MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[rmc1982]

For those not in Richmond,

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/college/college_basketball/article/ODAC23_20090222-222409/213057/

Great article.  There's a lot to be learned from it for anyone.  Thanks for posting it; we'd not see it down here in Lynchburg.

GO JACKETS.

Nor would we here in Hampton Roads...for those of you who don't have the pleasure and the honor of knowing Mike Rhoades-- he is one of the finest and honorable men I have ever met, and he ALWAYS does things the right way-which is  a tribute to his dad.Wherever I have gone when I've had my kids with me or had another kid with us-even after gut-wrenching losses-he has ALWAYS stopped to speak to my kids and to other children and encourage them to always be their best. He genuinely epitomizes what Division III sports are all about.....and what great people do.....make the people around them better....

[donho]

 OK people, who is going to win the ODAC?  What team will represent the ODAC in the NCAA'S ?  Remember last year when RMC was overlooked. Will they be overlooked again??

[2RMCFans]

HSCFan, we think Jessee is very deserving.  Since he is from Richmond, we'd have to call him our favorite for the ROY award although we also saw both McDuffie and Woods-Morrow play in Ashland and were VERY impressed by them. 

It's a tough call, so good luck to each of them.  We wouldn't be surprised to see these names again as POY candidates in 2011 or 2012.

Nice to see Mike Rhoades above the fold on page 1 of the Times-Dispatch.  (Sometimes we wonder if the paper completely forgets about its Ashland subscribers.)  The article was as much about fatherhood and family as it was about coaching or basketball.  Ashland is fortunate to have this young family in our midst,  because they contribute to the community in many ways.  Not least of which is... "awesome role model". 

We'll stick our necks out... we think it's R-MC all the way in the tourney this year!  (Men and women, we mean!)  GO JACKETS!!!!  GO JACKETS!!!!

P.S.  Not daring enough to make any NCAA predictions, but hopeful.

[Jeremybozz]

 ODAC tournament pairings with dates and times. Sorry if already posted.
http://odac.bridgewater.edu/02.21.09_bball_tourneypairings.htm

[hasanova]

ODAC tournament pairings with dates and times. Sorry if already posted.
http://odac.bridgewater.edu/02.21.09_bball_tourneypairings.htm

Congratulations to Guilford's Rhett Bonner for being named ODAC Player of the Week.  If I'm not mistaken, this is Bonner's second award and the 5th week in a row it's gone to GC.  Has the latter ever happened before?  Bonner had a good week, but I figured it would go to Short ... maybe Justin's chances were hurt by RMC's one-game week.  At any rate, a nice finish to a fine regular season for both players!

[HSCfan]

This ODAC tournament already has some interesting story lines...

Randolph-Macon: The Jackets have got to be pulling their hair out looking at their draw, which is probably one of the toughest ever facing a No. 2 seed. A 2/7 match up with VWC looms in the first round, and we all know the recent history in that affair. If the Jackets survive there, they could potentially see Hampden-Sydney in the semis, with painful memories of last year's upset fresh in their minds.

Virginia Wesleyan: For a team that has hit a bit of a rough patch without Norman Hassell, this draw could be just what the doctor ordered. You host Randolph (not an easy win, but athletically a great match up for the Fish), then get to play a comfort game against R-MC, a team that VWC really feels they match up well with (and in the past few years, they have!). If the Marlins advance from there, they will have either Roanoke (a team they crushed at the Bast Center by 18 earlier this year), H-SC (tough for a team to beat another three times in a season), or Lynchburg (insert clever comment/statistic here).

Roanoke: Can the Maroons ever avoid H-SC in Salem? In five of the past six years (if my memory serves correct) the Tigers have eliminated Roanoke from the ODAC tournament, and the only reason it is five out of six? Last year 'Noke didn't play the Tigers in the conference tourney! If the Tigers win tonight, that collective sigh you here is coming from Salem!

Bridgewater/Eastern Mennonite: Both schools have to be thrilled with how they finished and really, how they have played all year; BC exceeding many expectations by grabbing the No. 4 seed and EMU emerging from the bottom tier of the league to finish fifth...too bad that means they have to play each other in the first round! I'm sure both coaches will be excited to face their rival in Salem, but I'm sure neither wanted to do it in the first round! Crazy!

Emory and Henry: You know, it's funny. If you are Emory and Henry, you might be pretty happy with your draw. You get to travel to W&L on Tuesday (avoided the long trip to VWC) to face a team that has been struggling, then get to play a "nothing to lose" game with your toned-down "nothing to lose" style against the top-seeded Quakers. GC has been caught napping as recently as 2007 (sorry, 'nova!) and sometimes it isn't easy playing that first tourney game at 1 pm on Friday...

