MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[y_jack_lok]

Are there any other W&L fans hanging around the D3 forum. We have great expectations for the ODAC Tournament. The Coach McHugh has done very well so far with a nice group of players. The key is what type of recruits will he he get to really set the table for the future. NESCAC prospects should consider a southern alternative for their hoops and academics.

Coming fro  Emory, I expect Coach McHugh might be targeting UAA type recruits as well as NESCAC prospects. And so e of those guys are likely looking at schools in both conferences.

[jknezek]

Are there any other W&L fans hanging around the D3 forum. We have great expectations for the ODAC Tournament. The Coach McHugh has done very well so far with a nice group of players. The key is what type of recruits will he he get to really set the table for the future. NESCAC prospects should consider a southern alternative for their hoops and academics.

I'm a W&L fan. Just not much of a basketball fan. But the Generals this year have been a very solid surprise. Best winning percentage in conference play in 30 years. Best start in conference play in 30 years. First time they have a bye to the quarters since it was instituted 10 years ago. Highest ODAC playoff seed in 30 years. By any measure of the last 3 decades, this is quite the season to be proud of. I hope they match or better the '08/'09 team's ODAC run to the finals. I have a feeling they are going to need to avoid Roanoke somehow, as Roanoke really seemed to have their number in both games this year.

Still, a great start for Coach McHugh. Replacing Murtha will be a very big ask but if he can recruit as well as he's schemed this year, men's basketball may join most of the rest of the W&L teams in the top tier of the ODAC.

[baselinejam]

I have a feeling they are going to need to avoid Roanoke somehow, as Roanoke really seemed to have their number in both games this year.

[/quote

You're probably right.

The again it is difficult to beat a team 3 times in one season - hopefully, if they meet again

[baselinejam]

Coach McHugh does have that UAA cred - He did spend 1 season at a NESCAC school too. UAA tends to be larger and urban vs. smaller, and rural or suburban for NESCAC. Heck I don't care which conference he steals them from.

[yj424]

RMC82. Lighten up on our Jackets. You say no defense? Then why do they lead ODAC in points per game given up at 62.5 ? Have you even been to a game this year to watch live? Or do you just watch from comfort of your computer and listen to your SAE brothers complain?Have you ever been to experience a road game on Senior day? Have you ever met our team? Do you even make an effort to attend Friends of Basketball Dinner?

Some of your points I understand but to undermine our alma mata  is unacceptable to me. We are to support our players and coaches !

[Seatfiller]

RMC82. Lighten up on our Jackets. You say no defense? Then why do they lead ODAC in points per game given up at 62.5 ? Have you even been to a game this year to watch live? Or do you just watch from comfort of your computer and listen to your SAE brothers complain?Have you ever been to experience a road game on Senior day? Have you ever met our team? Do you even make an effort to attend Friends of Basketball Dinner?

Some of your points I understand but to undermine our alma mata  is unacceptable to me. We are to support our players and coaches !

I understand where both of you are coming from, but RMC82 is being honest. I watched that game against W and L and they were consistently beat back on defense. I routinely saw 3 on 1 fast breaks in that second half, that's not the RMC I've grown accustomed to watching all these years. That's nothing but being out hustled.  I love Roanoke basketball and although I live far away I try to make at least one game a year. You could say I'm hard on RC basketball, but I'd say I'm being honest.

[Pat Coleman]

Some of your points I understand but to undermine our alma mata  is unacceptable to me. We are to support our players and coaches !

The alma mater deserves fans' honesty, too, if they believe something is wrong. Blind faith isn't always the be-all and end-all.

[rmc1982]

RMC82. Lighten up on our Jackets. You say no defense? Then why do they lead ODAC in points per game given up at 62.5 ? Have you even been to a game this year to watch live? Or do you just watch from comfort of your computer and listen to your SAE brothers complain?Have you ever been to experience a road game on Senior day? Have you ever met our team? Do you even make an effort to attend Friends of Basketball Dinner?

Some of your points I understand but to undermine our alma mata  is unacceptable to me. We are to support our players and coaches !

