Alumni Good News (and advice for Saturday)

If you want the good news, just skip to the Good News section below.  So, men’s hoops went on the road in the ATL to visit this year’s CAA surprise team, Georgia St., and the now familiar scrit repeated itself.  Again. I’d link you to the game story, but let’s be honest, you don’t care.   The undermanned Dukes played scrappy, smart, passionate basketball through the under 16 timeout in the second half, when they held a 5-point lead.  And then the wheels fell off under an avalanche of lazy fouls, bad turnovers, and awful shots.  Devon Moore’s wrist injury, suffered late in the loss to Hofstra on Saturday, made the Dukes look like the JV scrimmaging the varsity when the Panthers turned up the heat defensively in the second half.  In fact, JMU was one more player fouling out away from having to turn to walk-ons, burning a redshirt, or Ollie from Hoosiers.  With Goins, Wells, and Moore, the heart of last year’s team, all out now, it’s really almost unfair to jump on the players.  But tonight’s game brings two questions to the forefront and gives us a chance to give a piece of advice.

1) Who is going to be the next coach?  And how much will that decision be impacted by the new JMU President and his feelings on Jeff Bourne?  Needless to say, more on this at CAA tourney time.

2) What in the sam hell was Julius Wells doing tweeting about watching “his girl” Skylar Diggins at 7:20 p.m. tonight?!  You know, when the Dukes were playing.  I mean, I guess I understand he’s not traveling now, and I guess I can even believe he’s not used to firing up the MadiZone broadcast, but seriously, someone should remind him how much tuition he paid during his four-year barrage of Dray Blatche shot selections.

3) If you plan to watch Thursday’s game on Comcast (8 p.m.) or even worse, to attend the Mason game this Saturday, this is a public service announcement:  Drink heavily before viewing.  You’re going to need spirits, maybe even corn liquor, for these and do not fool yourself into thinking beer or wine will do the job.

Good News!!!

Really could say great news for two JMU alums (warning: one is non-sports but it’s really cool).

First, former JMU soccer star and recently crowned MLS Rookie of the Year C.J. Sapong was capped Saturday night in the USA’s victory over Venezuela!  A “cap” in soccer, for anyone who still hates on the beautiful game, is when you actually get playing time for your national team.  Yes it’s a friendly and largely a young, inexperienced group that will not comprise the “A” team for a few years, but this is enormous.  Rob’s going to cover this in detail later in the week, but seriously, a Duke Dog on the National team is pretty damn awesome.  And he earned a solid 6 to 6.5 from commentators for his performance for those who know soccer ratings!

Second, JMU alum and friend of JMUSB Matt Bondurant’s book, The Night Swimmer, came out this week to a great bit of fanfare.  Having read my fellow JMU English department product’s third novel over the weekend, I’ll offer that this San Francisco Chronicle review does it fairly good justice, though I’d have liked to see a nod to the outstanding and eclectic music references in the book. Oh yeah, and his last book, The Wettest County in the World, is awaiting release of the film adaptation this summer with a few actors you “may” have heard of!  Click that link and check out the company Wettest County is keeping these days (Hunger Games).  Better yet, read it, preferably while listening to a Drive-By Truckers album with a glass of Early Times.  After all, it’s kind of the mood of the hoops season.