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If you could create a 13 player ODU Men's Basketball Team made up of past or present ODU players, who would you choose? Who would you choose as coaches among the past or present ODU coaches?

Please limit your selections to 13 players, 3 coaches and designate who your starting five, 2nd team, and 3 reserves would be. The ODU team that I would like to put up against other schools is -

Coaches -
Head Coach - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Paul Webb
Assistant - Oliver Purnell

Starters -
© - Wilson Washington
(PF) - Odell Hodge
(SF) - Petey Sessoms
(SG) - Kent Bazemore
(PG) - Dave Twardzik

2nd Team -
© - Mark West
(PF) - Joel Copeland
(SF) - Ronnie Valentine
(SG) - Mike Jones
(PG) - Charlie Smith

Reserves -
(PF) - Kenny Gattison
(SF) - Mark Poag
(PG) - Drew Williamson

(06-03-2017 11:52 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  If you could create a 13 player ODU Men's Basketball Team made up of past or present ODU players, who would you choose? Who would you choose as coaches among the past or present ODU coaches?

Please limit your selections to 13 players, 3 coaches and designate who your starting five, 2nd team, and 3 reserves would be. The ODU team that I would like to put up against other schools is -

Coaches -
Head Coach - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Paul Webb
Assistant - Oliver Purnell

Starters -
© - Wilson Washington
(PF) - Odell Hodge
(SF) - Petey Sessoms
(SG) - Kent Bazemore
(PG) - Dave Twardzik

2nd Team -
© - Mark West
(PF) - Joel Copeland
(SF) - Ronnie Valentine
(SG) - Mike Jones
(PG) - Charlie Smith

Reserves -
(PF) - Kenny Gattison
(SF) - Mark Poag
(PG) - Drew Williamson

BINGO! Looks good to me however I was a big Alex Loughton fan and would try to get him on the team somehow!

I never saw Twardzik or Smith play but Drew Williamson is my favorite basketball Monarch of all time. Seemed like a good guy and was a great player.

I think Grant Robinson was the point guard during the Charlie Smith era.

Too difficult for me to take a stab at it.
AC Carver, Chris Gatling, Keith Thomas, Keith Jackson, Alex Loughton, and Frank Smith are all worthy of consideration IMO.
Maybe even Ricardo Marsh, Ricardo Leonard, Ronnie McAdoo as well.

(06-04-2017 07:48 AM)Spantheman34 Wrote:  

(06-03-2017 11:52 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  If you could create a 13 player ODU Men's Basketball Team made up of past or present ODU players, who would you choose? Who would you choose as coaches among the past or present ODU coaches?

Please limit your selections to 13 players, 3 coaches and designate who your starting five, 2nd team, and 3 reserves would be. The ODU team that I would like to put up against other schools is -

Coaches -
Head Coach - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Paul Webb
Assistant - Oliver Purnell

Starters -
© - Wilson Washington
(PF) - Odell Hodge
(SF) - Petey Sessoms
(SG) - Kent Bazemore
(PG) - Dave Twardzik

2nd Team -
© - Mark West
(PF) - Joel Copeland
(SF) - Ronnie Valentine
(SG) - Mike Jones
(PG) - Charlie Smith

Reserves -
(PF) - Kenny Gattison
(SF) - Mark Poag
(PG) - Drew Williamson

BINGO! Looks good to me however I was a big Alex Loughton fan and would try to get him on the team somehow!

You are right about Laughton. I originally had him in among the reserves in my mind in place of Poag, and overall he deserves the spot. At the last minute, I decided to go with Poag due to his prowess as a 3 point threat and thought that would be a very nice thing to have on the team.

(06-04-2017 08:25 AM)The Flagship Wrote:  I think Grant Robinson was the point guard during the Charlie Smith era.

Too difficult for me to take a stab at it.
AC Carver, Chris Gatling, Keith Thomas, Keith Jackson, Alex Loughton, and Frank Smith are all worthy of consideration IMO.
Maybe even Ricardo Marsh, Ricardo Leonard, Ronnie McAdoo as well.

You might be correct about Robinson, but I thought I recalled Charlie playing some point guard during his time playing for the Monarchs. So sad that he passed away at such a young age.

You have mentioned some players that I too had thought about along with a few (Jackson, Marsh, Leonard, and McAdoo) that I had forgotten about. Dahi, Valdas, Laughton, and Lee are some additional ones that came to my mind as well.

There are a lot of strong players to choose from and really aren't any wrong answers if one attempts to make a reasonable team from those players. I thought it would be fun to see the teams that different fans would choose to have to compete with as their team. Just because I chose a player doesn't mean that someone else can't choose that player too.

(06-04-2017 08:18 AM)ODU Hoops Wrote:  I never saw Twardzik or Smith play but Drew Williamson is my favorite basketball Monarch of all time. Seemed like a good guy and was a great player.

I wish that every Monarch fan could have the opportunity to see Twardzik play during his time at ODU. He was a very special player.

I totally agree with your thoughts regarding Drew. I'd add that to play heavy minutes as a starting point guard in a 3 game CAA Tournament without having a single turnover is pretty incredible.

QUESTION???? Would ya rehire a healthy clean sober Blaine Taylor to replace Jeff Jones?

