NEW ORLEANS, LA (WTKR)- When Old Dominion takes the floor this season, the Monarchs will have who the Sun Belt coaches believe is the best player in the conference leading the charge.
Monarchs' junior guard Robert Davis Jr. has been named Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced Monday. He's also a member of the All-Sun Belt Preseason First Team. Coastal Carolina transfer and former Norfolk Collegiate star Jordan Battle was named to the third team.
Old Dominion was picked to finish fifth in the conference, with James Madison entering the campaign as preseason Sun Belt favorites.
Davis is one of a handful of key players who opted to remain at Old Dominion after last season, helping Mike Jones establish a nucleus of experienced pieces from last year's squad that finished 15-20, 8-10 in Sun Belt play, in the head coach's first season at the head of the program. He's the Monarchs' leading returning scorer, posting 15.6 points per game in 2024-2025. Davis's 116 three-pointers were good enough for eighth in the country and set a new program single season record, while his 348 three-point attempts led the nation. The junior was also no stranger to the floor, leading the league in minutes per game with an average of 35:37.
Battle returns home after three years with the Chanticleers. He was their leading scorer last season with 12.8 points per outing and led the conference by shooting nearly 81 percent from the free throw line.
Old Dominion returns nine players from last year's squad and mixes in seven newcomers, five of whom are transfers.
The Monarchs host Hampton this Sunday in an exhibition contest at 2 p.m. and tip off their regular season November 3 at Miami (OH) in the Sun Belt/MAC Challenge.
