CAA, NBC reach deal on TV rights for basketball, football
The Colonial Athletic Association has reached five-year agreements with the NBC Sports Group that will provide the most extensive and comprehensive exposure of the conference in its history with coverage on NBC Sports Network and across the group’s regional sports networks.
The agreements, which begin with the 2012-13 season and runs through 2016-17, will provide national television coverage of CAA men’s basketball and football games on the NBC Sports Network, regional television coverage of CAA men’s and women’s basketball and football through the Comcast SportsNet regional networks and coverage of a variety of other CAA sports through NBCSports.com. The CAA is the first collegiate athletic conference to sign a broadcast agreement with the NBC Sports Network, which launched on January 2, 2012. Continue reading “CAA, NBC reach deal on TV rights for basketball, football” »
JMU falls at home to Kent State
Trailing by seven early in the second half, Kent State turned the tide to outscore James Madison 39-12 over the final 16 minutes en route to a 71-51 men’s basketball victory Tuesday evening at the Convocation Center.
Playing on the road for the first time since its season opener, Kent State won its fourth in a row to improve to 6-1. JMU had its three-game winning streak snapped and fell to 4-3.
JMU used a modest 8-3 run to end the first half with a 29-26 lead, its first halftime lead of the season. A jumper by junior guardA.J. Davis (Columbus, Ohio/Harmony Christian) along with threes by senior guardHumpty Hitchens (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) extended the lead nine at 37-28, making it an overall 16-5 run.
The Dukes still led by seven at 39-32 with 16:39 to go when the Golden Flashes dramatically switched the momentum. KSU reeled off seven straight points to tie the score. Then with the game still tied at 42-42, the visitors added a 10-0 burst in less than two minutes to grab control.
JMU could get no closer than eight points on the ensuing basket by freshman forwardEnoch Hood (Norfolk, Va./Booker T. Washington) as Kent State continued to control the game flow. It was still a 10-point margin at 59-49 with less than four minutes remaining when the Flashes used an 8-0 run to seal the victory.
Altogether, Kent State outscored JMU 39-12 after the Dukes the 39-32 lead at the 16:39 mark of the second half. It was a 29-9 margin from the time the teams were tied at 42-42.
Chris Evans led five KSU players in double figures with 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals in the winning effort. Michael Porrini posted a balance stat line with 10 points, seven boards, five assists and three steals. Randal Holt added 10 points, six boards and four assists. Forward Justin Greene posted 10 points, five boards, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Eric Gaines also had 10 points.
Hitchens led JMU with 11 points, three assists and four steals. Freshman guard Arman Marks (Louisville, Ky./Eastern) had the first double-figure game of his career with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting. Junior forward Andrey Semenov (St. Petersburg, Russia/Blue Ridge School) also had 10 points to go with four assists.
JMU’s 51 points, 33 percent shooting from the field and 26 percent from the arc (6-for-23) were all season lows while 15 steals were a season high. Both teams suffered from turnovers with Kent State committing 23 compared to 19 for Madison.
KSU shot 52 percent for the game, fueled by 63 percent (17-for-27) in the second half. The Flashes shot 41 percent from the arc and held a 39-29 advantage in rebounds with six players grabbing at least five missed shots.
Both teams struggled from the field in the first half with JMU shooting 34 percent from the field and hitting just three of its 12 three-point attempts. Kent State hit 40 percent overall but fared better at the arc, hitting 4-of-7.
The Dukes held the largest lead of the opening half, jumping out to a 16-10 advantage. It was a tight back-and-forth affair from that point. KSU held a 23-21 lead before JMU ended the period on an 8-3 run. Madison was up 27-26 before calling timeout with 2.9 seconds remaining. Out of the inbounds play, Hitchens found Marks for an open jumper from the left side, and he banked it in for a 29-26 score at the half.
Semenov led all players with nine points in the first half. Porrini and Evans each had five for Kent State.
