Baseball Drops Three Touchdowns

By Stephen Proffitt | The Breeze


JMU seemed to taking batting practice during the middle of a game Wednesday afternoon as the Dukes obliterated the Liberty Flames, 21-4.

“We’re not as good as that score and they’re not as bad as that score,” said head coach Spanky McFarland. “It’s just one of those things. It kind of got ugly.”

The bats started early and no one could save Liberty pitchers. It was an ideal baseball game for JMU as both bats and arms were on point.

Freshman Michael Church got the nod to start on Wednesday for JMU. It was his fourth start and eighth appearance on the year. Church went three and two-thirds innings, giving up no runs on three hits.

Due to NCAA rules, if a team declares that a game will be a staff day (using a lot of players throughout a game), a starting pitcher may earn the victory without throwing the traditional standard of five innings. Under these rules, Church was credited with the win, his third. A quartet of bullpen relief prevented much of any Liberty damage.

“I hadn’t pitched in a week and I brought my ‘A’ game, basically,” Church said. “My curveball was looking good, and it worked out for me.”

Sophomore Chad Carroll, who has found his new home in left field, has been on his own self-promoted hit parade this season. Against Liberty, Carroll started off with a homer and then followed that up with a base on balls, single and a triple. He finished a double shy of the coveted cycle.

“[I was] just seeing it pretty well. I felt good,” Carroll said. “Just consistent work in the cage and at practice has really paid off.”

Carroll finished the day three for five, with five RBIs and five runs scored. Both are also career highs.

The former JMU shortstop is batting a team high .431 after Wednesday and leads the nation with six triples.

“I feel comfortable out there,” he said. “Whatever helps the team do well, I’m all for it.”

A plethora of JMU batting categories rank nationally in the weekly NCAA statistics release. As of Monday, batting average (.323), scoring (8.4/game), runs (205), triples (17), slugging percentage (.470) and on-base percentage (.412) all rank in the top 11 in the nation.

Fourteen batters stepped to the plate for JMU Wednesday, and 12 reached base in some manor. The Dukes’ offensive explosion was out of control. JMU compiled its 21 runs on 19 hits. Both numbers were season-highs for the Dukes.

“Rather than ease up, we just get other kids to play so they can still play hard,” McFarland said of the large lead.

Liberty sent a total of 11 pitchers to the mound on Wednesday. Prior to Liberty, JMU hadn’t faced more than six pitchers.

“With young pitchers, you never know what you’re going to get,” McFarland said. “All mid-week games are adjustment days.”

Three hitting streaks were extended Wednesday. Carroll and seniors Johnny Bladel and Cole McInturff added to their double-digit totals — 11, 13 and 15 games, respectively.

The Dukes (13-9, 6-2 CAA) are on a roll as of late. JMU will ship up to Boston this weekend for a three-game conference series with Northeastern. The Huskies (12-11, 2-7 CAA) have yet to win a conference series this season.

“It was a good game. It was a fun game,” McFarland said. “A lot of guys got in and got hits, but don’t read too much into it. It’s just a game that got out of hand, but I’d rather it get out of hand for us.”

Contact Stephen Proffitt at proffijs@dukes.jmu.edu.

Knee Slapper

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Be on the lookout for a column on anger management in basketball tonight

Do the 'Conference Shake'---What GMU move means for JMU Hoops

Tony Skinn's sister?

   Ain't that a bitch. Sorry for the language, mom. George Mason is doing what the devil never did, but what everyone else seems to be doing, leaving. In particular, leaving the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association). The Patriots will join the Atlantic-10 on July 1, 2013, effective for all sports. They are not eligible to participate in post season play this spring.

  So we are left with nine, not the most logistical number. James Madison, Northeastern, Hofstra, Delaware, William & Mary, Towson, Drexel, UNCW, ands soon to be newcomer, College of Charleston (SOCON). In case you need a refresher, Old Dominion (C-USA) and Georgia State (Sun Belt) are also withdrawing from the conference following the completion of this academic year. Before yesterday, it looked as if basketball would be setup quite nicely next season with an even 10 team shootout with all roads leaving to **Baltimore. Now, we're left scratching our heads once again. 'Ain't nobody got time for dat.'

This was most likely taken during a GMU game...just sayin'

 
   The move does affect JMU, especially hoops. Arguably JMU's largest rivalry in many sports, minus baseball (Spanky says UNCW) is on their way out. Matt Brady (who will most likely receive an extension) may be thanking the basketbal gods once as he never could find the right formula to beat Mason. He's 1-10 against GMU in his tenure at JMU. There is another side to this, however.

   Despite the trouble, a Mason-Madison game was always a hype. It brought even the most apathetic people out to the Convo. I would argue it's really the only time when there is a campus buzz about the game, multiple days in advance. Well, there was that game when I'm Schmacked came and suddenly everyone cared about a JMU-Hofstra game? Please don't get me started on those guys. Let's get back on track.

