Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/935352
cavalier sports 8 CAVALIER CORNER around the grounds "I cannot recall a defensive team quite like Virginia — or quite as good as Virginia. It is not like the Cavaliers have shot blockers or "40 minutes of hell" pressure that creates offense off of its defense. Virginia is more like watching a boa constrictor slowly get a hold on you and squeeze. For non-residents of Charlottesville, Virginia is the basketball equivalent of a sedative. But to Hoos fans, it is a dream." — ESPN analyst Jay Bilas on Jan. 24 about his observations over the last month of college basketball; the No. 2 Cavaliers were listed among his five best teams in the land 7 UVA football players were named to the All-ACC teams, led by fourth-year safety QUIN BLANDING and fourth-year linebacker Micah Kiser — both were named to the first team for the third year in a row to become the fourth and fifth three-time first-team All-ACC honorees in program history. Blanding was a second-team pick as a first-year and is just the second Cavalier ever to earn four all-conference laurels, joining former UVA punter Will Brice. 17 OF 65 First-place votes in the Jan. 29 Associated Press top 25 were cast for the No. 2 Cavaliers, giving UVA 1,572 points. They were closer to No. 1 Villanova (47 first-place votes; 1,607 points) than No. 3 Purdue (one first-place vote; 1,501 points) was to them. UVA has not been ranked No. 1 since 1981-82, when Ralph Sampson was playing. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY UVA Thank you for everything you have done for me! This doesn't make up for any of it. Love you both so much. Our home is finally all YOURS. Merry Christmas!" — A Christmas day tweet from former Virginia first baseman PAVIN SMITH, the No. 7 overall pick in last year's MLB Draft, who paid off his parents' house with some of the $5 million bonus he received after sign- ing with Arizona in June; Smith attached a video to the tweet of his parents reading a letter he penned telling them of the news, which had been viewed more than 1.16 million times as of late January 4 Former Wahoos were selected in the MLS SuperDraft Jan. 19, led by goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell, who was selected 19th overall in the first round by New York City FC. Forward Edward Opoku bypassed his final year of eligibility and was taken 32nd overall in round two. Midfielder Pablo Aguilar and defender Sheldon Sullivan were both selected in the third round by the Houston Dynamo to help Virginia tie for the national lead and match a school record for MLS draft picks. It was the first time UVA had multiple MLS draft picks since 2010. 495 Is the new school record for career tack- les after fourth-year safety Quin Blanding racked up 16 stops, one off his career high set this year against Virginia Tech, in the Military Bowl. The All-American ranks first in ACC history for defensive backs and is tied for sixth overall among all league defenders. quotable