Game 1: George Mason Patriots (21-14, 10-8) vs. Santa Clara (24-11, 9-7) – 10:00 EST – AXS.TV

The Patriots began their CBI run by declawing two Cougars. George Mason domesticated The College and Charleston and Houston mascot, and made those Cougars more like Charlie. In the semifinals, the men in green and gold defeated the Western Michigan Broncos.

Now they’ll try to buck another Bronco group. Santa Clara placed fourth in the always competitive West Coast Conference. SCU has tripled its win total from last season, when the Broncos were 0-16 in conference play. SCU averages 72.3 points per game. The Broncos attempt 21.7 3-pointers per game, and convert on 7.9 (28th nationally).

The Broncos are paced by All-WCC performers Kevin Foster and Marc Trasolini. The legendary fifth-year seniors were part of SCU’s CIT Championship team in 2011. Trasolini missed all of last season with an injury, and Foster missed the final 12 games resulting from a DUI charge.

The 6’2″ Foster is SCU’s all-time leading scorer by a wide margin. It’s impossible to summarize how good he is in a mere few paragraphs. So we’ll quote this:

“Kevin Foster may well go down as one of the greatest all-around players to ever compete in the West Coast Conference. One of just two players to score over 2,300 career points, Foster leads the WCC this year in steals and is No. 6 in assists. Foster has collected 2,355 points (second best in WCC history), 454 assists and 227 steals joining LMU’s Terrell Lowery as the only players in WCC history to accumulate more than 2,000 points, 400 assists and 200 steals (Lowery: 2,201 points, 689 assists and 231 steals).  Foster is No. 2 nationally in active career points scored behind Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum (2,361) who is out for the season with a broken foot.”

Consult the Santa Clara record book with Steve Nash’s name all over it, and understand that Foster’s name will be even more prominent when the season concludes.

Foster has 301 three-point attempts this season, the fifth most among D-1 players. That’s more than Lamar’s entire team (188, by far the fewest attempted by any D-1 team) and the same number of attempts as the George Washington Colonials. He is SCU’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 311.

With 1,649 career points, Trasolini ranks eighth among SCU’s all-time leading scorers. His 15.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game are both career highs. He has 174 blocked shots in his career, the second most in school history.

As always, it’s important to look at the charity stripe. SCU averages 20.8 free throw attempts per game, and makes 15.4. The Broncos’ 73.9% mark from the foul line is good for 39th in D-1. The Broncos commit 19.7 fouls per game, so they’re foul-prone like the Patriots.

The Broncos’ best win (on paper) came on November 14th at St. Louis. They also won at Pacific on December 14th, and played well at Duke on December 29th. They went 0-6 against the top three teams in their conference (Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, and Brigham Young).

George Mason’s best advantage seems to be its depth. We know the Patriots have numerous guys who can put the ball in the hoop, which could be good in a (potential) three-game series against a team that seems a bit top-heavy. Regardless, containing Foster, who has averaged a cool 30 points per game in the first three CBI games, won’t be an easy task.

The one CAA team still playing (George Mason) will play at Santa Clara on Monday. Then, those teams will fly east to play in Fairfax on Wednesday and (if necessary) Friday.

All games will start at 7:00 local time, and will be broadcast on AXS.TV. For Bobby Cremmins’ sake, let’s hope for an increase in scoras and supa plays, and a decrease in turnovas (#SouthernBias).

***

Catching up on all things not CBI:

- The National Association of Basketball Coaches put out its All-District selections earlier this week. Some of the districts are split between two conferences. District 10, which includes the CAA, is not one of them.

James Madison’s Matt Brady and Northeastern’s Bill Coen were named Co-Coaches of the Year.

First Team

Jerrelle Benimon, Towson
Keith Rendleman, UNCW
Devon Saddler, Delaware
Joel Smith, Northeastern
Marcus Thornton, W&M

Second Team

Jamelle Hagins, Delaware
RJ Hunter, Georgia State
Damion Lee, Drexel
Devon Moore, James Madison
Sherrod Wright, George Mason

In summary, the only difference between the All-CAA First Team and this one is the Hunter-Thornton exchange. Incoming CAA member College of Charleston had one member on the list (senior Andrew Lawrence).

