Old Dominion (6-14, 3-5 Sun Belt) vs. Troy (13-6, 6-1 Sun Belt) | Louisiana (5-15, 3-5 Sun Belt)
Game Info – Wednesday, Jan. 21 – 7 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 24 – 7 p.m.
Location – Chartway Arena (Norfolk, Va.)
Watch – ESPN+ (Game 1 | Game 2)
Listen – ESPN Sports Radio 94.1 FM
Social Media – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion men’s basketball team is back in Chartway Arena this week as the Monarchs host a pair of Sun Belt games against Troy on Wednesday and Louisiana on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.
Scott Jackson and Billy Mann will cover the action on ESPN+, while Ted Alexander and Dennis Wolff can be heard on ESPN Sports Radio 94.1 FM. Live stats will also be available.
Series History
Wednesday will mark the fourth meeting between ODU and Troy, with the Trojans up 3-0 in the all-time series. The two teams last met on March 8, 2025 in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Championship. After winning three games in as many days to keep their postseason hopes alive, the Monarchs saw their season come to an end with a 75-59 loss to the third-seeded Trojans. R.J. Blakney paced ODU with 20 points, Sean Durugordon followed with 14, and Robert Davis Jr. finished with 10.
ODU and Louisiana have played just four games against each other, with the Monarchs ahead in the all-time series, 3-1. After defeating Louisiana 71-60 on Jan. 9,2025 in Lafayette, the Monarchs faced the 11th-seeded Ragin’ Cajuns in the second round of last year’s Sun Belt Championship, defeating them 67-49. Durugordon recorded a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double, Caelum Swanton-Rodger also had a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards, and Davis Jr. contributed 10 points.
Going Up In The Rafters
Ronnie Valentine will have his number 42 jersey retired during Saturday’s game against Louisiana, which will also mark ODU's Coaches vs. Cancer game. The Norfolk native played for ODU from 1976-80, helping lead the team’s debut into Division I during the 1976-77 season when the team finished 25-4, earned road wins at Virginia and Georgetown, and claimed the ECAC South championship.
Valentine is the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,204 career points, is eighth in rebounding with 949 boards, and helped lead Old Dominion to its first NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior in 1980. He was taken by the Denver Nuggets with the 51st pick of the 1980 NBA Draft and also played professionally in the Continental Basketball League, the United States Basketball League, and in Italy.
About ODU
The Monarchs (6-14, 3-5 Sun Belt) split their two road games last week, dropping a close game at Georgia Southern, 87-84 on Thursday before bouncing back with a narrow 75-73 win at App State on Saturday. Davis Jr. made six three-pointers and led ODU with 20 points in the first game, while Jordan Battle set a new season best with 25 points in the win over the Mountaineers.
ODU’s offense features four players averaging double figures. KC Shaw leads the way with 15.4 ppg, Battle is second at 13.3 ppg, LJ Thomas enters the week with 11.1 ppg, and Davis Jr. follows with 10.8 ppg. Davis Jr. currently ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (34.8%), three-point attempts (138), and threes per game (2.53). Other threats from the perimeter include Battle with 37 threes and Jared Turner (6.0 ppg) with 33 deep balls.
Battle ranks fourth in the league in free-throw shooting (85.7%), free throws made (90), and steals (31). The senior from Norfolk, Virginia leads the Monarchs on the glass with 100 rebounds (5.0 rpg) and owns a team-high 55 assists, though Thomas is close behind him with 52. Swanton-Rodger (6.9 ppg) has pulled down 91 boards (4.8 rpg) and made a team-high 23 blocks.
The Monarchs are scoring 74.0 ppg, but have allowed 77.3 ppg for a -3.3-scoring margin. ODU is shooting a combined 43.0% from the field and 71.5% at the free-throw line. The team’s 34.6% shooting from beyond the arc is currently fifth in the SBC, and the Monarchs are also third in third in three-point percentage defense (32.0%) and fifth in turnovers per game (11.1). Old Dominion is 251st in the latest NET rankings.
