MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[mybleedinghands]

macon is around the 6-8 range in my book considering all they lose and what little they bring back.

[algernon]

Algernon - is this the same Michael Blaine who coached at Radford? How long was he there? Was there some controversy surrounding that team?

Yes, it is the same Michael Blaine.  He has coached at Radford and Army and there is an interesting picture and bio of him here. A 2003 grad of Johns Hopkins, the article I posted earlier suggests he has a lot of character and will be a strong role model for the HSC players.

Blaine was at Radford for 1 year and is leaving as the Highlanders get a new head coach.

[algernon]

So, Sludge, any way early, pre-season prognostication? I'm thinking VWC, Guilford, Roanoke, HSC and RMC, in that order. But, hey, it's ODAC and who knows.

Yes, it's way early, but FWIW:

1) Hampden-Sydney
2) Guilford
3) Virginia Wesleyan
4) Roanoke
5) Bridgewater
6) Emory & Henry
7) Randolph-Macon
8 ) Washington & Lee
9) Lynchburg
10) EMU

I think there will be a very real fight for the top spot between 3-4 teams .....

Even though the Tigers lose Matt Green and Mike Edwards, they bring back a huge piece of last year's ODAC Championship team in Tyler Murray, Drew Prehmus, and Turner King, return key contributors in Lane Medlin, Jyri Laakso, and Byron Lawton, and will enjoy the return of 2005-06 ODAC First-Teamer, Troy Kaase.

Guilford will be very, very Strong ..  , despite the loss of Jordon Snipes and another player or two.  Their inside game will be fabulous.

The Marlins will adjust to the loss of Brandon Adair, but there is no doubt that Adair was extremely important to their success.  The Tigers beat them 1 out of 4 times last year; given that the Marlins' All-American is gone and Kaase is back, I expect the Tigers will do better against the Marlins this coming year.

Roanoke has the potential to be a very real contender.  They defeated the Yellow Jackets by more than 20 points in the ODAC tournament and bring back Peery, Dowell, LaPorte, Milton, and Carter.

Randolph-Macon will do well to finish as high as 7th place in a conference as tough as the ODAC will be.  They lost 4 of their last 5 games last year, including a loss to Bridgewater.  The Tigers beat them by nearly 30 points at the end of the regular season and the Maroons defeated them by more than 20 points in the 1st round of the tournament.  They lose 4 of their top 8 players in Hawley, Krovic, Sutherland, and Sisson.  Although David Carlson is a heck of a player, none of their other returning players has impressed me.  Mike Rhoades is a good coach, but he can't pull a bunny out of a hat ..... He needs players like Justin Wansley and Jared Mills and he doesn't have them. 

[mybleedinghands]

my objective rankings would be:

1) Guilford
2) Hampden-Sydney
3) Virginia Wesleyan
4) Roanoke
5) Emory & Henry
6) Bridgewater
7) Randolph-Macon
8 ) Washington & Lee
9) Eastern Mennonite

I'm not going to rank LC, I know too much about what the roster will look like (at least as of now) to be able to objectively place them since I don't know what kind of talent schools will be bringing back or losing to something other than graduation.

[sludge]

Well, here's my picks.

1) Guilford
2) Virginia Wesleyan
3) Hampden-Sydney
4) Roanoke
5) Bridgewater
6) Emory & Henry
7) Randolph-Macon
8 ) Washington & Lee
9) Lynchburg
10) EMU

The conference looks tight to me, though.  I've got a lot of problems with these picks.

Can Guilford really replace two seniors, Snipes and Burge?  That's a lot of toughness graduated (but way to go, guys!).  Also, Snipes was ever willing swing out or in, and was capable of a 40-point game (I remember) and sometimes a near-perfect game (I remember).  Also,  he had an uncanny knack for the clutch shots (everybody remembers at least a couple).  Burge also had a knack for big moments, had em by the fistful, sometime points, rebounds, passes or at the line.

Is VWC really not at the top?  Sure, they lose a huge threat in the post, but they've still got a lot of guns and are likely to continue to play defense...

With Kaase back, is H-SC really only #3?  You sure?

Roanoke and Bridgewater may be placed about right, but you a Guilford fan (at least) knows they are both ever-dangerous and can exceed expectations.

Is run-and-gun E&H really only 6?  Are you sure?  Do you look forward to playing them at their place?
(By the way, Guilford had a lot of thanks to give to the ODAC when they played Manhattanville in NCAA last spring.  Manhattanville thought they were going to crush the guards and run our socks off.  It was not possible for two reasons:  we were wide awake (thanks, Bridgewater) and we had had recent practice in the uptempo game (thanks, E&H).

Randolph-Macon:  Some gaps, sure, but do you really think 7?  I've got my doubts.

