Hours before the breathless news stories appeared with Sean Singletary’s decision, TheSabre.com, a UVA sports message board, began to roil. Singletary, who averaged 19 points a game last year and is the ACC’s top returning scorer, had spent the spring considering a jump to the NBA and forgoing his senior season. So when he announced June 18 that he’ll return for his senior year, UVA fans geeked out in that special, message-board way.
 Hoops fans will get to see another season of Sean Singletary heroics—the rising senior withdrew his name from the NBA draft last week. |
“Already doused myself in gasoline. Got the matches sitting next to me. I’m ready,” read a post at 1:21pm. “Yeah He’s Staying!! I need booze!!!” read another at 3:31pm.
Singletary’s return is seen by many as the Cavaliers’ only hope to continue last season’s success. After spending five seasons as an ACC punching bag, UVA tied powerhouse University of North Carolina for the conference title last season and won its first-round game in the 2007 NCAA tournament. Singletary, an All-ACC point guard, will get help from four incoming freshmen this fall as the Cavs prepare to make another tournament run.
Incoming freshman point guard Sam Zeglinski, who graduated from Singletary’s Philadelphia high school and will most likely serve as his UVA backup, will benefit from a year of watching Singletary do his thing. Three other recruits join Zeglinski: Mustapha Farrakhan, a shooting guard; Jeff Jones, a combo guard; and Mike Scott, the Cavs’ lone incoming post player.
UVA assistant coach Bill Courtney says that while all four will contribute, Singletary’s return helps that. “You don’t want to have to depend on freshmen,” Courtney says. The Cavs need help inside though, and Courtney says the 6’8" Scott, who played a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy, will provide it. “He may be the most athletic front-court player this year,” Courtney says.
Although Farrakhan doesn’t necessarily come in with a famous basketball name, it’s a famous name nonetheless. The 6’4" guard is the grandson of Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader. Cavs fans might notice if his grandfather shows up at John Paul Jones Arena. Last year, the minister came to three of his grandson’s games escorted by his 30-person entourage.
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