   The usually televised game would always feature in my opinion the CAA's best rivalry between the two, Mason/Madison. Old school VCU/ODU could land on the top too. Barring non-conference match ups (which I hope happen), this legendary CAA rivalry will truly be missed. While Brady has been less than stellar against the Fairfax foes, he can say that he did beat them at least once. It's something Dean Keener can't do. Keener never beat GMU in his four seasons at JMU. It should be noted if you're unfamiliar with those times that Keener only brought 31 total wins to the program during his four seasons. This is compared to the 85 losses he wrote in their history books. Keener was playing the golf style of basketball, fore! So to do the math for you, Mason has beaten JMU in the last 19 of 20 meetings. And despite all of this, JMU still leads the all time series, 46-44.
 
   In what use to be a mecca for the CAA, Virginia has steadily fallen off the map in terms of membership. First it was the University of Richmond who said goodbye in 2001 after a 22 year relationship with the conference that stemmed all the way back to their founding year in 1979. Then last year VCU took their talents to the A-10 after a 17 year stint in the CAA. Without football and basketball team growing faster than Bonds' head on steroids coming from within the Siegel Center, it made all logical sense for the Rams to move on up to the big leagues. Then it was ODU who said deuces. The Monarch's move was definitely made with football in mind. The Patriots and Rams moves are nearly identical.


   Here is the statement from JMU on the move:

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

"I swear the CAA will have at least four teams next year"

   
   My immediate reaction to this is they are trying to leave in some manor.

   The Dukes have a few choices to make in terms of this shuffle. I have been saying this for a while, but any movement by the school will be made with football on the front burner. In my opinion, it's sad to say it, but I think it's true. Appalachian State and Georgia Southern joining the Sun Belt do not help this cause either as they are FCS football powerhouses.

   So there have been a few options that I have heard being tossed around. The first is (was) talk of a possible completely new conference in the works that would feature many independent football schools and maybe some other programs that would leave their respected conferences too (Marshall was a name thrown around). Another far fetched one would be a membership in C-USA, like ODU. I think this would be JMU's best move with all sports in mind. However I think if there was any chance, it may be out the door now. Next, there has been mention of the MAC (Mid-Atlantic Conference). I want you to name me five MAC schools without cheating. Most of you can't. Akron is a MAC team and they got worked by VCU in the first round of the NCAA tournament last week. The margin of victory, 46. This isn't me trying to say the MAC sucks, it's me putting a team into perspective for readers.

   While stability nowadays is crucial, so is exposure, and I don't think the MAC offers much especially hoops wise. JMU has sat back and seen teams in the CAA get bypassed (cough cough Drexel 2012) in March because of their mid-major conference. The CAA is a better basketball league than the MAC. Making a move to the MAC would put a blossoming hoops program back under the dust of mid-major life. If you move to the a different conference, you immediately become that team that won the CAA, but is buried somewhere in a new, unfamiliar, and not well respected league. Why do it?

   Finally, there is the move I would suggest. Nothing. Yes, don't do anything. I will not deny that the CAA is down and just got kicked in the groin by GMU while attempting to recover from VCU/ODU/GSU, but there is hope. I'm not getting paid by Tom Yeager to advocate this, but I see a light at the end of this gloomy tunnel. I'm saying that JMU should just stick this one out and have confidence in the CAA to find them new partners. College of Charleston is a good addition. The Cougars finished 24-11 this season, 14-4 in SOCON. They got a College Basketball Invitational (CBI) invite and lost on a last second tip to....yep, George Mason. The SOCON is a conference that produced the likes of stealth sniper, Stephen Curry, who is currently a member of the Golden State Warriors. Curry attended Davidson, who turned down an invitation to join the CAA last year.

   The immediate reaction is to kick the CAA to the curb, but what if JMU had done that last year when VCU/ODU/GSU announced their withdrawals? What if the Dukes had followed suit? There definitely would have been to Student Duke Club buses going to Dayton last week. This is my way of saying JMU would not have been dancing. They were able to use this opening to their advantage. JMU took a seven-team tournament and played it in their favor, like they should have. They finally caught a break after years of adversity. Next year it looks as if the tournament format will be similar, just with two more squads barring anymore APR issues. Get hot at the right moment, 350 or so days from now and JMU may be dancing for the second straight year.

   The whole point of this column is with basketball in mind. You could probably make a different argument for all 18 Division I JMU teams on what to do. I'm confident Yeager will find replacements and make the conference respectable again. When your team is going to be led by underclassmen, why shake things up, especially after success? Andre Nation, Ron Curry, Charles Cooke, Taylor Bessick have all seen these CAA squads once already. No one in the CAA or NCAA in whole loses as many seniors as JMU did. So these young players will see many familiar faces again next season. The Dukes may not be the preseason favorites in the conference, but I could see the team making a big impact next season. It may seem broken now, but don't attempt to fix it yourself, JMU.

