Men's basketball to play in 2018 Junkanoo Jam
After defeating Cal State Bakersfield by three points, 75-72, to win the Great Alaska Shootout tournament last season, the Central Michigan men's basketball team gets a rematch against the Roadrunners early in the 2018-19 campaign.
This time, the two teams will play at the Junkanoo Jam tournament at Resorts World Bimini in the Bahamas.
“We are looking forward to playing against a high-quality field in a great location this season,” said seventh-year head coach Keno Davis. “We hope that the tournament format helps us in preparation for the MAC season and postseason play.”
CMU and CSU Bakersfield will open the tournament at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15. The championship of the Junkanoo Jam is Nov. 18.
After losing Cecil Williams, Luke Meyer and Josh Kozinski to graduation, the Chippewas will lean on senior point guard Shawn Roundtree. Last season, he averaged 14.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists during his first year in the Maroon and Gold.
Other weapons for CMU include junior guard Kevin McKay and junior forward David DiLeo.
Along with the Chippewas and Roadrunners, San Jose State and Weber State are in the tournament, which will be played in round robin format with champions determined by overall records. San Jose State and Weber State tip off at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 15.
“Having hosted the women’s Junkanoo Jam for 16 years in the beautiful islands of the Bahamas, we look forward to beginning this new chapter with the men’s tournaments,” said tournament director Jason Sarkies. “The teams will enjoy all that Bimini has to offer, and we are expecting high level competition for years to come.”
CSU Bakersfield is in the Western Athletic Conference, San Jose State is in the Mountain West Conference and Weber State is in the Big Sky Conference.
Last season, the Roadrunners finished 12-18 and sixth in the WAC. The team was led by Damiyne Durham, averaging 12.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. The 2018-19 season will be his last in uniform for CSU Bakersfield.
