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Conference realignment is both a complete drag and sort of fascinating at the same time. Nobody likes seeing old rivals depart for new opportunities, but at the same time it’s fun to speculate about what’s next and created dream scenarios for the future. JMU and the CAA got to experience both sides of the coin last week as there was plenty of hand-wringing over GMU’s pending departure, and a whole lot of speculation about JMU “moving up” to go along with it. And the hot rumor of the week centered on the Sun Belt Conference’s reported interest in adding JMU if Western Kentucky departed for Conference USA. Western Kentucky is now going and the JMU to the Sun Belt rumors haven’t let up. Actually we should probably refer to them as rumors of the Sun Belt’s interest in JMU, because we have yet to see anything at all the leads us to believe the interest is mutual. The school and the league might have a deal in place for all we know. We just haven’t seen reports of anything even approaching that. read more…
This afternoon, JMU Sports released the following:
Statement from President Alger and Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne on GMU Departure
JMU President Jonathan Alger and Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne comment on the departure of George Mason University to the Atlantic 10 Conference beginning July 1, 2013
In speaking for the institution and many of our fans, we are extremely disappointed in this decision, as GMU, a founding member of the CAA, represents the key characteristics by which we judge our own conference affiliation.
This news comes at a time when instability and movement within conference membership continues across the country. The immediate strategy by the conference involves the CAA continuing to look at potential new members, a process that began earlier this year with the addition of the College of Charleston.
From our internal athletics perspective, we are actively engaged in a strategic planning process as a component of the University’s Madison Future Commission. In pursuing this plan, we are working with Carr Sports Consulting to assist us in establishing a comprehensive strategic plan that addresses all of our programs and long-term actions. While this process is set to conclude this summer, our planning is fluid and will help position and prepare us for important long-term decisions that are in the best interest of our student-athletes, coaches and the institution.
We look forward to working with our many constituents, both on campus, and around the country, in developing and sharing a strategic plan which positions our institution for long-term success.
Jonathan Alger Jeff Bourne
President Director of Athletics
What it Means – Objectively
There are many angles from which to view this statement but here is what we know for sure with our emphasis added in parens:
1) JMU is no longer in lockstep with the CAA on decisions about the future. (Great news)
2) The Administration has issued a very public statement acknowledging the utter distress in which the CAA finds itself. (This may be the best news of all as this is the most important thing we’ve been asking of regardless of the final decision)
3) At no point were the words “monitoring the situation” or “committed to the CAA” used. (Thanks be to all that is holy!)
4) The message was signed by President Jon Alger and AD Jeff Bourne. It was NOT signed by VP-Finance Charlie King. (no explanation needed and Alger deserves huge credit for getting involved when needed)
What it Means – Subjectively (our take)
It’s entirely possible that today’s statement is the most important piece of information regarding JMU Athletics to be made in many years and possibly for many more.
Let’s start by addressing the contingent of JMU fans, many of our generation or older, who have been supporters of staying in the CAA and/or FCS. The CAA is DEAD. Not just down, not just going through tough times. DEAD. Seriously, don’t ask about the potential for adding new members and reviving the league. What do you want out of your conference? UR, VCU, ODU, and GMU are all gone. Painfully, they’ll all be enjoying a renewed enthusiasm for their rivalries in the A10, a basketball-centric, non-football conference. Their is no one left, and all the Woffords and Elons and Libertys of the world only drag the league further away from a collection of “peer institutions” many of you supported sticking by. And it’s not just about the CAA, especially when it comes to FCS football. App St. and Georgia Southern, two other FCS powers, are expected to announce tomorrow that they are moving up and joining the Sun Belt Conference. As we’ve been screaming into the ether for awhile now, as the BCS superconferences expand and the mid-major FBS conferences do in turn, the obvious endgame is that this second tier, even if it’s technically 1-A or FBS, is becoming the former 1-AA again and the dregs that remain in what is currently FCS are rapidly sliding back to D2 status. It doesn’t matter what the names are, that’s what is happening. The bottom line remains that all conferences that have some members who play, and thus vote and take into account financially, some sports (football), that other members do not play, are doomed to failure. This is true from the highest level of college sports in the Big East, to 1-AA mid-majors like the CAA, right on down to NAIA Division 2 conferences in the Pacific Northwest. We’ve been beating this drum for two years now and all the half-assed members like College of Charleston or Albany aren’t going to change that. This isn’t about FBS or FCS football. Rob and I can get on board with options that contain both, but it is about not continuing with a sinking ship and at least choosing your own path.