   I'd like some input on this one. Yell at me on twitter @jstheproffitt - comment on the post- OR if you want to blatantly curse me out and not have it public, do it on email, proffittjs@gmail.com



 

NCAA journey comes to an end, Dukes reflect

By Stephen Proffitt | The Breeze

JMU’s NCAA tournament run has come to an end, but JMU basketball is looking forward. Friday evening, the Dukes came up short at fending off all of the odds that were stacked against them.

History, Tiger Woods and even President Obama all picked against JMU on Friday evening in a game where Indiana eventually prevailed 83-62.

The Hoosiers used an early blitz from freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell, who had 14 points in the opening minutes, to coast to an easy 43-22 lead by halftime. Indiana led by as much as 33 points before JMU pulled it back closer to a 20-point differential in the waning stages of the game.

Freshmen guards Andre Nation and Charles Cooke, who were primarily responsible for the late-game sharpshooting, both set career-highs with 24 and 18 points, respectively.

Despite the loss, the Dukes were grateful for the opportunity and know this won’t be such a rare occurrence in the future.

“They saw up close and personal, firsthand, what it means to be part of a great team,” said head coach Matt Brady.

For redshirt senior Devon Moore, the experience was all about the significance of the moment.

“I played in an NCAA tournament game,” he said. “A lot of people that play basketball want to be here and they’re not.”

Like other dances, the Dukes wanted to have fun and stay loose.

The Dukes were able to do just that with a five-day Dayton residency last week.

The shenanigans started all the way back in Harrisonburg as Cooke laid down his version of the now-famous “Brady Rap” inside the airport before departing for Dayton.

“We always laugh and joke at what he says so we just wanted to make a song out of it, knowing it’d be a great remix,” Cooke said.

Nation named Cooke as the “team’s biggest goofball” during Thursday’s media session. During the same press conference, Nation wasn’t shy about telling the world that the pepperoni and cheese Hot Pockets were his go-to.

The fun continued throughout the week as Nation channeled his inner Spike Lee, directing and filming “Nation Vision.” These were a series of shorts, shot on the NCAA tournament trip from his perspective using a team-issued iPad.

This archived video footage will serve as great incentive in future seasons as a goal to strive for future NCAA tournament berths. This JMU program will remember Dayton.

“We’ve seen how hard we have to work,” Nation said.

The farewell tour for seniors Moore, A.J. Davis, Rayshawn Goins, Alioune Diouf and Gene Swindle (in addition to fifth-year senior Andrey Semenov, who may receive a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA for medical hardship) played one last encore set inside the University of Dayton Arena against Indiana. The torch has now officially been passed down to a soon-to-be sophomore class whose potential has a particularly high ceiling.

It’s rare at the college level to find a team laden with seniors and freshmen with not much depth in between.

“They’ve set the bar high,” Brady said of the seniors. “This is the bar for our program, and we’ve got to be able to get better every day.”

For freshmen Ron Curry, Taylor Bessick, Cooke and Nation, their time has come to take over this team and make sure future Marches are equally fraught with madness.

“As far as [leadership] goes, next year we just want to come in, and we just want to play our game,” Cooke said. “Of course we want to take a leadership role on the team, but we just want to stay aggressive, want to be smart and make leadership decisions.”

Cooke and Nation scored 32 of JMU’s 40 second-half points against Indiana. The sky is the limit for these two, but they credit a lot of their success to the seniors, who fathered them into the program.

“They took us underneath their wing from day one,” Nation said. “So I love them boys. Those are my brothers, man.”

Whether it was off the court or inside the gym, they made sure this freshman class felt right at home.

“From day one they just taught us so much,” Cooke said. “They just told us a lot of details about the game of basketball that we didn’t know coming into college basketball.”

The mortar has been delivered to the Convocation Center, and it’s seemingly a great time to start constructing a resilient NCAA tournament contender.

“What we did as the six seniors was lay the groundwork for those underclassmen,” Davis said. “I feel good about passing down the torch to them.”

Last time the Miami Heat lost

   Whether you love them or you hate them, the Miami Heat are legit. They are currently on a 27 game winning streak and are six wins shy of tying the NBA record at 33.

Next six games:

@ Chicago Bulls 3/27
@ New Orleans (Pelicans?) 3/29
@ San Antonio Spurs 3/31
Vs Knicks 4/2
 @ Charlotte 4/5
 Vs Philadelphia 4/6

   Over the course of 52 days dating back to February 1, the Heat have torn through 20 of the 30 NBA teams. They've beaten Toronto, Charlotte, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Orlando twice and Philadelphia has been engulfed three times. By my count New Orleans and San Antonio would be two new victims to the list and Washington (4/10) could be the 23rd different team they've taken down during the streak.

