MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[hasanova]

Nova - yikes, glad you are safe. Your kids will tell their kids about the storm of the century(or, two centuries!)

Thank you, jww.  It was definitely a bit dicey on the way to Asheville.  Fortunately, I have a 4WD SUV, put on new tires a few weeks ago and have experience driving in the snow.  We surely breathed a sigh of relief when everyone who did come made it safely and consoled via phone the folks who thought it was just too dangerous to attempt.  As you surmised, it's certainly indelibly etched in everyone's mind and we will have tales to tell for generations.

The Quakers have games on Dec. 29-30 in Marietta, OH and then full speed ahead on ODAC play ... can't wait!

[hasanova]

The Quakers and Tyler Sanborn had a great week.  Guilford went 3-0 with wins over Maryville, Huntingdon and Rust, while Sanborn scored 74 points and grabbed 41 rebounds:

http://www.guilford.edu/athletics/mbball/releases/2009-10/Sanborn_SAAC_D2109.html

I have to work the 29th and 30th when GCQ's at the Marietta tournament, but safe travels to anyone attending a holiday tournament - I know there are several others involving ODAC teams!

[nescac1]

Hey RMC fans, Eph fan here ... barring something disastrous happening, should be a great match-up between Williams and RMC.  Interesting to see that RMC's sixth man left the program, but it sounds like it may help team chemistry.  Curious to hear more about RMC.  Looks like, based on stats and awards, that the best defensive player and best player overall may be Brown, which should be a great match-up against Blake Schultz, who is having an All-American type year for the Ephs.  Schultz is definitely the go-to guy as he is a great defender, can rebound when he needs to, and is equally good from the perimeter and taking it strong to the hole.  Very savvy player who can finish inside or with a mid-range jumper.  He is a good athlete and physical, so plays bigger than his 6'3 size.  But I don't think he has matched up this season yet against a player of Brown's caliber.  If he doesn't score at least 18 or so, unlikely that the Ephs will win. 

The other match-up which should be interesting is at the center spot.  I see RMC has a lot of size including a 6'9 starter who puts up good numbers -- what sort of player is he?  The Ephs have a great center duo (combining to average around 20-18 plus 2-3 blocks and a bunch of assists this year) in Geoghegan (a legit 6'8, physical, great rebounder, and very skilled around the basket, although he hasn't been scoring as much as expected early in the season) and Whittington (listed at 6'5 but probably a bit shorter, but makes up for it with incredible leaping ability, very long arms, strength and quickness -- he is easily a D-I type athlete, just a little short for an inside guy).  Whittington can ignite the team with highlight real dunks and blocks, but may have a tough time contending with a guy he gives up so much size to.   Ephs' third center would start for most D-3 schools, just a ton of depth at the five.   

The other big play-maker for the Ephs is point guard Wang, who is fearless and fast driving to the hole but sometimes plays out of control.  When he has it going the Ephs are very hard to stop.   He is spelled by Robertson who is more of a pass-first style guard. 

Rubin and Dodson are the other Ephs who can be difference makers, both dead-eye shooters when they have it going.  Primarily perimeter guys.   

Where the Ephs have trouble is defending against very quick penetrating guards.  The Ephs also have been plagued by turnovers so far this year (the primary two ballhandlers are a sophomore and a frosh -- both very talented, but inexperienced -- so no shock there), which has kept some teams in games longer than they otherwise would have hung around.  They run the modified Beilin-style offense very well, unlike last year when they were still learning under a new coach. 

[donho]

 nescac1 , if I were to give you a breakdown of RMC I would hope that Coach Davis would find me here in Virginia Beach and kick my A$$. I will say this, to this point the jackets are 8-0 and starting to open some eyes. If you know anything of the ODAC you should know that RMC is most times one of the better teams. This group can play...... but have yet to play for 40 minutes.  Have a nice Holiday and if you are coming this way travel safely!

