Dave’s Top 25 ballot: Week 7

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Dave McHugh

Last week I was on the verge of gutting my Top 25 and starting over. It is something I do a couple times a year and it certainly looked like I was heading down that road again, but then something strange happened: teams settled down and won games – at least in the top half of my ballot. What I did consider doing was blowing up the bottom half of my Top 25 and starting over there… but that will have ramifications on the top half. Meaning? If I was going to blow up the ballot, I had to do the entire thing. So I passed on the idea.

This week I readily thought I would have a lot of movement, but once again either teams didn’t back up a big win or didn’t exceed expectations. It isn’t like there weren’t any games that could make a case: if DePauw had beaten Ohio Wesleyan, Stevenson lost to Lycoming, Bowdoin beat Williams, Virginia Wesleyan lost either one of their games, etc. As a result, I actually introduced just one new team in my Top 25, though I have about ten serious contenders on the outside looking in right now.

So, let’s get to my ballot. As a reminder, here is my ballot from last week and thoughts I had on some of the teams then. There is one major downward move in this ballot that may surprise some people, but make sure you read the reasons why before you think I am being too harsh.

1 – UW-Stevens Point (Unchanged)

2 – Cabrini (Unchanged)

3 – Wooster (Unchanged)

4 – WPI (Unchanged)

5 – Illinois Wesleyan (Unchanged)

6 – St. Thomas (Unchanged)

7 – UW-Whitewater (Unchanged)

8 – Amherst (Unchanged)

9 – Williams (Unchanged)

10 – Wash U. (Up 2)
The Bears got through their first significant challenge in the UAA schedule rather nicely. The game on Sunday against NYU was more of a test for the Violets than the Bears, but I still wanted to see how the Bears would handle the first two-game weekend of the conference season. I think they solidified a Top 10 spot as a result (NYU didn’t help any chance of me considering them for the Top 25).

11 – St. Norbert (Up 2)

12 – Augustana (Up 2)
I certainly considered moving the Vikings even further up my ballot, but there wasn’t much argument to slot them ahead of others right now. This is a very young team that is playing like veterans. I am really impressed with what Grey Giovanine has been able to do with this unit. And one tidbit to consider… every time Augustana takes an international trip during the summer (no more than once every three years by NCAA rules) they have turned that into very impressive seasons. Last time they finished 27-4 and lost in the elite eight to eventual national champions St. Thomas.

13 – Wesley (Up 2)
Here is another team I considered moving up higher after they beat St. Mary’s on the road. The Wolverines are taking everyone’s best shot and winning. What is even scarier is they are getting big wins on the road against the top teams in the conference. Meaning the likes of St. Mary’s and Christopher Newport still have to go to Dover, Delaware and play in Wesley’s rather tight and very home-friendly confines. Getting big wins on the road in the CAC while holding court at home is going to make a big difference for Wesley. Too bad that gym comes nowhere close to NCAA regulations for hosting tournament play.

14 – Oglethorpe (Up 2)

15 – Messiah (Up 4)
Yeah… this is a strange move, I will admit. The Falcons lost to Stevenson on the road in double-overtime and I moved them up in my poll. Normally most voters would at least move them down a couple of spots, but I had two factors at play. First, having seen Messiah in person, this team is a legitimate NCAA threat. They are very well disciplined, play incredible defense, move the ball swiftly and on point, and don’t back down. Messiah could get a chance to host games in the NCAA tournament, but proved they can go on the road and play tough as well. Messiah actually proved how good they were to me in a tough loss. And the other factor: so many teams in this area didn’t live up to expectations and someone had to fill the hole in this area.

16 – Mary Washington (Up 4)
The Eagles continue to play well and may be getting better as the season goes along. They haven’t had this good a record in a very, very long time and they don’t seem to have any major flaws in their game. However, they are in what has become one of the toughest and best years in Capital Athletic Conference history, so there is more to gauge this team by.

17 – Virginia Wesleyan (Up 8)
I pretty much expected the Marlins to split the week with Hampden-Sydney and Guilford on their schedule in a battle for the top of the ODAC, but instead Virginia Wesleyan beats HSC on the road (short drive down the interstate) and man-handles Guilford at home. The Marlins do have a tough road battle with Randolph-Macon this week, but Virginia Wesleyan may have risen up at just the right time to take control of the conference and their own destiny.

