{"id":4728,"date":"2012-12-02T12:14:52","date_gmt":"2012-12-02T17:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=4728"},"modified":"2012-12-02T12:15:38","modified_gmt":"2012-12-02T17:15:38","slug":"suspension-of-a-j-davis-overshadows-jmu-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=4728","title":{"rendered":"Suspension of A.J. Davis Overshadows JMU Win"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The JMU Dukes picked up their second win of the season with a 71-61 defeat of Winthrop. After a back and forth first half that saw Winthrop lead for a stretch, JMU took over in the second half and cruised to a double-digit win. After Wednesday’s performance agains George Washington, we were touting Andre Nation and the younger Dukes. Yesterday however, it was the seniors who stepped up and led the way. Andrey Semenov returned from a back injury that had kept him out since the opener and was his typical scrappy, long-distance shooting, loose ball getting, high-energy self. Andrey finished with 17 points and Rayshawn Goins had a team high 19 on 6 or 9 shooting. The big story of the day came before tipoff however, when JMU announced that senior A.J. Davis had been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team standards.<\/p>\n

First up, it was nice to get a win. Semenov has always brought a ton of energy to the game and he made a difference yesterday. Combine his scrappy and effective play, with the enthusiasm the freshmen bring and this Dukes team can actually dictate tempo for stretches. It’s still a pretty raw team and there are plenty of holes to fill though. As yesterday showed, they’re prone to stretches where things get away from them and their opponents go on runs. They also can go on bursts where they briefly take over. It’s not always pretty, but it gives them a shot every game. Andre Nation and the rest of the young guys have plenty of upside, but they’re freshman. They need an experienced player to match their enthusiasm, but steady the ship at times. When healthy, Semenov can be that player.<\/p>\n

The big news of the day was clearly Davis’ suspension. No real details were provided, so all we know is that he is suspended indefinitely for violating team standards, not team rules. My assumption is that this is somehow related to his attitude or refusal to buy into the coaching staff’s strategy. That’s pure conjecture on my part though. Maybe their not releasing details to protect his privacy or maybe they just don’t want to get into it. In any case, it’s unfortunately not very surprising. Davis has tremendous talent, but he’s never really been able to maximize it in a Dukes uniform. He was JMU’s leading returner scorer and a preseason pick for the All CAA second team. Maybe this suspension will turn things around, but I’ve got to think there is a very real chance we’ve seen the last of him on the court. I hope I’m wrong though.<\/p>\n