#124 Old Dominion Men's Basketball 2020-2021 Preview

Jacob Young
Sat, 07/11/2020
 
 
Old Dominion Monarchs

2020-2021 Overall Rank: #124
Conference Rank: #4 Conference USA
Old Dominion Logo
 
Old Dominion suffered their worst season under Jeff Jones in 2019-20. The Monarchs struggled early in the season, losing eight consecutive contests in November and December. They were able to finish .500 in conference play, somewhat salvaging the season. Still, coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019, the season was a major disappointment. The previous lowest wins in a season under Jones was 18 in his first season in 2013-14, so with an experienced team coming back this season the Monarchs should be able to rebound in 2020-21.

2019-20 Record: 13-19, 9-9
Coach: Jeff Jones
Coach Record: 153-86 at Old Dominion, 510-373 overall
 
Key Departed Players
Marquis Godwin, Guard, 8.3 ppg
Aaron Carver, Forward, 4.6 ppg
Dajour Dickens, Center, 3.8 ppg

Key Returning Players:
Malik Curry, Senior, Guard, 13.4 ppg
Xavier Green, Senior, Forward, 12.8 ppg
A.J. Oliver, Junior, Guard, 11.3 ppg
Jason Wade, Junior, Guard, 10.9 ppg
Kalu Ezikpe, Junior, Forward, 6.4 ppg
Joseph Reece, Junior, Forward, 6.2 ppg
Jaylin Hunter, Sophomore, Guard, 2.3 ppg
Alfis Pilavios, Junior, Forward, 0.8 ppg
Dimitris Karaisko, Sophomore, Forward, 0.0 ppg
Key New Players:
Mekhi Long, Sophomore, Forward, Transfer from Rhode Island, Not Eligible
Brady O’Connell, Freshman, Guard
John Shanu, Freshman, Forward
David Strother, Senior, Guard, Transfer from Division II
 
Projection:
Old Dominion will have their top four scorers back along with every player but one that played in more than 12 contests last season. Malik Curry, Xavier Green, A.J. Oliver and Jason Wade are all upperclassmen who averaged double digit points last year. Curry was quietly one of the top players in the conference last season, averaging 13.4 points for the season with that number rising to 16.6 per game in conference play. Curry was also top five in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio and total assists, making him one of the best all-around guards in Conference USA. Green is a high-volume scorer who averaged 12.8 points on 13.6 field goal attempts per game. Oliver didn’t become eligible until December last season and he instantly made his mark, averaging 11.3 points and leading the team in three’s made. Wade played in just 20 games before an injury ended his season, but he averaged 10.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game until then. The Monarchs also get four more of last season’s full-time rotation players back to add depth to their bench. The top new acquisition for Old Dominion is David Strother, a graduate transfer from Division II UNC Pembroke. Strother scored over 1,000 points in three seasons in Division II. Last season, he averaged 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 40% from three. Old Dominion was one of the worst shooting teams in the nation last year, so Strother’s experienced scoring and shooting ability will be most welcomed. Freshmen Brady O’Connell and John Shanu round out the roster for the Monarchs. Last year was a big step back for Jeff Jones and Old Dominion, but his track record indicates the Monarchs should be primed for a rebound season with an experienced roster.
 
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
 
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 65.6 (312th in nation, 14th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.6 (67, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 40.5 (325, 14)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.5 (53, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.8 (299, 12)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 29.3 (336, 14)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.2 (233, 10)
Rebound Margin: 5.3 (37, 2)
Assists Per Game: 10.6 (329, 14)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.3 (95, 1)