The following is part of a mini-series of posts designed to show off the scope of my expanded C4G blog, Student Section. While the site is being designed and built, content on here will cover a wide variety of topics and opinions.
Perk up JMU fans, because we're talking Dukes basketball today. I've compiled a bit of a roundtable to discuss the hotbutton issues of anything and everything in the confines of the Convocation Center. I hesitate to call what I've cobbled together here a consortium, just because of how much ESPN's Andrew Smith liked it when I ascribed the name to him and his merry band of rabble-rousers a few months ago, but regardless, we've got a talented group of observers and opinion-givers lined up today. If I may:
Stephen Proffitt is a Men's basketball beat writer for The Breeze. Along with the Daily News Record's Mark Selig, he is probably one of the most knowledgable people on the planet when it comes to JMU basketball and covers home games regularly. Check out his published work in the Breeze after home games, and find him on Twitter @JStheProffitt.
Meaghan MacDonald (@MegtotheMac) is a former sports editor at the Breeze and just seems to know a bunch of people. Like, she's got Tom Izzo's phone number. What's up with that? She has worked previously with WXJM and the consummate professional, Curt Dudley. I am told she is not a feminist, though I have no confirmation this is true.
Carleigh Davis is also a former sports editor at the Breeze. She is a noted fan of the JMU program and just a general officianado of Twitter (@_carleigh). I call her Queen Carleigh when she's not around, because it just seems to fit.
And then there's me, Chase Kiddy. I don't know how to put this... I'm kind of a big deal. People know me.
Today, the four of us discuss the state of the JMU men's basketball program and where we think the program is heading this year and beyond.
1. JMU sits at 4-6 going into two winnable games in Las Vegas. If you had to grade the team on their season so far, what would it be and why?
Stephen: C+. The plus is for my optimism that the team will continue to improve. JMU is off to another rough start this year at 4-6 through the first month of play. During their Thanksgiving tournament in Pittsburgh, the only thing the Dukes were thankful for was a bus ride destined for Harrisonburg, going 1-3 over the holiday break. I would give them a grade of C+ because I think they may be onto something now. Play has improved over the past few weeks and if there was a year to make moves to the front of the CAA, look no farther than this year. The CAA flat out sucks. Only two teams have winning records (George Mason/William & Mary). With a senior laden team that consists of six seniors (five 5th year’s), the time to go is now. A defensive oriented Dukes squad is learning to “make the extra pass” and the ball movement is on the upswing. A key win over a Winthrop team who gave Ohio State a run for their money this week, and a very strong outing against Richmond may be the kick start the team needed going into the new year. The glue is beginning to set in with this team and a strong conference record come the end of this season would not surprise me, but then comes the tournament in Richmond, where the Dukes never seem to fair well.
Meaghan: C+. Yes the Dukes have a losing record (what else is new), but they are coming off a pretty successful five-game homestand and also showed an improved offense. The boys are putting up points: at least 72 per game, and their last three wins came by a combined 47 points. Both losses were tough battles and only fell by one point (54-53 loss to George Washington and an 83-82 OT loss to Richmond). They really held their own against Richmond which to me was surprising. The Spiders are 9-3 and more of a basketball school then JMU has been in quite some time. But the Dukes are looking strong and getting plenty of effort from their starters which makes me somewhat hopeful for how we will play in Las Veas and for the rest of the season.
Carleigh: Well, I'm going to be real blunt and give the Dukes a well-earned D. For depressing, disappointing and defeated. Let's be really honest with ourselves when we look at this team. It has a sprinkle of specialized talent that doesn't blend well with the other spices. I also am not quite sure any game is a "winnable" game for the Dukes because they can't seem to be consistent as a team. Pull the players aside one-by-one and you'll see stats that will make you think otherwise.