JMU will now break for semester exams before resuming action on Dec. 19 when the Dukes host The Citadel at 7 p.m.
JMU falls at Towson in women’s CAA opener
For only the third time in 31 meetings, Towson defeated James Madison as the Tigers posted a 65-58 win in the Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball opener for both teams Sunday afternoon at the Towson Center.
The Dukes, who lost for the first time this season, have a 5-1 record. Towson, whose only losses have come to Top 25 teams Maryland and Connecticut, has a 5-2 record.
“Towson outplayed us; they deserved to win,” said JMU Head Coach Kenny Brooks. “We came out a little bit flat, and we never re-grouped. They were quicker to the loose balls, and we never really had the energy we needed. You can’t come on the road and play lackluster games like this.”
JMU junior guardTarik Hislop (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) led all scorers with 14 points and also made three steals. She was one of three Dukes to score in double figures, joined by redshirt senior forward Lauren Whitehurst (Chesapeake, Va./Indian River) with 12 and redshirt junior guard Jasmine Gill (Greensboro, N.C./Page) with 10.
Whitehurst and junior forward Nikki Newman (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) led the Dukes with eight rebounds apiece.
Five Towson players scored in double figures and two finished with double-doubles. Krystal Parnell and Deree Fooks each scored 13, Tanisha McTiller and Krystin Fields scored 12 apiece and Nyree Williams finished with 11. Williams also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, and Fooks had 13 rebounds.
JMU wins CAA opener
Senior guard Humpty Hitchens (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) nailed a jumper from the left elbow with 2.8 seconds remaining to give James Madison a 62-60 victory over Hofstra in the Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at the Mack Sports Complex.
JMU won its third in a row to improve to 4-2 overall. The Dukes won their CAA opener for the first time in four seasons under head coach Matt Brady and just the second time in the last 11 seasons. Hofstra fell to 3-5 and 0-1 in the league. JMU also snapped a 12-game losing streak in the head-to-head series.
For the second straight game, the Dukes put the ball in Hitchens’ hands with the clock winding down during a tie ball game. With JMU spreading the floor into four corners in a similar fashion to the win at Penn, Hitchens drove to the left elbow and elevated and swished his jumper over Hofstra’s Dwan McMillan with 2.8 seconds left. A half-court heave by Hofstra at the buzzer was no good.
Hitchens finished with a team-high 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, including a trio of three-pointers. Senior forwardJulius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) nearly had a double-double with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Junior guardA.J. Davis (Columbus, Ohio/Harmony Christian) added 12 points for JMU.
Mike Moore led Hofstra with 24 points and seven rebounds, though he was limited to four points in the second half and his only field goal of the period came on the tying bucket in the final 30 seconds. David Imes added 10 points and seven boards.
JMU trailed by four at the break but tied the score quickly in the first two minutes of the second half. Hofstra responded with a 7-0 spurt as part of an overall 12-2 run to grab its largest lead of the game at 43-33.
The Pride still led 47-37 with 11:15 remaining when the Dukes made their push to get back into the game. A pair of threes by Hitchens cut the margin to 48-43 less than two minutes later. Trailing 50-43, juniorAlioune Diouf (Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern) hit a jumper, Wells canned a three and Diouf hit another layup to cap a 13-3 run and tie the score at 50-50 with 7:02 remaining.
With the game knotted at 52-52 for a minute and a half, Hofstra appeared to regain momentum with an interior pass by Shemiye McLendon leading to a Moussa Kone slam followed by a McLendon jumper. The Pride had a chance to extend the lead further after a JMU turnover, but McMillan missed a jumper with two minutes remaining.
With JMU’s leading scorer limited to six points to that juncture, Davis emerged with big plays on consecutive possessions. His three-pointer with 1:47 remaining cut the deficit to one at 56-55. After a Hofstra turnover, Davis converted a three-point play with a jumper and free throw for JMU’s first lead since the last four minutes of the first half.