   By my novice, but semi-seasoned NBA knowledge, San Antonio could cause possible trouble for the sizzling South Beach'ers. Miami won the only meeting between the two in South Beach back in November, 105-100.

   So how does this relate to JMU? Well back on February 1, when the Heat lost at Indiana, JMU was quite a different squad.

   The Dukes were 13-10 and on the verge of coming up short, yet again to George Mason in Harrisonburg the following day. Barely floating above .500 the Dukes would've been considered a semi-joke to win the CAA tournament and punch their ticket to the dance. They were second in the CAA standings at 7-3, but hadn't flipped the schedule page to see their upcoming opponents and road tests. Coach Brady was still trying the sell his team on this winning philosophy. They still hadn't "bought in," as Brady put it.

   JMU would proceed to have disappointing outings in Philadelphia against Drexel (only scored 48 points, in a horrible shooting performance) and on senior day against Georgia State. Andre Nation made Sportscenter with his buzzer beater dunk at Delaware. They came up less than a second short at Northeastern and were able to escape their largest deficit at William & Mary when it counted most. Just a week later, they came back and beat the exact same Tribe squad. The next day, an out of bounds call given by the basketball gods gave Devon Moore the most fitting way to send the team to the championship game. Finally, the Dukes made Bill Coen forget any regular season success as they made the Huskies look plain silly inside the dated Richmond Coliseum. A four game winning streak to end the season blasted JMU through RVA and onto Dayton.

   A.J. Davis decided he "would do anything to help his team win," coach Matt Brady said. Since Feb. 1, Davis scored in double figures 10 times (out of a possible 12). Even better, seven of the ten were 20 plus, including a career high of 36 against William & Mary. Davis solely pulled JMU out of a 16 point deficit in Williamsburg and contributed to them winning the game, which gave them the third seed in Richmond. With the third seed, the Dukes were able to craftily work their way through the tournament and come out on top. I'm not here to play the string game, but Davis' 36 had a far greater meaning than just a career high for the Columbus native.

   In the final 10 games of the season, including CAA tourney, excluding NCAA's, Davis netted 205 points (20.5/game). Davis had scored a total of 195 points in the first 23 games of the season leading up to the beginning of his eruption. That's good enough for just over a mere eight points per contest.

     I know Rayshawn Goins has been following this streak closely as he is a big LeBron James advocate. You may spot him rocking a Buffalo Sabers beanie on the reg, but don't let that fool you. Goins is huge James fan, and has followed from his days in his hometown of Cleveland all the way down to South Beach. You could say Ray 'took his viewing talents' down to Miami.

   Another connection between the two; both teams have 'Big Three's.' As I've written before, James, Bosh, Wade are to the Heat as Moore, Davis, Goins are to the Dukes. Don't believe me, just watch the stat book. (Failed attempt at Trinidad James reference).

   Both trio's lead their teams in scoring, and their presence's are heavily felt. I would argue that Moore/Davis/Goins earn a little more Sportscenter air time. The amount of media coverage the Heat get is equivalent to the amount of white trash in your local Wal-Mart.

   While justifiable at times (the Heat, not people of Wal-Mart), the winning streak is becoming a tad trite. However, nothing of this nature has happend for 40 years. It was the 1971-72 season when the Lakers pulled off this feat. Talk about short-shorts!

   All of this ties back to February 1, when the Miami Heat lost their last game, and when a mention of JMU in the second round of the NCAA tournament would've forced Jerry Seinfeld take note of this comedic value.

   Basketball is an up and down sport. Streaks happen and players get hot. JMU got hot at the right moment and wrote a long overdue chapter for the program. The Heat got hot and have become the best team in the NBA. The Dukes came up short of breaking the historical standard of a 16/1 matchup. Can the Miami Heat break the historical 33 game winning streak the Lakers set back in the 70s? Wilt Chamberlin and Jerry West hope not. You know who else was on that historical Lakers squad? Pat Riley, who is the current team president of the Miami Heat. The Kentucky Wildcat also coached in South Beach from 1995-2003 and again from 05-08. That Lakers squad went onto win the NBA Finals 4-1 over the Knicks.

   I know Goins will be pulling for James to do the unthinkable and we can also bet that Andre Nation will probably be enjoying kicking it on the couch enjoying a pepperoni and cheese Hot Pocket. They come in packs of two, hopefully he cares to share with Goins!

Brahhhhhhhh!

   Ironically, both JMU's and Miami's last loss, you ask? Against Indiana. Far out, brah!

Stats to know about Heat Streak

Game story

By Stephen Proffitt | The Breeze

“Nothing casual! Nothing casual!” echoed from the Indiana locker room as the last words the Hoosiers would hear before they took the court to face 16-seeded JMU in Dayton Arena.

