NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion has a much broader basketball fan base than its 13 Sun Belt Conference brethren, and that's true for both the men's and women's programs.
With two home games left to play, the ODU men have averaged 5,575 per game, well ahead of No. 2 Marshall (4,515), No. 3 James Madison (4,008) and No. 4 Southern Miss (3,247). And if you didn't notice, the four leaders are all newcomers to the Sun Belt, which means that expansion did a ton to help league attendance.
The ODU women, who have four home games left, have averaged 2,456 per game, ahead of No. JMU (2,052), No. 3 Troy (1,942) and No. 4 Arkansas State (1,390).
"We love our fans," head women's coach DeLisha Milton-Jones said. "We hear them and we're appreciative of their support."
The ODU men had their second- and third-largest crowds of the season last week when they hosted JMU and Georgia Southern.
"We've got great fans," men's head coach Jeff Jones said. "They're very supportive. And I think in particular, when they see a team like ours that's very likable, that really completes, those are the kinds of teams they love to support.
"Even with the split last week, after a disappointing loss against James Madison, they came back two nights later for a game that maybe wasn't as sexy, but was just as important in the standings, and they were phenomenal."
The ODU women close out their home season with four games over the next two weeks.
ODU hosts Georgia Southern Thursday night at 6:30 (it's fraternity and sorority night) and then meets Georgia State Saturday at 2 p.m. in the annual Hoops for the Cure Game, a popular and emotional game in which the program pays tribute to breast cancer survivors.
The women then have both their senior night and alumni night when they host Appalachian State on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6:30, then comes what many might consider the biggest home game of the season when the Monarchs hosts JMU Saturday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m.
ODU and JMU met for the first time in nine seasons last month and the Dukes came away with a 68-54 victory. However, ODU was without star player Amari Young, whose father had recently passed away, and she's back with the team now.
ODU has won eight of its last 10 games.
ODU Men Hit the Road for Two Weeks
The ODU men are on a four-game road trip while the women are at home, and it's a long one. The Monarchs will travel a total of 3,062 miles heading to Georgia State on Thursday, Texas State on Saturday and then home.
Then, next week they will bus a total of about 14 hours en route to JMU on Thursday, Feb. 16 then App State on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Hitting the road can be a bonding experience, Jones said.
Mekhi Long has had double doubles in each of his last four games.
"We've had teams before that really kind of came together on the long bus trips, staying and eating together in the hotel," he said. "I hope that will be the case the next two weeks.
"Going on the road for four games in a row is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity."
The men conclude the season with a pair of home games against former Conference USA rivals. The Monarchs host Southern Miss on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and then Marshall on Friday, Feb. 24.
Southern Miss (21-4, 10-2) is tied for the Sun Belt lead with Louisiana while Marshall (19-6, 8-4) is tied with JMU for third. ODU (6-6, 14-10) is tied with Troy and App State for sixth place.
Looking Ahead to the Sun Belt tournaments
With six league games to go, it's still too early to place anyone in a bracket for the Sun Belt tournaments, held Feb. 28 through March 6 in Pensacola, Florida. But at this point, things look promising for both the ODU men and women.
The ODU women have put themselves in a good place to finish among the top four teams in the final standings and finishing among the top four would give the Monarchs a great advantage.
The top four teams in the tournament don't play until Friday, March 3, and must win three games to win the tournament.
Teams five through 10 must win four games and teams 11 through 14 must win five.
The ODU women (16-9 overall, 8-4 Sun Belt) are in a five-way tie for second with JMU (18-6), Texas State (16-7), Southern Miss (15-8) and Louisiana (14-10).
Playing four of their last six games at home gives the Monarchs an advantage down the stretch – they have won 10 of 11 home games.
The ODU men appear to be in good shape, at this point, to finish among the eight teams that receive a first-round bye. They are two games ahead of Texas State and Coastal Carolina, which are tied for 11th at 4-8.
Ben Stanley Still Questionable; Amari Young has Sparkling Stats
Forward Ben Stanley, a 6-foot-7 senior, will make the road trip with the ODU men but is listed as questionable with a hand injury. Stanley, who averages 10.4 points and 4.2 rebounds, has missed ODU's last five games … Senior Amari Young is 21st in scoring (11.4 points), seventh in rebounding (7.6), fifth in steals (2.1), tied for fifth in defensive rebounds (5.3) and 12th in field goal percentage (47.5 percent) among the Sun Belt women … The ODU women lead the Sun Belt with a + 4.6 turnover margin and are third in the league with 10.4 steals and fourth in assists with 13.4.
Contact Minium at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
ODU Leads the Sun Belt Conference in Men's and Women's Basketball Attendance