Held quiet in the second half to that point after posting 20 in the first period, Moore hit a pair of free throws to tie it for the Pride. Hitchens responded with his first big play down the stretch, hitting a jumper from the right baseline to go up 60-58 with 38 seconds left.
Moore responded with his only field goal of the half with 26 seconds left to again tie the score at 60-60. Hitchens then ran the clock down under 10 seconds before making his move to hit the game winner with 2.8 seconds remaining.
JMU shot 42 percent from the floor after hitting 14-of-26 (54 percent) in the second half. The Dukes entered the game ranked third nationally for three-point percentage but hit just six of their 21 attempts (29 percent).
Hofstra shot 41 percent from the floor and was held to 37 percent in the second half following a 44 percent showing in the first half. The Pride shot 6-for-16 (38 percent) from the arc.
The first half was tightly-contested most of the way with neither team grabbing a lead larger than four. With JMU leading 24-21, the Pride went on a quick 10-0 burst to pull ahead 31-24 as the half was winding down. Madison got a final possession with 2.1 seconds left and Hitchens swished a three from beyond half court to cut the margin to 31-27 at the break.
Moore dominated the first half for Hofstra with 20 of the Pride’s 31 points, including four three-pointers. Hitchens had eight in the first half while Davis was limited to four minutes played due to early fouls. JMU had a 22-13 advantage on the boards in the first half with 11 offensive boards leading to an 11-0 advantage in second-chance points.
Following the CAA opener, the Dukes return to non-conference action on Tuesday, Dec. 6 with a 7 p.m. contest against Kent State.
JMU women nip Liberty
In a paint versus perimeter battle at the Vines Center, Thursday evening Liberty controlled the former, outscoring James Madison by 20 points from inside the lane. However, JMU guards Jasmine Gill and Tarik Hislop combined for 44 points, helping the Dukes remain unbeaten with a 62-58 victory.
Gill equaled her career high with 24 points, while Hislop added 20 markers. The duo helped James Madison, ranked No. 5 in the CollegeInsider.com Women’s Mid-Major Top 25, improve to 5-0 on the year.
Meanwhile, Liberty drops to 3-4, despite a solid, 18-point, eight-rebound outing by redshirt senior center Avery Warley. Listed No. 24 in this week’s Mid-Major Top 25, the Lady Flames fall to 1-7 all-time against James Madison.
After James Madison scored the game’s first two points, Liberty reeled off a 9-0 run. Devon Brown, who scored three of those points, converted a steal into a layup 14:08 before halftime to put the Lady Flames on top, 9-2.
Shortly thereafter, the purple-clad Dukes held the Lady Flames scoreless for nearly eight minutes and took the lead for good on the evening. Nikki Newman helped JMU run off 17 straight points during the span, draining a pair of three-pointers during the surge. The junior’s triple from the right wing, giving the Dukes a 22-11 advantage at the 4:47 mark.
Liberty halted its drought with back-to-back three-point plays by Tolu Omotola and Warley, moving to within 24-17 with 3:48 on the clock.
But the Lady Flames would get no closer than seven points for the remainder of the opening half, as James Madison took a 29-21 edge into halftime.
Neither team shot the ball extremely well during the first 20 minutes of play, with JMU hitting 35.5 percent (11-of-31) of its field goals and Liberty making 25.8 percent (8-of-31). The Dukes outrebounded the Lady Flames, 24-22, but Liberty won the “points in the paint” battle, 16-6.
Warley’s seven points paced the Lady Flames’ first-half scoring attack, while tying Brown and Omotola for team-high honors with four rebounds.
JMU’s Gill led all players with 10 first-half points. Hislop chipped in eight points and three assists, while backcourt mate Kirby Burkholder corralled a half-best five rebounds for the Dukes.
Liberty quickly halved its halftime deficit by scoring the first four points of the second stanza. Brown’s left-handed layup at 18:52 made the score 29-25.
The Dukes rebuilt a seven-point advantage, before a 6-0 Lady Flames spurt. Brown’s fast break layup with 14:05 play shaved JMU’s cushion to a single point, 36-35.
