Mark Byington wanted nothing to do with Michigan State, but he had no other choice.
Coach James Madison called up a local high-major program in the area, but the position fell vacant.
If his team is going to open the season with a buyout game against a quality opponent — a contest like that is needed every year to fund the program’s budget — the only way to do that is East Lansing. It was to fly to.
“They won’t lose in November. [Tom] Izzo is one of the best coaches in the country and his first night challenge [are tough]” coach James Madison reflected on Saturday. “And we also knew that right after that was Kent State University. [It] They haven’t lost in their home arena for two years.
“So we’re probably going to have one of the toughest first few weeks of any team in this country.”
Looking back, he’s glad he scheduled the fight.
The 12th-seeded Dukes pulled off a stunning upset of the No. 4 team in the nation on their home floor, followed by a win at Kent State.
The win sets the stage for the best season in program history, including the school’s first NCAA Tournament main-game win since 1983 and a second-round showdown with No. 4 Duke on Sunday night at Barclays Center. It was a winning campaign.
“It gives us confidence and it gives us momentum,” said sharpshooting guard Noah Freidel, one of four senior starters. “After winning the first two roads, I knew we had a chance to do something special.”
Considering where this program was just a few years ago, this winter will be even more fun for James Madison, which has won 14 straight games.
They won only nine games in 2019-20 and were 2-16 in the CAA (currently playing in the Sun Belt).
Byington was hired the following season after seven successful years at Georgia Southern.
The school won 22 games last season, the most since the 1981-82 season, surpassing that total in mid-February.
Byington strengthens James Madison by retaining productive players like leading scorer Terrence Edwards Jr. and adding big transfers Freidel (South Dakota State) and TJ Bickerstaff (Boston College) I’ve done it.
The team was one of the stars of its NCAA Tournament start after defeating No. 5 Wisconsin 72-61 in Brooklyn on Friday night.
The Dukes looked like a top seed.
They were a much better team, more physical, more clinical, better prepared.
“We’re not here by luck or anything like that,” Friedel said. “That was our goal and we worked hard for it.”
The next steps will obviously be tough.
Byington’s team won’t surprise Duke.
Blue Devils coach John Scheyer said the Dukes’ ability “leaves off the page” and that he feels like they have the qualities of some ACC teams.
Their pressure reminds me of NC State, and their defense and physicality is similar to NC State, Virginia, and Clemson.
“They have major-caliber players all over the team. I mean, everyone in the game, their size, their skill level. [stands out]” said Scheier. “It’s clear they’re one of the most experienced teams in the country. And any time you lose three times all season long, that’s really impressive.”
Some have suggested that James Madison is a product of a soft conference, as 22 of his wins came in four quad games.
That was wiped away with the win over the University of Wisconsin.
But the Dukes are not satisfied.
They want to achieve more.
This journey has been a lot of fun, but they are not ready to end it.
They are looking for more history. It’s a Sweet 16 berth that never happened to Virginia.
“I took some time to think about it, and yeah, [has surpassed my expectations]” said Byington, 47. “And now that we’re this far into the season, it’s always about what’s next, what we have to do next. And when we’re done, we count the wins and cherish the memories. There will come a point when you do all of that.
“But we want more now. I’m right. The players are like that. We’ve done a lot of great things. We know that. We are focused on the here and now and trying to make the best of this situation. Try to make more memories and make it even more special.”
