A crowd of about 200 enjoyed the game, cheering on both the Kingz and their opponents, a team made up of faculty, staff, alumni and students.

The event was billed as the 91����Ƶ Charity Classic by the (BSU), which hosted the game and an after-party later that night. More than 150 tickets were sold, with the funds going towards an alternative spring break trip planned jointly by BSU, the 91����Ƶ Gospel Choir, and .

“I really love how the game brought a lot of energy to 91����Ƶ,” said sophomore Anna Messer. “It was a great time for students to get together with professors and with each other. It was a good community event for people to just let loose and have fun.”

Crowd-pleasing hoops

The Streetball Kingz is a group managed by Dewey Jackson, based in Delaware. The team plays across the U.S. for community and nonprofit events. Their flashy style of play incorporates crowd-pleasing dunks, top-notch ball handling, and supreme shooting.

The fundraiser was quickly put together and gained momentum after the Streetball Kingz, just weeks before, contacted , director of , about coming to 91����Ƶ since they had already played at James Madison University and Bridgewater College. Lepley passed along the idea to BSU student advisor .

“We wanted to do something that would be fun and late night so that students would have an option of doing something that’s substance free,” said Thomas. “We thought it would bring a lot of energy to the campus and it was something new. I think we did well taking a risk and trying something different.”

“It always feels good to see hard work pay off,” said BSU event coordinator Richard Robinson, “especially for an event like this that has never happened on 91����Ƶ’s campus.”

The fundraiser will help defray costs of an alternative spring break civil rights experiential learning trip to Alabama and Georgia.

“Instead of going to the beach, we’ll be going to Selma, Tuskegee and Atlanta doing a civil rights tour,” said Thomas. “It’s the 51st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, so we’ll walk across the Pettus Bridge, stop by national civil rights museums along the way, and go to some of the churches that they marched from. We’ll visit Martin Luther King Jr. father’s church, go to MLK’s church in Montgomery, and also where Rosa Parks got on the bus from her job and decided not to sit in the back of the bus.”

Team brings families and communities together

Streetball Kingz player Randy Gill, aka White Chocolate, splashed three three-pointers within the first five minutes of the game and they did not stop coming. A crowd pleaser, Gill interacted with the fans the entire time.

Following a collegiate career at Bowie State University, Gill started playing streetball and minor league basketball. He was eventually asked to play overseas, and since his return, has been playing for the Streetball Kingz.

Gill explained that the mission of his team is to support youth, and to bring families and communities together.

“It doesn’t matter if there are 20,000 people or even 100 people. We’re here to spread the love, bring the community together, and have a good time,” he said. “Whenever there’s a cause or a mission and we can help bring the people together that’s what it’s all about. We want young people to believe in themselves and let them know that they can do anything they want to if they practice their craft, whatever it may be. My mission is believe to achieve.”

More BSU events

This month, BSU will be hosting a Nov. 18 chapel with the theme of #BlackLivesMatter. On Dec. 11, BSU will be joining the Campus Activities Council to host the .

“We’re expecting about 150 people for the ball,” said Thomas. “We’ve contacted a band called Ebony Blue, and that will be another large event before we leave for winter break. When we come back we’ll have a week-long celebration for MLK in January, then in February we’ll have Kwanzaa for Black History Month, and finally the trip will be in March. We’re trying to expose the campus to different things. ”

A version of this article was first printed in Nov. 5, 2015, issue of The Weather Vane.

91����Ƶ entered the day tied with Randolph, Hampden-Sydney and Bridgewater for fourth in the league standings, but all three of them lost. The men now have a win over each of those teams muddled in the middle of the ODAC pack.

The visiting WildCats, hamstrung with a healthy roster lacking in height, executed their game plan as designed, shutting down 91����Ƶ’s All-ODAC big man,  (Madison, Va./Madison County), by swarming him with defenders every time he touched the ball. Randolph also got back on defense after every shot attempt, resulting in a halfcourt game with a combined two offensive rebounds and six fastbreak points. How would the up-tempo Royals handle that type of a game?

Eastern Mennonite responded by running their offensive sets and finding the open man. They shot 12-of-23 from the floor in the first half, including 6-10 from outside, to take a 36-34 lead into halftime, thanks to an inside jumper from  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) in the closing seconds. Randolph was almost a mirror image, shooting 12-for-25 with 5-10 from three point range.

The second half was just as tight until the WildCats scored nine straight points to build their largest lead of the day at 52-43 with 11:19 to go. Behind some hot shooting from freshman  (Charles Town, W.V./Washington), the Royals stormed back to within four points, but Randolph wouldn’t give up the lead.

The visitors matched 91����Ƶ shot-for-shot, leaving the lead between four and seven points until the game hit a pivotal moment with 5:04 remaining. With 91����Ƶ on offense, Falk jumped to gain possession of a loose ball. As he came down and turned, he collided with a Randolph defender and was whistled for elbowing and tagged with his fourth foul.

The home crowd sat in disbelief and Coach Kirby Dean was livid. The WildCats calmly went into their offensive set, drew a foul and connected on both free throws to put the lead back at 64-57. The five Royals on the floor, however, decided it was their time.

 (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) hit a jumper to trigger a run. Falk swatted a shot to start a fastbreak, which Yates converted to slice the deficit to 64-61. After a defensive stand,  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) found Jones for another three ball, this time knotting the score at 64-64 with 2:52 left and igniting the home crowd. After another big block from Falk, 91����Ƶ’s big man hit a jumper in the paint to put 91����Ƶ in front for the first time since the 17:31 mark.

