ODU COACH PURNELL, HODGE NAB CAA HONORS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 6, 1993                   TAG: 9303060048
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short
ODU COACH PURNELL, HODGE NAB CAA HONORS
Odell Hodge, Old Dominion's center from Martinsville, and Monarchs coach Oliver Purnell took two of the three major honors at the Colonial Athletic Association's tournament banquet Friday night.
Hodge, the Timesland basketball player of the year last season at Laurel Park High, was named the CAA's Rookie of the Year. Purnell, who guided ODU to the NCAA Tournament last March and a 20-6 regular-season record this winter, was the league's Coach of the Year.
Brian Gilgeous, a senior swingman at American and the league's scoring leader, was selected CAA Player of the Year. The balloting was conducted among CAA coaches and media covering the league.
"I'd be lying if I said being the rookie of the year wasn't one of my goals," Hodge said on the eve of the CAA tournament at the Richmond Coliseum. "Now, I'd like to help get this team back to the NCAA again."
The 6-foot-9 Hodge, averaging 15.2 points, nine rebounds and a CAA-best 2.5 blocks per game, headed an all-rookie squad that also includes Roanoke resident Troy Manns, who is George Mason's starting point guard. Manns is averaging 10.8 points and 4.8 assists.
Purnell, in his second season as ODU's coach, guided his alma mater to its first 20-win season since 1985-86. It is the 39-year-old coach's second individual honor. He was the Big South Conference coach of the year in 1990-91, when he piloted Radford to a 22-7 record.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB