Ready For Hoops Action

The women’s basketball team believes it has what it takes to capture an 18th consecutive CAA title and make a run deep into the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Monarchs will face three opponents that reached the NCAA tourney last year, including national champion Tennessee, plus three WNIT participants, to complement their conference slate.

“Our league continues to get stronger and stronger and now ranks 11th in the RPI ranking out of the 31 Division I conferences in the country,” said coach Wendy Larry, who enters her 22nd season at the helm of the Lady Monarch program.

The University of Virginia, which ODU defeated in an epic second round NCAA tournament game last season, will serve as the home opener on Homecoming, Nov. 21.

The Lady Monarchs return eight letterwinners and two starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team. Back are Second Team All-CAA honoree, CAA leading shot blocker and Lady Monarch leading rebounder, senior Tiffany Green; CAA assist leader, senior Jazzmin Walters; and Third Team All-CAA selection and CAA field goal percentage leader, junior Jessica Canady.

The men’s schedule features nonconference home games against three teams that competed in postseason play last year, an ESPN Bracketbusters game and nine home CAA games.

“It’s a night-after-night challenge for a team that will never use youth as an excuse, but does have a younger identity,” said coach Blaine Taylor, who expects a balanced and competitive conference race.

The Monarchs host UAB in their home opener Nov. 22. The Blazers advanced to the second round of the NIT last year. Richmond, which played in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational, visits the Constant Center Dec. 3, and Big South Champion Winthrop, which reached the NCAA tournament each of the last four years, comes to town Dec. 20.

The Monarchs, who advanced to the CBI quarterfinals last season, return seven lettermen along with four players with 16 or more starts. Heading the crop of returnees is 6-10 Gerald Lee, who averaged 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds and was a Second Team All-CAA pick. Also back are game-tested sophomores Ben Finney, Darius James and Frank Hassell.

In addition, ODU will be counting heavily on senior Jonathan Adams, along with junior Marsharee Neely and redshirt sophomore Keyon Carter.