- Bryon Allen started the season at point guard for Mason, then gave way to Corey Edwards. Then, Hewitt played Edwards at the one and Allen at the two. Dick Patrick recognizes this as the reason Mason is still playing in late March.

“In the 17 games since the change, Allen is averaging 9.8 points, shooting 49.2% from the field and 44% from three-point range, with 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

In the first 18 games, he averaged 6.1 points on 45.7% shooting from the field and 21.4% from three-point range, with 3.0 assists and 0.7 steals per game. The team averaged 65.1 points in the first 18 games and 70.5 in the last 17.”

- Ed Miller is hard at work chronicling Old Dominion’s search for a head basketball coach.

- Hofstra’s search has been going on for a week now. Former Hofstra alum and NBA guard Speedy Claxton would like to be considered for the position.

- Delaware beat out Drexel and James Madison (three of the 15 scholarship-offering D-1 schools) for the services of 6’6″ wing Devonne Pinkard. Make that five recruits for Monte Ross in 2013. There’s good size with this group.

Pinkard scored 1,303 points in his career, and hit a team-high 50 3-pointers this season. There’s an interview plus video on that first link.

- Via Panther Talk, 2013 point guard Isaiah Dennis committed to Georgia State. When David Travers announced his decision to transfer, point guard became a necessity for Ron Hunter. The 5’11″ Dennis will have a year to learn under Devonta White.

There’s an interview with his coach at the bottom. Clay Crump on Dennis:

“If [a defender] was one-on-one with Isaiah, you could pretty much count it as points or a foul. We liked to get him down the court to take advantage of his speed and finishing ability. Fans can expect the unexpected. No matter how many times you see it his elevation and quickness off the floor is just special. He’s a great competitor and makes big plays in clutch moments.”

- James Madison picked up a commitment from 6’7″ Serbian forward Ivan Lukic. There’s not much on the web about him, but I’ll offer this: he was born in 1993, so he’ll play most (or all) of the season as a 20-year-old. That’s huge. He’s also JMU’s third Euro-born freshman for 2013-2014.

- Final Four reminiscing with George Mason’s 2006 crew, and specifically with Tony Skinn.

- Bob Molinaro waxing nostalgia on CAA conference realignment.

- Florida Gulf Coast dreaming with Kevin Dunleavy.

- Honestly, there are enough rumors circulating (regarding conference realignment) that we could easily turn CAAHoops into Access Hollywood. We already semi-dabbled with that in the preview two links.

To quote MGL, “we cannot stand to deal in rumor at CAAHoops.”

If you want to get in on the gossip, start by typing conference realignment (inserted related conference) here.

As for our stance, we agree with Parks Smith.

A physical, flagrant foul-fest transformed into a 62-52 win for George Mason. It’s an annoying alliterative allusion that aptly describes the game that was.

In the CBI semifinals, the guys in green and gold got off to a start that was very un-Mason (at least, what we’ve seen from Mason this March). The Western Michigan Broncos had more than twice as many points as the Patriots and led 17-8 with 11:23 remaining in the first half.

After gaining holding that nine-point advantage, Western Michigan’s next 14 possessions went something like this:

missed 3 (offensive board), missed 3 (offensive board), turnover, turnover, missed 3, turnover, turnover, missed 3, turnover, turnover, turnover, missed 3, missed jumper (offensive board), turnover, missed free throw, missed 3, missed 3, turnover

In summary, 14 possessions led to nine missed shots and turnovers. The turnovers resulted from bad passes, backcourt violations and offensive fouls. The Patriot defense upped the pressure and made things miserable for the Broncos.

After the score was 17-8, Mason ran off 18 unanswered points before WMU scored another bucket some 550 seconds later (there are 2,400 seconds in a standard collegiate basketball game). The Broncos scored three points in the final 11:32 of the first half. The Patriots scored the first five points after halftime to open a 32-20 lead.

The Patriots allowed the Broncos to stay within striking distance, but the MAC competitor never got closer than seven points. Neither team found any sort of offensive rhythm, as both teams shot in the mid-30s. There were 41 turnovers and 37 personal fouls called, with multiple fouls assessed as the flagrant variety.

If you exclude the three games against Drexel (who managed to out-foul the Patriots in all three meetings), you’d have to go all the way back to January 23rd to find the last game when the Patriots committed fewer fouls than the opposition.

