THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 14, 1995 TAG: 9510140395
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
It will only be a 10-minute scrimmage shortly after midnight tonight, but Odell Hodge has been anticipating it for months.
It represents his return to competitive basketball.
The season officially starts with the opening of practice at 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning. The Monarchs will conduct a cursory scrimmage for fans at the ODU fieldhouse who come to ``Midnight Madness.''
For Hodge - returning from surgery that repaired a torn knee ligament - call it midnight gladness.
``Just hearing my name called out again at `Midnight Madness' is going to mean a lot,'' Hodge said. ``It's great to get on the basketball court. I feel good. I'm 100 percent . . . a little bit over 100 percent, actually.''
Coach Jeff Capel will settle for 100 percent. The 6-foot-9 Hodge is the center and centerpiece of an ODU team that is expecting big things coming off last season's 21-12 record and NCAA tournament triple-overtime upset of Villanova.
Hodge, the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year as a sophomore in 1993-94, barely played a part in that success. He was injured in the fourth game at Southern Illinois Dec. 3 and spent the next seven months rehabilitating his knee.
He was cleared to play pickup games again in early July, but had ballooned up to 293 pounds.
``I was just laying around after rehab, eating,'' said Hodge, who has junior eligibility after a medical redshirt year.
But he's back down to 278, his weight at the time of the injury, and has slabs of muscle, not flab.
``He looks good,'' Capel said. ``His body weight is down where it was last year. Zuck (strength coach Andy Zucker) says there's not enough weight for him in the weight room to work out. They've got to hang people on the bars.''
Zucker said Hodge's bench press has improved from 250 pounds last year to 300 this year. Hodge does the entire stack of plates on many Nautilus machines, and additional weight is placed on top of them.
``His strength level is just phenomenal,'' Zucker said.
ODU trainer Scott Johnson said Hodge's surgically repaired left knee is stronger than his good knee. Johnson said at times people may notice a slight limp when Hodge runs, especially when he gets tired. But the knee is completely healthy, although Hodge will wear a brace this season.
``He did a great job with rehab, no question about it,'' Johnson said. ``He did everything asked of him and more.''
Capel said he hasn't seen Hodge this excited in a long time. But just wait until Southern Illinois comes to Scope Dec. 2.
``That game right there I can't wait for,'' Hodge said. ``The big fella's back, meaner than ever.'' ILLUSTRATION: PAUL AIKEN
File
ODU's Odell Hodge, 1993-94 CAA Player of the Year, is ready to play:
``Just hearing my name called out again . . . is going to mean a
lot.''
COMING MONDAY
The Virginian-Pilot will have reports on ``Midnight Madness'' at
ODU and at other schools around the country.
by CNB