ODU coach Nikki McCray’s perspective, for example, was understandably colored by her team’s 20 turnovers, some occasionally sieve-like defense and an excruciatingly close call against a Division III team
“Ugly,” McCray said of ODU’s 63-56 exhibition game escape from D-III heavyweight Christopher Newport.
Hard to argue with the coach’s succinct summary. Still, for college hoops fans — or media members — starved for some live preseason action, the mere fact that we got to see one of these formerly common public dress rehearsals, warts and all, was a welcome sight. Because with closed scrimmages widely viewed as more efficient, effective ways to prepare teams, the preseason exhibition game has become virtually extinct.
In 2007-08, the state’s Division I teams combined to stage 11 exhibitions, including two apiece by Virginia Tech and ODU. Ten years later, the 13 D-I schools are putting on just three – Wednesday’s ODU-CNU tilt and Sunday matinees featuring CNU at JMU and Lynchburg visiting Radford.
So yeah, McCray was right – you bet it was ugly. With ODU in the initial stages of a major rebuild, why wouldn’t it be? But in the sausage-making days of the preseason, we’ll happily take what we can get. Especially since nowadays, we don’t get much.
From a distance, the natural tendency may be to look at Wednesday night’s score and say, “Man, what’s wrong with Old Dominion?” But while there’s no question McCray inherited a challenging situation, the result also speaks to the quality of this year’s Captains, who return 16 of 18 players from a 2016-17 squad that went 29-3 and advanced to the Division III Final Four.
Additionally, the Captains pulled off the near-miss despite missing two starters and their top post reserve.
“For us to be able to compete against a Conference USA mid-major team shows we can play a little bit,” coach Bill Broderick said of his Captains, who go into the season ranked No. 2 nationally by d3hoops.com. “For a Division III team, I thought we hung in there and gave them a good game.”
Almost too good. Then again, few things figure to come easily for this year’s stripped-down Lady Monarchs, who will begin the McCray Era with just 11 players . Only eight saw action Wednesday – and no one that averaged more than 5.8 point a game last season.
Former support players now fill major roles. Redshirt senior forward Odegua Oigbokie (29 minutes) more than doubled her average stint in 2016-17 (14.1 minutes per game), while sophomore forward Jessica Munoz (a game-high 34 minutes) more than tripled hers (10.3). And sophomore guard Taylor Edwards, who joined as a walk-on last year, logged 26 minutes, or six more than she posted in her seven appearances combined during the entire 2016-17 campaign.
Not surprisingly, fatigue was an issue. Still, McCray said the night wasn’t without encouraging signs. At times the Lady Monarchs moved the ball crisply in the halfcourt and were rewarded with open shots. The guards attacked effectively in transition, especially in the first half when they still had fresh legs. And while the Captains did press the Lady Monarchs to exhaustion, they couldn’t press them into submission.
“I learned that they don’t quit,” McCray said after her team dug in and survived what was a one- or two-possession game throughout most of the fourth quarter. “They were like, ‘We’re not losing this game.’ And that’s what you want.”
ODU played without junior point guard Carolina Bernadeco, who in mid-October was shut down for 6-8 weeks with a lower body injury, and senior guard Ashley Jackson, the team’s only returning starter who suffered an ankle injury in practice.
McCray said Jackson is day-to-day, and the hope is she will be available for Friday’s season opener against Liberty.
“We need her; she’s vital to our success,” McCray said. “A lot of our offense is run through her.”
CNU will step up in class again Sunday at JMU before opening its season on Nov. 15 against Bridgewater.