MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jknezek]

Aside from all this CRAP! What happened in the VWC- W&L game tonite??GEEZ..... ISN'T THIS BASKETBALL CHANNEL!!!??....;-)

What do you mean what happened? About what you'd expect. A very mediocre W&L team got rolled by a much better one. The Generals seemed to have taken at least a half step back this year...

[rmc1982]

Aside from all this CRAP! What happened in the VWC- W&L game tonite??GEEZ..... ISN'T THIS BASKETBALL CHANNEL!!!??....;-)

What do you mean what happened? About what you'd expect. A very mediocre W&L team got rolled by a much better one. The Generals seemed to have taken at least a half step back this year...

DUDE-THE SCORE HADN'T BEEN POSTED!! Don't be a smarta--!!

[hasanova]

Hasa -- that wasn't particularly unusual during the Civil War. W&L had the Liberty Hall Volunteers which included a significant portion of campus (quite a feet for what was at the time essentially a seminary school) and fought under Stonewall Jackson and with the majority of VMI students. If you make it up to W&L, take a look around in Lee Chapel and the plaques for the members of the Liberty Hall Volunteers. The casualty rate of a unit that fought at almost every major battle in the mid-Atlantic up to Gettysburg, serving as Stonewall's personal bodyguard at times, was over 50% and almost caused the end of W&L as an institution for lack of students.

While the company included many non-students as the war drug on, and was essentially annihilated at Gettysburg, the students were the original driving force of one of the most celebrated, and savaged, Confederate units.

There is a reason General Lee retired to W&L after the war to be President of a relatively unknown and small school in rural VA. And it wasn't simply because the Union decided his ancestral home was the perfect place to honor their fallen warriors!

Yeah, I know.  I've had the pleasure of visiting Lee Chapel, W&L, VMI and sites such as Appomattox.  Did you know, at one time, Lee was the only cadet to graduate from West Point without a single demerit?

[algernon]

Is this now the Civil War Discussion Board?

It's still very close at the top!  Barring some real upsets tomorrow evening, the top four will have these records after the games:

Virginia Wesleyan.   9.   1.
Randolph-Macon.    10.  2.
Hampden-Sydney.   9.   3.
Guilford.                9.   3.

Upcoming matches between these four:
Virginia Wesleyan @ Randolph-Macon
Hampden-Sydney @ Guilford
Hampden-Sydney @ Virginia Wesleyan
Randolph-Macon @ Hampden-Sydney

If Hampden-Sydney finishes strong and wins out (a big IF, but possible), their final 13-3 record could be sufficient to attain the #1 seed for the tournament.  As my college-age daughter would say, "Just saying ...".

[2RMCFans]

78rmc & don- we were pretty positive on this Jackets team from the start & glad they've backed up our hopes for the season so far!  If you look at the talent in the Soph & Freshmen classes you have got to give Coach Davis & staff props for recruiting.

Not sure what has happened regarding Evan Jackson now off roster, but if he has transferred it may be in order to get more playing time next season on another team that recruited him?  Think he was a starter at Deep Run & barely got in some games this season.  We will miss him in Ashland:  he is an outstanding young guy & we wish him all the best wherever his path leads.   

Good luck to all around the ODAC during this BIG week & weekend.  GO JACKETS!!!

[78rmc]

78rmc & don- we were pretty positive on this Jackets team from the start & glad they've backed up our hopes for the season so far!  If you look at the talent in the Soph & Freshmen classes you have got to give Coach Davis & staff props for recruiting.

Not sure what has happened regarding Evan Jackson now off roster, but if he has transferred it may be in order to get more playing time next season on another team that recruited him?  Think he was a starter at Deep Run & barely got in some games this season.  We will miss him in Ashland:  he is an outstanding young guy & we wish him all the best wherever his path leads.   

Good luck to all around the ODAC during this BIG week & weekend.  GO JACKETS!!!

While I appreciate your optimism and enthusiasm about the FR and SO class, I'm not sure how that was obvious before the season.  As to the Freshmen, no one knows how they will perform, it's generally an unknown for most teams.  As to this Sophomore class, only two of last year's Freshmen class of five total is still on the team, 3 have left.  Granted those two have contributed.  The big three of Croskey, Desgain, and Giggetts is why this team is doing well.  As, I've stated before, you win with JRs and SRs, which is why it's critical to keep players on the team.

Regardless of the reasons, this team and Coach are to be commended so far.

As to Evan Jackson, let's hope he's in the classroom this spring, works hard and rejoins the team in the fall.  If not, I wish him good luck!

