Jones looks to get back on track

In high school, Jeff Jones broke the all-time scoring record in the famed Philadelphia Catholic League.
You can bet that he never had the letters DNP next to his name in the box score.
But that was the case in Virginia’s 66-56 loss at Minnesota on Dec. 2 when the UVa sophomore did not get into a game for the first time in his college career.
UVa coach Dave Leitao called it a “coach’s decision.”
“He’s been the Jeff that we’ve known. I just made the decision to go with a different lineup,” Leitao said on Monday.
In the season opener versus VMI, Jones was solid. His pair of 3-pointers late in the second half propelled Virginia to victory.
However, in his next four games — against USF, Radford, Liberty and Syracuse — Jones was just 7 of 28 from the field, including 4 of 17 from 3-point range.
That may have prompted the DNP versus Minnesota.
“It continues to be more than anything else a comfort level,” said Leitao, when asked about Jones’ struggles, “and those things that happen much more mentally than physically.”
Leitao, whose 3-3 team returns from a 15-day hiatus with a home game on Wednesday night against Longwood, said there is nothing mechanically wrong with Jones’ shot. In fact, Leitao said Jones’ jumpers frequently hit nothing but the bottom of the net — in practice.
“We’re trying to keep him in a place when games start that remind him as much of practice as it does games and keep it as simple as we possibly can,” Leitao said. “We’re trying to get Jeff mentally, more than physically, to stay in that frame of mind.”

Sene to get minutes
One player who Leitao seems more willing to let take his lumps is
freshman 7-footer Assane Sene. After not appearing in the first four games (the first three because of eligibility concerns), Sene has started the last two games.
Sene’s stats haven’t been anything notable, but Leitao believes the experience he’s receiving will eventually pay dividends.
“I don’t think we’ve been particularly hurt by having him out on the floor, particularly at the beginning of games,” Leitao said. “By virtue of what he’s done in practice — just his energy and his enthusiasm and passion that he brings — I think he’s earned the right to get the playing time that he’s been getting and hopefully will add more to it.
“It’s a work in progress. [He] will make his fair share of mistakes and hopefully there are lessons there as time goes on.”

Playing in pain?
Leitao admitted that Calvin Baker, who is playing with a stress fracture in his foot, may be laboring. The junior, who hasn’t played as well as he did last season, has nearly as many turnovers (18) as assists (20).
“That could be true,” Leitao said. “He misses practice time. When you have an injury and try and play through it, those things can occur, but we’re trying our best to work ourselves through it, as is he.”
Tunji Time?
Tunji Soroye returned to Virginia with the idea on putting an injury-riddled 2007-08 campaign in his rearview mirror —but so far that hasn’t happened.
The fifth-year senior has played in only one of the team’s last three games. Leitao says it’s once again been an assortment of physical problems.
“He has good days and bad days,” Leitao said. “Before the Minnesota game he was coming off a couple of down days in terms of his health. Hopefully this time off has helped him and given him more rhythm to his practices.”