Ok now, on with reading between the lines of today’s message. First, it seems to imply JMU is open to the possibility of leaving before the study was originally due for completion this summer if the choice is forced or the right opportunity presents itself.
Second, Carr Sports Consulting has done numerous studies of this nature for other universities and seems to have a relationship with many of the conferences JMU might or might not have the opportunity to join. This could mean it’s been hired by JMU as more a de facto search firm or matchmaker. But it could also be that JMU’s admin, who has, until now, been fairly consistent in their love of FCS football, simply wanted a little CYA to fall back on when the FBS-or-bust lunatics go crazy. In either case, and Rob may be more qualified than I am to answer this, it seems safe to assume JMU hired the consultants to provide cover and support for a particular decision, not to await the results and then do exactly what a 3rd party says to do. This may be getting a bit far afield with the speculation, but it also seems safe to assume that three of the stickier constituencies with which JMU’s admin will have to deal with are 1) non-revenue sports and their backers, 2) faculty, and 3) ye olde Virginny legislature. In all three cases, being able to fall back on a 3rd party study provides cover if what needs to be done involves elements that are distasteful or downright unseemly to one or more of those factions.
On that note, while it pains us to say (especially given our support for Field Hockey in particular), non-revenue sports simply do not have a place at the decision-making table at this time. Those sports belong wherever football and basketball enable them to go. Most if not all of the options outlined below will likely involve a step backwards in terms of national relevance and level of competition for at least some of those sports, but again, the CAA is dead. In any case involving a move up to FBS football, JMU will likely have to add another women’s sport or remove another men’s sport in order to comply with Title IX. These decisions will be unpopular, painful, and necessary. (See how that report provides cover)
Potential Outcomes
Rob and I have no inside information and are certainly not experts. We know nothing of tea leaves. We just spend as much time discussing, researching, and stressing over college sports JMU’s level as anyone and we try to keep an open, rational mind about these things. With the exception of our top choice, the following are not in any order of what we most want or most think is realistic, they are simply conceivable outcomes discussed in turn.
MAC in all sports, hopefully with Delaware – We have both reached the conclusion that this is the best option and we would fully embrace the #MACtion! Yes, JMU would be expanding the geographic footprint of the MAC, but it would still have a footprint, not a giant, hemorrhagic, elephant-paw print that most of the other options in massively reshaped conferences are developing. The MAC has a long history of stability and currently has only one single-sport member in UMass. Most of the schools are public and similarly sized to JMU. Many of them are located in Harrisonburg-type markets where we would not be constantly condescended to at every tv-rights negotiation, bowl alignment meeting, or decisions on where to hold conference tourneys.
A10 all sports but football, football elsewhere (likely FCS CAA) – Seems unlikely as the A10 is market-hunting and has VA locked down now with UR, VCU, and GMU (plus GW). Davidson (Charlotte for the clueless), Northeastern (Boston) both seem more likely for markets and they don’t have the risk of wanting to leave for football. Whether or not JMU would want to leave for greener football pastures, Bridgeforth has to scare the shit out of hoops-centric conferences that have been burned before.
Sun Belt Full Membership – Again seems less likely now that the SBC has added four today. We don’t love it geographically (and neither does an admin that accurately notes JMU’s student-profile is from Harrisonburg north) and we really don’t like it academically.
Sun Belt Football Only – Not completely crazy if you really want to hang in the CAA or the A10 opportunity presents itself, but still not ideal.
