Nov. 1, 2009
NORFOLK, VA-- The ODU Monarchs play Barton College in an exhibition game Monday night a 7 p.m. in the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
Barton, who won the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship is coached by RonLievense. Last year the Bulldogs reached the Southeast regional semi-finals andcompiled a 25-7 record.
Leading Barton will be 6-3 senior forward L.J. Dunn who averaged 14.6 points and9.2 rebounds per game. He shot .614 from the field. Junior guard Greg Mammel alsoreturns with a 7.3 points per game average.
Monarchs are coming off a 25-10 season where they captured the Collegeinsider.compost season tournament crown. ODU lost only one lettermen in Jonathan Adams whograduated in May.
This year's CAA pre- season favorites were followed in the voting by Northeastern, defending CAA champion VCU and George Mason. Picked fifth was James Madison, followed by Hofstra, Drexel, Georgia State, Towson, William and Mary, Delaware and UNC Wilmington. ODU picked up a vote in the pre-season AP poll out earlier this week.
The Monarchs have advanced to postseason play for five consecutive seasons.Their 119 wins the last five years are the most of any Division I team in theState of Virginia.
ODU averaged nearly 24 victories over the past five seasons, return their top six scorers. Leading that group is senior All-CAA post player Gerald Lee, who contributed 15.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Joining him in the frontcourt are junior Ben Finney (9.9 ppg/6.0 rpg), junior Frank Hassell (7.5 ppg/5.3 rpg), who was named the MVP of the CIT, and junior Keyon Carter (7.9 ppg/4.6 rpg). There is also experience in the backcourt with junior Darius James (6.9 ppg) and senior Marsharee Neely (7.1 ppg). Ben Finney received honorable mention selection
Tickets are $13 for adults and $9 for youth, senior citizens,military, ODUfaculty and staff.