Hoo’s Next-

At the University of Virginia, seniors Sean Singletary, Adrian Joseph, Ryan Pettinella and Tunji Soroye are in the twilight of their college basketball careers.

U.Va.'s next generation still is in high school - in Queens, N.Y., St. Louis and South Kent, Conn. But third-year coach Dave Leitao's recruits for 2008-09 are giving Virginia fans, understandably anxious about the imminent departure of Singletary in particular, reason for optimism.

Three players signed with U.Va. in November: 6-5, 200-pound Sylven Landesberg, 6-11, 230-pound John Brandenburg and 7-0, 225-pound Assane Sene. Each has advanced his game significantly in 2007-08.

Landesberg is considered the jewel of the class. A senior at Holy Cross High in Queens, he's been showered with honors recently. Landesberg was named a McDonald's All-American and, for the second straight season, was selected player of the year in New York's famed Catholic High Schools' Athletic Association.

"Every part of my game has gotten better," said Landesberg, who'll lead Holy Cross into its New York City quarterfinal tonight. "I'm faster, I'm stronger, I'm jumping higher."

Singletary, who's expected to make the all-ACC first team for the third straight year, has run the Cavaliers' offense for the past four seasons, and he'll leave a huge void at point guard. One option for Leitao might be Landesberg.

He shoots well enough to play on the wing - Landesberg has scored more than 2,000 points in three varsity seasons - but handles the ball well enough to run the point, too.

Landesberg said he'll be happy to do whatever Leitao "asks me to do, whatever that may be. I like having the ball in my hands, but I can find other ways to contribute."

Will Brandenburg and Sene become the dominant big men long missing at U.Va.- Probably not next season, but their potential intrigued recruiters from across the country last year.

Brandenburg, who chose U.Va. over Stanford, attends DeSmet Jesuit outside St. Louis. His senior season ended Wednesday night. His scoring average of 13.3 points was modest, but keep in mind that DeSmet averaged an equally modest 49.6 points.

For a team that won 15 of its final 19 games, Brandenburg averaged 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots.

Ankle and back injuries marred his junior season, and Brandenburg battled a bad back early this season, too. But his production rose steadily as his health improved.

"His confidence is at an all-time high," DeSmet coach Bob Steiner said. "His level of play is at an all-time high."

Brandenburg, who won't turn 18 until late April, has struggled at times to deal with the scrutiny that comes with standing so tall.

"He's under a microscope every second of every day," Steiner said. "Everybody's always saying, 'John should do this, John should do that,' and that's a hard thing to handle."

This season, Brandenburg was able to "sort of block out all that constant scrutiny," Steiner said, "and then he started to spend extra time in the gym. That's been the difference. Not that he wasn't committed before, but it's a different level of commitment. He's really been hungry for success, and he's carried us."

Sene, who picked Virginia over Connecticut and Syracuse, didn't arrive in the United States from his native Senegal until last March. He's a force on the boards and on defense, but on offense he remains raw.

"It's really his first season of big-time basketball, and considering the lack of experience and coaching he came in with, he's done very well," said Owen Finberg, Sene's coach at South Kent School. "It took him a while to get adjusted, but since the new year he's played particularly well."

In South Kent's quarterfinal win Wednesday in the New England Prepatory Athletic Council playoffs, Sene had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. He missed the final four regular-season games with a knee injury.

For the season, he's averaging about 6 points, 10 boards and 3 blocks.

"We're very much a perimeter-oriented team," Finberg said. "With the nature of our offense, he doesn't get a lot of touches."

Even so, Finberg said, "I think his potential is limitness. He's got a special talent for getting up and down the court, and he's nimble and quick around the basketball."

Contact Jeff White at (804) 649-6838 or .