The Mace & Crown

By: Jake Ullrich

It was Kent Bazemore’s second collegiate technical foul. He had stolen the ball and was free for an easy dunk. Bazemore did his now trademark two-handed slam and held on the rim for a second too long. The ref had no hesitation with throwing up a ‘T” and awarded the Vikings two free throw shots, shots that Norris Cole made to cut the Monarchs’ lead to one point. It should have hurt the Monarchs, it should have allowed the Vikings a chance to get back in the game, it should have silenced the crowd, but it didn’t. Instead it led to an 18-5 Old Dominion run that ultimately sealed a 74-63 victory for the Monarchs.

The Vikings were led by senior Norris Cole who set a record for most points scored by an opponent in the Ted Constant Convocation center as well as most points ever in a bracketbuster game when he finished with 35. Cole fouled out of the game with 49 seconds left with the Monarchs leading 72-63.

Unfortunately for Cole, he didn’t have the supporting cast the Monarchs possess. Old Dominion outscored the Vikings 24-2 on the bench, mostly due to Keyon Carter’s 14 points and Trian Iliadis’ eight.

“It’s very important [for the bench to play well],” Carter said. “Their starters did a good job matching up, especially down in the post so me and also Trian [Iliadis] it was important for us to come in and provide a spark and turn this thing around.”

The Monarchs found themselves down early when Cole simply couldn’t miss. Shooting 6-9 from beyond the arc in the first half, Cole finished with 24 of the Viking’s 28 points. The Vikings biggest lead was 7, capitalized when Cole’s three-pointer rattled in, back out and then back in.

“It hit the rim like three times, then hit the backboard and then went in” Kent Bazemore said after the game. “I was just like ‘Alright I guess’. He’s a heck of a player.”

Coach Taylor made a few changes in the media timeout after that shot, bringing in Chris Cooper, Darius James, Trian Iliadis and Nick Wright in a hope to energize the team and crowd. The next play, Wright moved over just in time to force Viking’s guard Jeremy Montgomery into a charge, a play that awoke the 8,328 fans in the Ted and sparked the Monarchs to a 16-6 run to finish out the half.

The Monarchs knew they needed to change something to slow Cole down and a switch to zone defense seemed to confuse the Vikings.

“I thought our defense, as we figured out a little more about him and them, I thought we did a better job as the game wore on playing defense,” Head Coach Blaine Taylor said. “You can give [Cole] all the attention you want but you gotta be careful of the other four and I think we did a wonderful job on the other four.

“It sounds trite but, you know, we shut him right down to 11 points in the second half.”

As it is with most Monarchs’ wins, the team dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Vikings 53 to 24. The Monarchs finished the game with 23 offensive rebounds, one less than the Viking’s total rebounds. The consistent second opportunities for the Monarchs led to easy baskets, as well as demoralizing the Vikings. Senior Ben Finney finished with 13 total rebounds, eight offensive, and Senior Frank Hassell finished with 15, seven offensive. Keyon Carter added five more to the Monarchs’ total.

Starter and perhaps the Monarchs’ best post defender Chris Cooper found himself in early foul trouble and was limited to only 11 minutes. The lack of time for Cooper opened to door for Carter, who had his best game of the season. He was also the beneficiary of a perfect pass from Darius James to allow a monstrous dunk that sent the Ted into hysteria. Carter started the run with the dunk and finished it with a three-point shot that guaranteed the win for the Monarchs.

“It’s extremely satisfying, I couldn’t think of a better game to come out and play well for not only myself but my team,” Carter said. “I wouldn’t have had a very good day if we would have let this one slip, especially to a non-conference opponent.

“It’s just a sense of pride. Being in the CAA, I feel like, you know, all the quote-unquote mid-majors, we’re the elite of that class.”

The win boosts the Monarchs’ already impressive non-conference schedule and helps their serious contention for an at-large birth to the NCAA tournament. It was a win appreciated by the players, coaches and fans alike.

The Monarchs won’t always score 74 points and many times won’t win a game when they allow a player to score 35. But they did and, according to Bazemore, there is only one thing that matters.

“Got the win, it’s all about results.”

