The Dukes of JMU have had a great season with a 28-5 record and an undefeated regular season in the Sun Belt. A slip-up in Pensacola, Florida against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game has left the Dukes out of the NCAA Tournament and to the WBIT.
This is a disappointment especially after we found out that North Carolina got into the Men’s Tournament based on the strength of the non-conference schedule. Here’s a look at the resume of the Dukes and why they should have been in the tournament.
JMU’s Resume
As was mentioned in the intro, the Dukes had a 28-5 overall record. They had a tough non-conference schedule as well. The Dukes had three Quad 1 games against three top seeds including a No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns, a 2-Seed in NC State, and a 3-Seed in Notre Dame. Yes, the Dukes lost all of those games. The 26th strength of schedule was the biggest argument for Carolina. The Dukes have a NET rating of 54, and the 29th RPI rating.
Yes, Princeton and Columbia have higher NET ratings due to a strong Ivy League this year. They just didn’t get that Quad 1 win because of the weaker Sun Belt. The argument for me that the Dukes should’ve been in over Princeton was the fact that Princeton lost to Harvard in the semifinals of the Ivy League Tournament. The Dukes lost in the Sun Belt Championship.
Congratulations to Princeton and Columbia on getting those auto-bids. Even though I don’t agree with the decision on principle, those teams have an opportunity to make some noise in the tournament.
The Dukes’ WBIT Chances
With JMU not getting an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, they have been announced as the No.1 seed in the WBIT Tournament. They will host the Davidson Wildcats on March 20. I think the Dukes have a strong chance to win the WBIT this season, especially with the path for them being in Harrisonburg for most of the tournament as a No. 1 seed.
And if I know Head Coach Sean O’Regan like I did when I covered him as a student writer with the JMU student newspaper the Breeze, he’s going to be motivated and will motivate his team to win the tournament. Especially after losing in the Sun Belt Championship Game. Without knowing the whole WBIT field, I still love JMU to win the tournament running away if they can play their game like they have all season.
Total Apex Sports is the place to be for all the news and updates on the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournament. Right now we have several pieces in the works on the Men’s Tournament. And will soon catch up on the women’s tournament.