18 – Stevenson (Up 6)
I was a little worried for the Mustangs heading into the week. Not only did they have undefeated Messiah visiting, but they had a trap game in Lycoming to follow what win or lose would be an emotional game. Stevenson got the job done against probably the best team they have played this year in Messiah. While it wasn’t a dominating win at home, they gutted it out in a game that never saw a lead bigger than two possessions. Of course, against Lycoming they once again nearly blew a 20+ point lead and gave their fans a cardiac moment near the end. Stevenson is going to go as far as they will allow themselves to go. Honestly, they will lose when they beat themselves more than another team beating them. However, big win over Messiah pushes them up the poll.

19 – Wittenberg (Down 8)
It was a tough week for the Tigers. I don’t think I would have punished them that much for two losses in a tough stretch of NCAC games, except they got completely dominated in their game against DePauw. 46 total points for a team that has been playing so well. Then for most of the game against Wooster (on Wittenberg’s court) they were being dominated yet again. A great run to finish the game made the outcome more respectable, but Wittenberg didn’t do themselves any favors. Still have to play these teams and Ohio Wesleyan again and the second time around could be tougher than the first.

20 – Bowdoin (Down 1)

21 – Dickinson (Unchanged)

22 – Calvin (Unchanged)

23 – St. Mary’s (Md.) (Down 13)
They lose to ranked Wesley and plummet in the polls… doesn’t sound right, does it? The problem is St. Mary’s has now lost their second game of the season at home, lost to a team they have to play on the road near the end of the season, and racked up their fourth loss overall. I had a lot of faith in the Seahawks, but their weaknesses are clearly being exploited and four losses at this point means they have to button things up the rest of the way in the CAC or they could be out of NCAA contention. The other problem, where in the world do I put them higher up in the poll? Everyone above them except for Calvin has fewer losses; everyone above them is playing better basketball; everyone above them is taking care of their home court. I still think St. Mary’s is a dangerous team thanks to their experience, but they need to go on a run and gain some more confidence.

24 – Dubuque (Unranked)
If you are undefeated at this point in the season, I don’t care what conference you are in, you deserve to be recognized in the Top 25. Certainly their schedule is not something to cheer about, but it does include a win over Carthage. Who knows what IIAC truly has in store for the Spartans (Loras looming), but Dubuque is 15-0 with just ten games remaining. Could they be the dark horse of the West Region?

25 – Whitworth (Down 8)
I am losing confidence in the Pirates. They lost on the road to George Fox who I know is a good team, but I think the game showed more problems. Whitworth is not that deep off the bench, especially in the post position (where they go in trouble against UW-Stevens Point) and isn’t able to control the game like they want to. The real test will be Tuesday when Whitworth is on the road at Whitman. At this point I think the game is Whitman’s to lose.

Dropped out:
Wheaton (Ill.) (Previously 23)
Two losses are two losses, especially when you lose games you need to win to stay near the top of the CCIW. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan dispatched the visiting Thunder leaving Wheaton 3-2 in the conference and 10-6 overall. Wheaton still has time to make up for lost ground, but they will have to do it on the road against Augustana to make waves.

ODACcess: A big man who does the little things (Lynchburg @ Washington and Lee)

Posted on January 20, 2014 by odaccess

“I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
― Edward Everett Hale

LEXINGTON, Va. — Fans often develop powerful feelings towards their favorite athletes, particularly when those athletes exhibit qualities we wish to emulate. But to emotionally invest in an athlete is to open oneself to heartbreak if that athlete crashes down to earth. For example, while the passage of time has allowed us to become detached baseball observers and somewhat rationally debate the Hall of Fame candidacies of McGwire, Bonds, Clemens, and so forth, for those of us who idolized these players in their steroid-fueled primes it is hard to forget how crushed we felt when we learned they had cheated. Even more disheartening is the disgraced athlete who inspired us. Lance Armstrong gave hope to millions afflicted with cancer, but rather than standing as a symbol of triumphant victory over a terrible illness, today Armstrong is shorthand for modern-day, Greek-tragedy-level hubris.

