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

(03-25-2021 06:31 AM)mac Wrote:  

(03-24-2021 10:44 AM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(03-24-2021 10:14 AM)mac Wrote:  

(03-24-2021 08:44 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(03-24-2021 07:51 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  Gerald Lee and Kent Bazemore also qualify as consideration for top 10. You can make the argument for any of them. You are comparing Lee the senior and go to guy to Frank the junior who played his role and played it well. If you look at their bodies of work they are close. Both went to 2 tournaments (albeit Lee had a lesser role as a freshman), both were able to dominate games, both were vary consistent upperclassmen. Both were senior leaders on 2 of the best teams in ODU's history. Baze was by far and away the best athlete and had the wow factor. Maybe not quite as consistent as a scorer as the other two, but that's to be expected at his position.

Unless something drastic and unexpected happens next season, Kalu won't be in this conversation. I like Kalu... he is a good player and Monarch and am not disparaging him or the work he is putting in but he is not an all-time great.

I love Frank and Kent, but ODU has long history of some great players. I don't think Id put either in our top 10. Kent was a great player for us, but really, he had one outstanding year, and one really good year. What he did have is the athleticism and build to carry his skills over to the NBA where he continued to improve. Im thrilled for him, but for as good as he was at ODU, he is a much better professional player. And thats due to continued hard work. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Frank would probably make the top 10 big men at ODU, but I just cant see top 10 overall.

Gerald Lee, Alex Loughton, Odell Hodge, Petey Sessoms, Kenny Gattison, Mark West, Twardzick, Wilson Washigton, Ricardo Leonard, Drew Williamson, Trey Freeman... thats 12 Id probably take ahead of either just off the top of my head. No disrespect intended.

And that's the problem with folks who have not seen the greats at ODU from the past. I started watching the Monarchs in the early 70's. Some of the newer guys were real fine players. Top 10, not seeing it although Lee is close. Baze's first two years he was a turnover machine.

We have a former Monarch player doing Monarch games who has had his number retired by both ODU and his NBA team. Another guy who was named 6th man in the NBA one year and averaged over 21 and 10 for his career at ODU. West, Washington, Gatling and others like Copeland and... wait a minute.... WHY ISN"T PETEY SESSOMS NUMBER RETIRED AND HANGING IN THE RAFTERS PLEASE. ( and yes he graduated from ODU too) MAJOR oversight IMO.

Sounds like we have been watching ODU about the same amount of time. I started in the late 60's. I agree about guys like Copeland, and would also add Ronnie Valentine to the mix here.

Valentine would be near the very top my friend. 44 points against Tulane. On the road. No three point shot. The Georgetown playoff game where they couldn’t stop him comes to mind too.

I was at that playoff game as well Mac. Don't know if it was that season or another one where ODU matched up with Georgetown, but after the game a good friend of mine who attended the game was at a restaurant and the Georgetown team came in to eat. He went over to John Thompson to say hello and congratulate him on the season. He asked a question about ODU and Thompson responded something like, "He didn't care if he never had to see ODU again. They physically beat the he** out of my team". He said that Thompson also singled out ODU player Mike Ray when mentioning that.

EDIT: Also, in my mind, Valentine and Petey are my candidates for the best small forward in ODU's history (since the late 60's at least). If I was making a 1-5 positions all time ODU team, one of them would be on it and the other would be on the 2nd team at the same position. Wish ODU could get players like that these days.