MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[yj424]

I knew that Dee Vick would get the Tigers playing good ball. H-SC is fortunate to have him as their coach. I remember him as a player and assistant coach. I've got a feeling he will be there a long time with great success. The ODAC has been extremely fortunate in the longevity of their coaches. Canfield, Leatherman, Coach Nunnally, Page Moir, Bob Johnson....

Good win for the Yellow Jackets on the road at Emory and Henry. Always a tough environment.

[baselinejam]

The Gennies are finding their identity. Scrappy defense that doesn't ever give up. Down 14 with 11 to go they beat RC at RC by 2. Way to go Generals

When was the last time W&L beat a ranked team?!!!!!

[DenbowsRoomie]

Huzzah!  My presence in Bast was clearly a good luck charm for W&L, as the Gennies scrapped back to win with an exciting finish!!!  Seems like I should make the trip to D3 games more often!

The real key to the game was Curtis Peery's foul trouble.  When he was on the floor, he seemed to score at will both on the block and with mid-range jumpers from the baseline.  But when he picked up his 4th foul early in the 2nd half, the Maroons suffered a serious scoring drought.  Meanwhile, the Gennies picked away at the lead with some foul shooting (W&L was in the double-bonus with 10 mins left) and some timely scoring.  I also felt like W&L did a good job taking care of the ball when it mattered most.

Finally, Hutch's decision to let Zac White take the ball for the final minute was a solid choice -- he was clearly quicker and could get past or elevate over his man -- and that elevation was the key with his 6 ft semi-hook to seal the game.

BaselineJam -- dont know when the Gennies last beat a ranked team, but certainly not in the past 9 years, since the Roomie first hit the scene.

Finally, it was great to have a postboard celebrity meeting with one Jim Loesel, who managed to pick me out of the crowd.   Thanks Jim for waiting to sneak me through the VIP entrance -- alas I craftily found a back door entrance and missed my big opportunity for a formal D3 celebrity appearance.

How about them Generals?

[sludge]

Actually  'nova two players that were positive factors Neville andStephenson, had what I think were nice floor games. Maybe they did not put up alot of points but they both had impact on the outcome. I liked the way they played as a team.
   

Thanks for all the reports!  Gennies had a mighty big win there.

Donho has it just right.  Neville is the special sauce that makes Guilford so tough up front and Stephenson cements that whole presence.  Add really dynamic guys like Henson and Bonner and presto!  Fun team!

HSC, welcome to Greensboro.  I don't think you'll keep Sanborn off the glass at Guilford, or if you do, you'll expend alot of personnel on that job.  There are other ways to win though, that's what bothers me.  I know you guys play good D on any normal day, and you have for many years.

[HSCfan]

The Gennies are finding their identity. Scrappy defense that doesn't ever give up. Down 14 with 11 to go they beat RC at RC by 2. Way to go Generals

When was the last time W&L beat a ranked team?!!!!!

I called it!

[hasanova]

Actually  'nova two players that were positive factors Neville andStephenson, had what I think were nice floor games. Maybe they did not put up alot of points but they both had impact on the outcome. I liked the way they played as a team.
   

Thanks for all the reports!  Gennies had a mighty big win there.

Donho has it just right.  Neville is the special sauce that makes Guilford so tough up front and Stephenson cements that whole presence.  Add really dynamic guys like Henson and Bonner and presto!  Fun team!

HSC, welcome to Greensboro.  I don't think you'll keep Sanborn off the glass at Guilford, or if you do, you'll expend alot of personnel on that job.  There are other ways to win though, that's what bothers me.  I know you guys play good D on any normal day, and you have for many years.

donho, thanks for your report.  Yep, Neville's box rarely reflects his solid contributions to team chemistry and wins.  He's always impressed me!  Now, if he were about 6'6", wow!  This is more than a two-man team.  Wasn't sure how much Stephenson would play today.   He sprained an ankle versus Roanoke and sat out the E&H game - good to hear he had a solid game.  As sludge said, I also like this Quaker team.

Monday night with HSC should be a great game!  Two teams that are starting to hit their strides and have always gone after each other for 40 minutes.  I'll be there - sludge, hope you will be also!

[hasanova]

Sounds as though Henson's three consecutive unanswered three-pointers were a dagger for VWC after the Marlins fought back from a 28-23 halftime deficit to tie it at 35 all.  When Clay gets hot like that, he can score a lot in a hurry.  That made it 44-35 and although VWC rallied again to within 2, they could never tie or take the lead again.  In fact, I think VWC's only lead was 2-0.