Randolph looked rattled and turned the ball over on their next two possessions, leading to a knockout punch from Williams. The point guard sliced into the lane for the hoop and harm, converting a three-point play to push the lead to 69-64 with 16.1 seconds left. Williams’ effort capped a decisive 12-0 run, as the Royals clamped down Randolph for a stretch of 4:34 in the final five minutes of the game.

The final seconds were packed with WildCat layups and 91����Ƶ free throws, but the men went 3-4 from the stripe to seal the key 72-68 win.

The teams combined to shoot 50 percent from the floor and 54 percent from long range. Eastern Mennonite was 24-47 in shooting, including a season-best 10-17 from three. Randolph shot 24-49 overall and 10-20 from outside. The Royals made the difference up in quantity at the free throw line, hitting 14-21 compared to 10-11 for the visitors.

Jones made Randolph pay for every open look he got, burying 6-of-7 three pointers for a career high 22 points. Williams picked his moments and was 6-6 from the free throw line for 14 points. Yates hit a trio of threes and added 13 points.

Falk had a game high nine rebounds and three blocks. Crump turned into a distributor with a career high eight assists. He previous best was four handouts.

Reid Jacoby led a balanced Randolph attack with 14 points, as he hit four treys. Zach Desgain had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Jason Eddie added 12 counters.

The Runnin Royals are now 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the ODAC. Randolph slips to 10-7 and 4-4. 91����Ƶ stays at home on Wednesday to host Shenandoah, who just earned their first ODAC win of the season in an overtime effort over Hampden-Sydney.

The two teams will meet again in Bridgewater on Feb. 18, the second-to-last game of the regular season.

The visiting Eagles made a quick start, with big man Logan Seacrist hitting a pair of three pointers and All-ODAC forward Ed Reddick putting in nine points on the way to a 25-10 lead at the 9:08 mark.

91����Ƶ then scored on their next five possessions to trim a few points off the deficit, and the men caught fire over the final minutes of the half.  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) connected on a pair of free throws with 2:45 remaining which triggered a 7-2 run. The Royals were within 35-29 at halftime and the late surge carried over into the second.

Over the opening 1:29 of the final frame, 91����Ƶ made three shots while Bridgewater was saddled with two turnovers and a missed jumper.  (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) drilled a triple to cap the 7-0 spurt, giving Eastern Mennonite their first lead of the night at 36-35.  It also highlighted a massive 26-10 swing, erasing BC’s early lead.

The edge stayed around two or three possessions until a prolonged 8-0 run by Bridgewater flipped the visitors back in front, 53-51 with 7:26 to play. The teams traded leads for the next two minutes until two free throws from BC put them on top 60-58 with 4:58 left.

A massive alley-oop dunk then signaled the beginning of the end for the Eagles. On 91����Ƶ’s next possession, Williams drove into the lane and drew a double team. He floated a high pass which  (Madison, Va./Madison County) threw down to erupt the home crowd and start a decisive 11-0 run.

Over the next 2:22, each of 91����Ƶ’s five starters scored in the paint, while Bridgewater came up empty. Finally with 1:17 remaining, Williams made a free throw to end the run, giving the men a commanding 69-60 lead.

The Eagles turned to fouling, but the Royals were up to the task. The men sank all eight of their attempts from the stripe over the final 48 seconds to win by their biggest margin of the night, 77-67.

Eastern Mennonite dominated the second half, shooting 48 percent to BC’s 31 percent to out-score their rivals 48-32. For the game they had a 40-to-37 percent shooting edge and won the battle of the boards, 48-41.

All five of 91����Ƶ’s starters scored in double figures, as they were good for 74 of the team’s 77 points.  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) had a team high 17 points and was 7-7 from the free throw line.  Falk charted another double double with 18 rebounds (including eight offensive), 14 points and three blocks.

Williams and  (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) each scored 15 points, while Jones tallied 13.

BC’s Reddick finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and a game high four assists. Seacrist came in with 12 points and Kyle Welty knocked in 11.

Eastern Mennonite improves to 10-4 with the win while Bridgewater slides to 8-6. Both teams are now 3-2 in the ODAC.

The Royals are on the road this Saturday, playing at Hampden-Sydney at 2 p.m.

The win over the Bobcats (6-4) gives Eastern Mennonite a quality win over a Capital Athletic Conference team who had already beaten two ODAC teams: nationally ranked Randolph-Macon and Randolph College.

The men took a bit to get their offense in gear and gave up back-to-back threes to quickly fall into a 6-0 hole. Their largest deficit was eight points, where it still sat at 26-18 with 8:29 to go in the half.

 (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) buried a three pointer to get the Royals rolling, however, and  (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) then scored six of 91����Ƶ’s next eight points as they came roaring back. A  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) layup gave the men their first lead of the night at 33-31 with 3:59 showing.  In all Eastern Mennonite ended the first period on a 22-11 run to take a 40-37 edge into halftime.

 (Charles Town, WVa./Washington) nailed a pair of triples to open the second as the Royals extended their lead to 47-39. The Bobcats eventually snuck back to within three points at 55-52, but 91����Ƶ turned on the defense to hold FSU scoreless for the next six minutes.

By the time Crump threw down a dunk to cap a 13-0 run, the men had their biggest lead of the night at 68-52 with 3:33 to play. The outcome was never in doubt from that point, as Eastern Mennonite won their third straight game.

The Royals had a sizable shooting advantage, hitting 45.3 percent of their attempts compared to just 36.5 percent for the Bobcats.  The men were also 7-19 from long range compared to 6-25 for FSU. The free throw line was again a deciding factor, as 91����Ƶ was 22-38 while Frostburg State rarely visited the stripe and finished 8-11.