Indiana listened carefully as it smashed JMU’s glass slipper with an 83-62 victory Friday evening, eliminating the Dukes from the NCAA tournament. The Cinderella story came to a logical end, as JMU was not able to overcome a historically impossible matchup in the Round of 64.

“It will be a learning experience, especially for my younger guys,” said head coach Matt Brady. “Hats off to Indiana. I thought they played a dynamite first half, and it really took us a first half to catch up to the speed with which they play the game.”

The Dukes wanted to face a No. 1 seed, not a hungover Hoosier team.

“We want them at their best. Like I said yesterday, to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” freshman guard Andre Nation said in Thursday’s press conference. Nation got his wish; the Hoosiers shot over 52 percent from the field Friday evening.

“They played like I wanted them to,” Nation said outside of the JMU locker room. “They threw punches and we didn’t throw any back.”

Indiana’s offensive mastery was headed by freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell, who began the game on a 9-0 run all by himself. Ferrell shot through the lane like a sports car dashing in and out of highway traffic. After a quick start, he finished with 16 points to lead all IU scorers.

“Just that poise as a freshman,” redshirt senior Devon Moore said of Ferrell. “That’s crazy. Hat’s off to him.”

Shot after shot after shot rustled through the fresh white NCAA nets. The Hoosiers were proving why they were a top seed. The Dukes were caught off guard by the intensity and pace of the game, as they never were able to match it. JMU went into halftime down 43-22 on 9-21 shooting, finishing 3-11 from behind the arc at the break. A team that lives by the deep ball ultimately died by it in the first half.

JMU fans had seen comebacks before. The largest halftime deficit this year’s team was able to overcome was 16 against William & Mary on the final night of the regular season, but Marcus Thornton is not Victor Oladipo or Will Sheehey.

Indiana never let up in the second half, but JMU did manage the pace more effectively at times. All things considered, the Dukes successfully pulled their own weight on the floor.

Going into the game, JMU knew size would be an issue. Indiana big man Cody Zeller is a full seven feet tall and posed problems for the JMU frontcourt. The Dukes held him in check though, and he only logged 11 points, seven shy of his season average playing in the Big Ten. Indiana still won the battle for points in the paint 36-20 over JMU.

The only major statistical difference besides the final score were free throws attempted. IU shot 16-21 from the stripe while the Dukes only went to the line twice, making two of their four shots.

The vast amount positives outweigh any negatives in this game. Freshmen Andre Nation and Charles Cooke scored 32 of JMU’s 40-second half points -- an astonishing statistic when their experience is factored into the equation. It was their moment to shine and officially receive the torch from the seniors. Ironically, those two were the only two Dukes in double figures on Friday despite the fact that neither of them averaged in double figures all season. Cooke finished with 18, while Nation led all scorers with 24. Both were career-highs from future standouts.

“We just wanted to stay aggressive,” Cooke said. “We just took the best shots available that we had. We just wanted to play basketball and stay aggressive, want to be smart, and make leadership decisions.”

Friday’s loss did in fact mark the ending JMU basketball era as six seniors, including the ‘Big Three’ of Moore, A.J. Davis, and Rayshawn Goins, ended their careers. For the three Ohio natives, an ending in Dayton is fitting, knowing they’re just hours from their hometowns.

“I never thought in my life that I’d be playing in a second round game,” Moore said. “This whole trip, it’s just been amazing.”

The finale of their careers signals the changing of the guard. Brady’s strong class last year, along with the upcoming class from this offseason, will become the face of the program for years to come.

“What we did as the six seniors was lay the groundwork for those underclassmen,” Davis said. “I feel good about passing down the torch to them.”

JMU fans that showed up again in Dayton weren’t shy about recognizing their seniors for the years of hard work and good times. Down two-dozen points or more, the band and fans sent out, “Here we go Madison” or repeated “JMU” chants that rippled through an Indiana-red Dayton Arena. JMU Nation was heard loud and clear.

“We’ve seen how hard we have to work,” Nation said. “And we got a whiff of how hard they [one seeds, big programs] work.”

Brady slowly began withdrawing his seniors from the game and finished with all underclassmen on the floor, a true sign of the future.

“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Davis said. “The last few minutes were very up and down knowing it was my last minutes as a college player.”

Moore checked out with 1:40 left in the game. He didn’t join his teammates on the bench. The Columbus born Moore sat on the floor at the end of the bench and just absorbed the last waning moments to a tremendous career.

“This whole season, words can’t describe,” he said. “It’s been amazing. I know I had it rough as far as what was going on with my mom, but I’ve got a great staff behind me that helped me through everything and great young players that helped me.”

Moore didn’t play his best game, but finished with four assists, eclipsing 500 for his final career numbers.

“I played in an NCAA tournament game,” he said. “A lot of people that play basketball want to be here and they’re not.”

