THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 COLLEGE FOOTBALL


Recruits can hear London calling


Virginia’s new coach making inroads locally with his message, enthusiasm


by Zach Berman Throughout the spring, Vir-


ginia football Coach Mike London tried to sell his program to Bran- don Phelps, a coveted recruit from Damascus High. And al- though London impressed Phelps during their June meeting at the Cavaliers’ football complex, Phelps told London he wasn’t ready to commit to Virginia. But after walking from McCue Center to his parents’ car, Phelps began to reconsider. Following a talk with his parents, the defen- sive back and wide receiver — who has received nearly two doz- en offers from elite programs such as Alabama, Ohio State and Loui- siana State — walked back inside and told London he planned to play in Charlottesville. “The direction he wanted to


go,” Phelps said, “made me want to go there.” London’s message has reso-


nated on the recruiting trail, even though he has yet to coach his first game at Scott Stadium. The first-year coach has already se- cured 19 oral commitments for his first full recruiting class, which will arrive in Charlottes- ville in 2011. Two of those players were in- herited from the previous regime, but most of the work has been the product of a London-led coaching staff that wants to change the per- ception of Virginia football, espe- cially among prospects from the Washington and Tidewater areas. The coaching staff “makes you want to go,” said Jordan Lomax, a defensive back from DeMatha who is one of seven prospects to commit to Virginia from the Washington region. “As long as they keep doing what they’re do- ing, they’re getting a lot of guys.” What they’re doing is selling a


new atmosphere at Virginia, which suffered consecutive losing seasons and has been dominated by rival Virginia Tech on the field and in recruiting. Among the pub- lic relations initiatives: open spring practices, such as one held in the talent-rich Tidewater re- gion, and an 18-part television se- ries on Comcast SportsNet pro- viding a behind-the-scenes look at London’s rebuilding efforts. But London’s improvements will only be as strong as the play- ers he coaches. When the Cava- liers hired London, a former Vir- ginia assistant who led Richmond to a division I-AA national cham- pionship in the first of his two sea- sons with the Spiders, he immedi- ately set to improve the program’s image among high school players and coaches. “It’s a breath of fresh air from a Virginia staff that values relation- ships,” London said. “That’s prob- ably the key thing right there, from the head guy on down. We’ve done a great job with crafting the message and letting it resonate.” Three recruits said they were inspired by a speech London de- livered, in which he used the Cav- aliers’ logo of two sabers under a “V” as evidence of one of his mot- tos: “Iron sharpens iron.” London conveys the snippet of biblical verse (“Iron sharpens iron, so one


man sharpens another”) to show he wants to recruit the best peo- ple for the betterment of everyone on the team. When London used the expres- sion during a presentation at the end of Virginia’s Blue Chip Junior Day on June 6, Good Counsel de- fensive lineman Vincent Croce and Baltimore defensive end Mar- co Jones exchanged looks and shared a similar reaction. “The more he was talking, the more I was buying in,” Croce said. “It’s just that feeling. You’ll know when you know. I just had that revelation, if that’s what you want to call it. An epiphany.” Croce extended his hand to his future coach and told him that the Cavaliers had secured their sec- ond pledge of the afternoon — Jones was the first. London im- mediately shared the news with other players vacillating about Virginia. The Cavaliers’ lead recruiters for the Washington region are safeties coach/special teams coor- dinator Anthony Poindexter and wide receivers coach Shawn Moore, both of whom are former Virginia standouts with ties to the region. Moore previously worked at St. Albans, and his son plays for DeMatha.


“I think they have a renewed enthusiasm, a renewed hustle,” DeMatha Coach Bill McGregor said. “They’re not just doing it. They’re doing it with it a smile. You know how people go to work and enjoy work? Dex and Shawn are in the office just enjoying what they’re doing.” London’s predecessor, Al Groh,


also valued the Washington re- gion, and particularly the WCAC, where the academic profiles fit the Virginia model. The current staff has also looked into Wash- ington’s public schools, receiving a commitment from H.D. Wood- son tight end Darius Redman. Woodson Coach Greg Fuller credited Moore and Poindexter for showing more of an interest in Woodson, and Redman said his offer came after a personal visit from Poindexter. London insisted there are good players in the Washington public schools who can thrive academically at Vir- ginia. “Virginia Tech has established their reputation getting kids from the area,” said Fuller, who coached incoming Hokies quar- terback Ricardo Young. Now the Cavaliers are doing the same, “and it’s going to be a battle to get kids between U-Va. and Virginia Tech.”


