MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

If I recall correctly, it was MOST of the players, not some.

Look, the kids lost the National Championship...and SOME of the players not all...sulked on the bench (as we all would have to an extint)....should they have shaken hands...sure...but to nag about other stuff now and pin that on them to me just means you're trying to rattle things up etc....

[sludge]

I am already looking forward to next year too Hasanova.  Just talked to Strong and he received the NABC National Player of the year as well.  He will be travleing to Atlanta for the NCAA final four to receive his award.  As far as the starters though I see Caleb, Clay, Strickland, Belkoski, and Strong starting next year.  With Tyler and Neville coming of the bench inside.  I see now reason why they should not be a preseason top 10 team, or maybe even a favorite.  This team will miss Jordan and Thomas, but have no excuses not to be better this coming up year than they were this previous year, which is scary.  I may be wrong about the starters but even though Belkoski is undersized he and Strong have been playing down low together for 3 years.  But it could be fun to move him to the wing and start the big fellas down low.  6'10, 6'11 is a presence, especially in DIII

Cool!  Its amazing what you can learn on the web.  I think last year, the d3hoops.com and NABC POY awards were split between Myrick and Adair.  Nice to have it unified in good, capable hands.  Congratulations, Ben, and congratulations to the team that made it possible.

As for next year, that's fine for posters, but for players, I think its better to be in the moment, and ignore the weight of expectations.

Congrats to the Marlins and Amherst for their championships.

[FortyFour]

Quote from: baselinejam on Today at 01:13:17 pm
I saw the Marlins play twice. Their pregame entrance struck me as a little over the top; 2 lines encircling the court as they do a lap by lay up lines of their opponent. The loud and and boisterous group huddle etc. By itself it might be insignificant. Then I hear about an Marlin players outspoken behavior at he ODAC hoop dinner (unsolicited info that I heard from multiple sources). On this board we learned about attitude problems. Now the unfortunate  display of poor sportsmanship at the end of championship game. Any one item you'd probably let it go; but as you hear & see more and more;then maybe things aren't so pretty in VW land.  We can all do the "PC" thing, saying it's a great team" and "they're just kids" etc. At the end of the day, teams will do what their coach wants them to do or will let them do.


Just for a point of reference, I have been reading this board, and posting very seldomly, for about 5-6 years now (since my days at VWC). 

I value what the regular posters have to say, their insight, etc.  But it seems to me that any indiscretion that a VWC player(s) does, it's automatically amplified.  Remember, it was Balenga's fault he got a punch thrown his way afterall because he does like to talk smack!  (Speaking of sportsmanship, I did watch as he shook the hand of his opponent mere moments after this incident).

Justafan02, I think you're exactly right.  Should the players have acknowledged and accepted the Amherst players' handshake? Absolutely!  But, this was the heat of the moment, and probably the most heartbreaking moment on the basketball court for many of these kids.  However, what does the warm-up VWC does have to do with anything, let alone their pre-game group huddle?  Is this really the best you can do to point to a "problem" at VWC?  Simply put, they do things differently! 

[hasanova]

I am already looking forward to next year too Hasanova.  Just talked to Strong and he received the NABC National Player of the year as well.  He will be travleing to Atlanta for the NCAA final four to receive his award.  As far as the starters though I see Caleb, Clay, Strickland, Belkoski, and Strong starting next year.  With Tyler and Neville coming of the bench inside.  I see now reason why they should not be a preseason top 10 team, or maybe even a favorite.  This team will miss Jordan and Thomas, but have no excuses not to be better this coming up year than they were this previous year, which is scary.  I may be wrong about the starters but even though Belkoski is undersized he and Strong have been playing down low together for 3 years.  But it could be fun to move him to the wing and start the big fellas down low.  6'10, 6'11 is a presence, especially in DIII

Hey, coopersharpe.  It's good to see you online.  Yeah, seven and a half months will be a long wait.  At least the Quakers should field another exciting football team this fall!

That's great news from Ben about winning the NABC National POY!  I hadn't heard about it.  So he'll be in Atlanta at the Final Four.  Great!  I sit with or near his family at a lot of games, so I know they're excited as well!

