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.