James Madison responded quickly, tallying a 12-2 run. Gill accounted for the last five points of the surge, including a triple that made the score 48-37 in favor of the Dukes at the 12:06 mark.
The see-saw nature of the second half continued, with LaKendra Washington dropping consecutive three-point tries from the left wing. The junior’s second long-distance connection brought Liberty to within 48-43 at 11:17.
That was as close as the Lady Flames were able to get until Reagan Miller’s three-pointer from the left wing with 3:07 left made it 54-52, capping a 6-0 Lady Flames surge.
Hislop helped JMU regain control, nailing a perimeter jumper and finding Lauren Whitehurst for a wide-open layup on the Dukes’ next two trips to the offensive end. As a result, the visitors led 58-52 with 2:22 to play.
However Liberty did not go away. A pair of free throws by Brown with 55 seconds left closed the gap again between the Lady Flames and Dukes to two points, 60-58.
Gill countered with a perimeter jumper 18 seconds later, putting the final score at 62-58, as Liberty misfired on its last three shot attempts.
Liberty improved its field goal shooting in the second half, but still ended the contest at just 34.4 percent (22-of-64) from the floor. James Madison finished at 41.9 percent (26-of-62).
The Lady Flames had the upper hand from the foul line, connecting at a 78.6 percent (11-of-14) clip. Meanwhile, the Dukes struggled to a 46.2 percent (6-of-13) clip.
In addition to controlling the points in the paint category, 36-16, Liberty won the rebounding battle, 44-41.
The Lady Flames committed a season-low 14 turnovers, but the visiting Dukes converted those miscues into 20 points.
Warley’s 18 markers, which equaled a season high, put her over 1,100 for her career. The Washington, D.C. native has now posted 1,107 career points.
Brown contributed 13 points on a night where Liberty’s team and coaching staff donned red ribbons to memorialize the death of Brown’s mother, Jennifer Brown, on Nov. 22. Now just seven points shy of 1,000 for her career, Brown also grabbed a season-high nine rebounds.
Danika Dale also totaled nine boards, complementing her six points and team-high five assists. Omotola added eight points, six rebounds and a team-best two steals.
In addition to Gill’s 24 points, the Boston College transfer notched six rebounds and four assists. Hislop led the Dukes with five assists.
Outside sharpshooter Burkholder, ranked No. 5 nationally for three-pointers made, was limited to three points on Thursday. However, she contributed eight rebounds and four steals to JMU’s victory.
Liberty will remain within the Commonwealth of Virginia for its next five games, including a Wednesday contest at Virginia. Tipoff inside John Paul Jones Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
James Madison will tip off CAA play Sunday at 2 p.m., when the Dukes travel to Towson.
JMU takes thriller
Senior guard Humpty Hitchens (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe) hit the game winner with 12 seconds left and senior forwardJulius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) blocked the attempt to tie at the buzzer as James Madison topped Penn 60-58 on Saturday night at The Palestra as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic.
JMU improved to 3-2 overall after winning its first ever meeting with Penn while the Quakers fell to 3-4.
The Dukes held a 56-50 lead with five minutes remaining in the contest but saw the lead evaporate on Zack Rosen’s deep contested three-pointer with the shot clock running out with 1:38 remaining to tie the score at 58-58.
Hitchens tried to match Rosen on JMU’s next possession but came up empty. Rosen then again ran the shot clock down but was whistled for traveling beyond the arc with two seconds on the shot clock and 42.9 seconds on the game clock.
After a timeout, JMU spread the court to give Hitchens a chance to drive the paint. His fadeaway runner from the left side of the lane just snuck over the rim to put the Dukes in front with 12 seconds remaining.
Penn called timeout with 8.5 seconds remaining to set up its final play. After a frantic series of passes, Mike Howlett found himself open on the right block but Wells converged on help defense and elevated for the clinching blocked shot as the buzzer sounded.
