MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[hasanova]

My picks:

Jan 18--BC, E&H, VWC

Jan 21- BC, H-S, GC, R-M, VWC

Jan 22- R-M, VWC

Stopped by the A-SC this weekend for a "test" drive.  Think it'll work well for the D3Hoops posters.

So, you passed the bar.  Thanks for checking this out for us.

(Ahem)  I like to be thorough.   The devil is always in the details.

FYI, the A-SC is on Grandin Avenue in SW Roanoke.  Near Patrick Henry High School.  Gotta huge WVU insignia on the building (I am guessing the owner is a big Mountaineer fan).  Definitely a sports bar with a local ownership aura pervading.

Here's some Mapquest information:

All Sports Cafe, 2326 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke, VA 24015   540-725-5155 or 725-2077
Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Blvd (corner Texas St.), Salem, VA 24153

The two are less than 5 miles apart.  From the Civic Center, go southeast on Roanoke Blvd toward Fisher Ave (0.4 mile).  Rurn right onto VA-419/Electric Rd (0.5 miles).  Turn left onto US-11/Apperson Dr, continue to follow US-11 (3.3 miles).  Turn right onto Grandin Rd SW (0.3 miles).  A-SC is 2326 Grandin Rd.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

There's a new Top 25 out and my predictions (RMC at #18, HSC at #21, and VWC at #24) were pretty close to the mark, although VWC definitely did not get the recognition the Marlins deserve:

#17 - RMC
#20 - HSC
#31 - VWC

It's interesting that most posters are picking the Marlins to beat the Tigers tomorrow.  It seems that their 11 wins in a row, with a big victory over RMC, is considerably more impressive than HSC's losing 2 of the last 3, with a big loss to RMC.  If they win tomorrow, the Marlins should definitely take the Tigers' place in the Top 25.

If the Tigers beat the Marlins again, they'll move into a tie with VWC for second place in the ODAC.

I was one who picked the Marlins, but not because of the recent happenings you mention.

In the 74-62 victory by the Tigers last time they met, the Marlins' TonTon Balenga didn't play.  He is averaging 10.9 points and hitting on .459 from behind the arc in 14 starts.

The other thing is, H-SC was a blistering 8-for-10 from behind the arc (while VWC was 2-13).  I just can't see that happening again.  H-SC has hit 38% of their 3-pointers on the season, but the Marlins have hit on 40%.

So unless there is a repeat performance (shooting-wise) and Balenga is a non-factor, I like the Marlins in this one.

I realize those are two big what ifs, but the Tigers playing at home isn't all that big of a factor.  They are "only" 9-4 in the Kirby Fieldhouse the past two seasons against ODAC competition.

[algernon]

I was one who picked the Marlins, but not because of the recent happenings you mention.

In the 74-62 victory by the Tigers last time they met, the Marlins' TonTon Balenga didn't play.  He is averaging 10.9 points and hitting on .459 from behind the arc in 14 starts.

The other thing is, H-SC was a blistering 8-for-10 from behind the arc (while VWC was 2-13).  I just can't see that happening again.  H-SC has hit 38% of their 3-pointers on the season, but the Marlins have hit on 40%.

So unless there is a repeat performance (shooting-wise) and Balenga is a non-factor, I like the Marlins in this one.

I realize those are two big what ifs, but the Tigers playing at home isn't all that big of a factor.  They are "only" 9-4 in the Kirby Fieldhouse the past two seasons against ODAC competition.

Good points, kid.  I had looked at the last HSC-VWC game and noticed how hot the Tigers were at the Beach and remembered that Balenga didn't play.  However, I'll betting on the Tigers to take another one, not only because of fan loyalty, but also because:

• While Balenga didn't play, Mike Edwards also saw very limited action -- 8 minutes, due to an early-game injury.  Mike is an HSC starter who is averaging 10.1 points and hitting on .446 from behind the arc in 14 starts.  The absence of Balenga and Edwards may have essentially been the loss of a "knight for a knight" (if this were a chess match).
• Kaase only played 19 minutes at the Beach, due to foul trouble.  That is way below his normal playing time and he will hopefully get 25-30 minutes of action tomorrow.
• The Tigers beat Wesleyan by 12 points.  That's a pretty good spread and they led by 10-16 points for the last 8 minutes of the game.  Even if they are less hot and the Marlins are hotter, the Tigers can come away with a smaller-margin win, if they can reduce the number of turnovers (18, last time!).