Crump scored a season high 23 to lead all scorers. He also charted his second double double of the season with 12 rebounds as he was named the MVP of the Rotary of Frederick Holiday Classic. Crump averaged 20.0 points 8.5 rebounds for the weekend.

Jones finished with a career high 16 points and he hit four three pointers. The freshman was also named to the All-Tournament Team as he averaged 12.5 points and hit 7-of-16 treys in the two games.

 (Madison, Va./Madison County) was good for nine points and nine rebounds while (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) racked up eight assists with seven boards. Williams scored nine times while Steele finished with eight.

Breon Powell led Frostburg State with 14 points and seven rebounds. Nick Smoot also scored 14, while Jabari Kamau had 12 and seven.

After playing seven games over the first 21 days of December, Eastern Mennonite has an extended break for the holidays. The Royals won’t play again until traveling to Shenandoah on Jan. 7, a break of 17 days.

91����Ƶ finished the Don Glick Classic with a 1-1 mark and wrap-up the weekend with a 5-3 record overall. Milligan, who received votes in the National Athletic Intercollegiate Association National Poll this week, slipped to 10-4 on the year with losses to 91����Ƶ and Bridgewater College.

Eastern Mennonite and Milligan were locked in a tight first half until  (Alexandria, Va./T. C. Williams) kick-started a late run which put the Royals up 40-32 at halftime. The senior scored 11 points, including nine in a row, in an 18-10 run which broke a 22-all tie.

But led by Mickey Woods, the Buffaloes came stampeding back in the second.  At one point he hit back-to-back three pointers near the end of a 25-16 run, which gave Milligan a 57-56 lead just six minutes into the final frame. The Tennessee team had their biggest lead at 74-68 after a James Songster three ball with 7:22 to play.

The Royals took over from there. The men held their opponents scoreless for nearly four minutes, scoring nine unanswered during the stretch.  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) capped the surge with a three-point play, putting 91����Ƶ in front 77-74 with 4:09 to go.

Woods hit another three pointer to tie things back up. Yates converted a three-point play of his own to give the men a little breathing room at 82-79 with 2:40 left, but the teams continued trading points. Morgan McLeod hit a jumper to pull the Buffaloes back within one with 1:39 to go, as 91����Ƶ led 84-83.

Both teams came up empty on their next possessions, but Crump rebounded his own missed shot with 34 seconds remaining to keep the Royals in charge. A quick foul put  (Charles Town, WVa./Washington) at the line, and the freshman hit both free throws to push the edge to three. Woods missed a three ball and  (Madison, Va./Madison County) essentially sealed it by grabbing the rebound, getting fouled and then hitting both free throws with eight seconds left. Milligan missed a quick three and let Jones run out the time as he grabbed the final rebound.

Although 91����Ƶ struggled to slow down the Buffaloes, they out-shot them 52.6-to-45.2 percent. Milligan his eight three pointers, but the men repeatedly got to the foul line to keep the edge. They were 24-40 from the stripe compared to 19-29 for MC.

Yates finished off a multi-faceted night with 22 points, eight rebounds, five steals and three assists. Falk hit a double double with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Crump added 17 counters. Jones scored nine in his second-straight start while  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) added four assists.

Woods led all players with 31 points, including 6-of-9 shooting from outside.  Julian Bailey had 14 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.

“We have a lot of good players,” explained the Runnin Royals’ 12th-year mentor.  “As long as no one cares whose stats look gaudy at the end of the night, I think we’ll end up in the winner’s circle. If the only agenda is us winning games, I like our chances.”

What does that mean?  The sky could be the limit, but for starters the men must concentrate on the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.  Eastern Mennonite has two ODAC regular season titles to their claim, but they have never won the ODAC Tournament in the 37 years of the league’s existence. In fact, the Royals have only played in one title game, finishing as runner-up in 1983. 91����Ƶ also has only one NCAA National Tournament bid in program history, going to the Elite Eight in 2010.

The men were picked in a tie for third in this year’s ODAC Preseason Poll, showing them a lot of respect in one of the nation’s top men’s basketball conferences.

“I think it’s about right,” Dean admitted. “There is so much parity that there is a wide range of where you could finish based on all sorts of variables. I think we have four teams in the league that could legitimately make an NCAA Tournament run. If we don’t gel and don’t find chemistry we could finish below that. But if we do, we know we could compete with those guys above us, because we did last year.”

91����Ƶ rode a six-game winning streak into the ODAC Semifinals last spring, closing with a record of 17-11, including 10-6 in ODAC play. It was just the fourth time in program history the men charted double digits in conference wins.  Wing  is the only significant loss from last year’s squad, although the two-time All-ODAC player and 1000-point scorer will be tough to replace.

“RJ had a really, really good career,” said Dean. “One area where we might really miss him is late in games.  He made a lot of plays in the last two or three minutes of games. He was not afraid to be the goat, and if you are not afraid to be the goat then you might be the hero. But I think we have a few guys who are anxious to step into that role.”

The Runnin Royals return seven seniors, including two All-ODAC players, from a team which finished second in the league with a shooting percentage of 46.6%.  Headlining that crew is 6-6 center  (Madison, Va./Madison County), who averaged 14.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. He led the nation in rebounding and set 91����Ƶ and ODAC records for rebounds in game and 91����Ƶ marks for rebounds in a season, blocks in a season and blocks in a career as he was named All-ODAC First Team, VaSID All-State First Team and D3hoops.com All-South Region Third Team.

