-rebounded by their opponents during the 1999-2000 season.

In the 1998-99 season, Virginia was out-rebounded 40.0 to 33.1 in all games and 41.5 to 31.1 in ACC contests. During the 1999-2000 season, the Cavaliers closed the gap quite a bit, but were still out-rebounded by the opposition. In all games, UVa was out-rebounded 38.6 to 36.3, but that margin increased to 39.6 to 34.2 in ACC regular-season contests.

In 16 ACC regular-season games, the Cavaliers held a rebounding edge only four times, against Duke (Jan. 5, 46-44), N.C. State twice (36-30 on Jan. 12 and 48-40 on Feb. 12), and Maryland (March 4, 41-36). In the 12 ACC games Virginia was out-rebounded, the Cavaliers were 7-5. They were 2-2 in ACC games where they held a rebounding advantage. Overall, UVa was 10-10 when out-rebounded during the 1999-2000 season.

Scoring Off the Bench
Virginia’s depth was a key factor in the Cavaliers improvement during the 1999-2000 season.

During the 1998-99 season, UVa averaged 12.4 points of bench scoring per game compared to 25.7 points in 1999-2000. In 1998-99, Virginia received 373 points from the bench in 30 games and in 31 games during the 1999-2000 season, the Cavaliers scored 798 points off the bench.

In the 1999-2000 season, Virginia’s bench outscored its opponents 798-546 or 25.7 ppg. to 17.6 ppg. UVa’s bench accounted for 31.6 percent of the Cavaliers’ offense, while opponent benches contributed 23.4 percent of the points.

In 16 ACC regular-season games, Virginia’s bench outscored the opposition 361-268 or 22.6 ppg. to 16.8 ppg. The Cavalier bench was responsible for 28.1 percent of the offense as opposed to 20.8 percent by opponents. In its first ACC win, Virginia’s bench outscored Georgia Tech’s 22-3. Another great example of the importance of UVa’s bench is that in its 98-91 win at Clemson (Jan. 15), the Cavaliers’ final 14 points of the first half were scored by players off the bench. The bench turned a 36-27 lead with 5:54 to play into a 50-32 halftime advantage. For the game, Virginia’s bench outscored Clemson’s 35-9.

UVa scored at least 20 points off the bench in all but seven games. Virginia scored a season-low nine points off the bench against Clemson (Feb. 15). The Cavaliers’ highest total for bench scoring in 1999-2000 was 47 points against Elon (Nov. 19).

Only six times during the 1999-2000 season was the UVa bench outscored by an opponent’s bench.

In addition, the Cavaliers had 29 double digit scoring performances off the bench. Virginia had at least one player score in double figures off the bench in 23 of 31 games. On five occasions, UVa had at least two players in double figures off the bench, including a season-best three players with 10 or more points against Elon (Nov. 19) in the season opener.

Forcing Turnovers
The Cavaliers forced their opponents into 20 or more turnovers in 18 of 31 games during the 1999-2000 season. UVa was 12-6 when opponents turned the ball over 20 or more times in a game. Virginia was 16-7 when opponents had 18 or more turnovers. UVa’s opponents averaged 20 turnovers per game (619 in 31 games) in 1999-2000. In ACC regular-season play, the opposition averaged 18.9 turnovers per game (302 in 16 games).

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

The 13 of 23 three-point performance by Virginia is its highest percentage of three-pointers made in a game when attempting at least 20 three-point field goals. UVa has attempted 20 or more three-pointers in a game 108 times over the years.

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

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

Good Defense Against the Tar Heels
North Carolina entered its February 20 game with Virginia leading the nation in field goal percentage. The Tar Heels were shooting 50.4 percent as a team, but UVa limited North Carolina to 43.3 percent (26-60) shooting from the field and forced 16 turnovers in a 90-76 victory.

School Record for Three-pointers Attempted
Virginia set a school record when it attempted 38 three-point field goals in a 98-91 victory at Clemson on January 15. The Cavaliers were successful on 12 of their 38 three-point attempts against the Tigers. The former mark was 32 threes attempted against North Carolina on two occasions (February 14, 1990 and March 7, 1997).

Virginia Has Winning Record in ACC Despite Opponents’ Shooting
Virginia compiled a 9-7 record in the ACC during the 1999-2000 regular season and tied for third in the conference standings despite being outshot from the field by its opponents 49.0 percent (449-917) to 43.2 percent (441-1021). Virginia was outshot in 11 of 16 conference games, but still managed to win four of those games in which it was outshot. The only games in which UVa outshot the ACC opposition were Georgia Tech (Jan. 8), Wake Forest (Jan. 30), N.C. State (Feb. 12 ), Clemson (Feb.15) and North Carolina (Feb. 20). Virginia won all five of those games.