CUSA – Like the A10, they’ve been market-hunting and seem less than stable, but JMU would likely have support from ODU and would definitely have some regional rivalries (ODU, Charlotte, etc.). But it seems like a collection of schools hoping in vain it’s just a stepping-stone, not a committed group of like-minded institutions, and for this reason we’d give the edge to the MAC.
New Big East/America 12 – Whatever it’s name, this is the closest thing to a big conference that seems remotely possible. But it’s still highly unlikely if schools like Cincy or UConn have anything to say about it as they wouldn’t want to add another perceived lightweight from FCS. Although we’d support this no questions asked, it does have the same instability mentioned in the CUSA section.
Other – Staying in the CAA or merging it with the SoCon remains is always an unpalatable option. W&M may decide to downgear on athletics and push for the academic stronghold of the Patriot League, but that seems unlikely for the Dukes. We used to think the possibility of a new East Coast Conference existed, but the ship has just sailed too quickly without movement for this to be realistic at this point.
In any case, today’s communication was a welcome breath of fresh air and a sign that JMU’s decision-makers are engaging and hopefully getting ready to lead a positive transition to the next phase of intercollegiate athletics at what we all believe is a sleeping giant!
Throughout the day today, as I slowly recovered from an amazing 967 mile road trip to Dayton in 34 hours and put my life back in order for the week, I was really looking forward to sitting down and writing tonight. After all, it’s been a great couple of weeks to be a JMU fan.
First, I was going to mention that Coach Brooks’ women’s team won their second round WNIT game at home and is really making a run again for the second consecutive year. They’ll host Fordham Wednesday night with the pep band and the whole #cramtheconvo experience back up and running after a beautiful hiatus this week for the Ohio trip. But you’ll have to check out the excellent JMU WBB blog for expanded coverage because a) they’re doing such a great job with that site and b) unfortunately we’ve got to move on to other news this evening.
Second, I was as excited as I’ve ever been to write about a road trip that ended with a Dukes loss. Never been more proud to be a part of the JMU community than I was on Friday, and maybe even moreso down the stretch of a lost game as a part of a still roaring, still proud, fanbase than we even were before the game. But the Dayton Diary, and the goosebumps-inducing pregame Start Wearing Purple, the praise for JMU Nation’s turnout and passion that we received from other fans in the arena long after the Dukes’ game was over, the amazing gifs created even in a loss, and the great shout-out from Coach Brady late night during Iowa St./Notre Dame will have to wait another day.
This is becoming impossible.
But then the Washington Post’s Stephen Goff reported tonight that George Mason is joining the Atlantic 10 conference in all sports effective this July. Even when I issued our List of Demands last week as a warning to Dukes fans that despite the unbridled joy provided by men’s hoops’ wonderful run we all needed to be wary of rough times on the horizon, I never dreamed the panic button would need to be mashed with both hands so quickly. As the great columnist for the Wilmington Star News and all-around expert on all CAA matters Brian Mull mentioned tonight, at this point while UNCW, JMU, and W&M are the only remaining founding members of the CAA, they really have nothing else in common beyond that fact.
Just think of it this way: UR, VCU, ODU, and GMU are all gone and in their place we have non-football Charleston and football-only Albany and Stony Brook. Despite the fact JMU is a better all-around institution than any of those former mates, there is simply no way that any rationale JMU fan can look at that and not feel like the leftover kid not even getting picked for kickball at recess. UR, VCU, and GMU have all taken significant steps forward through basketball while JMU has suffered through Keener and Dillard and continues to languish in an outdated facility. Hard not to wonder if all of this year’s march magic might have been too little, too late with JMU stuck in a crumbling conference facing years of play-in games and disjointed, half-hearted “rivalries” with schools that couldn’t be further from the “peer institutions” we’ve heard so much about from our own administration. And ODU was willing to take the risk on FBS football when the opportunity presented itself while JMU simply continues to monitor the situation. Probably best to just go back and reread last week’s list instead of rehashing it here because we’re not complete idiots about just how great of a risk that is, but it’s crystal clear that there is NO SALVAGING the CAA as a viable option for JMU athletics in the long-term. The CAA is simply the low-major version of the Big East circa 2011, and schools like JMU are apparently the only ones who haven’t realized it yet. A long line of play-in games in hoops and years of half-full 68 million dollar stadiums for St. Francis games awaits! Once again, all we ask for is Jeff Bourne to be given the chance to make his own decisions for JMU athletics and at least announce to JMU Nation what the plan is moving forward, assuming they have one, and such an announcement better be made by May 15th.
