He won't be on the floor with his James Madison teammates this season, but point guard Devon Moore says his presence will still be felt.

"I've just got to deal with it one day at a time," Moore said Tuesday, a day after learning he'll miss the season because of a torn ACL in his left knee. "Make sure I'm still here for my team, help out with everything I need. Just be a voice on the team now."

The injury happened late in JMU's closed scrimmage against Hampton on Sunday. According to coach Matt Brady, the knee buckled when Moore came to an abrupt stop under the basket, and the sophomore fell to the floor.

An MRI Monday revealed the torn ligament, and Brady broke the news to his team that afternoon.

"It was a bad day for everybody," senior Pierre Curtis said. "We were hoping it was just a sprain, something maybe out a week or two. But when we heard that everybody was down.

"But we know we've got to pick it up, and pick him up."

Moore seemed optimistic Tuesday.

"Stuff like this happens all the time," he said. "It's going to help me out in the long run, get stronger and get better in the off-season, to come back ready to play next season."

With Moore sidelined, Curtis will slide from shooting guard back to the point, where he played during his first two seasons at JMU.

"Me and Devon, we pretty much shared it a lot anyway," Curtis said. "But playing point guard for 40 minutes, however long I am, that's a big difference. I've got to get back in shape for it again.

Curtis said Moore's injury will affect the Dukes most on defense.

"That's a big-time loss," he said. "Having me and him pestering guards really helped. But now the freshmen will have to step up a lot."

That includes first-year shooting guard Darren White, who will fill Moore's vacancy in the starting five.

When asked Tuesday what his role would be, White said he needed to "play very good defense. Help them handling the ball.

"And score. Score when I need to," added White, who led the Dukes with 20 in an exhibition game against Philadelphia University last month. "Hit open jumpers."

Moore is a native of Columbus, Ohio, where the Dukes open their season on Thursday with a visit to No. 16 Ohio State. On Tuesday, he called missing his homecoming "crazy."

But Curtis said the Dukes needed to accept that Moore would be watching from the bench this season.

"We've got to go do a job," Curtis said, "with him or without him."