JMU MBB Preview

https://jmusports.com/news/2023/1/25/men...olina.aspx

Mettlen write up

https://www.dnronline.com/sun_belt_extra...87365.html

Any Sule update?

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(01-26-2023 11:53 AM)Halz87 Wrote:  Any Sule update?

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Coach By really didn't seem to know when he was asked this week.
He said that it was an upper body injury that happened at practice.
He said he could be back soon or could even be out for the season. He didn't seem to have any idea on when Sule would be returning.

This should be a feel good homestand with 2 crappy teams coming to town.
7-10 Coastal does have one player that could be a problem in the paint. They have a 6’9” 250lb Egyptian that is a double double machine. Hopefully he doesn’t ragdoll the Dukes inside and instead walks like an Egyptian when he has the ball.

I only recognized 2 coaches when JMU entered the Sun Belt and Cliff Ellis was one of them as he has been in the Southeast forever. He has somehow been around a long long time after flaming out in the ACC and SEC. Good for him still coaching at 77 years old and I would be happy to be in his shoes at that age.
But he is clearly on the active retirement plan in Myrtle Beach and probably has a solid geriatric fanbase in that area.

The Dukes are playing one of the worst defenses in the country so the offense should look better by default tonight. Maybe Friedel continues to shoot out of his slump. Maybe Byington finally decides on a consistent rotation instead of haphazard substitution patterns. The team is way behind the curve on offense for where a veteran laden roster should be. This feels like a Dr. Jekyll game at home when the good version of the Dukes should show up.

James Madison University 92
Coastal Carolina beach chickens 75

Old guy still kickin’ it

Seems like a great environment there at the AUBC with the students filling in on the stream. Starting out as a game of streaks.

Dukes open on a 17-2 to run.
Coastal responds with a 10-0 run.
Dukes answer with a 7-0 run.

26-18 with 8 minutes left in 1H

(01-26-2023 12:24 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  This should be a feel good homestand with 2 crappy teams coming to town.
7-10 Coastal does have one player that could be a problem in the paint. They have a 6’9” 250lb Egyptian that is a double double machine. Hopefully he doesn’t ragdoll the Dukes inside and instead walks like an Egyptian when he has the ball.

I only recognized 2 coaches when JMU entered the Sun Belt and Cliff Ellis was one of them as he has been in the Southeast forever. He has somehow been around a long long time after flaming out in the ACC and SEC. Good for him still coaching at 77 years old and I would be happy to be in his shoes at that age.
But he is clearly on the active retirement plan in Myrtle Beach and probably has a solid geriatric fanbase in that area.

The Dukes are playing one of the worst defenses in the country so the offense should look better by default tonight. Maybe Friedel continues to shoot out of his slump. Maybe Byington finally decides on a consistent rotation instead of haphazard substitution patterns. The team is way behind the curve on offense for where a veteran laden roster should be. This feels like a Dr. Jekyll game at home when the good version of the Dukes should show up.

James Madison University 92
Coastal Carolina beach chickens 75

Old guy still kickin’ it

We can't get rid of Cliff. Same thing every freaking year.

Dukes with a double digit lead most of the first half and lead 47-37.
It should be more. Despite the score, the offense is still so undisciplined.

Has Byington suffered a mid-season crisis and bailed on the full court defense? Maybe he thinks he doesn’t need it to beat Costal. There d is as soft as charmin and the Dukes could be headed for 100 if they play smarter on offense. Free nuggets are coming !

(01-26-2023 07:53 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Dukes with a double digit lead most of the first half and lead 47-37.
It should be more. Despite the score, the offense is still so undisciplined.

Has Byington suffered a mid-season crisis and bailed on the full court defense? Maybe he thinks he doesn’t need it to beat Costal. There d is as soft as charmin and the Dukes could be headed for 100 if they play smarter on offense. Free nuggets are coming !

Once they took a 47-30 lead it just seemed like everyone was trying to chuck a three. No one was passing and they would dribble out behind the line and pull from three, even Mezie...

It was a fortunate matchup for the offense against Coastal's worst-in-the-SBC defense, but I am still no way encouraged against better, more physical defenses.

53% of our shots have been from downtown.
66.7% from two, 35% from three
90% FT shooting

Our only saving grace is that Coastal is letting us score easily at the rim, their best scorers have been MIA, and they've committed almost twice as many turnovers. A 10 point lead is too close in a game where all three of those align.

I tuned out at half to get my kids ready for bed and check the score to see the game is tied at 58-58. WTF?!

Just came back from dinner and checked the score. Was hoping for improvement and a 20 pt win. Now just hoping we don’t lose. ?☹️

Can’t complain about the refs tonight.

Avoided a bad loss, got a win and didn't play well. Hoping we can get some shots to fall on Saturday for a convincing win.

Refs gave us some gifts, but we made the shots and got the rebounds when it counted

Take the win and keep working to improve. We've still got a shot at landing a top 4 seed for the tourney.

That felt like the Dukes escaped with a win and probably only because Coastal sucks. At least they didn’t lose at home to Texas State or App State? Is that considered progress?

The offense continues to be a headscratcher as this team is poorly coached on that side of the ball. Just do whatever you want to do, fire up ill advised shots without probing for better looks, and never get benched for poor shot selection. Byington is the problem here. He has the most experienced team he will ever have and they look like they are in their first year of organized basketball. It makes no sense.

Style points = zero tonight and all kinds of red flags still exist 70% of way through the season. There are 4 short weeks before tourney time and the Dukes aren’t close to being ready.

Take the win no matter how ugly because a loss would have been the nail in the coffin for a top 4 finish and the double bye.

(01-26-2023 09:04 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  Refs gave us some gifts, but we made the shots and got the rebounds when it counted

Only caught the game around 58-58? I think…

Is this a home court ref advantage conference? Dukes seem to have been on the road for some of the more poorly officiated games.

Up 15-18 points, we should have been pounding inside to force fouls.

Most of our looks we're not worse than CCU - they flat out shot better. Much of this is because, they leaned on the hot shooters. Taq was out of a groove tonight - 1 bucket, no 3's and missed 2 FTs. It happens, he has played great other nights.

We up-tempo sometimes requiring both the pass and the shooter to be excellent - when we have a man advantage. It is really deflating to do everything right on the defensive end - miss a bunny and then give up points the other way.

I don't see most of this as bad coaching or poor shot selection. Mostly it is situational awareness. You're up 10 and you steal the ball. Make sure that you get an uncontested run out or set your offense. This is a scary team - if we're playing great D, stroking the 3, and not getting killed on the boards we have the depth to wear teams out. So far, I haven't really seen us roll out this combo for Sun Belt play. We'll need some help to finish in the top 4.

Anyone know anything about why Strickland and Brown didn't play? Strickland also barely played at Southern Miss, and I've noticed him often with some kind of thing around his back that I assume is for massage or heat... Maybe dealing with some nagging back problem? Of course Vado, Nacho, and Fat played well so maybe By just wanted to keep rolling with those guys. I thought there were times we could use the XB spark though.

We're just not a good half court team, on either side of the ball, right now. Unfortunately, most of the game takes place in that situation.

I'm coming to realize that I liked Player Byington a lot better than Coach Byington. And I hated Player Byington because he and his teams owned us.

(01-26-2023 11:59 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(01-26-2023 11:53 AM)Halz87 Wrote:  Any Sule update?

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Coach By really didn't seem to know when he was asked this week.
He said that it was an upper body injury that happened at practice.
He said he could be back soon or could even be out for the season. He didn't seem to have any idea on when Sule would be returning.

Would be nice to have him healthy for the stretch run. He's a physical front court player and we are thin in that department.