Junior guard A.J. Davis (Columbus, Ohio/Harmony Christian) led all players with 19 points, including the first 14 JMU points of the second half as the Dukes took a 43-39 lead after being tied 29-29 at the break. He added five rebounds and three steals. He finished the four-game classic with 91 total points, third most in the event’s five-year history.
Junior forward Andrey Semenov (St. Petersburg, Russia/Blue Ridge School) added 15 points, including 10 in the first half. Wells added nine points and eight rebounds in addition to his clinching block. He moved into the top 10 on the all-time scoring list at JMU, climbing from 11th to ninth with 1,367 career points. Hitchens finished with eight points and five assists while junior guardAlioune Diouf (Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern) contributed a career-best nine rebounds.
Rosen had a double-double for Penn with 15 points, 10 assists and two steals. He was 3-for-5 from the arc, including his late tying trey, while also going 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Henry Brooks had 10 points, Miles Cartwright sank a trio of threes and Tyler Bernardini added eight points and a team-high nine boards.
Following Davis’ 14 consecutive JMU points to begin the second period, Wells sank a three to put the Dukes up 46-39 for their largest lead of the game. Then with the Dukes up 49-43, Penn quickly cut the margin to one at 49-48 and took the lead on a pair of Henry Brooks free throws to make it 50-49 with 7:35 remaining.
Madison went back in front on its next trip down the court as Semenov missed a three from the wing but Wells was fouled on the offensive rebound. The free throws put the Dukes back in front, and after a Rosen missed three, this time Semenov connected on a three. That was followed by a Hitchens steal and layup for a 56-50 margin with five minutes to go.
The Dukes had a chance to build the difference to eight, however Wells missed a pair of free throws and Rosen then made two to cut it to 56-52. Marin Kukoc, son of former NBA star Toni Kukoc, hit a three to make it a one-point game. Wells then hit a pair of free throws prior to Rosen’s deep three to tie the game and set up the hectic finish.
JMU shot 43.5 percent from the field and hit 8-of-20 (40 percent) from the arc. The Dukes were also 12-for-19 (63 percent) at the line and held a 34-28 edge in rebounding. Penn shot 40 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from the arc (10-for-22) and 61.5 percent (8-for-13) at the stripe.
The teams played a tightly-contested first half with Penn holding the largest lead at five points. JMU held a 12-11 lead with 15 minutes to go before a 6-0 run by the Quakers while holding the Dukes scoreless for over four minutes.
The Dukes were still down five at 19-14 when a four-point possession cut it to one as Hood made a free throw. On his ensuing miss, Diouf grabbed the rebound and found Semenov for a three to make it 19-18. JMU tied the game at 25-25 and took a 29-29 tie into the break.
After going 2-2 in the Hoop Group Classic, JMU will play its first Colonial Athletic Association contest of the season next Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. at Hofstra.
Hot shooting pushes JMU past Rider
Junior guard A.J. Davis (Columbus, Ohio/Harmony Christian) shot 8-for-9 as part of a 15-for-21 team effort from the arc as James Madison topped Rider 86-69 as part of the 2011 Philly Hoop Group Classic on Friday afternoon at The Palestra.
JMU snapped a two-game losing skid to improve to 2-2 while Rider fell to 1-5.
Just three days removed from tying the program record with 16 three-pointers in a loss to Robert Morris, JMU hit 15 from downtown on 21 attempts for 71.4 percent accuracy. In the two games combined, the Dukes are 31-for-55 (56.4 percent).
Five different Dukes had a three within the game’s first 11 minutes while Davis led the arsenal by hitting 8-of-9. He finished with a career-best 29 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. He is now 13-for-17 from long distance in the last two games and is averaging 23.8 points to lead the Colonial Athletic Association through four games.
Senior guard Humpty Hitchens (Chillicothe, Ohio/Chillicothe), one game removed from his first career double-double, nearly made it two in a row as he finished with 16 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Junior forwardAndrey Semenov (St. Petersburg, Russia/Blue Ridge School) rang up 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Senior forwardJulius Wells (Toledo, Ohio/Libbey) added 10 points, five boards, four assists and four steals.
