Dukes lack rebounding

On the sidelines

Just as the second half started last Wednesday night as the men's basketball team trailed Hofstra University, 33-20, a JMU fan yelled, "You have to want it!"

Well, I want a brand new car, but that doesn't mean one is going to be sitting in front of my apartment when I wake up in the morning.

My point is that the Dukes can want to win as much as they please, but it takes more than desire to win a basketball game. It also takes skill and knowledge. The Dukes seem to be missing the skills of rebounding and boxing out in the lane.

Against Hofstra, JMU was out-rebounded 48-29. The Pride had 27 boards in the first half alone. In addition, the Dukes managed only one offensive rebound before halftime.

Following the loss to the Pride, coach Sherman Dillard said, "We're just a bad rebounding team. We just are."

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

In Colonial Athletic Association play, the Dukes are dead last in rebounding margin per game. JMU's average is -9.0 rebounds a game. The next worse is -3.5 by George Mason University, which probably is why the Dukes only lost to the Patriots 74-70 Saturday. Also, not one JMU player even ranks in the top 20 in CAA rebounding — the only conference team that can claim that.

Part of the problem is that the Dukes don't have a legitimate center. The only one listed on the roster as a center is freshman Eddie Greene-Long, who is 6 feet 9 inches tall. The Dukes occasionally use freshman forward Chris Cathlin and red-shirt sophomore forward David Cooper at center, but they too are undersized for the position.

Because they are inexperienced, the younger players that make up JMU's inside game are "soft" and often get pushed around. From the games I have watched this season, they get knocked out of the way going for a rebound because, most of the time, they do a bad job boxing out opponents.

Many times I have watched Dillard and his coaching staff become overly disgusted on the sidelines with the team's rebounding, or lack thereof. The assistants either throw their clipboards to the ground or get up to join Dillard in yelling at the team.

Let's face it — you know it's bad when Dillard has to remind players to box out on free-throw attempts by motioning his arms like a bird.

While rebounding may be a huge problem, it's not the only reason the Dukes have sputtered out to a 4-12 (1-7 in the CAA) start.

Dillard has mixed and matched lineups all season, and no combination has worked on a consistent basis. The chemistry doesn't seem to be there. The only one who remotely has stepped up is junior guard Daniel Freeman, who is averaging 14 points a game over the last six games.

The two seniors who should be stepping up — forward/guard Dwayne Broyles and guard Chris Williams — have pulled a Siegfried and Roy lately, disappearing late when the game is on the line. Of course, for Broyles, it's hard to perform when your coach benches you for the end of the second half against Hofstra.

I also find it funny that two of the Dukes' key reserves at guard joined the team as walk-ons — sophomore guard John Naparlo and freshman guard Chris Clarke. However, Naparlo earned a scholarship this season.

The Dukes can't seem to do a lot of things right, including dunking the ball. Against the Pride, Cooper missed several dunk attempts. Then, Friday as I was walking through the Convocation Center, I stopped for a second to watch the team's practice. During a scrimmage, Greene-Long received a nice pass inside and missed a wide-open dunk. It has gotten that bad.

Who's to blame for it all? Dillard and his staff for not instilling the knowledge into the players, or the players for not growing as players?

I don't think there is one correct answer. The only answer I can give is that the team is not responding anymore. The players look as though they've completely lost confidence. During the first half against Hofstra, it looked as though the team had given up. The Dukes gave the Pride a run for their money in the end, but the comeback fell short. Maybe if JMU had done some of the little things, they wouldn't have fallen behind as much early.

There is no doubt that Dillard has become frustrated. During one point late in the game against Hofstra, Williams fouled the Pride's Carlos Rivera on a 3-point shot. Dillard, who was squatting on the sideline, fell to the ground in disgust. He sat there for a minute or so with a blank look on his face, holding his knees as if he were a little kid in disbelief that he didn't get chosen for a schoolyard kickball game.

Many critics think Dillard is out the door. I seriously doubt JMU will make a move before the season's over. But, one thing is for sure — if the Dukes keep playing like they have, they will not be seeing the NCAA Tournament no matter who is coaching the team.

Drew Wilson is a senior SMAD major whose dream of seeing JMU make the NCAAs before he graduates is pretty much dead.