George Mason enjoyed a rare advantage at the foul line (28 GMU attempts to 13 for WMU) where the Patriots hit 85.7% of their free throws. That helped them overcome their 2-of-16 shooting from three.

Jon Arledge established a new career-high with 23 points. Bryon Allen assisted on seven of Mason’s 18 field goals. Corey Edwards produced five steals, which helped GMU earn a 22 points off WMU’s 23 turnovers.

George Mason will play Santa Clara in a best-of-three starting Monday. The location of the final games is still to be determined.

Western Michigan Broncos (22-12) at George Mason Patriots (20-14) – 7:00 – AXS.TV

The Patriots won their first two CBI games, and advanced to the tournament’s semifinals. In the process, they defeated two different Cougar teams that play very contrasting styles. It hasn’t mattered, as the Patriots have scored 78 and 88 points in their two victories.

George Mason made a mockery of the College of Charleston’s solid defense, and scored the second-most points on C of C this season. In the quarterfinals, the Patriots sliced through Houston’s defense like a hot knife through butter en route to a season-high 88 points (yes, they need overtime, but still).

Western Michigan has needed overtime to dispose of both of its CBI foes. WMU beat North Dakota State 72-71 in overtime on March 20th. On Monday night, the Broncos needed overtime to dispose of the Wyoming Cowboys, but escaped Laramie with a 75-67 victory.

Forward Shayne Whittington, the Broncos’ best player, has scored 18 and 16 points in the CBI two wins. The 6’10″ junior’s minutes have more than doubled since last season, and his numbers have drastically improved. Whittington averages 13.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He was a Second-Team All-Mac selection.

Both teams play at similar paces. George Mason averages 67.7 points per game, while Western Michigan averages 66.9. The Broncos have a +2.2 scoring margin, and Mason’s scoring margin is ever so slightly better at +2.3.

The Broncos and Patriots have one common opponent this season.

On November 18th, the Western Michigan Broncos beat the South Florida Bulls 58-53. The Broncos were +11 on the boards that game, and held a 13-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

On December 29th, George Mason took a shot at South Florida. The Patriots put the Bulls on the free-throw line 27 times, and lost by four. Mason shot 2-of-15 from three and committed 16 turnovers.

It was the epitome of an early season Mason game — Sherrod Wright dropped 22 points, but no one else scored more than seven.

It’s silly to look back at nonconference results, but it was a necessary point of reference. As far as this matchup goes, we present two key statistics:

• - The Broncos average 24.0 free throw attempts per game (17th nationally) and make 16.8 free throws per game (16th). The Patriots’ CBI opponents have attempted 22 and 24 free throws in their first two CBI games. It’s fair to expect that the Broncos will have a chance for some easy opportunities against the Patriots.

• - The Broncos turn the ball over on 18.7% of their possessions (279th) and average 14.5 turnovers per game (263rd). Coincidentally, the Patriots’s opponents have averaged 14.5 turnovers in their CBI games.

If (slash when) the Patriots jump out to their big lead, they must keep their foot on the pedal and continue to protect the ball. They look complacent with big leads, and need to attack the rim instead of settling for jump shots.

Right now, I wouldn’t bet against George Mason.

George Mason’s 88-84 overtime win over Houston was not for the faint of heart.

The Sturm und Drang first half was agonizing for the Mason faithful, who have come to expect it from this team of extremes.

187 seconds into the game, the Patriots had raced to a 17-0 lead. Houston began to show signs of competence, but back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman Patrick Holloway gave the Patriots a 28-9 lead, their largest of the game. At that point, they were 11-of-14 from the field.

Offensive ineptitude ensued, and the Patriots went just 4-of-18 from the field down the stretch. Six empty possessions (0-of-5, two turnovers) allowed Houston to pull within 12.

Holloway and Bryon Allen sandwiched 3-pointers around a Vertail Vaughns layup, and pushed the lead back to 16. That series was promptly followed by 10 bucket-less possessions (0-of-8, three turnovers) that yieled just two points via the foul line.

With 50 seconds left in the first half, Houston hit two free throws to pull within two.

Corey Edwards hit a giant three-point bomb to push the lead back to five. Houston missed its next shot, and committed an inexplicable foul with 10 seconds left. Marko Gujanicic hit two free throws, and the Patriots entered halftime with a 43-36 lead.