After failing to maintain a 10-point lead in the first half, JMU went into the locker room tied with Rider at 38-38. However, the Dukes began the second period with an 8-0 run to reestablish the lead for good.
Rider was within six points at 55-49 at the 12:45 mark of the second half before JMU went on its run. Hitchens hit a runner in the paint while Semenov and Davis hit consecutive threes to extend the lead to 14 at 63-49 and force a Rider timeout.
Jonathon Thompson hit a three for the Broncs before three more treys by the Dukes, a pair by Davis and one by Wells, quickly pushed the margin to 19 at 72-53 with 8:22 remaining. Five straight Madison field goals came from downtown during the overall 17-4 run.
Rider got no closer than 14 the rest of the way while JMU saw its largest lead at 86-64 with 2:07 remaining before finishing the 86-69 victory.
Reserve Brandon Penn led Rider with 21 points in 24 minutes while hitting 4-of-6 from the arc. Thompson added 13 points and eight assists. Daniel Stewart posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds while Novar Gadson chipped in 10 points and four assists.
JMU finished the game shooting 56 percent from the floor while hitting 14 of its 31 attempts within the arc (45 percent) compared to its 71 percent shooting from the arc. The Dukes had a season-best 21 assists and JMU outrebounded Rider 25-14 in the second half after losing the battle for the boards 15-9 in the first period.
Rider shot 44 percent from the field and hit 9-of-21 three-point attempts (43 percent). The Broncs were hurt at the free throw line, hitting 14 of their 27 attempts (52 percent). Rider had just one more turnover than the Dukes (19-18) but were hurt by points off turnovers to the tune of 30-14.
In the first half, JMU broke away from a 10-10 tie to take a 15-10 lead with 14 minutes remaining. The Dukes went up by as much as 11 at 29-18 with eight minutes to go on consecutive threes by Davis and Hitchens.
Madison still led 31-21 before the Broncs closed over the final six minutes. The Dukes were up 36-31 before a three by Thompson and a pair of free throws from Jones tied the game at 36-36. A Hood dunk regained the lead but a lay-in by Penn in the closing seconds tied it up at 38-38 at the break.
Penn had 16 points to lead Rider in the opening 20 minutes while Hitchens had 10 for the Dukes, who hit seven three-pointers in the half.
JMU wraps up play in the Philly Hoop Group Classic on Saturday evening with a 7 p.m. tip against Penn at The Palestra. The game will be televised live on The Comcast Network (TCN Philadelphia & Mid-Atlantic) along with Comcast SportsNet Plus (CSN+).
Virginia Tech transfer eligible immediately for JMU
James Madison men’s basketball head coach Matt Brady announced Tuesday that incoming forward Gene Swindle, a transfer from Virginia Tech, has been cleared by the NCAA to compete immediately for the Dukes during the 2011-12 season.
“We’re absolutely delighted that Gene was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA and we’re eager to welcome him to our team and our program,” declared Brady after the ruling.
Typically NCAA rules require transfers from one Division I institution to another to sit out a season. However, Swindle, who stands at 6’11″ and 260 pounds, was limited to less than one minute of action in three years with the Hokies. After redshirting as a freshman in 2008-09, he suffered an injury to his knee thought to be career ending during a Nov. 17 game against UNC Greensboro. He had one rebound and a missed field goal, his only official career statistics. Swindle then spent the 2010-11 season as an undergraduate assistant coach at VT before deciding to transfer to JMU and give basketball one more shot. He will be a redshirt junior for the Dukes for the 2011-12 campaign.
“I’m just thrilled to be honest after sitting out last year with an injury,” commented Swindle. “Just the fact that I’ve been cleared by the doctors and cleared by the NCAA means the world to me after everything I’ve been through. JMU is a good fit for me. I like the team and the coach and feel like I fit in pretty well with the program.”
