The Monarchists are back with another edition of The Monarchists Basketball Show, joined by Mike Jones to break down the season, what went wrong, and what comes next for Old Dominion Monarchs Men's Basketball.

Coach Jones gets brutally honest about expectations vs. reality, roster construction challenges, and the evolving landscape of the Sun Belt Conference. From recruiting JUCO talent and navigating the transfer portal to building a defensive identity that can win in March - nothing is off limits.

🔥 Topics include:

- Season recap and tough lessons learned

- Fixing the defense without sacrificing offense

- Transfer portal strategy (April 7–21 window)

- JUCO recruiting insights from Kansas

- How to build a roster to survive the Sun Belt gauntlet

- Rule changes that NEED to happen in college basketball

Coach Jones also delivers a powerful message to Monarch Nation about the future and why ODU basketball is far from finished.

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Intro (ODAF Support)

01:00 – Season recap: expectations vs reality

02:30 – Tough non-conference schedule lessons

04:00 – Fixing scheduling strategy moving forward

05:00 – Sun Belt expectations & roster evaluation

06:00 – Year 1 vs Year 2 roster construction

07:30 – Offensive improvement vs defensive struggles

08:45 – The challenge of finding two-way players

09:30 – Recruiting breakdown: JUCO scouting in Kansas

11:00 – Evaluating players beyond film

12:00 – The importance of coaching networks

13:30 – Truth vs bias in recruiting intel

15:00 – JUCO vs Division I mindset differences

17:00 – What players value about ODU facilities

18:30 – Building culture through recruiting

20:00 – Transfer portal strategy explained

21:30 – Selling opportunity at ODU

22:30 – Coach Jones’ growth as a head coach

24:00 – Sun Belt style diversity & challenges

26:00 – How close the Sun Belt really is

27:30 – Rule change #1: Goaltending review issue

30:00 – Rule change #2: Unlimited correct challenges

32:00 – Officiating consistency debate

35:00 – Building a roster to beat multiple styles

38:00 – Vision for ODU basketball’s future

39:00 – Message to Monarch Nation

Monarch Nation, this was a must-listen episode of The Monarchists Basketball Show.

Head Coach Mike Jones joins Aaron and Mike for a deep, honest breakdown of the week that was—what went wrong against ULM, how the team responded against Ohio, and why the next three games inside Chartway Arena will define the stretch run.

Coach Jones takes you inside:

- The emotional hangover from the road trip

- A powerful 6:00 AM practice that reset the culture

- Zacch Wiggins’ growth as a true freshman

- Cal’s impact when he stays out of foul trouble

- LJ’s clutch, ice-cold finish

- The goaltending no-call everyone’s still talking about

- Scouting Marshall and Georgia State

- Game-day preparation during doubleheaders

- What he learned from this season so far

- Ronnie Valentine’s jersey retirement on Valentine’s Day

- Why these final home games matter more than ever

Plus:

🎙️ A special message about The Mane Event w/ Coach Mike Jones at Afterglow Brewing on Thursday, 2/19 at 6PM and a plug for our upcoming episode with ODU Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Clarisse Machanguana, Mozambique flood relief, and a rallying call for Monarch Nation.

Go Fund Me: Rebuilding Clarisse's Home After Mozambique Floods https://gofund.me/00e5a6e74

The Mane Event: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C6K2q3pGu/

Buckle up. This one has everything. Go Monarchs!

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Intro & ODAF Message

00:45 – ULM Recap: “We Didn’t Answer the Call”

01:55 – Mental Hangover from Texas State

02:35 – Ohio Win & Late Rebounding Surge

03:55 – Chartway Crowd Energy Impact

05:00 – The Goaltending No-Call Breakdown 😬

07:45 – The 6:00 AM Reset Practice

10:05 – Zacch Wiggins’ First Home Start

11:25 – Freshman Development & Work Ethic

12:35 – Finishing Through Contact & Physical Growth

13:45 – Cal’s Impact When Out of Foul Trouble

16:05 – The “Pass of the Year” Moment

17:30 – LJ’s Crunch-Time Takeover

19:50 – 16-of-18 From the Line & Only 6 Turnovers

20:55 – ODAF Mid-Roll

22:30 – Marshall Preview & Doubleheader Setup

24:10 – Game-Day Prep Changes Explained

25:20 – The Mitch Advantage (24/7 Access)

26:55 – Spurs Practice Facility Experience

28:15 – Ronnie Valentine Jersey Retirement ❤️

29:45 – Georgia State Preview

31:10 – Louisiana Game Reminder (President’s Day)

31:55 – Senior Day Discussion

33:40 – Conference Scheduling Frustrations

35:05 – The Mane Event at Afterglow Announcement

36:45 – Baseball Season & Clarisse Machanguana Tease 🌍

38:20 – Coach Jones’ Message to Monarch Nation

39:55 – Go Monarchs

The Monarchists Basketball Show is back with Head Coach Mike Jones as Old Dominion wraps up a critical road trip and turns the page toward two huge home games at Chartway Arena.

We break down the heartbreaker at Georgia Southern, the gritty win at App State, and what Coach Jones learned about his team’s growth, toughness, and maturity along the way. The conversation highlights Jordan Battle’s electric performance, Jared Turner’s confidence and development, and what it truly means to learn how to win in Sun Belt play.

Looking ahead, Coach Jones previews:

- A massive Wednesday night matchup vs. Troy

- A Saturday showdown vs. Louisiana

- The jersey retirement of ODU legend Ronnie Valentine

- Why alumni weekends, tradition, and fan support matter more than ever

This episode is all about growth, belief, and momentum as the Monarchs fight for positioning and prepare for the stretch run toward Pensacola.

🎧 Presented by The Pride of ODU

👉 Be a Monarchist. Join The Pride.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Presented by The Pride of ODU

00:30 – Road trip recap & growth since last episode

01:20 – Georgia Southern heartbreak breakdown

02:50 – Free throws, officiating & attacking the rim

04:45 – Practice focus & late-game pressure

06:05 – Boone, App State & rivalry mentality

07:10 – Jordan Battle’s big night & infectious energy

09:00 – A “maturity win” and learning how to close games

10:30 – Jared Turner’s development & confidence

12:30 – What the team learned from the road trip

14:00 – Troy preview: shooting, defense & adjustments

16:10 – Handling multiple defensive looks

18:10 – Louisiana preview & defensive challenges

20:30 – Ronnie Valentine jersey retirement meaning

22:10 – Alumni weekend & Monarch tradition

24:15 – What fans should see now vs early season

26:15 – February urgency & Sun Belt positioning

27:30 – Final thoughts & Here Come The Monarchs