Men's Basketball Takes On Ohio University

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Dec. 5, 2000

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The Cavaliers trail Ohio 1-0 in the all-time series. The Bobcats won the initial meeting at University Hall 94-83 in the second round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament on November 18, 1994.

Virginia vs. the MAC
Tonight’s game is just the fifth all-time for the Cavaliers against an opponent from the Mid-American Conference. UVa is 2-2 all-time versus the MAC. It is the third game vs. a MAC opponent in University Hall. Virginia’s first win against a MAC school came in the 1974-75 season when the Cavaliers defeated Kent 58-40 in U-Hall. Virginia’s second win against the MAC came in the second round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament when UVa posted a 60-54 overtime victory over Miami of Ohio in Dayton, Ohio. Virginia’s two losses were to Ohio 94-83 in the preseason NIT in 1994, and Bowling Green 76-72 in the 1967-68 season.

Head Coach Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen is in his 16th season as a collegiate head coach and sports a 312-156 record for a .667 winning percentage. Gillen is in his third season at Virginia and has posted a 38-28 record. Gillen won the 300th game of his career when Virginia defeated then 21st-ranked North Carolina 87-85 on January 18, 2000 at University Hall.

Gillen has led his teams to postseason play 12 times in 15 seasons (eight NCAA, four NIT). He has been selected as the conference Coach of the Year five times – all while coaching Xavier (Midwestern Collegiate Conference).

Best Start
Virginia’s 5-0 start in the 2000-2001 season is its best since the 1992-93 campaign. The 1992-93 team started the season with an 11-0 record.

Winning Streaks
In the 96-year history of the men’s basketball program, the Cavaliers have started out a season with a 5-0 record 23 times. A win against Ohio would mark the 20th season Virginia has started a season with six consecutive victories.

Scoring Change
Sophomore guard Roger Mason, Jr. officially scored 23 points in UVa’s 89-70 victory over VMI (Dec. 4). Mason was 10 of 16 from the field. Junior forward/guard Adam Hall scored 17 points and was seven of eight from the floor. A basket by Mason with 1:34 remaining in the game was inadvertently credited to Hall. The original final stats listed Mason with 21 points and Hall with 19.

The 1999-2000 Season
Virginia finished the 1999-2000 season with a 19-12 overall record and a 9-7 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavs advanced to postseason play for the first time since receiving a bid to the 1997 NCAA Tournament, but fell to Georgetown in the first round of the 2000 National Invitation Tournament 115-111 in triple overtime.

oving Up in the AP and USA Today/ESPN Polls
The Cavaliers continue to climb in the Associated Press and USAToday/ESPN Top 25 polls. In the latest polls, Virginia is ranked 16th in the AP poll (Dec. 4) and 19th in the USAToday/ESPN poll (Dec. 3). Both rankings are UVa’s highest since December 4, 1995. On that date, Virginia was ranked 15th in the AP poll and 16th in the USAToday/ESPN poll.

For the first time since the 1995-96 season, the Virginia men’s basketball team opened a season ranked in both The Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 polls. Virginia was ranked 24th in the AP’s preseason poll and 25th in the preseason USAToday/ESPN poll.

Before the 1995-1996 season Virginia was ranked 19th in the AP and 14th in the USA Today/ESPN polls. The last time the Cavs appeared in any poll prior to this season came during the 1996-97 season when they were ranked 25th in the AP poll (12/3/96).

Only 48 Points
UVa limited Virginia Tech to 48 points in its 64-48 victory (Nov. 24), marking the fewest points the Cavaliers have allowed in a game under head coach Pete Gillen. The previous record for fewest points allowed in a game under Gillen was 50 by Dartmouth last season (Jan. 2, 2000).

Prior to holding Virginia Tech to 48 points, UVa’s opponents were averaging 75.8 points per game during Gillen’s tenure. Virginia held the Hokies nearly 28 points below that average.

This season, UVa has limited its first five opponents to an average of 65.0 points per game. Last year, the Cavaliers gave up 75.4 points per game.

Scoring Lots of Points
The Cavaliers are off to an excellent start offensively in the 2000-2001 season. Through the first five games of the season, UVa is averaging 92.8 points per game which leads all Atlantic Cost Conference schools. The school record for the highest scoring average is 89.8 points per game in the 1954-55 season.

