MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[mr_divac]

I went to the Guilford/ Italian Junior National team tonight for my first glimpse at the team this year. in all truth it was tought o watch Guilford play and not be able to help them out because i felt like i could have played well tonight. but as far as the game goes Guilford won by i believe 4, but the atheletics web page is down rightnow. Ben Strong had a silent first half but played a great second half. Guilford had a couple freshman step up and play well. the Italian team, in my opinion, wasn't the most talented team in the world but they were good. they had some shooters on the team, but no real inside player with a true post ability. it was a fun game to watch with some mean dunks by Ben Strong and a few by the Italian team. all and all it was a good win for the quakers who may have played 12-14 guys, some high figure. i am really proud of the team and the way they played, with so much heart. good job fellows, and god luck this season!!!!

[mr_divac]

Ben Strong went for 23 or 24 i can't remember and added 12 rebounds, freshmen named George dropped in i believe it said 14, Snipes had i think 9...a side note one of the Italian kids was unstoppable, he was a great plyer, he dropped 30 points in 30 minutes, that crazy!!!!

[jeloesel]

Thanks for the report.  The Guilford site is up and has the following story and box score:

http://www.guilford.edu/athletics/index.cfm?ID=a001881

Last night there was also an exhibition game between H-SC and Longwood.  The outcome of this local rivalry was not as favorable for the ODAC as the game vs. the Italian Under-18 team.  After an even 42-42 first half, Longwood pulled out to an 87-71 final margin.  The box score shows four Tigers scoring in double figures, led by Troy Kaase.  Does any D3hoopster have observations about the game?

http://www.hsc.edu/athletics/basketball/2005_06/longwoodbox.htm

[steelyglen]

i was informed by a extremely reliable source that moir had already decided to cut these upper classmen before tryouts had even started

...and?

[steelyglen]

I was not at the HSC-Longwood game last night but noticed that the Tigers only played eight in this exhibition game! I know that Sydney was playing to win but thought it odd that only eight saw the floor.  Is quality depth an issue, were injuries part of the equation...why only eight?

[mybleedinghands]

steelyglen,
and that basically shows that it had nothing to do with performance on the court since D3 coaches arent allowed to watch their players play before practice starts. because if moir had decided to cut them after tryouts were over, then you could say that he thought the recruits were more talented, and it's harder to tell rather a freshmen is more talented than a senior or a junior before practice even starts.

[hasanova]

Ben Strong went for 23 or 24 i can't remember and added 12 rebounds, freshmen named George dropped in i believe it said 14, Snipes had i think 9...a side note one of the Italian kids was unstoppable, he was a great plyer, he dropped 30 points in 30 minutes, that crazy!!!!

I also went to the Guilford/Italian National game last night.  The Italians were tall, good ball-handlers and accurate outside shooters.  They dominated the early part of the game (I think I remember 17-5 early) and led 35-34 at the half.  Guilford took their first lead at 52-51 with about 11 minutes to go and it was pretty close back and forth the rest of the way.  Ben Strong was, well, strong, especially in the 2nd half.  He got 23 on 6 of 12 FG and 11 of 15 FT shooting with 3 blocks and 12 rebounds.  As you said, I was also impressed with freshman George Neville with 14 - he looks like he may get a lot of playing time.  Quakers played 15 guys and 12 scored - so that looks like the theme for this year.  Belkoski got an ankle sprain early - hope he's going to be OK.  Too many turnovers and FT shooting was only 27 of 39, including multiple misses on the front end of 1 and 1's, so those are some things that need improvement.  All in all, though, looks like a good Quaker team for this season.

Genaro, I saw you at the game.  I appreciate your enthusiastic support for this year's squad.  I'm looking forward to seeing you back in uniform in '06.

PS I was watching Italian Guard Aradori too.  He did score 30 on 12 of 17 FG shooting and 4 of 6 FT's.  He was 2 of 3 on 3-pointers.  All in 30 minutes ... I'd take him in shirts and skins! lol

[steelyglen]

Did anyone say it had anything to do with performance versus the incoming freshmen? Since these were upper classmen, I've got to believe that Coach Moir had seen these kids at least once before   and knew their value both on and maybe even more importantly off the floor! Seeing them in "practice" versus the freshmen would not have offered anything he didn't already know!

