Monarchs eager for home edge

Louisiana Tech, dangerous Bracey pursue road victory

NORFOLK — Centrally located in sprawling Conference USA, LouisianaTech'slongestleaguetrip is the roughly 1,110-mile journey to Old Dominion.

Coach Eric Konkol arrived Wednesday and did not need a GPS to find the Constant Center. As a former assistant at George Mason from 2002-2005 and again from 2007-2011, he knows the route.

“I've made this trip to Norfolk many times,” he said Wednesday. “I've been disappointed many times.

“We're trying to change that.” The difficulties of playing on the road in college basketball are wellestablished. Through last season, the median home-court winning percentage of all 351 Division I teams was 67.65.

Though there's evidence that advantage has lessened in recent seasons, in a league as far-flung as C-USA, the road is inherently unkind.

When Konkol was at George Mason, the ODU trip was a threehour bus ride. Now it's a flight.

Next game

Then there's the quick turnaround of the league's Thursday-Saturday scheduling.

It's no surprise, then, that through the first two weeks of conference play, home teams had won 19 of 29 games, about 65.6 percent.

ODU has first-hand knowledge of that, needing a tip-in with 1.1 seconds left to salvage a split on a two-game swing to Florida, where it had not lost since joining the league in 2013.

If not for the tip by Dajour Dickens that lifted the Monarchs to a75-74winatFloridaInternational, the Monarchs would find themselves in an early hole. As it stands, at 12-5, and 2-2 in league play, ODU is in a four-way tie for fifth place.

In C-USA's new “smart” scheduling, the top five finishers will square off over the final four games. So while it's early to be making much of the standings, it's also paramount not to fall too far off the pace.

“No one's panicking at this point,” senior B.J. Stith said. “We've still got a very good chance of being in that top five.”

To get there, ODU must protect its home court — the Monarchs took a home loss to Marshall — and shore up the defense that has been the program's pride and joy.

The Monarchs still lead the league overall in scoring defense and field-goal-percentage defense. But in league games, they've given up 72.5 points per game, allowed opponents to shoot 47.9 percent, and rank 12th of 14 teams in defensive efficiency against teams that know them best.

“Conference play is a whole different ballgame,” freshman Jason Wade said. “Teams, they scout, they know your tendencies, they know what you like to do.”

Slow starts have also been a concern, most recently in a loss at Florida Atlantic.

“I thought we were real casual” against FAU, coach Jeff Jones said. “We bounced back. I don't know if we played great, but we competed against FIU. Obviously, that was a nail-biter and we were thrilled to get the win.

“It looks like that's the way it's going to be in the league.”

Jones dislikes the word “parity” but believes the league is as competitive as ever, top to bottom.

Konkol agrees and believes the next two weeks will set the tone for a “wild” league race.

At 13-5, 3-2 in the league, the Bulldogs are a half-game ahead of ODU. They're 0-2 on the road, but they won in Norfolk two years ago behind a stellar performance from point guard DaQuan Bracey.

Slowed by a back injury last year, Bracey has returned to full speed this year. He carved up ODU two years ago, when he scored 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting and had eight assists.

“He dominated that game,” Jones said.

Bracey's 13.4 points-per-game average leads the Bulldogs and tops five players in double figures.

Known for an attacking offense and pressure defense, Louisiana Tech has had to shift gears after losing starters Derrick Jean and Exhavion Christon to injuries.

“It's created opportunities for other guys, but we're not deep,” Konkol said. “Foul trouble and fatigue — the two F's — those are challenges.”

The road is yet another. The Bulldogs, who are 2-5 all-time vs. ODU, showed what they're capable of two years ago, however, and the Monarchs are well aware.

“I still remember that game,” ODU senior point guard Ahmad Caver said. “So this is definitely a game I want to get.”