UVa is also shooting 51.1 percent (168-329) from the floor this season. The last time Virginia shot 50 percent from the field was in the 1985-86 season when they connected on 50.1 percent (838-1672) from the floor.

117
Virginia’s offense was rolling in its victory over Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20). The Cavaliers lit up the scoreboard in the 117-78 victory with the 117 points tying for the fourth highest single game output in school history. UVa also scored 117 points against Baldwin-Wallace (117-83) in the 1972 season. The school record for points in a game is 128 vs. George Mason (128-98) in 1995. The second highest output is 124 points against Johns Hopkins (124-60) in the 1983 season, while the third highest point total is 118 vs. BYU-Hawaii (118-84) in the 1982 season.

The Cavaliers’ 117 points are the most the team has scored since a 115-111 triple overtime loss to Georgetown in last season’s NIT.

70
Virginia scored 70 points in the second half of its 117-78 victory over Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20), which is believed to be a school record for points in a half. The previous known high for points in a half was 69 in the second half of UVa’s 128-98 victory over George Mason on January 28, 1995. UVa scored 67 points in the second half of a 124-60 win against Johns Hopkins on November 26, 1982.

Joining the Millennium Club
Virginia junior forward Chris Williams became UVa’s 34th player to score 1,000 career points when he drilled a three-point basket with 6:10 remaining in the first half against Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20). Williams finished the game with 15 points and currently has 1,057 in his career. He is now 32nd on UVa’s all-time scoring list. Williams joins senior guard Donald Hand as current players reaching the 1,000-point plateau. Hand scored his 1,000th point on Feb. 5, 2000 versus Duke and currently has 1,186 points. Hand is 25th on Virginia’s all-time scoring list.

Hand and Williams are the first pair of UVa teammates to both have recorded 1,000 career points since Curtis Staples (1,757 points) and Norman Nolan (1,321) played together during the 1997-98 season.

Shooting Accuracy
Junior forward Chris Williams is off to a tremendous start shooting the ball from the field. In five games this season, Williams has connected on 63.0 percent (29-46) of his attempts from the field, which currently ranks third among all ACC players. In his career, Williams has made 390 of 754 shots for a very respectable 51.7 percent.

A Rare Feat
Senior guard Donald Hand has recorded 1,186 points, 320 rebounds, 394 assists and 145 steals in his career. With six more assists and five more steals, Hand will become just the third UVa player with at least 1,000 points, 300 rebounds, 400 assists and 150 steals in a career. The other two UVa players to accomplish the feat are Othell Wilson (1981-84) – 1,469 points, 375 rebounds, 493 assists and 222 steals, and Harold Deane (1994-97) – 1,763 points, 440 rebounds, 468 assists and 179 steals.

Mason Sets Career Highs
Sophomore guard Roger Mason, Jr. set career highs for points and assists in a game in UVa’s 117-78 win over Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20). Mason tallied 28 points on 10 of 14 shooting from the field, including a two-for-three effort from three-point range, and he also made six of seven free throws. His former career best was 22 points against Duke (Jan. 5, 2000). With seven assists against the Chanticleers, Mason surpassed his previous career best of four assists on three different occasions.

Shooting the Long Ball
Virginia’s current roster features three of the top 10 career three-point field goal leaders in school history and a fourth player who is close to joining the trio during the 2000-2001 season. Senior guard Donald Hand currently ranks sixth with 124 three-pointers and needs just nine threes to move into the top five. Juniors Chris Williams and Adam Hall are also on the top 10 list with 75 and 65 career three-pointers, respectively. Williams is currently eighth, while Hall is tenth all-time.

Guard Keith Friel is quickly approaching UVa’s top 10 as he continues his sharp-shooting of the 1999-2000 season. Friel hit 45-109 (.413) three-pointers last season and is about to add his name to the all-time list in just his second season with Virginia. Friel’s 41.3 percent accuracy from behind the line last season ranks as the fifth best performance by a Cavalier in that category.

Friel has opened the 2000-2001 season by making 13 of 25 (52.0 percent) three-point field goal attempts. Friel now has 58 career three-pointers while in a Virginia uniform. Adam Hall is currently 10th with 65 career threes. Friel also made 60 three-pointers in two seasons at Notre Dame and has a total of 118 career threes.

