MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Another interesting note ... the last two players to average 24 or more points in a season won player of the year honors. 

Justin Call [E&H, 24.8] in 2003-04 and Kyle Williford [BC, 24.1] in 2001-02 are the only two to average 24 or more in the last five years.

[algernon]

I sincerely respect everyone's opinion, but I stand by my assertion that Strong clearly had the best year in 2006-07.  If it's now a Senior award, let's rename it.  If it's Player of the "two" Year(s), let's rename it.  If it's a "once you're named National Player of the Year, you're golden for the rest of your life" award, let's rename it.   If it's a "Player of the Year from the returning National Champions award", let's rename it.  I hear all of you and I do truly respect your thoughts, but I am equally adamant in believing it should go to Strong.  Adair is, without question, a great player.  Brandon just simply did not have the best year in the ODAC by some large margins.  In fact, I'm slightly taken aback that there's any real doubt for this year.

I think that many who have watched the games perceive Adair as the Player of the Year.  They've watched the two young men play and, as strong a POY candidate as Strong is .. , they are simply even more impressed with Adair.  They may or may not give Adair a little bit of extra credit for being a senior, but they certainly would no more restrict the award to a senior than the ODAC coaches did when they selected Wansley in his junior year (2005) or Adair in his junior year (2006).  It's not that Adair is guaranteed the award because he was last year's DIII National POY and it's not that he and his team won the National Championship last year.  It is simply that, when you look at what people do on the court and how they contribute to the success of their teams, there is no one in the ODAC who does more on the court or contributes more to the success of his team than Adair.

Those of us who have an opinion different from yours simply see Adair as being the best player in the ODAC this year.  It's not just his numbers, although Adair's numbers (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and turnovers) are very impressive and substantiate what he does on the court.  It's not that Adair plays the central role on a team that has demolished any number of opponents this year, including Guilford on one occasion.  These factors are important, but it is also the "intangibles" .... such as, to quote Brian Hamilton, Adair "excels at making those around him better and has an uncanny ability for passing out of the low post."

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Adair has improved between years.

But last year, Adair didn't have someone like Strong putting up the numbers he did this season.

Last season, Strong averaged 18.9 points and 6.6 rebounds.  This season he has upped it 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.  That's a more significant difference.

[justafan02]

Adair has improved between years.

But last year, Adair didn't have someone like Strong putting up the numbers he did this season.

Last season, Strong averaged 18.9 points and 6.6 rebounds.  This season he has upped it 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.  That's a more significant difference.

He did when going up for National POY and those who had rediculous stats still didn't matter.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

[...] there needs to be some E&H guys on your second team.

I can see two Wasps being named honorable mention, but second team?  Ehh, I can't see it.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Adair has improved between years.

But last year, Adair didn't have someone like Strong putting up the numbers he did this season.

Last season, Strong averaged 18.9 points and 6.6 rebounds.  This season he has upped it 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.  That's a more significant difference.

He did when going up for National POY and those who had rediculous stats still didn't matter.

Adair won the NABC Player of the Year.  I've been told that that award is voted on after the Final Four is set.  I'm sure the Marlins being in the Final Four helped his cause.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

The other three guys Adair was probably up against for NABC POTY were John Bedford from Amherst (17 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.6 apg), Keelan Amelianovich from IWU (18.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg), and Dan Russ from Wittenberg (15.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg).

None of those guys had eye-popping stats.

[David Collinge]

The other three guys Adair was probably up against for NABC POTY were John Bedford from Amherst (17 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.6 apg), Keelan Amelianovich from IWU (18.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg), and Dan Russ from Wittenberg (15.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg).

None of those guys had eye-popping stats.

Dan Russ wasn't even the POY of his own conference, although some of us thought he should have been.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Not sure that since Adair was on the best team will make a big difference in the voting.

Since 1990 (17 years), nine POTYs have come from teams not finishing 1st.  Interestingly, five of those teams with the POTY finished with seven losses.