Guilford: The No. 1 seed. Very deserving, and upon first glance, there could be no possible way that the Quakers don't make it to Championship Sunday...right? On second thought, Guilford will have to deal with a variety of styles, potentially. I think their hardest road to Sunday would be Emory and Henry on Friday (never know what to expect with the Wasps and if E&H is hot, it could be a nervous game for Palombo) and BC on Saturday (a team that beat GC earlier, albeit with Oblitey, but perhaps the only team that can do one thing just as well, if not better, than the Quakers: rebound).

All this hype, and we will probably see a Guilford/R-MC final...but it's always fun to wonder "what if..."!!

[baselinejam]

Guilford: The No. 1 seed. Very deserving, and upon first glance, there could be no possible way that the Quakers don't make it to Championship Sunday...right? On second thought, Guilford will have to deal with a variety of styles, potentially. I think their hardest road to Sunday would be Emory and Henry on Friday (never know what to expect with the Wasps and if E&H is hot, it could be a nervous game for Palombo) and BC on Saturday (a team that beat GC earlier, albeit with Oblitey, but perhaps the only team that can do one thing just as well, if not better, than the Quakers: rebound).

All this hype, and we will probably see a Guilford/R-MC final...but it's always fun to wonder "what if..."!!

All right - its not like I don't feel horrible as it is. This "dis" is too much. W&L and E&H still have to play tonight. They split so far winning on their home floors. I think my Generals, after some serious introspection, will rise back up through the ranks to win this one & meet Guilford on Friday.

[HSCfan]

I know that they still have to play, and in a post about a page ago, I said that a W&L team playing at its best is dangerous to any team in its way!

I just pointed out some potential storylines...all of those scenarios (except for the BC/EMU game) are things that could happen, and I was simply saying that Guilford would have to face varying styles if they played E&H and then BC back-to-back...not trying to slight W&L!

[ODACHOOPS]

Assuming that HSC will knock off LC tonight @ HSC, a Roanoke vs. Sydney match up in the 2nd rd will be worth the price of admission!  It's almost like the ODAC and Salem find some way every year to rig the tourney and match those 2 together so they can meet financial #'s haha.  Everyone knows that a Roanoke vs. Sydney match-up would bring a crowd of a few thousand to the Civic Center and bring in lots of $$ as well as crazy, screaming fans.  The funny thing is that even with the tourney being in Roanoke's backyard, HSC always brings more fans.  I just remember the 07 championship game and seeing and hearing more Sydney fans then Noak fans and thinking "gosh this game is in Roanoke's backyard, how they can not have the majority of the crowd with them."

I know it will be a great match-up for any basketball lover to witness, but if your Roanoke you sure have to be hoping for a Lynchburg upset tonight, history and #'s aren't on your side when the Tigers come rolling into Salem in late February.  Like Hscfan mentioned, 5 of the last 6 years the maroons have seen the season come to an end with the tigers celebrating on the civic center court.  Gotta love the ODAC tourney!

[hasanova]

I think this will be one of the most competitive ODAC tournaments in years.  I'm a bit worried about either GC matchup on Friday.  W&L played the Quakers very tough in Greensboro in their only meeting and E&H is unpredictable.  It's tough, as they say, to beat a good team three times in a season!

With luck, I may make the trip for the GC vs 8/9 winner and BC vs EMU draw.

[tigerfanalso]

I don't like the new tourney format. Every team being forced to play tonight does not have much of a shot at winning Sunday because I don't think the kids can play three games in a five day period and have much left for the 4th game (if they get that far). I'm old and old fashion and I don't like change. Give me an eight team field, tee it up on Friday and let the last two standing play on Sunday.

Now that I've run my mouth, the championship game will be comprised of two teams that play tonight !!!!

Good luck to all and save travels !!!!

To Tigers 

[HSCfan]

To Tigers 

To Tigers
Go Tigers

I got your back tfa!

[HSCfan]

I'm bored = predictions for tonight:

No. 6 Hampden-Sydney 79, No. 11 Lynchburg 69

No. 7 Virginia Wesleyan 71, No. 10 Randolph 56

No. 9 Emory and Henry 75, No. 8 Washington and Lee 73

Let the tourney begin!

[hasanova]

To Tigers 

To Tigers
Go Tigers

I got your back tfa!

Cool catch, alliteratively speaking!

[tigerfanalso]

Thanks HSCFAN, I was answering the phone as I was finishing up my post. I have never been able to multi task !!!!!!!!!!!

Tonights action just doesn't seem like tourney play. Hopefully the games will be well attended and exciting.

If RMC and GC play in the championship game I assume they both should make it into the tourney; otherwise  do both teams have a legit shot at getting in ??