Brady added, “He’s a terrific addition to a team that is coming together nicely for JMU in 2011-12. Gene brings terrific character, work ethic and an enthusiastic love of the game to JMU and our basketball program. It was unfortunate that things didn’t work out for him health-wise at Tech. I know they liked him as a player and a person, but JMU became an excellent opportunity for him and for us.”
Swindle originally hails from Miami, Fla. and played scholastically for three years at Gulliver Prep following his freshman year at Westminster Christian School. He was a three-time team captain while leading the Raiders to three straight district titles. Swindle averaged 15.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game during his three years at Gulliver, highlighted by 18.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks as a senior. In addition, he helped the Gulliver water polo team to a state championship as a junior and was a member of the student council. Swindle competed in football and volleyball in addition to basketball as a freshman at Westminster.
JMU releases nonconference hoops schedule
James Madison men’s basketball head coach Matt Brady revealed the 2011-12 non-conference schedule for the Dukes on Wednesday, featuring the Philly Hoop Group Classic, the UCF Holiday Classic, four additional home dates, a pair of quality road opponents and participation in ESPN BracketBusters weekend.
“We’re excited to be adding some top 100-caliber RPI games to our schedule,” stated Brady. “We’re facing programs that have had recent success, including George Washington, East Tennessee State, Rhode Island in the UCF Classic and hopefully UCF in the championship game of that tournament. We’re also excited to be playing in the Philly Hoop Group Classic, which gives us a road game with La Salle, a home game with Robert Morris, which will be picked near the top of the NEC, as well as road games against two teams with NCAA aspirations in Penn and Rider. It’s a schedule with a lot of challenging games, and in order for us to win our fare share of games, we’re going to have to come together and play well.”
Overall, the schedule shapes up to be more challenging than the 2010-11 slate for the Dukes. According to last year’s final ratings percentage index (RPI) of the NCAA, JMU’s non-conference opponents a year ago had an average RPI of 170. The 11 known opponents for 2011-12 hold an average of 144. If the Dukes face UCF that number climbs to 138 and could reach higher depending upon the BracketBusters matchup. Currently, only one opponent this year holds an RPI over 200 while five fell below the mark last year.
Brady added, “We scheduled purposeful road games at GW and ETSU and the Philly Classic. Those are games that we thought would be good series and good for our RPI. The RPI progress we made last year was a significant step for our program to reach 73 by the end of the regular season and be as high as 58 at one point. If we’re healthy this year, we think we can make even further significant progress on it.”
As has been the case for each of Brady’s first three seasons with the Dukes, JMU will host Philadelphia University (NCAA Division II) in a preseason exhibition contest on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. The season then tips off at home on Nov. 13 as JMU hosts Canisius in the return game of a BracketBuster contest from the 2009-10 season, when the Dukes fell 70-66 in Buffalo.
The Dukes then play four games in three different venues over eight days as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. JMU travels to La Salle Nov. 19 and returns home to host Robert Morris Nov. 22. The classic concludes Nov. 25 and 26 at the historic Palestra in Philadelphia with games against Rider and Penn.
December will feature a pair of return dates at home following road victories during the 2010-11 season as the Dukes welcome Kent State on Dec. 6 and The Citadel on Dec. 22. JMU then travels to the nation’s capital for a Dec. 22 contest at George Washington.
JMU will travel to Florida to participate in the UCF Holiday Classic. The Dukes will face Rhode Island, their third Atlantic 10 opponent on the schedule, in Orlando on Dec. 29. The tournament also includes Stetson against the host Knights with consolation and championship games on Dec. 30.
The non-conference portion of the schedule will also include two games in January as the Dukes host in-state foe Hampton on Jan. 9 and travel to East Tennessee State on Jan. 30.
Last year JMU went 21-12 overall, reaching 20 wins and qualifying for postseason play for the second time in three years under Brady as the Dukes competed in March in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) presented by Zebra Pen. JMU returns seven letterwinners and four starters from last year’s squad.