[nescac1]

Fair enough, although I would HOPE that the Ephs have scouted RMC on video or whatnot ... as I imagine RMC has for the Ephs!  Thanks, you as well!   Should be a great game, seems like two very evenly-matched teams.   

[donho]

  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !!!

[2RMCFans]

Yes, donho, let's keep some secrets as long as we can; it's sounding like will be a great tournament & a very stern test for the Jackets.

Merry Christmas to all from still snowy Ashland...we hope to have it all clear by the 29th so that everyone coming for the Rees Classic (especially the 3 out of town teams!) gets in safely.   Travel safely!

GO JACKETS!

[hasanova]

Merry Christmas to all from cold and rainy Greensboro, NC!  Just to the west & north it's all ice, but we'll see what happens here.  Can't wait for hoops to resume next week and ODAC play in the New Year.  Peace.   

[hasanova]

Hasa - keep us posted on the GC vs UNC JV game on Saturday. It's on the UNC schedule- the GC site doesn't show me  schedule

Finally saw a score from Dec. 12 in Chapel Hill ... UNC's JV topped Guilford's JV, 91-49 ... about what you'd expect. 

[hasanova]

The Quakers and Tyler Sanborn had a great week.  Guilford went 3-0 with wins over Maryville, Huntingdon and Rust, while Sanborn scored 74 points and grabbed 41 rebounds:

http://www.guilford.edu/athletics/mbball/releases/2009-10/Sanborn_SAAC_D2109.html

I have to work the 29th and 30th when GCQ's at the Marietta tournament, but safe travels to anyone attending a holiday tournament - I know there are several others involving ODAC teams!

Congratulations to Tyler Sanborn for being named to d3hoops.com's Team of the Week for Dec. 14-20!

[y_jack_lok]

Hey RMC fans, Eph fan here ... barring something disastrous happening, should be a great match-up between Williams and RMC.   

I did a little research. Williams is 8-0 against teams with a combined record of 25-43. Only one of those teams has a winning record (Cortland State, 5-2 at the time I did my calculation). Another, Wesleyan was 4-4. All the others were below .500

R-MC is 8-0 against teams with a combined record of 39-28, six of which have winning records, one at .500 and one with a losing record (1-7).

All of this may mean nothing, because what matters is what happens on the court. Just thought I'd share it for whatever it's worth.

[hasanova]

FYI:  Some discussion on the USASAC board about recruiting advantages and disadvantages at state-supported CNU.  Several references to "that school across the water" - but not so thinly-veiled when Ton Ton and national championship are mentioned.   Some of you may be interested in reading what Captains fans have to say.

[hasanova]

The Quakers meet the Ohio Wesleyan Bishops today at 5:30 in Marietta, OH.  The host Pioneers meet the Grove City Wolverines at 7:30.  Today's losers play tomorrow at 5:30 and today's winners meet tomorrow at 7:30.  I'm ready for some hoops after a 9-day hiatus!

[Seatfiller]

Roanoke vs. Ithica 6pm

Randolph Macon vs. Massachusetts College  7pm

Randolph vs. Colby 5pm

[hasanova]

The Quakers let it get close at the end, but hung on to beat the Ohio Wesleyan Bishops, 79-72.  GC improves to 9-1, while OWU falls to 2-6.  Guilford faces host Marietta, a 74-67 winner over Grove City, at 7:30 pm tomorrow.  For those of you interested in this sort of thing, the MC head coach is a former assistant to GC head coach Tom Palombo when he was at Defiance (OH) College.

Sanborn 22/15, Bonner 18 and Henson 16 led GC, while three Bishops, Pellerite 15, Winters 14 and McBride 12, were also in double figures.

Here's the boxscore - I hope the Marietta SID corrects the spelling for "Guildford" before he/she puts it in tomorrow's news:

http://pioneers.marietta.edu/custompages/mbasketball/statistics/2010/SHRINE01.HTM