MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jeloesel]

Virginia Wesleyan gets off the new year in good form, defeating Methodist 77-68.

[former rmcsid]

Randolph-Macon's Justin Wansley named the ODAC Player of the Week Monday, January 2nd, based on his performances in his team's holiday tournaments.  Wansley was named to the all-tournament teams for both R-MC events the past two weeks -- the Hal Nunnally December Classic December 18th and 19th and the Rees Jewelers Christmas Classic December 29th and 30th -- as the Yellow Jackets won three of four games. 

In a win over #17 Lincoln December 18th, he had 22 points, including 7-of-8 free throws, and a game-high 14 rebounds -- all defensive. December 19th in the championship game victory against #20 St. John Fisher, Wansley had game-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds, plus  three assists.  Ten of his rebounds came at the defensive end of the court.  In a tough loss against Fisk December 29th, he scored 19 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds -- nine of those defensive.  December 30th in a win over Kenyon, Wansley scored a game-high 17 points, including 7-of-9 foul shots, and also had nine rebounds and a game-high three assists. 

In four games over the holidays, he averaged 19.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals.

http://www.odaconline.com/index2.htm

[jeloesel]

Averett turned Lynchburg into more roadkill tonight, 65-48.  That was probably the Hornets last realistic chance to win a game this year.  With the departure of Manos, they have lost whatever offensive threat they had earlier in the season.  I expect < to turn his attention to lacrosse soon.

[10]

Is Matt Guill hurt? I didnt see his name in the box score?

[jdubyadubya]

Jimmy -

1/3-UMASS
1/4-RMC
      Averett
      VWC
      Greensboro
1/7-Roanoke
      HSC
      VWC
      RMC
      EMU
1/8-RMC
       VWC

[steelyglen]

With the holidays the schedule was light and so was the participation...but through week 5 here's how it looks...that is according to my yellow legal pad and abacus which was found on my horse and buggy last night...

mr_divac         21       (0-0)  (29-8)
jeloesel           19       (2-3)  (31-12)
justafan02      19       (2-3)  (31-12)
birdjersey33   17       (3-2)  (30-13)
Jdubyadubya  17       (3-2)  (30-13)
narch              16       (0-0)  (23-7)
stillfamily         15      (0-0)  (24-9)
algernon         15      (0-1)   (27-12)
ladyeagle        14      (2-3)  (25-11)
3sdown           14      (0-0)  (23-9)
steelyglen       13      (0-0)  (25-12)
goose13          12     (0-0)   (25-13)
>                      9       (1-4)  (25-18)
brianhamilton   5       (2-3)  (15-10)
baselinejam     2       (0-0)   (15-13)
ptp                   -2      (0-0)  (6-8)
jacketlawyer    -2      (0-0)   (1-3)

new pick'ems are up so get in early...I will ease off being a participant since my integrity as a "picker" has come under some recent scrutiny...and devote my full attention to my eraser and mechanical pencil...maybe the automated idea wasn't such a bad one afterall...eh Jimmy?

[mybleedinghands]

Averett turned Lynchburg into more roadkill tonight, 65-48.  That was probably the Hornets last realistic chance to win a game this year.  With the departure of Manos, they have lost whatever offensive threat they had earlier in the season.  I expect < to turn his attention to lacrosse soon.

last "realistic" chance? Averett is a pretty good team, definitely better than at least half the teams in the odac for sure. i would certainly consider it more realistic for any odac team to be able to beat teams like W&L, E&H, BC, and us than for them to be able to beat Averett.

[ladyeagle]

...that is according to my yellow legal pad and abacus which was found on my horse and buggy last night...

Steely-  I didn't know you were Mennonite!?  I dunno how our Brethern school would feel about you cheering the Eagles on. 





note.  I do know that not all Mennonites have a horse and buggy and I hope that I didn't truly offend anyone.  all in good fun.   

[algernon]

...I will ease off being a participant since my integrity as a "picker" has come under some recent scrutiny...

Who questioned your integrity?  Keep picking and stay in the contest!

[mybleedinghands]

...I will ease off being a participant since my integrity as a "picker" has come under some recent scrutiny...

Who questioned your integrity?  Keep picking and stay in the contest!

for real, why would you stop? i thought you would love to have the chanc eto beat me at this thing!

[jeloesel]

Steelyglen,
How do you look in a beard?  

If you decide to drop out of pickin', you risk finishing behind < in the final tally.  Would you like that on your record when you appear before St. Peter at the Pearly Gate?    

