Drastically different in ’07-’08

By Wes Shaw, staff writer
Posted on October 15, 2007

Last year, Madison reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in coach Kenny Brooks’ five years. The Dukes went 25-4 in the regular season, 16-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association, and 2-1 in the CAA tournament, losing in the championship match to ODU. Four of its players averaged double-digit points, including CAA player of the year, Meredith Alexis.

This season, only one starter returns from the successful 2006-07 squad. Four true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and two transfers are on Coach Kenny Brooks’ roster this season.

“At this time last year they could have run the practice themselves, they were so experienced,” Brooks said. “This year we’ve got a lot of new faces and people looking at me like, ‘Okay, what are you talking about?’”

The biggest loss suffered was the departure of Alexis, who graduated last year. She is currently JMU’s all-time leading scorer, and was recognized last year as JMU’s female athlete of the year, CAA player of the year, while also receiving an All-American honor.

Last year the 6’3” senior averaged 18.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 53 percent from the field. These would be difficult numbers for any team to replace, let alone a team that lost three other starters.

“Meredith was a big part of our team and what we did last year,” senior Tamera Young said. “We are all going to have to come together. We lost four starters, so it’s going to be everybody putting in their part and everybody having to do something together.”

Young will be the leader for the inexperienced team as the only returning starter. She earned first team All-CAA honors last year, averaging 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds a game. In Alexis’s absence, Young figures to draw most of the attention from opposing defenses.

“Tamera Young is probably one of, if not the most talented player in the CAA,” Brooks said.

Young will need to prove her coach right for the Dukes to have a successful season. Her leadership will be needed both off and on the court.

“Last year I led more by example, just by working hard,” Young said. “This year I have to be a leader vocally, because I am the only returning starter and I’m a senior. We have a lot of newcomers, so it’s important to help them learn our system and keep talking to them, letting them know how coach Brooks wants it done.”

A tough schedule will make repeating last year’s success even more difficult.  Madison faces George Washington, a team it suffered its first lost to last year, five games into the season.

Working in Madison’s favor against the Colonials will be the 26-game home winning streak the Dukes have entering the season. Dating back to the ’05-’06 season, JMU has not lost a match at home, the longest such streak in the country.

Still, Madison’s schedule will test it throughout the year. Games at rivals ODU and VCU late in the season will be important in-conference matches.

“[Our schedule] gives us an opportunity to go out and better ourselves, Brooks said. “It is definitely challenging. I think it’s one that is going to prepare us well for the CAA championships. The CAA is going to be a very challenging conference this year.”

The Dukes enter the season with CAA-title aspirations, despite the obvious challenges they face. Madison plays its first regular-season game at home November 10 against Harvard.

“I know there are a lot of doubters, or people who say we lost a lot,” Brooks said. “But we want to focus on what we have coming back. And what we have is a very good basketball team.”