6-8, 255
WORTH NOTING: One of the top returning “big men” in the ACC despite being the shortest starting center in the league each of the last two seasons ... natural power forward who has played out of position due to UVa’s overall lack of size in the middle ... extremely strong player ... earned second-team All-ACC recognition last season and joined Roger Mason, Jr., as co-recipient of UVa’s Bill Gibson Cavalier of the Year Award ... inspired his teammates and the coaching staff with his ability to fight through a number of significant injuries during the 2000-01 season ... made 45 consecutive career starts before coming off the bench last season against Missouri due to a strained right hamstring ... led the ACC with 100 offensive rebounds (3.45 rpg) and 13 double-doubles last season ... enters his junior season ranked second among active ACC players with 21 career double-doubles ... finished second in the conference last season in rebounding (9.1 rpg) and is the ACC’s top returning rebounder in 2001-02 ... was in double figures in rebounds 14 times ... ranked second in the ACC in 2000-01 in defensive rebounds (164, 5.66 rpg), fourth in field goal percentage (149-300, .497), and eighth in blocked shots (35) ... led the team in rebounds a team-high 20 times ... led or tied for the team lead in scoring twice ... tied for seventh on UVa’s career rebounding average list (522, 8.7 rpg) after two seasons ... joins Ralph Sampson as the only players in Virginia basketball history to collect 500 or more rebounds in their first two varsity seasons ... UVa’s all-time leading rebounder, Sampson grabbed 759 rebounds in his first two seasons (1980-81) ... as a freshman in 1999-00, Watson led the team in rebounds (258, 8.3 rpg) and ranked fourth in the ACC ... ranked first among ACC freshmen in defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, total rebounds, and blocked shots, and was second in field goal percentage through the 1999-00 regular season ... twice named ACC Rookie of the Week (Jan. 31, Feb. 21) ... established a UVa record for most rebounds in a player’s first ACC game with 16 against Duke on Jan. 5 ... ranked fourth among ACC freshmen in field goals made, points scored, and scoring average, and sixth in minutes played during the regular season ... grabbed at least 10 rebounds nine times ... ranked fourth in the ACC that season with eight double-doubles ... led the team in rebounding 19 times and scoring five times ... had a number of impressive performances during UVa’s six-game European tour in August of 2000 ... averaged 16.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in six games ... led Virginia with four “double doubles,” including a 22-point, 10-rebound effort in a 116-72 win over Sceaux (pronounced “so”) BBC of France in the final game of the tour ... one of 16 finalists, including UVa teammates Adam Hall and Chris Williams, for the 1999 USA Basketball Men’s Junior World Championship Team … he withdrew for personal reasons before the final 12-man roster was selected.
HONORS: 2000-01—Earned All-ACC second team honors ... first-team All-State selection by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and by the Virginia Sports Information Directors ... co-recipient of the Bill Gibson Cavalier of the Year Award (team MVP). 1999-00—All-ACC Freshman Team ... honorable mention All-ACC ... ACC Rookie of the Week twice (Jan. 31, Feb. 21).
