MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[hasanova]

Guilford leads Johns Hopkins 44-31 at the half - longer report in ODAC Updates.

Guilford wins 80-73!  Strong had 29 and 9 rebounds!  Snipes 12, Kimbrough 10 and Henson 12 all in double figures.  Go Quakers!

[justafan02]

first half and will need to get that corrected before tomorrows game against VWC.

Now on to the VWC game. First, I have a few complaints to get off my chest about the disrespect shown by the VWC fans to the AU fans at the game. First, they got right in front of their student section and started pointing their signs at them, not something I liked, then a lady in a green semi-formal gown was sitting up in that section. Kudos to the VWC officials at the game table to get them away from the AU side and clear things up. Second, durring the final stretch of the game, the Students started chanting YOU SUCK, to a team that should have beat them on their home court which was very tasteless. Third, the STUDENTS should never have chanted BULL$%&^ at the bad call made by ref (we all know that d3 officiating isn't the greatest, get over it, have some class). I only hope that these STUDENT fans have a little more character tomorrow night when they play HSC (unfortunately, I won't be there to see if they actually are).

Are you serious?  I guess that ALL college programs I watch on T.V. have no class.  These are college students having fun at the basketball game.  In fact, that is what home court is all about...heckling the opposing team and players.  I know for a fact that HSC and RMC have an AWESOME following, and boy do they heckle.  It is great.  It makes for an AWESOME atmosphere.  You gotta be kidding me complaining about that....


Are the Cameron Crazies rediculous too?

If it was the players...coaches...different story.

[justafan02]

Great job for the ODAC.  Two teams in sweet sixteen.  HSC, showed a lot of guts these last two weeks.  Honestly, didn't want to have to play them again and thank goodness it was on our home court.  Good basketball game at the Batten Center tonight.  Go Marlins.

I also think there is a heated rivalry now between these two teams.  It will be fun to watch for years to come.

[tigerphil]

first half and will need to get that corrected before tomorrows game against VWC.

Now on to the VWC game. First, I have a few complaints to get off my chest about the disrespect shown by the VWC fans to the AU fans at the game. First, they got right in front of their student section and started pointing their signs at them, not something I liked, then a lady in a green semi-formal gown was sitting up in that section. Kudos to the VWC officials at the game table to get them away from the AU side and clear things up. Second, durring the final stretch of the game, the Students started chanting YOU SUCK, to a team that should have beat them on their home court which was very tasteless. Third, the STUDENTS should never have chanted BULL$%&^ at the bad call made by ref (we all know that d3 officiating isn't the greatest, get over it, have some class). I only hope that these STUDENT fans have a little more character tomorrow night when they play HSC (unfortunately, I won't be there to see if they actually are).

Are you serious?  I guess that ALL college programs I watch on T.V. have no class.  These are college students having fun at the basketball game.  In fact, that is what home court is all about...heckling the opposing team and players.  I know for a fact that HSC and RMC have an AWESOME following, and boy do they heckle.  It is great.  It makes for an AWESOME atmosphere.  You gotta be kidding me complaining about that....


Are the Cameron Crazies rediculous too?

If it was the players...coaches...different story.

First and foremost, I will complain regularly about inapporpriate behavior at a game by students. I think that the ODAC has one good thing going for it and that is that the FANS are CLASSY. It is one thing to heckle, and another to cuss at the officiating. I have watched several hundred D3 games and I have never seen a good officiated game. I expect there to be awful calls, and bad calls, and missed calls, etc. However, one does not have to cuss at the officials to get your point across. Several times durring the game, I was disgusted with some of the comments made by HSC fans to officials (like your wife is ugly, get off your knees); however, these were just one fan, not an entire STUDENT SECTION shouting BULL$@@^ at least 15 times. As a parent of a 9 month old, who is starting to talk, I don't want to hear him say that because he learned it a NCAA basketball game (and trust me, there were several babies at that game last night). The best thing about D3 sports, is it is FAMILY oriented. You can bring your family and expect a good game, not cussing.

If you think I am ridicolous fine, that is your opinion. However, CLASS is important to a basketball program, school, and Conference. And if you saw another of my posts, my biggest complaint is the cussing (I can give a little credit to the heckling of AU, since I heard that there was a very hostile environment at AU (or so I heard from a VWC coaches wife). However, the CLASSY thing to do, is just beat them on the court where it really counts.

[tigerphil]

Great job to VWC and Guilford for making it to the Sweet 16. Hopefully they will both make it to the ELITE 8 and guarantee an ODAC team in the FINAL FOUR, for two consecutive years.

Hats of to HSC for an impressive end to a decent season. First, they won the ODAC when everybody counted them out. Second, they won their first round game against Hood and took it to VWC tonight (tied at 35 with 12 minutes to go, sorry only thing I have to go on is the refresh page from the D3 scoreboard by d3hoops.com through a phone conversation because I was unable to have access to my computer). I hope that HSC grows from this expeirence, and does a great job in the ODAC next year to continue to make it to the NCAA.

[justafan02]

If you don't like it, then don't go to the games.  EVERY place I have ben for a big game, the "BS" call has come out.  This wasn't invented at VWC. This is college athletics...not recreation basketball.  I am not praising these actions, just saying it is pointless to complain about it. 

[rebeltiger]

Congrats to the Marlins and Quakers for making in to the Sweet 16...keep the torch burning for the ODAC.

Wish my Tigers could have kept the Cinderella slipper on.  What an exciting run though.  Congratulations to the Tigers for winning the ODAC tourney and getting a win in the NCAA's.  I am very proud of how the team peaked at the right time.  Kudos to Coach Smith and his staff.  I am also proud of how the young men on this team conducted themselves and represented HSC.