And Dean thinks his big man got better.

“David actually got in the gym this summer and worked on his game with an ex-D-I assistant coach,” he said. “You’ll see a much more offensively skilled athlete.  He won’t have to dunk to make a bucket.”

The other All-ODAC returner is 6-4 wing  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs). In his first season after transferring from D-II Virginia Union to 91����Ƶ, Crump was second in the ODAC in free throws and came in fourth in scoring with 17.0 points per game. He added 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists and was named All-ODAC Second Team.

Other returning starters include 6-2 guard  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) with his 8.3 points and 2.5 assists on 50.0% shooting and 6-4 sophomore  (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora), averaging 3.9 points. Deceptively, 6-7  (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) finished last year by coming off the bench but will start again as a senior. He averaged 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals, and will likely play at the top of 91����Ƶ’s high pressure defense with his disruptive wingspan.

Dean also praised Yates as a team leader.

“Ryan is a hard-working player,” he said, “as hard as I’ve had in a long time. He gets in the gym and works. He’s very confident now and aggressive and he is making plays he could not make as a freshman.  I think he’ll have a really big year.”

Being one of only two teams in the conference to bring back multiple All-ODAC performers (Falk and Crump) is just the tip of the iceberg for the Royals.

“Obviously it’s a really good starting point to have back the best big man in the conference and arguably in the country, along with one of the top slashing players in the ODAC,” explained Dean. “They complement each other really well. But it doesn’t stop there. James and Ryan are the same level of players, they just haven’t received the recognition. There are going to be four guys out there who aren’t afraid to have the ball in their hands and aren’t afraid to make a play.”

Eastern Mennonite returns 11 players from last year’s team, and each of them played in at least 18 games. Energetic 6-2 senior  (Bridgeton, N.J./Salem) with his 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds is the only other returner to play 10 or more minutes per game. In all, the men bring back 82.5% of their offense.

Dean said the momentum from last year’s strong finish visibly carried over to this season.

“I think it created a confidence level,” he said. “It created a lot of momentum for the offseason, if anything, and led to people having a really good summer and being really anxious to come back and finish what we started the second half of last year.”

As if the host of experience wasn’t enough, Eastern Mennonite brought in a bounty of athleticism in an eight-man freshmen class. The result could be the most stacked depth chart in program history.

“I don’t think there is any question this is the most talented freshman class I’ve had in my 12 years,” Dean explained. “The class that ended going to the Elite Eight may have been slightly more top heavy with talent, but when you consider this class one though eight, this class is more talented. They have a chance to be a really special class. One thing they have to understand is that not everyone will be in the rotation as freshman simply because of our upperclassmen and what spots they play. But if they wait their turn they’ll have a chance to do some really special things.”

As Dean prepared this year’s schedule, he made sure his men would be pushed with a challenging non-conference slate to prepare them for the rigorous ODAC Tournament. As part of that, 91����Ƶ will play four, two-day classics or tourneys.

“We needed as many D-III regional games as we could get,” said Dean. “It was a problem for us in the past and it’s a problem around the ODAC. People are familiar with the level of the ODAC and sometimes people shy away from playing us.  Playing all those weekend tourneys won’t hurt us. It will help us if anything as we get used to the ‘win and advance’ mentality.”

The Runnin Royals open the year by hosting one of those weekends in the 91����Ƶ Tip-Off Classic. With the NCAA’s official start of the season on Nov. 15, the men are hosting their classic on Saturday and Sunday of this coming weekend.

Eastern Mennonite opens against Ferrum Saturday at 7:00pm, before taking on St. Mary’s (Md.) Sunday at 4 p.m. Rival Bridgewater College will play a game before the Royals each day.

91����Ƶ has now won four of their last five games. They entered the day tied with three other teams for fifth place in the conference, and took over sole possession of the spot as two of the other teams (Hampden-Sydney and Randolph) lost and the third (Bridgewater) didn’t play. The Eagles had their game at Virginia Wesleyan postponed to Thursday.

The 91����Ƶ men led by as many as nine points early in the game before Shenandoah went ahead and took a 35-32 cushion into the locker rooms. Just minutes into the second, however, the Royals established control. David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison) capped a 7-0 run with a dunk, putting the men up 43-39.

It was a tie game with 10 minutes left, as SU locked up the score at 50-50 with a 7-0 run. But the Royals responded with five straight to go back in front. They would keep the lead the rest of the game.

Kwa McDonald (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) buried a pair of three pointers during a key 7-0 run, bumping 91����Ƶ’s lead back up to 64-55 with 5:28 to play. After a Shenandoah free throw, Sims hit a jumper for the biggest lead of the night, 66-56.

The Hornets got within six points at 70-64 with 2:33 to play, but Crump answered with a layup to steady the ship. The men then hit 6-of-8 free throws over the final 50 seconds of play to seal the win.

Eastern Mennonite had a 41-34 rebounding advantage in the game, but simply out-shot their opponents. The men hit 52.9 percent of their shots, their third-highest total of the season, while Shenandoah had a pedestrian mark of 42.6 percent.

Crump set a new career high by pouring in 35 points on 12-18 shooting. The junior earned 19 trips to the free throw line, which set a new 91����Ƶ program record for free throws attempted. He finished 10-19 from the stripe.

Sims provided the great 1-2 scoring punch with Crump, and put in 21 of his own points. McDonald finished with nine off the bench. James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) added seven points and seven rebounds, while Falk led all players with 10 boards.

Avery Green, the ODAC’s leading scorer, led Shenandoah with 40 points, but no other Hornet scored more than seven.