AT VIRGINIA: 2000-01—Started at center in 28 of UVa’s 29 games ... didn’t start for just the second time in his career against Missouri (Jan. 20) because of a strained right hamstring ... that broke a string of 45 consecutive starts ... still came off the bench in that game, however, to tally 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in 27 minutes of action ... ranked second in the ACC in rebounds (264, 9.1 rpg.), and first in offensive rebounds (100, 3.45 rpg) and double-doubles (13) ... also ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in defensive rebounds (2nd, 5.66 rpg), field goal percentage (4th, .497), and blocked shots (8th, 35) ... finished fourth on the team and 21st in the ACC in scoring (12.3 ppg) ... was in double figures in rebounds 14 times ... led Virginia in rebounding in 15 of UVa’s last 22 games and 20 times (in 29 games) during the season ... led or tied for the team lead in scoring twice ... had his 13th double-double of the season and the 21st of his career with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament ... recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds in nine of the last 18 games of the 2000-01 season ... had double-doubles in seven of 16 ACC contests during the regular season ... had his 12th double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over North Carolina (Feb. 25) ... finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss at Georgia Tech (Feb. 11) ... had 10 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Wake Forest (Feb. 3) despite missing several minutes with a hip pointer ... had 10 points and 13 rebounds in the victory over Maryland (Jan. 31) ... posted 16 points and 10 rebounds in the loss at North Carolina (Jan. 24) ... had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to Georgia Tech (Jan. 9) at University Hall ... tied his season high with 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory over N.C. State (Jan. 6) ... scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds in the win over Bucknell (Dec. 28) ... had 19 points and tied his career high with 16 rebounds in the win over UMBC (Dec. 23) ... scored 10 points and had 11 rebounds in the victory at VMI (Dec. 4) ... had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the victory at Virginia Tech (Nov. 24) ... tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points and had a game-high eight rebounds in the win over Ohio Dec. 6 ... lettered for the second time. 1999-00—Provided Virginia with an inside presence despite being the shortest player in the Atlantic Coast Conference playing center ... started in 30 of 31 games ... started in every game after coming off the bench in the season opener against Elon ... selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team ... twice named ACC Rookie of the Week ... earned the honor the first time after scoring 37 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in victories over Virginia Tech (Jan. 24), Florida State (Jan. 26), and Wake Forest (Jan. 30) ... honored again after scoring 27 points and totaling 15 rebounds in victories over Clemson (Feb. 15) and North Carolina (Feb. 20) ... led the team in rebounding with 258 rebounds (8.3 rpg.) and ranked fourth in the ACC ... ranked first among ACC freshmen in defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, total rebounds, and blocked shots, and was second in field goal percentage through the regular season ... ranked fourth among ACC freshmen in field goals made, points scored and scoring average, and sixth in minutes played ... grabbed at least 10 rebounds in nine games ... ranked fourth in the ACC with eight double-doubles in points and rebounds ... his 16 rebounds in his first ACC game against Duke (Jan. 5) is a UVa record for rebounds in a player’s first ACC game and established a career high ... in ACC games during the regular season, he averaged 11.5 points and 7.7 rebounds a game while shooting 52.5 percent (73-139) despite playing against taller players every night ... also led the team in blocked shots (29) and in field goal percentage (min. 25 att.) (53.5, 137-256), was third in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and minutes played (28.6 mpg.), and fifth in steals (27) ... scored a career-high 20 points and had 12 rebounds in an 88-82 victory over N.C. State (Feb. 12) ... tied his career high with 20 points and had 12 rebounds in a triple overtime loss to Georgetown in the first round of the NIT (March 15) ... scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 90-76 win at North Carolina (Feb. 20) ... led the team in rebounding 19 times and in scoring five times ... scored in double figures 19 times, third best on the team.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played two years for head coach Steve Smith at Oak Hill Academy … co-captain of 1998-99 Oak Hill team that finished 31-0 and ranked first in the nation on USA Today Super 25 list… as a senior at Oak Hill, he averaged 16 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocked shots a game … established school record by making 71.3 percent of his shots from the field … received team’s Rebounding Award … third-team All-America selection by Parade Magazine … named Virginia’s “Mr. Basketball” by the Roanoke Times … rated the number 14 prospect in the nation by the Roanoke Times … also rated number 18 by national recruiting expert Bob Gibbons of All-Star Sports magazine … named the fifth best power forward prospect by FastBreak magazine … played in the ACC/SEC Hoops Challenge in Raleigh, N.C. … played in that game with Virginia teammate Jason Rogers … played in the Kentucky Derby Classic High School All-Star game in Louisville, Ky … played in the 1999 Nike Hoop Summit in Tampa, Fla., as a member of the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team … scored 13 points and a grabbed a game best nine rebounds vs. the International Select Team … the USA team won the game 107-95 … McDonald’s All-American nominee … in his first year at Oak Hill, he averaged 9.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a game during the 1997-98 season … in the summer of 1998 he averaged 15.5 points and a team-high 8.8 rebounds a game, and shot a team-high 64.9 percent from the field in six games as a member of the gold medal winning USA Team in the Men’s World Youth Games in Moscow, Russia …Oak Hill, which completed its third undefeated season and won its second USA Today national title in 1998-99, is also the high school of former Virginia basketball players Cory Alexander, Junior Burrough, and Curtis Staples.
PERSONAL: Travis Jermaine Watson … born 3-20-81 … son of Ms. Carol Watson … enjoys weightlifting.
Travis Watson
Forward/Center
Junior
Oak Hill Academy
Mouth of Wilson, VA