W&L:  A very dynamic team, about three (or maybe two) points from winning a lot more games.  Hutchinson has a good eye for talent, and if he reels it in, the picks could be blown.

Lynchburg:  Maybe, maybe but they are large and I don't enjoy playing them.

EMU: Likely need to rebuild, but better can happen, though.  I have a great respect for the general tradition of the school.

I'd say maybe better cancel the preseason picks and play the games!

[jdubyadubya]

Sludge - you hit the nail squarely on its head....the reason VWC will stay on top through the 07/08 season is because of DEFENSE. They have lost Adair, a post presence, but they have some real quick players who can pick your pocket before you know it. And maybe some guys like Hassell and Battaglia will grow up and become real shot blockers. VWC's speed and ability to get back on defense will keep them on top of the ODAC heap this season. The kid to watch this year I think is Fields.

[sludge]

Sludge - you hit the nail squarely on its head....the reason VWC will stay on top through the 07/08 season is because of DEFENSE.

Sure, thanks for the complement and you have a good point.  I don't agree with the conclusion.  ;->)

[jdubyadubya]

OK, so maybe it's not the defense alone that will prevail but a solid combination of offense and defense. So, maybe guys like Ton Ton and Tyler Fantin will start scoring 15 or 20 a game and then you've got a real jumper in Ari Paschal and a pretty good shooter in Fields. If the big men -- Coy, Green, Hassell, Battaglia -- get it going it could be real interesting. 

[vdub_fan]

i agree....although the marlins due lose to starters in adair and sumpter i think that hassell and tucker played significant enough minutes last year where they can step in and not be a problem and if VWC has one of its post players step up to play half as well as adair did then this could be another great year for VWC. i think the marlins will be picked to finish 3rd this year behind guilford and sydney but dont be suprised when you see them cutting down the nets for the 3rd out of 4 years in the salem civic center.

[jdubyadubya]

vdub - But I suppose you could make the argument that VWC is much deeper than both Guilford and HSC, especially at the guard positions. I'll stand by my earlier prediction that defense will carry the Marlins right through to the NCAA tournament again.

[ODACfan4life]

No doubt that the ODAC will continue its nationwide strong reputation this season.  I also think that with the emergence of more Division III schools, the quality of Div. III competition across the country will only get better and better.

07-08 preseason pick:

1.  HSC - experience, talent, depth and coaching
2.  VWC - ditto
3.  Guilford - size and some real good newcomers
4. Roanoke - always tough
5. Bridgewater - Good young guards
6. Emory & Henry - a wild card that noone wants to play
7. Randolph-Macon - Coach will find a way to make them competitive.
8. Washington & Lee - probably better than 8th
9. Lynchburg - size makes them a pretty good 9th place team
10. EMU - should struggle

[vdub_fan]

jdub, i will agree with you that VW is a lot deeper than guilford and hsc especially at the guard spot. im picking them to finish 1st but i think the odac will pick guilford jus for the fact that vwc is not a liked team in the odac.....know who do you guys think will b the best player at each position in the ODAC

[y_jack_lok]

I'm an RM alum living in the midwest, but I keep up with my alma mater and the ODAC. It seemed to me that Coach Rhoades may have intentionally put a slightly younger team on the floor last year, particularly near the end of the season, for the purpose of getting them experience. Don't know if I'm right about that and if I am whether it will work or not, but I would agree that RM doesn't have the talent it had 3 or 4 years ago. Have to hope there are some top notch newcomers.

[algernon]

I've looked at some stats on the RMC games over the season and 3 seniors were among the top 7 players, in terms of playing time: Krovic (24 min), Sutherland (24 min), and Hawley (20 min).  All but Sutherland seem to have played about the same amount at the end of the season as they did at the beginning.  Sutherland's minutes seem to have been lower by the end, with Andre Hunter, a freshman, apparently picking up some of them.

These are the Yellow Jackets who are presumably coming back (with 07-08 class year) who played the most minutes last year:

Justin Short (JR) .... 31 min
David Carlson (JR) .... 30 min
Jeremy Dixon (SR) .... 25 min
Boris Varela (JR) .... 15 min
Andre Hunter (SO) .... 12 min
Reid Klotz (SR) .... 8 min
Michael Acutt (SO) .... 6 min

Unless he brings in an outstanding freshman, Rhoades might have a starting day lineup of Short, Hunter, Carlson, Dixon, and Varela.

[y_jack_lok]

RM has some guys returning who logged decent minutes last year. I know the three who graduated were all solid players. Do you think they will be a better team than last year? Also, I never understood why Loren Sisson didn't get more minutes as a junior and senior. The few times I saw him play he always seemed very steady and dependable and appeared to have good leadership skills.