MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

FYI: https://twitter.com/d3hoopsville/status/877608275180752897

[jknezek]

Adam Hutchinson, head men's basketball coach, resigned from W&L. Heading somewhere back to the Northeast according to the press release. He was in Lexington for 14 seasons, a few good (4 winning seasons, an ODAC championship game appearance), a few bad, mostly mediocre at best. I will say he took a program that was positively moribund while I was in school in the late 90s and made it mostly mid-pack in the ODAC.

Still, when you look at all of W&L's athletic programs, men's and women's, it's hard to point to a program that has had less success than Men's Basketball. I hope the next coach can push the program further up, and not revert it to those sad days when I was the sports editor of a campus paper and reported on 15-20+ loss seasons. It was difficult to keep coming up with ways to say something other than "we lost again."

[y_jack_lok]

^^^The tweet right above your post says he is going to be an assistant coach at Amherst.

I would think lots of good coaches would love a chance to be at W&L and compete in the ODAC.

[jknezek]

^^^The tweet right above your post says he is going to be an assistant coach at Amherst.

I would think lots of good coaches would love a chance to be at W&L and compete in the ODAC.

Huh. I don't tweet so I don't click on them much. He came from Amherst, I believe, so I guess he is going home. Like I said, with the program approaching consistent mediocrity, I don't want to go back, but I really hope they find someone who can push us forward. The two basketball programs are the outliers in the W&L athletic department.

[y_jack_lok]

^^^ Sounds like you want W&L to dominate the ODAC in all sports. I guess I'd be happy if RMC did that, so it seems a fair thing to hope for.

[jknezek]

^^^ Sounds like you want W&L to dominate the ODAC in all sports. I guess I'd be happy if RMC did that, so it seems a fair thing to hope for.

It is indeed a fair thing to hope for. As long as you are understanding that every one else roots against your POV! But yeah, I'd like to see some success in basketball. You always want success right? And the more you have, the more you want. I guess that's the line I'm walking. I know how bad they were and that Coach Hutchinson brought improvement. I don't want to lose that, even as I always hope for more.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Hello Ferrum: http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2017/06/odac-expands-to-add-ferrum

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Also heard word today that the basketball tournament will be reduced to ten teams instead of everyone gaining access. This was apparently in the works no matter of the addition of Ferrum. Basketball was the only sport where everyone got in and there may have been a feeling that it wasn't exactly fair.

[jknezek]

Also heard word today that the basketball tournament will be reduced to ten teams instead of everyone gaining access. This was apparently in the works no matter of the addition of Ferrum. Basketball was the only sport where everyone got in and there may have been a feeling that it wasn't exactly fair.

With 13 teams after the addition of Ferrum it makes even more sense. Regardless, I'm on board with this. Put a little more drama into not being the worst in the conference. I'd be ok if they cut it to 8 frankly.

[y_jack_lok]

Also heard word today that the basketball tournament will be reduced to ten teams instead of everyone gaining access. This was apparently in the works no matter of the addition of Ferrum. Basketball was the only sport where everyone got in and there may have been a feeling that it wasn't exactly fair.

With 13 teams after the addition of Ferrum it makes even more sense. Regardless, I'm on board with this. Put a little more drama into not being the worst in the conference. I'd be ok if they cut it to 8 frankly.

What about regular season conference play? Any chance it will go from16 to 18 games?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I believe there is talk about going from 16 to 18 games... but probably won't know for sure for another six or so months when they work on the scheduling officially.

[hasanova]

Also heard word today that the basketball tournament will be reduced to ten teams instead of everyone gaining access. This was apparently in the works no matter of the addition of Ferrum. Basketball was the only sport where everyone got in and there may have been a feeling that it wasn't exactly fair.

I'm assuming this would be the Top Six getting a first round bye and positions 7/10 and 8/9 starting play vying for the quarterfinals.

[gordonmann]

The Roanoke Times article covering Ferrum's shift noted that the ODAC schedule would remain 16 games.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The Roanoke Times article covering Ferrum's shift noted that the ODAC schedule would remain 16 games.

Yes... but I have been told that isn't exactly set right now. I believe the conference is going to look at how the schedule comes together and make a determination if 18 will actually be needed in the future to make sure the schedule is as fair as possible. In other words, they aren't ruling out 18 games in the future.

[hasanova]

Congratulatons to former Guilford '10 All-American and National DIII POY Tyler Sanborn on being named HC at Ferrum.  After several years of professional basketball, Tyler has served as an Assistant at Hampden-Sydney.  Kudos!