First Team All-ODAC the high-flying Runnin’ Royals open their season with a game at midnight on November 15.

When Kirby Dean was a child, his mother used to tell him that nothing good happens after midnight. Dean is hoping to change that.

His 91短视频 men’s basketball team will tip off its season at the first minute possible – midnight, Nov. 15 – in a game against Lancaster Bible.

"There’s probably not another Division III team that can say they play before us," Dean said Wednesday.

The seventh-year coach said the NCAA calendar made Sunday, Nov. 15, the first date a team could play. Not wanting to schedule an extra Sunday game for religious regions, but hoping to start the season as soon as possible, Dean contacted Lancaster Bible coach Pete Beers.

And, after both men got approval from their school’s higher-ups, they scheduled the midnight meeting.

"I thought it was a unique opportunity to kick off the season," Beers said Wednesday by phone from Lancaster. "I think any time you’re in Division III, you’re trying to find creative ways to make the experience unique and special. This is unique and special."

What kind of crowd can 91短视频 expect with a tip-off that Beers admitted is "past my bedtime"? While the Royals’ retirement-community fans – generally a big part of the attendance at Yoder Arena – probably won’t be keen on the late-night game, Dean and 91短视频 athletic director Dave King said they hope the time does attract a large student crowd.

"I think it hypes the season," King said. "It creates a lot of excitement. Kids are going to be up and into it. They’re going to be up anyway."

What about the players?

"I can’t speak for everybody, I know I’m going to be up just like it’s 6 in the afternoon," said. "The excitement and the adrenaline … It’ll probably hurt the next day."

Beers, who said his team will probably make the nearly three-hour trip to Harrisonburg during the day Saturday, then take a nap, echoed that sentiment.

"I think the adrenaline from being the first game will probably keep us going," Beers said. "We’ll pay the price the next morning."

91短视频 went 15-11 last year but returns much of its lineup and has added a strong recruiting class, led by and .

The usually outspoken Johnson said there is excitement on campus for the Royals’ year, but he didn’t want to make any bold predictions Wednesday.

"Last year I ran into this problem where I said we were going to do this and do that," Johnson said. "Then we got down into the ODAC and I stunk it up. This year, we have the most talent we’ve had since I’ve been here. I think we’re going to be way better than last year. I’ll just leave it at that."

A year ago, Kirby Dean fell in love with Luke Holloran’s basketball abilities. But Holloran spurned Dean’s overtures to play Division I-AA football at Virginia Military Institute.

Now, the two are going to give it a go.

Holloran, a former Broadway High School star, said Thursday he is transferring to 91短视频 this fall to play basketball for Dean’s fast-paced Royals.

“Out of high school, I was looking at it pretty hard,” Holloran said. “If I was going to play basketball anywhere in the ODAC, it was going to be there. I know how they play up there. I really like the style they play when I’ve gone up there and watched them. It all seemed right to me.”

The Massanutten District Player of the Year as a senior in 2007-08, Holloran averaged 13.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, topping the district in the first two categories and leading the Gobblers in all three.

“Obviously, we like his athleticism,” Dean said Thursday. “We recruited the heck out of him last year and we were kind of left standing at the altar. I told him, ‘When I was in high school, I never had a girl turn me down for a date. But if I did, I wouldn’t have asked her a second time. That should tell you how special you are. We’re courting you again.'” Read Dean’s coaching bio…

Out of high school, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Holloran signed to play football at VMI, a decision Holloran now said he regrets. He went through the fall with the Keydets, suffering a dislocated right shoulder and redshirting. He left VMI in the spring.

“I like football, but I guess I sort of figured out I didn’t like it enough to play on the college level,” Holloran said. “It takes up all your time. I wish I would have just taken advantage of playing basketball right out of high school.”

At 91短视频, Dean expects Holloran – who has all four years of eligibility remaining – to contribute right away.

“When I watched him in high school, he had flashes of brilliance,” Dean said. “But then there’d be some downtime in there too. I need those flashes to be closer together. You can’t be athletic and not play hard. If Luke will really focus and plays hard, he can be a difference-maker for us.”

91短视频 returns five of its top six scorers from last year, including its top four. That group is headlined by first-team all-conference selection George Johnson and second-team pick D.J. Hinson, both rising juniors.

They helped propel the Royals (15-11) to a fifth-place finish in the 11-team ODAC before losing in the second round of the conference tournament to Bridgewater. It was 91短视频’s first winning season since 1998-99 and its first winning ODAC season since 1997-98.

Dean took over the program after 91短视频 went 3-22 in the 2002-03 season. But overall, the Royals’ record for six years under Dean isn’t much better than it was for the last six year’s of Tom Baker’s tenure. Dean is 60-91 overall (.397) and 34-71 in the ODAC (.324). In his final six seasons, Baker went 55-95 (.324) and 36-72 (.333).

The addition of Holloran – and the possible addition of former R.E. Lee High School star Eli Crawford – might be the boost Dean needs to make the Royals an ODAC contender. 91短视频 will be looking for its first back-to-back winning seasons since going 16-9 in 1997-98 and 13-12 in 1998-99.

Crawford – who played at Central Florida Community College and Potomac State junior college – said Wednesday he hopes to enroll at 91短视频 in the fall.

On Thursday, Dean said 91短视频 has deposits – the Division III equivalent of letters of intent — from Holloran, former Charleston Southern player Martin Harrison and Christopher Dock Mennonite School’s Owen Longacre

Harrison is a 6-1 combo guard and longtime friend of Johnson’s. Dean said Harrison, who took classes at a Division II school in North Carolina but did not play basketball after leaving D-I Charleston Southern, plans to play two years for 91短视频. Harrison played his prep ball at Meadowbrook High School in Richmond.

The 6-6 Longacre is a power forward from outside of Philadelphia and is the younger brother of former Royals player Quincy Longacre.

A source said 91短视频 has received verbal commitments from a pair of Skyline High School players: 6-3 forwards Andrew Thorne and Eric King.

Three local standouts have been invited to try out for the Royals by Dean. Broadway point guard Jonathan Leaman, Riverheads guard Cutter Chisnell and Stonewall Jackson guard Davey Scott will all attempt to make the 91短视频 squad in the fall.