Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
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Johnson of Kannapolis (N.C.) Brown played in the 76th annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas Dec. 15 in Spartanburg, S.C. The South Carolina all-stars beat their North Carolina counterparts 23‑19, but Johnson and Smith didn't record any statistics in the contest. • Virginia basketball signee Devon Hall and Virginia Beach (Va.) Cape Henry Collegiate School played against Huntington (W.Va.) Prep in a game televised by ESPN Jan. 12. Huntington Prep broke pulled away for a 70‑49 victory. Rivals.com No. 1-ranked senior wing Andrew Wiggins, the reason the game was on TV, tallied 28 points in the win. • The Virginia women's basketball program signed the No. 8 recruiting class in the country per Blue Star Report Nov. 14, with four top-100 players. "I am so excited about this class," UVa head coach Joanne Boyle said. "These talented young ladies are great additions to our program. They are all versatile and skilled players who have a high basketball IQ, are tough-minded and very competitive. Each one of them brings different qualities to the table including speed, athleticism and the ability to put the ball in the basket. They are a mature group that fit both our defensive and offensive system very well." Forward Sydney Umeri headlines the class and is ranked the No. 13 overall player in the class of 2013 by Blue Star, No. 29 by HoopGurlz.com and No. 32 by All Star Girls Report. The 6-1 Umeri helped Atlanta The Lovett School win the 2012 AA state championship, and she was named to the 2011 USA Basketball Women's Under-16 National Team. "Sydney is a versatile, skilled forward, who can really stretch the defense with her outside scoring," Boyle said. "She has the ability to play with her back to the basket or face up from three-point range. She can take players off the dribble and makes up for her lack of height with her physical play. Her versatility will allow us to use her in many different ways on both ends of the floor." Breyana Mason, a 5-8 guard from Woodbridge (Va.) Forest Park High, will be following in the footsteps of Virginia alumna Monica Wright, who also played at Forest Park. Mason is ranked No. 51 nationally by HoopGurlz.com and was named the No. 57 player in the country by Blue Star. "Breyana is a physical combo guard who will primarily play the point," Boyle said. "Because of her scoring ability, she could also see some action on the wing. Breyana's physical style and ability to get the rim will be a huge strength for us. She has a very good mid-range game and can shoot the three-ball as well. Breyana has great floor vision and is also a very good rebounding guard." Amanda Fioravanti joins Umeri in the frontcourt for the Cavaliers. The 6-1 forward from Olney (Md.) Good Counsel High, where she played with current UVa freshman guard Faith Randolph last year, is also a top-100 recruit. Fioravanti is ranked as the No. 24 forward and No. 93 overall player in the country by HoopGurlz. com, while Blue Star lists her as the No. 78 player in the nation. "Amanda is a very versatile power forward who loves the physical part of the game," Boyle said. "She will not back away from contact and embraces being on the block to battle opponents. I think Amanda is a very mentally tough player and has the mindset to do all the little things to win games. She is a very skilled and can consistently stretch the defense from 17 feet." Guard Tiffany Suarez of Miami Our Lady of Lourdes Academy rounds out the class. The 5-10 combo guard is ranked No. 74 nationally by Blue Star and is the No. 31 guard in the country according to HoopGurlz.com. "Tiffany is an athletic combo guard who has the ability to play all three positions," Boyle said. "She has very good speed and thrives in an up-tempo system. Tiffany is a great transition guard who can score in a variety of ways. She has great elevation that allows her to score over taller defenders, and her ball handling and court sense allow her to play multiple positions. Her length and athleticism will also allow her to play multiple positions in our matchup zone." — Jacey Zembal