Men's Basketball Begins Preseason Practice

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The Virginia men’s basketball team begins practice for the 2007-08 season on Saturday (Oct. 13). UVa has 11 lettermen, including three starters, returning from its 2006-07 team.

The Cavaliers compiled an overall record of 21-11 last season and were regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference co-champions with a conference record of 11-5. Virginia advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

The 2006-07 season was UVa’s first in John Paul Jones Arena and the Cavaliers compiled a home record of 16-1, including an 8-0 record against ACC opponents.

Heading the list of returning players for Virginia is All-America guard Sean Singletary. A senior from Philadelphia, Singletary averaged 19.0 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds a game last season when he earned first-team All-ACC honors for the second consecutive year.

UVa’s other returning starters are junior guard/forward Mamadi Diane (Potomac, Md./9.6 ppg., 3.5 rpg.) and senior center Tunji Soroye (Dugbe Ibadan, Nigeria/2.1 ppg., 3.2 rpg.).

Virginia’s other returning lettermen include senior forward Adrian Joseph (San Fernando, Trinidad/7.2 ppg., 3.5 rpg.), sophomore forward/guard Will Harris (Corona, N.Y./3.6 ppg., 3.2 rpg.), junior forward Laurynas Mikalauskas (Palanga, Lithuania/3.7 ppg., 2.0 rpg.), sophomore forward Jamil Tucker (Gary, Ind./3.4 ppg., 2.1 rpg.), senior forward/center Ryan Pettinella (Webster, N.Y./2.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg.), sophomore guard/forward Solomon Tat (Jos Plateau, Nigeria/2.0 ppg., 1.6 rpg.), sophomore forward/center Jerome Meyinsse (Baton Rouge, La./1.1 ppg., 1.3 rpg.) and sophomore forward Andy Burns (Alexandria, Va./0.5 ppg., 0.5 rpg.).

Sophomore guard Calvin Baker (Newport News, Va.) is eligible to play in games this season. He practiced with the team last season, but was not able to play in games after transferring from William and Mary.

Five freshmen newcomers include guards Mustapha Farrakhan (Havey, Ill.), Jeff Jones (Chester, Pa.) and Sammy Zeglinski (Philadelphia, Pa.), and forwards Mike Scott (Chesapeake, Va.) and Will Sherrill (New York, N.Y.).

Virginia has an exhibition game scheduled with Carson-Newman on Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. Tickets for that game are currently on sale.

Season ticket holders are reminded this game is not part of their season ticket package. Tickets are $10 each and seat locations will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Although the Sept. 21 priority-seating deadline has passed, a limited number of UVa men’s basketball season tickets are still available.

Tickets for the exhibition game and season tickets may be purchased on line at virginiasports.com or by calling the UVa athletics ticket office at 1-800-542-8821 or 434/924-8821. Fans can also order in person at the athletics ticket office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.