He's Been There from the Very Start

We have a fantastic blog post for today.   But first, please check out my story for CAAZone.com on Towson snapping its 41-game losing streak.  I got to cover both the last loss of the streak and then the win Saturday.

Let me take you back to this past October.  On the CAAZone message boards, I posted a request to JMU and ODU fans.  I was looking for fans of both schools to provide input on the overall rivalry between the two schools in anticipation of the first football game between the two schools.

This resulted in both bad news and good news.  The bad news is that I only got interest from four people, and only one of them ever actually wrote back with answers to my questions.

The good news is that I struck gold (and purple) with the person who DID write back.  In his response he indicated that he was a Madison alum who participated in the first-ever basketball game between the two schools.  On January 14, 1972, Division II Old Dominion University hosted the Dukes of Madison College, a Division III program.  (They were known as Madison College until reaching “university” status in the mid-70’s.)  Unfortunately, even in today’s age of the internet, I couldn’t find an archived story on the game.  The Monarchs won the game at Scope, 99-68.

Despite advising him that I wouldn’t use his responses for my October article due to minimal responses, Gary Butler still encouraged me to contact him again if he could be of future help.  You’re telling me such a great resource was encouraging me to let him know if I needed anything else?  I kept that in the back of my mind for basketball season when our schools played.

I thought it would be an interesting conversation over email to get input from a guy who played in the first basketball game in the series.  So I sent him some questions and he was kind enough to respond.  While waiting for his response, I did some research on Gary.  Little did I know when I contacted him months ago that not only did he play in that first, he is genuinely one of the Dukes all-time great players.

Inducted into the JMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008, Mr. Butler led the team in rebounding every year he played.  He graduated with the highest career rebounds-per-game average (11.2/game, a record he still holds.)  You can read more about him in the story of his induction, but I point out his rebounding prowess because Blaine Taylor would’ve taken him on his team, any day.

It is truly an honor to present below my Q&A with Gary, and I appreciate that he’s willing to share his thoughts with an Old Dominion fan.

1. What are one or two of your favorite memories in your basketball career at James Madison?

My high school teammate, George Toliver and I had great success at King George High School. We played together four years and only lost 7 games. Our senior year we were undefeated at 20 - 0 and lost the State Championship game to the only other undefeated team in the state. We both chose to go to Madison College to continue our basketball careers. We played on the first four NCAA Varsity teams at Madison. One of the things I am most proud of, is we never had a losing season. That is pretty remarkable for a new team.

Another memory is we still hold a lot of records that still stand today from our time there. We are also, both in the JMU Hall of Fame. Not many teammates both get that honor. George was the first player at JMU to score over 1,000 points. I am still the record holder for average rebounds per game for the top three seasons as well as career. George went on to become an NBA referee and is still in an administrative capacity with the NBA. 6 of the 10 highest scoring games at JMU were from when we played. We hold the school record for most points in a game, 146.

2. Who were the best players/teammates on the JMU squads you played on?

Obviously, George was a great player. He and I were kind of the anchors of the team and each year we were basically surrounded with a better supporting cast as recruiting got better. Sherman Dillard came the year after I graduated. He is one of the all time JMU greats.

Shortly thereafter we had a run of great teams starting in the late 70's into the early 80's that were loaded with great players. Dan Ruland, Linton Townes, Charles Fisher, Dave Dupont, Steve Blackmon, and many more. I think the early success we had paved the way to attract these great players.

3. What are your memories of the first basketball game between James Madison and Old Dominion?

Old Dominion was a well established program. We were the upstarts. It was 1972 I believe. We went to ODU and played them on their home court. I believe ODU won the DII National Championship that year. Dave Twardzik was their All America guard. He set the all time ODU career scoring record against us that night. I believe either Joel Copeland and/or Oliver Purnell were on that team, but not positive.

I remember cutting Twardzik off on the baseline and he hooked his arm around me, got by me and scored. The ref called me for a foul. I felt like we got a real home job and they were protecting Twardzik! He was a very special player and went on to have a good career with the Portland Trailblazers. We lost that game 99 to 68, but still had a 16-7 record that season. The next year we moved up to Division II and only lost to ODU 55 to 69.

4. Other than games in which you played, what is your favorite JMU/ODU basketball memory?

4a. Since I assume your previous answer will involve Kent Culuko and the CAA tournament, do you have a second-favorite JMU/ODU memory?

Obviously, Culuko's game winner tops the list. That was right in front of my seat at the Coliseum. Special moment. Another was the first time we played ODU, the atmosphere was pretty special. ODU was still wearing their powder blue colors back then. Sonny Allen was the coach. They had about 50 beautiful blonde cheerleaders that completely surrounded the entire floor. Kind of made me think that I should have gone to ODU. Everybody had a tan even though it was winter. You could just tell you were in a beach area.

(I asked Gary what he remembered specifically about the Culuko play.  It wasn’t because I hate myself and wanted to re-live the moment.  Rather, years ago I spoke with a Monarch who was on the floor at the time of the shot, and wanted to see if Gary could provide insight that matched what I was told.)

