Both Robert Davis, Jr. and Caelum Swanton-Rodger each started 33 games last season for the Monarchs.

NORFOLK, Va. — Old Dominion men’s basketball is earning early national attention as two Monarchs picked up major preseason accolades from Blue Ribbon Yearbook and Lindy’s Sports.

Junior guard Robert Davis Jr. has been tabbed the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year by both publications, while senior forward Caelum Swanton-Rodger was recognized by Lindy’s as the league’s Best Defender.

In Blue Ribbon’s College Basketball Yearbook, Davis Jr. landed on the Preseason All-Conference Team in addition to being named Preseason Player of the Year. Lindy’s Sports echoed those honors, listing him on its Preseason All-Conference First Team. Swanton-Rodger, meanwhile, earned a place on Lindy’s Honor Roll.

“I am so happy for Rob and Cal both,” said ODU head coach Mike Jones. “The acknowledgement from national media says something about their hard work. Our entire team is proud.”

Davis Jr., a Detroit, Michigan native, started all 33 games last season and emerged as one of the nation’s elite shooters. He led the country with 348 three-point attempts, ranked eighth nationally with 116 made threes, and set a new program record for most threes in a single season. Davis averaged 15.6 points per game, reaching double figures in 28 contests. Among his highlights: a 32-point outing against ULM and a game-winning three versus Texas State in the Sun Belt Tournament.

Swanton-Rodger, a senior forward from Calgary, Alberta, also started 33 games and anchored ODU’s defense. He ranked second in the Sun Belt with 61 blocks and averaged 4.9 rebounds per game. His season included a 14-rebound effort against Maryland-Eastern Shore and a double-double (18 points, 10 boards) in ODU’s upset of No. 11 Louisiana.

The honors add to a proud ODU tradition—head coach Mike Jones and current special assistant Odell Hodge earned similar preseason recognition as players back in the mid-1990s.

Old Dominion will play an exhibition game against Hampton on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. at Chartway Arena before officially tipping off the 2025-26 season at Miami (Ohio) on Monday, Nov. 3 in the opening round of the MAC–Sun Belt Challenge.