The defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Monarchs will be well stocked for the upcoming season as they return four starters, including the CAA Player of the Year and three All-Conference selections along with 10 lettermen.

Last season, ODU won a school record 28 games and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1997.

Heading the list of returnees are seniors Alex Loughton (Perth, Australia) and Isaiah Hunter (Charlotte, N.C.). The 6-9 Loughton was the CAA’s Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, and led ODU in both scoring and rebounding. Hunter, the Monarchs’ second-leading scorer, earned second team All-CAA honors.

The schedule features nine teams that competed in the NCAA and NIT tournaments last year. Blaine Taylor, 2005 CAA and Virginia Coach of the Year, calls it “a very ambitious undertaking.” He adds: “We are looking at one of the strongest league races in years with the CAA being one of a very few conferences that had five teams in postseason play and six in the RPI top 100.”

For the Lady Monarchs, four Top 10 teams and seven NCAA tournament squads from a year ago appear on their 2005-06 slate. “We have had many outstanding schedules in the past 10 years,” says coach Wendy Larry, “but this could contend for one of the best.”

ODU will officially kick off the campaign during Homecoming, hosting Duke Nov. 20, and will also play at home against Penn State Nov. 29 and Vanderbilt Dec. 4. ACC champion North Carolina visits “The Ted” Dec. 29, and the Lady Monarchs play their final non-conference contest on the road against Final Four participant Tennessee Jan. 2.

ODU wrapped up the 2004-05 season with a 22-9 overall record and danced on to its 14th straight NCAA tournament. The team returns four starters and 10 letterwinners, including second team All-CAA and CAA All-Defensive Team honoree senior captain Lawona Davis (Port St. Lucie, Fla.).

The university will again be a host site for the NCAA women’s tournament first and second rounds in March.