The Royals are back at home this weekend, hosting Roanoke Saturday night at 7 p.m. 91����Ƶ topped the Maroons 81-79 in overtime when the two met on Dec. 7 in Salem.

91����Ƶ has now won nine of the last ten meetings between the two rivals, including the last four.  They meet again Feb. 19 in Bridgewater.

The first half was all defense, as the Royals held the biggest lead at five points and the two teams combined to shoot 19-of-50 from the floor for 38%.  Eastern Mennonite was up at the break, 26-25.

Bridgewater used a 9-2 run in the second to turn a tie game into a 43-36 lead with 12:07 to go.  Then the defenses again dominated, as only one point was scored over the next three minutes.  Finally Sims assisted (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) on a three ball to trim BC’s lead to 43-40 with 9:04 remaining.

Ed Reddick made a layup for the Eagles, but the Royals kept coming.  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) hit a pair of free throws to keep it a three-point game.  Then Sims took over.  The wing made a single free throw to cut it to 45-43 with 7:38 left.  After a defensive stop, Sims grabbed the rebounded and canned a three pointer to push 91����Ƶ in front.

He drilled another three pointer with 3:31 remaining to build the lead to 53-49.  Moments later, Sims hit back-to-back shots to give the men their biggest lead of the night at 59-51 with just 1:34 on the clock.  The defense kept BC at bay from there, clinching the eight-point win.

Eastern Mennonite out-shot the Eagles 47% to 31% in the decisive second half.  For the game, the men had a 41% to 35% edge.  They were also 5-12 from three point range, compared to 1-8 for BC, which made up for losing the rebounding battle, 36-33.  Bridgewater had 15 offensive boards.

Sims finished with a team high 16 points to go with six rebounds.  He scored 14 of 91����Ƶ’s 20 points over the final 7:38, going 4-for-4 from the floor and 4-for-6 from the free throw line.  He had scored a total of 12 points over 91����Ƶ’s previous three games, all losses.

Crump and (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) each added 14 counters, with Crump handing out three assists.  Center (Madison, Va./Madison) was limited by foul trouble in the first half and finished with eight rebounds and six points.

Reddick led all scorers with 22 points.  Tavis Stapleton added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Eagles.

After breaking a three-game losing skid, Eastern Mennonite will look to pick up some momentum when they head to Emory & Henry this Saturday.  Game time is 2 p.m.

“Our overall numbers are down, but I think we’ll actually play more guys,” said Dean.  “I think 11 or 12 of our guys are going to play minutes, so you could make the argument that we’re deeper.  And talent-wise it probably is.  We’re going to run more and shoot a lot more threes.”

91����Ƶ’s roster is only 14 deep in 2013-14, after starting with 18 or more in previous years.

Headlining the returners is the lone senior, (Fort Washington, Md./Friendly), an All-ODAC Third Team selection last year.  The 6-5 wing was second on the team and 11th in the ODAC in scoring as a junior with 13.6 points.  The stat-stuffer added 3.9 rebounds and team highs of 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals.

(Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) took over a starting role late last season, and the 6-2 junior has become a step quicker and will look for more minutes in the guard court.  He scored 5.0 points a game last year and quietly shot 48% from long range.  Junior (Madison, Va./Madison) steps into the starting position down low, as the 6-6 big man was good for 7.2 points and 5.5 rebounds last year.  He was also tied for second in the ODAC last season with 1.7 blocks per game.

Wing (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) started 13 games last year, and brings back his 6-7 frame along with 6.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals.  Other returning juniors are 6-2 (Bridgeton, N.J./Salem), 6-6 (Damascus, Md./Damascus) and 6-4 (Prince George, Va./Prince George).

Dean said that group has really stepped up their game this year.

“That junior class is where I’ve seen the most improvement,” he said.  “Woody is ready to give us some level of production, and all of those guys look like they’ve made some really good improvements.”

The junior class will not only help replace the points lost from last year’s team, but also the intangibles, especially from four-year players Andrew Thorne and Owen Longacre.

“I think other guys were influenced by playing with them, and think I’ve seen that already,” Dean said of losing Thorne and Longacre.  “Ryan Yates has been more vocal and has stepped into a leadership role.  And when you’re one of the hardest workers like he is, people are a little more apt to listen to you even if it’s kind of critical.  But it will be hard to replace those guys.”

Eastern Mennonite also adds two junior transfers, (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs).  The 6-4 Yoder averaged 8.1 points in two years at D-III Messiah College (2009-11) before coming to Harrisonburg last year; however, he tore an ACL in his first practice last fall and missed the season.  Crump, another 6-4 wing, scored 5.7 points at D-II Virginia Union last year.  Dean had high praise for both players.

“We would have won 18 or 20 games last year if Chris wouldn’t have gotten injured, he’s that good of a shooter,” explained Dean.  “But he does more than just that, he can jump, he can run and he’s very competitive.  And Marcel is on par with Andrew Thorne athletically.  He instantly becomes one of the best athletes in our league.  If he gets a handle on what Drew brought competitively he’ll be better than him.”

Although there are no sophomores on the team this year, a recruiting class of five talented freshmen expects to see playing time as well: 6-1 (Columbiana, Ohio/Salem), 6-2 (Bristow, Va./Patriot), 6-4 (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle), 6-4 (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora), and 6-3 (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.).

“I think all of the freshmen are going to play,” explained Dean.  “Kwa and EJ are at positions of need, so that will increase their minutes.  But all of those guys are physically and mentally ready to make some contributions now.”