In light of these scandals, it is reasonable (though unfortunate) that many of us have built an emotional firewall between ourselves and narratives about athletes overcoming adversity. We have been burned one too many times. When one encounters a truly inspiring athlete, then, the challenge to one’s carefully-developed emotional cynicism can be uncomfortable–at least at first.

This is the story of Washington and Lee captain Jim Etling. By the numbers, the 6-foot-7 junior is a pedestrian backup forward: 5.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game off the bench. His ODAC-leading 94.3% clip on free-throw attempts raises an eyebrow, particularly for a relative big man, but other than that Etling’s statistical output is unremarkable. The fact that he gets on the court at all should be remarkable, though, because Etling, who was not recruited out of high school and proved himself enough on the practice squad to make the team as a freshman, has epilepsy.

Now, we don’t want to oversell this. Etling himself played it down in his postgame interview, focusing more on his approach to balancing athletics with the rigorous academics at Washington and Lee than on the extra effort he has to take to manage his health. And at least some research has indicated that, rather than causing epileptic seizures as once assumed, contact sports may actually decrease seizure frequency for those at risk. However, the importance of Jim Etling to his team shines through in the words of Generals head coach Adam Hutchinson.

When ODACcess interviewed Hutchinson after the game, we began with the standard questions asked of a coach following a close loss. His replies were equally standard; for instance, he talked about how his team’s desire to win caused a few mistakes down the stretch, and how he was proud of them for really caring whether they win or lose. His answers were calm, professional, and measured. When we asked the coach what Etling means to the team, however, his dispassionate demeanor changed.

Hutchinson paused for several seconds to find the right words. “Jim’s one of those teammates that affects your heart when you watch him compete,” he began, in a slow but subtly passionate tone evidencing the truth, the real emotion, behind his words.

“He inspires me with his commitment to his teammates, with his work ethic, with his mental toughness. And you know, there’s a lot of guys who, when things are going right for them, or even right for the team, they’re–yeah, you want them with you. Jim’s a guy you want with you when stuff’s going wrong.”

As he continued Hutchinson’s body language became more expressive and his voice quickened, exuding a fervent earnestness. “He really believes in playing the game the right way. He is committed to doing it, and he does it. He does it without waver. First practice of the year, last practice of the year. Last minute of a game, first minute of a game. Jim Etling’s the same guy. He’s going to box out, he’s going to rebound, he’s going to communicate, take charges, et cetera.”

“Honestly, I think everybody on our team is probably well-served modeling themselves after Jim.” He smiled, pausing for effect. “And that includes our coaching staff.”

The coach made no mention of Etling’s condition. And for good reason: when a player–when a person–works so hard and contributes so many intangibles absent from the score sheet, while simultaneously being so unselfish, none of the background stuff should matter.

With under 15 seconds to play and the Generals trailing by six, Patrick O’Connor drove into the lane, drawing Lynchburg defenders into the paint before kicking it out to an open Etling beyond the arc. Etling–4-for-23 on three-point attempts entering the contest–swished his second trey of the afternoon on his second try. The Hornets were already in the double bonus, and so barring a quick steal or consecutive missed free-throws his shot wouldn’t end up affecting who won (and it didn’t). But you would never have known that from his teammates’ reactions. The bench rose in unison and the players on the court enthusiastically slapped high fives with Etling as he was subbed out. In a way, this result is more befitting of our story than a Hollywood ending where the challenged underdog comes out on top, because from what we can gather, for Etling the goal is process–methodical, intense, yeoman-like process–not just outcome.

Jim Etling will never be a professional basketball player, but he will be an example for those who value dedication over making excuses, even when the excuse would be perfectly understandable. In short, he is a role model, stats and cynicism be damned.