Over 200 Three-Point Field Goals
Virginia made 211 three-point field goals during the 1999-2000 season, the fourth time the Cavaliers made over 200 three-point field goals in a season. UVa shot 32.7 percent (211-646) from three-point range for the season.

The 211 three-point field goals ranks second on Virginia’s all-time list for three-point field goals in a season. The Cavaliers made a record 232 three-point field goals during the 1994-95 season and made 205 during the 1996-97 season. UVa made 203 three-point field goals during the 1998-99 season.

School Record for Steals
The Cavaliers established a school record for steals in 1999-2000. UVa totaled 272 steals, an average of 8.8 steals per game. The previous record was established during the 1998-99 season with 257 steals for an average of 8.6 per game.

Changes in Virginia’s Starting Lineup
Virginia head coach Pete Gillen used eight different starting lineups and had a total of 10 different players start in the Cavaliers’ 31 games during the 1999-2000 season. No player started every game for the Cavaliers during the season.

Four Players Score 20 Points vs. Georgetown
For the first time in Virginia’s men’s basketball history, the Cavaliers had four players score at least 20 points in a game in UVa’s 115-111 triple overtime loss to Georgetown in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 15, 2000, at University Hall. Forward Chris Williams scored 23 points, guard Donald Hand scored 22, guard Adam Hall scored 21 and forward/center Travis Watson added 20 points against the Hoyas.

Two Teams Reach Triple Digits
When Virginia (100) and Duke (109) reached triple digits on January 5, it marked the first home contest in the history of Virginia men’s basketball that both teams scored 100 or more points in the same game.

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

The 100-point output by UVa against Duke was also the first time it has scored 100 points in an ACC game since a 100-82 triumph over Clemson in the 1992-93 season.

Two Players with Double-Doubles
Two Virginia players had double-doubles in the Cavaliers’ 90-74 victory at North Carolina on February 20. Forward Chris Williams finished the game with 16 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, and forward/center Travis Watson had a game-high 18 points and 11 rebounds.

It’s the first time two Virginia players had double-doubles in the same game since Williams and Donald Hand had double-doubles in Virginia’s 64-54 victory over Wake Forest at University Hall on February 3, 1999.

Williams Has Another Strong Season
Forward Chris Williams had another impressive season for the Cavaliers in 1999-2000. He displayed his versatility by leading Virginia in scoring (15.5 ppg.), steals (51) and minutes played (32.2 mpg.), finishing second in rebounding (6.1 rpg.), three-point field goal percentage (34-93, 36.6 percent), blocked shots (20), free throws made (99) and free throws attempted (142), and ranking third on the team in field goal percentage (173-341, 50.7 percent) and assists (60).

Williams finished the season ranked fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in field goal percentage, tied for seventh in steals and tenth in scoring.

He was a second-team All-ACC selection, an All Seaboard selection by Basketball Times, an All-District selection by the United States Basketball Writers Association and was named the ACC Player of the Week for his performance in Virginia’s victories over Belmont (Dec. 28) and Dartmouth (Jan. 2). He scored 44 points, grabbed nine rebounds and shot 70.4 percent (19-27) from the field in the two games.

Williams made 43.8 percent (28-64) of his three-point field goals in the last 18 games of the 1999-2000 season. He scored in double figures in the last 12 games of the season and in 22 of the last 23 games. Williams averaged 16.2 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, and shot 44.0percent (22-50) from three-point range in 16 regular-season conference games.

He currently ranks ninth on Virginia’s career three-point field goals made list (70) and has scored 984 points in his first two years in the UVa program (16.1 ppg.).

Cavaliers Benefit from Helping Hand
Guard and co-captain Donald Hand had another strong season for the Cavaliers in 1999-2000. He led Virginia in assists (133, 4.3 apg.), three-point field goals made (51), free throws made (137) and free throws attempted (183), was second on the team in scoring (15.0 ppg.) and minutes played (30.7 mpg.), and third in steals (38).

Hand finished the season ranked fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in assists (133 assists, 4.3 apg.), eighth in free throw percentage (137-183, 74.9 percent), tied for eighth in three-point field goals made (51, 1.6 pg.) and 12th in scoring (15.0 ppg.).