After a 30-point loss to begin the season and a 1-5 overall record in the beginning, expectations were kept to a minimum.

“No one expected us to be here,” Goins said. “We made history. It doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Brady is hopeful that this groundwork the ‘Big Three’ laid is solidified for a bright future.

“They’ve set bar high,” Brady said of the seniors. “This is the bar for our program and we’ve got to be able to get better everyday so this becomes a goal for our program.”

Brady applauded their effort and commended them on great careers.

“This is the class that got it done,” he said. “The senior class bought in and we want to aspire to this every year.”

Brady will build on this experience knowing it made the program exponentially better.

“We’ll take some things from this and try to use it to make our program better,” he said. “In defeat that’s what you’re trying to do, you’re trying to learn.”

A Peak Into the Future

   The season is over, what's next? If Andrey Semenov is not granted a sixth year of eligibility, walk-on stud muffin Christian Pierce will be the only senior on the team. They will have two juniors, four sophomores, a redshirt freshman, and whatever freshmen sign with the school. While it's hard to put it into perspective just hours after being eliminated, it's easy to see how dangerous this team will be in the future. 

   Andre Nation fouled out of the game well into the second half and walked to the bench very dejected. He was looking as if the loss would be on him. On the bench, Nation put his head in his jersey and mourned the end of a great season. These are all good signs. They're signs of a leader and Nation will be the leader and face of this team from now on. By his side, his partner and great friend Charles Cooke (Aka Cookie) will share the leadership role. Ron Curry will try to fill Devon Moore's shoes and Dimijitre Cabarkba will continue to learn why America is so awesome, but will do so on the court as he will begin his playing career next season. Brady has alluded to the possibility that he has a very solid shot, maybe comparable to Semenov's. Friday's loss is is a sneak preview into what next season will look like and I'm here to say they will be just fine.

So long from Dayton>

All Good Things Come to An End

   The shoe department was out of JMU's size. The cinderella story came to a close in Dayton Friday evening as the Dukes could not keep up with Indiana, ultimately falling 83-62.

   "While I'm disappointed that we won't be advancing in this tournament, I feel like we clearly lost to a better team today," Brady said. "Watching them on tape and trying to prepare your team for Indiana is one thing, and then being on the court with them and having our team play against those guys with the speed and power with which they run and play and the quickness with which they pass the ball was really impressive."

   Devon Moore, A.J. Davis, Rayshawn Goins, Alioune Diouf, Gene Swindle will never suit up again in a purple and gold. Andrey Semenov might, but it's not certain.

   "I mean, it's definitely hard," Moore said. "I definitely wanted to keep playing because I enjoyed every moment, just being around the coaching staff, these young guys."

   Goins is not upset at the exit.

   "I'm not upset man," he said. "I'm thankful for JMU Nation."

   The future is bright for JMU Nation.

   "But they [underclassmen] saw up close and personal, firsthand, what it means to be part of a great team, watching it, playing against Indiana," Brady said. "We've got to work really hard in the off-season."

   Charles Cooke and Andre Nation combined for 32 of JMU's 40-second half points. Nation finished with 24 and Cooke with 18. Both career highs.

   "We just wanted to play basketball and stay aggressive," Cooke said. "As far as that [taking over team] goes, next year we just want to come in, and we just want to play our game."

   Hard work paid off this season and the hope is for a the same down the road.

   "What I say to our guys all the time, you have to work really hard to make sure you have a bright future because injuries have been a fact," Brady said.

First half thoughts

   This game could've started out one on five. Yogi Ferrell, freshman IU point guard scored the first nine points for Indiana. He quickly added on five more and finished the half with 14, just five shy of his career high.

   The Dukes came out very shaky, they seemed somewhat intimidated by the Goliath. The Dukes went into half down 43-22. Is it over? No. JMU overcame a 16 point deficit in Williamsburg on the last night of the regular season. JMU's shot selection started to fall off down the line, but there is not much you can say about this one. Indiana isn't playing around. They are on a mission and the Dukes are happening to be in their way so far.

   Andre Nation showed great promise for JMU as he netted 10 points in the first half, leading the Dukes. Shot selection needs to pick up and they can't get down about the 20 point deficit.

   IU shooting 59% from the field while the Dukes are at 29&


   There's one half to go here in Dayton.

Starting Lineups

JMU:

Devon Moore-11.4 points/game
Andre Nation-8.8 points/game
A.J. Davis- 12.4 points/game
Alioune Diouf-4.9 points/game
Rayshawn Goins-12.4 points/game


Indiana:


Yogi Ferrell-7.8 points/game
Jordan Hulls- 10.1 points/game
Victor Oladipo-13.6 points/game
Christian Watford-12.5 points/game
Tyler Zeller-18.2 points/game

Hoosiers would win the contest 62-49 roughly based on these averages

Game Preview

   Read the preview in The Breeze

Anything is Possible

   If you type 'NCAA upset' into Google images, you will find a picture of A.J. Davis on the third row celebrating a made three in Wednesday's 68-55 over LIU Brooklyn.