Chase: I'll give them a B. Maybe I'm being a little too easy on the team here-- okay, maybe I'm being WAY too easy-- but I have been saying since the beginning of the season that this team will figure stuff out. Well, it took a suspension, a historically long homestand, and some seriously overachieving freshmen, but this team is starting to look like they've certainly figured some stuff out. Call me an apologist if you want, but for a team whose depth is probably too reliant on true freshmen, has a coach backed up against a wall, and is historically not that successful yet full of some sizable egos, improving to "probably conference title competitor" in 10 games or less deserves moderate, if guarded, praise.
2. What are your thoughts on the AJ Davis/Matt Brady situation? Is it definitively over?
SP: Do you think Michael Jordan ever pissed Phil Jackson off? I would take a wild guess and say their relationship was not always fine and dandy, but Jackson knew one thing: Jordan scored points and made plays. A.J. Davis should be the Michael Jordan to Matt Brady. His minutes have almost been cut in half so far this season and they don’t seem to be going up anytime soon….all you ask because of effort and attitude? During the most recent episode of the “Guiding Light,” Brady decided to indefinitely suspend Davis for all of 44 hours, I’m assuming to prove a point? Davis made it sound like he learned from his actions and he was ready to be a team player. Some would say the saga is continuing as Davis’ minutes are still down, but I fully believe that Brady is playing the guys he thinks will win him games. “Our freshman are pushing our seniors” he said in a press conference recently. Although I agree for the most part, Davis is the most talented player on the team, hands down. He’s the “highlight reel” guy. He puts people in the seats even though that’s a touchy subject too… He averaged 15.9 ppg and 32.4 mpg last year and as Mark Wahlberg said in The Other Guys, “I’m a peacock! You gotta let me fly!” Brady needs to play him and see what he can do for the team. Watching him over the years, I have noticed his lackadaisical attitude on some plays and his “careless” effort on defense, but sometimes you need to sacrifice that for points on the board. It’s still a ongoing process and I expect it to go on all season, but bottom line if Brady wants to win games, Davis will need to spend those games on the floor, not the bench.
MM: Honestly, I don't think this situation is looking any better moving forward. An attitude problem and lack of motivation is harder to fix than a problem with a shot. It's mental and as a senior, I don't think Davis will really fix his issues. Brady has been doing the right thing by cutting his playing time and suspending him from the team. However, I think that the 48 hour suspension was only a slap on the wrist and won't teach Davis much. He is a senior that needs to lead his team and end his JMU career on a high note. But he is also a senior that is too proud and I feel will continuously bump heads with Brady. What will be best for the team is if Brady kept him on a short leash and not let Davis's attitude run free on and of the court.
CD: HAHA. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. I've only been ranting on Twitter about this since the season started. The conflict between Brady & Davis reminds me so often of the Hokies' Seth Greenberg and Eric Green. Two grown-ass men who can't handle themselves in a professional manner who decide a Mexican standoff is the way to go. I am repeatedly rolling my eyes behind my computer screen. This situation infuriates me. How the hell are you going to have a player sit there and show you he wants to play if you're the idiot making the calls? I don't get it. You're also the idiot who isn't using one of your only seniors to help you to a winning season, and possibly (not likely) trying to keep your job. I am just baffled. Davis' numbers last year made a statement. In my eyes, Davis deserves to play. And I highly doubt that with Brady's panties so tight this season that this will be the last battle we face.
CK: I think this chapter of the saga might be over, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are flare-ups in the future. Overall, I think Coach Brady probably recognizes the importance of getting arguably his best playmaker out on the floor, and that may supercede some of the smaller squabbles that crop up going forward. If Davis was younger (ie, not a senior), had spent more time at JMU (ie, wasn't a transfer), or if Brady wasn't seriously up against it this season (ie, in the final year of his contract), I think this situation would be different. But those three factors affect both the relationship between Davis and Brady as well as the tolerance levels Brady has to adopt for antics on the team this year.
