JMU gets Radford in NIT
After NCAA snub, Dukes get a consolation game
Posted on March 20, 2008
The JMU women’s basketball team had its bubble burst Monday night after the NCAA tournament selection committee left Madison out of the field.
“Obviously we’re a little bit disappointed because we got a taste of the good life, so to speak, with the NCAAs,” Brooks said, referring to Madison’s 2007 NCAA tournament berth against Pittsburgh, which JMU lost 71-61.
Instead of receiving another at-large bid to the NCAAs, Madison will host Radford in a 7 p.m. first-round Women’s National Invitation Tournament matchup Thursday.
As it turns out, JMU (22-9 overall, 14-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association) doesn’t even have a bye. The top four seeds in each region receive first-round byes in the 48-team tournament, and Madison isn’t among that group of 12 teams. But the home game against Radford was some consolation for a team that has dealt with injuries and a limited roster the entire season.
“The first thought was, we were glad we got a home game,” Brooks said. “I’m a little bit surprised we didn’t get a bye, but we’ll take the home game and at this point in the season, you want as many as you can get.”
But Brooks also alluded to the fact that he expects a sizeable contingent of opposing fans at the Convocation Center, given that Radford is less than 150 miles from Harrisonburg.
And while JMU may have been snubbed by the selection committee, Radford was a basket away from an automatic bid to the NCAAs.
The Highlanders (23-11, 8-4) lost to Liberty in the Big South tournament championship game, 66-65. But Radford coach Jeri Porter said the team is moving on and is focused on slowing down JMU.
“JMU’s a little bit bigger, and probably a little bit more athletic at some key positions,” Porter said in a phone interview Wednesday. “A key for us is gonna be slowing them down in transition.”
The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to play at Indiana on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Hoosiers are 18-14 overall, 10-8 in the Big Ten.
