(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
Head Coach : Blaine Taylor; 161-94, eight years at Old Dominion
Previous Season : 25-10:12-6 CAA (tied 3rd);won CollegeInsider.com Tournament
Departures : F Jonathan Adams, G Etoile Imama
Additions : G Josh Hicks, F/C Anton Larsen
Last season, Old Dominion initially found life difficult without guards Brian Henderson and Brandon Johnson, losing three of its first four games. The Monarchs rebounded by winning seven in a row.
However, the team was not ready to begin conference play with only one senior on the roster and started the meaningful part of the schedule off slowly. The Monarchs eventually began to gel as a unit, and the team won 14 of its last 16 games.
ODU enters this season with all five starters returning and a bench mainly comprised of returning personnel. Free-throw shooting was one of the few areas that the Monarchs were weaker at than their opponents.
Projected Starting Lineup
PG Darius James , 6'1", 170 lbs, Jr. (6.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG,4.5 APG, 34% FG, 66% FT)
James was the only Monarch to start all 35 games last year. Entering this season, he is considered to be the best playmaker in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Last year, James finished third in the CAA in both assists and assist/turnover ratio. Along with controlling the pace of the game more effectively, James needs to improve his shooting percentage from three-point range.
SG Marsharee Neely , 6'2", 190 lbs, Sr. (7.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 40% FG, 62% FT)
Neely played in every game last year and improved as the season progressed. In the CIT Tournament, he averaged 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Neely made 38 three-pointers last season, but is mainly known his strong defensive play. Like most of the Monarchs, Neely needs to improve his free-throw percentage.
SF Ben Finney , 6'5", 220 lbs, Jr. (9.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 45% FG, 58% FT)
Finney is a unique combination of a player who likes to shoot from the outside and enjoys banging inside for defensive rebounds. He is also an exceptional off-the-ball defender.
Along with his shooting ability, Finney is an accomplished passer. Finney's unselfishness and hustle are key to keeping the squad playing as one entity.
PF Frank Hassell , 6'8", 245 lbs, Jr. (7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.9 BLK, 52% FG, 64% FT)
Hassell displayed his toughness by being the MVP of the CIT Tournament while playing the championship game with a stress fracture in his right leg.
Hassell showed improvement during the year as he averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last ten games of the season. If he improves his shooting range, Hassell will find it easier to penetrate inside and open the paint for his teammates.
PF/C Gerald Lee , 6'10", 250 lbs, Sr. (15.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 54% FG, 76% FT)
Entering his senior season, Lee is regarded as one the best players in the CAA. Coach Taylor has built the offense around Lee's varied skills.
Lee has a wide range of inside moves but also possesses a polished jump shot that extends to the free-throw line. He can even bring the ball up the court when the opposing team presses.
Because of his strong foul shooting, the Monarchs are not afraid to feed the ball to Lee in pressure situations at the end of games.
Projected Contributors
G/F Kent Bazemore 6'5", 190 lbs, So. (4.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.5 APG, 43% FG, 43% FT)
Bazemore is the most athletic player for ODU and is a destined to become an all-time great if he improves his shooting.
Bazemore is as quick as lightning and is able to out-jump players that are much taller. He provides a needed spark of the bench by quickening the pace of the game. The challenge for Taylor is to find playing time for Bazemore behind an experienced starting five.
F Keyon Carter 6'8", 218 lbs, Jr. (7.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 44% FG, 71% FT)
Although Carter is mainly used off the bench, he did start 13 games last season. Carter made 22 3-pointers last season but is also able to score inside. Twice last season, he scored 17 points in a game.
F Chris Cooper 6'9", 215 lbs, So. (1.0 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 55% FG, 17% FT)
Cooper averaged 4.8 minutes per game last season, and he will not find playing time any easier to get this year.
When Cooper did find himself in a game, he often tried to play too quickly. Averaging 16.1 points and 12.4 rebounds in AAU basketball during the summer of 2008 proves that Cooper does possess the ability to play at this level.
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