(Photo by Kathryne Mason)

By: Ben Decowski

The Old Dominion University Monarchs (21-6, 12-4) moved into a tie with Virginia Commonwealth University (20-8, 12-4) for second place in the Colonial Athletic Association with their win over the Georgia State Panthers (11-15, 6-10) on Feb. 15 at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.  The Panthers gave the Monarchs all they could handle in ODU’s 60-43 victory, even though the score may not portray that.  The GSU defense gave a heroic effort that forced ODU to pull out a tough win in a game that most thought would be an easy game for the Monarchs.

The first half was riddled with sloppy offensive play from both teams.  Neither team got into double digit points until redshirted junior guard Kent Bazemore hit two free throws with 7:42 remaining in the first half to give the Monarchs an 11-6 lead.  ODU only hit 6-21 shots from the field in the first half while GSU hit only 8-24.  The defensive dominance comes as no surprise for the Monarchs due to the history of great ODU defenses, but it is probably safe to say that no one expected the GSU defense to play the way it did.

The Panthers were all over the court on defense, refusing to give up any easy shots to the Monarchs.  GSU outrebounded ODU in the first half 20-16, which is extremely rare since ODU prides themselves on their rebounding ability.  The Monarchs were held to only two second chance points in the first half.  The Panthers also contained star senior center Frank Hassell in the first half, holding him to only five points and three rebounds, which was huge because it prevented the Monarch offense from getting any sort of rhythm. 

Through it all, ODU managed to take a lead into half with the score 25-20.  That five- point lead was not comforting though as ODU watched GSU’s redshirted junior guard Jihad Ali hit a 3-pointer and a jump shot back-to-back right before the half.  ODU needed to find a player with a hot hand in the second half if they wanted to pull out another important CAA victory and Hassell understood that all too well.

Hassell came out in the second half and chalked up four quick points to extend ODU’s lead to nine points.  Those four points may have been the most important of the game because it helped the Monarchs find their go-to guy in the game.  From that point on, Hassell helped provide enough of an offensive spark to keep his team on top for the rest of the game with 12 second half points.  Hassell extended the Monarchs lead to 10 points twice in the half, one of which was on an authoritative dunk after a spectacular pass from senior forward Ben Finney.

The Monarchs eventually built their lead up to the 17 points that they won the game by, but it was very gradual. There were not a lot of big runs in this game.  What the game really came down to was the fact that the Panthers sent the Monarchs to the free throw line 16 times in the first half and 12 times in the second half.  The Monarchs hit 21 of those 28, a surprising 75 percent for ODU.  All of those free throws the Monarchs made slowly put the Panthers in that 17- point hole that they just never had the offensive power to come back from.

It seemed that ODU just had too much experience in close games for the young Panthers to pull out the victory.  ODU starts three seniors in Hassell, Finney and guard Darius James, while GSU starts none.  All three of those senior Monarchs had big games with Hassell and Finney recording double-doubles and James adding six points, five assists and no turnovers. 

Even though the Monarchs struggled offensively against the Panthers, their defense never missed a beat.  It is that defense that ODU will need to ride into the CAA tournament, if they want any chance at making it into the NCAA tournament.  The Monarchs still have plenty of time to get their offense rolling again with games against William and Mary and James Madison still on the schedule.  

The win was the third straight for the Monarchs and it was a massive one.  It allowed them to move into a tie for second place in the CAA with the rival VCU Rams, who they beat in Richmond the week before.  The Monarchs are now in their final three games of the regular season and they seem to be getting on a roll. It is the perfect time for that to happen. 

(Photo by Maralee Pepper)

By: Justin Brown

The Monarchs beat the Georgia State Panthers 60-43 Feb. 15, but the score was much closer for the majority of the game. The win brought the Monarchs to 12-4 in the CAA and ties them with the VCU Rams for second place, as VCU got slammed by George Mason the same night.

The game was much closer than 17 points for the majority of the match-up. It started slow and the Monarchs could never seem to pull away. Thirteen minutes into the game it was 9-6, just what the Panthers were looking to do. Georgia State Head Coach Rod Barnes came in with the mentality of slowing the game and disrupting the Monarchs’ flow.  “     

The strategy for Barnes worked for the first half as the Monarchs went into halftime with only a 25-20 lead and were out-rebounded 20-16, a feat that not many teams can claim.

Senior Frank Hassell came out hot in the second half and helped to solidify some offense and a win for the Monarchs. Frank put up 12 points in the second and finished with 17 and 10 rebounds. Hassell had the first six points for the Monarchs out of the intermission and gave the Monarchs a sense of physicality and offense to start the second. Junior Kent Bazemore had nothing but good things to say about Hassell’s performance after the game. “I’m always going to be Frank’s biggest carrier,” said Bazemore.  “I know how good he’s been and how far here’s came. He’s come a long way and I think he can even get better.”