—

Final: Lynchburg Hornets 71 (11-4, 4-2 ODAC), Washington & Lee Generals 66 (5-10, 2-4)
Player of the Game: Drew Kimberly (W&L) (18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks)
Relive the game from our seats: check out our @ODACcess livetweets on Storify and our photos on Flikr
Mileage Tracker: 1363 miles
Next Stop: Washington and Lee at Roanoke, January 25

ODACcess: N.C. Home Cookin’ (Emory and Henry @ Guilford)

Posted on January 17, 2014 by odaccess

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Unlike the archetypal sporting road trip, the 30 ballpark whirlwind tour, our project has a slightly smaller geographic scale. As such, the trek down from our Charlottesville homebase to Guilford (the sole ODAC school not within the namesake Old Dominion) was something of an event: carefully planned to fall during a lull in our academic schedules, and treated as more of an adventure than some of our other trips. For us this meant sampling the local cuisine in the form of a randomly-chosen barbecue joint; we ended up at Country Barbecue, about four miles south of the Guilford campus. Of course, in the land of barbecue, it’s hard to go wrong, and our meals were expectedly delicious. (We would later learn about Greensboro’s marquee BBQ establishment–Stamey’s Barbecue–from Guilford’s Sports Information Director, Dave Walters, who described it as “a legend.” Expect us next time, Stamey’s.) But the food is just one of the reasons to consider a return to Guilford. More importantly, Coach Tom Palombo has put together an exciting basketball team with the chance to compete in the ODAC for years to come.

Like many of its fellow ODAC members, Guilford has a strong basketball history, but unlike the others, not in the NCAA. The Quakers’ NAIA pedigree is notable for its famous names (does World B. Free ring a bell?) and winning ways, including a 1973 National Championship (a team which included future pros Free, M.L. Carr and Greg Jackson).

GC’s foray into the NCAA didn’t start as successfully when it made the transition in 1991. But in the last 11 years, since luring Palombo away from Defiance College, the Quakers have won two ODAC titles and made two Final Four appearances up the road in Salem. This year seems to be more of the same from Guilford, who have taken advantage of the missteps of their more heralded brethren to take first place in the ODAC early in the conference schedule. If they continue to play like they did against Emory and Henry, they’ll have a great chance at a third.
—

The Quakers got out to an early lead in front of a small, but boisterous crowd. Highlighted by two treys from Matt McCarthy, Guilford set the tone for the rest of the game. McCarthy also created an easy layup with an alert interception. The E&H offense seemed befuddled and lackadaisical, letting easy passes through their legs and allowing rebounds to bounce around wildly until they found their way into Quaker hands. Their outside looks, although mostly left undefended, failed to fall during this early run, allowing to Quakers to jump out to a 12-2 lead they would never surrender.

Yet, it seemed shortly that the Wasps would keep this competitive. The open looks from three they found started to fall, and guards Drew Henry and Ryan Gravely converted three of them in as many possessions. They failed to produce stops on the other end, but still managed to narrow the margin to 6.

But the hot streak was not to last; the Wasps went cold and got colder as the half drew on. They attempted 11 more threes in the 13 minutes before halftime, and made exactly none of them. It began to appear as though Coach Palombo’s game plan was to force the Wasps to take long shots, knowing that their best deep-ballers, Malcolm Green and Stephen Brown, shot only 30% from range. If that was the game plan it was effective: buoyed by excellent shooting from deep, the Quakers extended their lead to 43-22 by the half.

At this point, having caught wind of our @ODACcess livetweets, Guilford invited us to join the ranks of the press at the scorers’ table, right by the home bench. While we’d like to say we gleaned some insights from Coach Palombo due to our physical proximity and keen hearing, I’m afraid that would be a lie. What we did get was a spectacular view of the action and the environs of Alumni Gym. We also had a chance to hear Coach Palombo’s passionate encouragement to his squad, in a game that was already out of hand, to continue to hustle.

And hustle they did. The starters got to take much of the half off, although not before matching a season-best 11 three-pointers in the game. That provided opportunities for players on the back of the bench. Among the standouts was freshman Michael Byrd, who in his nine second-half minutes grabbed five points, showing a lot of energy in the process and making his pitch to be a big component of future Quaker teams. We like his chances.

The absence of the Guilford starters gave the Wasps an opportunity to claw a little closer. One of the bright spots for Coach Willson and the respectable fan contingent had to have been Drew Henry’s dunk late in the half. But the final stats make clear that they’ll have to work on their shooting if they want to grab their first conference win: a 31.9% field goal percentage won’t cut it in this competitive league. Guilford coasted through the second half to an 81-59 victory.

It’s a shame that Guilford is such a journey. They’re an exciting team that we’d love to see again.