Edwards (especially the late season version) and Green will be tough to replace....fortunately, Kaase will be back.  I also think Tyler Murray is poised for a big senior year...he really stepped up his game with Kaase out.

Hope the see the Marlins and/or Quakers in Salem (haven't memorized the bracket to see if it's possible both can be there!).  Keep the title in the ODAC!

[hasanova]

Congrats to the Marlins and Quakers for making in to the Sweet 16...keep the torch burning for the ODAC.  Hope the see the Marlins and/or Quakers in Salem (haven't memorized the bracket to see if it's possible both can be there!).  Keep the title in the ODAC!

Thanks.  The way the bracket is structured only one can go to Salem.  If Guilford tops Lincoln and if VWC tops Mississippi College, they would meet Saturday, March 10.

[algernon]

A good game at Virginia Beach ... hard fought, with great defense, by both teams.  The Tigers could have won it, if a few more shots had dropped, and the game was certainly not decided until the last 2-3 minutes.  Certainly the Tigers could have made it to the Sweet Sixteen this year, especially if they had not been playing the defending national champion in the second round. 

It would have been nice if the ODAC's teams had played in 3 different "pods," as the NESCAC's teams did.  That would have given the ODAC the opportunity to fight for 3 berths in the Sweet Sixteen.  H-SC could have been sent to play in the pod at Catholic (with Messiah sent south to Virginia Beach).  A bracket like that would have involved no more plane fares for the NCAA than the bracket they developed.

Even with the loss of Edwards and Green, the Tigers will bring back a great team of high-quality players next year, including Troy Kaase, Drew Prehmus, Tyler Murray, Turner King, Lane Medlin, Jyri Laakso, and Byron Lawton.  Add to that some further development from players who did not get a whole lot of playing time this year, plus what sounds like potentially a very good recruiting class, and I think the Tigers will compete for the ODAC title next year with the Snipes-less Quakers, the Adair-less Marlins, and the Roanoke Maroons.  The Wasps will win a lot of games and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Generals and Eagles win a few more games than this year.  It will be a very strong ODAC next year and I think the Tigers will be as good as any team in the conference.

[algernon]

My bet is that next Friday's sectional will be at Virginia Wesleyan.  The Sweet Sixteen games will be:

6pm: Guilford v. Lincoln
8pm: Mississippi @ Virginia Wesleyan

I'll be hoping to see Guilford and Virginia Wesleyan meet up in the Elite Eight on Saturday evening!  That would assure that an ODAC team played in to the Final Four 4 times in 9 years (1999, 2003, 2006, and 2007).

[rebeltiger]

I'll ditto your thoughts there Algernon.  Hasa, thanks for setting me straight on the bracket.

Algernon, I am interested in what you know about the HSC recruiting class.  I've heard very little other than a swing guard from  Richmond as a possibility.

[hasanova]

I'll ditto your thoughts there Algernon.  Hasa, thanks for setting me straight on the bracket.

Algernon, I am interested in what you know about the HSC recruiting class.  I've heard very little other than a swing guard from  Richmond as a possibility.

No problem.  I printed it out earlier and knew GC and VWC were on a potential collision course. 

[hasanova]

This from the Lincoln men's basketball home page:

"Lincoln University is one of the premeire (sic) men's basketball teams in the nation under coach Garfield Yuille. The Lions have compiled a 46-12 record in two years playing against top flight (sic) competition on a nightly basis (now 66-20 over 3 years).  Lincoln has finished in the top 10 in scoring offense during the last two years.  Fueled by a talented crew, Lincoln unfurled its finest season in school history last year compiling a 25-5 record and qualifying for the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in school history. The Lions advanced to the Sweet 16 and hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III tournament.  Lincoln has been featured on ESPN, Comcast Sportsnet, ABC, and FOX. In addition, Lincoln has played games in Maine, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Washington, DC, Virginia and Connecticut during the past two years.  With All-American candidate Sami Wylie (right), Lincoln is poised for another big year."

The Lions can certainly score in a hurry!  Guiford lost there a few years ago, but we're a much stronger program now than then (this is for you, narch lol) .  It should be a very high-scoring game!  If it's at VWC, I may go!

[algernon]

Algernon, I am interested in what you know about the HSC recruiting class.  I've heard very little other than a swing guard from  Richmond as a possibility.

I shouldn't say much about the little that I've heard, given that it's only the 4th of March and still very early, but I understand that there are already some commitments, some possibilities, and the outlook is very positive.

That the Tigers came on strong at the end of the season and won the ODAC championship should definitely help with recruiting.  The Tigers will bring back a solid piece of this year's team, plus Kaase, and incoming freshmen will have the opportunity to play on a team that has a good shot of winning an 11th ODAC championship.  The Tigers will be looking for a solid class that can help to keep the Tigers strong after the graduation of Kaase, Prehmus, and Murray in 2008.

[sludge]

this blooded band of brothers.  (Literally, I assure you).  They arrived with nothing.  They withheld nothing.  They played in a way that would shine with pride regardless of the outcome.  So much can you learn from Bridgewater.

Johns Hopkins muscles were actually a thing of beauty, I've rarely seen the like.  Nawrocki's arms are a work of art.  Strong said "at times I thought it was WWF out there".  Johns Hopkins three-point shooting was pretty too.  The gym was full, but Guilford's crowd was a noisy part of it.

Guilford was quicker, and brought amazing intensity.  What remarkable total team play.  That turned the trick.  Guilford also showed many weapons, at the right times, in the right ways.  I'm very proud of the Quakers.  There's a lot more I could write about the game later, but I'm on a hosts dial-up line, and I'll catch you later.