The defense played by the Panthers was tough, but the Monarchs put on their hard hats and played even tougher. With a couple of 6-foot- 10 inch forwards, the Panthers were ready to bang defensively, but the Monarchs team, would not let the that deter their chance to claim second place in the conference. “Tonight was a workmen-like performance. We really had to do quite a number of things right. Some teams might’ve not gotten the job done tonight, but we found a way,” said Head Coach Blaine Taylor after the game.

 That’s exactly how the game went and it was the Monarchs’ “workmen-like performance” that was the deciding factor in the game. Without being able to sustain a comfortable lead throughout the game, the Monarchs still played tough defense and won the game with the intangibles. The Panthers were outrebounded 22-17 in the second half and for a team that isn’t always great from the free-throw line, the Monarchs went 11-12 down the stretch and shot 75 percent for the game.

  Ben Finney, a senior leader on this Monarchs basketball team, was a huge factor throughout the second half. He grabbed four offensive rebounds in the period and seven for the game. This Monarchs basketball team came to play with their hard hats on and didn’t stop playing until the final whistle. The same can’t be said about the Panthers. At the three minute mark the Monarchs went on a 12-0 run and all but stopped the Panthers’ chances of getting back into the game. It was 47-42 at that point of the game and the Panthers were only able to score one more point for the rest of the game. The Monarchs, however, scored 13.

 Another conference win for the Monarchs puts them in great position for the CAA tournament. Being in second place would put the Monarchs on the opposite side of the bracket from George Mason and those two power-houses in the CAA would only meet in the finals. The season is winding down, but the story is not finished on the hard-hatted Monarchs .

(Photo By Maralee Pepper)

ODU leads at the half, 32-24. Frank Hassell has already scored 11, along with 4 rebounds. Kent Bazemore had an alley-oop towards the end of the half that quieted the crowd.

Christian Ernst

News Editor

When asked about junior guard Kent Bazemore getting hot in a game, Taylor described his process.

“Yeah, I check my horoscope every morning,” said Old Dominion Head Coach Blaine Taylor.

Bazemore proved why he’s quickly become one of the figureheads of the Monarchs on Feb. 2, when he took control of the game in the second half to drive the team to a 67-59 win.

(photo by Lauren Makely)

With eight minutes left in the game, when the Monarchs were down as much as six, Bazemore had only five points. From that point, he then went on to score 14 points,  as well as getting a steal and a rebound to drive the team to victory.

And the team recognized Bazemore was hot. Senior Frank Hassel described one play late in the game when, with 1:25 left, he kicked the ball out from the paint to Bazemore, who he saw coming around the outside.

“He had the hot hand,” said Finney.

“We work on (that play) so much, its almost like second nature,” said Bazemore.

Describing Bazemore taking over a game like he did, Hassell said “It’s amazing, his cockiness, his style, its amazing.”

“It was a pretty exciting game,” said Blue Hens coach Monte Ross. “It’s the type of game you expect in the CAA. It’s a constant battle.”

“Obviously it’s a good win,” said coach Blaine Taylor. “You can see why when we played (at Delaware), they were able to win.”

The game had been a decisively Monarch game until the second half. The first half had been low scoring, with the Monarchs holding Delaware to 20 points. They also had five blocks and three steals in the first half.

That didn’t happen in the second half, though. Scoring was no longer at a premium. The teams combined for 76 points in the second half.

This proved to be harmful to the Monarchs, as they lost a ten point lead, falling behind six points at its worst, when Bazemore took over the game.

Delaware played very few bench players, only two the entire game, with the starters playing 174 of 200 total minutes.

Defense did prove to be a strong part of the game, however, as the Monarchs held Jawan Carter to 11 points on 4 of 15 shooting. Carter had scored 29 points in the previous meeting this season.

Bazemore lead the game with 20 points, five assists and four steals, as well as shooting 80 percent from the field and getting a block.

One thing Taylor was most surprised with,, was that he only had one turnover, something Bazemore usually struggles with.

“He stayed within himself,” said Taylor. “For Baze, one turnover is pretty dogoned good.”

