Basketball Features 
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Basketball Features
The University of Virginia's freshman class, ranked No. 19 in the nation by Scout.com and No. 20 in the nation by Rivals.com, is head coach Tony Bennett's first full class as the Cavaliers head coach. Certainly, it goes without saying that this group is expected to be a big part of the program going forward. TheSabre.com caught up with all six freshmen to discuss various topics including expectations, adjusting to college life and much more. Today, we feature guard KT Harrell, forward Akil Mitchell and forward Will Regan.
The leaves are turning brown and the air is getting crisp in Charlottesville. Nevertheless, it's toasty warm inside the John Paul Jones Arena where Tony Bennett and the Cavalier men's basketball team are hard at work preparing to open official practices for the 2010-2011 season. Coach Bennett and the team had a rough first season last year, finishing with a 15-16 record and missing out on postseason play, but optimism is growing with a full freshman class in town to join veterans with a full year of experience in Bennett's system.
The Contact Period for Division 1 men's basketball recruiting began on September 9 and University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett didn't waste any time heading to Marion, Iowa, to see Linn-Mar High School point guard Marcus Paige. The 6-1, 160-pound junior received an offer from UVa in June and appears to be one of the Cavaliers top targets in the 2012 class.
In case you missed it, UVa men's basketball scored a verbal commitment last week from 6-8, 210-pound power forward Darion Atkins, a senior out of Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. Respected Sabre basketball contributor CVillehoops13 took some time to answer questions on UVa newest commitment.
Rinse and repeat.
The Virginia men's basketball program has been stuck in a seemingly endless cycle for close to 15 seasons. Hire new coach, experience some success, watch things crumble, dismiss coach. Rinse and repeat. But things seem to be in place for a resurrection.
When he arrived on Grounds in June, Paul Jesperson wasn't sure if he would receive a scholarship offer from the University of Virginia, much less if Charlottesville would be the place he'd choose to spend the next four or five years. The 6-7, 185-pound rising senior would earn an offer from head coach Tony Bennett at UVa's Elite Camp on June 14 and 15, but he also came away highly impressed with the Virginia program.
The NBAPA Top 100 Camp rolled through Charlottesville again this June and once again I had the opportunity to get an up-close look at some of the nation's elite high school basketball players. As always, I took down a ton of notes on players from point guard to center in an effort to familiarize myself and Sabre EDGE subscribers with some of the players that Virginia may be eyeing on the recruiting trail.
2013 guard Rodney Purvis, one of only a few rising sophomores at last week's NBAPA Top 100, has earned an offer from the University of Virginia. Read more on Purvis as well as the latest on a pair of 2011 point guards and North Carolina star rising junior Tyler Lewis in this latest edition of "Notes."
North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) forward Bernard Sullivan showed off his talents at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, scoring from inside and out while being one of the most consistent performers throughout the week.
"Out here with the top 100, I've gotten to see how good I am against everybody. From what people have been saying, I guess I got a grade A," Sullivan said.
6-11, 215-pound rising senior Marshall Plumlee is in Charlottesville for the NBPA Top 100 Camp. TheSabre.com caught up with the Christ School (Arden, N.C.) standout, who has been pleased with the way his game has developed this spring.
Christ School (Arden, N.C.) rising senior shooting guard Damarcus Harrison has received scholarship offers from BYU, Oklahoma State, Virginia and Wisconsin and he plans to visit each school this summer. He was in Charlottesville on Monday and Tuesday for UVa's Elite Basketball Camp and reflected on the visit earlier today.
2011 forward Bernard Sullivan was a heavy lean to Clemson before Oliver Purnell left for DePaul this spring. The 6-8, 215-pound North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) standout, who eyes a big AAU season with Team Charlotte, now has no clear favorite.
In August of 2000, the Virginia men's basketball team embarked on a six-game European Tour. Sounds perfect for a student-athlete right? Take an end of the summer vacation to Europe to play a little basketball, relax, and have a good time overseas. Jason Rogers, a University of Virginia sophomore at the time, saw it as much more than that and it changed his path in life.
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