Dukes Still Looking For Right Mix As CAA Tournament Looms
HARRISONBURG — When push comes to shove, the win is the most important thing for James Madison basketball coach Louis Rowe.
If that means only playing seven players like he did in Thursday’s 95-92 overtime win over William & Mary, then the first-year coach will play seven in a game.
But those decisions have consequences, which Rowe understood as he began his game plan for Saturday’s game at Towson.
“We won a game with guys playing 45, 43, 39 minutes, so I had in my game plan to get some guys out early and see what that chemistry would look like,” Rowe said. “Both times, I was coaching to win the game, but I thought we were OK with those seven guys [against] William & Mary. And once I saw how the game went, I felt like for Towson, it better be in my game plan to get some guys some rest.”
Rowe did utilize his bench more against the Tigers, playing nine players in a 75-65 loss. But the substitutions left the Dukes more vulnerable in certain areas, which Towson exploited.
The issue boils down to how many players Rowe can count on to play consistently throughout the game and avoid the peaks and valleys that have plagued JMU all season.
“We need more guys to step up, be ready and be bought in for this team to continue taking a step [forward],” Rowe said. “In the meantime, the rotation is going to be the way that it is. We have those guys that are solid, I know what I’m going to get, and then you’re trying to figure out what you’re going to get from everybody else.”
The cast of characters that Rowe is referring to is a group of four healthy, scholarship players who, for one reason or another, have not found a niche within the coach’s system.
Players like senior Shakir Brown, who has scored in bunches, but done so inefficiently. Or senior Dimitrije Cabarkapa, who despite averaging nine points in his last four games, has also been a defensive liability by allowing Towson to collect at least three offensive rebounds against him in the first half.
They were two players in particular Rowe talked about needing to rise to the occasion with just two games remaining in the season.
“Dimitrije is as important as anybody on this team because he’s a big, and we need that big in the rotation,” Rowe said. “We need efficient offense from Shak and Dimitrije, and we need consistent defense from Shak and Dimitrije. If we can get consistency on defense and really efficient offense from those guys, that makes us a better team.”
Until a reserve steps up and asserts the need for them to be in the rotation consistently, Rowe will be forced to rely on his current starting five — juniors Joey McLean and Ramone Snowden along with seniors Jackson Kent, Ivan Lukic and Paulius Satkus — to play heavy minutes. Kent currently ranks third in the Colonial Athletic Association with an averaged of 37 minutes played per conference game this season.
Rowe said he understands the need to get his starters rest, but he needs other players to help make that decision easier for him.
“You have to do what’s best for the team and what’s best for those guys,” Rowe said. “Those guys deserve a rest and they deserve somebody to step up. For us to be good, we can’t play seven guys, we have to play more. But those guys have to be ready and have to earn it.”
Rowe will need to find a solution to his substitution problem quickly with so much to play for this weekend. If the Dukes (8-21, 6-10 CAA) manage to sweep their final two games — today at 7 p.m. at Drexel (9-20, 3-13 CAA) and Saturday at noon against Hofstra in Harrisonburg — and Northeastern loses both of its games, JMU will earn the final bye in next week’s CAA Tournament in North Charleston, S.C.
The extra day of rest would be a blessing for a team as depleted and banged up as the Dukes, but Rowe is not looking that far ahead.
“We’re going to have to play a game in Charleston against somebody,” Rowe said after Saturday’s loss to Towson. “If we’re not worried about Thursday, we’re going to play the first day.”