If you’re wondering how Houston came back, the simple answer is TaShawn Thomas. The talented sophomore did his work down low, turning an early 10-point deficit inside the paint into a 22-14 advantage by halftime. He had 12 points and nine boards in the first half. By the end of the game, he had almost doubled both numbers.

After halftime, the Patriots lead grew as high as nine, and remained a multi-possession game until five minutes remained. At that point, Houston was 1-of-13 from downtown.

This fact was lost on sophomore Joseph Young, who ran off 11 consecutive points (including a trio of trifectas) and two free throws that gave Houston its only lead of the game, 75-74 with 1:24 left in regulation.

Jonathan Arledge had a monster slam, and Houston turned the ball over on its next possession. Sherrod Wright (crazy that we haven’t mentioned him until now) went 1-of-2 from the foul line, which left the door open for Houston. Cougar guard Tione Womack found Thomas open for the slam dunk that tied the game at 77-all, and sent it into overtime.

On the first possession of overtime, Wright drilled a 3-pointer with one second left on the shot clock to give Mason the go-ahead 80-77 lead. As was the case at the end of regulation, the Patriots missed a few free throws that left the door open. With a three-point lead and 10 seconds left, Mason elected to foul Houston.

Houston made the first free throw and missed the second, but seemingly secured the rebound. Gujanicic stripped the ball from the Houston player, and made an ill-advised heave from the corner of the court back toward Houson’s free-throw line. Wright received the pass, was fouled, and hit both free throws, which allowed Mason to secure the four-point victory.

Wright finished the night with a career-high 29 points. He was 11-of-14 from the foul line, and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Allen filled the stat sheet with 10 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Arledge and Holloway chipped in 11 points apiece.

The Patriots overcame a 24-point, 17-rebound game from TaShawn Thomas, and 21 points from Joseph Young, by shooting 11-of-22 from downtown. Houston is done for the season, but is a team to remember in the future. They’re top four scorers have at least two years of eligibility remaining.

George Mason will host Western Michigan in the CBI Quarterfinals on Wednesday. We’ll address that (and hopefully more pressing issues) tomorrow.

***

We never imagined writing that much on the a CBI game, but overtime games played in the 80s have their draws.

As always, speculation is rampant about future conference realignment. Later on, we’ll be sure to provide links to stories with concrete leads and evidence of future change, as well as a preview of Mason’s CBI semifinal game.

You’ve known this for about 24 hours, which is only about an hour less than Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner Tom Yeager.

The George Mason Patriots are Atlantic 10 bound.

George Mason Director of Athletics Tom O’Connor broke the news to Yeager last night. He said it was a very emotional call to make to his longtime friend. O’Connor stated that Yeager “has provided excellent leadership for the CAA since day one.”

James Madison, UNCW, and William & Mary, are the only original CAA members remaining from the league’s inception in 1985.

Here are the financial details and immediate ramifications:

- George Mason will withdraw from CAA membership on July 1st, 2013.

- George Mason’s seven spring sports (baseball, men’s golf, women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, softball, men’s and women’s tennis) will become ineligible for CAA 2013 spring championships.

- George Mason will forfeit its 2013 conference distribution ($330,000) and future distributions (through 2017, totaling an additional $1.32 million). The University will also pay a minimum liquidated damages fee of at least $1 million).

- Total forfeited funds will be about ~ $2.65 million.

- George Mason’s membership in the Colonial Academic Alliance will terminate on July 1, 2013. The Academic Alliance office, housed on George Mason’s campus, will relocate to another campus.

And finally, the CAA’s Official Statement:

“We are disappointed by George Mason’s decision to withdraw from the CAA after 30 years as a charter member.  We wish them well as they strive to achieve the same level of competitive success in a new conference. The CAA’s Council of Presidents will continue to aggressively pursue institutions committed to providing the finest academic and athletic opportunities for our student-athletes.”

Here’s what we gathered from Mason’s official news conference, which came at 1:00 this afternoon:

- The University believes that joining the A-10 will have value in many ways.

- Joining the A-10 will contribute to building the Mason brand.

- In summary, the choice to move to the A-10 is a very exciting and sound decision.

