Okay, no more postponements or cancellations of big games. Someway, somehow the Dukes need to be playing VCU in less than 48 hours.
Coach By mentioned afternoon the game that the team needs this to learn some lessons even if it is in a losing fashion. Amen. Get better by playing better teams.

What is crazy is that JMU hasn’t played state rival VCU since 2012 and having 65 matchups in their history.
This needs to be an annual game.
We have not forgotten the Dukes sweeping VCU home and away in the 2011 season before the Rams went on an epic run to the Final Four which was a catalyst for them leaving the CAA one year later. The Dukes bested them twice in a year when VCU beat UCLA, Wake Forest in the regular season and USC, Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas in the tourney. It is very hard to accept where JMU is now relative to then.

Hopefully coach By begins some semblance of a player rotation with continuity in this game so the team can start to develop. Sadly, There won’t be a team in the CAA as good as VCU so if the Dukes can hang Tuesday they can certainly compete for the one CAA bid.

(12-20-2020 10:30 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Okay, no more postponements or cancellations of big games. Someway, somehow the Dukes need to be playing VCU in less than 48 hours.
Coach By mentioned afternoon the game that the team needs this to learn some lessons even if it is in a losing fashion. Amen. Get better by playing better teams.

What is crazy is that JMU hasn’t played state rival VCU since 2012 and having 65 matchups in their history.
This needs to be an annual game.
We have not forgotten the Dukes sweeping VCU home and away in the 2011 season before the Rams went on an epic run to the Final Four which was a catalyst for them leaving the CAA one year later. The Dukes bested them twice in a year when VCU beat UCLA, Wake Forest in the regular season and USC, Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas in the tourney. It is very hard to accept where JMU is now relative to then.

Hopefully coach By begins some semblance of a player rotation with continuity in this game so the team can start to develop. Sadly, There won’t be a team in the CAA as good as VCU so if the Dukes can hang Tuesday they can certainly compete for the one CAA bid.

Almost. We only got credit for one win that year. The other game was the:
*28-7 free throw discrepancy
*Joey Rodriguez running 34 feet (not an exaggeration) and changing direction halfway through, after picking up his dribble on the game winning shot
*Chad Jackson getting a steal with 4 seconds left and the outcome still in doubt, calling a timeout, never actually touching the baseline, but the ref anticipating him going out of bounds and calling the turnover.

But I'm not still bitter.

VCU graduated 4 of 5 starters from last season. 7 of the 11 players averaging double digit minutes are underclassmen, including 4 true freshmen. One of of our upperclassmen starters Keshawn Curry has been out since December 2nd with a shoulder injury.

This is a relatively young and rebuilding VCU team picked 9th in the A-10 preseason but the early season performances have reflected a team that is ahead of schedule so far. The Rams are led by last year’s lone returning starter in 6’3” sophomore guard Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland. Bones is scoring at a 18.6 ppg clip while shooting 44.2% from the field (40.6% from 3 with 28 made 3s in 8 games played against D1 opponents). He’s hit 30 and 31 points in 2 of the last 3 games against admittedly low major teams in North Carolina A&T and Western Carolina (who is 2-0 against the CAA with a 22 point win over UNCW in their season opener and who won at College of Charleston in OT last Friday). Bones is the straw that stirs the drink for the Rams.

Highlights from Bones’ 31 point outing against WCU in the Rams’ last game:

https://youtu.be/UmqhjaBRnOw

The Rams have some good young talent but haven’t played much in the way of top tier competition to this point. Should be a good contest between 2 former conference mates.

I think this will be ugly for JMU.

We're not yet a team, and I don't think the Coach B or the players have yet figured each other out.

My bar is low. I'm thinking 20-30 or more point pounding where it's not a game by early in the 2nd half.

That said I'm still optimistic for this year and the Coach B era. I've said all along I just want this team to be playing like one of the top 4 in the CAA by the 2nd half of February. Let's get to the Semi's in the CAA tournament and build from there.

(12-21-2020 08:54 AM)Dukester Wrote:  I think this will be ugly for JMU.

We're not yet a team, and I don't think the Coach B or the players have yet figured each other out.

My bar is low. I'm thinking 20-30 or more point pounding where it's not a game by early in the 2nd half.

That said I'm still optimistic for this year and the Coach B era. I've said all along I just want this team to be playing like one of the top 4 in the CAA by the 2nd half of February. Let's get to the Semi's in the CAA tournament and build from there.

It will be a big test for JMU - things can get out of hand quickly with VCU and the style that they play. JMU turned the ball over 20 times at ECU. If we don’t limit turnovers this could be a comfortable win for VCU. I’m excited to see the guys get challenged early into their resumed
OOC schedule.

