Barber: Goodman, Hazell Look to Go Out in Style After Five-Year Journeys

When Annalicia Goodman and Jamia Hazell first arrived at James Madison as freshmen women's basketball players in the fall of 2020, the two suitemates would walk to practice at the Convocation Center.

They played their league games in the Colonial Athletic Association in their first two seasons, and, back then, the Dukes hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2016.

"It's awesome to see how far we've come since my freshman year," Goodman said. "I tell some of the youngins my stories from the CAA and they're like, 'Wow, you're so old.'"

Goodman and Hazell will be two of the six players JMU recognizes in a pregame Senior Night ceremony before Friday's regular-season finale against ULM at the Atlantic Union Bank Center, which opened in November 2020.

The duo will be joined by fellow fifth-year seniors Kseniia Kozlova and Olivia Mullins, graduate student Ro Scott, and senior Mikaya Tynes.

JMU will also recognize senior team managers JP Ford and Isaiah Dowling.

The Dukes (26-4, 17-0 SBC) have a chance to go undefeated in league play for the first time since 1988-89 and become the first Sun Belt squad to do it since Middle Tennessee in 2011-12.

With 18 consecutive victories, they're on the program's longest winning streak since 2016. Goodman and Hazell's stories are becoming increasingly rare in college basketball, with the advent of the NCAA transfer portal making it more common to see players compete for two or three schools rather than spend a full five-year career with one team.

But for Goodman and Hazell, who got an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stability and continuity of wearing purple and gold for five seasons have been invaluable.

"I'm all about loyalty and respect and being where you're comfortable at," Hazell said. "When you leave schools, it's hard to get adjusted to new people, new programs, new coaches."

Indeed, Head Coach Sean O'Regan has been a big part of the stability Hazell and Goodman have enjoyed in Harrisonburg. He took the reins of the program in 2016 after a decade as a Dukes' assistant.

He recruited Goodman and Hazell to JMU, part of a class that also included Peyton McDaniel, who redshirted in the 2021-22 season due to knee issues and has one more year of eligibility.

There's a familiarity and comfort that's undeniable.

O'Regan said he often hears Hazell talking to her younger teammates, delivering the same messages, admonitions and lessons that he does.

"Sometimes when we're at practice, I know what Coach O is drawing up and I can call it out before he does," Goodman said.

There has been learning along the way – learning basketball, learning each other and learning how to play for O'Regan.

Goodman recalled one of her first conditioning workouts at JMU as a freshman. She ate just a small fig bar.

"I thought that was going to get me through," she said with a laugh. "Then afterward I was like, 'Yeah, I'm never doing that again.'"

For Hazell, a big part of her growth was developing her relationship with O'Regan.

"We had some bumps in the road, but we overcame it," Hazell said. "It's just a level of loyalty and a level of trust. He motivates me and he keeps it real. I feel like that's that coach-point guard relationship. We have an understanding that nobody knows."

In her earlier years, that meant blunt conversations with O'Regan about her turnovers and pace of play. But as their connection grew season by season, they increasingly found themselves on the same page.

One of the most remarkable things about the trio of fifth-year seniors' longevity, in O'Regan's eyes, is the diversity in their stories.

Goodman became a starter as a sophomore before suffering a knee injury. She has been a role player since.

Hazell has been a lineup regular since her freshman year and now ranks in the top 10 in program history with 114 career starts.

McDaniel came back from the season she missed and became one of the Sun Belt's top players.

"The variance between all three of them has proved, you don't just have to find a sweet spot," O'Regan said. "All three of them are so different."

Of course, they have plenty in common, as well, including the drive to win a second conference title with the Dukes. It's motivation that ramped up a level after last season's overtime loss to Marshall in the Sun Belt championship game.

"Last season, we came up short," Goodman said. "That was not the outcome that we wanted. This year, there are people on this team that were in that locker room last year and we knew how it felt. And it's a feeling we don't ever want to feel again in this program."

Goodman and Hazell know that, for sure. What they don't know is how they'll feel – emotionally – taking the floor for their final regular-season home games at JMU on Friday.

"Right now, I'm trying to be tough," Goodman said. "But I know once the day comes there are going to be tears. I'm preparing myself for that."

"I haven't really thought about it," Hazell said. "It's emotional but it's also like, you're turning the page. Moving on to the next chapter. I'm excited for the next chapter as well."

For now, they're focused on the page right in front of them – the chance to wrap up the perfect conference regular season and head into the Sun Belt tournament as the No. 1 seed and return to the NCAAs.

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