But Bazemore played the success off on his teammates

“They ran good screens, and I got open shots,” said Bazemore.

By: Justin Brown

Finally. The Monarch men’s basketball team finally put up points, played shut down defense and blew out a team that they were much better than. In an 80-57 win the Monarchs looked like the team we expected them to be in the preseason when the Monarchs were the Colonial Athletic Association favorite to win the conference.

It wasn’t until Junior Kent Bazemore put in an alley-oop slam with four minutes left in the first half that the game took a turn for the Monarchs. The game had been back and fourth for the majority of the half due to great three point shooting by the Towson Tigers.  The Tigers shot over 50 percent from long range and Rashawn Polk and Josh Brown went a combined 5-5. The alley-oop that Bazemore put in though changed the game. “That’s what I try to do, get my team fired up and bring energy.,” said Bazemore after the game. And that’s exactly what he did. Not only did he put in the dunk, but he came down two possessions later and hit a three pointer to give the Monarchs a 30-27 lead that they would not surrender.

The Monarchs finally hit on all aspects of the game. They put up points and played shut down defense. It was a great sight to see.  Senior Keyon Carter snapped out of his slump, junior Trian Iliadis hit his fair share of three pointers, and the stars came to play.  Senior Frank Hassell had a double-double, Bazemore led the team in scoring and had six assists. Senior Ben Finney and Carter were also in double figures. It was just what the doctor ordered and it couldn’t come at a better time.

You can just see the guys’ talents meshing together and that is what Monarch fans have wanted to see all along. “24 assists tonight. I think that led to the shooting percentage and just the quality of shots,” said Monarch head coach Blaine Taylor. He couldn’t be more right. You could see it. The Monarchs were finally playing as a cohesive unit. A unit that all had the same goal, put the basketball in the basket. It didn’t matter who it was or how it happened, but the Monarchs made it happen. Seven assists for  senior Darius James, six assists for Bazemore and five assists for Ben Finney. They all got in on the act.

So as the season rolls on and the Monarchs go into their last half of conference play, the question still stands. Can these Monarchs score the basketball? Their defense is apparent and will show up every night. “I’ve been doing this for 31 years and they have the longest arms I’ve seen since playing against some of those North Carolina teams I’ve played against,” said  Towson head coach, Pat Kennedy. Their arms aren’t going to get shorter and their defense is only going to get tougher, but can they score the basketball when they definitely need points?

It remains to be seen. But the showing against Towson shows the Monarchs can do it, they can work as a unit. If they can keep up the excitement and the unselfish style of play, then we can be hopeful to hear more chants of, “We want Canes! We want Canes!’

Photo by (Ari Gould)

By: Brielle Boucher

In the game on Jan. 29 showed a very confident and skilled Old Dominion University basketball team. The Monarchs played an excellent game, almost flawless against the Towson Tigers. They trampled the Towson Tigers by a final score of 80-57.

The Monarchs had everything going for them in the second half. The first half was not in their favor as much as it should have, but they came back fighting and playing effortlessly the second half. Junior Kent Bazemore went 7-10 for field goals and 3-4 three pointers, leading the game in scoring with an astounding 17 points. Seniors Keyon Carter and Frank Hassel were key players for the entire game and really pulled through for their Monarchs.

While the score was going back and forth the entire first half with Towson’s Josh Brown making threes left and right going 5-6  really had the Monarchs on their toes. The game was tied five times throughout the game, which had fans concerned that their Monarchs would lose to a team that was 0-10 in the CAA standings.

Coach Blaine Taylor really must have said something to his players at halftime to really spark their momentum to really stick it to the Tigers. Bazemore went 5-6  on free throws and threw in a few dunks along the way to give the fans a show to see. He also went 2-3 of three pointers.

“Our strategy during halftime I said to the guys was to score, stop them, and score,” said Taylor.  That is exactly what the Monarchs did, plus more. Coach Taylor gave his others players a chance to play as well. His bench had a great game and showed their athleticism at the end of the second half. Fans were on their feet as they cheered for those players they do not  usually see , and wanted to see them score. Junior Trian IIadis scored a substantial amount for coming off the bench. He had 12 points in the game and showed his Monarchs that he is a strong player for his team.

Coach Taylor really expressed that his star players are not greedy when they had chances to be. The Monarchs had a substantial amount of assists, 24 to be exact, to give other players chances to have great opportunities to set up and score. “This week was a very pivotal week for our team. Our win at Georgia State was big and to cap it off with this win over Towson is great and what we needed,”  said coach Taylor.

