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

I always thought the basketball was pretty good in CUSA. They are having a good year this year led by FAU obviously. The winner of that conference has faired well in the tournament. But the cards are stacked against the mids as we know. I saw where Charleston went down today and they are probably on the outside looking in at this point which is crazy. FAU better keep winning. The committee will screw them if they can.

Couple of scores to note.

#18 Charleston finally loses.
#21 Florida Atlantic wins again.

VCU loses to St Bonnies at home.

(01-29-2023 12:16 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  VCU loses to St Bonnies at home.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I see none other than JMU listed in top ten NCAA scoring at 82 ppg.

(01-30-2023 08:00 AM)mac Wrote:  I see none other than JMU listed in top ten NCAA scoring at 82 ppg.

Sounds impressive, but JMU is only 6-4 in Sun Belt games and averaging 69.6 pts/g

(01-30-2023 10:45 AM)bigblue78 Wrote:  

(01-30-2023 08:00 AM)mac Wrote:  I see none other than JMU listed in top ten NCAA scoring at 82 ppg.

Sounds impressive, but JMU is only 6-4 in Sun Belt games and averaging 69.6 pts/g

When you play the 239th rated non-conference schedule and 3 of those are D3s, it is easy to juice your numbers a bit.

(01-30-2023 10:59 AM)Monarchist13 Wrote:  

(01-30-2023 10:45 AM)bigblue78 Wrote:  

(01-30-2023 08:00 AM)mac Wrote:  I see none other than JMU listed in top ten NCAA scoring at 82 ppg.

Sounds impressive, but JMU is only 6-4 in Sun Belt games and averaging 69.6 pts/g

When you play the 239th rated non-conference schedule and 3 of those are D3s, it is easy to juice your numbers a bit.

See Marshall is bascially scoring the same as JMU. Like 2/10's or whatever difference. They were at #12 when I looked.

PS- I saw on the Facebook site where Tommy Conrad, former ODU great, posted stats from ODU's first D-1 season, the 25-4 record and 22 straights wins year. The Monarchs averaged 88.3 Points, PER GAME. That was good for 8th in the nation then. Conrad asked where that would place ODU now-a-days. Was happy to look that up. It would be first place. No three point shot then either. We had players who could shoot and pass, no question. And Wilson Washington in the middle.

Gonzaga leads at 86 something per game now.

Speaking of schedules, that was a super easy schedule that year.

(01-30-2023 06:18 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  Speaking of schedules, that was a super easy schedule that year.

Weak schedule or not , that 1976 team would crush this current team and any team Jeff Jones has had here. I am not even sure a player on this current team could start for that team ( maybe Jenkins) . Aside from two NBA caliber players in Wilson Washington and Ronnie Valentine, Jeff Furhman was one of best shooters we ever had. He broke his arm late in the season and that really hurt their post season chances. That team was loaded.

(01-31-2023 07:03 AM)mac Wrote:  

(01-30-2023 09:36 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  

(01-30-2023 06:18 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  Speaking of schedules, that was a super easy schedule that year.

Weak schedule or not , that 1976 team would crush this current team and any team Jeff Jones has had here. I am not even sure a player on this current team could start for that team ( maybe Jenkins) . Aside from two NBA caliber players in Wilson Washington and Ronnie Valentine, Jeff Furhman was one of best shooters we ever had. He broke his arm late in the season and that really hurt their post season chances. That team was loaded.

(01-30-2023 09:36 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  

(01-30-2023 06:18 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  Speaking of schedules, that was a super easy schedule that year.

Weak schedule or not , that 1976 team would crush this current team and any team Jeff Jones has had here. I am not even sure a player on this current team could start for that team ( maybe Jenkins) . Aside from two NBA caliber players in Wilson Washington and Ronnie Valentine, Jeff Furhman was one of best shooters we ever had. He broke his arm late in the season and that really hurt their post season chances. That team was loaded.

JJ, that’s right. Plus Tommy Conrad was a kinda cross between Brandon Johnson and a pre injury Jason Wade. Tough as nails, no problem diving on floor for loose balls or manning up on defense and such.

First year in D-1. We were great, just ask UVA who thought they would waltz over lowly D-2 , now suddenly D-1 ODU, in Charlottesville . 88 ppg, man.

