THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 20, 1996 TAG: 9601200411
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Coach Jeff Capel walked into Old Dominion's locker room at Scope following Wednesday's game with George Mason, and immediately saw a familiar face.
Petey Sessoms, sporting a leather jacket and gold chain, was visiting with former teammates and coaches for the first time.
``Look at this, you can't hide money,'' Capel said, eying Sessoms' garb.
Sessoms made some money playing in Israel, but was let go by the team in Ramat Gan before Christmas. Sessoms said it was a shock, because he led the team in scoring with about 22 points a game along with five rebounds while playing the second guard spot. Sessoms said his team lost its first eight games, however, and a new coach was brought in who had his own American players he favored.
``I did real well over there, but I just got on a bad team,'' Sesssoms said. ``It was very unexpected.''
Sessoms, the Colonial Athletic Association player of the year last season, said he would gladly go back overseas.
``It was very fun and I adjusted real well,'' Sessoms said. ``Israel was one of the best places to be. Everyone over there spoke English and it was an easy transition for me.
``I learned a lot. It could have been worse: they could have got rid of me and I didn't get my money.''
Fred Bryan, who does a scouting newsletter that covers overseas basketball, said Sessoms is a good enough player that he should catch on somewhere. Bryan said transactions in overseas leagues often don't make sense on the surface.
``The team didn't have a very good record, but that could or could not be Petey's fault,'' said Fred Bryan, ``I would have thought he'd already be snatched up by a CBA team.''
Sessoms said the money was good, but would not discuss what he made. He is living with his sister in Suffolk now and working out in hopes of catching on with someone, either with an NBA, CBA or overseas team.
The NBA lockout last summer hurt Sessoms, who participated in the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago but was not selected in the draft. In a normal year he would have been able to play in league-sponsored summer leagues and would have had a shot to attend NBA free-agent camps.
CAL GETS THE CALL: Senior Mario Mullen's back pain has been Cal Bowdler's gain.
The rangy 6-foot-10 freshman small forward has made the most of his opportunity to move into ODU's 10-man rotation with Mullen out the past five games. Bowdler played a total of 16 minutes and scored four points while appearing in just five of ODU's first 11 games, but has averaged 12.4 minutes the last five while backing up fellow freshman Mark Poag.
``In the last couple of weeks we can see improvement in Cal every time he takes the floor, not only in games but in practice,'' Capel said. ``He's done a good job of maximizing the opportunity that he's got.''
Bowdler has made 6 of 14 field goals - including 4 of 7 3-pointers - and averaged 3.6 points the past five games. Capel said Bowdler's defense is also improving, as evidenced by four blocks in five games.
``He gets out of position a lot of the time or guys get by him a lot, but he's still 6-10 when the guy goes up to shoot against him,'' Capel said.
The rail-thin Bowdler is listed at 210 pounds. Capel said while Bowdler needs to get stronger and is working hard to do so, his lack of strength is not a big problem because he is playing on the perimeter.
ON THE UPSWING: Old Dominion has won three in a row and five of its last six after a spotty 3-7 start. The Monarchs' last three wins have come by an average of 15 points, and they have shot better than 60 percent from the field the last two outings.
``If we play like this all the time, I don't think there's too many teams on our schedule that can beat us,'' said center Odell Hodge, who has made 73 of 114 field goal tries (64 percent) in his last 10 games.
The Monarchs could get above .500 for the first time this season when they play at 7 tonight at East Carolina. The two platoons Capel has gone to seem to have ODU playing with more continuity and confidence.
``We view it as a job now,'' freshman guard Mike Byers said. ``When you've got a job, you've got to come to work and do it well every day.
``I want to be playing in March, not watching basketball on television.'' ILLUSTRATION: GAMEWATCH
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB