32 Reign on the Court

of eligibility. “C.J. is a veteran guard who has proven at the collegiate level he can get buckets,” Jones said. “Adding offensive production has been a priority this offseason, and C.J. can help us do that. We needed to have more shooters on the roster and we do now.”

Senior A.J. Oliver II, who is a transfer student from Clemson, led the Monarchs in threepoint shooting last season. 33 of those were from behind the arc. With the new shooting assets, teams won’t be able to pack the paint and will force the Monarchs to beat them from mid-to-long range.

Other notable players for the Monarchs include senior Austin Trice, a 6-foot-7 forward from Kansas State that averaged 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. He earned sixth man of the year. In addition, 6-foot-7 sophomore guard Mekhi Long from Rhode Island played a key role in defending and rebounding. Sophomore forward Stephan Morris is a 6-foot-7 transfer from Kilgore Junior College down in Texas that has added depth for the Monarchs. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds. Another player to look for is Kalu Ezikpe, the 6-foot-7 junior from Atlanta who averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He had foul trouble throughout the 2020-2021 season, but can be a dominant player on the court.

Ezikpe was named a Preseason All-Conference USA Honoree. Along with that, Ezikpe and teammate Jaylin Hunter were named team captains by ODU Head Coach Jeff Jones. The Monarchs were picked to finish fifth in the Conference USA Preseason Poll. “The truth is, you don’t really know until you start playing how good you’re going to be. But we certainly have a chance to be really, really good,” Jones said.

The Monarchs are hopeful to see the return of the 6-foot-5 junior Jason Wade onto the court in an ODU uniform again. After suffering season-ending injuries in the last two seasons, he has been working to get back out on the court with his teammates. He suffered a knee injury that required surgery his first year. The following season, after several months of rehab, Wade ended up tearing his achilles tendon and had to miss the entirety of the 2020-2021 season. He was one of ODU’s top players a few years ago, and his return to the court in the future will be monumental for the team.

When asked about Wade’s situation through the years, Jones went on to explain how he hopes to see Jason return to the team after experiencing tough injuries that are hard to come back from. “Jason Wade has experienced several setbacks and is currently not enrolled in school,” Jones stated. “But we are hopeful that Jason can rejoin the team in the future.”

ODU will open the season up with an exhibition against Gannon University, a Division II school from Erie, Pennsylvania. Tip Off is slated for Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. This could possibly be a big year for the men’s basketball team, but only time will tell how the season will shape out.

Clean your room on Saturday; Sunday is for bonding and family dinner; don’t walk around the house bare-foot; get in the house before the streetlights come on; change your clothes when coming in from outside; to presume like the young lady you are, keep your legs crossed at all times; close your mouth when you chew; never wear red, the color is too provocative; don’t hang out with those street walkers – you are the company that you keep; boys don’t want anything but what’s below your belt; all boys are the same; if you stand and your fingertips are longer than your clothing, take it off it’s not to be worn; your hair is too thick; kissing, touching, or even looking at boys will have you stuck for 18 years; ladies should carry themselves like ladies so refrain from tight clothes; God is our only superior; but why can’t I choose who I worship?; women are in charge of all inhouse work; women are the nurturers; sex before marriage won’t get you a seat in heaven; you’re responsible for your siblings since I take care of your needs; when someone older than you addresses an issue, you immediately fix it; you can never get things done because you’re always on your phone; if you’re unsure about how to use the oven, set it to 350°; I’m not one of your little friends; you think you’re grown – you’re smellin’ yourself; stop running in and out the house; you need to stay at home more often - no one likes a street girl; who you think you talkin’ to?; your nails shouldn’t go past your fingertips; don’t get your hair down your back; you need to dress more girly; don’t wear your clothes like that, you look like a little boy; you’re nothing like when I was growing up; you will find yourself raising a baby