Washington and Valentine on same team, that’s crazy . Thinking back, maybe the closest we have come to that again would be West/Gattison (only one year together though) or Hodge/Sessoms. Hodge and Sessoms is another fantastic duo, hard to stop those two!

(01-30-2023 09:36 PM)JJMonarch Wrote:  

(01-30-2023 06:18 PM)Stat Geek Wrote:  Speaking of schedules, that was a super easy schedule that year.

Weak schedule or not , that 1976 team would crush this current team and any team Jeff Jones has had here. I am not even sure a player on this current team could start for that team ( maybe Jenkins) . Aside from two NBA caliber players in Wilson Washington and Ronnie Valentine, Jeff Furhman was one of best shooters we ever had. He broke his arm late in the season and that really hurt their post season chances. That team was loaded.

It was one of the best teams we've every had...correct.

You see something new every day.

When was the last the Duke vs UNC game had either team out of the top 25?

Watching the St Mary's vs Gonzaga game Saturday night confirmed something that I have felt pretty strongly about since the transfer portal craziness started. If you can keep a team together for a lengthy period of time, it doesn't matter how good your players are, you can be pretty damn good.

Okay, maybe it is a bit much to say it doesn't matter how good they are, but they definitely do not need to be elite. St Mary's has a bunch of dudes who aren't particularly good players individually, but fit their roles exceptionally, and execute incredibly well within their system, plus one dude that is really good. In the modern game, if you can pull that off, you can win a ton of games. I think it can be done, but coaches have to completely change their mindset about how they recruit, and thus far, it doesn't seem many have even tried.

BTW, St Mary's is number 7 in KenPom.

Another hot take... This one will make Bobby real happy, and cause the veins to bulge out of Stat's neck.

Having a dude who physically can, and knows how to, operate in the post is a gamechanger in 2023. Not just a big body that can play defense and cleanup missed shots. A true 1990s style post operator who you can run your offense through. A dude that will score if you don't double him, and who makes the right pass when you do double him. If you don't believe me, look no farther than the number 1 team in the country, but if you want an even clearer picture of how this looks in action, watch NC State. DJ Burns has completely changed the game for Kevin Keatts, and NC State looks as good as anyone in the ACC since they figured it out a few weeks back.

I watched that game and was thinking about posting about it.

Im not sure if its just keeping the players together (familiarity) or coaching or what. The players are very smart and play fundamentally sound. They aren't very big, strong, or fast. They essentially play 6 guys. They just all rebound and share the ball. They dont turn the ball over. Only have 2-3 guys that can really shoot from outside. No real weaknesses outside of free throw shooting. They play great team defense (4th in Kenpom)

(02-06-2023 01:52 PM)Monarchblue Wrote:  Another hot take... This one will make Bobby real happy, and cause the veins to bulge out of Stat's neck.

Having a dude who physically can, and knows how to, operate in the post is a gamechanger in 2023. Not just a big body that can play defense and cleanup missed shots. A true 1990s style post operator who you can run your offense through. A dude that will score if you don't double him, and who makes the right pass when you do double him. If you don't believe me, look no farther than the number 1 team in the country, but if you want an even clearer picture of how this looks in action, watch NC State. DJ Burns has completely changed the game for Kevin Keatts, and NC State looks as good as anyone in the ACC since they figured it out a few weeks back.

Duhhh really. I wouldof never guessed.

(02-06-2023 01:44 PM)Monarchblue Wrote:  Watching the St Mary's vs Gonzaga game Saturday night confirmed something that I have felt pretty strongly about since the transfer portal craziness started. If you can keep a team together for a lengthy period of time, it doesn't matter how good your players are, you can be pretty damn good.

Okay, maybe it is a bit much to say it doesn't matter how good they are, but they definitely do not need to be elite. St Mary's has a bunch of dudes who aren't particularly good players individually, but fit their roles exceptionally, and execute incredibly well within their system, plus one dude that is really good. In the modern game, if you can pull that off, you can win a ton of games. I think it can be done, but coaches have to completely change their mindset about how they recruit, and thus far, it doesn't seem many have even tried.

BTW, St Mary's is number 7 in KenPom.

I think you're right. It's not much different from the BT mindset, or really how ODU has done things over the years. Every three or four seasons we'd have enough experience, size and chemistry to make the NCAAs. But Im not so sure kids have that mindset any more. If they are at a SB school they want to be in the B10 or ACC etc. If they are in the B10 or ACC or SEC etc they want to leave early for the pros.