The Runnin Royals lost five of the nine men in their regular rotation last year, and replacing all the minutes, points and rebounds will take some time to figure out in 2013-14.

“I think it’s going to have to be a collective effort from a bunch of different guys,” Dean explained.  “I don’t think we have one guy who will night in and night out be our leading scorer.  But any of starting five, and even our sixth man, could be a leading scorer on any given night.  We’ll be hard to scout because on any given night any of those guys could really hurt you.  By spreading things out we can overcome that loss.”

The Runnin Royals open their season on the road, playing at a tip-off tournament hosted by Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va., this Saturday and Sunday.  Their first game is against Staten Island, and it will be the first of nine contests against a team which qualified for the NCAA National Tournament last spring.

While Dean knows that his schedule will be a big challenge for a team still getting used to each other, he also knows it could work as a positive.

“It can work for you or against you,” he said.  “If it kills your confidence to lose to really good teams, then it hurts, but if you can be competitive and steal a couple of wins your guys could look around and say, ‘we could play with anybody.’  I make sure the guys understand the level of competition they are playing against.  I’ll expect to go in and win.  And a lot of times a middle of the pack ODAC is a really good team.  Hopefully that helps us.”

As usual, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference expects to be one of the toughest, most-balanced leagues in the nation.  But with only seven of the 18 All-ODAC honorees from last year returning around the conference, 2013-14 has potential to produce a lot of upheaval.

“I think that’s one of the advantages of playing the hard schedule that we’re playing, because we’ll be more ready for the ODAC season,” said Dean.  “It could come down to a possession here and a possession there.  And a game here and a game there could be the difference between finishing 3rd or 4th or 11th or 12th.”

Dean knows his way around the ODAC, as this year he will coach his 11th season, equaling him with his predecessor, Tom Baker, as the longest-tenured Eastern Mennonite men’s basketball coaches.  As the holder of four of the ten .500-or-better seasons in program history, Dean also has the most wins in men’s history with a career record of 134-129.

He has one regular season ODAC title, as well as the program’s only national tournament appearance.  He hopes this year’s team can peak at the right time to make their own mark.

“I just hope that whatever our ceiling is, about the first of February we’re reaching it,” said Dean.  “If that’s the case, then I don’t think anything is off the table.  You don’t want to be ridiculously optimistic, and so I don’t think we’re ready at this moment to be the regular season champs.  But I think by mid-February we could be ready to be the ODAC Tournament champs.”

The Runnin Royals finished with a record of 15-12 including 7-9 for eighth in the ODAC.  91����Ƶ won at Washington and Lee in the first round of the ODAC Tournament before falling to top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan in the quarterfinals.

After opening this year at the tip-off tourney at Mary Washington, and a non-conference game at Elizabethtown on Nov. 20, the men have their home opener against ODAC opponent Lynchburg on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Despite leading 40-27 at halftime, the Royals watched as Washington and Lee slowly chipped back in.  Even with 32 seconds left in regulation, 91����Ƶ led by five, 74-69.  W&L answered with a layup and then forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds play.

The visitors got a single free throw with 21 seconds left, then a fortuitous offensive rebound off the missed second toss.  Larry Whitaker (Bartlett, IL/Bartlett) missed a jumper with 16 seconds left and (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) muscled out the rebound.  91����Ƶ’s big man was fouled and made one of two free throws to keep the lead at three, 75-72.

The Generals quickly came down the floor and guard Kelton Buchanan (Powder Springs, GA/Hillgrove) drilled a three pointer from the left side with seven seconds left to knot the score.  Eastern Mennonite couldn’t get off a clean shot, leaving the game to be decided in OT.

(Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) stepped up for the men in the extra session, scoring 91����Ƶ’s first six points to build up an 81-77 lead.  (Front Royal, VA/ Skyline) added a fastbreak dunk after a steal by (Madison, VA/Madison) to put the edge at six with 1:37 to go.

The Runnin Royals then iced the game from the free throw line, making 6-of-8 tosses to keep W&L from making another comeback.

Eastern Mennonite shot 46% in the win, compared to 41% for the Generals.  The visitors did have a 46-40 edge on the boards, but the Royals more than made up for that by forcing 24 turnovers.  Free throws were basically even, with 91����Ƶ going 21-33 while Washington and Lee finished 21-31.

Longacre had one of the best games of his career and charted his first double double of the season.  He tied his career high with 20 points and pulled down 10 big rebounds.  Sims was right behind him with 19 counters.

Thorne finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, while (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) had 10 points and four assists.  (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll) added eight points off the bench.

Drew Kimberly (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Ludlowe) had 20 points to lead Washington and Lee.

The Royals, now 3-2 in the ODAC, move over .500 in the conference for the first time this season.  91����Ƶ enters a tough stretch of their schedule, playing their next games against three of the top four teams in the ODAC.  First up is Guilford this Saturday at 2:00 in Harrisonburg.  The Quakers, 4-1 in the league, beat the men 67-64 on Nov. 28 in Greensboro, NC, on a half court three pointer at the buzzer.

Despite being saddled with foul trouble over the first 20 minutes, the men led much of the opening frame.  They scored the final five points going into halftime, capped by a (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams) three pointer, to lead 33-25 at intermission.

Eastern Mennonite scored the first four points in the second for the biggest lead of the night at 37-25.  Goucher responded with a 12-2 run, however, to get back within two points and the battle was on.

As the teams went back and forth, (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) drilled a big three pointer to put 91����Ƶ back up 61-60 with 3:04 to play.  After forcing the Gophers into a missed triple, the men came down and Daniel assisted (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll) on another long bomb, blowing the lead to up to 64-60.

