This is about as big of a game as JMU plays all year and that isn’t saying much because there aren’t any giants in the CAA this year. Lots of very similar teams with flaws. CoC is a decent team, but not what they were the past few years after losing NBA draft pick Brantley from last year and NBA player Chealey the year before. They have played a much stronger OOC schedule than JMU but lost all of the games against tough competition except vs Providence.
Of course, Riller is dangerous with the ball in his hands, but the team has a soft underbelly as they get outrebounded by 3 per game.
Will Rowe choose to play bully ball and get some bigs in the game. 2nd and 3rd chance offensive rebounds can be just what the doctor ordered for an upset because CoC will defend the first shot as well as anyone in the league. That is what Earl Grant teams do.

Who knows what we get from JMU. They have been so Jekyll & Hyde all year. One thing to watch is will Rowe shuffle the lineup and reallocate minutes? The other thing to watch is 3 pt attempts. Rowe had every player on the roster shooting 3’s with impunity in the OOC games and now flipped a switch with only Seven 3’s attempted vs UNCW. Has he reconsidered his 2019-2020 plan and decided to completely scrap it midseason? Will he stop calling Oppenheimer his offensive coordinator now?

Rowe is 1-6 vs Earl Grant in his career. Maybe we get to see the Dr Jekyll side of the Dukes today.

CoC 72
JMU 67

call me crazy, but i have a feeling we see the type of performance we saw last year at Hofstra when Dukes won in ot.

Dukes 78
COC 77

Charleston is 10 pt favorites. O/U = 151'

Suggesting a CoC victory around 81-70. Sounds about right.

Dukes play no defense.

Riller is an NBA prospect as well. Who guards him? I believe this is must win- if we are to get back to tier 2 and a top 4-5 spot we need to dig out from the 0-2 start with a big road win like this. Can’t see us losing this and finishing any better than 6.

Yep, Riller should get his NBA shot with his biggest weakness being his shot. He isn’t a good 3pt shooter, but gets into the lane at will and scores very efficiently. Seems like there is a role somewhere in the NBA with a team that already has plenty of shooters.
Looking back at it now, CoC’s team from 2 years ago had 3 NBA players in Chealey, Brantley, and Riller. They were strong and, of course, lost a very close game to Auburn in the NCAA tourney.

It will definitely be easier for JMU to defend one NBA talent instead of 3. The best defense today might be a dribble driving offense. Whoever Riller is guarding have that player drive into his shoulder and force the refs to call fouls. If JMU gets him in foul trouble they will be primed for an upset.

I can see them covering the 10.

(01-04-2020 02:22 PM)Bill Wrote:  I can see them covering the 10.

CoC on pace to score 80+. Scouting report against JMU is simple...

"have fun on offense, they don't play defense whatsoever"

SMFH

Sorry. On pace to give up 90+. JMU MBB is a joke.

Hopefully we are approaching rock bottom so change is near.

Wilson and Jacobs are doing their part on offense by scoring at will at the rim. Rinse and repeat against CoC’s very soft interior. The FT shooting problem continues as JMU is only 50% from the line.
CoC’s Galloway won’t shoot 6-8 from 3 in the second half and there might be an opportunity to close the gap when he comes back down to Earth.

I’m disappointed the Dukes aren’t outrebounding a team who has been weak in that department all year. Need to see more concerted team effort there. Wilson can’t rule the boards all on his own.

Dukes closing the gap. Sounds like an 8-0 JMU run with ~17:00 left in the 2nd. Dukes down 1 with 48-49.

JMU outscoring the Cougars 12-2 so far in the 2nd.

they're hanging in there, but turnovers and missed FTs will likely sink them again.

Was briefly tied at 51... CofC on a 7-0 run to go up 58-51 with 13:02 left

and one of those runs for the other team. good timeout by Lou. 7-0 in less than a minute

64-53... CofC on 13-2 run with 11:02 left... oof

missed free throw and Galloway with an "open 3" (according to broadcasters). the foul line performance is definitely a momentum killer for us and is mentally working on the Dukes

Good job by Banks to keep his cool right there. Classless and punk move by the CoC player...and, up by 15 with under 5 to go. Dumb ice!

(01-04-2020 05:45 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  Good job by Banks to keep his cool right there. Classless and punk move by the CoC player...and, up by 15 with under 5 to go. Dumb ice!

What happened there? Was coming back into the room and heard Dave Thomas say the officials were headed to the monitor.

Banks has had a tough game

WOW! W&M wins again. On the road at Northeastern by 2, 66-64.

Missing Shaver? I don't think so.

When other teams are shooting better from 3 than you are from the ft line, something is very wrong