Delaware Slams Dukes in Newark
JMU had a rough outing in Newark. And that’s putting it mildly. The Blue Hens defeated the Dukes by the score of 81-65. The loss drops JMU to 9-17 and 4-8 in the CAA. Delaware is now 19-7 and 11-0 in the league. The first contest between these two teams came down to the last possession. JMU had a chance to tie with time winding down, but a questionable no-call on a Ron Curry drive left the Dukes wondering what if. There was no wondering tonight. Thanks largely to Davon Usher’s 18 first half points, Delaware took control early and never looked back.
Silver Lining
If you’ve been reading this blog or following us on Twitter, you know we’ve been high on Yohanny Dalembert’s potential. He’s very raw, but has the strength and athleticism to develop into a really nice post player. And he plays really hard. His effort against Delaware will probably lead to more folks jumping on the bandwagon. He notched his first career double-double with 15 points and 13 boards. Coach Brady announced after the game that he’ll be starting over Taylor Bessick this Saturday against UNCW.
Dalembert only has a few years of experience playing organized basketball, so folks probably need to temper expectations. He probably won’t be filling up the box score most games. But he probably will mix it up and do the little things coaches love. Not coincidentally, the same sort of things Taylor Bessick has failed to do lately. Coach Brady was pretty pointed with his criticism of Bessick after the game. Like Dalembert, Bessick has a ton of potential. For whatever reason, he seems to be playing with a lack of energy and enthusiasm lately though. Hopefully losing his starting spot will motivate Bessick to up the intensity. Because if both he and Dalembert can play to their potential the next few years, JMU will be tough to beat in the paint.
Redshirt freshmen Dimitrije Cabarkapa also got on the court last night and made the most of his limited playing time. He scored the first 6 points of his college career with a trey, a jumper, and a free throw.
Everything Else
Those were the highlights. Brady cleared the bench and had the bench players close this one out. They played hard in an ugly and chippy game, but it made no difference. Essentially, JMU looked very much like the young and inexperienced team it is. And Delaware looked every bit of the experienced team that it is. The Blue Hens are a better team. That much is clear. But JMU was out of sorts and lacking focus for most of the first half. Poor shooting, suspect defense, and silly mistakes. Delaware took advantage of all of them and cruised home for an easy win. That’s it. Now JMU needs to grow from this and bounce back with a big win at home against UNCW.
I agree on the comments about Bessick and Dalembert. I attended the Dukes game at William and Mary and JMU had no toughness in the post. Bessick is too much of a finesse guy, not much of a defender or rebounder and was continually beaten along the line to the basket. I wanted somebody, anybody, to come in and sling some elbows around.
I was so glad Brady recognized that last night. I even thought Cabarkapa came in and didn’t let himself get pushed around. Nice to see him get some minutes as well.
Finally!!! Taylor Bessick is a COW grazing in the paint. I like to call him Bessie the Cow. Moooooooo
I called that Yohanny will one day have a 10 pt game breakthrough. He got close with his 7 pts against Drexel, but this has got to be more than even he expected.
It’s just like me back in the day. I played center position and averaged only 2 pts a game. Finally, after lots of practice and effort, I got my 10 pts. Every player has their great game that cements their position as a key contributor. The important thing if for him to stay hungry, and not be upset if he doesn’t get the same numbers next game.
What do you mean that Dalembert “only has a few years of experience playing organized basketball’? There are thousands of tall, strong, experienced, excellent shooters around. Why are they not enrolled at JMU? As I’ve commented before, we have excellent guards … end of story.
@jmudad I mean Dalembert didn’t even play basketball until he moved from Haiti to the U.S. in high school. He’s definitely raw, but he’s got a ton of potential and will only get better. And I completely disagree that there are thousands of tall, strong, experienced, excellent shooters around. If a guy has 2 of those characteristics, he’s a probably a mid-major prospect. If he has 3 or 4, he’s probably fielding offers from big-time programs.
Everyone else, I don’t think we need to be down on Bessick. He seems to be suffering from a lack of confidence, but he’s got potential too. He and Yohanny together could be a pretty awesome presence down low.
Rob, I admire your optimism! Happy Valentine’s Day …
I approached this season with the expectation that the team would probably wouldn’t contend, so it was all about seeing improvement in players. Sure, I’d love more wins, and there have been a lot of things that frustrate me. However, I have seen some good things in Dalembert, Curry, etc that make me think the team will be better next year, and possibly a contender in 2 years. That’s all. I’m not trying to spin everything or act like everything is perfect.
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