Team preview: Old Dominion

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For the most comprehensive previews available on all 335 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2012-13 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.

COACH AND PROGRAM

You can't blame Old Dominion coach Blaine Taylor for shooing aside the impacts of leaving the CAA. This will be school's final CAA season as it heads to Conference USA. Because of that decision the Monarchs cannot play for a regular-season championship in a conference in which they've been an integral part of success and ascension.

"That's not what's going to drive our bus," he said. "Nonconference is always a lot of fun and the entire league race takes on significance. It's unusual, but I want to focus on business as usual."

It was business as usual last year for Taylor. Until ODU lost to Mercer in the quarterfinals of the CIT, the only teams that managed to beat the Monarchs from December 30 on were VCU, Drexel, and George Mason. That troika annually battled ODU for CAA supremacy.

This year is also business as usual for Taylor, as he channels his Howie Mandel in his version of America's Got Talent. Taylor faces the loss of Kent Bazemore, who now works for the Golden State Warriors, as well as three other high-contributing seniors. If Taylor is bothered by that fact, he isn't showing.

"Virtually every player on our team will be in a different role," he said. "Every season and group of kids fits together and unfolds differently. You can look at it two ways: look back or look ahead. I've learned to look ahead and be invigorated by challenge."

Taylor needed Dimitri Batten (8.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg) to take the court most every night, and some nights at critical junctures. The 6-3 sophomore acquitted himself well. Batten dropped 18 points on East Carolina and grabbed five steals late in the year against Northeastern. As a freshman combo guard, Batten had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and made 46 threes.

Batten will have to carry a bigger load this year.

"It is an understanding of the next step. That's critical," Taylor said. "He needs to understand what he's good at and shore up what he's weak at. He's a sophomore but in his third year. I told him 'you have to act it. Work as such and play as such. I don't care how old you are, just play basketball and know I'm good enough to do this.' "

If not Batten, 6-4 junior Donte Hill (7.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg) will take the honors. Hill was the first transfer to ever play for Taylor in his ODU tenure, and is the kind of player that has been in Taylor's team picture since he was coaching Montana.

Hill is big and physical and can defend multiple positions. He isn't particularly gifted on the offensive end but can do just enough of enough things to keep you honest. To wit: Hill had 54 assists and made 30 3s, and 42 percent of his rebounds were on the offensive end. In short, he carries that mental toughness that separates the good from the great.

"I really think he's the backbone of our bunch," Taylor said. "Our kids look to him for what our program means & how he treats people and how he works. Donte's observed a lot of success and has perspective on what his time frame will be like and [he will] exert that will."

Senior Nick Wright (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg) is a bouncy, lean, hard-working athlete on the baseline. The 6-8 Wright is a jolt of energy and is the kind of player that goes into a game and things start happening. He dropped 24 points and 10 rebounds against Vermont.

Though he drives to the rim with arms and legs flailing everywhere, Wright often outhustles his man for second and third shots. Defenses beware: Wright made 16 3s and shot 39 percent from beyond the arc last year. Don't leave the big man alone or he will drop it in your face.

"He just needs to settle in to understanding how to be successful, figure out how to accomplish things," Taylor said. "We need things to build around and I'm hoping Nick is one of them."

Joining Wright in the frontcourt is NC State transfer Deshawn Painter (6.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg). Painter was given a waiver by the NCAA to play immediately, and his size -- 6-9, 235 -- will help immensely in a frontcourt that has gone a decade without needing bulk. This is Painter's only season with the Monarchs.

"We're surprised because he has so much to learn, but he's bright-eyed and ready for that challenge," Taylor said.

Blue Ribbon Previews

Take an Inside look at the Colonial with Blue Ribbon's 2012-13 team reports:

Delaware Drexel George Mason Georgia State Hofstra James Madison Northeastern Old Dominion Towson UNC Wilmington William & Mary

Sophomore Richard Ross (4.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg) is an athlete extraordinaire, giving Taylor a wing defender who can leap in the trees to help the rebounding. Ross stands 6-6 and attacks the rim with ferocity. He missed the first semester last year, and ODU immediately looked different when Ross hit the floor. Ross broke his wrist this summer and may miss the first semester again as it required surgery.

Taylor always seems to have a young player record an eye-opening game in the postseason, and Ross fits that bill. He scored a career-high 19 against Coastal Carolina in the CIT tournament.

"He's been a popcorn machine, a little bit of this and a little bit of that," Taylor said. "He also needs to understand and utilize what he has, what experience can do. He's just a sophomore, but in our situation sophomores are colonels and generals."

Denmark-native Anton Larsen (1.1 ppg, 0.6 rpg) is Taylor's latest international project. Even though he played just 12 games and has a way to go, Larsen, a junior, stands a noticeable 7-0.

Taylor takes rightful pride in his freshman-based program, and this year he should be particularly prideful. He has six new faces and knows they will jump right into the fire. They have no choice.

"You don't have to be a mathematician to count to six, and of those six a number of them have a chance to impact," Taylor said. "We need multiple kids to arrive on the scene and forget their birth date and classification."

Two stand out.

Keenan Palmore may be most game-ready. The 6-1 Palmore averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals as a high school senior, but it's Palmore's ability to get others to respond that most interests the coaching staff. A leadership guard is a need area in any Taylor scheme.

Blue Ribbon Previews

Take an Inside look at the Colonial with Blue Ribbon's 2012-13 team reports:

Delaware Drexel George Mason Georgia State Hofstra James Madison Northeastern Old Dominion Towson UNC Wilmington William & Mary

ESPN rated Palmore the No. 37 point guard in the country.

Aaron Bacote is Taylor's kind of player -- a tough, hard-nosed defender who knows about winning. Per usual the 6-5 Bacote's defense is ahead of his offense, but Taylor takes kids like that to the NCAA tournament.

A third member of this class who could see the floor is Ekene Anachebe, the latest of big beefy, defenders that will patrol the lane. At 6-9 and 265 pounds, Anachebe averaged 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 blocked shots per game at Fayetteville (Ga.) County High School -- you can see Taylor's eyes light up at those numbers. Anachebe is a bit of a project, but so was former first-team All-CAA center Frank Hassell.

The other three freshmen are primed for Taylor's redshirt factory, though any could be moved into the rotation. Deion Clark is a 6-3 scorer but could use a year of defensive tutelage. Stuart McEwen is Taylor's latest Aussie import. McEwen is 6-9 but a skinny 200 pounds, and while he can shoot, he needs time to bulk up. Finally, Ambrose Mosley is a 6-1 combo guard with shooting skill and carries potential, but it's a numbers game, and Taylor prefers to redshirt potential.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B-
BENCH/DEPTH: B-
FRONTCOURT: B-
INTANGIBLES: B

Every year is the year Old Dominion is supposedly sinking into the middle of the CAA, and every year the Monarchs sit and watch the CAA tournament on Friday night because they've earned a bye as one of the top four seeds.

"We're recreating ourselves right now," Taylor said. "We've graduated 10 kids in the last two years that were a big part of success. We are in a formative stage, but we have good putty."

Good putty indeed. ODU has made the NCAAs in four of the last eight seasons, but were probably good enough in all four seasons to gain an at large bid.

"We have a chance to be good," Taylor said. "We will be unusual, but when we tip it up you will get a pound of flesh out of them. We have a nice group of kids coming along."

And who could blame Taylor for believing his players could ride their horse out of town with that at large NCAA bid?

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 335 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2012-13 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.

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