NCAA Previews: Recognize the Old Dominion Monarchs

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
Record: 24-8
RPI: 39
How They Got In: At-large. Maybe the most controversial of all the at-large selections, some folks think ODU has no business in the Big Dance, while others think ODU belongs easily and should have been much better than a 12 seed.

Mascot: The Monarchs' mascot isn't a butterfly, it's a dog wearing a crown. The dog's name is Big Blue.

Big Wins: A 75-62 win at Georgetown in November was a huge statement that the Monarchs can play with anyone.

Notable Loss: The Monarchs lost to James Madison (RPI 300) in January. If the selection committee had left ODU out of the tournament, that's the game they would have blamed it on.

Player to Know: Senior guard Drew Williamson (pictured guarding Michigan State's Shannon Brown in the 2005 tournament) averages 11.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds a game. He has twice led the CAA in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Outlook: There's no reason ODU can't beat Butler in the first round; it wouldn't be that big an upset. If they do win, the second-round matchup would likely be against Maryland, and winning that would be a big upset. Still, the Monarchs would love the chance to show what they can do against an ACC team.