James Madison Dukes

Record vs. D-I: 15-5 (6-2)
RPI: 89
SOS: 138
Best wins: @ Hofstra (# 73), @ Northeastern (# 124), @ Elon (# 127), @ Richmond (# 131)
Bad loss: vs. Tennessee-Martin (# 235)

Something has to give here. Both the Seahawks and Dukes enter Thursday's matchup in Harrisonburg riding 5-game win streaks, and the winner will make it 6 straight while the loser, of course, sees their streak get snapped. This crucial matchup could see the winner in 1st place in the CAA all on their own IF Elon pulls an upset over Hofstra (also 6-2).

Last season, UNCW swept JMU, and neither game was particularly close. In those contests, it was mostly the Ron Curry show, as he accounted for 44 of the 119 points scored by JMU (37 %). And while Curry has had a superb Senior Season, ranking 5th in scoring (17.1 ppg) in CAA-only contests, he has a lot more help this time around. Junior swingman Shakir Brown (9.9 ppg) and Junior sharpshooter Kent Jackson have been capable sidekicks in the backcourt for Curry.

In the frontcourt, Junior Yohanny Dalembert has been a force in the post for the Dukes, as he in CAA-only games he is 5th in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and 6th in blocks (1.1 bpg). Fellow Juniors Tom Vodanovich, Paulius Satkus and Dimitrije Cabarkapa join Dalembert in wreaking havoc underneath the hoop. Seemingly endless depth is available for Matt Brady, including Sophomore distributor Joey McLean.

Where this game may be won or lost for the Seahawks is with perimeter shooting. It is imperative that bad shots are not forced up. The Seahawks are the top 3-point shooting team in the league (.396 in CAA-only games), but James Madison is the # 1 team in 3-pt defense (.231 opponent 3-pt %), using primarily man-to-man while mixing in 1-3-1 zone defense. Again, something has to give here. The Seahawks will need to get points at the rim when the perimeter shot isn't there.

The Dukes are also one of the top rebounding teams in the league (3.0 rebounding margin, ranked 3rd), but they don't create a lot of turnovers or block a ton of shots. Their strength is simply not giving teams good looks or 2nd chances. Offensively, the Dukes can beat you in a lot of ways, but it's their defense that has made them special.

In short, JMU is dangerous. They have a +9.0 scoring margin, tops in the league, despite playing a very challenging schedule to adate. Their winning streak has included victories @ Hofstra, @ Northeastern, and home against Towson (Strangely, they're at their best on the road). It is very clear that they are a top contender to win the Regular Season title and claim the tournament title in Baltimore. Don't expect the same JMU team as last season.