If Matt Brady had one problem in his first season as men's basketball coach at James Madison, it was keeping his players healthy.

Now-sophomore forward Andrey Semenov is a perfect example.

Over the past year, Semenov has dealt with a concussion, dizzy spells and a lower back injury. The dizzy spells forced Semenov to miss four games late in the regular season, and he was also sidelined for JMU's CollegeInsider.com Tournament run.

"It was tough knowing that I couldn't help my teammates, and I messed up the rotation a little bit by not being there," Semenov said before practice Wednesday.

The lingering lower back injury limited Semenov's participation earlier this month, as the Dukes began preseason practice.

But Semenov says he's back to 100 percent.

"I'm feeling great, actually," he said. "I'm doing lot of rehab for my back. Everyday feeling stronger, and every week practicing more and more."

Semenov averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20 games as a freshman. And his coach says that Semenov has turned heads this fall as his health as improved.

"We've had a lot of people come through and watch us practice," said Brady. "And he's just about the first guy that a lot of people who haven't seen our team play before talk about.

"He really catches you off-guard, how efficient he is as a basketball player," Brady added. "Cutting through the lane. Catching the ball, making a pass for a simpler shot. He really adds to your team. He really makes other players better. And he does it from a forward position, which I think sometimes is hard to do."

But when asked how hard he's worked to get healthy for the season, Semenov admits he's not satisfied with himself.

"Never hard enough," he said. "But I think I worked pretty hard."