JMU is no longer dancing. The Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Dukes 83-62 today in the NCAA tournament. Indiana came out of the gates red hot and built up a big lead. JMU got it down to 14 late in the first half, but then the Hoosiers rattled off 9 straight and it was never really close after that. The Dukes stood tall and played them pretty even in the second half. Freshmen Andre Nation and Charles Cooke were real bright spots, with each of them scoring career highs. Nation poured in 24 points and Cooke added 18.
This is probably one of those things lots of people don’t want to hear, but I was just happy to be there. Sorry, but it’s true. It’s been 19 very long years since JMU got to the Big Dance. I’m not happy they lost. I really thought they could win. Losing sucks. But there’s no shame in it. Indiana is a hell of a team. They were just better than JMU today. They’d be better than JMU most days. So what? It doesn’t make me like the Dukes any less. It doesn’t detract from all the fun I had watching this team play this season. And I had a lot of fun watching this team all year.
Devon Moore, A.J. Davis, Rayshawn Goins, Alione Diouf, and Gene Swindle are all graduating. Andrey Semenov might be. It’s going to be tough to see those guys go. Swindle battled back from what many thought was a career ending injury to play 2 more years. Goins was a scrapper and a banger. Diouf had sneaky explosiveness who fit just about any role the coaches asked him to play. We sometimes wondered if “it” would ever click with A.J., but it finally did and it was amazing. And Devon was pretty much everything we could ask for in a guy representing our school. But it’s time to turn the page.
So now we move on. And we move on with some spectacular pieces in place. Andre Nation, Charles Cooke, Ron Curry, and Taylor Bessick form a pretty solid core. Nation and Cooke did not look phased in the slightest tonight. They went toe to toe with the Hoosiers and didn’t give up an inch. Getting back to the dance was a big step forward, but it’s not the goal. The goal is to get there consistently and to win games. And for the first time in decades, the goal seems achievable. Provided there’s a man to lead them of course. Coach Brady sure seems to be that man. Open up the checkbook and pay the man Bourne. He’s earned it.
As great as last night was, tomorrow is the day we’ve all been dreaming of for so long. The Dukes are IN the bracket, taking on a big boy and looking to follow in the long line of CAA cinderellas. And with all the tourney madness has come an absolute explosion of amazing media coverage of the Dukes!
Many of you have probably seen the piece produced by SB Nation for their tourney series Chasing Cinderella, but if not, by all means drop what you’re doing for the next few minutes and watch that video. It is not a stretch at all to say that the piece is the most stunningly beautiful thing ever produced about JMU athletics. We had zero idea where this came from, but it’s just ridiculously good and best of all, as our friend Scott said, it made the team and JMU look really good…and provided more hope for tomorrow!
Agent Steinzz from the Washington Post is also back on the case with a great Bog piece on JMU sophomore superfan (and frequent JMUSB twitter commenter) Brian Reese. Love the shot of Brian with Alger and Rose.
And lest we forget, Kenny Brooks’ women’s team came from behind to pull away from NC A&T 77-62 at the Convo tonight in the first round of the WNIT! The ladies will HOST NC St. at 2 p.m. on Sunday (though hopefully they’ll have to win a second straight game w/out the help of the Pep Band who will still be playing in Ohio).
Fan Guide
Tip is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. on TBS (though when this one is tight down the stretch you can bet it will be on all the tourney channels!) Go to JMU Sports to find out where all the watch parties are in your area. For Wednesday’s game they were in cities nationwide and it’s a good bet you can find another near you tomorrow.