There are exceptions I know, but if a player has not significantly contributed to the program during his first three years there, generally speaking, then there is usually a very slim chance that he will provide any significant contribution as a Senior! It's one of the reasons you see rising Seniors in  D3 opt out of programs to "get on with life". Many times coaches have to recruit over them for the sake of program continuity!

Again, I do not know these kids or the situation at Roanoke so I am speaking in generalities. I do know this however, Page Moir is a very good basketball coach and even a better person. The basketball prgram at Roanoke College comes before any one player or set of players in his eyes.
I am sure he must have felt in was in the best interest of the Maroon program to move in this direction.

tick tock tick tock!

[hasanova]

steelyglen said, "Page Moir is a very good basketball coach and even a better person. The basketball prgram at Roanoke College comes before any one player or set of players in his eyes."

I know of the Moir family and their coaching legacy.  Page has had some good mentors for coaching, leadership and life.  I'm absolutely sure he did what was best for the young men, the team, the program and Roanoke College.

[xcoach]

baselinejam - I don't think my observations were in any way irrelevent. My comments were prompted by the 'report' made by Capt.Obvious and I expanded that report with the public (and some not so public) problems that have occured during and since last season at a few schools.
I agree completely with your assessment that coaches are responsible for their work product and thus, my complete support for coaches who might be faced with difficult decisions regarding who stays and who goes. Both the kids and the situations change enormously from the time that an athlete is 'recruited'.  What may have been a great fit for a recruit entering as a freshman might change dramatically as early as the next season. How the kid reacts to the new dynamic can have a major impact on the team. If the impact is a negative one, the coach is often left with no choice but to cut the player loose. Again, my remarks are not an analysis of the situation at RC, rather a commentary on the evolution of D3 hoops in general.  

[jeloesel]

The Roanoke Times did a section on college basketball today, which included a story about Roanoke, W&L, and Ferrum.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/college/wb/39997

[algernon]

The Tigers looked great last night against a DI team that is MUCH improved over last year.  Longwood's athleticism and strength were not what you see in DIII ball.  All of the Tiger fans I spoke to at the game were very excited about the quality play of the Tigers last night.

Troy Kaase, scoring 27 points, had some great moves around the basket and is clearly much improved over last year.

HSC was tied at the half but behind during most of the second half by 8-12 points, with the gap widening to 16 in the final 5 minutes.  Looking to beat a very tough opponent, the Tigers stayed with their 10 returnees from last year, minus Cvijanovich -- who is injured -- and Szuch.  That left them very shallow in the middle, with Kaase playing all but 4 minutes.  They had good depth at the guard positions and got some great play from Guill, Green, Prehmus, and Edwards.

This team is going to do VERY WELL this year.  They will be a very tough opponent for the Marlins at the Beach on November 30, just like they were when they played down there last year.

[xcoach]

The article that Jim recommended says it better than I could:

Third-year coach Adam Hutchinson is concerned that players might have left the program because of his caustic style. He has done some soul-searching but intends to stay intense because he wants his charges to be more competitive.

"Have I thought about, 'Maybe I need to take a step back?' Yeah, I have," he said. "The conclusion reached is that basketball is a game of will. ... I can't dial back coaching that way.

Hutchinson said starting forward David Will and reserve Andrew Franklin chose to leave the team. He said reserve Colton Braud left the team by "mutual" decision.
Great honesty here by a coach who is trying to do a good job while staying true to his philosophy!

[justafan02]

Glad to be back and ready for another crazed ODAC season. 

Don't know if it has been thrown out there, but Brandon Adair had a subpar day in the Marlins scrimmage last weekend.  He went 14 for 17 from the field and tallied up 36 points.  He will be a 1,000 point scorer for his career after the first four or five games this year too.

[jeloesel]

Brandon was just named to the D3hoops Honorable Mention team.  Justin Wansley was named to the First Team.  Congratulations to both of these deserving athletes.