He was a second-team All-ACC selection, was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Puerto Rico Shootout and was named the ACC Co-Player of the Week after helping lead the Cavaliers to wins over Virginia Tech (Jan. 24), Florida State (Jan. 26) and Wake Forest (Jan. 30). In thethree games, Hand scored 60 points and connected on 18 of 39 attempts from the field (46.2 percent). He also recorded 11 assists.

Hand currently ranks sixth on Virginia’s career list forthree-point field goals made (119), eighth on UVa’s career assists list (355) and 30th on the Cavaliers’ career scoring list (1,122).

Hand”ing” Out Assists
Guard Donald Hand has moved into eighth place on Virginia’s all-time assist list with 355 in his career. Barry Parkhill (1971-73) is seventh with 369. John Crotty (1988-91) holds the all-time UVa assist record with 683.

Hand led the Cavaliers with 133 assists (4.3 apg.) during the 1999-2000 season.

In addition to leading the team in assists, Hand was second on the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game. He averaged 15.5 points per game in conference play during the regular season.

Double-Double for Hand
Guard Donald Hand registered a double-double, the third of his career, against Hampton (Dec. 10) with 15 points and 11 assists. Hand’s 11 assists established a new career high. His previous career high was nine assists against Duke (Jan. 24, 1998). It is the first double-double in points and assists of Hand’s collegiate career. His first two double-doubles came during the 1998-99 season against Wake Forest (Feb. 3) – 25 points, 11 rebounds, and Georgia Tech (Feb. 25) – 28 points, 13 rebounds.

Getting to the Line
During the 1999-2000 season, Virginia guard Donald Hand tied for second among all ACC players in free throws made (137) and ranked third in free throws attempted (183). For the season, Hand made 137 of 183 free throw attempts (74.9 percent).

For his career, Hand has made 331 of 429 free throw attempts (77.2 percent). He led the ACC in free throw percentage in 1998-99 (162-188, 86.2 percent) and finished eighth in 1999-2000.

Lots of Threes
Guard Donald Hand is currently sixth on Virginia’s career list for three-point field goals made with 119. Richard Morgan (1986-89) is fifth on the list with 132.

Hand led Virginia with 51 three-point field goals for the 1999-2000 season.

Hare Sets Career High
Guard Josh Hare scored a career-high 10 points in the Cavaliers’ 102-56 win over Hampton (Dec. 10). He made four of eight attempts 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 added four rebounds.

Watson a Presence Inside
Forward/center Travis Watson came to Virginia with the reputation as a great rebounder and he lived up to that billing during his first season in the UVa program in 1999-2000. He led the team in rebounding in 19 of 31 games and averaged a team-best 8.3 rebounds a game. He had double figures in rebounds in nine games and grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds in Virginia’s Atlantic Coast Conference opener against Duke at University Hall.

In addition to leading the team in rebounding, Watson led the team in field goal percentage (137-256, 53.5 percent), blocked shots (29) and double-doubles (8). He was third on the team in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and minutes played (28.6 mpg.), and he was fifth in steals (27).

Watson ranked fourth in the ACC in rebounding and double-doubles for the 1999-2000 season.

Watson was selected to the ACC All-Freshmen Team, was an honorable mention All-ACC selection and twice was named the ACC Rookie of the Week during the 1999-2000 season. He earned the ACC Rookie of the Week honorthe first time after scoring 37 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in Virginia’s victories over Virginia Tech (Jan. 24), Florida State (Jan. 26) and Wake Forest (Jan. 30). He earned the honor the second time for his play in the Cavaliers’ wins over Clemson (Feb. 15) and North Carolina (Feb. 20). Watson scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the two games, and made 61.1 percent (11-18) of his field goal attempts.

Second to Sampson
Forward/center Travis Watson finished the 1999-2000 season second to Ralph Sampson on Virginia’s list for average rebounds per game by a freshman since the restoration of freshman eligibility in the 1972-73 season. Sampson averaged 11.2 rebounds a game during his freshman season in 1979-80. Watson averaged 8.3 rebounds a game for the 1999-2000 season.

Virginia’s top five freshman rebounders since the 1972-73 season are:

Here’s a look at the top single game rebounding performances by a UVa freshman since the 1972-73 season:

**There have been six 15-rebound performances by UVa freshmen in a game, including one by Watson at North Carolina State (Jan. 12).