Goucher got a single free throw with 1:17 left, but the Royals pushed the edge up to five points when (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) drove to the hoop and dunked the ball.

The Gophers cut the lead to three with a pair of free throws with 40 ticks to go, and the men left the door open when Williams missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw.  Goucher got two shots off in the final eight seconds, but neither found the mark as 91����Ƶ escaped with the win.

Daniel and Sims were a two-headed monster to lead the team.  Daniel hit three three-pointers and dropped in 19 points.  He added a season high five assists along with five rebounds and three steals.  Sims was 8-for-13 from the floor to lead the team with 20 points, a season high for him.

Williams also hit double figures with 10 points.  (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) added eight rebounds and three assists.

The Runnin Royals had their best effort of the year from long range, going 8-for-18 for 44%.  They shot 28-for-61 overall for 46%, but were limited to 2-for-6 from the free throw line.  91����Ƶ was out-rebounded 37-28, but also forced 21 turnovers for a +4 turnover margin.

91����Ƶ has a few days off before returning to the court for a sure-to-be-classic game with Randolph-Macon.  The men host the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, with a 7:00pm start in Yoder Arena.

In 2009-10, the Runnin Royals returned all five of their starters from a 15-11 campaign and vaulted to the Elite Eight in the national tourney, finishing with a final record of 25-5 and a No. 4 national ranking.  This year, Eastern Mennonite returns all five starters from a 12-15 team, and Dean is brimming with optimism.  And he will compare that.

“After the 15-11 year, going into the next year I thought we were going to be good,” said Dean.  “But never in my wildest imagination did I see those guys ascending to that level of play.  I didn’t see fourth in the country coming.  But to be honest, I’m just as optimistic now as I was then.  Can you catch lightning in a bottle twice?  I don’t know, but it’s certainly something we’ll strive for.”

Last winter, Dean needed five new starters and the young team had an up-and-down season.  But ending with three straight wins before an overtime loss in the ODAC Quarterfinals to Randolph-Macon gave the men some hope which translated into a lot of hard work in the offseason.

“I think that last year’s finish was probably about as crucial as anything could be,” Dean said.  “We were up and down so much with a young team.  Even some of the older kids hadn’t played a lot (before last year).  So I think the fact that we got things going at the end created an air of optimism and pushed us into offseason workouts.  I would say the offseason and preseason were as productive as any of my years that I’ve been here.  Through two weeks of practice I’ve seen big time improvement in my returners, as much as I’ve ever seen.”

And the returners abound, as 91����Ƶ brings back the top nine players from last year’s rotation.  Headlining the crew is 6-4 senior wing (Front Royal, VA/Skyline).  In his first season as a starter, Thorne averaged team highs of 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds and was named All-ODAC Third Team.  Also back is 6-4 junior (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) who was good for 12.3 points and led the men with 61 assists and 56 steals, as well as 6-6 big man (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) who averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds.  He also found a stroke from the outside and led the team with a 42.9 three-point field goal percentage.

Junior guards 6-2 (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) and 6-0 (Roanoke, VA/Northside) return as well.  Daniel finished with a 9.3 scoring clip and 55 assists, while Burroughs scored 8.3 a game with 60 assists.

While the men do return all five starters, Dean said nothing is a given this year as his other returners have improved in the offseason and a handful of talented newcomers will also push for playing time.

“We always say that everything is an open competition and everybody has to earn their chance to start,” said 91����Ƶ’s tenth-year coach.  “Those guys started a lot of games last year.  If you were playing the odds, chances are that they will be the starting five again.  But the best players are going to play.”

Other returning rotation players are: 6-6 (Madison, VA/Madison) (6.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG), 6-2 (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll) (4.4 PPG), 6-7 (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams) (4.2 PPG) and 6-2 (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) (2.3 PPG), although Smith is recovering from an injury.  Dean also noted 6-4 Davis & Elkins transfer (Bassett, VA/Carlisle) as an impact player, and thinks he may see some contributions from his freshmen, especially 6-4 (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway), 5-11 (Roanoke, VA/William Fleming) and 6-7 (Covington, VA/Alleghany).  The Royals were also hoping for added depth from 6-4 Messiah transfer Chris Yoder (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield), but he will miss the year with a knee injury.

One area of weakness last season was outside shooting, and the Runnin Royals will need to improve on their 28.3% from three point range.  Shooting and physique were two areas that Dean said his men worked on during the offseason.

“We had a lot of kids that worked really hard in the weight room, and a lot of kids that got up a lot of shots,” explained Dean.  “Our kids knew we needed to improve our shooting percentage.  You can also see a lot of changes in my kids’ bodies.  A lot of kids have bulked up and look great.  The bottom line is the kids had a good offseason.”

One key for Dean-coached teams has always been to earn extra possessions, generally through offensive rebounds and turnovers.  The men have specific statistical targets set to meet those ends.

“Last year we were +5 in shot attempts per game and dead even in free throws,” Dean explained.  “So the goal this year is to double that shot attempts to +10 and to get that into the plus side on free throw attempts.  We feel we can do that if we improve on offensive rebounds and increase the turnover margin from +3 to +5.  And then if we can shoot the ball better from three, we’ll have a chance to be a really good team.”

Thanks in part to the way his 2009-10 team made national waves, combined with the strong finish his men had last year, Dean doesn’t expect to surprise anyone this time around.