  The day has come. Can James Madison University shock the world? They will literally and figuratively be climbing Mt. Indiana with a trail detour up Mt. Zeller (Cody Zeller, 7-0 center).

   This feat has never been done before. Statistically after yesterday, 1 seeds are 114-0 against the 16! It leaves you thinking what would've been if JMU had gotten to play that Gonzaga team yesterday in Salt Lake City. Southern game them a damn good run for their money and almost stole one. Louisville last night though really defined what the 1-16 matchup is usually like. NC A&T was an appetizer to them. But that A&T team isn't very good, I mean they almost didn't make it out of the First Four the other night in Dayton against a 20 loss Liberty squad! Don't even try and bring up an argument about Liberty. That was all fine and dandy that something like that happened in March, but 20 losses in the Big South is the equivalent of at least 15 losses in Upward.

   Harvard funked up people's brackets big time last night with a 14/3 upset over the Lobos in Salt Lake City. No one saw that one coming.

  Jim Nantz said yesterday that the Dukes are single handedly "the best 16 seed" he's ever seen. Although Nantz joked on Wednesday that this was his "first rodeo" we all know that is far from the truth. Maybe he was just saying to that JMU reps to ease the pain of a seemingly lopsided blowout  today. Maybe he was sincere. Maybe JMU should've been a 15 seed and then an upset over a 2 would be huge, but not historical. I'm not here to hypothesize though.

   Since October the team has been using this 'Whatever It Takes' motto. Every team has something like this. It's like a totem for success. 'Rise to the Occasion'/'Never Back Down' whatever it may be, they're used as a slogan; a team identity. That phrase will be in full effect today as they go up against Tom Crean's fundamentally sound Indian Hoosiers. They'll need to do whatever it may be to exploit this team.
 
   Maybe Gene Hackman can help.

   It's doubtful that JMU can beat Indiana in a straight up basketball game. This is based on talent. Watford, Zeller, and Oladipo all have NBA potential.

   Brady always seems to compare or reference basketball to baseball. While the game's are miles a part in differences, he may be onto something. Baseball is a strategical game. A smart person's game if you will.

   If Brady can get his team to play some 'small ball' they could be in business. It works for numerous MLB teams annually, why spread it to the hardwood. The Dukes are already down in size and up in speed so why not connect the two. Go after Zeller early and try get him on the bench with fouls. Take offensive fouls where you can.

   When JMU played Towson at home this year, Pat Skerry sent a small and frail Kris Walden (Richmond native, Henrico HS) in the game to purposely aggravate Devon Moore. The two jostled and locked arms one time down the court miles from the ball and Moore was whistled for a foul, his fourth of the game. These are small tactics that win you games.

   My necessities to today's game:

   Devon Moore- 10pts/10 assists. Lead this team like he's done all season. No fear.

   A.J. Davis- 25+ points. Selective, but lethal from the perimeter

   Andre Nation-DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE...MORE DEFENSE and throw in 10 pts
and some boards for good measure #ZipEmUp

   Charles Cooke- the utility man. Play a game very similar to Wednesday

   Rayshawn Goins- clean the glass better than windex and a squeegee. Score 15 points.

    Ron Curry- hit some clutch three pointer's down the stretch. Be selective on shots

   Alioune Diouf- fight for boards especially offensively like he's in the octagon. Be productive offensively like he has been of late. Put backs are crucial

   Taylor Bessick- work with Ray to limit Zeller's touches. Be a force inside. Hit some mid-range jumpers to drag Zeller up top clearing the lane

   If you think that a bandwagon rolled down East Broad St. back in 2011 when VCU trekked to the Final Four, wait and see how many people will be wearing purple if this colossal upset takes place this afternoon. Harrisonburg might actually implode. While the chances are very minimal, 40 minutes is just enough time for anyone to slip up. Kevin Garnett once said it, "Anything is Possible"

**Stay** Wearing Purple JMU Nation

   The past two weeks have been definitely something to be part of on the JMU campus. There is a buzz and it's not stemming from Bridgeforth. This buzz roars through Duke Dawg Alley and into the Convocation Center. It's JMU basketball's time to shine. Bring back the 'Electric Zoo.'

   Fans, students, alumni, and the community have rallied behind this basketball team and just in the right time. As JMU entered the CAA tournament two weekends ago, there was a good output of fans and students that came to support their Dukes in the opening round against William & Mary. Well, they won that. Now they advanced to Sunday and more purple began seep from the old Richmond Coliseum seats as JMU took on Delaware on semi-final Sunday.

