Off Year for Basketball? Not our Monarchs
Written By: Matthew McCracken
Sports Editor
We’ve lost Darius James at the point guard position. We’ve lost Ben Finney, the heart and soul of our team. We’ve lost Frank Hassell, better known as Frank the Tank. We won the CAA Tournament on the backs of these three basketball players. We lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Butler off of a busted defensive play. But no worries Monarch fans, Old Dominion University basketball success is here to stay.
Have you ever heard of Chris Cooper? The 6’9”, 230 lb forward has come into his own on the hardwood. He may not have been known for scoring in the past, but with the lossof Frank the Tank down low, expect Cooper to be the next face of the Monarchs this upcoming season. In his junior year, he grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, which ties the record for the TED Constant Convocation Center with Alex Loughton. With the ability to rebound, catch the ball down low, and finish around the rim, we’ve got our Frank Hassell back.
One down, two to go.
Now this next player is one that is known to stretch out defenses. Literally. Having close to a seven foot wingspan, Kent Bazemore brings Kevin Durant swagger with Blake Griffin finish ability. In years past, he has rocked the TED dunking on opponents without any remorse. He has been known to shoot poorlyfrom the free-throw line, but with his work ethic, it’s an easy fix. Giving his all on the court by diving for balls, taking charges, and passing, Bazemore should remind you of none other than Ben Finney. Bazemore averaged 12.3 PPG and 4.1 RPG in the 2010-2011 season.
Bazemore has a mixture of all three of the recent Monarch losses. He’s a lefty with the ability to handle the ball like D. James. He puts the team before himself like Ben Finney, sacrificing his body whether it’s the first or last minute of the game. And what people may not realize at first glance is, the guy can rebound. Losing a double-double average in points and rebounds in Frank Hassell, look for Bazemore to bang down-low with Cooper for rebounds.
Two down, one to go.
His name is Marquel De Lancey. He’s an even six feet tall, weighing about 190 lbs. He saw some playing time last year at point guard behind Darius James. Now, you are probably thinking. How is this guy going to replace the shooting, passing, and defensive ability of D. James?
That’s an easy answer: He has been playing against him for four years. Practicing against James each and every year, De Lancey has learned the ins and outs of James’ games, and has added his own spice to it. It’s even been said by players on the team that De Lancey is the hardest to play against one-on-one due to his elusiveness.
If this is too much information for you Monarch fans out there who think ODU Men’s Basketball is taking a dive this season, here it is in simpler terms: Coop can hoop, Baze can daze, and De Lancey is fancy.
It’s impossible to play just like James, Finney, and Hassell, but it isn’t far-fetched to say they can resemble them. Cooper, Bazemore, and De Lancey reflect Monarchs of the past who had success , but with their own flavor of skill.
With all three being seniors, they refuse to leave Norfolk as graduates with a nasty taste in their mouth. They still have nightmares of Matt Howard’s buzzer beater lay-up that took them out of the NCAA Tournament. They still re-watch how VCU, the team they beat for the CAA Championship, rumbled all the way to the Final-Four. These things fuel the seniors of the Monarchs, which will leak onto the younger talent.
So, for those of you who do not believe in the Monarchs this upcoming year, do us all a favor and go hang out in the new library with the HD TV’s while we scream our lungs out for our Monarchs at the TED. 2012 CAA Champions and at least a Sweet-16 apperance in the NCAA Tournament, here we come. You heard it here first.
photo taken by Rachel Chasin
