THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 31, 1995 TAG: 9501310414
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Old Dominion tonight will attempt to remain perfect in the Colonial Athletic Association, which it was anything but in non-conference play.
The Monarchs (11-8, 6-0) would reach the league's midway point unscathed with a victory over East Carolina at Scope. Since ODU moved to Division I, its only other 6-0 league start came in the Sun Belt during the 1982-83 season.
The Monarchs have reigned over the CAA partly because of a rugged non-conference schedule that wasn't pretty cosmetically, but developed inner strength.
ODU played - and lost to - a bevy of college basketball's best teams while adjusting to center Odell Hodge's season-ending knee injury. Three opponents were nationally ranked. The eight teams that felled ODU have a combined 95-44 (.683) record.
``We played several of the top 25 teams, and that prepared us for the league,'' ODU forward Mario Mullen said. ``We're going to face good teams in the league, but not that caliber of team.''
The schedule produced the desired effect. After playing Virginia, Tulane, North Carolina and Arizona State, the likes of Richmond and William and Mary constitute a breather.
The Monarchs have won the six league games by an average of 11.3 points. Come-from-behind victories at George Mason and American were ODU's only struggles. The Monarchs overcame miserable shooting (5 of 32 from 3-point range) against the Patriots, while they won at American despite being lulled to sleep by a bad team and a lifeless atmosphere.
``I just think the bottom line is our kids are playing hard and we've been lucky,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said. ``Those are two good things to have going for you. If we continue to play hard, we'll be fine. We have problems when we fail to compete.''
That was the problem in the near-upset at American, as it was when the Monarchs lost at St. Joseph's and Washington. ODU's emotional fervor has been unquestionable in most conference games.
``Most definitely it's the best stretch we've had this year, and it's because of our defense,'' sophomore E.J. Sherod said.
In conference games only, the Monarchs rank among the league's top three in steals (first), turnover margin (first), scoring defense (second), field-goal-percentage defense (third) and blocked shots (third). No other team rates among the top three in more than two of those categories.
But it's not just defense.
ODU has the league's most dangerous duo in seniors Petey Sessoms (22.3 points per game) and Mike Jones (17.4), while Mullen is often an additional scoring threat.
And the emergence of other players - specifically center David Harvey and backup guards Sherod and Duffy Samuels - has helped ODU flourish. ODU pounded Richmond on Saturday despite just two points from Jones.
``I didn't even realize that until I was on the bus on the way back home,'' Capel said. ``Other people have stepped up. We've got good contributions from a lot of players.''
And the Monarchs, of course, have stepped down to a lower level of competition. The six-game winning streak following a five-game losing streak is not as much a 180 for ODU as it is indicative of the quality of the CAA.
The week ODU began conference play, it was 5-8 against a schedule that was rated the 14th-toughest nationally. Despite six consecutive conference victories, ODU's strength-of-schedule rating has dropped to 103rd in the last three weeks. The Monarchs' overall rating among 302 Division I programs has dropped during that span from 91st to 100th.
The RPI Report simulates the Ratings Percentage Index formula used by the NCAA to select and seed the NCAA tournament. Here's how the formula breaks down:
Winning percentage against Division I foes counts for 25 percent.
Strength of schedule counts for 50 percent.
A team's opponents' strength of schedule counts for 25 percent.
The CAA has slipped since last year. It ranks 21st out of 33 conferences in the RPI Report, while last year at this time it rated 19th. The Monarchs, meanwhile, were 11-6 at this point last year but ranked 149th nationally by the RPI Report.
The Monarchs' strong pre-conference tests have produced a better ranking and helped them win in a weak league.
``We got knocked down, but we didn't get knocked out,'' Capel said. ``It helped us develop some character and toughness.''
Even if the Monarchs make it through the conference's first half undefeated, they still have to travel to James Madison, UNC Wilmington and East Carolina - probably their three toughest league road games. ODU was winless on the road in non-conference play.
No team has swept the CAA. William and Mary went undefeated the ECAC South, the precursor to the CAA, in 1982-83. The longer ODU's winning string gets, the harder it will be to defend it.
``We're undefeated and on top,'' Mullen said. ``Everyone's going to be gunning for the big dog.'' by CNB