(01-08-2018 05:08 PM)Tribal Wrote: Serious questions: ODU has a rich history of very successful basketball, both ladies and men. Do you think your emphasis on football and subsequent move to a poor basketball conference has been a detriment to your basketball program? You owned W&M in basketball, started your football program, and now you can't beat us. Would you still support a move to CUSA knowing it would damage Monarch basketball? And, as a fan of ODU football, how do you feel about your ridiculous travel schedule?
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I'll add that I got to know Tribal and TribeS4F during our CAA days. I loved CAA football, the friends that were made, and the easily driveable road trips. While games against FBS powerhouses are fun (especially at home), I cannot recall the atmosphere at Foreman Field any better than during the CAA rivalry games and playoffs. Was the move up worth it? At this point, I am not so sure. I found a way to get to Ga. Southern for playoffs, but not the Bahamas Bowl on Christmas Eve. 'Nuff said.
As for the basketball, ODU has clearly taken a step back. Women's BB has been on the decline for years, so I won't comment on that, However, the lack of NCAA berths for the men since joining CUSA speaks for itself. I used to a vocal complainer about the "VCU Invitational" at the Big Brown Dump, but it was in my hometown and I never missed it. Since that time, conference tourneys have been in El Paso and Birmingham. Our fanbase travels well regionally, but not this far, and the lack of driveable conference tourney games has probably hurt our chances at making the NCAAs. I do think we are on an upswing, and hope that trend will be ended soon, BTW. As for the WM game itself, was there with the family, and that game was played at an incredibly high level, particularly in the second half. No complaints (other than not changing up defenses) on losing when the opponent is simply on fire from three. It was probably the highest level ODU-WM game I have witnessed, start to finish, and good rivalries required games like that, even the ones in which we fall short.
I guess I am at the point that given a chance to reset, I'd prefer we followed VCU to he A-10 for BB and stayed in the CAA for football. However, a move to the AAC would be the best situation possible, particularly for the BB. But that is not happening until (if ever) we fix that Depression-era stadium to make it up to league standards.
That's as honest as I can be. Best regards to Tribal's and S4F's families for a happy and prosperous 2018.
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2017-2018 Basketball Games of Interest
