The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(04-01-2022 07:46 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  There are now over 1,000 transfers in the portal. I think you have your head in the sand that players of yesteryear would not have transferred. Kids back then didn't have the option.

Just for examples, Oliver and Hunter seemingly love ODU and speak about it often. That doesn't mean that didn't want to dip their toes in the portal to see what else is out there.

Ezikpe seemed to like it here as well. But, there are different factors involved and he has the opportunity to go somewhere with other options (and maybe NIL). Would have have still transferred if he had to sit a year and their weren't NIL deals offered?

You might have your head in the sand if you think these kids love ODU. They might like it here ok because they got to start but there has to be something else going on. Take Hunter for example. Where do you honestly think he can go and get as much playing time and freedom that he had at ODU? Sure, he is a pretty good point guard but I can’t see him going to a bigger school in the same role. Maybe he can go to a school like Curry did at WVU and be a backup. Or maybe he goes to another mid major that has a better supporting cast that needs a PG.Hunter is a decent mid major PG. There is nothing great about his game. Kalu? Maybe so. He certainly has the talent. But you are kidding yourself if you think they love it here. The guy that really seems to love it here is Jason Wade and that goes back to his dads history. Jason grew up watching ODU. These guys are leaving because they want out.

(04-01-2022 01:01 PM)BigBlueMonarch Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 09:03 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  We aren't Creighton, Butler, or Xavier, but we can all dream.

We were at that level during the middle and end of BT's career

Those schools have long, consistent track records of being top 50 teams...and sometimes top 15, top 25, or top 30 teams.

We have been in the top 25 once in history (for a period of time, not full season) and have had 2 top 50 teams in the last 30+ years.

(04-01-2022 05:29 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 07:46 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  There are now over 1,000 transfers in the portal. I think you have your head in the sand that players of yesteryear would not have transferred. Kids back then didn't have the option.

Just for examples, Oliver and Hunter seemingly love ODU and speak about it often. That doesn't mean that didn't want to dip their toes in the portal to see what else is out there.

Ezikpe seemed to like it here as well. But, there are different factors involved and he has the opportunity to go somewhere with other options (and maybe NIL). Would have have still transferred if he had to sit a year and their weren't NIL deals offered?

You might have your head in the sand if you think these kids love ODU. They might like it here ok because they got to start but there has to be something else going on. Take Hunter for example. Where do you honestly think he can go and get as much playing time and freedom that he had at ODU? Sure, he is a pretty good point guard but I can’t see him going to a bigger school in the same role. Maybe he can go to a school like Curry did at WVU and be a backup. Or maybe he goes to another mid major that has a better supporting cast that needs a PG.Hunter is a decent mid major PG. There is nothing great about his game. Kalu? Maybe so. He certainly has the talent. But you are kidding yourself if you think they love it here. The guy that really seems to love it here is Jason Wade and that goes back to his dads history. Jason grew up watching ODU. These guys are leaving because they want out.

Im not speaking of opinions, I'm stating what has been told to me.

Some of you assume that if a player leaves its because they hate the school or hate the coach.

(04-01-2022 10:22 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 05:29 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 07:46 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  There are now over 1,000 transfers in the portal. I think you have your head in the sand that players of yesteryear would not have transferred. Kids back then didn't have the option.

Just for examples, Oliver and Hunter seemingly love ODU and speak about it often. That doesn't mean that didn't want to dip their toes in the portal to see what else is out there.

Ezikpe seemed to like it here as well. But, there are different factors involved and he has the opportunity to go somewhere with other options (and maybe NIL). Would have have still transferred if he had to sit a year and their weren't NIL deals offered?

You might have your head in the sand if you think these kids love ODU. They might like it here ok because they got to start but there has to be something else going on. Take Hunter for example. Where do you honestly think he can go and get as much playing time and freedom that he had at ODU? Sure, he is a pretty good point guard but I can’t see him going to a bigger school in the same role. Maybe he can go to a school like Curry did at WVU and be a backup. Or maybe he goes to another mid major that has a better supporting cast that needs a PG.Hunter is a decent mid major PG. There is nothing great about his game. Kalu? Maybe so. He certainly has the talent. But you are kidding yourself if you think they love it here. The guy that really seems to love it here is Jason Wade and that goes back to his dads history. Jason grew up watching ODU. These guys are leaving because they want out.

Im not speaking of opinions, I'm stating what has been told to me.

Some of you assume that if a player leaves its because they hate the school or hate the coach.

I never used the word hate. That’s a bad assumption on your part.

Have the players leaving told you that they like odu just ok? Have any of them talked to you about their decision? Just wondering.

Sent from my SM-G986U using CSNbbs mobile app

Edited the thread title to be descriptive of the discussion.

(04-01-2022 09:03 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  We aren't Creighton, Butler, or Xavier, but we can all dream.

Why aren't we?

(04-02-2022 10:03 AM)BigBlueBobby Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 09:03 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  We aren't Creighton, Butler, or Xavier, but we can all dream.

Why aren't we?

Money, our AD, and part of our fan base that believes that our current status is reasonable.

(04-02-2022 10:03 AM)BigBlueBobby Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 09:03 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  We aren't Creighton, Butler, or Xavier, but we can all dream.

Why aren't we?

Because we aren't named after an actual person?

(04-02-2022 10:09 AM)odufansam Wrote:  

(04-02-2022 10:03 AM)BigBlueBobby Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 09:03 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  We aren't Creighton, Butler, or Xavier, but we can all dream.

