By Harry Minium
When the Old Dominion University basketball team took the floor minutes before tipoff Saturday night, the fans who clapped and cheered could barely be heard over the music.
That's not their fault. There were only 250 of them scattered amidst Chartway Arena's 8,500 seats.
Sitting atop Chartway Arena in a luxury suite, ODU superfan Ray Wittersheim was determined to be heard. And he was.
He barked at the team several times – a bark so primitive that I can't quite find the words to describe it – to make sure they knew there were indeed fans here.
Junior guard Alfis Pilavios waved his hand to acknowledge the gesture.
His bark, familiar to ODU fans, could be heard throughout the game.
Otherwise, Chartway Arena was a very unfamiliar, very surreal place Saturday night.
Beyond the game itself, in which ODU impressively dispatched William & Mary, 86-78, nothing seemed normal.
Limited to 250 spectators by the commonwealth because of the pandemic, the arena looked practically empty. Everyone wore a mask, which doesn't seem all that abnormal these days, except that included the referees and many players during warmups and coaches throughout the game.
Social distancing was practiced on the benches and press row, with everyone spaced more than six feet apart. The concession stands were closed – if you were hungry or thirsty, you could order grub over your phone and have it delivered to you.
Radio voice Ted Alexander, a long familiar site along press row, was near the top of the arena, broadcasting in an area usually reserved for TV cameras. All post-game interviews were done virtually. I was a minute away from coach Jeff Jones when he spoke but was not allowed near him.
The media, which included three TV reporters and myself, were confined to the Constant Club, across the court from student seating, where fans usually imbibe during games. Not a bad seat, but after 40 years of covering basketball, I prefer being court side.
The Big Blue room was shuttered and when you walked through the hallways during timeouts, you were alone. It felt a little like a science fiction movie.
Alas, until we get a handle on the pandemic, that is the reality everyone from the NFL to Division III will have to deal with.
I feel for the many ODU fans who usually turn out 7,000 strong for home games and could not be here. I've talked to so many who couldn't attend opener for the first time in decades and said it would hurt missing this one.
Just one of out of 28 fans who wanted to be there could be. And that's a tough deal.
But the players and coaches are dealing with something even tougher. They have transformed their lives to avoid being infected with the coronavirus. Remember, one infection could cost the team two weeks of practice and games. That would be a difficult obstacle for any team to overcome.
They have formed a "pod," and mingle with people inside the pod, but not with anyone outside the pod. That's why I can only watch practice from a distance and why extraneous staff will not travel with the team.
"We've made our circle even smaller" than a lot of programs, coach Jeff Jones said.
"We're not using student managers. They do so much, they are so valuable. So that means everyone is doing chores that don't fall under their job description."
"Kieran Donohue," Jones said of his longtime special assistant coach, "is working so hard."
The players have given up their social lives to avoid infection. They voted to remain in Norfolk over Christmas even though they have more than a week between games over the holidays.
There is a single-mindedness to this team borne of the pandemic. They were separated for months when the pandemic forced ODU to put all courses online. Not until a few months ago did the NCAA announce the season would be played.
Malik Curry, who led ODU with 24 points against W&M, said that almost losing basketball this season bolstered the team's determination to avoid infection.
"We know this could be gone tomorrow," he said. "That definitely has brought us a lot closer together."
Jones said he's asked a lot of this team, but that his staff and players are all sacrificing together.
"People talk about accountability in athletics," he said. "Well, accountability for us isn't just being in the right spot at the right time. Accountability is wearing the mask, not associating with people outside of our pod.
"Everything we're asking them isn't normal. And they're doing everything we ask."
It is hard to judge the Monarchs (1-1) as a team at this point. The Tribe was picked to finish last in the CAA and had only one returning starter, so an ODU win wasn't surprising.
Yet ODU won in spite of Kalu Ezipke playing most of the game with foul trouble and a poor shooting night from Xavier Green. On most nights, both players will be huge factors for ODU.
Methinks the Tribe will perform better than expected. They made 12 of 24 three-point shots, and any team that shoots that well beyond the arc will win some games.
ODU scored more points against the Tribe than it did in a game last season, and this was no fluke. With a smaller but quicker and faster team that last season, Jones was constantly urging his Monarchs to push the ball up the court.
He has gone with a more up-tempo offense and that means this team likely will score more points than any team Jones has coached at ODU.
I like what I saw, but it's very early and difficult tests remain.
ODU plays at Norfolk State Wednesday at 8 p.m. in a game to be televised locally by WGNT-TV. NSU has been a surprise team so far, winning at both James Madison and Radford.
The players from both teams know each other. "It will be a very emotional game," Jones said.
Then come trips to JMU and a two-game stop in Richmond, where the Monarchs meet VCU and George Mason, before they return on Dec. 22 for their final non-conference game against Virginia Wesleyan.
I can't end this column without failing to mention some nice touches done by my co-workers.
First, the five players who started were introduced on the scoreboard by their parents, most of whom did not attend Saturday's game. It was a way of bringing them into the arena and a thoughtful, classy thing to do.
And although the pre-game hype video is low on hype, it left goosebumps on my arms and will appeal to ODU's long-time fans.
While Jones narrated a tribute to ODU's storied basketball history, you saw photos and film clips from the past, including Sonny Allen cutting down the net after ODU's 1975 Division II national championship.
I was in Evansville, Ind., as an ODU student to see the Monarchs win that national title, so I'm a little biased here.
While ODU has done everything it can to make Chartway Arena as much of a home court as possible, it's not the same without fans.
A breakaway dunk last season that resulted in a thunderous ovation from 7,000 fans doesn't get the same reaction from 250. Players will have to get motivated without a ton of fan support.
Curry shrugged his shoulders when asked about the crowd, noting that he played junior college basketball for two seasons, and thus is accustomed to playing without many fans.
"At the end of the day it's still basketball," he said. "You've got to bring your own energy."
So far, so good for the Monarchs..
Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu
Minium: ODU Men are Playing Hard, Up-Tempo Basketball and Making a Ton of Sacrifices Off the Court
