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September
6th, 2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Old
Dominion Monarchs
Overall Rank:
#67
Conference
Rank: #3 Colonial
2005-06:
24-10, 13-5, 4th
2005-06
postseason: NIT
 With the loss of
their two best players, it’s hard to say that Old Dominion will
finish third this year after what was a disappointing fourth
place finish in the CAA a year ago. However, the CAA can’t be
that good once again, can it? Coach Blaine Taylor has an
experienced squad that won’t spend much time thinking about last
season and the players they lost.
Who’s Out:
Alex
Loughton averaged 13.5 points and a team high 7.7 rebounds
during his senior campaign. His absence will leave the center
spot either undersized, inexperienced, or both. Isaiah Hunter
was the go to scoring threat on the perimeter, averaging a team
high 14.3 points. Little used big man Janko Mrksic also won’t
be suiting up for the Monarchs this season.
Who’s In:
With the
major losses, the freshmen will be asked to contribute. Gerald
Lee, a 6-9 forward, has the most potential to step in right away
and make an impact. Lee spent his summer at the Under-20
European Championships representing Finland and basketball runs
in his family. It might take a little adjustment time, but the
6-9 forward should have the folks in Norfolk, Virginia
excited. Keyon Carter and probable redshirt candidate Frank
Hassell will look to add more depth up front. Carter is a solid
rebounder and has enough athleticism to to have a successful
freshman campaign. Marsharee Neely averaged over 20 points per
game at Page High School in Greensboro, North Carolina last
season. As a freshman, the 6-2 shooting guard won’t be asked to
do much more than provide a spark off of the bench at both wing
spots.
Who to Watch:
Arnaud Dahi is next in line for ODU superstardom. Injuries have
slowed him over the summer and it will be very bad news if the
6-7 forward isn’t fully recovered by November. Dahi averaged
11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds en route to earning third team All-CAA
accolades. The rest of the frontcourt has some intriguing
options. Valdas Vasylius has starting experience and can be
effective in the paint, but he’ll have to stay out of foul
trouble if he wants to stay in the starting lineup. Small
forward Jonathan Adams showed promise as a freshman and will
battle for a starting role. Sam Harris, a fan favorite 7-3
center, would hardly deserve a mention after averaging 5.9
minutes per game last year. Yet, the frontcourt spots are up
for grabs, especially if the Dahi injury lingers, and with a
little more toughness, Harris could make an impact this
year…much to the delight of the ODU faithful.
Final
Projection:
The backcourt
has four quality options returning in Drew Williamson, Brian
Henderson, Brandon Johnson and Abdi Lidonde. Williamson, who
averaged 4.1 assists last season, will return to his starting
role and Johnson has proven to be a solid backup point guard.
Henderson saw the majority of the minutes last year at the two
guard spot. He’s a decent shooter and a tough perimeter
defender, but Lidonde won’t let him take up all the minutes. If
Dahi isn’t physically and mentally 100% by November, the
beginning of the season will easily be forgotten. There are
enough options for the frontcourt to be efficient without him,
but Dahi is essential if ODU wants to make another deep NIT run.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected
Starting Five:
Drew Williamson,
Senior, Guard, 7.3 points per game
Brian Henderson,
Junior, Guard, 6.0 points per game
Jonathan Adams,
Sophomore, Forward, 1.2 points per game
Valdas Vasylius,
Senior, Forward, 8.8 points per game
Arnaud Dahi,
Senior, Forward, 11.9 points per game
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