Here are my picks for the week:

Tuesday, January 4
UMass-Dartmouth @ Roanoke  The Maroons have the home court advantage.  Page usually makes some adjustments during the break to correct deficiencies from November/December.

Wednesday, January 5
R-MC @ Bridgewater  Ladyeagle may have faith, but the Yellow Jackets have Wansley.
Averett @ Guilford  Until the Quakers show me they can win, I've got to go with the Lynchburg beaters.
VWC @ Lynchburg  LC isn't even quality chum for the Marlins.
Greensboro @ EMU The emus should be ready to prove they really can fly with the ODAC best.

Saturday, January 7
Roanoke @ W&L  Roanoke often struggles at Warner, but you've got to have faith.  
H-SC @ Bridgewater  Somewhere between a decisive win and a rout.
E&H @ VWC  The first game of the road trip from hell for the Wasps.
Guilford @ R-MC If Guilford struggles at home, why should they succeed on the road?
Lynchburg @ EMU  Sager scores 40 against Fairchild?

Sunday, January 8
E&H @ R-MC  Day two of the road trip from hell.
Guilford @ VWC The Marlins are in a fighting mood, and the Quakers are too pacifistic to win this one.

[seminoletiger]

10,

I don't know to what extent, but Guill does have an injury.  He did not dress out for the game last Friday against Wheaton.  I'm sure others on the board will have more info.

[jeloesel]

<oo
Lynchburg came within a point of Averett when they played earlier in the season at Averett.   With a home-court advantage, the Hornets should have enjoyed a slight edge in the rematch.  However, in the earlier game, Lynchburg had the services of Pete Manos.  You take away his scoring and his rebounding, and the Hornets become stingless, IMO.  I think the only game that Lynchburg has a chance of winning is the rematch against E&H, and I think playing at Emory will be a lot tougher than playing them in Lynchburg.  

If you keep picking Lynchburg in the Pick'em, there's no way you can catch Steelyglen--even if he doesn't pick any more games the rest of the season.  Let's be realistic here, picking Lynchburg costs you two points against the field every time.

[eagleslam]

jttiger...

Your opinion is well stated.  However, I really couldn't care less about a reputation.  The reputation belongs to the program, not the team.  To paraphrase Rick Pitino, "I don't see Russell Turner coming through that door.  I don't see TJ Grimes or Jeff Monroe walking through that door."  It was brought up, that at last year's tournament, which I think means nothing right now, BC lost by 23.  So I brought up the fact that H-SC lost a second half 16 point lead to R-MC.  I still consider this to be a young H-SC team.  Not as young as BC, but young.  Their seniors (Guill and Lewick) only played extended minutes for the first time last year because of injuries and being behind great players.  Their juniors (Edwards and Forrester) played key minutes where they really needed to produce last year for the first time because they were behind some great players as freshmen.  Their sophomores obviously have one year, and their freshmen have none, and basically replace a would-be junior and sophomore in the rotation.  I consider that a young team.  Neither you nor Algernon, nor any other H-SC poster or fan may, but I do.

The score will be 0-0 at 5:00 on Saturday.  The officials are not going to put up points just because H-SC has a better reputation.  You don't win games based on reputation, you win them based on what you put on the floor.  Again, I think H-SC will win, and upon further reflection, it may not be as close as I originally thought.  The guards will pressure the Eagles all over the place, and it is tough for Michael and Fox to take advantage of their size if they don't get it.  It's tough to zone the Tigers this year, because they are the best shooting H-SC team I have seen in a while.  Again, tough to go man because the guards are better.

It will be an interesting season for the Eagles.  I think it is a safe bet to say that BC, E&H, LC, and W&L will be the ones fighting for the last couple of spots.  Of those four, I do think that the Eagles have the best chance of pulling an upset against GC or EMU, but time will tell.  And I do think of those four, BC is the best team.  Again, time will tell.  At least I wasn't on here predicting winning seasons (talk about reputation, or lack thereof) and turnarounds like other people were for their teams.  By the way, Scott, I was posting to Algernon when you changed your post.  But the point is that you changed it.  I made what you said sound ridiculous, so you had to change it.  Doesn't matter when you did, or if I looked over it, it had to be changed.

[algernon]

Guill has an injury and sat out the tournament because of it.  I was told that he hopes to be back on the floor by Saturday, but I guess time will tell.

Although the Tigers really need Guill, they did fine with Matt Green starting at point and Byron Lawton, a freshman, coming in to sub for him.  Byron had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and only 1 turnover in 29 minutes of action over the course of the two tournament games.