Taking Care of the Basketball
In five games this season, the Cavaliers have committed 63 turnovers for an average of 12.6 per game. UVa has committed more than 12 turnovers in a game only twice this season – 15 vs. VMI (Dec. 4) and 17 vs. Virginia Tech (Nov. 24). On the other hand, Virginia’s opponents have committed 108 turnovers for an average of 21.6 per game. The fewest turnovers a UVa opponent has committed in a game this season is 19 by Virginia Tech (Nov. 24).

No Turnovers
In UVa’s 98-79 win over Purdue (Nov. 29), senior guard Donald Hand handed out eight assists and did not commit a turnover. It marked the third time in his career that he did not commit a turnover in a game. The other no turnover games came last season against Clemson (Jan. 15) – 5 assists, 0 turnovers, and Florida State (Jan. 26) – 3 assists, 0 turnovers.

Hand Equals Career High in Assists
Senior guard Donald Hand dished out 11 assists in the Cavaliers’ 117-78 win over Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20) to tie his career high. He also recorded 11 assists last season against Hampton (Dec. 10, 1999).

Great Ratio
On the season, senior guard Donald Hand has recorded 39 assists (7.8 assists per game) while committing only 10 turnovers for an impressive 3.9 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. Hand has committed only five turnovers in his last three games and seven turnovers in the previous four games.

Hand leads all ACC players with 7.8 assists per game and is third in assist to turnover ratio (3.9 to 1). He is third on the team in scoring with an average of 12.8 points per game. He also leads the team with 13 steals.

Friel on Fire
Guard Keith Friel is off to a great shooting start this season despite missing his only two three-point tries against VMI (Dec. 4). Friel has made 13 of 25 three-point attempts for an impressive .520 shooting percentage. He made a UVa career-high five three-pointers on eight attempts against Virginia Tech (Nov. 24) and scored 15 points, his UVa career high. His overall career best effort from beyond the arc is eight threes against Syracuse (Jan. 21, 1998) while playing for Notre Dame.

12 Different Scorers Times Two
In the first two games of the 2000-2001 season, Virginia had 12 players score. That streak stopped in UVa’s win over Virginia Tech (Nov. 24) as seven players were able to put points on the board. ln their season-opening 96-50 victory over Long Island University (Nov. 17), the Cavaliers had 12 different players score with eight players tallying seven or more points. In UVa’s 117-78 win over Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20), nine players scored six or more points.

Last season, Virginia had 12 players score in a game four times. UVa had 12 players score in wins over VMI (11/21/99), Loyola (12/8/99), Hampton (12/10/99), and Dartmouth (1/2/00).

Seven Players Drain Threes
In addition to the 12 players scoring in the season-opening win against Long Island (Nov. 17), seven of those players connected on three-point field goals. Last season, UVa also had seven different players make threes in a win over Loyola (12/8/99).

In five games this season, nine different players have connected from beyond the three-point arc. Last season, 11 different UVa players made three-point baskets.

Young Named ACC Rookie of the Week
Freshman forward/guard Maurice Young was selected as the ACC Co-Rookie of the Week for his play in UVa’s 96-50 win over Long Island University (Nov. 17). He shared the award with Duke’s Chris Duhon. In his collegiate debut, Young scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds. Young was four of six from the field and also added an assist in 11 minutes of action.

Hand Among Assists and Steals Leaders
In addition to holding the sixth spot on UVa’s career three-point field goal list (124 three-pointers), senior guard Donald Hand ranks in Virginia’s top 10 in both career assists and steals. Hand is seventh on the Cavaliers’ all-time assists list with 394. He needs eight assists to move past Cory Alexander’s (1992-95) sixth place total of 401. Hand also stands seventh in career steals with 145 and needs nine more to tie Bobby Stokes (1976-79) for sixth place. In addition, Hand is in 25th place on UVa’s career scoring list with 1,186 points. With 33 more points, Hand will move past Jim Miller (1982-85) into 24th place all-time.

Virginia Splits a Pair of Exhibition Games
The Cavaliers were 1-1 in their two exhibition games during the preseason. Virginia lost to the London Leopards 89-88 on November 4, but bounced back with a 95-80 win over the Nantucket Nectars Naturals on November 12. (See page 5 for the exhibition game summaries).