Groh also experienced success with recruiting at the start of his tenure. London’s job is to sustain such enthusiasm about his pro- gram — and make sure it trans- lates onto the field. “You have to play well enough to be competitive, but it’s a proc- ess,” London said. “It’s going to take some recruiting. It’s going to take some good players, like we have now, and to find others to add on the ones here. And that’s going to give a level of consis- tency. A lot of people love the mes- sage, but we have a long way to go.”


bermanz@washpost.com HOCKEY


Capitals re-sign defenseman Schultz, and waive Nylander


Washington Capitals defense-


man Jeff Schultz signed a four- year, $11 million extension on Wednesday, and thus avoided salary arbitration.


Schultz enjoyed a breakout


2009-10 season, amassing three goals, 20 assists and an NHL- leading plus-minus rating of plus-50, which was also a fran- chise record. The 24-year-old first-round


draft pick (27th overall in 2004) will earn $2.5 million in the first two years and $3 million in the final two for a $2.75 million charge against the salary cap. “I kind of saw salary [filing for] arbitration as a precaution- ary measure in case something didn’t get done, so we weren’t kind of left with nothing.” Schultz said. “It does take away one year of [unrestricted free agency], but I’m happy with where the numbers were and was willing to give up that one year.”


With Schultz back in the fold, the Capitals have 19 players un- der contract for next season (in- cluding rookie Marcus Johans-


son). Assuming restricted free agents Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr are re-signed for a com- bined total of approximately $5 million, that would leave the Capitals about $4 million under the salary cap ceiling of $59.4 million, and two roster spots short of the maximum of 23. Fleischmann and Fehr have applied for arbitration and will have their salaries determined by an independent third party if they do not strike a deal with the Capitals in the coming weeks. Capitals notes: Washington placed center Michael Nylander on waivers in the hopes that an- other team is interested in taking him off the Capitals’ payroll. It could be a viable option for a fi- nancially strapped franchise that needs to reach the salary cap floor — a team such as the New York Islanders — because Nylan- der’s cap hit next season ($4.875 million) is more than his salary ($3 million). . . . Trade-deadline addition Joe Corvo signed a two- year, $4.5 million contract to re- turn to Carolina. —Tarik El-Bashir


KLMNO TENNIS


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D3


PHOTOS BY MARK GAIL/THE WASHINGTON POST “I love being part of a team,” Venus Williams, top right, said of the appeal of playing with World Team Tennis and the Washington Kastles.


V. Williams feels the heat in Kastles debut Grand Slam winner


opposite, to go for it.” Williams then paired with


defeats record-setting temperatures, Hingis


by Jorge Castillo Coming off a disappointing


quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon just more than a week ago, Ve- nus Williams could have been promoting her new book, play- ing on the WTA Tour or simply resting at home after another grueling Grand Slam. Instead, she was in downtown


Washington, battling the record- setting heat Wednesday after- noon to help out at a World Team Tennis-sponsored chil- dren’s tennis clinic before mak- ing her season debut for WTT’s Washington Kastles against the New York Buzz.


Williams, the fourth-ranked singles player in the world, ar- rived at Kastles Stadium at about 4:30 p.m. with a swarm of children waiting for her. For about an hour she participated in drills and games with the chil- dren before getting in some practice. Martina Hingis, a member of the Buzz, also partici- pated in the clinic. “I love hitting with the kids,” said Williams, who had been promoting her new book, “Come to Win,” in Washington earlier in the day. “They were very good. I was so surprised. Some of the lit- tle kids could barely hold the racket; the racket was bigger than them. It’s probably one of my favorite parts” of playing World Team Tennis. “I do love the competition,” Williams added. “I love being part of a team. It’s very different from regular tennis.” Williams, sporting a red T-


shirt and blue skirt from her clothing line EleVen, received a rousing ovation from the sellout crowd and danced her way onto the court when introduced. After watching teammate Bobby Reynolds defeat the Buzz’s Alex Domijan in men’s singles, 5-3, she took the court for women’s doubles. Paired


Paes to oppose Hingis and Jen- kins in mixed doubles, the match’s final set. The Kastles duo won the set, 5-3, to complete the Kastles’ 25-15 victory. Wash- ington is now 2-1 on the season. World Team Tennis has been an annual stop for Williams de- spite a full schedule that in- cludes the WTA Tour and off- court ventures such as her cloth- ing line. She played for the Phila- delphia Freedoms last season before the Kastles, the 2009 league champions, acquired her in the offseason. This is her sev- enth season with WTT.


