Women’s Hoops Takes Home CAA Title and #3Bids4CAA comes true!
Update: JMU Men’s Hoops will play in the CBI Tournament. First game Tuesday, 7 p.m. @ Davidson, coverage rumored to be on HDNet.
We stayed away from the keyboard for a few days for three reasons: First, I’ve turned into a full-on Cooler when it comes to teams I support recently and we agreed it was best to let the women’s team defend it’s CAA title w/out me hexing the whole thing. Second, we wanted to let Rob’s great trip down memory lane to the ‘Burg circa 1994 breathe a little. And third, I got a little carried away with my bitchin’ and moanin’ about the CAA last week and needed a little self-imposed probation. (And I was doing well until I got inappropriately bent out of shape with the PurpleWave on Twitter today – sorry ’bout that. Oh yeah, you can follow us @jmusportsblog though no guarantee it’ll be solely Dukes related).
Front of Official jmusports.com today! Congrats ladies!
But thankfully, we had nothing to worry about with the Lady Dukes! The women, led by the Coach Kenny Brooks and superstar Dawn Evans(tourney MOP), managed to hold off a spirited tourney run from Elena Della-Donne and Delaware to defend their CAA title in style. The bid is now clinched and now hopes for a relatively high seed are up in anticipation of Monday’s bracket announcements. Huge congrats to the women. This only adds to the legend of this group. We’ve been saying for a few weeks this group of players is going to leave JMU as one of the most influential groups in any sport and now they’ve got back-to-back CAA titles and NCAA trips to show for it. Hopefully they can add a victory or six to the resume in the Big Dance! If the Dukes can avoid last year’s fate of the 8/9 game, they should have a real shot to make the Sweet Sixteen or beyond.
And in stunning news today from the men’s game, our buddy over at GheorghetheBlog‘s yearlong promotion of the hashtag #3Bids4CAA’s dream came true as VCU joined ODU and GMU in the tournament for the CAA’s first ever three-bid year (w/ lots of support from DefiantlyDutchwho accurately captures my feelings on all the gnashing of teeth from the heads at the four-letter over the fact a few teams from conferences their network covers were left out in favor of the Rams). Obviously this wouldn’t even have happened w/out the expanded field, but we will take it! Hard to believe that five teams from the Commonwealth (VCU, ODU, GMU, Hampton, Richmond) will be in the tourney but UVa and VT are not among them. Sad to believe JMU is not.
Lastly, a final comment for those of you joining said heads in sadness over VT. I also agree it sucks for a very solid senior class in Blacksburg to have been relatively “screwed” for their whole tenure, but a) I don’t think VCU is the appropriate place to direct your anger (see UAB, USC, PSU, Georgia) and b) I ABSOLUTELY cannot understand the utter refusal among some alleged JMU supporters and alums to not give up their fascinations with the so-called big boys in our backyard (VT chief among them, but UVa, Md, UNC, and PSU all have their wagoneers still hanging on as well). Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with the fact you grew up a fan of a certain team or that you continue to support them today. More power to you. I’ve stated my own hypocrisy on this subject in that the Mrs. is a Villanova grad and I follow them in hoops when the Dukes are not involved (like I said, I am literally turning into William H. Macy). But the respect that VCU’s bid demostrates for the ball being played in the CAA is great news for the Dukes and if you don’t believe that, you’re not really paying attention. In the old days, it was harder to “root” for JMU. Games weren’t televised and Bridgeforth was the place we played b-league intramural softball. But the times they are a changin’ and to steal a phrase I usually hate but am willing to appropriate in this case as someone has to take the UNCOMPROMISING positions in the JMU diaspora, “if you’re not with us, you’re against us.” Get on board or just keep truckin’ to Blacksburg with your high school friends and don’t bother to stop halfway.
Do I think we should have made the tournament? Of course, but am I going to cry about it?….nah. I was hoping Tech would receive a bid to the tournament this year, but sadly in the back of my mind I had a feeling we’d be left out again. This team has been just way too inconsistent. Delaney and Allen are tremendous talents but their actions on the floor don’t always line up with their senior status (Allen throwing ball in Duke player’s face and Delaney’s apparent inability to have the get up when the game’s on the line). Inconsistency is the story of year most demonstrated by the losses to Boston College and Clemson after beating #1 Duke. Our lack of free throw shooting has hurt us too in close games late especially against Purdue. Had we made our free throws we should have won that game in my opinion. I’m just as disappointed as any Tech alum/fan but I think Seth’s reaction looks poorly upon the university and athletic department. Implying there’s some sort of agenda against VT (I’d love to think there is, haha) is not what the face of VT basketball needs to be saying.
Since I’m from and live in Richmond, I’ll always pull for local teams as I have many friends that attend VCU. Despite that, I think the selection committee swung and missed on some picks (Colorado, Saint Marys). I’m not saying we should have been over VCU, as you mentioned teams such as Georgia, UAB, and PSU have questionable resumes but I think they messed up a little. CAA basketball however is starting to garner the national attention that’s long overdue. There’s a lot of great basketball being played among CAA schools. As far as JMU is concerned, the CBI is atleast post season play. ACC teams UVA and Maryland aren’t even playing post season basketball so don’t get off the b-ball train yet. The men’s team is on the up and up
and congrats to the women’s team on the CAA championship and NCAA bid!
Watching the ESPN talking heads was infuriating. They focused their ire on UAB and VCU. In my opinion, their resumes are no different than tournament bound USC, Georgia or Clemson. ESPN slammed the mid-majors and ignored the BCS conferences. Their agenda was obvious. VT likely deserved a bid as much as any of these teams. However, Colorado is the team with the biggest gripe. The Buffalo have 6 wins over top 50 opponents. To me, its a far more impressive resume than USC, Georgia, Clemson, UAB, VCU or VT.
I am not sure why you included PSU in this post. They have 2 wins Wisconsin and Michigan State. They also have wins over St. Joe’s and Illinois. Add the run to the Big 10 tourney championship and it was enough to convince me.
When you expand the field to 68, you are going to invite sub-par teams. It becomes harder for teams 62-72 to distinguish themselves. You can make a case for and against any of them.
You’re right Frank. No matter what you’re going to have a bubble and the teams on the wrong side are going to feel slighted. Switch VA Tech with USC and they’d be ranting about USC. It also just so happens that it’s far easier to rant against a small school like VCU or UAB, and for a big school like Tech. It’s not more logical, just easier for lazy “analysts” who don’t even watch the product they supposedly analyze.
The way some of these idiots are screaming it’s as if they think there will be an asterisk in the record books noting that VA Tech didn’t participate, so the championship is somehow less valid.
Hubert Davis should be fired for the nonsense he spewed on the air Sunday night.