—
• Final: Guilford Quakers 81 (11-3, 5-0 ODAC), Emory and Henry Wasps 59 (2-12, 0-5)
• Photos
• Player of the Game: Matt McCarthy (Guilford, 20 points, 3 steals and 5 rebounds)
• Mileage Tracker: 1226 miles
• Next Stop: Lynchburg at Washington and Lee, January 18

Dave’s Top 25 ballot: Week 6

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Dave McHugh

This is getting to be a bit out of control. I easily have 40 teams I could have a valid argument to place on my Top 25 ballot. I have probably only 15 or so teams I am absolutely confident are must Top 25 teams. That means I have 25 teams I am trying to slot into 10 or so spots. I could go round and round and round on this and still not be satisfied with my ballot. I stared at the 17 hole for hours wondering who I should put in that spot. In fact, I probably was thinking that as high as 15. There is just a large gap in the middle of my poll where teams are placed only because I have to fill the spots – they seem to high. That being said, the teams behind them don’t deserve to be that high either, so it becomes a circle of constant questions and not a lot of answers.

Thankfully, or maybe unfortunately, conference schedules are now in full swing. Some of the teams that have had great out-of-conference starts are showing if those results are indicative of how good they really are. Usually that means questions are being answered… but this year I seem to be gathering more questions as another week comes and goes. And that usually means I am on the doorstep and probably knocking on what will mean a complete overhaul of my ballot. In fact, I probably should have considered it more this week. In fact as I look more and more at my entire ballot, I wish I had. You know what that means? I better carve out plenty of time this week or next for an overhaul.

But instead, here is a look at my ballot this week. If you want to get an idea of what I think of teams I may not comment on below, here is last week’s ballot.

1 – UW-Stevens Point (Unchanged)

2 – Cabrini (Up 1)
The Cavaliers have certainly not played anyone challenging in recent weeks thanks to their game against Wesley being postponed, so they are creeping rather high on the ballot. That being said, they may have the best player in the nation and sounds like they got a really good transfer from the state of Florida. Unfortunately, we may have to wait until February 3 to find out if Cabrini is really this good.

3 – Wooster (Up 1)

4 – WPI (Up 1)
The Engineers continue to impress me. Wins over Springfield and MIT (in a series that dates back to 1902!) shows me this team may actually be as good as I figured. Of course, WPI rose in my rankings like this last year and failed to get out of the second round thanks to suddenly hot Randolph-Macon squad, but I have a feeling that lose and the adjustments early in the season after losing their top guard may have done them more favors than many realize.

5 – Illinois Wesleyan (Down 3)
Last year it took until the last game of the regular season for the Titans to lose their first CCIW game; this year it took until the second game of conference play before Augustana tripped up IWU. By all reports, IWU just had a bad night that is to take nothing away from the Vikings. Can’t punish IWU that much when you lose against a very good Augustana squad… so three spots feels right especially when I think this Titans squad is a serious threat for Salem.

6 – St. Thomas (Up 1)

7 – UW-Whitewater (Up 1)

8 – Amherst (Up 1)
It was an impressive win over Williams to start NESCAC play. The Lord Jeffs look sluggish at times this season, but Dave Hixon always seems to get his team ready for the really big games and a rivalry game against Williams is really big.

9 – Williams (Down 3)
First loss in conference play is against your arch rival on the road and you get dinged three spots. Maybe that is not entirely fair, but IWU lost on the road as well and I couldn’t keep Williams ahead of Amherst after the loss.

10 – St. Mary’s (Unchanged)

11 – Wittenberg (Unchanged)

12 – Wash U. (Up 1)

13 – St. Norbert (Up 2)
This may be the unsung team of the Midwest Region and Wisconsin. The Green Knights just look good right now. The problem is they never get a break since they play in a conference that is middle of the pack and sit in a geographical area where they know the first weekend of the NCAA tournament is going to be anything but a cupcake. I like St. Norbert because I think they are sneaky good… time will tell if that gut feeling is right.

