MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

In the past nine years (the Pools era), Final Four trips:
NESCAC 6
UAA 4
MIAA 3
NCAC 3
CCIW 3
OAC 3
ODAC 3

Going back one more year to make it an even 10 and cross into the purely regional era gives the NESCAC 7, the WIAC 4 and the ODAC 4.

[jdubyadubya]

Algernon - Great post. Now that's what I'm talking about! A poster who knows his stuff.

[jeloesel]

I'm really interested to know how many of you who characterize VWC as the "Thugs from the Beach" (TFTB) have ever had a negative face to face encounter with a VWC player. You know, David Doino and his fashion choices seem to get a lot of attention when this is brought up.  The fact that he wore an NFL jersey in warm ups is at worst comical!  Hardly Thuggish!  If you take off David's Jersey and put him on HSC you all would have typed your fingers off about how hard he plays the game and his win at all costs attitude. It is amazing that another school would hire a "thug" like David and put him in charge of their basketball recruiting...NC Wesleyan is hard core like that yo!

The mention of David Doino brought a smile to my face this morning.  What a basketball player!  He had limited natural athletic gifts, but he used what talent he had to the fullest.  He was the epitome of a team player: banging underneath for rebounds, distributing the assist from the top of the key, hustling back on defense, and making the clutch shot when needed.  He knew the game and he seemed to show up at the right place at the right time.  He was a team leader for the Marlins, and from what I could tell, he was respected by the other coaches and opposing players.  I can think of few players I enjoyed watching more over the years than David Doino.

I think it was remarkable that he was such a total team player because he was a flamboyant character outside the game.  The David Doino I got to know was always upbeat, with a smile on his face.  I always enjoyed talking to him before or after a game.  

I can certainly understand why David chose coaching after his playing days ended.  I think he has all the makings of a successful coach.  Moreover, his enthusiasm for the game is something that should be passed on to future generations of players.  I think he continues to be a credit to VWC, the ODAC, and basketball.  The Marlins could do worse than name an annual award for team play in David Doino's honor.  

[Brian Hamilton]

Jim,

Good to hear from you.  I have to agree with you post.  Doino is probably the Marlin player that I most enjoyed watching over the years (though Nickerson and Adair were also fun to watch).  David was a true warrior and reminds you that you have to leave it all on the court.  He played about as hard as anyone I have ever seen play.

On another note, good luck to both VWC and GC tonight.  To all fans of these teams, enjoy your teams run and their success, they earned it!

[algernon]

So, in the past 10 years (1999-2008), these are the 10 conferences in Division III that have been to the Final Four more than once:

NESCAC - 7 Final Fours - Connecticut College, 1999; Williams, 2003; Williams, 2004; Amherst, 2004; Amherst, 2006; Amherst, 2007; Amherst, 2009

ODAC - 4 Final Fours - Hampden-Sydney, 1999; Hampden-Sydney, 2003; Virginia Wesleyan, 2006; Virginia Wesleyan 2007

UAA - 4 Final Fours - Rochester, 2002; Rochester, 2005; Washington U, 2007; Washington U, 2008

WIAC - 4 Final Fours - UW-Platteville, 1999; UW-Eau Claire, 2000; UW-Stevens Point, 2004; UW-Stevens Point, 2005

CCIW - 3 Final Fours - Illinois Wesleyan, 2001; Carthage, 2002; Illinois Wesleyan, 2006

MIAA - 3 Final Fours - Calvin, 2000; Calvin, 2005; Hope, 2008

NCAC - 3 Final Fours - Wooster, 2003; Wittenberg, 2006; Wooster, 2007

OAC - 3 Final Fours - Ohio Northern, 2001; Otterbein, 2002; John Carroll, 2004

CAC - 2 Final Fours - Catholic 2001; York (PA), 2005

Centennial - 2 Final Fours - Franklin and Marshall, 2000; Ursinus, 2008

All Final Four participants during the past 10 years have been from these 10 conferences except for the following 4 teams: Salem State, 2000; William Paterson, 2001; Elizabethtown, 2002; Gustavus Adolphus, 2003

[algernon]

Virginia Wesleyan will play Widener this evening at 8:00 pm.  Audio is available, with Gordon Mann and
Pat Cummings on the call, at
   http://www.d3hoops.com/audio/   ...   

for Live Stats on the VWC/Widener game, go to
   http://www.widenerpride.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball&schedule=12&

If the Marlins win tonight, they'll have a chance to play the winner of the 6pm Salem State / Rochester Tech game tomorrow evening for the opportunity to go to the Sweet Sixteen next weekend.