The Monarchs now have a 17-5 record and are 8-3 in the CAA standings, putting them in third right below George Mason and VCU first in the standings. The Monarchs’ next game is against University of Delaware at home, and to pull out win in the TED would seal the deal for the Monarchs and show that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Photo by: (Rachel Chasin)

By: Justin Brown

After a tough start for the Monarchs, they picked it up down the stretch. Towson came out shooting lights out with Josh Brown going 3-3 from 3-point range, but when Kent Bazemore streaked to the hoop for an alley-oop the Monarchs’ speed got ignited and the Tigers couldn’t keep up. After a 3-pointer that Bazemore hit with two minutes to play in the half the Monarchs took a 30-27 lead and continued the run until the end of the half. They ended the half on a 7-0 run and a tip in from Frank Hassell right before the buzzer sent the Monarchs into half with a 34-27 lead. It should be a great finish and the Monarchs should win if they can keep playing disciplined offense and hard-nosed defense.

By: Ben Decowski

Senior forward Frank Hassell slammed the ball through the rim in a dominant fashion Jan. 19 to put an exclamation mark on the Monarchs 64-58 victory over the Dukes of James Madison at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.  The game was critical for both teams as they try to stay relevant in the race for the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title.

While the game was close, Old Dominion kept firm control.  The Monarchs fell behind 5-2 just three minutes into the game, but a layup from Hassell and a three pointer from junior Kent Bazemore put the Monarchs back on top.  The Monarchs never lost the lead from then on.

ODU was hot in the first half, establishing a 14-7 lead five minutes into the game.  Hassell had 6 points and 3 rebounds in that stretch and junior Chris Cooper helped out with 3 rebounds, a blocked shot and an electrifying dunk.  Cooper and Hassell finished the half with 7 rebounds each and a total of 4 blocked shots.  “I think these guys did a nice job of battling them,” said Head Coach Blaine Taylor of his two forwards.

JMU’s star junior Denzel Bowles who came in averaging an impressive 16.9 points per game was held to only 6 points in the first half.  “It was real physical down there, we were scrapping down there and unlike him I got Coop by my side to help me so I kind of had a foot up on him,” said Hassell, who had the duty of guarding Bowles.  Junior Humpty Hitchens tried to pick up the slack for his team in the first half hitting three of five from behind the arc give him a total of nine first half points.

The closest that the Dukes came to ODU’s first half lead was within two points with 8:57 remaining.  ODU quickly reestablished a comfortable lead with layups from Hassell and junior Marquel De Lancey and a three from senior Ben Finney.

The Monarchs took a 30-25 lead into the half.  ODU shot 44 percent from the field while JMU shot only 37 percent.  The Monarchs also out-rebounded the Dukes 20-15.  ODU capitalized on their free throw chances making 71.4 percent while the Dukes only made one of their three free throws.

ODU came out strong again in the second half and extended their lead to 10 points with 15:51 left in the game.  That’s when Bowles came alive, hitting two quick shots followed by a layup from teammate junior Rayshawn Goins.  ODU’s sophomore Nick Wright then fouled Bowles and sent him to the line for two more points and cut the Monarchs lead to 39-37.  Junior Trian Illiadis hit a jump shot to stop the bleeding and end the Dukes 8-0 run.  Hassell followed up with two free throws and Finney added a layup to bring ODU’s lead to 45-37 with 10:38 to go.

Both teams exchanged shots for the next 8 minutes.  With 2:38 to go, JMU had finally whittled ODU’s lead back down to four off of a layup from sophomore Devon Moore.  The Monarchs got the ball back but Bazemore turned it over and Bowles took advantage by putting in another layup to cut the lead to 56-54.

Bazemore responded with a pair of free throws to bring the score to 58-54.  Hitchens tried to come back with a three pointer, but missed and Hassell got the rebound and was fouled with 39 seconds to go.  Hassell made one free throw to bring the score to 59-54.  ODU had a five point lead and it seemed that the game had been put away but Hassell fouled Bowles with 10 seconds remaining and sent him to the line for two.  Bowles made both free throws and cut the lead to three points, a manageable deficit for a team who is second in the CAA in 3-point percentage at .399.