14 – Augustana (Down 2)
This one gave me plenty of angst. The Vikings beat Illinois Wesleyan at home, but then lose Wheaton (Ill.) on the road three days later. I also know there were probably plenty of distractions on Saturday with a family matter for Grey Giovanine. I wanted to leave them be at number 12, but I felt like the lose to Wheaton – who I also have ranked – needed to be that game the Vikings won to really take hold of their season. This is one of those moves that gets me thinking about blowing up my ballot and starting over.

15 – Wesley (Up 1)

16 – Oglethorpe (Up 1)
Wow… what a week for Oglethorpe! They win two games that both go into double overtime! Certainly people will say that may mean they aren’t as good as I have them ranked, but I would say that means they can fight out tough games especially considering they hadn’t played a game in nearly two weeks when practically everyone else is playing. This Petrels team impressed me this week.

17 – Whitworth (Up 2)

18 – Messiah (Up 5)
This is about where I started second guessing myself about my ballot a lot. It isn’t that Messiah isn’t a good team who continues to prove themselves, I just wonder if I am setting myself up for disappointment here. Messiah did beat an underachieving Lycoming before then beating handily a very underachieving Alvernia squad both at home. However, they face Stevenson squad in a gym the Mustangs have only lost in once this season. They then have a trap game in Arcadia looming.

19 – Bowdoin (Unranked)
I can’t ignore the Polar Bears any longer. Well it wasn’t like I was actually ignoring them, but I was leery it could be a lot of smoke and mirrors. However, Bowdoin beat Connecticut College and Wesleyan to start their NESCAC season and did so in somewhat convincing fashion at least against Conn College. The Polar Bears may be the real surprise of the NESCAC this season.

20 – Mary Washington (Unchanged)

21 – Dickinson (Unranked)
I have had the Red Devils on my radar for a very long time and was ready to pull the trigger for last week’s poll until they couldn’t follow up the Guilford win with a victory against Randolph-Macon. Having seen Dickinson in person and play impressively without their two best players… this Dickinson squad is living up to the high expectations many in the Centennial and the Mid-Atlantic Region had for them in October.

22 – Calvin (Down 9)
I realize the Knights may be banged up right now and I realize Hope was gunning for them to help jumped start their season, but right now things don’t look good. Calvin has lost two of their last three including a big rivalry game against Hope and they barely beat then 1-11 Alma at home. Calvin isn’t getting many votes in the Top 25 to begin with and honestly I probably am being too kind keeping them on my ballet.

23 – Wheaton (Ill.) (Up 2)
The win over Augustana was a nice touch for a team I nearly dropped out of my Top 25 ballet last week. However, they have Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan ahead of them this week, so this could be short lived. I am just not convinced Wheaton is really a Top 25 team, but a win over Augustana keeps them here.

24 – Stevenson (Down 3)
I realize I am the only voter with the Mustangs on my ballot and I said up until Sunday I wasn’t going to keep them, but the results of others kept me from pulling the trigger. The problem I have and I know others probably have is that this team just can’t prove they can win on the road. Stevenson lost to Albright who is underperforming in a game that could come back to bite the Mustangs when it comes to home court advantage in the conference tournament. So far Stevenson has proven they are one of the toughest teams to beat at home – though no lead seems to be safe. However, they have got to win the winnable games and win a couple of tough games on the road for anyone to take them seriously.

25 – Virginia Wesleyan (Down 3)
I realize I am one of a few voters not convinced with the Marlins and this week didn’t help their cause. They are a deep team with plenty of weapons, but they can’t go and lose to Bridgewater (Va.) especially in a game that ended up not being close. I left the Marlins on my ballot because I know what they are capable of, but Hampden-Sydney (away), Guildford (home), and Randolph-Macon (away) are their next three games. This could be a make or break seven days.

Dropped out:
Christopher Newport (Previously 17)
Four things happened to the Captains this past week and three of them were not good. First they lose to Wesley which at first doesn’t seem that bad. The problem was Christopher Newport was at home and they only scored 46 points. Now that alone wouldn’t have dropped them out of the poll, but they followed up that loss with a road loss to Penn-State Harrisburg (a win so big the local news covered it in Harrisburg). Now reports indicate the Captains are banged up, so with games against the bottom of the CAC coming up the time is now to right the ship and get back on course before facing the top of the conference again including a very difficult trip to Wesley.

