MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jdubyadubya]

Husky40 - Peter Warren is a perfect example. He had a good high school career, all region, all conference, etc. but not a real standout. He applied to D1, D2, and D3 schools but made the decision that if he wanted to be a big fish in a little sea, the D3 school was the way to go. He also met Coach Macedo at a 5 Star Camp in PA. Did he want to ride the pine if he attended a D1 or D2 school? Or, did he want to play as a freshman in a D3 program. He chose the latter and played all four years and had a pretty good career. Now he's going off to play for the NY Nationals and after that who knows.

STH - good to see you are back.

[ladyeagle]

Hey Everyone...
I decided it was about time to start posting now and then on the board, but it looks like I'm gonna have to get caught up on everything that is going on around the ODAC.  I'm a lot more hopeful for Bridgewater's season then I was when I last posted on here so that is a good start.   Good luck to VWC.  We'll see if you can meet the high expectations already put out there for you. 
Anyway, I'm excited for another season to begin...I do have my own season to finish in the meantime so we'll see how much catching up I can get done in the next few weeks. 

[jdubyadubya]

ladyeagle - Bridgewater should be very good this year, top four good I suspect. VWC better be cautious because all this talk of preseason rankings can swell heads and they don't need that. The Marlin team on the floor has a lot to prove when the season starts. They've been building toward national prominence for four years. They don't want to blow what previous and current players have helped to build.

[Husky40]

Thanks for the infomation about D3.  What can you say about these two schools and their basketball programs & coaches:  VWU and Bridgewater?  How would they compare to some other D3 schools such as Frostburg State, Hood College, Catholic U. Mary Washington, and Salisbury, and a D2 school, Davis & Elkins?

[jdubyadubya]

Bill Leatherman is a legend. Dave Macedo is becoming one. Coach is in his 6th year at VWC. Both coaches are renown for getting the most from their players. Just ask Steelyglen. Geographically, they are at opposite ends of the state - Bridgewater near Harrisonburg(JMU, EMU, etc. territory) and VWC in Norfolk/VA Beach(ODU, CNU, etc.). Hood's program is brand new. Don't know much about the others - VWC plays Salisbury in non ODAC Action. You pretty much have a smorgasboard of education and athletics within the ODAC. 

[mybleedinghands]

Less than two weeks until practice starts! October 15th at 12:01 am, who else is getting excited?!

[jdubyadubya]

Well, STH, I'm excited for all the DIII ball players, especially the ODAC, and most especially the Marlins. Warren won't be there this year but hopefully he and the others before him along with some current players have laid a good enough base to repeat as ODAC champs and go a little deeper in the NCAA tournament. But, there's a long season ahead and time and talent will tell. And, there's a heck of a lot of talent in the ODAC this year!

[mybleedinghands]

Now that Guilford has lost their 2 best players in Genaro Lawhorn and Kerry Atkinson, where do you guys think Guilford will finish in the ODAC?? Which players are going to have to step up their game the most for Guilford to make the ODAC Tournament?

I think Guilford will finish around the seventh or eigth spot. I know they can get some good players down there, but I'm pretty sure they wont be able to get two people to come in that were as good as Genaro and Atkinson. I think Ben Strong is going to have to step it up as he will become the starting center I imagine. He did pretty well when he was in the game, but I don't think defenses would focus on him when he got in, but i'm not too positive about that. Does anyone know if he has put on any muscle? He has tremendous potential!

[baselinejam]

I had not heard that Guilford's Atkinson wasn't playing there this season. That's got to hurt - losing the ODAC freshman of the year. What happened?

[mybleedinghands]

Atkinson transferred to a D2 school called NC Central I believe.

[jboogie33]

I  feel guilford well be fine. You know Coach Palembo will have his team ready to compete every single night. Yes the lost of kerry and lawhorn  might  but you know everyone else will have to step up thats all. No team in the odac does not know who there leading scorer is.Remember this team led the odac in points per game last year. they will be in the mix this year. A last place finish or a seventh place finish is unacceptable.

[jdubyadubya]

I've always said that Guilford is always strong, especially at home. I know that whenever the Marlins play the Quakers, it's a battle! I see them as 5 or 6 this season, right around .500.

[PA Royals Fan]

Link to a D-NR story today about how Leatherman and Dean wish they could watch their players like DI does. 

Another example of NCAA not making sense.  I would hazard a guess the players at DIII are more likely to be where they need to be in the classroom anyway.

[PA Royals Fan]

opps,

http://www.dailynews-record.com/sports_details.php?AID=948&CHID=3

[jdubyadubya]

PA Royals Fan et. al. This is very interesting. Of course, the teams have been together practicing with the team captains for quite a while without the coaches but as the coaches said they would like to have a little input. Maybe the rules will be relaxed a little bit and maybe Coach Leatherman can have a say in that change. I'm all for it.