Dondon Turns in Outstanding Performances
Forward Stephane Dondon obviously likes to play against Florida State. In two games against the Seminoles during the 1999-2000 season, Dondon scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He was 8-10 from the field (80.0 percent), including 2-3 (66.7 percent) from three-point range, and 11-12 (91.7 percent) from the free throw line against Florida State. Dondon also had three steals, two blocked shots and one assist in 48 minutes of action in the two games.

In UVa’s 86-81 victory over the Seminoles at University Hall (Jan. 26), Dondon scored 14 points and had seven rebounds. He made five of six attempts from the floor (1-2 threes) and made three of four free throws. He added one assist and one steal in a career-high 27 minutes of playing time.

In Virginia’s 71-64 loss at Florida State (Feb. 26), Dondon scored a career-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds. He was 3-4 from the field, including 1-1 from three-point range, and he made all eight of his free throw attempts. He also had two steals and two blocked shots in 21 minutes of action.

Dondon had a career-high eight rebounds in UVa’s victory over N.C. State at University Hall on February 12. He averaged 2.9 rebounds a game for the season, but averaged 4.0 (64) rebounds a game in the last 16 games.

He played in all 31 games in his first season with the Cavaliers after transferring from Collin County Community College. Dondon averaged 3.4 points a game while averaging 13.8 minutes of playing time a game.

Friel Scores Fast Against UNC
Junior guard Keith Friel came off the Virginia bench to provide the Cavaliers with instant offense in the second half of UVa’s 90-76 victory over North Carolina on February 20. Friel entered the game for the first time with 11:18 left to play and Virginia leading 52-44. He made a three-point field goal with 10:44 remaining to give UVa a 55-44 lead and then made another at the 10:02 mark for a 58-46 lead. Friel made yet another three-point field goal with 9:36 left in the game to extend the Virginia lead to 61-46. That’s three three-point field goals for Friel in a span of 1:42. He also made two free throws at the 9:09 mark (63-46 UVa lead) before leaving the game with 7:40 left to play.

Friel did not play again, but he had provided the Cavaliers with the offensive lift they needed, scoring 11 points in the 3:38 he played.

Friel Finds the Range
In the last 21 games of the 1999-2000 season, guard Keith Friel made 34 of his 77 three-point field goal attempts (44.2 percent). His best outings came against Belmont (Dec. 28) when he made four of eight attempts, versus Dartmouth (Jan. 2) when he drilled four of five three-point tries and against North Carolina (Feb. 20) when he made three of four attempts.

Prior to the last 21 games, Friel had connected on 11 of 32 three-point attempts (34.4 percent).

On the season, Friel was 45 for 109 from beyond the three-point arc (41.3 percent). He had 54 field goals and 45 were three-pointers. Friel’s third basket against Maryland (Feb. 2) was a two-pointer and it broke a string of 16 consecutive field goals that were threes. He was also 27 for 30 (90.0 percent) from the free throw line for the season.

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

Hall on Defense
Guard Adam Hall consistently drew the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer as his defensive assignment during the 1999-2000 season and he did a masterful job in Virginia’s 76-62 victory over Clemson on February 15. Hall and Virginia’s team defense limited the Tigers’ Will Solomon, the leading scorer (21.6 ppg.) in the Atlantic Coast Conference entering the game, to 13 points. Solomon had just two points in the first half as UVa surged to a 38-21 halftime lead. For the game, he was 4-13 from the field, including 2-7 from three-point range, and was 3-6 from the free throw line.

Solomon scored 43 points against UVa in a 98-91 Virginia win at Clemson on January 15. Hall did not play in that game.

In addition to his defensive work on Solomon, Hall scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds, had two assists and three turnovers in 29 minutes of playing time. He was 3-4 from the field, including 2-3 from three-point range, and was 2-2 from the free throw line.

Hall was named to the 2000 Fans’ Guide Atlantic Coast Conference All-Defensive Team by vote of the league’s head coaches and he was an honorable mention selection to the All-ACC Defensive Team as selected by the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association. He finished the season tied for seventh in the ACC in steals (49, 1.6 spg.) in all games, but in just ACC regular-season games, he ranked tied for third in steals (29, 1.9 spg.).

Not Just a Defender
Guard Adam Hall did more than provide the Cavaliers with outstanding defense during the 1999-2000 season. In addition to ranking second on the team in steals (49), he was second in field goal percentage (50.9 percent, 116-228), third in rebounding (4.8 rpg.) and fourth in scoring (10.1 ppg.), assists (41), three-point field goals made (26) and minutes played (25.8 mpg.).