I just read something the other day about that play. It completely explained how it happened. I can't remember where I read it. It said that Culoko knew about the play and asked for it to be called. Lou Rowe brought the play with him from the University of Florida. Lou transferred to JMU form Florida. But, I don't remember anything but the ball going to Culoko in the corner and him elevating. It was one of those shots where you instantly knew it was going to go. Form was pure and shot was clean. The pandemonium that followed was what you live for in college basketball.

Another non-Culuko moment: A few years ago ODU was at our place. They hadn't removed the risers on the end of the court closest to the ODU bench. All of our students were wearing Blaine Taylor mustaches. Blaine took it all in good humor. It was really hilarious. The kind of thing that makes college basketball fun.

5. Who have been your favorite JMU players since you graduated?  Do you have any non-JMU favorite CAA players since JMU joined the conference?

Favorite players were Steve Stielper, Sherman Dillard, Derek Steele, Linton Townes, Dan Ruland, Steve Hood, Clayton Ritter, Lou Rowe, and most recently Juwann James.

Non JMU favorite players were David Robinson-Navy, Gerald Henderson-VCU,  Odell Hodge-ODU, Jesse Dark-VCU

6. Who's your favorite to win the CAA tournament this March?

Wow! Toss-up right now between George Mason, VCU, ODU, Drexel and GA State. Any of them are capable of a three day run. If I had to pick one right now, I would go with VCU.

James Madison Primer

Happy new year to everyone!  If there's one thing I wish I could share with others, it would be this - you don't have to wait until January 1 to make changes in your life for the better. 

Monday (January 2) marks the start of the full CAA conference schedule.  Old Dominion travels across Virginia to take on James Madison University following its 75-68 loss to #8 Missouri.  The Monarchs led at halftime (the first time the Tigers trailed at the half all season), and were tied with less than 90 seconds remaining. 

This is arguably the most important game on ODU's schedule.  Of course they need a win, but it's more about the effort and concentration.  I could go into stats like the leading scorer/rebounder/key role players on the team, but I partially already did that before the Missouri game.  This game is not about individuals, though - it's about the team's effort.  Here's why.

Following a close loss to #2 Kentucky on November 20, they lost in overtime to Vermont at home.  To be frank, against the Catamounts, they looked like a team that had forgotten how to win.  If they play with the same intensity against the Dukes (7-4, 1-0) as they did against the Tigers, I think a lot of fans will feel better about the team's chances the rest of the season.  The team that played Missouri to the end looked like a team that had its identity back.

Rob from JMUSportsBlog.com, who is also one of several participants in the CAA Bloggers Power Poll, was kind enough to answer some questions about JMU this season.  Below are the questions and his responses. 

1.       This season AJ Davis (16.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game) and Humpty Hitchens (16.2 PPG, team-high 46 assists) are the statistical leaders of the team.  Which player or players do/does things that don’t show up in the box score that have helped JMU to its 7-4 start?

I'd like to say Julius Wells, who had me thinking that he might have bought into his role as the "glue guy" instead of a scorer a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, he's been the Julius of old too many times launching ill-advised threes. I'm going to say Alioune Diouf. He's a Junior who was supposed to red-shirt this season. Due to Goins injury and Moore's ineligibility they opted to play him over Thanksgiving break in Philly. He's been playing as if he wants to prove to everyone that they never should have considered sitting him out. He doesn't do anything spectacularly, but he plays with a lot of energy and works hard defensively. 

2.       What has been James Madison’s best win to date?  What has been their worst loss?

Best win is debatable, but I'm going to go with Penn. Penn isn't great, but the game was at the Palestra and the Dukes got it down with a big defensive stop at the end. As fans of CAA hoops know, defense hasn't exactly been a strong suit of JMU's in recent years, so it was a satisfying win. The best they've actually played was in the first half against GW.

The worst loss has to be this week's disaster against Rhode Island. They got beat in every phase of the game by a terrible team.

3.       Head coach Matt Brady has had a couple years now to recruit players to play his own brand of basketball.  How would you describe the style of play that he wants to play?  (For example, Blaine Taylor emphasizes defense and rebounding, Shaka Smart emphasizes “havoc,” etc.)

Well if you talk to Brady, he preaches defense and rebounding. We have yet to see much of either during his tenure however. What we have seen is a coach who tries to put his 5 best players on the court together regardless of position, and let them try to beat their opponent athletically. This year's team is still no defensive juggernaut, but guys like Humpty and Devon certainly appear to buy into playing tough on both ends far more than Denzel Bowles ever did. 

4.       Other than the obvious Kent Culuko CAA tournament game, what is your best memory of JMU basketball against ODU? 

Honestly, other than the Culuko buzzer-beater, no one moment sticks out more than any other. That shot was my freshman year and I remember the excitement in the Convo the next few years whenever ODU came to town to play Lefty's teams. The Dukes slumped my senior year, but for the first 3 years they actually were really good and the match-ups with ODU were played in front of really big and enthusiastic crowds. I think ODU won the CAA my sophomore and junior years. Those games were the best times I had watching sports in college. It was a treat getting to watch guys like Lou Rowe and Culuko for the Dukes and Odell Hodge for ODU.

