Oct. 31, 2010
NORFOLK, VA-- The defending CAA Champion Monarchs host the Trojans of Virginia State Monday night at the Ted Constant Center for a 7 p.m. exhibition game.
Heading ODU's returnees are Ben Finney, (6-5, Sr., F, 8.8 pg/5.8 rpg) a third team All-CAA selection, Kent Bazemore (6-5, Jr., 8.4 ppg/ 4.2 rpg), CAA All-Defensive and league steals leader; Darius James (6-1, Sr., G, 7.0 ppg. 3.3 apg), Frank Hassell (6-8, Sr., F, 9.2 ppg/6.7 rpg.), and Keyon Carter (6-8, Sr., F, 7.4 ppg./ 4.9 rpg.).
Finney and Bazemore were selected to the pre-season All-CAA second team, whileHassell was an honorable mention selection. Bazemore was also selected as oneof the nation's top defensive players by ESPN.com and Collegeinsider.com.
The Monarchs will also be counting heavily on Marquel De Lancey (6-0, Jr., G, 1.3 ppg.), Chris Cooper (6-8, So., F, 1.4 ppg/1.0 rpg), Trian Iliadis (6-4, Jr, G, 3.1 ppg), red-shirt sophomore Nick Wright (6-8, C., 1.3 ppg.), as well as red-shirt freshmen Josh Hicks (6-2, G) from Winston-Salem, NC., and Anton Larsen (7-0, C) from Denmark.
Two outstanding newcomers include 6-3 guard, Dimitri Batten, the Peninsula District Player of the Year from Kecoughtan High School and 6-7 Richard Ross the Co-Red River MVP from Hirschi High in Wichita Falls, TX.
The Trojans, located in Petersburg, Va. are members of the NCAA Div. II CIAA and coached by George White (Harvard '83) who is in his second year. Virginia State returns Brandon Plummer, a 6-2 senior guard who averaged 13.5 points per game. Their roster will have 10 new players.