Or hop in the car and head to Dayton! I’m headed to Dayton tomorrow with frequent JMUSB contributor CoachPriz and plan to have some updates from the road over @JMUsportsblog Rob will be manning the fort and handling blog duties for the celebration, but I’ll try to keep some good stuff coming. (Full disclosure, this is another thing where I realize how old I am – I cannot livetweet during events, just doesn’t sit well with my childish desire to just be a fan)
Beer of the Week
Great Lakes Brewing’s The Wright Pils. Hey, it’s Dayton, Ohio after all and hopefully it will be a long weekend that requires a decent session beer!
The Game
Oh yeah, the game itself. Here’s what we know. Indiana is good, maybe great. They’ve been in the top five all year and were the preseason #1 team in the nation. They have two NBA lottery picks in big man Cody Zeller and freak athlete Victor Oladipo. They have a deadly little shooting guard in Jordan Hulls that JMU will have to try to remember not to leave open the way they’ve often slept on shooters this season. Indiana’s front line of Zeller, Oladipo, and Christian Watford is bigger, better and more athletic than any the Dukes have seen all year. But Indiana is not invincible and the matchup is not all terrorizing. Though we have no idea how we’re going to stop those three if they catch the ball down low, Indiana’s two guards are both smallish. In fact, the Moore/Nation/Curry/Cooke crew will have a significant size, and possibly even athletic, advantage in the back court similar to last night. Indiana is also has a very thin bench and any foul trouble for their starters is really tough on them. As deep and athletic as JMU is, if the Dukes can hang in there into the second half, they really could give IU major problems. Lastly, there’s even another reason that hipster college hoops junkies will whisper about to question IU – let’s just say there are those, even some Hoosiers, who are less than thrilled with Tom Crean’s in-game coaching.
Of course, on the JMU side, the team needs to keep up this unbelievably hot shooting and keep playing their own game. While the Dukes need to remain aggressive, they’ll need to trim down a few of the unauthorized shots that were launched last night. Shot selection had really improved in the CAA tourney, and despite the result last night, was back to being a tad more questionable on occasion. That said, all of our guards need to look to take it right at the smaller Yogi Ferrell and Hulls. And maybe most of all, just take it one media timeout at a time and don’t get too excited if things are going well or too down if things are tough for a stretch.
JMUSB Official Prediction
We’ve convinced ourselves, and tomorrow the Dukes can convince the nation. And judging by texts from fellow Dukes when Southern was putting a scare into Gonzaga today, we were all thinking the same thing and actually rooting for the Zags. We want JMU to be the team to make history as the first-ever 16 to take down a 1! Three final things to keep in mind: Statistics say this already should’ve happened, Jim Nantz said today it’s his and Clark Kellogg’s opinion that JMU is the best #16 they’ve ever seen, and Louisville coach and long-time hoops sage Rick Pitino’s been saying for weeks that this is the year of the 16/1. Now it’s just time to pull off the ultimate Hoosiers moment against the real Hoosiers. Run the picket fence at ’em boys! JMU 74, Indiana 73
Also, that shot of the amazing Student Duke Club shirt on the right reminds us that ODuh has completely ripped this design off for their new helmets.
That was fun wasn’t it? Our beloved Dukes just defeated the LIU Brooklyn by the score of 68-55. And I know this is true because you can read about it everywhere, considering it was the first round of the NCAA tournament and all. Play in game, First Four, or whatever you want to call it, it was pretty damn awesome. It was JMU’s first victory in the Big Dance since a 1983 upset of West Virginia. The Dukes now advance to play the Indiana Hoosiers. Perhaps you’ve heard of them. read more…
Read that title again! Never thought we’d get to write it. Thankfully the day we were starting to doubt would ever come again is here. The Dukes enter their first NCAA tournament in 19 years in Dayton, Ohio tonight against LIU-Brooklyn in the First Four. Tipoff is at 6:40 on truTV but first we’ve got all kinds of goodies to get you ready.
