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Davis again JMU's MVP in 68-55 First Four win

By RUSTY MILLER - AP Sports Writer

Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2013 | 06:07 PM

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DAYTON, Ohio -- "My teammates are finding me and Coach is drawing up good plays for me," Davis said. "We're just playing confident and playing within our system."

The Blackbirds came in trying to duplicate the success of fellow Northeast Conference member Robert Morris, which stunned defending national champion Kentucky 59-57 in the opening round of the NIT on Tuesday night.

They had also weathered their share of adversity. They opened 0-4 and then lost Julian Boyd, their conference's top player the year before, with a season-ending knee injury after eight games.

After scoring at least 90 points in their last four games, they were held to 36 percent shooting for the game (23 percent in the second half) and had difficulty stringing together baskets against JMU's sticky defense.

"Plain and simple, they really bothered our shots," first-year coach Jack Perri said. "That was something we weren't necessarily thinking was going to happen."

Now, the Dukes have taken a step toward reminding people how dangerous they used to be.

Once upon a time, Lou Campanelli coached the Dukes to mammoth NCAA upsets over Georgetown in 1981, Ohio State in 1982 and West Virginia in 1983. The 1982 team lost to eventual national champion North Carolina - led by Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins - 52-50 in the final minute.

But James Madison's last appearance came with Lefty Driesell prowling the sideline in 1994.

Brady figured his Dukes have one huge advantage over Indiana since they've already played on the court. And they're already in Dayton.

"I'm hoping they haven't arrived in town just yet and they get here right before the game starts," he said with a laugh.


Rusty Miller can be reached at http://twitter.com/rustymillerap

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