George Mason contemplated joining the A-10 last year. It’s important to note that University President Ángel Cabrera did not become the president until July 1st, 2012. Thus, the previous regime denied the opportunity to move into the A-10.

A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade on Mason’s move:

“The addition of George Mason further strengthens our footprint, enhances our brand and will allow us to continue to build on our national prominence and success in men’s basketball and all sports.”

Here’s the official link from George Mason.

Here’s Brian Mull’s speculation on what the move may mean for the rest of the CAA.

We’re expecting some movement from the A-10 in the coming days. We’ll have much more on this later.

Houston Cougars (20-12) at George Mason Patriots (19-14) – 7:00 (AXS.TV)

In their first CBI game, the Patriots had to prepare for a tough defense. The Patriots responded by scoring more points on College of Charleston than any team since early December.

To put it this way, only one other team has scored at least 78 points on College of Charleston this season. The Louisville Cardinals beat C of C 80-38 on December 4th.

Elite company.

In the CBI’s Elite Eight Equivalent, George Mason will face a much less formidable defense, as the Houston Cougars give up an average of 73.3 points per game (313th in the country).

However, Houston averages 77.1 points per game – eighth in the country (CAAHoops teams have now played three of the nation’s top eight offenses in the postseason).

The Cougars shoot 36.4% from three, but what concerns me is their free-throw shooting rates. They get to the line 23.2 times a game, and average 16.7 made free throws. The Patriots have struggled against good free-throw shooting teams because they put them on the line so often.

In the first round, Houston defeated a Texas team that is better than most people believe. The Longhorns were a good team once Myck Kabongo came back, and they were also the youngest team in D-I this year.

Regardless, if the Patriots continue to hit shots as they have in their past two games, you’d have to think they have a good chance to win. The obvious emotional elations of today’s announcements should make for another stellar performance.

Sherrod Wright needs to stay aggressive. If Bryon Allen can snag some rebounds and get the Patriots moving down the court fast, Mason can match Houston’s potent offense stride for stride.

Amidst the NCAA Tournament madness, Hofstra University officially parted ways with Mo Cassara on Friday. Cassara had a 38-59 record in his three seasons in Hempstead.

The timing was certainly weird, as the news broke on Friday Morning in the heart of March Madness. At the conclusion of the CAA Tournament, it appeared that Cassara’s job was safe. Considering that Athletic Director Jeff Hathaway has been on campus for less than year, it makes sense to go in a new direction.

It’s worth noting that before this season, Cassara’s record at Hofstra was 31-34. The Pride looked primed for a big season before the Felonious Four was kicked off the team on November 30th. A 3-2 start through the first five games curtailed into a 7-25 finish.

Combine that with the fact that two other players have been on the wrong end of legal charges this month, and you can understand the administration’s thinking. There is speculation about what the arrests of Taran Buie and Jamal Coombs-Mcdaniel could mean for the players’ futures at Hofstra.

Patrick Sellers, a former assistant at UConn, will serve as the team’s interim head coach. There’s no deadline for hiring a new coach, but a few potential candidates are listed here. There’s a video from the press conference on Newsday.

Hofstra has six committed to join the school for the 2013-2014 season.

Regardless of the circumstances, this is certainly disappointing. Cassara is a great coach. He will land on his feet somewhere, and considering that he’s only 38, he should have a chance to be a head coach again (in due time).

As always, you should read Jerry Beach’s thoughts.

***

A few links:

-  A close look at JMU’s Andre Nation inspired CBSSports’ Jeff Borzello to pen this piece. Jake Fischer has similar thoughts on Nation.

- The times are a-changin’ in Wilmington. Forward Tyree Graham will not return to UNCW next season. Aside from Andre Gray, Buzz Peterson will have a crew of new assistants.

- This is a little older, but Northeastern head coach Bill Coen’s stellar job was honored by the USBWA. Bravo, coach, you deserve it.

- Ron Hunter was honored for his feats off the court. Next year, I think he’ll have a chance to earn some on the court credentials.

- Speaking of coaches, Ed Miller gets us caught up on the search in Norfolk.

- William & Mary will lose Matt Rum next year. The Tribe has some areas to work on, but both Dave Fairbank and Chris Weber recognize the Tribe’s potential.