Why aren't we?

Money, our AD, and part of our fan base that believes that our current status is reasonable.

Pretty much. I’d settle for being the 1994, 1995 or 2010, 2011 ODU Monarchs at this point.

(04-01-2022 10:20 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 01:01 PM)BigBlueMonarch Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 09:03 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  We aren't Creighton, Butler, or Xavier, but we can all dream.

We were at that level during the middle and end of BT's career

Those schools have long, consistent track records of being top 50 teams...and sometimes top 15, top 25, or top 30 teams.

We have been in the top 25 once in history (for a period of time, not full season) and have had 2 top 50 teams in the last 30+ years.

Ironically, that top 25 ranking was in the 2014/2015 season, under Jeff Jones.

(04-01-2022 10:20 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 01:01 PM)BigBlueMonarch Wrote:  

(04-01-2022 09:03 AM)Stat Geek Wrote:  We aren't Creighton, Butler, or Xavier, but we can all dream.

We were at that level during the middle and end of BT's career

Those schools have long, consistent track records of being top 50 teams...and sometimes top 15, top 25, or top 30 teams.

We have been in the top 25 once in history (for a period of time, not full season) and have had 2 top 50 teams in the last 30+ years.

Is that true prior to the last 15-20 years? I had never heard of any of those schools until we started meeting up with them in tournaments etc. By then we were their equals (at least for a while), so I figured it was always that way. Only they’ve risen while we sank since then. Butler wanted to join the MVC for years but couldn’t get an invite because they were considered a lesser program.

Edit: Butler started to be pretty good consistently in 1997. We had the Capel slump, then the BT rebuild back to equivalence, then the BT slump and the JJ fiasco. So there have been times we’ve been level with Butler since 97, but their success has been consistent, whereas ours has more peaks and valleys. Prior to 97 we were fairly similar.

A lot has changed since 1997 (and since we met Butler in that 8/9 NCAA game in DC). Schools like VCU, Butler, Creighton, Davidson, Xavier, etc. migrated with like-minded schools to basketball-first conferences with some big boys of college basketball who also don’t do football (basically A-10 and the new Big East). ODU did the FBS football thing, along with the peers and basketball prioritization that came with our C-USA and now Sun Belt brethren. I’m guessing the new transfer portal world will translate about like everything else: We’ll do ok, but in basketball we’ll not do as well as the basketball-first folks overall.

I don’t think the kids dislike ODU, I actually think they like it and like the staff for the most part I’m sure. I think they are leaving cause kids want a change of scenery or they probably just want to win. Look in Kalu’s case… he’s been on the team for 4 years. He’s fulfilled his obligations, Covid is giving him another year. I don’t blame honestly, it speaks to ODU losing more than anything. If they were bringing back a loaded squad he’s probably think about staying. I don’t think he’s leaving cause he hates Jeff, if that’s the case he woulda already left. Not sure about Hunter, maybe he wants to be closer to home. He’s a decent player, he’s definitely not leaving for playing time. He played damn near every minute of every game all year long… lol. The team losing isn’t helping, but the entire country is transferring in case y’all haven’t noticed. It’s the wild Wild West now. Better acclimated to it.

I love football and support the team. It’s been great for ODU. But I just don’t believe having football means our basketball has to suck. GSU, UNT, Marshall, etc seem to be able to manage doing decent in both.

(04-02-2022 07:37 AM)bench jockey Wrote:  Have the players leaving told you that they like odu just ok? Have any of them talked to you about their decision? Just wondering.

Sent from my SM-G986U using CSNbbs mobile app

No, I have not talked to the ones leaving. I said in my post that they “might” like it ok because they got to start.

(04-02-2022 03:27 PM)monarx Wrote:  I love football and support the team. It’s been great for ODU. But I just don’t believe having football means our basketball has to suck. GSU, UNT, Marshall, etc seem to be able to manage doing decent in both.

Yeah but it goes in cycles. North Texas was terrible in hoops up until 3 years ago. Marshall stunk this year as well. ODU stinks now but had been ok up until just recently. I think you have oversimplified it. What’s really hurt is that conf USA was chosen because of football. With that decision ODU lost natural rivalries in b-ball which has hurt recruiting in turn. There’s a lot for reasons the ODU bball programs have struggled. Look at the woman’s program… they have some pretty good seasons lately, but when’s the last time they won a championship?

I’m not blaming football for ruining things. I like that we have football. Just saying ODU was more like Creighton, Butler, Xavier and we can’t be like them now. We are something else, and that something is a mid-major, football-first something.

Speaking strictly for myself, one major negative impact has been the almost complete lack of continuity with players. Makes getting invested in knowing the kids very difficult. I always cheered as much for the player as for ODU. Now I don't know a soul on the team. It loses some interest for me. I can't watch a kid for 5 years and watch him grow up. I miss that.

During Blaines heyday the breakfasts were packed and you got to meet the kids f/f and chat. BB was at its zenith for me.

(04-02-2022 03:27 PM)monarx Wrote:  I love football and support the team. It’s been great for ODU. But I just don’t believe having football means our basketball has to suck. GSU, UNT, Marshall, etc seem to be able to manage doing decent in both.

Absolutely right! There are so many “football schools” like Ohio St, Miami, Texas A&M, VA Tech, Auburn etc. etc. that had really good basketball teams this year. My opinion is FB at ODU encourages support of BB. Before FB, support for BB never really ramped up until after the NFL wrapped up in January.