Dukes Crash Back to Earth in Wilmington

JMU went on the road to face UNCW in a first place showdown tonight. It went, poorly. The Dukes entered the game in a four way tie for first place and a chance to capture the regular season crown with two wins and help. Instead, they got blown out 74-54 and now need to beat Hofstra in the regular season finale to avoid falling to fifth.

There isn’t much to say about the game. UNCW led wire to wire. It was never really close. The Seahawks burst out of the gate ready to play. They were energetic, spreading the ball, getting good looks and crashing the boards. To say JMU came out sluggish would be an understatement. The Dukes opened the game looking completely overwhelmed by the UNCW full court press. Seemingly before JMU even broke a sweat, UNCW had raced out to a 19-3 lead. The lead was stretched to as many as 18 points before a late run by JMU got them to within 11 at the half. UNCW rattled off 7 straight after the break and it that was all she wrote. It was never much of a game after that.

The Positives

Ron Curry had 23 points. He hit 5 of 7 from long range. Yohanny Dalembert had 11 points on 5 of 10 shooting. It’s clear those two guys can score consistently against CAA competition. The fact that they were both able to score in the first half despite getting virtually nothing from their teammates speaks volumes. And Cabarkapa reached double figures again, with 10 points. Most of them came from the line or during garbage time. Still though, this is a guy who didn’t even get off the bench in 12 of JMU’s first 15 games. Now he’s reached double figures in 3 of the last 4. He’s like some sort of mid-major college hoops Serbian Jeremy Lin.

Everything Else

Nothing else worked tonight. JMU’s starters other than Curry and YoYo gave the Dukes virtually zippy. Jackson Kent scored 5 points. Joey Mclean and Tom Vodonavich both went scoreless. The trio combined to attempt only 8 shots. It’s neither necessary nor expected that those guys score in double figures night in and night out. They’ve got to be aggressive enough to force the issue and try to create their own shot or at least attempt open jumpers though. At times tonight they treated the ball like a hot potato, rapidly unloading it for YoYo or Curry before even attempting to draw a defender or look at the basket.

The Dukes also really struggled with ball control, turning it over 15 times for the game. It was just a downright ugly night for the offense. JMU managed only .83 points per possession. That’s the Dukes worst  mark in CAA play this season. And it’s exactly what happens when a team is sloppy with the ball and 3/5 of the lineup stands around watching.

This was a discouraging loss, but it’s not the end of the world. Yes, it means JMU will end the regular season winless against the CAA’s top 3 teams. Crazy as it might sound, we still think this team is performing above expectations and on the right track. As it was pointed out to us on Twitter tonight, roster turnover has forced some guys who are probably suited to be bit players into prominent roles. As long as it doesn’t kill their confidence, that should pay dividends next year and the year after. Plus, unlike JMU, the top contenders have all demonstrated that they can play down to the level of competition some nights. There are going to be upsets in Baltimore. All that means is that the tourney is completely up for grabs. The Dukes aren’t going to be on anyone’s list of favorites, but they’re one of about 6 teams that could cut down the nets if they get hot for a weekend.