With her on board, the Kastles


have the biggest names in wom- en’s tennis — and perhaps all of tennis — in Williams and her sis- ter Serena. “What I love about it is that we


get to go to cities where there aren’t any major [women’s] tour- naments, in like Philadelphia, like D.C., and we get to play for my fans there,” Serena said in a conference call Wednesday af- ternoon. “It’s so special to have the opportunity to play in front of my fans all across the United States.” Venus will play in three


This is Williams’s seventh season with WTT, but her first with the defending champion Kastles after being acquired in the offseason.


with Australian Rennae Stubbs, the duo defeated Hingis and Sa- rah Borwell, 5-3, under the lights. Reynolds and Leander Paes then teamed up to defeat Domi- jan and Scoville Jenkins, 5-2, be- fore Williams and Hingis battled in the match’s women’s single set. The former rivals met on the


WTA tour 21 times in the 1990s and early 2000s, with Hingis winning 11 of the contests. Yet, the Swiss player hadn’t played for three years before suiting up for the Buzz last week. A Wil- liams victory seemed to be a vir- tual lock.


But on this balmy night, Wil- liams was in for a battle. After Williams took a 2-0 lead in the set, Hingis fought back to win three games in a row.


Williams then won a hard- fought game to square things at three before Hingis took the 4-3 lead after a furious rally. Wil- liams went on to tie the set at 4 and win it in a tiebreaker, 5-4. “She played really well,” Wil- liams said of Hingis. “She’s got so much talent and she got the experience, too. I just started go- ing for it a little more and mak- ing a few more shots. Of course her game is consistent and to re- trieve and my game is just the


PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL Wall is a crowd pleaser at Wizards’ kids camp by Gene Wang


At 19 years old and with a wealth of ability, John Wall rep- resents the Washington Wiz- ards’ new commitment to youth and a fresh start. That made Wall and fellow Wizards draft- ees Trevor Booker and Hamady Ndiaye an ideal fit as speakers at the team’s basketball camp for kids on Wednesday at Archbish- op Spalding High in Severn. Still a teenager himself, Wall


was at ease passing along tidbits of advice to boys and girls ages 8- 17, all of whom listened with rapt attention to the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft. In- cluded in his greeting to the ap- proximately 50 campers was an emphasis on education and de- votion to family and friends. Wall also fielded questions from the camp participants, one of whom asked if the point guard could perform the John Wall dance that became an Internet sensation during this past year when he played his only season


at Kentucky. Wall was more than happy to oblige, drawing laughs from Booker and Ndiaye. Wall also discussed his deci- sion to wear No. 2. He had grown accustomed to donning a No. 11 jersey during high school and college, but Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes wore that number with Washington, and it is retired. Wall said the Wizards presented him with all the available num- bers, and he settled on No. 2 to honor each of his parents. “It was a tough process,” Wall said. “I wanted number 11, but a great guy, Elvin Hayes, retired it, so basically I just got down to four or five numbers and decid- ed from there.” As far as the Wizards are con- cerned, the most important number this season will be how many more wins they can man- age after a season in which they endured one malady after an- other to finish 26-56. That was the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, and only two teams had fewer victories. The Wizards’ fortunes turned


when they won the NBA draft lottery and embarked on their path toward Wall, who became the club’s first No. 1 overall selec- tion since Kwame Brown in 2001. Then through some draft- day maneuvering, Washington added four first-year NBA play- ers as well as Kirk Hinirch, who is a hardy defender capable of playing either guard position. Five days later, the Wizards ac- quired 7-footer Yi Jianlian from New Jersey in exchange for swingman Quinton Ross and thus have assembled among the more unconventional front courts in the NBA. Washington will have a mini- camp at Verizon Center this week before selected players head out of town on Sunday to begin NBA Summer League play in Las Vegas. Wall, Booker and Ndiaye will participate, as will other young teammates such as JaVale McGee who need to hone their game. “It’s going to be tough,” Wall said. “First time playing togeth- er as a team, where [team-


mates] like the ball, where they like the ball in certain situations, what type of players they are, if they’re athletic, if they


can


shoot. That’s the key for me as point guard to figure out what my players like.”


wangg@washpost.com


matches for the Kastles this sea- son — her final two will be in Philadelphia against the Free- doms on Thursday and on Satur- day in St. Louis against the Aces. On Saturday, three-time Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport will be taking the court against her for the Aces. Serena, fresh off another Wimbledon victory for her 13th career Grand Slam singles title, will make four appearances for the Kastles. Her season begins Friday in New York against the Buzz, followed by matches in Philadelphia on Tuesday, in Washington against the Kansas City Explorers on Wednesday and in New York against the Sportimes on July 15. The sisters will not play for the Kastles in the same match because of a league rule limiting each team to one “marquee” player per match.


castilloj@washpost.com


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