His three-point basket with 25.8 seconds left in overtime against Maryland (March 4) gave the Cavaliers the lead for good against the Terrapins (87-86) as UVa went on to win 89-87.

Senior Leadership
Forward/guard and co-captain Willie Dersch provided the Cavaliers with steady play and leadership during his final season in the Virginia program in 1999-2000. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds a game, and had a fine assist to turnover ratio of 2.2-1.0 with 35 assists and just 16 turnovers. He also shot 48.4 percent (44-91) from the field.

Dersch started 17 games for the Cavaliers during the 1999-2000 season and Virginia compiled a 12-5 record in those games.

Mapp Sets Career High
Guard Majestic Mapp established a career high by scoring 12 points in the Cavaliers’ 98-91 victory at Clemson (Jan. 15). He made three of eight attempts from the field (2-7 on threes) and converted all four free throws. Mapp also tallied three assists and two steals with no turnovers in 22 minutes of playing time against the Tigers.

Mapp equalled his career high with 12 points in UVa’s 86-81 win over Florida State (Jan. 26) at University Hall. He made four of seven attempts from the field (2-4 on threes) and made both free throws.

Mapp’s previous career-best was 10 points against Elon (Nov. 19) and VMI (Nov. 21) in the first two games of his collegiate career.

He played in all 31 games during the 1999-2000 season and averaged 5.3 points and 18.7 minutes played a game. He was second on the team in assists (69, 2.2 apg.).

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

Mason Plays Important Role
Guard Roger Mason, Jr., played an important role in Virginia’s 1999-2000 season. Mason played in all 31 of the Cavaliers’ games, starting 11, and averaged 7.6 points and 2.2 rebounds a game. He shot 43.0 percent (80-186) from the field and 81.8 percent (63-77) from the free throw line.

He started nine of UVa’s last 10 games.

Mason was named the ACC Rookie of the Week for his play in Virginia’s loss to Duke (Jan. 5) and victory over Georgia Tech (Jan. 8) at University Hall. He scored 36 points, grabbed five rebounds and shot 70.6 percent (12-17) from the field, including a perfect 6-6 from three-pointrange, in the two games. He also made all six of his free throw attempts in those games.

Freshmen Make Significant Contribution
Three freshmen played significant minutes for Virginia during the 1999-2000 season. Forward/center Travis Watson, and guards Majestic Mapp and Roger Mason each saw action in all 31 of Virginia’s games.

Watson started 30 games for the Cavaliers and was the team’s leading rebounder (8.3 rpg.) and third leading scorer (11.4 ppg.). He also led the team in blocked shots (29) and in field goal percentage at 53.5 percent (137-256, players with at least 20 field goals attempted), and was fifth in steals (27). Watson averaged 28.6 minutes of playing time a game.

Mason averaged 7.6 points and 2.2 rebounds a game. He averaged 21.3 minutes of playing time a game, and had 39 assists and 30 steals. He started 11 games, including nine of the last 10.

Mapp averaged 5.3 points and 0.9 rebound a game while playing 18.7 minutes per contest. He started two games and shot 32.0 percent (24-75) from three-point range. Mapp had 69 assists and 53 turnovers, and also had 23 steals.

You have to go back to the 1984-85 season to find three Virginia freshmen who played comparable minutes to Mapp, Mason and Watson. The three freshmen playing comparable minutes for the Cavaliers during the 1984-85 season were Mel Kennedy (22.8 mpg.), Darrick Simms (20.8 mpg) and John Johnson (16.6 mpg.).

Spreading the Minutes Around
True to his word, head coach Pete Gillen went deep into his bench in 1999-2000. Virginia had nine players average double figures in minutes. Only forward Chris Williams and guard Donald Hand averaged 30 minutes of playing time per game. Williams averaged 32.2 minutes per game, while Hand averaged 30.7 minutes per outing.

Only three other players, forward/center Travis Watson (28.6), guard Adam Hall (25.8) and guard Roger Mason (21.3), averaged more than 20 minutes per contest. The other players averaging double figure minutes were: guard Majestic Mapp (18.7), forward Stephane Dondon (13.8), guard Keith Friel (12.2), and forward/guard Willie Dersch (10.9). Center Colin Ducharme averaged 7.1 minutes per game.

Ducharme Sixth on Blocked Shot List
Center Colin Ducharme is currently in sixth place on Virginia’s all-time blocked shot list with 88. Junior Burrough (1992-95) is fifth with 96 blocks.