Nation Vision Episode 1
First, we have this amazing little video produced and narrated by freshman star-in-the-making Andre Nation to start off with, complete with a rather amazing Brady Rap and a little harsh, but admittedly funny, treatment of senior effort-man Alioune Diouf.
The Fan’s Guide
Game’s on truTV. You may not realize you have that channel, but you do. It’s a CBS property available on all cable and satellite providers. But if you can’t make it to Dayton, you can definitely make it to one of the many Duke Club watch parties across the country. Check out JMU Sports or the Alumni site for details, but let’s just say there’s even a party scheduled in places like Wilmington, NC, and Houston, TX so there’s probably one in your area. There are multiple parties in the DC/Northern Virginia area and while we would never discourage you from attending one of the official Duke Club events, many of which are at places that consistently support JMU activities, we’re also hosting our own JMUSB event at Ragtime in Courthouse. We’ll be setting up at 6 and all are welcome!
Nuggets
Seniors Devon Moore, AJ Davis (both Columbus), and Rayshawn Goins (Cleveland) are all from Ohio and have each played in the Dayton Arena before in high school and/or AAU.
The CAA has had two Final Four teams in the last seven years and each had something eerily similar to the Dukes’ setup. VCU came out of the First Four in Dayton, while Mason, after huge upsets in the early rounds, got to play virtual home games at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. in the East Regional. This year’s East Regional: you guessed it, at the phone booth.
Hello Friends… None other than the Final Four team themselves, Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg, will be on the call for the Dukes’ game tomorrow. Kellogg’s own notable college career at Ohio St. ended with an upset loss to JMU in the 1983 NCAA tourney.
You’ll probably have read this by the time this posts, but if you’re tired of the only pre-tourney stories from the national media being blown-out-of-proportion negative press, then you’ve got to read this piece on Devon Moore from the Washington Post. If that doesn’t make you love the kid, you are Gordon Gecko.
The Game
Oh yeah, the game. LIU Brooklyn is a running team with fairly local ties. Their two best players, Jamal Olaswere and CJ Garner (both averaging more than 20 a game lately) are both from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, though Garner came to LIU by way of South Alabama. Olaswere is the key for the Dukes. A serious offensive threat as a 6’7″ wing player, he’ll be a tough cover for the Dukes. We’d guess Diouf will get the first shot at him, but Nation, Cooke, and even Moore may all switch off if it’s not working. JMU has proven really stout at shutting down smaller guards with our size and quickness in the backcourt, but we haven’t seen a really threatening wing player in a long while. That said, overall the Dukes matchup very well size-wise and we doubt we’ll see some of the inside struggles we’ve seen against guys like Towson’s Benimon and Delaware’s Hagins lately. LIU’s tallest player is 6’8″ so for a change the Dukes may be the bigger, deeper team. Plus the size of our Moore/Nation/Davis backcourt could prove to be a nightmare for LIU’s much smaller guards.
Coach Brady has said tempo is the biggest key to this game and we certainly don’t disagree. LIU aims to play in the 80’s and 90’s and often is a defense-optional squad. The Dukes (yes, this IS true) won the CAA on the strength of their conference-best defense. While we’re not Wisconsin or UVA in terms of slow-down style and have proven capable of scoring a lot at times this season, no doubt game in the 60’s or 70’s would bode very well for the Dukes.
And of course Rayshawn Goins will be available in the second half, which if nothing else should allow him to play as hard as possible without worrying about foul trouble.
Beer of the Week
We broke out this football tradition for the CAA tourney and it seemed to work, so we’re running it back again. Because we’re playing in the East Region, to be played in DC, we’re going with DC Brau’s The Corruption IPA. We’re huge fans of canned craft beer and this is a solid, local example of a big IPA (very hoppy and comes in at 6.5%). We’ll buy everyone who can get in the door a round of these at some bar near Verizon should the Dukes end up there!