Your prediction on starters is probably spot on, but it would be nice to see that tall front line from time to time.  I know I'm a lot older than you, but that's shades of the Jacksonville U. Dolphins in their NCAA DI heyday in the Final Four versus UCLA.  Their front line was something like 7'2" (Artis Gilmore), 7'0" (Pembrook Burrows) and 6'10" (?).  Moving Ben to the wing was my thought as well, with Tyler posted up underneath.  Ben will make a three-pointer one of these days and I'll go nuts.  lol  

Do you know anyone they're recruiting or who has committed for next season?  If Clay and Justin are starters, they'll need some more guard play off the bench besides Edmond.  Perhaps one of this year's other freshmen will elevate his game and step up, but I see that as a recruiting focus.

[Pat Coleman]

Final seconds of the Wash U/Virginia Wesleyan game on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJywznZmfA

[jdubyadubya]

OKAY! Enough is enough. The season is over, let it be. It seems that VWC is the Allen Iverson of the ODAC. Everyone looks for any opportunity to bash the Marlins for something they did wrong. Years ago it was Doino and the "thugs from the beach" moniker. Now it's TonTon's attitude and the players who did not shake hands after the championship game. Aren't you all glad that you've got someone to throw stones at. Let the coaches and the school administrators work it out. And, they will work it out.

[allsky7]

     Poor...poor Marlins!! Would everyone please stop picking on them. National champs last year and runner up this year. I feel so bad for them I can hardly sleep at night. This is about them overcoming their disappointment and tears and doing the right thing. Nothing more!! They didn't and IMO they should have. PERIOD!!
     For the record. I am an H-S fan. If the Tigers had been in the same spot, my response to it would have been EXACTLY the same as it is for VWC. If the Marlins advance in the NCAA again next year...I again will pull for them just as I did this year.
     I'm done with this topic.  8)

GO TIGER LAX AND BASEBALL!!

[Brian Hamilton]

Mr. Warren,

I have said nothing about VWC and do not plan to; however, I do want to point out that a number of the people who have criticized VWC are not affiliated with the ODAC and had nothing to do with the "Thugs from the Beach" criticism or any other criticism that VWC has endured over the years.  Hence, you may not want to attempt to portray this as a everyone in the ODAC is against VWC.  I do agree, however, that this is not our problem and is one that the administration and coaching staff at VWC will have to deal with.  From what I have heard about Macedo, I am sure that he will handle this in a classy manner and make sure that it will not happen again.

[justafan02]

NO ONE mentioned the fact that during the last 15-20 seconds of the game TON TON BALENGA.......shook EVERY Amherst players hand or patted them on the butt to give them congrats on their championship.

He did this down to the last ticks on the clock.

HMMMM....wonder why no one pointed that out.

[Pat Coleman]

I would suggest that's not all that unusual. Refusing to stand for the postgame handshake is.

[baselinejam]

I would suggest that's not all that unusual. Refusing to stand for the postgame handshake is.

Unusual for whom; classy sportsman or immature players?  Keep your head up VW, you have too much to be proud of. Learn and grow. Sic transit gloria.

[FortyFour]

Justafan02,

Why would anyone mention that?  It doesn't fit with the meta-narratives that have been established for both Balenga and VWC players.

[fpc85]

i am an amherst fan. i dont know of any of the history of vw with the rest of the ODAC. i am certainly not killing the guys for not shaking hands. they were great both games and handled themselves very well. that being said it is the coaches responsibilty to teach/direct the guys to shake hands. they didnt do it. i think the coaches are more to blame than the kids. as a coach myself, we have to assure that the right things need to be done. i am sure macedo just forgot to remind them.

[tigerfanalso]

Enough conversation about the handshaking or lack thereof. I've seen the VWC guys play for the last ten years; have not seen any display of poor sportsmanship. It appears to me that VWC runs a clean program and a successful one. As ODAC fans we should give the kids the benefit of the doubt and hope they learn from any mistake or poor judgement that may have occurred and leave it at that.  We are talking about teens and young adults which are still developing into adults. If their coach feels their actions did not meet his standards he will address same with his players and will make sure it never happens again; that is part of growing and learning. Congratulate the VWC team on a job well done and give the kids the benefit of any doubt. People aren't perfect and emotions do control behavior on occassion particularly in the heat of battle. 

[FortyFour]

Well said, tigerfanalso.  Thank you for saying it much than I could have.