Round 3 of our Comings and Goings with a look at an Old Dominion program undergoing the most transition of any in the state.
Goings
Karen Barefoot: After six years and an ODU record of 103-93, the Newport News native is the new head coach at UNC Wilmington
Ashley Langford: the former ODU assistant is now an assistant to JMU’s Sean O’Regan
Jermaine Woods: the former ODU assistant is now an assistant to Jen Hoover at Wake Forest
Jim Corrigan: the former assistant to either the men’s or women’s teams since 1994 is no longer with either program.
Theresa Putasari: director of operations under Barefoot is no longer with the WBB program
Annette Chester: We don’t traditionally put team administrative assistant in this listing, but Chester was no ordinary assistant; she was a significant player linking ODU past to ODU present. She is now an administrative assistant in compliance.
Jennie Simms: Drafted in the second round by the Washington Mystics (18th overall); 2016-17 Conference USA player of the year; l the sixth ODU player to score 2,000 points (she finished with 2,151)
Annika Holopainen: Finnish guard is playing professionally in Germany (Wasserburg), averaging 10.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg in four games
Rhaven Kemp: the guard averaged 1.1 ppg last year as a senior
Destinee Young: the 6-1 forward, who averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounding her senior year, is playing professionally in Germany
Ije Ajemba: transferred to UNC Greensboro where she will play for Trina Thomas Patterson, former assistant to Barefoot who is now head coach there; sat out the 2016-17 season;
Keyana Brown: 5-11 guard who played in all 31 games and averaged 4.3 ppg transferred to Virginia State
Manaya Jones: the 6-4 forward from Memphis who is entering her sophomore year transferred to Memphis
Gianna Smith: the 5-10 forward, MVP of the 7Cities Pro Am summer league, transferred to UNC Wilmington where she will play under Barefoot
Comings
Nikki McCray-Penson: the seventh coach of the program; former assistant to Dawn Staley at South Carolina since 2008; Gamecocks won the 2017 NCAA championship; SEC player of the year under Tennessee coach Pat Summitt; All-American with 1,572 points; also had a nine-year career in the WNBA; two-time Olympic Gold medalist with USA Basketball
Richard Fortune: returns to ODU for his second stint, former assistant to Barefoot who left two years ago to be an assistant for VCU’s Beth O’Boyle
Eric Baldwin: former Charlotte head coach, most recently was a WNBA assistant for three years with the Dallas Wings and Tulsa Shock; assistant to Staley at South Carolina and to Jim Foster at Ohio State
Brittany Young: Comes to ODU from Stetson, where she was an assistant for two years; worked alongside McCray as an assistant to Staley at South Carolina
Ashley Morris: played for Staley at Temple, where she is ranked third for assists all time
Loftus
Kelly Loftus: the Hofstra transfer is eligible after sitting out last year; will play one season at ODU; scored 842 points with a .319 FG percentage for the Pride; started 65 of 85 games in three years (started nine times as a freshman); drained 148 3-pointers at Hofstra
Dejah Carter: the 6-2 freshman forward is from Chesterfield, Va., where she played one season at Cosby High, averaging 12.5 ppg, 13.6 rpg and 2.5 bpg; also played volleyball in high school
Victoria Morris: 5-8 freshman guard from Cincinnati is the first recruit signed by McCray; averaged 21.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 steals during her senior season at North College Hill High School
Lovie Harden: 6-foot freshman is a walk-on from Tucker High in Richmond
Are you still reading? We know the list of hellos and goodbyes is a chapter in itself. We can all agree it’s been a year of transition at ODU. Make way for the McCray-Penson era (she tells us she goes by McCray, though, so we’ll honor that from here). Everything is new at ODU, which will usher in the change behind a first-time head coach who learned under two legends in the game. McCray played for Summitt and assisted Staley. It’s a long resume and ODU fans should be excited after too many years of WNIT bids or less.
That said, change takes time. ODU had settled into being a middle-of-the-pack CUSA team, long removed from the dynasty-maker it was in a CAA. Remember the days of 17 conference titles that carried with them automatic bids to the NCAA? We’re not there and we haven’t been there for going on a decade. It was a long time ago when Jazzmin Walters drained a 3-pointer to send ODU into the Sweet 16 (2008). ODU hasn’t been back to the tournament since.
Simms was a talent, but player development was an issue the last six seasons; we expect that to change under McCray going forward. This team has been all about Jennie since her arrival three years ago and prior to her, its offense ran through Shae Kelley. ODU has no substantial scoring returning (Ashley Jackson leads the way, averaging 5.8 ppg and shooting .514). Adding a proven threat in Loftus softens the loss of Simms; the former all-league selection is likely chomping to be an impact player. ODU is without size and minus depth. Eleven players are on the roster, which includes recently added walk-on Lovie Harden and returning walk-on Taylor Edwards. The count was supposed to be higher, but ODU lost three commitments after Barefoot’s departure was announced, including twin towers Janae and Janeen Camp. Janae Camp is on Coastal Carolina’s roster Dazia Powell is at North Carolina.
One plus: ODU does not lack experience. Odegua Oigbokie is the other redshirt senior (she’s started 30 games in her career) alongside Loftus. MaKayla Timmons has started 20 games in her two years. Carley Brew and Jessica Munoz are entering their junior seasons, though neither has played major minutes.
You wonder which of these players will see 2017-18 as an opportunity. CUSA is not the ACC or even the Atlantic 10. With the right chemistry, ODU can win some games and possible score some upsets. Everybody is in a new role; even the seniors must feel like freshmen figuring out a roadmap.
ODU will see how it stacks up against teams in the middle of the state pack — Liberty, VCU, William and Mary and Richmond — this season; the fans would dearly love to see a series with with JMU again (Tennessee, too, but that’s another story). North Carolina State and Duke come to town also, opponents ODU will likely struggle to contend with but ODU fans of old will appreciate a more appetizing home slate than they’ve seen in years.
Fans liked Barefoot, whose energy and enthusiasm are unmatched. But those who remember hunger for the product that Wendy Larry put on the floor for nearly two decades. Can ODU get back to being a national contender? Let’s hope.
Photos courtesy of ODU Athletics
Also see:
Comings and Goings: James Madison
Comings and Goings: Virginia