Prediction
The Dukes are better. Despite the distractions of this week (all of them), the quality opponent (don’t sleep on LIU who has been in the tourney three straight years), and a propensity for slow starts, the confidence on this team is at an all-time high and Moore and Davis are just playing exactly like seniors should.
JMU 75, LIU 71
As for the tourney, we’ll be back with game-by-games, but Louisville’s Rick Pitino’s been saying for a while that THIS is the year of the 16/1 upset. We don’t disagree. You have to remember, no one ever sees the big ones coming, that’s the magic of them.
After I ran my mouth off about one of our two winners not replying to our emails yesterday, I checked the JMUSB account and yeah, I’m an idiot. JH also picked every game in our CAA brackets challenge correctly and won the right to guest post. He’s a freshman on campus and he shared his perspective on JMU sports. Take it away JH.
Why does this post matter?
I dunno. I picked all the games right in the CAA tournament bracket contest and won the right to share a few of my thoughts on the famed JMU Sports Blog. (Moral of the story: Never doubt the Dukes)
Well, I’m a freshman at JMU who has been to 15 basketball games this season including 5 away games, and all the home football games. What does this mean for the undergraduate population here at JMU? They need to show up and stay for some games! read more…
Our buddy Bio picked every game of the CAA tournament correctly. So did one other contestant. But one of the tie-breakers, “which guy actually responds to our email about winning the contest?” went Bio’s way. Here’s his take on why the Dukes can pull off an upset. Follow him here and enjoy the tourney.
JMU is a 16 seed. Excluding the play-in game, a 16-seed has never won a game in the NCAA Tournament. In 1996, Western Carolina came close missed a three-pointer to win in the final seconds, losing 73-71 to Purdue. If JMU can survive against LIU-Brooklyn, they will face Indiana. Indiana has 2 likely lottery picks and offensive and defensive efficiency ratings in the top 20. IU is not a bad pick to take the title. It will be tough sledding.
In the NCAA tournament, there is a common formula for success. Take care of the ball, play good defense and rebound. JMU takes care of the ball. They averaged only 11 turnovers per game, which is good enough for #22 in the NCAA. Their turnover margin ranked #32. Guard play is a strength of this team. The Dukes started 3 different players at point guard this season. They can handle the ball and break a press.
The Dukes are excellent defenders. Don’t believe me? Ask Brian Mull of the Star News (Wilmington, NC) He knows more about CAA basketball than anyone. JMU has quick, players with long wingspans. They get theirs hands in the passing lanes and disrupt offenses. They average 8 steals a game.
JMU is undersized. Apologies to Rayshawn Goins, they are not particularly good rebounders. If you have every played basketball at a competitive level, you know that rebounding often comes down to hustle, effort and “who wants it more”. JMU can control how well they rebound. If they focus on it, they can improve greatly in a short time.
The wild card in the tourney is senior leadership. Battle tested, senior led squads often outperform ultra-talented groups of youngster. The tournament rewards experience. It rewards character. The seniors, Devon Moore, AJ Davis and Rayshawn Goins stepped up throughout the CAA tournament. Whenever the game was on the line, they made plays.
Why can JMU advance in the tournament? Because Valpo. Because Bucknell. Because Lehigh. Because Norfolk State. Because Santa Clara….Because its March.
Photo courtesy of jmusports.com
JMU officially announced that Mike O’Cain has been hired as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach today. You could be forgiven for not noticing since the announcement was sort of thrown out there after the school issued an official statement on Rayshawn Goins’ suspension. For Hal Mumme, they planned a press conference. For Mike O’Cain they bury it after addressing the fact that a starter on the basketball team has been suspended just days before the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly two decades. Seems about right.
O’Cain is coming off a job as the QB Coach and play-caller for the not exactly dazzling Virginia Tech Hokie offense. Oh boy. He does bring 35 years of D1 coaching experience though. He definitely had his detractors among Hokie fans, but others seem to think he’s a good, but not great coach, and a very good guy. So there’s that.