It's a shame we did not play ODU and GMU. Those would of been great games for this team.

It will likely take another month or so for this team to come together. Let's just hope we can win some conference games early and build on that.

It looks like the early line is VCU -20.5. Oof. That is steep and seems out of whack. Maybe VCU is not going to finish 9th place in the A-10 as per preseason predictions.
Has JMU ever been a 20pt dog to VCU ??? I don’t remember anything that drastic. Maybe the Early Keener years when he had walk-ons playing due to injuries?

Hunh

If I was still a betting man? I gave it up after betting on dumb baseball bets... 20-1/2?

Hope our guys play with pride, and win or lose it’s not a 21 pt blowout

I really don’t see how this game will be close but I will be watching on MASN and hoping.

(12-21-2020 11:46 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Hunh

If I was still a betting man? I gave it up after betting on dumb baseball bets... 20-1/2?

Hope our guys play with pride, and win or lose it’s not a 21 pt blowout

Dunk - because of you, I'm putting $5 on the Dukes +19, although my head says give the 19.

this will be a lopsided loss for us. enjoy this year for what it is. a chance for a diversion and a team with little expectations. Coach By was hired in a pandemic which I am sure hindered his ability to recruit. kids could not get on campus nor see the new arena.

after so many bad years, we are all anxious for this to turn, but it will take 3 years. sorry dukester......

(12-21-2020 09:12 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Has JMU ever been a 20pt dog to VCU ??? I don’t remember anything that drastic. Maybe the Early Keener years when he had walk-ons playing due to injuries?

1/21/2006 JMU was a 21.5 point underdog to VCU and JMU covered it, the final score was 71-55.

(12-22-2020 11:45 AM)PGJMU2 Wrote:  this will be a lopsided loss for us. enjoy this year for what it is. a chance for a diversion and a team with little expectations. Coach By was hired in a pandemic which I am sure hindered his ability to recruit. kids could not get on campus nor see the new arena.

after so many bad years, we are all anxious for this to turn, but it will take 3 years. sorry dukester......

It's OK.

"I" believe you under value coaching to results in basketball.

Mark's 2nd year at Ga Southern his team was 22-9 and 14-6 in conference.

Larranga's 2nd year at GMU he finished first in a much better version of the CAA.

Brady would of had a solid second year if not for injuries.

It does not take three years. If a good coach finishes strong their first year, it many times carries into a very nice 2nd year. That's my goal, and I think it's realistic. Not the end of the world if it does not happen, and starting in Covid certainly does not help him.

In the past you've pointed out coaches they have needed 5-7 years to turn things around. You can certainly find exceptions where that occurred, but it should not take that long. When you wait 5-7 years before you know, it can quickly turn to 2 decades of college basketball like we've had.

PG, have more confidence in coach B.

(12-22-2020 12:04 PM)Bill Wrote:  

(12-21-2020 09:12 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Has JMU ever been a 20pt dog to VCU ??? I don’t remember anything that drastic. Maybe the Early Keener years when he had walk-ons playing due to injuries?

1/21/2006 JMU was a 21.5 point underdog to VCU and JMU covered it, the final score was 71-55.

Yes!!!! Dean Keener with the cover. He was turrible, turrible I say. But he made the gamblers some coin.

God help us if it takes 3 years to start winning basketball games. There won't be anybody left.

Dave Thomas is pointing out that JMU has not played VCU in 8 years. Former conference mate, a VA peer, 130 miles away.

How can this be explained? Are Rams afraid to play JMU like Cignetti claims for the football team?

Go Dukes, show up today!

Isn't this one more about hurting VCU because JMU is so bad? Not at all like football haha!

(12-22-2020 12:50 PM)Purplehazed Wrote:  Dave Thomas is pointing out that JMU has not played VCU in 8 years. Former conference mate, a VA peer, 130 miles away.

How can this be explained? Are Rams afraid to play JMU like Cignetti claims for the football team?

Go Dukes, show up today!

Here's what I'd guess on why they have not scheduled us. There is no benefit to scheduling us -

We're viewed as the inferior product
- If they win? so what, they were supposed to win
- If they win a close game, we hurt their RPI
- If they lose, it would be a crushing unexpected loss which would effect their potential tournament seeding

What's the benefit to play us ? We travel well, but they sell out all of their games. The only partial benefit to them is we are close so their fans can travel, but they already play a lot of regional teams where their fans can already do that.

doesn't the A10 impose penalties for poor scheduling?

https://www.vcuramnation.com/forums/thre...ent.11783/