Old Dominion (0-0) vs, Buffalo (0-0)
Game Info – Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
Location – Chartway Arena
Watch – ESPN+
Listen – ESPN Radio 94.1
Live Stats – Click Here
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion Men’s Basketball opens the Mike Jones era on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Chartway Arena as the Monarchs host Buffalo in the 2024-25 season-opener in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge.
Monday’s game will be on ESPN Radio 94.1 with Ted Alexander and Dennis Wolff on the call and will be streamed on ESPN+ with Scott Jackson on play by play and Billy Mann as the color analyst.
The Series
This is the fourth all-time meeting between ODU and Buffalo. ODU has won all three games, including the most recent contest, a 77-58 win in 2015.
This game is the season opener for both teams and part of the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge. ODU will play a road game against a team from the MAC on February 8.
About ODU
The 14th head coach in ODU history, Mike Jones makes his collegiate head coaching debut tonight against Buffalo. Jones played at ODU from 1991-95 and is the second ODU alumnus to be head coach of his alma mater, joining Oliver Purnell, who Jones played for his first three seasons at ODU. Jones was a part of two tournament championship teams and one of the greatest wins in ODU history, a triple overtime win over Villanova in the 1995 NCAA Tournament.
Old Dominion finished 7-25 overall and 3-15 in Sun Belt Conference play in 2023-24. Mike Jones has 13 new players, including five transfers and eight freshmen.
ODU was tied for eighth, along with Georgia Southern, in the Sun Belt Preseason poll. Arkansas State was picked to win the league.
Stephaun Walker (Robert Morris), Robert Davis Jr. (UMass), Sean Durugordon (UMass), Donovan Raymond (Hampton) and Cal Swanton-Rodger (Maryland) make up the transfers.
Of the returning Monarchs, Devin Ceaser and RJ Blakney are the leading returning scorers. Ceaser, a transfer from Buffalo, averaged 9.1 points per game last season, while Blakney, a transfer from Dayton, kicked in 7.9 points per game.
Returning forward Dani Pounds, a sophomore from Atlanta, averaged 2.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last year in 31 games and 20 starts as a freshman.
In his first stint as a college head coach, Jones brought in an experienced staff, including one with deep ties to ODU. Jones retained assistant coach Jamal Robinson, while bringing in Ryan Nadeau and James Robinson as assistant coaches. James Robinson joins the staff from Delaware after a four-year standout career as a point guard at Pitt. Nadeau worked with Jones at Virginia Tech and spent six years with the Hokies. Matt Hamilton was brought in as the director of operations and Aidan Brami as video coordinator and assistant operations.
Old Dominion Sports Hall of Famer is the special assistant to the head coach and works with the post players along with Jamal Robinson. Hodge scored 2,117 points and 1,086 rebounds and is still 14th in CAA history in points.
The graduate assistants are former ODU guard, Jason Wade and Zach Hendrick.
About Buffalo
Buffalo finished 4-27 in George Halcovage's first season at the helm in 2023-24.
Sophomore Ryan Sabol is the Bulls' leading returning scorer with 8.1 points per game.
Buffalo added 11 newcomers, but just one player from an American four-year school. That was Noah Batchelor, who played with ODU Head Coach Mike Jones last year at Maryland.
Buffalo has players from Canada, England, Australia and Latvia.
The Bulls were picked to finish 12th in the 12 team MAC.
Up Next
ODU travels to Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 9 to take on the Wildcats in Tucson.
Season Tickets Available Now
Men's and women's basketball season tickets for the upcoming 2024-25 season are available now at odusports.com/basketball-season-tickets.
Men's basketball season tickets cost $217 covering all 16 of ODU’s regular season home contests. Women's basketball season tickets cost $115 for adults and include tickets to all 16 of the Monarchs' home games. Discounted season ticket rates are available for ODU faculty and staff, ODU letterwinners, young alumni, band and spirit parents and military. Fans also have the option for mini-plans which consist of six men’s games for $84 and six women’s games for $42. Single-game tickets will go on sale starting on October 16. Call the ODU Ticket Office at 757-683-4444 for more information.