Whenever I think about this Tiger team's history, I look at what they've been doing since the fiasco in Ashland on January 12 of last year.  Since then, the Tigers are 12-2 in Fleet Gym, as opposed to 8-2 on the opponent's court.  Little difference.  Over the last 2 seasons, Virginia Wesleyan is 19-3 at home and 14-5 on the road.  Some difference there.  However, 2 of their 3 home losses were to the Tigers, while one of their road wins was against the Tigers ....

Neither team has won at home against the other team ....  Maybe there's a home court disadvantage when these 2 teams play!   

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

New poll posted.


Previous Question: After Saturday's games, who do you feel is the best team in the ODAC?
Guilford - 0 (0%)
Hampden-Sydney - 2 (7.7%)
Randolph-Macon - 12 (46.2%)
Roanoke - 1 (3.8%)
Virginia Wesleyan - 11 (42.3%)
 
Total Votes: 26

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Good points, kid.  I had looked at the last HSC-VWC game and noticed how hot the Tigers were at the Beach and remembered that Balenga didn't play.  However, I'll betting on the Tigers to take another one, not only because of fan loyalty, but also because:

• While Balenga didn't play, Mike Edwards also saw very limited action -- 8 minutes, due to an early-game injury.  Mike is an HSC starter who is averaging 10.1 points and hitting on .446 from behind the arc in 14 starts.  The absence of Balenga and Edwards may have essentially been the loss of a "knight for a knight" (if this were a chess match).

I'm not sure that's quite a "wash."  When Edwards went out of the last meeting w/ the injury, VWC actually was still in the game (the Marlins held a one-point lead at 15-14).  Once Edwards was out, the Tigers finished the first half on a 22-12 run.  I'm not suggesting that H-SC is better w/out Edwards, I just think Balenga is more valuable to the Marlins than Edwards is the Tigers.

• Kaase only played 19 minutes at the Beach, due to foul trouble.  That is way below his normal playing time and he will hopefully get 25-30 minutes of action tomorrow.

Kaase's four fouls came with...

• 16:19 left in the 1st half (H-SC was up 7-2)
• 19:22 left in the 2nd half (H-SC was up 36-29)
• 17:22 left in the 2nd half (H-SC was up 39-32)
• 2:25 left in the 2nd half (H-SC was up 68-54)

So while Kaase had four fouls, they didn't become "trouble" until nearly 23 minutes into the game when the Tigers had built a seven-point lead.  And his fourth didn't come until the game was in the bag.

• The Tigers beat Wesleyan by 12 points. That's a pretty good spread and they led by 10-16 points for the last 8 minutes of the game. Even if they are less hot and the Marlins are hotter, the Tigers can come away with a smaller-margin win, if they can reduce the number of turnovers (18, last time!).

Very interesting stat from that game; H-SC committing 18 TOs to VWC's 8.

But I still think that VWC's defense allowing H-SC to shoot 63% from the field is uncharacteristic, seeing that for the season the Marlins and Tigers are holding their opponents to 43% and 42% shooting from the floor, respectively.

[ladyeagle]

my picks

Wednesday, January 18
Bridgewater
Guilford
Hampden-Sydney

Saturday, January 21
Bridgewater
Hampden-Sydney
Guilford
Randolph-Macon
Virginia Wesleyan

Sunday, January 22
Randolph-Macon
Virginia Wesleyan

[algernon]

• Kaase only played 19 minutes at the Beach, due to foul trouble.  That is way below his normal playing time and he will hopefully get 25-30 minutes of action tomorrow.

Kaase's four fouls came with...

• 16:19 left in the 1st half (H-SC was up 7-2)
• 19:22 left in the 2nd half (H-SC was up 36-29)
• 17:22 left in the 2nd half (H-SC was up 39-32)
• 2:25 left in the 2nd half (H-SC was up 68-54)

So while Kaase had four fouls, they didn't become "trouble" until nearly 23 minutes into the game when the Tigers had built a seven-point lead.  And his fourth didn't come until the game was in the bag.