[HSCTiger74]

Hasa -- that wasn't particularly unusual during the Civil War. W&L had the Liberty Hall Volunteers which included a significant portion of campus (quite a feet for what was at the time essentially a seminary school) and fought under Stonewall Jackson and with the majority of VMI students. If you make it up to W&L, take a look around in Lee Chapel and the plaques for the members of the Liberty Hall Volunteers. The casualty rate of a unit that fought at almost every major battle in the mid-Atlantic up to Gettysburg, serving as Stonewall's personal bodyguard at times, was over 50% and almost caused the end of W&L as an institution for lack of students.

While the company included many non-students as the war drug on, and was essentially annihilated at Gettysburg, the students were the original driving force of one of the most celebrated, and savaged, Confederate units.

There is a reason General Lee retired to W&L after the war to be President of a relatively unknown and small school in rural VA. And it wasn't simply because the Union decided his ancestral home was the perfect place to honor their fallen warriors!

Yes ... he was in need of a dignified way to support himself and his family, and the Washington College (as W&L was then known) position gave him exactly that. He'd had offers of cash for just the use of his name but refused to take money without giving services in return.

[jknezek]

Yes ... he was in need of a dignified way to support himself and his family, and the Washington College (as W&L was then known) position gave him exactly that. He'd had offers of cash for just the use of his name but refused to take money without giving services in return.

Very true! But I have no doubt that the reputation of the Liberty Hall Volunteers helped in that decision. There are some papers in one of the collections at W&L that include correspondence between Lee and some friends that support my assertion. Of course his wife was not as supportive of his decision. Then again, it was her family's property that became Arlington National Cemetary. Most historians agree she never forgave him for losing that property.

As a yankee, I never had much of the regard for General Lee that many of my alumni held. He did, however, make impressive and long lasting changes to W&L that still echo today. The honor code chief among them, but also the journalism school, the speaking tradition, and the ingrained concept of civility on campus.

And with that, I'll leave history to the books and we can refocus on men's ODAC basketball. Although I have much more to say about W&L's history than our rather mediocre basketball teams this year!

[algernon]

Only 6 of the ODAC colleges were in existence at the time of the Civil War.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Only 6 of the ODAC colleges were in existence at the time of the Civil War.

I'm not gonna research it, but I'd bet that still puts you WAY ahead of most d3 (or any other level) conferences!

Of course, to us 'Yankees', you were still treasonous hooligans (however noble Robert E Lee was personally)!

[2RMCFans]

While I appreciate your optimism and enthusiasm about the FR and SO class, I'm not sure how that was obvious before the season.  As to the Freshmen, no one knows how they will perform, it's generally an unknown for most teams.  As to this Sophomore class, only two of last year's Freshmen class of five total is still on the team, 3 have left.  Granted those two have contributed.  The big three of Croskey, Desgain, and Giggetts is why this team is doing well.  As, I've stated before, you win with JRs and SRs, which is why it's critical to keep players on the team.

Regardless of the reasons, this team and Coach are to be commended so far.

As to Evan Jackson, let's hope he's in the classroom this spring, works hard and rejoins the team in the fall.  If not, I wish him good luck!

Okay, to help you prove your point about Jrs & Srs winning the games for us- Jr. Dylan Cole is shooting 59% this season.  Let's just not overlook that we have Freshmen starting & backing up (credibly) at point guard (Badger & Walker) & that Soph. Simon is shooting 57% and leads the team in avg. rebounds (6.2).  Also, the improvement of Holmes & Robinson during this season is unmistakable. Frankly, none of this is a surprise to us & just reflects what we hoped was going to happen.  GO JACKETS!!! 

[hasanova]

Only 6 of the ODAC colleges were in existence at the time of the Civil War.

I'm betting E&H, GC, HSC, RMC, Roanoke and W&L were the six.  If the ODAC splits into two divisions, maybe we should use these six as one division and the Johnny-come-lately schools as the other? 

[hasanova]

Only 6 of the ODAC colleges were in existence at the time of the Civil War.

I'm not gonna research it, but I'd bet that still puts you WAY ahead of most d3 (or any other level) conferences!

Of course, to us 'Yankees', you were still treasonous hooligans (however noble Robert E Lee was personally)!

Just a hunch, but I bet the NESCAC schools have been around a while.

[gordonmann]

Yep. Every one except Conn College was founded before 1860.

[hasanova]

Yep. Every one except Conn College was founded before 1860.

Thank you, Gordon.  +1