- We’re going to talk about this, because the Charleston Cougars next basketball game will come as a member of #CAAHoops. Here’s a Q&A with head coach Doug Wojcik (we hope to catch up with him at some point in the not-so-distant future). Also noteworthy: forward Trent Wiedeman will transfer.

***

We’ll have a preview for George Mason’s CBI game with Houston tomorrow, but chances are the Patriots will be talking about something much different.

The James Madison Dukes were unable to make NCAA Tournament history. Assuming Kansas takes care of business against Western Kentucky tonight, one seeds will run their record to 116-0 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Indiana’s 83-62 win over JMU gave the Hoosiers’ the right to advance to play the Temple Owls.

Thus, the Dukes need not be ashamed. In fact, I think they can even be proud. The Dukes trailed by 21 at halftime — and lost by 21. Even when they trailed by 33, the Dukes kept coming, and never gave up. JMU was simply outmatched against one of the country’s best teams.

JMU freshman guard Andre Nation said it best:

“They run faster than any team we’ve played. They threw the first punch, then they threw another punch, and they kept throwing them, and we weren’t throwing any back.”

The Dukes could not overcome the initial haymaker that was the Hoosiers’ first half. Despite shooting 54.8% in the second half, JMU could not overcome the big first-half deficit.

Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell scored the first nine points of the game, and 14 of Indiana’s first 16 points. On his first three buckets of the game (all layups) the JMU defense parted like the Red Sea, and gave him a clear path to the basket.

When JMU’s defense tightened up, Ferrell showed his range, banging home a pair of 3-pointers. Ferrell shot 6-of-6 from the field, and scored 14 points, grabbed seven boards, and dished out three assists in his monster first half.

Ferrell on the opening sequence:

“I was just trying to push the ball in transition really and find openings. The lane kind of just opened up for me, and I kept attacking at the beginning. When they closed it up, I’d just kick it out. So those first early drives really helped us.”

Ferrell’s stellar play was coupled with some emphatic slam dunks from Cody Zeller.

The Dukes looked like they had a chance to climb back into the game when Nation drained back-to-back 3-pointers in the first half. Nation’s second triple brought the Dukes within 14 with 3:44 to play in the first half.

At that point, Jordan Hulls and Will Sheehey scored Indiana’s next nine points, and the Hoosiers made a 9-2 run into halftime. Indiana led 43-22 at the half.

The Dukes shot 29% (9-of-31) in the first half. Those not named Nation or AJ Davis were 2-of-17 from the floor.

In terms of scoring, JMU played dead even with Indiana in the second half. Unfortunately, the 21-point halftime deficit was too much for JMU to overcome. Davis, who drew Big 10 Defense Player of the Year Victor Oladipo, did not attempt a shot in the second half.

JMU shot 17-of-31 in the second half, and the Dukes’ stellar freshman class was on full display.

Nation and Charles Cooke fearlessly knocked down jumper after jumper in the second half. When the final buzzer sounded, both had ended the game with new career-highs (Nation – 24, Cooke – 18).

The Hoosiers’ extreme sizes (compared to a JMU team that started five guys between 6’4″-6’6″), with small, quick guards like Ferrell and Hulls, bolstered by frontcourt stalwarts Sheehey, Zeller and Christian Watford, made this an uphill battle.

This fact was not lost on JMU head coach Matt Brady:

“I feel like we clearly lost to a better team today. Watching them on tape and trying to prepare your team for Indiana is one thing, and then being on the court with them and having our team play against those guys with the speed and power with which they run plays, and the quickness with which they pass the ball was really impressive.”

The Hoosiers held a 36-20 advantage for points in the paint.

In regards to Ferrell and Hulls, JMU employed a similar strategy to the LIU-Brooklyn game: give them space, and try to beat them with your length.

Unfortunately, Indiana has one of the quickest guards in the NCAA (Ferrell) and a historically prolific three-point shooter (Hulls), two talented players that can beat you in a number of ways.

Indiana scored 16 points from the foul line. JMU had just four total free-throw attempts.

Collectively, JMU’s senior class certainly hoped for a better game, and Indiana head coach Tom Crean acknowledged this as part of his team’s success:

“I think the key to the game for us is we did a great job on the older guys, on Moore, on Goins, on Davis, and we had a lot of respect for Nation. He made some tough plays, and he’s an excellent player.”

