Men's Basketball 2025-26 Roster Reload: Old Dominion

The 2024-25 season marked the beginning of a new era for Old Dominion men’s basketball under head coach Mike Jones, who replaced Jeff Jones following his retirement due to health concerns.

In his first season, Jones guided the Monarchs to a 15-20 record, going 8-10 in Sun Belt play. The Monarchs started strong, winning four of their first five conference games before suffering a six-game losing streak in February that dropped them down the standings, forcing them to play more games in the new conference tournament format.

Despite the struggles, Old Dominion found their rhythm in March, winning three games to reach the conference tournament quarterfinals, eventually falling to eventual champions Troy.

A key part of that run was Robert Davis Jr., who averaged 15.6 points per game in his first season with the Monarchs. Davis Jr. scored in double-figures in the final eight games and enters his junior season as the preseason conference Player of the Year.

ROBERT DAVIS JR. MY GOD#ODUSports | #Monarchs | #ReignOn pic.twitter.com/sWcYUCjbMx

— ODU Men’s Basketball (@ODU_MBB) March 7, 2025

Also returning are frontcourt players Stephaun Walker and Caelum Swanton-Rodger, both of whom started in all but one game they were available in last season. Walker ranked second on the team with 7.1 rebounds per game, while Swanton-Rodger, who followed Jones from Maryland, averaged 1.8 blocks per contest.

Bench contributors Scottie Hubbard, Donovan Raymond, Ben Nacey, CJ Parker, and Reico Hellams also return to Norfolk, and provide valuable continuity and experience.

Departures

Even with a returning core, Old Dominion will still look to replace a lot of production from last season. The Monarchs lost 10 players to graduation, transfers, and other ways of departure — a reflection of the current college basketball era.

Two starters depart Norfolk this season, including point guard Jaden Johnson, who transferred to La Salle after averaging 8.6 points and 3.7 assists as a true freshman. Sean Durugordon, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leaning scorer, also leaves. Durugordon, who played at four stops in as many years, averaged 15.7 points and 9.1 rebounds. His rebounding ranked third in the Sun Belt, and 26th nationally.

Veteran RJ Blakney graduated after spending his final two seasons of eligibility with the Monarchs. Blakney contributed 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in his final season of college basketball.

Several bench players also left via the transfer portal, including Devin Ceaser (UMBC), who averaged nearly 12 points in 12 appearances off the bench; Dani Pounds (Tennessee Tech), who showed promise as a freshman but didn’t take the expected step as a sophomore; Cadin Diggs (UMBC), who posted three double-digit scoring games in conference play as a freshman; and Deion Ware (South Plains), who redshirted last season. Walk-on Jaylen Jenkins also entered the portal.

The two final departures were Imo Essien and Vytautas Zygas. Essien, a longtime Monarch who missed his final season due to health issues, remained in a leadership role and made a start on senior night. Zygas has since joined a three-on-three team in Europe.

Arrivals

Jones and his staff bring in what many consider one of the strongest incoming classes in the conference, adding five transfers and two freshmen.

Headlining the class is guard Jordan Battle, who joins from in-conference opponent Coastal Carolina. Battle led the Chanticleers in scoring last season with 12,8 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent from beyond the arc. He elevated his play in conference games, averaging 15 points and hitting just over 50 percent of shots from three-point range and earned himself preseason Third-Team All-Conference honors.

Introducing #23 from Chesapeake, VIRGINIA, Jordan Battle🔥 pic.twitter.com/k2bw8FhBbM

— ODU Men’s Basketball (@ODU_MBB) August 21, 2025

Ketron “KC” Shaw transfers in from Maryland Eastern Shore, where he averaged 18 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists last season. Shaw’s ability to score, as well as his positional versatility, will likely help the Monarchs immediately.

Austin Peay transfer LJ Thomas also adds a scoring threat after averaging 14.2 points per game. Thomas’ play-making will also be something that is needed from the Monarchs, as he averaged 3.9 assists per game last season. He began his career at NC State before transferring to the Governors.

Sharpshooter Jared Turner was the first commit of the portal cycle. The 6-foot-8 wing, who has two years of eligibility, has a career three-point percentage of 41.6, including shooting nearly 48 percent as a freshman.

The transfer class is rounded out by Drew Mckenna, a former Georgetown forward that was a highly regarded recruit. McKenna will look to carve out a larger role in Norfolk than he did with the Hoyas, and he brings major potential to the frontcourt.

Jones welcomes two freshmen to the team: Zacch Wiggins, a promising recruit that had offers from the likes of Maryland and James Madison, and Elijah Flowers, an All-Conference player at Brewster Academy in his post-graduate season.

With a mix of returners, high-level transfers, and promising freshmen, Old Dominion is poised to take a step forward in year two under Mike Jones. The Monarchs will look to build off the momentum of their run in the conference tournament, and fight at the top of the conference this season.

Old Dominion will open the 2025-26 season on Nov. 3 in the MAC-SBC Challenge at Miami (OH) on ESPN+.