MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Husky40]

I counted 18 names on the RMC roster.  How does a team play 18 players?  Who plays and who sits?  Does RMC have a JV team where some of these guys can play?  If so, what schools does the RMC JV team play against?

[jdubyadubya]

Husky40 - you will see all the rosters shrink once practice has begun and the coaches start weeding out players. Some players will leave on their own.

[Gregory Sager]

Eighteen players? Pfft. That's nothing. It's standard operating procedure for a program that has a JV team to have at least eighteen players in uniform. Even then, your roster's a little thin. Let's say that you suit up eleven or twelve guys on the traveling varsity team. That means that in the JV game that precedes varsity road games, you're only going to have six or seven guys in uniform. Home games are different, as (depending upon whether or not the league in question has rules as to how many players you can dress for a game) lots of teams opt to stuff their benches with as many players as they can possibly dress.

Programs that have JV teams often have twenty or more players listed on their rosters. If the program doesn't have a JV team, then, yeah, eighteen players can look a little excessive -- but not hugely so. As JWW said, preseason attrition will tend to shrink rosters, especially in programs that don't have JV teams that would allow more players to see the court when the season begins.

If you want to be freaked out by the size of a roster, take a look at Millikin's. The Big Blue lists thirty-eight players on their 2005-06 preseason roster. Talk about a mob scene!

[Pat Coleman]

If you want to be freaked out by the size of a roster, take a look at Millikin's. The Big Blue lists thirty-eight players on their 2005-06 preseason roster. Talk about a mob scene!

I understand they are playing Principia in football in a couple weeks.

[jdubyadubya]

yeah, I wonder how many kickers they have?

[Husky40]

So there is attrition. Just how does this work?  Even if you were recruited, are you at risk of being cut or leaving on your own?  Does it come down to the competition in practice and where you stand as a result of it, regardless of what was said to you while you were being recruited six months earlier.

I'm aware that Bridgewater and Lynchburg have JV teams.  Are there other JV teams in the ODAC?  How many JV games are played and against whom?

[jdubyadubya]

Husky40 - In most cases, being recruited does not guarantee a place on the team. Everyone has to make the squad. While Peter was at VWC, there were a lot of players who were recruited and decided not to play. There were some kids who were recruited but could not afford to stay and play. There were some kids who showed up on the first day of practice and decided it was too hard. A lot of kids underestimate the quality and intensity of DIII basketball and don't make it. Sometimes attitude gets in the way. Bottomline, there's always someone who wants your spot and will work a little bit harder to try and get it.

VWC does not have a JV team.

[jdubyadubya]

The new Street & Smith's College Basketball 2005 - 2006 Yearbook predicts the following for D3 basketball:

1. Illinois Wesleyan
2. Mississippi College
3. Wisconsin - Oshkosh
4. York College
5. VIRGINIA WESLEYAN
6. Ursinus(PA)
7. Amherst
8. Ramapo
9. Wittenberg
10.Wilkes

[Mr. Ypsi]

There's been some discussion of the S&S predictions elsewhere (presumably the 'top 25' board) - they seem a bit loopy to me.  I believe Pat said that #2, 6, 7, and 10 (I think those were the ones) will probably not even be on his top 25 ballot.

Obviously, I'm not gonna gripe about the #1 pick, and wouldn't expect you to mind the #5 (unless you think it is too low!), but S&S is NOT a particularly reliable source! 

[jdubyadubya]

Mr. Ypsi - No, I think a 5 pick nationally is very generous and might cause some very large heads in Norfolk if Macedo doesn't watch out. Some of the picks are questionable for sure but that's all it is at this point -- questionable picks. Only gurus know for sure. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

There is an obvious difference between (scholarship) d1 and d3 - with d3 it makes little sense to make any predictions before the first practices (who actually showed up), and is a bit dangerous before the first actual game (who actually stuck around).

And even then, predictions can make a total fool of you!  (Just ask me, I know!) 

[jdubyadubya]

One thing we know is certain -- this is going to be an exceptionally exciting basketball season!

[Husky40]

jdub....  Thanks for the response above.  It sounds like you have knowlege about the workings of D3 basketball, and some interest in VWC.  If what you say is true, how does one peel off the recruiting smoke to make a good decision as to where to attend a D3 college with the expectation of playing basketball?  Say you are a senior and are being recruited by a handfull of D3 schools and one D2 college, what do you really need to do or see happen to assure yourself as much as possible that the college you pick is the best one?  Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[baselinejam]

D2 can offer athletic grants; D-3 can't. Often a D-3 kid will use a sport to help get him (her) into a school they might not normally qualify for academically. Then if you quite the team you're still in the school. Since they don't have an economic investment in a player, the D-3 coaches are always trying to upgrade. A player might quite because of time, grades, and expenses. They also might see the writing on the wall when a young stud shows up on campus and plays your position.

[mybleedinghands]

Early Return!

Guilford also has a JV team as does Roanoke. LC's JV team plays community and junior colleges, a high school or two, and post grad teams. The most notable games are Hargrave and Fork Union Military Academy (FUMA). We generally suit up about 8-9 people for each game, sometimes more depending on who we play - Hargrave and FUMA games normally have more people suit up.

As far as rosters are concerned, after the final roster cut at the beginning of the season we have about 22 players. Some kids don't end up showing up to try outs, some quit because they don't want to make the commitment, and some quit because they don't think they would be good enough for the team. Last year we had a couple players quit, but since we had 22 kids it wasn't much of a problem.

Being recruited means squat as far as making the roster. All being recruited means is that you did something in high school that the coach liked. If you don't show up at tryouts as one of the 20 or so best players, you don't make the team.

Mr. Ypsi,
I think #5 may be a bit high. Top 25 for sure, but #5? I'm not quite sold, YET.