NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Leading up to Wednesday's showdown with James Madison, Mike Jones had senior guard Imo Essien and graduate assistant Jason Wade address the team.
He wanted them to share what the Monarchs' rivalry with JMU meant to them. Jones and assistant coach Odell Hodge have their own memories of the rivalry from when they suited up in the silver and blue in the mid-1990's.
"We articulated ourselves as well as we possibly could," Jones said prior to Tuesday's practice. "The excitement and the energy that goes into tomorrow's game, I think that it's no question that it will be there."
"It's the history behind this rivalry," added senior wing R.J. Blakney. "It goes back before we were here. There are people who paved the way for us and played in this game, so it definitely means a lot to the fans, to the alumni that came before us and to the coaches."
That excitement and energy Jones is looking for will be a key factor in turning the tide in this match-up. The Dukes have owned this series, especially since coming to the Sun Belt. JMU has won seven meetings in a row and is 5-0 against Old Dominion since joining the conference. The two teams enter separated by just one game in the league standings, with the Monarchs posting a 4-3 conference record and the Dukes entering at 3-4.
"They have a very strong roster, a deep roster," Jones noted of the Dukes. "They play about 10 guys, they can shoot the ball, they've got inside presence, they've got guys that can drive, they defend."
The homestand, so far, has been marred by slow starts for ODU. The Monarchs have fallen behind by at least 15 points in the first half in losses to Appalachian State and Georgia Southern and Jones hopes to see his team start the game a little bit stronger Wednesday night.
"We've been here before," the head coach pointed out. "We had those issues in the beginning of the season and we tweaked things a little bit to be able to kind of get our feet under us a little earlier and we've done the same thing now."
"I think it's really just trying to be mentally prepared coming into the games," added redshirt senior guard Sean Durugordon. "Being focused straight off the bat and just knowing that when we dig ourselves in those big of holes, it's hard to come out and get the [win].
Jones is a coach who likes to keep his emotions in check. He does not get to high or too low, but this homestand has tested his emotions so far. He says his love for ODU is what fuels that.
"I want to win here so bad and there's been some disappointments with it," he said. "I try to, when I'm delivering a message, to stay the same person, but the bottom line is this place means so much to me, this program means so much to me, it's hard to not have some disappointment when things don't go as well as you know they're capable of going."
The head coach continues to stress that this season will be a process and works to be patient and says in the end, "all will be well."
Old Dominion and James Madison tipoff Wednesday night at 7:00 PM at Chartway Arena.
