THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 4, 1995 TAG: 9503040556
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
What the Old Dominion basketball team hopes is its most rewarding weekend of the season got off to a fast start Friday when Petey Sessoms and Jeff Capel were named the Colonial Athletic Association's player and coach of the year, respectively.
Sessoms, a 6-foot-7 senior forward and All-CAA first-team selection three years in a row, edged James Madison forward Louis Rowe to become ODU's second consecutive player of the year.
Odell Hodge won last season.
Capel, who guided ODU to a 17-11 record - 12-2 in the CAA to win the regular-season championship in his initial season with the program - was a landslide winner.
``It's a great honor,'' said Sessoms, who tied Rowe for the conference scoring title at 22.1 points per game, was second in rebounding with an 8.3 average and led the league in 3-point baskets per game. ``I think I've played the best basketball of my life this year. I have to compliment my team for pushing me in a positive way each day. They pushed me to play to the best of my ability.''
Both Capel and Sessoms performed to the highest level despite Hodge's loss early to a knee injury.
``I think the thing I feel best about is the way the team responded to me and the new coaching staff, and to Odell's injury,'' said Capel, who came to ODU from North Carolina A&T. ``It gives me a lot of satisfaction.
``To be recognized by the media, the people who cover the league, and, more importantly, the coaches, it means a lot. There are a lot of coaches in this league who are deserving. To be chosen ahead of them is a big honor.''
Monarchs assistant coach Mark Cline, who has been with Capel for six years, said this is the first time his boss has been so honored, something he felt was long overdue.
``People forget we were picked to finish fifth in the MEAC last year, with Jemaine Williams, the preseason player of the year,'' Cline said. ``And after Jeff had Jemaine leave the squad, we finished tied for second and won the conference championship. Adversity is nothing new to our coaching staff.
``That's why when Odell went down, Jeff never showed a bit of concern. The players never got the feeling that we were concerned. We kept everything positive, and kept emphasizing what we had to do to win. And it's been like that all of the six years I've been with him.''
After Hodge's injury in the fourth game, Capel and his staff called each player into their offices for a conference. There, they redefined the role each would have to play if the Monarchs were to be successful.
``Mentally, that was very tough on Petey,'' Capel said. ``He became our focal point, the number one option - for us and other teams. Before, he could just stand out there and shoot.
``Ultimately, he became a better player, because he's performed despite being a marked man since the fourth game. He adapted to it better than I expected.''
During his first three seasons at ODU, Sessoms was viewed as primarily a one-dimensional player, a terrific shooter who didn't drive or mix it up underneath.
But the Portsmouth native hit the weights last summer, sculpted his physique and became the league's best all-around player.
``I didn't realize the inner drive, the toughness, Petey had,'' Capel said. ``I had one impression of him watching films, but you can't measure the heart of a man on tape. He's a person who's grown tremendously this year, on and off the court.'' ILLUSTRATION: ALL-COLONIAL PICKS
[For a copy of the chart, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB