JMU coach on suspension
by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports
DAYTON, Ohio. – On Wednesday night, James Madison will make its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1994, and there’s only one thing dampening the mood in the days leading up to that – the team’s leading scorer and rebounder has been suspended for the first half of the game.
Senior forward Rayshawn Goins, who averages 12.7 points and 7.4 rebounds, has been suspended for the first half of Wednesday’s game by coach Matt Brady, in accordance with JMU athletic policy, following reports that Goins was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct. According to The Harrisonburg (Va.) Daily News-Record, the arrest stemmed from an incident at a team party Saturday night.
The half-game suspension poses a unique challenge for both JMU and its First Four opponent, LIU-Brooklyn.
“It makes it a little bizarre as how to prepare for them,” LIU-Brooklyn coach Jack Perri said Tuesday. “Obviously, we’re preparing for him to play. That changes them quite a bit – he’s just a house down low.”
Perri added that the Dukes have the ability to play small, too, so even without Goins, they’re a tough team to face because of their versatility. Brady, the JMU coach, echoed that sentiment Tuesday, saying his team has played portions of the season without Goins on purpose, playing small in specific situations/games.
“We played small a lot because we felt we needed to defensively to match up with some teams in our league,” Brady said. “We won a game without Rayshawn playing small, due to an injury. … We’ve played really well without (him).”
Brady said the Dukes have faced a great deal of adversity this season – some off-court family situations to deal with and a series of injuries that have forced them to play 14 different starting lineups – and this latest obstacle is nothing new.
“It’s just another blip on the radar screen,” Brady said. “We’re not going to let it impact our team or certainly our mindset. It will impact who’s on the court for the first 20 minutes. No matter how we play, it’s not going to impact our team.
“This is a … [For more on JMU coach on suspension: 'Just another blip on the radar', click here.]
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