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James Madison had a magical 2023-24 season, winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament for an automatic NCAA Tournament berth — its first since 2013.
Ranked 12th in the tournament, the Dukes upset fifth-seeded Wisconsin in the first round before losing to a stronger Duke Blue Devils squad in the Round of 32. JMU concluded the season with a 32-4 record (15-3 in SBC), the best in program history.
The 2024-25 college basketball season will be different for the Dukes, with Mark Byington moving on to call the shots for Vanderbilt. Due to this, the program hired former Morehead State coach Preston Spradlin as its new coach.
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Spradlin went to work immediately, acquring quality players from the transfer portal and the high school ranks to solidify JMU's roster for the coming season.
Here's an in-depth look into the Dukes' 2024-25 campaign from its biggest games to the players that fans should look forward to this year.
JMU's biggest games of the 2024-25 season
JMU opens the new season with a MAC-SBC Challenge clash against Ohio on Nov. 4. It will be the first matchup between the two programs. The Bobcats are coming off a 20-13 season, including a 1-1 mark in last year's MAC-SBC Challenge.
The Dukes were undefeated in the 2023-24 MAC-SBC Challenge, winning over Kent State, 113-108, and Akron, 88-70. JMU is scheduled to play another MAC-SBC Challenge on Feb. 8.
JMU will troop to Daytona Beach, Florida for the three-day Boardwalk Battle. The Preston Spradlin-coached squad opens the mini-tournament with a clash against UIC on Nov. 21. The winner of the JMU-UIC matchup moves on to the final where it faces the victor of the La Salle-UC San Diego game.
The Dukes begin the 2024-25 SBC regular season campaign on the road against South Alabama on Dec. 21. It'll be followed by two home games against Southern Mississippi on Jan. 2 and Arkansas State on Jan. 4.
JMU is slated to play home and away matches against Marshall (Jan. 9 and 16), Appalachian State (Jan. 11 and 18), Old Dominion (Jan 22 and Feb. 1), Coastal Carolina (Jan. 30 and Feb. 15), Georgia State (Jan. 25 and Feb. 20) and Georgia Southern (Feb. 13 and 22). It will visit ULM (Feb. 25) and Texas State (Feb. 28) once and play host to Troy on Feb. 5.
Top JMU players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season
Preston Spradlin had a busy offseason in his first year as JMU coach. He picked up 12 players from the transfer portal.
Spradlin hopes to continue JMU's recent success in the Sun Belt Conference and make another appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Here are the three JMU players to watch out for this coming season.
#1. Mark Freeman
Mark Freeman is coming off an excellent season with Morehead State, averaging 15.0 points, 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. The 5-foot-11 senior shot 40.5% from the field and made 86.5% from the free throw line.
Freeman is expected to play major role as a point guard for JMU as he was Preston Spradlin's former player at Morehead State. He'll also help out in the development of freshman Redd Thomposn.
#2. A.J. Smith
A.J. Smith transferred to JMU after two seasons with Southern Indiana. The six-foot-six incoming junior broke out in his second season, tallying 13.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 assists for the Screaming Eagles.
Smith, who shot 41.3% from the field and 78.9% from the free-throw line, will bring offense and excellent defense for the Dukes as they seek to defend the Sun Belt Conference tournament title.
#3. Redd Thompson
Redd Thompson is a three-star point guard prospect out of John Marshall High School in Richmond, Virginia. The six-foot playmaker helped lead JMHS to back-to-back state championships, including a 28-0 record in the 2022-23 season.
He was a two-time VHSL First Team All-State Selection and the MVP of the 2022-23 Chick-Fil-A Classic.
Predictions for JMU's 2024-25 season
JMU opens the 2024-25 college basketball season with the hopes of continuing last season's magical run.
The Dukes are likely to win 25 games this season despite a transfer-heavy roster. New coach Preston Spradlin would rely on these transfers to dominate the Sun Belt Conference and secure another 2025 NCAA Tournament appearance.
Will JMU make the 2025 NCAA Tournament? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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