Saturday afternoon offered the general public its first look at the James Madison men’s basketball team with the Purple and Gold scrimmage inside the Convocation Center.
Roughly a few hundred fans wandered in from the homecoming tailgate parties outside to watch an intrasquad contest that saw the Dukes debut a new, faster-paced style and a freshman class that will be asked to contribute along with four returning starters: Matt Lewis, Darius Banks, Dwight Wilson and Deshon Parker.
The season starts for real Nov. 6, at home against Charlotte, with an exhibition against Eastern Mennonite a week away. Based on what we’ve seen and heard this preseason, including Saturday’s scrimmage, here are four observations heading into head coach Louis Rowe’s fourth season.
Dukes Are Speeding Things Up
The buzz about increasing the pace appears to be more than just talk. JMU scored 92 points in a so-called secret scrimmage at Appalachian State two weeks ago and got up and down the floor in a hurry Saturday, when the purple and gold squads played two 12-minute halves.
I left a few minutes before the end to get to cover my other beat and get the Bridgewater-Washington & Lee football game, so I only kept track of scoring in the first half, but it was 43-37 after 12 minutes. It wasn’t necessarily a lack of defensive intensity as much as JMU not hesitating to take the first good look on each possession.
Given that some of the Dukes’ best performances last season — the win at Hofstra comes to mind — were high-scoring affairs it’s an interesting development. The ability to push the tempo will be put to the test early with the first two games against Pack Line Defense programs Charlotte and Virginia.
ZACH JACOBS COULD BE A BIG FACTOR
JMU returns three players who averaged double figures in scoring last year: Matt Lewis (16.4 ppg), Darius Banks (12.3) and Dwight Wilson (10.2). Not surprisingly, those three were the leading scorers at Appalachian State and got off to hot starts Saturday. Banks scored 15 in the first period, Lewis 13 and Wilson 10.
But a fourth junior, Zach Jacobs also had 10 in the first half, nailing a couple of 3-pointers in the process. At every interview session since the summer somebody has mentioned Jacobs improvement and what he’s shown in scrimmages and pickup games backs it up. JMU desperately needed more production from a big man other than Wilson last season, and it appears Jacobs may be in a position to step up and add some quality depth to the post rotation.
HARVEY CAN SCORE
Rowe wants to get 30 minutes or more per game out of starters Lewis, Banks and Parker in the backcourt. But the Dukes will look to a freshman or two to provide some quality minutes off the bench and guards Jayvis Harvey, Quinn Richey and Zyon Dobbs all made some nice plays.
Harvey in particular looked like somebody who might be ready to contribute right away. He opened the game with a 3-pointer and also knocked down a mid-range jumper and took it to the rim for a bucket early on.
Three-star small forward Michael Christmas was the big name in the recruiting class, turning down some major-conference interest to come to JMU, and he’s in the mix for a starting spot. But Harvey was also a real recruiting coup for the Dukes with some top-notch mid-majors after the Durham, N.C., product. Harvey originally committed to Radford and was a high-priority target for Hofstra before he signed with JMU.
THE STARTING GUARDS ALL ADDED TO THEIR GAMES
A big reason for higher expectations at JMU, where the Dukes are picked fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason poll after going 14-19 last season, is the backcourt.
Lewis and Banks were both preseason All-CAA picks, Lewis first-team and Banks second-team. Parker was on the league’s all-rookie team last year. Thus far it seems all three have added elements to their offensive games.
Parker, an assist machine last year, was taking it to the basket aggressively. Lewis, a volume scorer with a smooth stroke from deep, showed off a running floater more than once. And Banks, while maybe it’s not a completely new skill, continues to develop as a 3-point shooter.
Three early treys from Banks continued a trend from the offseason and with his ability to guard four positions, a consistent 3-point shot bodes well for the Florida native, not just or his future at JMU, but also his prospects of someday playing basketball for a living.