Thanks for checking these fouls out.  I'm guessing that Troy sat for awhile after the early first foul and then didn't play much after the 3rd foul, which came early in the second half.  In the end, his getting only 19 minutes of action wasn't a plus for the Tigers in that game.  They've played better when he's in the game than when he's out.

It's hard to know how Balenga's presence might have changed things in the first game.  The Tigers currently have a 2-game winning streak against VWC and both games have been by 9-12 points.  Can they continue that?  Only time will tell ..... Game time is 7pm tomorrow and I think that Fleet will be rocking.

[algernon]

I like the new poll, kid.  Obviously, it is too early to have much of a clue about who, exactly, will go to the NCAA from the ODAC.  No ODAC team yet has a ticket to that event.  However (and I'd like to know what others think about this), any ODAC team with no more than 6 losses should stand a reasonable chance of getting a bid, now that the field has been expanded from 48 teams to 58 teams (It's 58, right?)  The Tigers can go 7-3 in the latter part of the regular season and, if they get to the ODAC championship game and lose, they'll still end up with a 21-6 season.  I think that scenario would get them in.  Similar scenarios can be imagined for RMC and VWC.

Three teams from the ODAC seems overly optimistic, even with a 58-team field, but 2 teams should be likely, unless Guilford, Roanoke, EMU, and other ODAC teams start increasing the numbers in HSC, RMC, and VWC's loss columns.

[jeloesel]

The team listens, hanging on his every word.

[jeloesel]

Reality check here.  After the results of last week, how can anyone make any predictions about going to the Big Dance?  The race for the ODAC championship is wide open, and I wouldn't want to spend much time speculating about who will be the regular season champ either.  Moreover, I think Algernon needs to root for his Tigers to snap out of their slump before he hypothesizes about getting to the ODAC championship game.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Reality check here.  After the results of last week, how can anyone make any predictions about going to the Big Dance?  The race for the ODAC championship is wide open, and I wouldn't want to spend much time speculating about who will be the regular season champ either.

Why not?  Speculation and prognostication drives these boards.

I can't believe you're in the pick 'em contest.  How dare you pick a winner before they even board the bus!

[baselinejam]

Reality check here.  After the results of last week, how can anyone make any predictions about going to the Big Dance?  The race for the ODAC championship is wide open, and I wouldn't want to spend much time speculating about who will be the regular season champ either.

Why not?  Speculation and prognostication drives these boards.

I can't believe you're in the pick 'em contest.  How dare you pick a winner before they even board the bus!

I believe that Mr. Loessel is just pointing out that you shouldn't count your chickens and that HSC has bigger fish to fry (love the food clichés). HSC was 1 pt away from an 0-3 week. NCAA talk is premature. Post away.

[seminoletiger]

Interesting poll.  Although, like Jim, I can't really post a vote from the options listed at the present time.  I might hurt a few feelings, but I don't think it is a huge stretch to say that the ODAC is a bit "down" this year compared to some of the other conferences and as compared to recent ODAC history.  There is both a lot of youth and parity in the league, and I think (as evidenced by last week's games in particular), that on any given night any ODAC team is capable of beating another conference foe.

That being said, if the league continues to beat itself up (like last week), I don't think anyone should expect more than the conference champion and maybe one other team to advance to the NCAAs.  And I say that with a realistic belief that the conference champion could very well be someone other than RMC, HSC, or VWC.

[algernon]

Reality check here.  After the results of last week, how can anyone make any predictions about going to the Big Dance?  The race for the ODAC championship is wide open, and I wouldn't want to spend much time speculating about who will be the regular season champ either.  Moreover, I think Algernon needs to root for his Tigers to snap out of their slump before he hypothesizes about getting to the ODAC championship game.

Making predictions is fun.  I not only predict that the Tigers will get an NCAA bid if they go 7-3 to finish out the regular season and then get to the ODAC championship game, but I also predict that Roanoke will get an NCAA bid if they go 9-1 to finish out the regular season and then get to the ODAC championship game.  How's that?   

[steelyglen]

I predict that Lyncburg will...hehe  ...win the...tee heehee  ...ODAC....haha ...championship if they  ...LOL...ah nevermind!