Lighten up? REALLY?? I call my kids out if they make a half-a$$ed effort, I call my employees out if they make a half-a$$ed effort, and I hold myself to that same standard! I don't mind losing if you give it all you have and things just don't fall your way but this is ridiculous! And YES I have seen them play this year-one of them was that half-a$$ed effort at VWC where they played zero defense, got outplayed and outhustled but still almost won at the end. HALF of my YJ Club donation goes DIRECTLY to Men's Basketball. I have been on Senior Day when I wasn't working and I have been to The Friends of Basketball dinner also. Yes I frequently watch on my computer because I live TWO HOURS from Ashland and its hard to go on a weeknight and I don't live close like i'm sure you do. Have I been a little harsh- yes I have but I challenge you to find one thing that I said that was wrong. If you want to use a statistic to claim that they are really playing defense then you haven't been watching the same team I have! All I've done is call it like i see it....I love that school as much as you do-that's why I say what I do...I KNOW they can do better than they are doing now and I've seen the effort and toughness we've always been known for... Hal Nunnally would be ashamed of the effort these guys have played with at times. If that's disrespectful and undermining to call out a lackluster effort then so be it- SOMEBODY needs to say it!

[tigerFanAlso2]

RMC1982 has passion for the school and b'ball program and calling him out for voicing his opinion of the state of RMC b'ball is probably not going to work out very well. I've not seen a single odac game this year but I have spoken to several friends that played for RMC back in the day and they share the same opinion expressed by RMC1982. If you want the program to once again become a factor on the national stage, critical observations are healthy and should be received that way.

[y_jack_lok]

RMC1982 has passion for the school and b'ball program and calling him out for voicing his opinion of the state of RMC b'ball is probably not going to work out very well. I've not seen a single odac game this year but I have spoken to several friends that played for RMC back in the day and they share the same opinion expressed by RMC1982. If you want the program to once again become a factor on the national stage, critical observations are healthy and should be received that way.

I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with "the state of RMC b'ball" -- 18-7 overall/12-4 ODAC and regular season conference champs isn't all that bad. Certainly fault can be found with performance in specific games and about some aspects of play more generally. But other schools in the conference have a lot more to complain about.

[2RMCFans]

^ Hardly ever post anymore but want to agree w/your post, y-jack-lok, and to add that this is a "youngish" team.  There is only 1 senior-- the very solid Daniel Noe.  There is a freshman point guard, Anthony, along with a sophomore, Turner.  Coach Merkel spreads minutes around among a talented group of juniors - Midulla, Adams, Nowell, Williams - some of whom don't get as many minutes as they might on a different team on any given night.  Junior Neely has been on the team for 2 years but was injured a lot of that time.  In his first full playing season, he has had a decent offensive year & with his height can be a defensive threat, especially with more experience.  We've noticed several other freshmen & sophomores (Woods, Bays, Morrow, Funderburg) who just need time & game experience to develop on both ends.  In short, we're excited about this team even though we agree with RMC1982 that there have been inconsistencies (& we don't fault him at all for calling it as he sees it.) 

Best of luck to all who are playing in tonight & to all 8 that make it to Salem on Friday.  GO JACKETS!!!!!!

[yj424]

2rmcfans you are awesome in your response. I thank you.
Wish I had your eloquence and savvy.

[y_jack_lok]

Randolph upsets VWU 57-54. GC over SU, EMU over BC, LC over HSC.

So RMC will play EMU and will need to do better against that zone than they did in Ashland.

E&H plays Randolph. Roanoke plays LC. W&L plays GC.

[Seatfiller]

Randolph upsets VWU 57-54.

That is absolutely huge especially considering they played on Saturday and Randolph got killed at home. This is why I love tourney time. In other ODAC news:

Guilford beats SU 89-78
EMU beats BC in the mini upset 70-67
Lynchburg beats HSC 84-63

LC plays at RC at the Salem Civic center on Friday. I would have LC as the favorite in the game this Friday. Although they're 1-1 this season with RC winning the last one huge,,,,RC won their last time against LC by hitting a record number of 3s, I don't think that will repeat this time around. This will be a back and forth game all the way through.

[hasanova]

Randolph upsets VWU 57-54. GC over SU, EMU over BC, LC over HSC.

So RMC will play EMU and will need to do better against that zone than they did in Ashland.

E&H plays Randolph. Roanoke plays LC. W&L plays GC.

As others have said, the RaC win AT VW is the shocker of the night ... especially given they lost to the Marlins at home by 23 just 3 days ago.  You have to love tournament hoops!

Congratulations to the other winners: EMU, LC and GC.  Speaking of the Quakers, they also had to play the same team 3 days apart, but both times in Greensboro.  To their credit, the SU Hornets closed the gap from 32 to 11, but still dropped both.

Returning to the Randolph Wildcats, I guess former RaC player and GC Assistant Pete Hamilton is also a big proponent of playing your best basketball this time of year.