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

On the eve on the NBA Finals, Dave Twardzik was featured on a podcast with a reporter for WFAN in New York, Sweeny Murti. (Dave and Murti went to the same high school in PA, although decades apart)
Listening to it now but it starts out with Dave's background before getting to ODU.

https://wfan.radio.com/articles/30-murti...oint-guard

Very cool, thanks for sharing. Twardzik is still my favorite all time Monarch. Anyone that was lucky enough to see him play would rank him as one of the best point guards of all time at any level.

(05-30-2019 03:44 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  Very cool, thanks for sharing. Twardzik is still my favorite all time Monarch. Anyone that was lucky enough to see him play would rank him as one of the best point guards of all time at any level.

I saw him go off against Norfolk State one night in the old Field House. I think he could have shot one from Hampton Blvd. that night and it would have gone in. AND, deadly from the foul line.

(05-30-2019 05:47 PM)elon77 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 03:44 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  Very cool, thanks for sharing. Twardzik is still my favorite all time Monarch. Anyone that was lucky enough to see him play would rank him as one of the best point guards of all time at any level.

I saw him go off against Norfolk State one night in the old Field House. I think he could have shot one from Hampton Blvd. that night and it would have gone in. AND, deadly from the foul line.

He set the NCAA Tournament Record for free throws attempted and made in that game. Hell of a player in a hell of a game.

(05-30-2019 07:07 PM)ETSUDB8-79 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 05:47 PM)elon77 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 03:44 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  Very cool, thanks for sharing. Twardzik is still my favorite all time Monarch. Anyone that was lucky enough to see him play would rank him as one of the best point guards of all time at any level.

I saw him go off against Norfolk State one night in the old Field House. I think he could have shot one from Hampton Blvd. that night and it would have gone in. AND, deadly from the foul line.

He set the NCAA Tournament Record for free throws attempted and made in that game. Hell of a player in a hell of a game.

Yes and yes.

(05-30-2019 08:41 PM)elon77 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 07:07 PM)ETSUDB8-79 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 05:47 PM)elon77 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 03:44 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  Very cool, thanks for sharing. Twardzik is still my favorite all time Monarch. Anyone that was lucky enough to see him play would rank him as one of the best point guards of all time at any level.

I saw him go off against Norfolk State one night in the old Field House. I think he could have shot one from Hampton Blvd. that night and it would have gone in. AND, deadly from the foul line.

He set the NCAA Tournament Record for free throws attempted and made in that game. Hell of a player in a hell of a game.

Yes and yes.

I actually got him to autograph (I was in HS) the program after that game. Then a few years back I brought it to an ODU game and got him to sign again and also to date it. Dave pointed out to me (with some pride) how little his signature had changed in 45+ years. He was a great player and as far as I know he is still the only ODU player to win the NBA Championship and have his NBA jersey retired.

(05-30-2019 05:47 PM)elon77 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 03:44 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  Very cool, thanks for sharing. Twardzik is still my favorite all time Monarch. Anyone that was lucky enough to see him play would rank him as one of the best point guards of all time at any level.

I saw him go off against Norfolk State one night in the old Field House. I think he could have shot one from Hampton Blvd. that night and it would have gone in. AND, deadly from the foul line.

I was at that game. Here is an interesting story about Dave you might like. He told me this about three years ago when we were talking about the old Norfolk State rivalry. In his first year in the NBA an opposing coach approached him before a game and told Dave that he had scouted Dave when he was at ODU and was at one of the ODU-NS games played at Scope one night. He went on to tell Dave that it was the best basketball game that he had "ever seen" to that point. He told Dave the atmosphere was amazing with Scope being filled with both teams fans and the game was so intense and greatly played that for the first time in his scouting career he put down his note pad and just watched the game. ODU won a nail biter and Twardzik was his usual self that night as both teams scored around the 100 point mark. That was a cool story to hear.

(05-31-2019 10:30 AM)JJMonarch Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 05:47 PM)elon77 Wrote:  

(05-30-2019 03:44 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  Very cool, thanks for sharing. Twardzik is still my favorite all time Monarch. Anyone that was lucky enough to see him play would rank him as one of the best point guards of all time at any level.

I saw him go off against Norfolk State one night in the old Field House. I think he could have shot one from Hampton Blvd. that night and it would have gone in. AND, deadly from the foul line.

I was at that game. Here is an interesting story about Dave you might like. He told me this about three years ago when we were talking about the old Norfolk State rivalry. In his first year in the NBA an opposing coach approached him before a game and told Dave that he had scouted Dave when he was at ODU and was at one of the ODU-NS games played at Scope one night. He went on to tell Dave that it was the best basketball game that he had "ever seen" to that point. He told Dave the atmosphere was amazing with Scope being filled with both teams fans and the game was so intense and greatly played that for the first time in his scouting career he put down his note pad and just watched the game. ODU won a nail biter and Twardzik was his usual self that night as both teams scored around the 100 point mark. That was a cool story to hear.

Thanks!

Simply the best ODU player ever. And there have been some great ones. Odell, Petey (#should be retired) Sessoms etc. Fearless player who would drive to the rim relentlessly and get is body slammed to the ground time after time by the big guys. No worries, swish, swish. Or he would pass the ball to an open player at the last second. Ran the fast break to perfection. A true point guard.

Thanks for the link yanks90!

Thank you for posting this. I still remember seeing DT at the Field House as a kid with my dad. To this day I’ve never seen a guard completely dominate a game like he did. ODU was so fortunate to get him. He continues to be a treasure to this day. He should have been our head coach a long time ago.