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