Dukes' Burkholder casting her own shadow

Hair color, eye color, complexion are genetic traits that are often shared among siblings. So, apparently, is the ability to bury a 20-foot jump shot or freeze a defender with a crossover dribble.

Kirby Burkholder, a promising sophomore guard at James Madison, seems intent upon picking up where her older sister, Jordan, left off. Jordan was a 1,764-point scorer and ODAC player of the year in a shimmering four-year career at Bridgewater. Kirby is starting and averaging 10.2 points for the Dukes. She ranks second in the CAA in 3-pointers made with 56.

Jordan "was always a few steps ahead of me because she was (three years) older," Kirby said. "I always looked up to her. I always paid attention to what she was doing and how she was doing it. I said, 'You know what? If she can do that, maybe I can do it, too.' "

Sibling rivalry? Not here. On and off the court, the two more closely resembled teammates than competitors. They cherish the recollection of the 2007 season, the one season they spent together at Turner Ashby High School in Bridgewater.

"People always want to know if we played a lot of one-on-one against each other," Kirby said. "Actually, not really. The bond between us was pretty strong. We read each other well and played really well together. We never really competed against each other except in practice that one year. Playing together, that was the thing we enjoyed."

Burkholder, a three-time Group AA selection at Turner Ashby, endured a rugged transition to CAA basketball. Playing for a powerful team laden with established stars, she averaged only 7.5 minutes and 1.3 points as a freshman. She found consolation not only in the Dukes' second consecutive CAA championship, but also in the cyclical nature of college sports. JMU's 2011 roster included four seniors, two of whom played key backcourt roles.

"I knew there were going to be opportunities available" in 2012, she said. "I also knew that a lot of work was going to be necessary if I wanted to take advantage of those opportunities. So just about every day last summer. I did something to prepare. Sometimes it was running. Sometimes it was weightlifting. But most of the time it was going to the gym, working on this move or that move and putting up as many shots as I could."

She said her offseason investment of time and effort "made me a lot more confident" when her team reassembled for the 2012 season.

Burkholder isn't the only JMU player with something to prove. The departure of guard Dawn Evans, the most prolific scorer in CAA history, suggested to some the Dukes were likely to sag in 2012. James Madison was predicted to finish third in the CAA. It will carry an 18-5, 9-3 record and a bit of a chip on its shoulder into today's game with VCU (14-9, 7-5).

Said Burkholder: "There just seemed to be a feeling before the season that, well, 'Look at who they lost — they won't be that good.' It definitely gave us a lot of motivation. We want to show people that, yes, maybe we're a different team, but that doesn't mean we can't be a great team."

So strong is the synergy between the two sisters that Jordan continues to teach and Kirby continues to learn. The most recent lesson has dealt with life after competitive basketball. Jordan, Kirby said, "misses it, she misses it a lot. I know I'm going to feel the same way someday. That's why I'm trying not to take anything for granted. That's why I try to give it everything I have, every day. These four years, I know they're going to fly by."