#23 Guilford faces Transylvania at the same time, 8pm, at Centre College.  Video is available through Penn Atlantic at
   http://www.pennatlantic.com/main.php?module=event-detail&eventId=10466

If the Quakers win, they'll have a chance to play the winner of the 6pm #15 Centre / Averett game tomorrow evening for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see both ODAC teams win twice this weekend.  Neither the Marlins or the Quakers face an opponent they can't defeat.

[oldfish]

Im having a hard time finding any good info in Widener.  Can anyone provide some insight into this match-up?

[hasanova]

Im having a hard time finding any good info in Widener.  Can anyone provide some insight into this match-up?

They were a guard-oriented team when I saw them defeat Averett at Guilford last March, but Johnson, a Forward, leads them this year at 17.2 ppg.  Expect them to start him, a small forward and three guards all averaging about 7-14 ppg.  The Pride lost to St. Mary's in last year's 2nd round and are 22-5 this year, including a loss to ranked Richard Stockton.

You find some pretty good information at www.widener.edu ... just follow the links.

[eagleslam]

Algernon...

Have to disagree with your post.  First off, the ODAC had some publicity from the early 90's when R-MC joined the league after leaving D-II with a team considered pretty good at that level.

Secondly, H-SC did not start getting noticed in the mid 90's, it was the 1991-92 season, when they beat William & Mary and made it to the Sweet 16.  They played a memorable game, in Fleet, during the NCAA, against Centre if I recall correctly, that earned Bat Barber a place in the Faces in the Crowd section of Sports Illustrated. 

Thirdly, I do not think H-SC brought national attention to the ODAC as a whole during the mid-90's, although they certainly brought national attention to themselves.  I would say BC helped bring attention to the ODAC in 1995-96 making the NCAA Tournament and then in 1996-97 making it to the Sweet 16 by winning two road games.  The ODAC, as whole, started getting national attention when Macon and Wesleyan started to make their mark, thanks to the hirings of Rhoades and Macedo.  Now Palombo is getting, if he hasn't already gotten, Guilford there.  With Strong playing in Europe, and Sanborn likely to follow, if I were a 6'10"-6'11" kid that wasn't D-I talent, Guilford is a place I would look at.

I do not believe that one team can bring a conference, at any level, in any sport, "real attention".  Other team were looking at H-SC in the mid-90's, but not the whole ODAC as you stated.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The MIAA has been discussing somewhat the same sort of thing this past week - whether even Calvin supporters should hold their noses and root for Hope for the good of the league.  No real consensus was achieved, but most (including outside-MIAA observers) concluded that nothing Hope or Calvin could achieve in the tourney would rub off on the conference anymore.  They are already nationally respected, but (aside from Albion some years), the conference is known as simply 'the big two'.  The NCAC is similar; Wittenberg and Wooster are the two winningest teams in d3 history - the conference is nonetheless not seen as a strong one (and even the success of Witt and Woo is somewhat discounted by some, due to so many wins against conference patsies).

A 'power conference' is measured by depth as much as strength at the top.  Would, say, the sixth place team win a weak conference and place at least second or third in a middle-of-the-road conference?  IMO the ODAC has achieved at least borderline 'power' status - but the key is the Bridgewaters and W & Ls, not VWC or HSC.

[hasanova]

Averett leading at Centre, 35-22, at the half.  Guilford and Transylvania next.

[algernon]

Virginia Wesleyan is tied with Widener, 55-55, with a little over 4 minutes left.

Guilford leads Transylvania, 48-46, with about 10 minutes left.

[algernon]

Widener (23-5) defeats the Marlins (17-13) by a score of 74-66, ending the Marlins' great run in the post season ... and, sadly, Terrell Dixon's career.

Guilford has a 2 point lead but Transylvania has the ball with 7/10ths of a second left and a Transy player is fouled on the throw-in and has 2 free throws with no time on the clock.  He hits both to send the game to OT.

[sludge]

Guilford up by 3 in early OT.   (!).

[algernon]

And the Quakers (22-5) win it.  They'll go on to play Averett (21-9) tomorrow evening!

Either the ODAC or the USA South will have a team playing in the  Sweet Sixteen next weekend.