JMU roundup: Brady adds two to hoops staff

Daily Staff Reports - sports@nvdaily.com

HARRISONBURG -- Matt Brady, James Madison University's men's basketball head coach, on Tuesday announced the addition of Lucious Jordan and Sam Dowell to the program's staff. Jordan will serve as director of basketball operations for the Dukes, while Dowell will fill the role of graduate assistant coach.

"We're excited that Lucious has joined our staff," Brady said in a news release. "He is a former very successful student-athlete who graduated from the University at Albany in 2006. He clearly understands the demands of a student-athlete and the need to balance your time and your energies between the classroom and the basketball court. He demonstrated that during his time at Loyola of Maryland and when he transferred home to Albany."

Jordan spent the last few years getting his feet wet in the coaching profession following a successful playing career. His post-graduate coaching stints have included the Albany City Rocks AAU 16U team and the Green Tech Charter High School freshman squad. He has also worked as a trainer and skill development coach for Rise Up Basketball in Albany and worked the Nike Youth Pre-Draft Camp.

Those experiences followed a professional career that included stops with the Emmen Eagles of the Netherlands as well as the Albany Patroons in the Continental Basketball Association.

"I am very excited for the opportunity to join the staff here at JMU," Jordan said. "I'm looking forward to being an integral part of the 2012-13 campaign and assisting with the future growth of this program."

After four years serving as manager for the JMU men's basketball program, Dowell will take the next step in his basketball progression to the position of graduate assistant coach. During his first three seasons assisting Brady's staff, Dowell managed equipment and coordinated practice filming in addition to other various assignments.

As a senior, Dowell worked as head manager for the Dukes, training and coordinating the managerial staff, including the coverage schedule for practices and games. His game-day role also expanded to include coordinating film exchange.

Dowell is a 2012 graduate of JMU with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in sport and recreation management as well as minors in business and coaching.

Women's field hockey

RICHMOND -- James Madison field hockey redshirt freshman forward Taylor West has been named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday. This is the second time in her career West has earned a conference accolade.

West scored a pair of goals last weekend to help lead the Dukes to a 2-0 record with a pair of overtime wins. She scored on a penalty stroke early in the second half of an eventual 3-2 win over Longwood on Friday before tallying the game-winning goal in double overtime in an upset of No. 18 Boston College on Sunday.

This season, the Princess Anne, Md., native leads the team with eight points and is tied for the team high in goals with three. In her career, West has nine goals and three assists for 21 points in just 10 games played.

This is the first time the redshirt freshman has garnered the conference Player of the Week accolade. Last season, she earned Rookie of the Week honors as a true freshman on Sept. 27 after scoring a hat trick against Drexel.

Men's soccer

HARRISONBURG -- James Madison men's soccer player Bjarki Aðalsteinsson has been named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

The freshman defender was instrumental in leading the JMU defense in home victories over top-ranked North Carolina (1-0 on Sept. 11) and Hofstra (2-1 on Sept. 18).

He anchored a defense that held a UNC team scoreless for the first time in 17 games, dating back to the 2011 season. The Tar Heels entered the JMU game undefeated this season (4-0-0) and riding a school-record 16-game unbeaten streak.

In last week's games Aðalsteinsson won balls in the air, organized the Dukes' defense and was a dominating player at the back.

Earlier this week he was selected Rookie of the Week for the 11-team Colonial Athletic Association.

The ECAC award was selected among nominees from its 88 Division I member schools.

JMU improved its record to 3-2-1 and extended its home unbeaten streak to a school-record 15 games.