Cavaliers Post 89-70 Win Over Determined VMI Squad
Sophomore guard Roger Mason, Jr. scored a game-high 23 points to lead Virginia to an 89-70 win over VMI (Dec. 4) at Cameron Hall in Lexington, Va. Mason made 10 of 16 attempts from the floor, including one three-pointer, and drained a pair of free throws for his 23 points. He also added four rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Junior forward/guard Adam Hall tallied 17 points, while junior forward Chris Williams added 16 points. Hall was seven of eight from the floor, while Williams made seven of 10 attempts from the field. Senior guard Donald Hand contributed 12 points, nine assists, four rebounds and four steals. Sophomore forward/center Travis Watson registered his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. He also blocked three shots. Eric Mann paced VMI with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cavaliers built their lead to as many as 19 points, 41-22, with 2:32 remaining in the first half. The determined Keydets cut the deficit to 12, 46-34, at halftime. VMI scored the first five points of the second half to trim UVa’s advantage to seven, 46-39. The Cavaliers responded with an 8-0 run to push their lead back up to 15, 54-39, with 17:03 to play. VMI again closed to within seven, 72-65, with 9:23 to go, but three-pointers by Hand and Williams, a Hall free throw and layup, and a Mason layup, sandwiched around a Keydet free throw, gave UVa an 83-66 lead with 5:21 to play.

As a team, Virginia shot 52.9 percent (37-70) from the floor, including 56.7 percent (17-30) in the second half.

Virginia Tops Purdue in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
The Cavaliers improved to 4-0 on the season with a 98-79 victory over Purdue (Nov. 29) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at University Hall. Senior guard Donald Hand led UVa to the victory with season-highs of 24 points and nine rebounds. Hand also dished out eight assists and had four steals, and did not commit a turnover in 33 minutes of action.

Junior forward Chris Williams also recorded a season-high 24 points and added nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Junior forward/guard Adam Hall scored a then season-high 14 points on seven of 10 shooting from the field and contributed six rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Graduate student guard Keith Friel added 11 points, including three three-point field goals.

The Boilermakers took a quick lead, 5-2, two minutes into the game. A layup by Hand at the 16:32 mark gave Virginia the lead for good, 6-5. The layup by Hand was part of a 13-0 run that gave UVa a 15-5 edge with 14:24 to play in the first half. Purdue closed within 17-10 at the 13:16 mark, but the Cavaliers then embarked on a 15-3 run to take a 32-13 advantage with 7:28 left in the opening half.

The Cavaliers led 45-27 at halftime and never saw their lead shrink to less than 13 points the rest of the game. Joe Marshall led Purdue with 19 points.

Cavaliers Defeat In-State Rival Virginia Tech
Virginia improved to 3-0 on the season with a 64-48 victory over Virginia Tech (Nov. 24) at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va. Guard Keith Friel led the Cavaliers with 15 points on five of eight shooting from three-point range (five of nine overall). Sophomore forward/center Travis Watson registered his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore guard Roger Mason, Jr. added 10 points. Senior guard Donald Hand dished out nine assists to go along with seven points.

The Cavaliers used an 18-4 run to turn a 6-5 deficit into a 23-10 lead with just over nine minutes left in the first half. The Hokies closed to within 23-16 a few moments later, but UVa used a 9-0 run to take a 32-16 advantage. The Cavaliers led 38-23 at halftime. Virginia Tech pulled to within 12, 42-30, with 15:40 left in the game, but Virginia pushed its lead to 20, 50-30, over the next five minutes.

In the game, UVa made eight of 19 three-point field goal attempts (42.1 percent) and 16 of 20 free throws (80 percent) to help offset 37 percent shooting (20-54) from the field. Virginia Tech shot 40 percent (20-50) from the field, but only made six of 18 (33.3 percent) free throws. Carlos Dixon led the Hokies with 13 points.

UVa Rolls to Victory Over Coastal Carolina
Virginia scored 70 points in the second half and cruised to a 117-78 victory over Coastal Carolina (Nov. 20) at University Hall. The Cavaliers’ 117 points ties for the fourth highest single game point output in school history, while the 70 points scored in the second half is believed to be a school record for points in a half.

Sophomore guard Roger Mason, Jr. led the Cavaliers with a team and career-high 28 points and also dished out a career-best seven assists. Sophomore forward/center Travis Watson added 17 points and seven rebounds, while junior forward Chris Williams added 15 points, including the 1,000th point of his career. Senior guard Donald Hand registered UVa’s first double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high tying 11 assists. For the second consecutive game, the Cavaliers had 12 different players score points.