Ducharme is tied with current teammate Chris Williams for the ninth-best single season block total with 41. Ducharme notched his 41 blocks while leading the team in that category in 1996-97. Williams’ 41 blocks came in 1998-99. In addition to leading the team in blocks in 1996-97, Ducharme also held that honor in 1997-98 with 34.

Not so “Free” Throws
After leading the ACC in free throw percentage (.734) for the first time since 1979 in the 1998-99 season, the Cavaliers shot 67.8 percent from the free throw line in 1999-2000.

In ACC regular-season play during the 1999-2000 season, UVa’s free throw percentage improved to 69.5 percent (287-413). In 16 regular-season conference contests, the Cavaliers shot better than 70 percent eight times.

Virginia’s best performance from the free throw line was a perfect eight for eight outing against Minnesota (Nov. 30). The effort tied for the sixth best performance in school history. UVa made all eight attempts 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 from the free throw line was a six for six effort against Georgia Tech (2/22/90).

Eleven Different Double Figure Scorers
During the 1999-2000 season, the Cavaliers had 11 different players score in double figures in a game. Virginia had only seven players reach double figures in scoring during the 1998-99 season.

UVa Defeats North Carolina Twice
Virginia defeated North Carolina 90-76 in Chapel Hill, N.C., on February 20. The victory was the first for the Cavaliers in the Dean E. Smith Center after 14 consecutive losses and was UVa’s first in Chapel Hill since 1981. The win also enabled the Cavaliers to win both of the regular-season games with North Carolina for the first time since 1981. Virginia defeated the Tar Heels 87-85 in Charlottesville on January 18.

Watson Perfect From Field
Forward/center Travis Watson was a perfect six-for-six from the field against South Carolina on November 25 to tie for Virginia’s fifth best perfect shooting game from the field of all time. It is the 11th time that a player has made all six attempts from the field. Prior to Watson, the last UVa player to make every attempt (minimum of five) from the floor was Kenny Turner, who tied the school record with a nine-for-nine effort against Samford on 11/28/89. Jeff Jones (vs. Alabama-Birmingham 3/18/82) also shares the school record with Turner.

Only Two in Double Figure Scoring
The Cavaliers had only two players score in double figures in their victory against Providence (Nov. 26) and their losses to St. John’s (Dec. 4) and Georgia Tech (Feb. 9), marking the only times during the 1999-2000 season Virginia did not have at least three players score in double figures in a game. During the 1998-99 season, Virginia failed to have at least three players score in double figures four times and won only one of those contests (a 65-58 win over Clemson on January 17, 1999).

No Three-Pointers
Virginia held Arizona State without a three-point field goal on November 27, marking the sixth time since the inception of the three-point field goal in the 1986-87 season that UVa has accomplished the feat. Interestingly, two of the five previous games that Virginia held opponents without a three-pointer came during the 1998-99 season in a span of eight days (Loyola 0-7 on 12/30/98 and Maryland 0-7 on 1/7/99)

Double-Double in Debut
Forward/center Travis Watson became only the third freshman in Virginia history since the restoration of freshman eligibility in 1972-73 to 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 the season opener against Elon on November 19. He earned his first career start against VMI on November 21 and totaled 16 points (7 of 9 FGs, 2-2 FTs), seven rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals in 25 minutes of action.

Chris Williams opened his UVa career with a 20-point, 10-rebound “double-double” against Virginia Commonwealth in the 1998-99 season.

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

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

Working Overtime
Virginia played four overtime games during the 1999-2000 season. The Cavaliers compiled a record of 2-2 in overtime games. UVa’s overtime victories were a 71-66 win over Virginia Tech at the Richmond Coliseum on January 24 and an 89-87 win over Maryland at University Hall on March 4. Virginia’s overtime losses were a 109-100 loss to Duke at University Hall on January 5 and a 115-111 triple overtime loss to Georgetown in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at University Hall on March 15.

Three Victories Over Ranked Opponents
Virginia had three victories over ranked opponents during the 1999-2000 season and all three victories came at University Hall.

North Carolina was ranked 21st by both The Associated Press and USA Today when the Cavaliers beat the Tar Heels 87-85 on January 18.

North Carolina State was ranked 24th by USA Today when Virginia defeated the Wolfpack 88-82 on February 12.

Maryland was ranked 17th by The Associated Press and 19th by USA Today when UVa beat the Terrapins 89-87 in overtime on March 4.