2006 - Brandon Adair (VWC) - VWC finished 1st (17-1)
2005 - Justin Wansley (RMC) - RMC finished 1st (13-5)
2004 - Justin Call (E&H) - E&H finished 3rd (11-7)
2003 - Jared Mills (RMC) - RMC finished 1st (17-1)
2002 - Kyle Williford (BC) - BC finished 5th (11-7)
2001 - Ron Yuhasz (VWC) - VWC finished 5th (11-7)
2000 - TJ Grimes (HSC) - HSC finished 1st (18-0)
1999 - Jason Nickerson (VWC) - VWC finished 3rd (13-5)
1998 - Carey Keyes (EMU) - EMU finished 3rd (11-7)
1997 - Jason Bishop (RC) - RC finished 1st (13-5)
1996 - Kurt Axe (RMC) - RMC finished 2nd (13-5)
1995 - Dan Rush (BC) - BC finished 3rd (11-7)
1994 - Hilliary Scott (RC) - RC finished 1st (17-1)
1993 - Troy Smith (RMC) - RMC finished 3rd (12-6)
1992 - Russell Turner (HSC) - HSC finished 1st (14-4)
1991 - Dave Kagey (RMC) - RMC finished 1st (15-1)
1990 - Leon Hill (E&H) - E&H finished 2nd (13-3)

So the fact that VWC swept GC won't matter.  Adair didn't "beat" Strong.  They don't even play the same position.

[algernon]

i'll add an outsiders opinion, and i've seen both play

...they're both deserving and should be co-poty, in my opinion

having said that, i ran their numbers through my pvr formula

some of you may be familiar with this formula (in fact, many of you helped me develop the formula through your input on this and the usasac board)

     ppg + (rpg+spg)*1.5 + (apg+bpg)*2 - (topg)*1.5 = PVR

using conference only statistics to negate schedule differences:
strong - 23.8 ppg, 10.9 rpg, .33 spg, 1.06 apg, 2.5 bpg, 2.22 topg=56.33 pvr

adair - 18.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.22 spg, 2.56 apg, .22 bpg, 1.17 topg=44.94 pvr

Narch .... Thanks for bringing up your formula.  I remember our discussion of it on the ODAC board.

At one point along the way, you had come up with the following formula and I saved it:

        (ppg+rpg+spg)*1.5 + (apg+bpg)*2 - (topg)*1.5 + FG%*10 + TeamWin%*10 = PVR

Using this formula that I saved, where the value of ppg is only 2/3 of the weight it has in your current formula, and FG% and TeamWin% are included as variables, these are the computations for our top players:

Strong:    58.6
Adair:    52.1
Snipes:    43.8
Sager:    39.7
Balenga:    37.2
Bienemann:    36.7
Carlson:    35.7

[justafan02]

The other three guys Adair was probably up against for NABC POTY were John Bedford from Amherst (17 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.6 apg), Keelan Amelianovich from IWU (18.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg), and Dan Russ from Wittenberg (15.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg).

None of those guys had eye-popping stats.

I was referring to the players like the kid from Lincoln who had "eye popping stats" that Adair beat out.

[algernon]

At the time, I had come up with a little different formula from Narch's:

     ppg + rpg+ spg*1.5 + apg*2 + bpg*.75 - topg*1.5 = PVR

Mine gave less weight to rebounds and blocks, but otherwise was the same as Narch's.  Using my formula, the computed numbers for the top players from this year:

Strong:    50.0
Adair:    48.1
Snipes:    40.9
Sager:    35.6
Balenga:    35.1
Bienemann:    32.9
Carlson:    32.4

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

The other three guys Adair was probably up against for NABC POTY were John Bedford from Amherst (17 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.6 apg), Keelan Amelianovich from IWU (18.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg), and Dan Russ from Wittenberg (15.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg).

None of those guys had eye-popping stats.

I was referring to the players like the kid from Lincoln who had "eye popping stats" that Adair beat out.

Yes, last year, Adair - for National POTY - beat out a handful of kids from good teams who had players with eye-popping stats.

Point is, for ODAC POTY this year, Strong is a great player (24.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.5 bpg) on a great team (21-3, ranked No. 17).  Last year, Adair was up against Justin Wansley (15.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg) from R-MC (22-7) as far as other notable players from good teams.

[algernon]

Based upon ODAC stats, crunched into my formula (for whatever it's worth), these are the top 15 performers:

Strong      GC    50.0
Adair     VWC    48.1
Snipes      GC    40.9
Sager    EMU     35.6
Balenga    VWC   35.1
------------------
Bienemann  W&L  32.9
Carlson    RMC     32.4
Edwards    HSC    31.6
Murray     HSC    31.2
Peery     RC       30.9
------------------
Reasbeck  E&H   30.8
Prehmus    HSC   29.6
Dowell    RC       28.8
Dixon   RMC       28.4
Kusimo   W&L     28.1

[sludge]

Yep, Jordan Snipes for all-conference, you've got that right.

The Tall award goes I think to Lynchburg's Jordan Masini at 7' even.

On the POY topic, who ever really knows what coaches think or how their minds work, anyway?  Ours are but posts who strut and fret their moment on the blog, full of sound and fury, signifying... nothing.

Now I know how Dr. Frankenstein felt.