Virginia shot 56.3 percent (40-71) in the game, including a sizzling 65.7 percent (23-35) in the second half. The Chanticleers shot a respectable 46.7 percent (28-60) in the game, but committed 24 turnovers to UVa’s nine. Virginia also held a 41-29 edge in rebounds.

The Cavaliers, who never trailed in the game, jumped out to a 19-6 lead, but Coastal Carolina was able to pull within five points, 31-26, with 7:08 left in the first half. UVa pushed the lead back up to 13, 47-34, at intermission. Virginia broke the game open with a 23-2 run in the first 5:16 of the second half that gave the Cavaliers a 70-36 lead.

Cavaliers Impressive in Season-Opening Win
Virginia opened the 2000-2001 season with a 96-50 victory over Long Island University (Nov. 17) at University Hall. Senior forward Stephane Dondon led a balanced scoring effort with a career-high 17 points, while sophomore forward/center Travis Watson added 16 points. Dondon also contributed six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot in the win. A total of 12 Cavaliers scored in the game with eight players scoring seven or more points. Senior guards Donald Hand and Keith Friel, junior forward Chris Williams, and sophomore guard Roger Mason, Jr., scored nine points apiece in the game.

The Cavaliers shot 61.0 percent (36-59) in the game, including a 10-for-20 effort from three-point range. UVa also played great defense in the game, forcing 20 turnovers while limiting the Blackbirds to 35.1 percent shooting from the field (20-57).

Virginia Opens Exhibition Season with Loss
The University of Virginia men’s basketball team lost its exhibition opener to the London Leopards (Nov. 4), 89-88, at University Hall when Leopards’ guard Jason Kimbrough buried a three-pointer at the buzzer. Kimbrough took a feed from Ricola Alderson on an inbounds play with two seconds remaining in the contest and drained the three.

All five starters finished the game in double figures for the Cavaliers, including sophomore center Travis Watson who led the team in scoring with 21 points and rebounding with 13 boards for a double-double. But Watson’s effort was not enough to erase a six-minute UVa scoring drought midway through the second half that allowed the Leopards back into the game.

The Cavaliers overcame a seven-point deficit to tie the game at 79 with 2:57 remaining in the contest. Then, in the final 10 seconds, senior Donald Hand had a chance to put Virginia up by three but missed the second of two free throws. The Leopards drove the ball down the court and had a two-point shot blocked out of bounds by Watson setting the stage for Kimbrough’s late-game heroics.

The Cavaliers led at the half, 53-44, after making 18 of 39 attempts from the field (46.2 percent) and 15 of 19 attempts from the line (78.9 percent). In the second half, however, Virginia struggled from the field and the free throw line. Virginia made just 11 of the 36 shots it attempted from the field (30.6 percent) in the second stanza and was only 13 of 22 from the free throw line (59.1 percent). The Cavaliers finished the game 29 of 75 from the field (38.7 percent) and 28 of 41 from the line (68.3 percent).

Junior Chris Williams was the second-leading scorer and rebounder for the Cavaliers, chipping in 19 points and eight boards, while point guard Hand led the team in assists with four. The Leopards’ Maurice Robinson led all scorers with 22 points.

Cavaliers Post 95-80 Win Over Nantucket Nectars
Virginia rebounded from a loss in its first exhibition game to defeat the Nantucket Nectars Naturals, 95-80, at University Hall (Nov. 12). The Cavaliers were led by sophomore guard Roger Mason, Jr. who turned in a game-high 20 points to go with his seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Virginia took command of the game early, streaking to a 21-5 lead less than six minutes into the first half. The Nantucket Nectars Naturals closed the gap to eight, 23-15, with 12 minutes remaining in the half, and got as close as six points, 38-32, with less than two minutes left in the half. But both times the Cavaliers responded with scoring runs of their own, eventually heading to the locker room at halftime ahead, 47-35.

The ‘Hoos started fast again in the second stanza, stretching their lead to 24 points, 69-45, with 12:47 remaining in the game. Although the Naturals did mount a comeback in the final minutes of the contest, they never got closer than 13 points.

Senior guard Donald Hand led all players with 10 assists. He also had eight points and three rebounds in 32 minutes of play. Meanwhile, sophomore forward/center Travis Watson, who had a double-double in the Cavs’ exhibition opener, finished just three rebounds short of his second double-double of the preseason. Watson finished the game with 18 points, seven rebounds, one assist and a blocked shot.