Middlebury (Previously 24)
I don’t know what is up with the Panthers, but they lost to start the week against Plattsburgh State and then split their opening weekend in the NESCAC with a loss to Bates and a win over Tufts in a game that was far closer than the final score indicated. Before the Tufts win, Middlebury had lost three in a row. It almost seems like the Panthers are not improving as the season wears on and teams who see something on tape from earlier in the year are able still beat them because Middlebury isn’t fixing flaws. The one thing I do know… Middlebury is 7-5 and probably playing themselves right out of an NCAA opportunity.

ODACcess: Making a Splash in the Fish Tank (Randolph @ #15 Virginia Wesleyan)

Posted on January 13, 2014 by odaccess

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The sports world abounds with clichés. Often, these are used to impart narrative meaning to game performances, even if to do so requires forcing a square peg into a round hole. This is not one of those times.

As we noted in our last entry, the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins, carrying a number #15 national ranking and high preseason expectations, had a rough go of it in their loss at Bridgewater. Thus, the cliché goes, Coach Dave Macedo’s crew would be due for a bounce-back game against Randolph College. To say that the Marlins merely “bounced back” would be an understatement. The blowout we thought we would see in Bridgewater manifested itself in the Batten Center.

The Marlins team that showed up against the WildCats looked nothing like the bewildered and outhustled bunch that had lost three days before. First and foremost, they shot the three-ball with incredible precision throughout the first half. Against the Eagles, they managed only seven threes all game. The Marlins matched that mark in the first fourteen minutes, and didn’t stop there. By the end of the half, Wesleyan had made 12 threes in 20 attempts, which nearly equaled their number of attempts in their prior game. Even without sharpshooter Sedric Nady, and with another middling effort from star DJ Woodmore (8 point, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), Cameron Owens and Khory Moore more than equaled their offensive production, combining for 33 points.

Meanwhile, the Randolph offense struggled mightily. Some of this can be attributed to the loss of ODACcess favorite Zach Desgain, missing his third consecutive game after an injury early in Randolph’s loss to Staten Island. However, it’s unlikely that his 10.9 points per game could have made the difference. For over 12 minutes in the first half, the WildCats failed to score from the field, by which point, the Marlins had moved out to a 40-8 lead, and it was all over but the shouting.

But we’d be remiss not to mention the defensive effort of the Marlins. Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall would be proud: they played angry. After seeing the team “come out flat” in Bridgewater, Coach Macedo seemingly emphasized quickness on defense, and the team clearly took to it. They ran a full court press for most of the game, even after extending the game was far out of reach. By doing so, they managed a +9 turnover differential, including a shot clock violation. Every inbound pass seemed to take ages, and the Randolph offense never managed to get into a rhythm. One fan commented that this speed is a Macedo trademark, and it seems to be working: in his years at Virginia Wesleyan, he now has 300 wins to only 96 losses, and a national title to boot.

The importance of this team to its community of fans cannot be understated, and Coach Macedo clearly has a role in that. He was very emphatic about wanting to teach his players to “be Marlins,” and the number of former players who were in attendance speaks to the commitment they have to their alma mater. The fans we spoke to were incredibly committed to following their team. One fan expressed a belief that others thought Marlins fans were “mean,” but nothing in our experience in the Fish Tank would suggest that.

The second half was more competitive, but Virginia Wesleyan’s first half dominance had made it little more than a formality. Still, Coach Nunley had to take a modicum of solace from his bunch’s performance in the second half. While they still didn’t match up to the torrent of threes VWC unleashed in the first, they put up a respectable 31 points, shooting 45.5% from the field. More encouragingly, they forced played much better defense, and cleaned up the defensive boards. They were, however, still susceptible to the Marlins’ thievery, which I’m sure will be a talking point this week in Lynchburg.

—

Final: #15 Va. Wesleyan Marlins 75 (10-3, 3-1 ODAC), Randolph WildCats 65 (8-5, 2-2)
Player of the Game: Cameron Owens (Va. Wesleyan) (19 points, 5 three-pointers, and 7 rebounds)
Relive the game from our seats: check out our @ODACcess livetweets on Storify
Mileage Tracker: 861 miles
Next Stop: Emory and Henry at Guilford, January 15