3. What does Coach Brady need to achieve this year to keep his job?
SP: 20+ wins, and a visit to the CAA Championship game. An NCAA tournament birth is in my opinion his only guarantee. It’s as simple as that. In a seven-team tourney, one win will get you into the semis this year in Richmond. Certainly the CAA is no more than a one-bid league this year unless something amazing happens during conference play. Although he has done a lot for the program (such as put it back on the map), the university has shown that they’re not afraid of shaking things up when results are down. Just walk to the other side of Duke Dog Alley to Bridgeforth. Personally I do not think he will be back next season and I think he knows that as well. With only one redshirt used on (Dimitrije Cabarkapa) he knows that he might as well use everyone at his disposal. It will cost the university big money to go out and get a new coach though. With Brady making <$300,000, he’s considered a bargain at the Division 1 level. He’s brought two 21 win seasons to a program that earned a combined 25 wins between 2003-2007, but in a cut throat business what you “have” done doesn’t weigh as much as it maybe should.
MM: Brady needs a spot in the CAA championship to keep his job. Honestly, I like Brady as a person and in most aspects as a coach. He cares about his players, tries and isn't given enough credit, but whatever he is doing isn't meshing. JMU fans are at their wits end and the team hasn't produced enough in the past four seasons to make themselves a force to be reckoned with in the CAA. His recruiting this season seems to be working well, since his freshman are seeing a good amount of playing time and are producing. But recruiting and player-coach relationships are only one aspect in college basketball. Producing wins and creating buzz for the team are huge pieces and very important in Division I and more important in this situation. I'd like to see Brady around for another season, especially if this one goes well, but he needs to pull off something grand to keep his job safe.
CD: Simply put, Brady will not return. They won't re-up his contract, he won't be with the team and we will maybe have a better coach step in. After Brady's rather pathetic cry for his job during last year's post-CAA tourney press conference, I think Jeff Bourne ultimately felt bad and didn't try and buy him out. But with a healthy team and starting three freshmen, I don't think anybody's impressed. Including myself.
CK: I'm not so sure a completed checklist is going to be what gets Brady that coveted contract extension. I think it'll just be a general feeling of yes, we believe in him or no, we want someone new. I think a CAA championship is probably a surefire way of maximizing his odds to stay with the team; I think a top 2 finish in CAA play and a spot in the championship game regardless of outcome probably saves him as well. Outside of that, I just don't know. I'm not Jeff Bourne and can't fathom what he's thinking. Regardless of the X's and O's, people just aren't that excited about JMU basketball, and that's the kind of thing that could prove damning regardless of the record next to your team name.
4. Who is the most important player for JMU going forward?
SP: Devon Moore in my opinion. I first wrote A.J. Davis, but then found the delete key after pondering some more. He’s the captain of this team. He’s the Humpty Hitchens of this year. In order for this team to succeed, they need Moore to produce on the stat sheet, but more importantly, succeed as a leader. Brady is using freshman like it’s his job. He says some freshmen are more mature than others, but nonetheless they all need need the nurturing and guidance of a fifth year guy who has played in countless games over his career. If Moore can stay healthy and step up as a veteran leader, this team can go places.
MM: Hands down, Andrey Semenov is the most important player for the Dukes. Semenov suffered a groin injury in the first few minutes of the first game of he season against UCLA. His return to the court December 1 against Winthrop University made an immediate impact as he knocked in 17 points in 19 minutes. Since his return, the Dukes are 3-1 and Semenov is the second-leading scorer on the team (11.6 per game and 52.4 percent from behind the arc). With that much impact in such little time, Semenov is a vital piece to JMU's game that will help them move forward in a positive way. There's not much more else to say; the stats speak for themselves in this case.
CD: I'd have to go with Andre Nation here. I mean, WOW! What a player. He's so explosive and fun to watch. Sure, he's still learning how to play the game on a college level, but that kid knows basketball. He is always paying attention, giving his all and has FUN. Now there's a word JMU's basketball program needs to learn. If the players had more fun and were able to enjoy the game they love, then maybe we would see a different basketball team. The attitude surrounding you definitely can influence play...so where's the root of the attitude stemming from? Hint: Not A.J. Davis.