[donho]

 Henson's three's were indeed important, what I liked was the fact that he left the game come to him. While Sanborn has a say in the outcome of any game it is obvious to me that Henson is the gas that fires the engine. RMC -Guilford is one game I would really like to see.Both good teams with outstanding coaching.

[hasanova]

Henson's three's were indeed important, what I liked was the fact that he left the game come to him. While Sanborn has a say in the outcome of any game it is obvious to me that Henson is the gas that fires the engine. RMC -Guilford is one game I would really like to see.Both good teams with outstanding coaching.

Sometimes Clay doesn't let the game come to him ... and he'll fire away regardless, but it's good to hear he played under control yesterday.  I believe Henson's Guilford's best athlete (he was also quite a HS soccer player from what I hear), but he and Sanborn are both very important cogs.  Unless RMC and GC meet in the tournament, there's only one game this season - Jan. 31 in Greensboro.  As I've posted before, there will be a LOT of hoopla that day surrounding the retiring of four very prominent jerseys plus it should match two great - and well-coached - teams.  Everyone - and I mean EVERYONE - I know says they're going to be there that day.  I have a feeling the atmosphere will be purely electric.  In fact, I think d3hoops could do worse than having a rep on hand as well!

[baselinejam]

The Gennies are finding their identity. Scrappy defense that doesn't ever give up. Down 14 with 11 to go they beat RC at RC by 2. Way to go Generals

When was the last time W&L beat a ranked team?!!!!!

I called it!

That you did - added Karma for  you.

Let us know the next time you unseal the old mayonnaise jar stored on the front porch of Funk & Wagnells to divine the next good news for W&L!

[hasanova]

Congratulations to the Generals for their great win at Roanoke!  I'll be honest ... I wasn't completely sold on W&L's solid start until I saw this result ... kind of like Clemson starting 17-0 (the Tigers have done this before and then folded down the stretch).  If you beat good teams, especially on the road, once you get into the conference schedule, then people start to sit up and take notice!  Nice!

Randolph-Macon also got an important win at E&H.  Playing the Wasps in Emory, even with this sort of modified "system", has always felt like a trap game to me.  With Roanoke's loss, the Yellow Jackets are in the driver's seat for now, but ... I do not think RMC will go unscathed.

The rest of the season, Guilford has one match-up with Roanoke, Randolph-Macon and W&L - all in Greensboro.  I'm not saying the Quakers will win any of these, but it does look like a significant factor down the stretch.      

[odacfan1225]

could be a leap but im calling now that RMC goes undefeated in odac this season

[hasanova]

could be a leap but im calling now that RMC goes undefeated in odac this season

Sorry, odacfan1225, but I think that's a really big leap ... I'm not buying it.  Here's RMC's remaining schedule (with 6 of 10 on the road):

1-21 @ VWC The Marlins are down, but they're still a dangerous team on the road.
1-24 Randolph The Jackets should win this one with ease.
1-28 @ W&L If the Generals can beat Roanoke in Salem, this is not a gimme in Lexington.
1-31 @ Guilford A good team on the road on an emotion-charged day!
2-4 Roanoke Still a very dangerous team!
2-7 @ Lynchburg The Jackets should win this one.
2-9 W&L Again, on any given day.
2-11 @ Bridgewater The Jackets will be favored.
2-14 VWC Again, a team that's got good athletes.
2-18 @ HSC Do I really have to remind you who this is and where it's being played?

[algernon]

I think it's awful tough to go undefeated in the ODAC .... I think the last time it was done was in 2000, when the Tigers when 18-0 in the conference and 24-0 overall.

That year, after winning the first 2 games in the ODAC tournament, which extended their win streak to 26-0 (55-3 over 2 seasons, including their 1998-99 National Finalist year), the Tigers lost to Roanoke in the ODAC Championship game and then, after a bye in the first round of the NCAAs, lost again -- to Maryville -- in the 2nd round of the NCAAs.  That was a tough way for Grimes, Fox, Harris, and Jirak to end their HSC basketball careers.

I think the games that are the biggest challenges for the Yellow Jackets are:

On 1/28, in Lexington.
On 1/31, at Guilford.
On 2/4, against Roanoke in Ashland.
On 2/9, against the Generals in Ashland.
On 2/18, at Hampden-Sydney.

The Yellow Jackets are 6-0, but still have to win 10 more to go undefeated in conference play.

[jdubyadubya]

odacfan1225 - Son, you just put the curse on the Yellow Jackets!