ACC Nation was in Greensboro, NC, recently for the ACC’s Operation Basketball. Patrick and Chris got to talk with all 12 men’s basketball coaches, plus select players from each school, and over the next few days we’ll let you know what they found out. ACC Nation will preview each of the 12 men’s basketball programs, going in reverse order of last year’s final regular-season standings, with one preview a day as we approach the start of the season.

Wake Forest – Oct. 31

Georgia Tech – Nov. 1

Virginia Tech – Nov. 2

Clemson – Nov. 3

Miami – Nov. 4

Virginia
(2005-06 season: 7-9 ACC, 15-15 overall; lost in the opening round of the NIT to Stanford 65-49)

Virginia’s late-season tailspin sent the Cavaliers from the bubble of the NCAA Tournament to a first-round NIT game clear across the country. Virginia ended its season losing to Stanford, giving Dave Leitao’s club six losses in its final eight games and a final record of 15-15.

Leitao thinks part of the problem may have been simply a lack of conditioning.

“If you look at our season last year, not only from a health standpoint, but from a physical standpoint, we really petered out in the last few weeks,” Leitao said, “and we had reached the end of our rope in terms of what we were asking them to do.”

The coach is committed to not letting that happen again this season. Working closely with strength and conditioning coach Shaun Brown, Leitao thinks his players are physically superior to last season’s edition of the Cavaliers. That, he said, will prevent a repeat of the team’s fade down the stretch.

“We have a different look,” Leitao said. “We have bigger bodies, we have stronger bodies, we have quicker bodies.”

Sean Singletary, Virginia’s All-ACC point guard, said he always thought he worked hard until he met Leitao and Brown. Now he realizes what hard work is. Singletary had extra reasons to work out over the summer after coming off hip surgery. He injured his hip early in the season, but played through the pain. Singletary said he didn’t care because he wasn’t about to have surgery during the season and watch his team from the bench, even if the pain limited him at the demanding point guard position.

But now, after surgery and a summer of rest and rehab, Singletary is ready to go.

“It’s great,” Singletary said. “I really haven’t been healthy since my sophomore year of high school and I really haven’t had a summer to work on my game, but it feels good to be healthy again. I can see in practice my first step is as quick as it’s ever been. I feel stronger. I’ve put on 12 pounds. I haven’t had any problems. I’m just excited about this season.”

Leitao is excited to have Singletary back for his junior season after the guard finished with 17.7 points, 4.2 assists and 1.9 steals a game last year.

“Anytime you have your best player who has the kind of leadership skills on the court that Sean does and who is your hardest worker that’s a great starting point,” Leitao said.

Singletary will be joined by J.R. Reynolds (17 points and 3.1 assists per game), forming one of the best backcourts in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“That’s (backcourt) where college basketball, for the most part, is controlled,” Leitao said. “We have two of the best and I like them as people and as players. They’re dedicated, they work hard and they’re very good leaders. It makes you feel secure that you have an opportunity to be pretty good if you have two guys like J.R. and Sean.”

The question for Virginia this season will be who will produce in the frontcourt. With little help coming off the bench, Jason Cain, Laurnas Mikalauskas and Tunji Soroye pretty much were the frontcourt throughout last season.

At times all three played well, but they could just as easily disappear for long stretches, leaving a lot of pressure on Singletary and Reynolds to carry the team. Leitao is hoping that freshmen 6-8 Jamil Tucker and 6-8 Jerome Meyinsse and Penn transfer 6-9 Ryan Pettinella will provide some depth.

“It’s my hope that we can have some more options coming off the bench,” Leitao said.

Virginia is moving into a new building this year. The much anticipated John Paul Jones Arena is ready to host the Cavaliers after the program spent four decades in the antiquated University Hall. There are plenty of advantages in the new building, but Leitao knows that a building alone won’t give his team an advantage over the rest of the ACC teams.

“The best way to do that is to have a good team, obviously,” Leitao said of building a home-court advantage. “Once you have a good team it allows your fan base to rally around you that much more. I think if that happens, and we help each other out in that way, then teams that have to come in and try to win in our building will have a very difficult time.”

- Patrick Hite