As ODU just punched its ticket to the big dance, i can't help but start looking forward to next year...and honestly I'm scared. For the first time in a the time I've been at ODU, the question "where will the points come from?" is a valid concern. Here's a look at ODU's line-up for next year and what we'll need from each of them.
Nick Wright Nick needs to get physical and quick. Right now he has a little too much panic in the post. He needs to calm down, go through his reads and make smart decisions.
Josh Hicks Josh is a combo guard who is suppose to be very good from Outside. Haven't seen a ton from him this year but we'll need him to step up in a big way soon.
Dimitri Batten Dimitri Redshirted this year and will likely step into the Josh Hicks role...meaning he gets meaningless minutes at the end of games to prove his metal.
Trian Iliadis Trian needs consistency. Trian took a big step up in his game showing less fear and scoring more points for it. Now if we can get a consistent 10+ points from him.
Chris Cooper Coop needs to be dominate inside. Work on developing your offense to the basket.
Marquel De Lancey -Likely to start splitting time with Donte Hill, we need Marquel to play smart and pass well. Also continue to work on the jumper.
Richard Ross or as I like to call him, mini-Baze. This guy is EXPLOSIVE. He needs to follow the Bazemore model and work on his jump shot. I see Ross as a breakout guy for ODU next year.
Kent Bazemore Baze has got to be the preseason CAA player of the year...and he's going to need to earn that title throughout the season if ODU is to do well.
Anton Larsen Anton will provide Nick Wright duty this coming year meaning he will play every game and will need to play with energy. Learn to grab rebounds and you'll be cheered for years.
Jason Pimentel Probably going to be redshirted but he is obviously the upcoming replacement for Frank
Breon Key Probably going to be redshirted but he is obviously the upcoming replacement for Finney
Donte Hill- Donte is a transfer from Clemson(the first transfer in Blaine Taylor's history). Hopefully Donte brings that ACC athleticism and attacks the basket while maintaining good vision of the floor
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Damn, I gotta say you are dead on with this post. I am scared as well. We can't rely on Baze and a sometimes good Tri. Nicky plays with a hyperness to him that translates to a frantic attitude. Delancey's gotta stop trying to act Baze-like. He's quick as heck but has to work on his shot. Anton has to harness his sheer height. I'm excited to see Hicks play, who we rarely got to see.
But seriously. Hassell is not called Frank the Tank for nothing. Best inside guy I have seen in the CAA I think. Finney is such an underrated, super reliable player. He looks great on tv. Keyon has his moments and when he does, its beautiful. And Darius may not be a shining star, but he's hella reliable.
Blaine certainly has his work cut out for him, but he's done it before. Our seniors didn't come onto the team this good right away.
Sorry for rambling :)
I think hicks will calm the pace. We run the risk of getting out ahead of ourselves with Delancey at point. Anton will do what Keyon did the first 3 years, minus rebounding, which is take up space down low on D and knock down any open shot that you give him while being ineffective with his back to the hoop. I think he is the X-factor, and the success of the season will be a product of his progress over the summer. That's where Coop needs to start wearing his man-pants and take over the scoring.
DJ has been the plague of this team for the past two years, until he really really really impressed me through the last 4 or 5 games. He made me eat my words, but I still don't think we'll miss him that much. We also have the transfer from Clemson to give us some production.
Should be interesting. I think we will over-perform seeing what we're expected to have as staff next year.
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