Moore fouled Hassell after Bowles free throws and sent him to the line.  Hassell made one of two and gave the Monarchs a four point lead still with 10 seconds to go.  The Dukes got the ball back and had to do something quick if they wanted to win the game but Goins turned the ball over and Bazemore was fouled.  Bazemore made two more free throws and brought the lead to 62-56 with 6 seconds left.

Bowles drove to the basket one more time and dunked the ball with five seconds remaining to make the score 62-56.  Hassell responded with his own dunk to finish out the close game and the crowd erupted at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Hassell ended the game with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks.  Cooper also had a big game with 5 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks of his own.  “I think Coop’s 13 rebounds was kind of a difference maker,” said Coach Taylor.

JMU’s star player, Bowles, ended up having a big night thanks to his second half.  Bowles ended the game with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.  “He’s a really good player, really good player, really good one on one player, really good post player,” said ODU’s Hassell.  Goins and Hitchens also had solid games for the Dukes with Goins picking up 10 points and Hitchens contributing 12 of his own.

ODU out-rebounded the Dukes 39-31 and had a total of eight blocked shots and seven steals.  “It’s a great defense. I think everybody struggles against it,” said JMU Head Coach Matt Brady.  JMU’s lose snaps a nine game winning streak and brings their record to 5-2 in the CAA and 15-4 overall.  The win gives ODU a 5-2 CAA record and a 14-4 record overall.  It also moves the Monarchs to within one game of the conference leading Virginia Commonwealth Rams and Hofstra Pride who are 6-1 in the CAA.

Coach Taylor called the game a, “very good win under the circumstances, I think we’ve got a lot of good teams in this leagues and that’s one of them.”  The win puts the Monarchs in a good position as the team heads into a streak of conference games, which include two games against VCU.

Donnell Coley

It was yet another brilliant defensive game won by the Monarchs on Jan. 19^th against the James Madison University Dukes.  Guards were flying around the ball. Forwards were using their length to defend jump shots and close out possessions with athletic rebounds. It’s the kind of defense and rebounding that Monarch fans have been accustomed to seeing over the past few seasons.  And it is this style of play that helped them win the Colonial Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships a season ago.

But does defense really win championships? Or is that just another entry in the book of overly used clichés?  One fact is clear when it comes to college basketball; you have to outscore your opponent to win the game. That seems to be the Monarchs’ ‘kryptonite’ in the few losses that they have had over the past few years. In recent seasons, ODU could go to All-CAA forward Gerald Lee to wet their offensive dry spells. This year, they have struggled to find consistent options to fill this huge role left in the center of their offense. In losses on the road at Missouri and Drexel this season, the Monarchs were subject to patches of cold shooting resulting in big runs by the opponent.

Jan. 19^th was emblematic of this when JMU made a couple of crucial runs in the second half (the highest being 8-0) to close the gap. When the game was close, a variety of Monarchs came up with key answers. Senior forward Ben Finney hit a couple of crucial three’s to mute runs, and finished the game with 12 points.  Junior guard Kent Bazemore calmly hit 8-9 free throws in clutch moments and ended the game with 15 points.  These plays were crucial components in the win.  Not to mention the colossal effort of senior forward, Frank Hassell, as he racked up his fifth double-double of the season scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Hassell also scored his 1000^th point during the game.

But maybe the most important contribution to the game and best sign for future games for ODU was the emergence of junior forward Chris Cooper.  He took over above the rim at one stretch in the game and finished with a game-high 13 rebounds.  As JMU Head Coach Matt Brady said, “We lack the straight away speed, physicality and the ability to get above the rim like these guys.”  It is this reason Brady and others in the media pick ODU to represent the CAA once again this year.

However, major questions need to be answered between now and March for the Monarchs.  Ball security is one of the nagging problems that they suffer in critical moments of the game.  Both Bazemore and senior guard Darius James will have to take turns eliminating this problem.  Another question is bench production.  Coach Blaine Taylor is known for using a deep bench and consistent production from junior guards Trian Illiads and Marquel Delancy will be vital in helping James and Bazemore stay fresh for the clutch moments in the second half.  Senior forward Keyon Carter will be the most important factor off the bench as his outside touch could be the answer for Monarch mishaps throughout the course of the game.

These questions are all something Coach Taylor is well aware of and has heard about his teams in the past. But as ODU’s all-time winningeset coach, I think he knows a thing a two about winning meaningful games.