Senior forward Stephane Dondon and junior forward Chris Williams combined to shoot 14-15 from the field (7-7 for Dondon and 7-8 for Williams). Dondon finished with 17 points, while Williams had 15 points. Arthur Jackson was the Nantucket Nectars Naturals’ leading scorer with 14 points.

Hand, Friel and Williams Elected Captains
Senior guards Donald Hand and Keith Friel, and junior forward Chris Williams have been elected captains of the 2000-01 Virginia basketball team by their teammates.

Hand is the first UVa men’s basketball player to serve as a team captain for three consecutive years. He served as a team co-captain last season and as a tri-captain in 1998-99.

Cavaliers Welcome Two Newcomers
The 2000-2001 Virginia men’s basketball team features two new faces and one returning member from the 1998-99 squad. Joining the 11 returning lettermen from last season, including four returning starters, are first-years J.C. Mathis and Maurice Young, and senior Greg Lyons.

Mathis is a 6-8 forward from John F. Kennedy High School in Brooklyn, New York. He was a first-team All-City selection and led Kennedy to a 28-3 record, and both the Bronx championship and the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) title during his senior year.

Young, a 6-4 forward from Mitchellville, Md., started four years for Bishop McNamara High School. He was the team’s Most Valuable Player three times and the team captain twice. He finished his high school career as Bishop McNamara’s all-time leading scorer (2,125 points) and rebounder (772 rebounds), and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

Lyons rejoins the Virginia team after not playing last year. He saw limited action during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons. A two-year letterman, Lyons was a high school teammate of former UVa player Willie Dersch.

Mapp Out
Sophomore guard Majestic Mapp tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and underwent surgery during the summer. Mapp injured the knee while playing basketball at St. Raymond’s High School, his alma mater, on August 2. He is expected to be out of action four to six months.

Mapp was second on the team in assists last season (2.2 apg) and ranked fourth among all Atlantic Coast Conference freshmen in that category. He averaged 5.3 points a game and was named to the ACC Honor Roll for his academic work and athletic participation.

Four Starters Return for 2000-2001
The Cavaliers return four starters from last season…Donald Hand, Chris Williams, Adam Hall, and Travis Watson. In addition, UVa also returns Roger Mason, who started 11 games, and all but three members of last year’s squad. A total of 11 lettermen (which does not include Greg Lyons) are back to take the hardwood in 2000-2001.

With the return of the 11 letterwinners, it’s not surprising that Virginia returns from last season:

Pre-Season Prognostications
In addition to being ranked in the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls, the Virginia men’s basketball team was ranked among the top 30 teams in the nation in several other preseason rankings. Virginia was ranked 18th by The Sporting News, 23rd by Basketball News and Dick Vitale’s College Basketball 2000-2001 Preview, 24th by Street & Smith’s, and 27th by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.

Studying Abroad
Last summer the University of Virginia men’s basketball team traveled to Europe to compete against several club and professional teams in Germany, Belgium and France. The Cavaliers finished the trip with a 5-1 record and won their five games by an average of 35.4 points per game (527-350).

All 11 of Virginia’s returning players from the 1999-2000 team made the trip, as did returning player Greg Lyons from the 1998-1999 squad. Incoming freshmen were not eligible to make the trip.

The trip was a homecoming of sorts for senior forward Stephane Dondon who is from Toulouse, France. Dondon was among several Cavaliers who turned in strong performances during the tour. In the team’s win against TSV Breitengussbach, Dondon led the team with 21 points on 9-10 shooting and added nine rebounds.

Senior guard Keith Friel led the team in scoring in wins against Sceaux BBC and Lummen BBC with 23 points in each game.

Several Cavaliers recorded double-doubles during the trip, including sophomore Travis Watson who led the team with four double-doubles. Watson’s performances were highlighted by a 22-point, 10-rebound effort in the win over Sceaux BBC. Also recording double-doubles on the trip were Donald Hand, Chris Williams, Adam Hall and Jason Rogers. Rogers had a 10-point, 10-rebound game in UVa’s win over TSV Breitengussbach, and a 12-point, seven-rebound performance in a win against Lummen BBC.

The trip was Virginia’s first since the Cavaliers compiled a 3-3 record during a 1996 European tour.