U.Va. notes: Behind closed doors

Behind closed doors

This is the ninth year the football team has gone through spring drills under Al Groh. He's always opened a few spring practices to fans and the media, but that may not happen this year.

U.Va.'s spring practice started March 21. It concludes April 18 with the spring game at Scott Stadium. No practices have been open thus far, and April 18 may be the first and last time for those outside the program to see the team this spring.

Five of Groh's assistants were not on the staff last season, including offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon, who's installing a spread attack. Groh said he wants to "provide maximum opportunity for focus and concentration for the players," and so has closed practices.

Rising star

With 12 career starts, Matt Conrath has the most of any defensive lineman at U.Va. And he's only a rising sophomore.

Had Jeffrey Fitzgerald been on the team, Conrath would have had a considerably lighter workload last season. But Fitzgerald withdrew from U.Va. in February 2008, and Conrath, 6-7 and 275, ended up starting every game at defensive end.

He finished the season with eight tackles for loss, including four sacks, and broke up three passes. Look for more production from Conrath going forward.

"He's got a good aptitude for the game," Groh said. "He's got an excellent work ethic. You can tell he clearly wants to be good, and he's got a good set of tools. He's got that height, he's got long arms, and he can sort things out pretty clearly."

Rave reviews

Don't expect to see Rodney McLeod back at cornerback anytime soon. McLeod, who moved to safety before the start of spring practice, has sparkled at his new spot.

"I'm trying to low-key that and not create an instant hero, but [McLeod is coming along] very nicely," Groh said.

As a true freshman last season, McLeod played in Virginia's final nine games. He received the Bill Dudley Award as the team's top first-year player.

Man of many talents

Starting left offensive tackle Landon Bradley is mechanically inclined, and he would major in computer science if the lab requirements didn't conflict with his football obligations.

Still, Bradley said, he probably will minor in computer science, and when his football career ends, he plans to work with computers.

"I spend a lot of time on them, and I fix them," he said. "Teammates come up to me and are like, 'Hey, this is going on with my computer. What can you do for me?' And I do the research. One of the guys took his computer to a place and they told him it would cost $200. I fixed it for $25."

Another opportunity for basketball recruit

The Charm City Challenge slam-dunk contest went better for Tristan Spurlock than the game itself.

Spurlock, who signed in November with U.Va., was deemed the best dunker among the all-stars in Baltimore last week. He later played 19 minutes for the U.S. All-Stars in their 112-86 victory over the Baltimore All-Stars. The 6-8 forward scored five points, on 2-for-11 shooting, and grabbed four rebounds.

A senior at Word of Life Christian Academy in Springfield, Spurlock will play tomorrow night in the 36th annual Capital Classic at American University. The 8 p.m. game will match Spurlock and the other Capital All-Stars against the U.S. All-Stars, who include Petersburg High's Cadarian Raines (Virginia Tech).

Comcast SportsNet will show the game on tape delay Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Capital Classic's slam-dunk contest is today at Gonzaga High in D.C.

Back on big stage

In its most recent appearance on ESPN2, the men's lacrosse team beat Maryland in seven overtimes March 28, the longest Division I game in the sport's history.

The top-ranked Cavaliers return to that network Saturday. Virginia (2-0 ACC, 12-0 overall) meets No.8 Duke (1-1, 8-3) at 4 p.m. in Durham, N.C.

U.Va. has lost five consecutive to the Blue Devils since beating them April 17, 2004. - Jeff White