CK: I wafted back and forth between Semenov and Nation, then went totally the other way and decided it was Devon Moore. Rayshawn Goins is the quiet grinder going for 16 and 8 every game. Nation usually hits double digit scoring and gets the Dukes extra possessions with that nifty little pickpocket skill he's developed. Davis gets the crowd going, Semenov stretches the other team's defense and ignites our own offense. But Moore truly does everything. He distributes, he steals, he rebounds, and lately, he's scored in bunches. Most people didn't catch it because the semester had let out, but Moore tied a career-high 22 points last Sunday in a win over UNCG. In fact, he was approaching triple double territory, finishing with a neat 22/9/7 stat line. It seems clear to me that this team will only go as far as Moore can go. There are a lot of role players and guys good at specific stuff on this team-- Moore ties it all together.
5. Can this team win the CAA? Who's their biggest opposition?
SP: Yes. Paul Hewitt and George Mason. JMU ranks 309th out of 347 Division 1 teams in terms of rebounds/game at 31.3. In order to win games they need to hit the glass and continue to improve on ball movement. This is one of the worst batches of CAA teams I’ve seen since following the league back when I was 13. With six seniors, JMU could and should take this conference or at least come close. Brady is 1-7 against the Patriots in his four seasons. Mason regards the bi annual meeting as one of their big rivalries. They meet twice again this season; a home and home format like usual. They come in the year of conference play. My favorite to win the league is Mason so JMU needs to split or even better sweep the two games.
MM: The day JMU wins a conference championship, I will be well past graduation. Yes the team looks good now and is 3-2 in their last homestand. Yes their upperclassmen are taking on the leadership roles and most are putting up decent numbers. Yes, the new recruiting class is seing some playing time and really living up to the hype Brady had in the beginning of he season. However, this is a team that also has an upper class that has a reputation for lack of focus and attitude problems while the team overall doesn't seem to seal the deal in the last days of the regular season and the CAA tournament.
Now my eyes are on George Mason for finishing on top of the conference. Right now, they're second in the conference (6-4) right behind William & Mary (7-3). Last season the Patriots finished 24-9 and have a few key players return to the court: point guard Bryon Allen, Vertrail Vaughns and redshirt junior guard Sherrod Wright, the reigning CAA Co-Player of the Week. That week, wright has averaged 21.5 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Wright is a good shooter and knows how to work himself up to the basket and finish with consistency. If these returners can all help reduce the amount of turnovers the Patriots have faced in the past, George Mason should finish strong and most likely on top.
CD: I don't think so. Even without VCU and technically ODU, I just can't see it happening. The Dukes too often self destruct, as seen in last year's CAA tournament game against UNC-Wilmington. It just isn't probable or predictable to comfortably sit here and say they could win it. You have to want a championship to win it. I don't see either want or need in this team, yet. I'm looking forward to being proven wrong... if it happens.
CK: I think so, but can and will are two entirely different enterprises. I'm not willing to take anyone seriously outside the state of Virginia, so it looks like the battle for Old Dominion might decide the CAA-- ironic, because Old Dominion seems pretty clearly to be the worst team in the whole state.
I've said it about a million times on Twitter. This team is trending in the right direction, and they look like they can hit their stride (potentially all six wins of it) right as CAA play begins in January. JMU doesn't draw George Mason until the heard of Colonial play, and if it manages a split with the Patriots, I think they have a real shot at landing the #1 tournament seed.
As for tournament play, it's hard to correct an atmosphere of underperformance. Ask the Atlanta Falcolns how they fare in the playoffs every year. Regardless, it only takes 2 or 3 wins in March to win a CAA title trophy, and if JMU was ever a threat, then this is their year. For Matt Brady, it probably couldn't have come sooner.