It was a tough shooting night for them, but we all know that Davis, Goins, Moore and Alioune Diouf got JMU this far. Moore, JMU’s all-time leader in assists, finished his career with 502 dimes.

Moore attempted to summarize the emotional aspect of his final collegiate outing: 

“The whole season, words can’t describe it. It’s been amazing. I know I had it rough as far as what was going on with my mom, but I’ve got a great staff behind me that helped me through everything and great young players that helped me. It definitely was hard, and I’m definitely going to miss everything about JMU and this program and everything because they’re family to me now.”

For freshmen, like Nation and Cooke, the seniors’ guidance was a true blessing:

Nation: “They took us under their wings from day one, so I love them boys. Those are my brothers, man. It just hurts, it just hurts man.”

Cooke: “From day one they just taught us so much. Even throughout the season, both of us, they just told us a lot of details about the game of basketball that we didn’t know coming into college basketball. So for the most part, it was a tremendous help. Just like Dre said, we’re going to miss them. We’re sad we only had one year with them. We wish we had another one. It’s just unfortunate.”

***

There will be more thoughts on JMU’s impressive season, as well as a changing of the guard at Hofstra, later on.

Throughout the entirety of their postseason success, the James Madison Dukes have stayed loose and enjoyed the experience. If you need any evidence of that, do yourself a favor and watch the Nation Vision episodes.

Now that they’ve taken care of business and secured the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in 30 years, they can really start to enjoy themselves.

The play-in game proved to be a blessing, as it gave the Dukes the opportunity to get their tournament feet wet, and shake off any potential rust from the nine-day layoff (while also giving the CAA a little extra scrilla). The Dukes haven’t lost since Senior Day against Georgia State on February 23rd.

The pressure is on Indiana now, because everyone expects the Hoosiers to win.

So what’s the game plan for slowing down the nation’s second-highest scoring offense from the best conference in America? It’s funny, because when VCU met Indiana in the Third Round (NCAA terms, not mine) last year, Mr. Litos pointed out that Indiana was a lot like Wichita State, in terms of how a team has to prepare.

I’m not going to make the ridiculous comparison that Indiana is like LIU-Brooklyn. The Hoosiers are an entirely different…er… Mark Selig, what is a Hoosier? Still, in terms of preparation, JMU will, once again, be preparing for another talented big man and a group of phenomenal 3-point shooters.

Indiana ranks Top 10 in categories aplenty. If you don’t feel like clicking, the most Hoosiers’ most notable statistical accomplishments: averaging 80 points/game (second nationally), shooting 41.1% from three (second nationally) and making 18.9 free throws/game (second nationally).

Rayshawn Goins, who will provide primary defensive duty on Cody Zeller, said the goal is to limit the big man’s touches. Coach Brady said the idea is to stifle Indiana’s activity in the post (Christian Watford and Victor Oladipo work in the paint as well) and force Indiana’s big men into perimeter jump shots.

To tell you the truth, I feel pretty good about Andre Nation’s chances against Victor Oladipo. However, I’m sure Oladipo feels equally confident going against Nation, although it would’t surprise me if Oladipo guards JMU’s top offensive threat AJ Davis.

I was about to say that JMU needs to hope this game is played in the 60s. Then I realized the Dukes are 5-7 this year when their opponents score between 60-69 points. JMU is 11-1 when holding opponents below 60 points. The Dukes are 4-3 when the opponent scores between 70-79.

Regardless of that, JMU will try to keep the score as low as possible. Too bad Bo Ryan isn’t in Dayton to give Matt Brady some helpful thoughts.

Regardless of what happens today, JMU has played incredibly well over the past few weeks. The Dukes seniors have given this program a bright future, and that all starts with Devon Moore. Moore’s had a crazy season, trying to be a student athlete while supporting his family in Ohio. He’s the heart and soul of this JMU team. 

The right mentality is a good start, and having JMU’s most dedicated fans en route from Harrisonburg will certainly help. It’s nice that Ohio State plays after JMU today – I wonder who the Buckeye fans will support in this one?

More opinions on Friday’s game can be found here and here.

I stole my this score prediction from CAAZone.

James Madison 21, Indiana 16