JMU releases nonconference hoops schedule
James Madison men’s basketball head coach Matt Brady revealed the 2011-12 non-conference schedule for the Dukes on Wednesday, featuring the Philly Hoop Group Classic, the UCF Holiday Classic, four additional home dates, a pair of quality road opponents and participation in ESPN BracketBusters weekend.
“We’re excited to be adding some top 100-caliber RPI games to our schedule,” stated Brady. “We’re facing programs that have had recent success, including George Washington, East Tennessee State, Rhode Island in the UCF Classic and hopefully UCF in the championship game of that tournament. We’re also excited to be playing in the Philly Hoop Group Classic, which gives us a road game with La Salle, a home game with Robert Morris, which will be picked near the top of the NEC, as well as road games against two teams with NCAA aspirations in Penn and Rider. It’s a schedule with a lot of challenging games, and in order for us to win our fare share of games, we’re going to have to come together and play well.”
Overall, the schedule shapes up to be more challenging than the 2010-11 slate for the Dukes. According to last year’s final ratings percentage index (RPI) of the NCAA, JMU’s non-conference opponents a year ago had an average RPI of 170. The 11 known opponents for 2011-12 hold an average of 144. If the Dukes face UCF that number climbs to 138 and could reach higher depending upon the BracketBusters matchup. Currently, only one opponent this year holds an RPI over 200 while five fell below the mark last year.
Brady added, “We scheduled purposeful road games at GW and ETSU and the Philly Classic. Those are games that we thought would be good series and good for our RPI. The RPI progress we made last year was a significant step for our program to reach 73 by the end of the regular season and be as high as 58 at one point. If we’re healthy this year, we think we can make even further significant progress on it.”
As has been the case for each of Brady’s first three seasons with the Dukes, JMU will host Philadelphia University (NCAA Division II) in a preseason exhibition contest on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. The season then tips off at home on Nov. 13 as JMU hosts Canisius in the return game of a BracketBuster contest from the 2009-10 season, when the Dukes fell 70-66 in Buffalo.
The Dukes then play four games in three different venues over eight days as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. JMU travels to La Salle Nov. 19 and returns home to host Robert Morris Nov. 22. The classic concludes Nov. 25 and 26 at the historic Palestra in Philadelphia with games against Rider and Penn.
December will feature a pair of return dates at home following road victories during the 2010-11 season as the Dukes welcome Kent State on Dec. 6 and The Citadel on Dec. 22. JMU then travels to the nation’s capital for a Dec. 22 contest at George Washington.
JMU will travel to Florida to participate in the UCF Holiday Classic. The Dukes will face Rhode Island, their third Atlantic 10 opponent on the schedule, in Orlando on Dec. 29. The tournament also includes Stetson against the host Knights with consolation and championship games on Dec. 30.
The non-conference portion of the schedule will also include two games in January as the Dukes host in-state foe Hampton on Jan. 9 and travel to East Tennessee State on Jan. 30.
Last year JMU went 21-12 overall, reaching 20 wins and qualifying for postseason play for the second time in three years under Brady as the Dukes competed in March in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) presented by Zebra Pen. JMU returns seven letterwinners and four starters from last year’s squad.
Sports Roundup: Hoops news, baseball, minors
Outburst pushes P-Nats : The Potomac Nationals’ bats awakened on getaway day in Winston-Salem.VCU fills out hoops recruiting class
Throughout the month of March, the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball program defeated some of college basketball’s heavyweights.
Over a month later, Head Coach Shaka Smart and the Rams haven’t stopped as they landed coveted big man, Jarred Guest (Columbia, S.C.), out of Charis Prep and Richland Northeast High School.
“We’re very excited about adding Jarred to our program,” Smart said. “His athleticism and diverse skill set fit our style of play extremely well. More importantly, He’s a quality young man with a terrific upside, both on and off the court.” Continue reading “VCU fills out hoops recruiting class” »