“I think people are already going to expect us to be pretty good,” he said.  “Maybe not top 25 in the country, but a really tough out.  With so many kids that played last year coming back, the way we finished (beating Guilford and taking Macon to OT in tournament), and adding a couple of kids that we think can contribute, I don’t think we can sneak up on anybody.  But I don’t see a need to sneak up on anybody.  I just think we need to be the best that we can be.”

The Runnin Royals claimed the seventh seed in last spring’s ODAC Tournament with a league record of 6-10.  The men beat rival Bridgewater College in a First Round game in Harrisonburg to earn an ODAC Tournament win for the third straight year.  Eventual NCAA-qualifier Randolph-Macon beat out 91����Ƶ in an overtime thriller in the ODAC Quarterfinals.  It was also the third straight year the Yellow Jackets have knocked the men out of the ODAC Tournament.

Dean knows his team might still be a bit unseasoned to win the ODAC’s regular season title, especially with Virginia Wesleyan, one of the nation’s top teams, on the schedule twice.  But he is hoping for the Runnin Royals to again peak at the right time.

“We’re looking to finish as high as we can,” he said, “obviously we’re shooting for top five to avoid that play-in game and to get a really good seed heading into tournament.  We’ll be a whole lot better in February than in November.  If we can hit our stride in February like we did last year, but with a better team, we have a chance to make some noise.  And obviously if you win the ODAC Tournament, anything can happen from there.”

Eastern Mennonite opens the regular season by hosting the 91����Ƶ Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 16 & 17, playing Elizabethtown and Ferrum.  Bridgewater will be the fourth team at the Classic, making for an exciting start to what should be an exciting season in Yoder Arena.

Last year Eastern Mennonite finished 22-5 with a starting lineup of five seniors, including ODAC Player of the Year Todd Phillips.  Over their four years, the core went 71-38, gathered three of the program’s ten winning campaigns in 45 years, and earned the only trip the men’s team has ever made to the NCAA Championships.

That group is gone, but hopefully has laid a legacy which this year’s men can pick up.  As part of that re-tooling process, however, the Runnin Royals must replace 79% of their offense.

“The reality is, those five changed the culture at 91����Ƶ,” Dean said of his departed players, which also includes George Johnson, D.J. Hinson, Orie Pancione and Eli Crawford.  “I give them all the credit in the world for what’s happened here.  But the good news is that we had some kids who were role players the last year or two who on other teams could have been focal points on the offense.  So while we lost a lot we’ve got some guys who can do a lot more than what they’ve done.”

Returning players get a chance to shine

Leading the returners is athletic junior (Front Royal, VA/Skyline).  The 6-4 wing shot 51% from the floor last winter, averaging 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds.

“Andrew is in a zone where he wants to be one of the best players in the league, and I think he has that potential,” said Dean.  “He’s just been driven.  He’s lifting, he running, he’s just doing all the little things.  He’s a prime example of someone who’s put things together off the floor as well.  With him, the better student he has become the better player he has become.”

Forward (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) is another top returner and the only other returning junior on the roster.  Longacre has been nagged by injuries at 91����Ƶ but averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds last year.  Dean said his 6-6 player just needs to stay on the court.

“His big thing is just staying healthy,” explained 91����Ƶ’s ninth-year coach.  “If he just can practice for a month straight and then string things together, he’s got a chance to be a really solid ODAC player.  He’s going to do all those things that get you to the winner’s circle.”

Sophomores looking forward to playing time

Four sophomores remain from last year’s touted recruiting class and all of them should compete for regular minutes in 91����Ƶ’s up-tempo system.  averaged 4.9 points and 1.7 rebounds while getting a handful of spot starts last year.  (Roanoke, VA/Northside) (2.2 PPG), (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) (2.4 RPG, 1.6 PPG) and (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) (2.2 PPG) all expect to show marked improvement as they get more playing time.

Because of the departed seniors, this year’s newcomers will also get more playing time than in years past.  Some of the new faces have more experience than others, however, as three of the ten on the varsity roster transferred to 91����Ƶ from prep schools or other colleges and two more are local players who return to hoops after time away from the game.

Headlining the class are 6-6 (Madison, VA/Madison/Hargrave Military), 6-6 (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams/Massanutten Military) and 6-2 (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll).  6-7 (Staunton, VA/R.E. Lee/Mary Washington) could also add to the inside game as the Mary Washington transfer learns the 91����Ƶ system.

Putting the puzzle together

Even with the added height, Dean won’t slow down the style of play which has turned the Royals in the Runnin Royals.

“When you have depth like that,” he said, “if you can get guys to play as hard as they can play then they are going to need to get a rest.  But that’s when the other team has the same guy on the floor and getting more worn out.”

91����Ƶ’s coach said the team’s height will add a new dimension this year.

“A key for us is extra possessions,” he explained.  “The previous years we’ve done that through turnovers.  We’ll still turn some people over, but this year we can also get some of those possessions from offensive rebounds.”

Dean knows that with many of his players finally getting consistent playing time on the collegiate floor there will be growing pains.

“We’re a puzzle that still hasn’t been put together, but has some really nice looking pieces to it,” he said.  “I don’t know how good we’ll be in November, but we’ll be so much better in February.  So the better we can be in November, the scarier we’ll be in February.  We’d be naïve to think we’ll be as good as Virginia Wesleyan and Hampden-Sydney at the beginning of the year, but I’m hoping that by tourney time people are looking at the standings and hoping they don’t have to play us in the postseason.”

Exhibition game, season opener, and more info

The Runnin Royals begin that journey at home, taking on Shenandoah on Tuesday, Nov. 15.  The men also have a home exhibition game on Thursday, Nov. 10, where they will play a team of area alumni, including last year’s starters.

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