About Troy
The Trojans (13-6, 6-1 Sun Belt) have won three in a row and eight of their last nine games. After earning a 91-65 win over Southern Miss last Wednesday, the team then defeated Arkansas State, 99-74 on Saturday. Victor Valdes was voted Sun Belt Player of the Week on Tuesday after averaging 18.0 points, 8.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals while shooting 54.5% (12-for-22) from the field and 81.8% (9-for-11) at the free-throw line.
Valdes is the team’s leading scorer with 15.9 ppg. Following him are Thomas Dowd (15.8 ppg), Cooper Campbell (13.3 ppg), Theo Seng (12.8 ppg), and Cobi Campbell (10.7 ppg). Dowd has knocked down 45 triples, Cobi Campbell is right behind him with 44 threes, and Cooper Campbell is also a deep threat with 41 threes. Dowd is ranked sixth nationally in rebounds (193), eighth in double-doubles (10), ninth in defensive rebounds per game (7.26), and 16th in rebound per game (10.2). He’s also second in the conference with 2.89 offensive rebound per game.
Cooper Campbell is the Sun Belt leader in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.69). The sophomore guard from Puyallup, Washington is second in the league in assists (94) and assists per game (4.9) and ranks third in steals (33) and steals per game (1.74). Valdes has the fourth-most assists in the conference with 86 and ranks third with 4.8 assists per game.
Troy has the Sun Belt’s best-scoring offense with 86.9 ppg, good for 26th in the country, and hold opponents to 76.2 ppg for a +10.7-scoring margin, which is also tops in the conference. The Trojans are 23rd in Division I with 10.6 three-pointers per game and lead the SBC in effective field-goal shooting (54.7%), three-point shooting (36.3%), assists per game (17.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.39), and turnovers forced per game (14.79). Troy is second in the Sun Belt in fastbreak points (12.89 ppg), three-point attempts per game (29.1), offensive rebounds per game (13.0), and steals per game (9.2).
Head coach Scott Cross is in his seventh season leading the program. Troy was picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt’s Preseason Coaches Poll with Dowd representing the Trojans on the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team. The team is 104th in the latest NET rankings.
About Louisiana
The Ragin’ Cajuns (5-15, 3-5 Sun Belt) fell 59-54 at Texas State last Wednesday, but bounced back with a 59-56 victory at South Alabama on Saturday. Jaxon Olivera hit a couple of threes in the final 24 seconds and led Louisiana with 14 points. The Ragin’ Cajuns made a season-high 15 threes in the game and took a program record 42 three-point attempts.
Jamyron Keller is Louisiana’s top scorer with 17.0 ppg. Also averaging double-digit scoring are Dorian Finister (13.8 ppg) and Olivera (11.7 ppg). Olivera is the go-to option from distance with 37 made threes. Finister has knocked down 29 shots from beyond the arc and Milan Mejia (4.5 ppg) is third on the team with 25 threes. Finister also has 99 rebounds and leads Louisiana with 5.0 rpg and 20 steals. De’Vion Lavergne (7.8 ppg) owns 53 assists with 19 steals, while Todd Jones Jr. (2.0 ppg) has recorded 22 blocks.
Louisiana has a -8.8-scoring margin, allowing opponents to net 69.0 ppg while only putting up 60.2 ppg. The Ragin’ Cajuns are shooting 39.6% from the floor, 32.2% from distance, and 67.0% at the charity stripe. Head coach Quannas White is in his first season with the program, which was picked to finish ninth in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Ragin’ Cajuns open the week at App State on Thursday and are currently 334th in the NET rankings.
Up Next
ODU will be back on the road next week as they travel to Arkansas State and Texas State. The Monarchs will take the court against the Red Wolves next Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. ET in Jonesboro before heading to San Marcos, Texas to play the Bobcats at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Season Sponsor
Bon Secours is the Presenting Sponsor of Old Dominion University’s 2025-26 Men’s Basketball Season. Bon Secours is proud to operate its four hospitals and medical centers in Hampton Roads and is even more proud to serve the surrounding community with exceptional care. It’s our mission at Bon Secours Hampton Roads to treat the whole person — mind, body and spirit, to bring compassion to health care, and to be good help to those in need. Bon Secours – the health care you deserve from a team you can trust.
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