Coaches -
Head Coach - Paul Webb
Assistant - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Oliver Purnell

Starters -
© - Mark West
(PF) - Chris Gatling
(SF) - Mark Davis
(SG) - Kent Bazemore
(PG) - Dave Twardzik

2nd Team -
© - Wilson Washington
(PF) - Kenny Gattison
(SF) - Ronnie Valentine
(SG) - Trey Freeman
(PG) - Charlie Smith

Reserves -
(PF) - Odell Hodge
(PF) - Cal Bowdler
(SF) Petey Sessoms
(PG) - Drew Williamson

(06-04-2017 10:50 AM)ODUalum78 Wrote:  Coaches -
Head Coach - Paul Webb
Assistant - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Oliver Purnell

Starters -
© - Mark West
(PF) - Chris Gatling
(SF) - Mark Davis
(SG) - Kent Bazemore
(PG) - Dave Twardzik

2nd Team -
© - Wilson Washington
(PF) - Kenny Gattison
(SF) - Ronnie Valentine
(SG) - Trey Freeman
(PG) - Charlie Smith

Reserves -
(PF) - Odell Hodge
(PF) - Cal Bowdler
(SF) Petey Sessoms
(PG) - Drew Williamson

For all of his issues, Chris Gatling is certainly a worthy talent, and Cal Bowdler would be a great addition to any ODU team. You cheated by sneaking in a 14th player!

(06-04-2017 10:59 AM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(06-04-2017 10:50 AM)ODUalum78 Wrote:  Coaches -
Head Coach - Paul Webb
Assistant - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Oliver Purnell

Starters -
© - Mark West
(PF) - Chris Gatling
(SF) - Mark Davis
(SG) - Kent Bazemore
(PG) - Dave Twardzik

2nd Team -
© - Wilson Washington
(PF) - Kenny Gattison
(SF) - Ronnie Valentine
(SG) - Trey Freeman
(PG) - Charlie Smith

Reserves -
(PF) - Odell Hodge
(PF) - Cal Bowdler
(SF) Petey Sessoms
(PG) - Drew Williamson

For all of his issues, Chris Gatling is certainly a worthy talent, and Cal Bowdler would be a great addition to any ODU team. You cheated by sneaking in a 14th player!

I couldn't help it

(06-04-2017 10:24 AM)AimHigh Wrote:  QUESTION???? Would ya rehire a healthy clean sober Blaine Taylor to replace Jeff Jones?

100%. His system worked at ODU.

(06-04-2017 10:24 AM)AimHigh Wrote:  QUESTION???? Would ya rehire a healthy clean sober Blaine Taylor to replace Jeff Jones?

Nice way to get the Jeff Jones question back before the group but to answer your question; YES in a heatbeat!

(06-04-2017 10:50 AM)ODUalum78 Wrote:  Coaches -
Head Coach - Paul Webb
Assistant - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Oliver Purnell

Starters -
© - Mark West
(PF) - Chris Gatling
(SF) - Mark Davis
(SG) - Kent Bazemore
(PG) - Dave Twardzik

2nd Team -
© - Wilson Washington
(PF) - Kenny Gattison
(SF) - Ronnie Valentine
(SG) - Trey Freeman
(PG) - Charlie Smith

Reserves -
(PF) - Odell Hodge
(PF) - Cal Bowdler
(SF) Petey Sessoms
(PG) - Drew Williamson

The problem with Chris Gatling was that once the ball was passed to him it was never coming back.

(06-04-2017 10:24 AM)AimHigh Wrote:  QUESTION???? Would ya rehire a healthy clean sober Blaine Taylor to replace Jeff Jones?

Absolutely.

(06-04-2017 10:24 AM)AimHigh Wrote:  QUESTION???? Would ya rehire a healthy clean sober Blaine Taylor to replace Jeff Jones?

It is obvious that I would. I picked him to be the head coach of my overall team based upon his earlier years at ODU and how he both recruited some really good players, had success with those players, and wasn't afraid to change defenses during the game when the situation warranted.

Lots of oldies but goodies to choose from, and I understand that, but I don't know how you leave Trey Freeman off this list.

Coaches -
Head Coach - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Paul Webb
Assistant - Sonny Allen Won a D-II National Championship. Hard to overlook. Oliver honestly didn't impress me that much. His early history was to achieve a little success then bolt until he hit his ceiling.

(06-04-2017 02:29 PM)Old Dominion Wrote:  Coaches -
Head Coach - Blaine Taylor
Assistant - Paul Webb
Assistant - Sonny Allen Won a D-II National Championship. Hard to overlook. Oliver honestly didn't impress me that much. His early history was to achieve a little success then bolt until he hit his ceiling.

Wholeheartedly agree!

+1

Chris Gatling and loughton would have to be on the team for me.

Obviously Hodge, Sessoms, Baze and Twardzik.

I'd honestly put Freeman on the team too as a spark plug shooter/scorer off the bench.

Mark West to dominate the boards, Gattison to spread the court and probably Poag if we needed 3 point shooting or to ice a game.

Valentine, Wilson Washington and probably Bowdler to round it out.

Lots of bigs, lots of defense and rebounding.

I'd probably play a lot of 3-2 zone with West and Gatling down low, Baze, Gattison and Twardzik up top with Sessoms and Hodge coming off the bench and Trey to spell Dave.