MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[scottiedoug]

Now that is depressing! Reality sucks, sometimes. The implications of this for D3 sports and colleges' viability are pretty unhappy, too.

[y_jack_lok]

Now that is depressing! Reality sucks, sometimes. The implications of this for D3 sports and colleges' viability are pretty unhappy, too.

Yes, there is no escaping the awful effect this is going to have on just about anything that involves people gathering together in close proximity to one another for an extended period of time. I was thinking about movies, also. It's unlikely that any filming can be taking place, so no new movies, except for ones already planned for release that have been put on  hold.

[y_jack_lok]

Great article on former R-MC coach Paul Webb about his time at ODU, where he coached after R-MC.

https://odusports.com/news/2020/4/27/mens-basketball-minium-even-at-90-paul-webbs-memories-of-the-good-times-when-he-was-odus-basketball-coach-remain-crystal-clear.aspx

[y_jack_lok]

NBCSports article on R-MC's very successful basketball and baseball seasons ended by coronavirus.

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/ncaa/randolph-macon-had-two-potential-title-teams-seasons-ended-covid-19

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

NBCSports article on R-MC's very successful basketball and baseball seasons ended by coronavirus.

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/ncaa/randolph-macon-had-two-potential-title-teams-seasons-ended-covid-19

Written by a former DIII basketball player. Tim, who is a friend and colleague of mine, played and graduated from Muhlenberg.

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ Interesting. Thanks for sharing that. Reading it again it has the feel of being written by someone who understands D3 in a personal way.

[jknezek]

W&L's newest contribution to the never ending facility Wars. Granted the old gym was out of date 20 years ago, but the new gym facility is going to beautiful. Can't do much about the atmosphere at events, but at least athletes will no longer feel like they are in a dungeon.

https://spark.adobe.com/page/V5Z77jciSmO6T/

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ That's a very impressive looking facility.

[WUPHF]

W&L's newest contribution to the never ending facility Wars.

Prediction: the facility wars have ended.

I am glad to see that they are installing (or keeping) the racquetball and squash courts.  Racquetball is the best sport that is at risk of disappearing in our lifetime. 

[y_jack_lok]

Just learned, thanks to a poster on another of these boards, that a former Va. Wesleyan player was named to the second team of the All-League teams in the German Pro B league. I had to do a little sleuthing to come up with who it was -- D. J Woodmore.

Scroll down to see: https://www.eurobasket.com/Germany/basketball-League-ProB_2019-2020.asp

Another former D3 player, Brady Rose of Illinois Wesleyan, was named 3td team. All other former U.S. college players who made all-league were D1, D2  or NAIA.

[thescottharris]

Just learned, thanks to a poster on another of these boards, that a former Va. Wesleyan player was named to the second team of the All-League teams in the German Pro B league. I had to do a little sleuthing to come up with who it was -- D. J Woodmore.

Scroll down to see: https://www.eurobasket.com/Germany/basketball-League-ProB_2019-2020.asp

Another former D3 player, Brady Rose of Illinois Wesleyan, was named 3td team. All other former U.S. college players who made all-league were D1, D2  or NAIA.

H-SC's Khobi Williamson was his teammate for a while but I heard he left basketball to attend Brown. But further research reveals he didn't stay out for long as he has played in Qatar for three years. Was named the top center in the Qatari league either his first or second year. Don't know how he's making that combo work but I guess he is.

[thescottharris]

Also, be on the lookout for news in the near future about a reduction in # of scheduled games for this season. Have no idea how many it will be but hearing there will be a reduction across the board in all sports for D3 much like D2 has done. Not saying we will see as many games slashed from schedules but just that it's going to be across the board like D2 did.

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ I haven't heard what D2 is doing. Can you elaborate or point me to a source or two?

[jknezek]

^^^ I haven't heard what D2 is doing. Can you elaborate or point me to a source or two?

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/dii-presidents-council-lowers-maximum-minimum-number-contests

[thescottharris]

^^^ I haven't heard what D2 is doing. Can you elaborate or point me to a source or two?

Maximum contests/dates before reduction for the "major" sports
Baseball - 50 games
Basketball - 26 games
Football - 11 games
Lacrosse - 17 games
Soccer - 18 matches

Maximum after reductions
Baseball - 40 games (-10, -20%)
Basketball - 22 games (-4, 15.4%)
Football - 10 games (-1, 9.1%)
Lacrosse - 13 games (-4, 23.5%)
Soccer - 14 matches (-4, 22.2%)

Don't think we see as high as a 20% reduction since D3 has fewer scheduled games, but who knows. I think something like 10-15% is more realistic. Only specific I'd say with certainty will happen is football drops to 9 instead of 10. Can't see them dropping to 8, think that would be the worst case scenario.

Would not surprise me if we see a similar large drop in baseball. They already play have too many maximum games as it is at 40.

This obviously wouldn't happen for this year, but even though this would be an SID nightmare, basketball really should look into condensing the season and shifting it more towards a single-semester sport instead of a cross-semester sport, as should every other winter sport. Would present a tremendous opportunity to cut costs as housing and feeding teams over winter break is really expensive.

Condensing it to one semester eliminates more times where practices and games are far less frequent, like Thanksgiving week and most of December because of exams and giving the SAs some time off.

The season runs from Mid October to March. That's a like 5.5-6 month season. Every other sport I am familiar (other than golf and tennis but those two are an entirely different beast with how they are structured) with completes their season in 4.5-5 months. Basically eliminate December from the basketball calendar and the season can easily be completed in 4.5-5 months like every other sport.

This also gives basketball the opportunity to have a non-traditional practice/playing season that they currently lack but which single-semester sports have the opportunity to participate in.