ODU Hosts a New, Old Rival

Within 14 hours of this post, Old Dominion University will be hosting the 62nd Annual Oyster Bowl.  We've been busy writing for the CAAZone and SaturdayBlitz.com, to the point that we haven't posted anything here in three weeks. 

But this weekend's game for ODU is more than just another game.  It pits the Monarchs against potentially the best team it has played in its two-plus seasons.  As a student in the mid/late 90's, I always looked at the Dukes as ODU's biggest rival based on the teams' performance in basketball in early 90's.  Old Dominion has to win some playoff games before it can consider itself to be in anyone's ballpark, but the ingredients for a long-term rivalry are there.

For my assessment of how the ODU/JMU rivalry got to the schools to this point even without a football series, read my post for the Zone here. 

The fine folks at JMU Sports Blog asked me a series of questions, which I was more than happy to address.  You can read the article at their site.  They were kind enough to answer questions of my own, which are posted below.  You can follow them at Twitter here and their site is definitely worth the read!  Big thanks to the good people who root for the purple.

Go Monarchs!  Hopefully we won't take another three weeks between posts.

1. How has the atmosphere at Bridgeforth this season compared to that prior to the expansion? 

Kind of tough to gauge.  There's no doubt this season in the new stadium has brought incredible excitement, especially among long-time Dukes fans, but everyone's also been just kind of feeling their way as many of us are adjusting to new seats and neighbors.  CCSU and Nova were underwhelming performances ON the field and tough to get excited about in the stands.  UR atmosphere for Homecoming was great for the first half, but JMU pulling away in a steady, cold rain in the second dampened things a bit.  One thing that's been incredible is the student turnout.  JMU now has 8000 student seats and they have filled them each game!  Lots of alums and hardcores like to complain that students always leave early, but 8000 is nearly half the student body and it seems the upgrade in facilities is doing a ton to convince the skeptics among them (many of whom arrive at JMU as nominal VT, UVa, or UNC fans as I'm sure Monarch fans understand) that a Dukes game is more of a big-time event than in years past.  Can't wait to see what the stadium's like for a night game against a rival like App. St. or a home playoff game someday!

2. What has Jace Edwards brought to the offense that is different than what Justin Thorpe did?

Edwards is more of a true QB and Thorpe was more of an outstanding athlete, who just happened to playing QB. Jace is young, but he definitely has helped the passing attack. He's throw a better ball than Thorpe and so far, has made better decisions in the passing game. He clearly works through his progressions and looks for other receivers to throw to if the primary option is covered. Jace was more likely to just tuck it and run if the primary option was covered. As a result, we think the entire offense has become better because it's less predictable.  

3. How has the defense performed compared to last year?  I'm aware most of the starters from last year's squad returned but I'm curious whether it is performing up to 2010's standard.

Actually the strength of our D has been a bit of a misconception among Dukes supporters and opponents this year.  No doubt JMU has a bevy of talent, two-deep in most cases, in the back seven, but I think a lot of folks underestimated how thin the interior of the D-Line was.  The pass-rushers on the edges, notably DJ Bryant, have been held in check more this year as they've been forced to help against the run due to decimating injuries at the tackle spots.  The only game with a fully healthy D-Line was UR, when the Dukes had 7 sacks, but losing Army transfer Nick Emmons has been a blow.

JMU also switched this year from their long-time 4-2-5 formation to a more traditional read-and-react 4-3 and it seems this has led to more soft zone coverage leaving lots of holes to find in the passing game, especially when the pressure doesn't materialize up front.  Our guess here is after the extra time to prep for ODU during the bye, we'll see a bit more of the old 4-2-5 with an extra rusher from different angles.  Watch out for strong games from Bryant and SS/Rover Vidal Nelson.

4. What is your favorite JMU/ODU memory?  Your least favorite?

My favorite JMU/ODU memory is defintely when Kent Culuko hit a 3 at the buzzer to win the CAA tourney and get the Dukes into the dance my freshman year in 1994. My least favorite memory is a tie between practically every single other basketball game between the 2 schools since then. I can't believe we're nearing a 2 decade absence from the NCAA tourney.

5. What is your prediction for this game (and I don't mean in terms of streamers)?  What players other than Thorpe, Scott and Anderson should ODU fans be aware of?

Well, there will be streamers and hopefully plenty of them for JMU touchdowns. We're definitely nervous about this game, but are comforted by the fact that Matthews has had the bye week to prepare. Mickey can definitely make us scratch our heads at times with his in-game decisions, but he typically comes up with good gameplans for big games. We expect that trend to continue this week. Offensively, look for Kerby Long to make some big plays. He was out against Maine and the Dukes definitely missed him. He's dangerous in space with the ball in his hands. Brian Barlow is a big tight end and lots of fans believe he's one of the top 3 or 4 players on the team. Look for Jace to get him the ball early to establish a rhythm. On D, Stephon Robertson is the leader. He'll a big hitter and probably JMU's most consistent tackler. The game is going to be close, but we like JMU's chances, especially if it rains which will only help the rushing attack. JMU 24 - ODU 13.