Fans rush the court in Richmond

   Then came Monday. I do not know what happened, but something clicked. Just as A.J. Davis said something clicked for him mid-season to become a team player, something clicked with JMU students. They finally realized that they had a successful basketball team. 

   "They definitely embraced us this year," Devon Moore said. "Knowing that we were having a great season, but just these last couple weeks have been great."

In under 12 hours, eight Student Duke Club buses were filled with over 400 students traveling to Richmond for Monday's championship bout with Northeastern. Over 6,000 fans showed up on Monday night, 5500 plus pulling for the Dukes.

   "It definitely was amazing to see how the students at JMU support their athletic teams," 2012 graduate and current Baltimore Raven D.J. Bryant said. "Through all the ups and downs the basketball team put us through over the past couple of years, they still have supported them and came out to the Coliseum to help paint the sea purple."

   Students took to the social media world to compare Monday's atmosphere to a home game inside the Convo. Look here. At no point in any recent history has the Convocation Center been that loud and raucous over a men's basketball game. The Coliseum, while half full was bumpin'. Curt Dudley, color commentator for the Dukes said he even had some trouble hearing play-by-play legend, Mike Schikman at times Monday night.

   Days after winning the CAA tournament, Moore walked into class and the whole room erupted in cheering. This is what college sports is all about.

"It's a great feeling knowing you go your school behind you," Moore said. "I'm definitely grateful for JMU Nation and the people that take the time to come watch us play."
  
   These guys were already known around campus, but now they're idols.

   "Walking around campus, they already knew who you was," Moore said. "But just seeing all the support from JMU Nation. And when we won the CAA championship, we had 15 buses come down there.

   Harrisonburg is officially on the map.

   "It's history man," Rayshawn Goins said. "A lot of them guys that attend James Madison University, they're just glad they're part of history. It's been 19 years since JMU has been the the NCAA tournament. It's a blessing man."

   The pep band, who played all three nights in the Coliseum also traveled to Dayton for this week's games.

   "JMU Nation, they're the best, man," Goins said. "Shout our to our pep band. They travel. They're loud all the time. Without are fans, it wouldn't be possible. We thank JMU Nation."


   The Dukes will need tremendous support from JMU Nation tomorrow as they attempt to do what no one before them could. 

   

Farewell Tour Stops in Ohio for a Multi-Night Run

   As you may or may not have read today in The Breeze, this week's residency in Dayton is a homecoming for fifth year seniors, Devon Moore, A.J. Davis, and Rayshawn Goins. This week also is a farewell tour to their college careers. A voyage into the NCAA tournament isn't a bad song to choose for the encore.

More than just a tournament, it's an experience of a lifetime

   As Rev. Jesse Jackson said, "March Madness cannot bring May Sadness." All three players are set to graduate in May and pursue their careers outside of JMU, but there is still work to be done on the hardwood. Whether it's tomorrow or in future professional basketball pursuits.

   "The biggest thing for us is just enjoying the experience, man, having fun," Goins said. "A lot of people don't get to experience this. We came in, we're being ourself, man. The pressure ain't on us. They're the No. 1 team in the country. We're just going to go out and play our best basketball." 

   As they lay in bed tonight and send out their final tweets of the evening, these three guys will once again go to bed knowing tomorrow may be the last time they slip into purple and gold.

   "Just enjoying this moment," Moore said. "It's the same thing that we've been doing. Just having fun and being blessed to be here."

Davis celebrates MVP honors 

   Tonight will be the fourth time in just couple weeks that these seniors will ponder whether they'll get to play again. Twice during the CAA tournament went to bed in the Richmond Marriott knowing that anything less than the championship win would end their careers and then again Tuesday night before they took on LIU. 

   "This is what you play basketball for," Davis said. "To win a championship, to be in an NCAA tournament. The journey I've been on with these two guys and just knowing them for years that we've been playing basketball is just amazing."

   For Moore, this is about all his hard work and challenges finally paying off for him.

   "Me, ups and downs," he said. "The highs and the lows definitely, but I wouldn't take it any other way. I definitely enjoy that university, and I'm definitely going to miss it."

   Goins went through the hard route to get where he is today and he knows he may have never made it out of Cleveland.

   "For me, it's about a blessing to be here," he said. "To be a Division I basketball player because I went to junior college, and a lot of people don't make it out of junior college."

   Goins spent his first two seasons at Columbus State and Cincinnati State respectively, both part of the NJCAA. 

   "So I just kind of had to grind it out," he added. "It's a blessing to be at James Madison University, experiencing it with our seniors and young group guys, man. Words can't explain it. It's unbelievable. 

   This farewell tour may run out of music tomorrow afternoon, it may not. In the end this is a great way to conclude great college careers for three well deserving Ohio natives.

   "Everything that we've been through is finally starting to come to a peak," Moore said. "And it's a great feeling because we're going out with a bang."