Men's Basketball Tips Off 2025-26 Season at Akron Monday

JMU TREKS TO AKRON TO TIP OFF 2025-26

James Madison men's basketball will open its 2025- 26 season on the road with a game against Mid- American Conference favorite Akron on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. inside James A. Rhodes Arena.
The Dukes will open on the road for the second time in the last three seasons after knocking off No. 4 Michigan State to open the 2023-24 season.
This game serves as the opening game for both teams in the 2025-26 MAC-SBC Challenge. Last season, JMU won its season-opener over Ohio in the first leg of the challenge before dropping a February road tilt at Toledo.
The Dukes will have a quick turnaround after Monday's game as they are set to host Washington & Lee on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. in the home opener inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center. The game will be on ESPN+ with Curt Dudley (PxP) and Kirby Dean (analyst).

ON THE AIR

Monday's game in Akron will stream on ESPN+ with Michael Reghi (PxP) and Jeff Phelps (Analyst)
The game will also be carried on WSVA 92.1 FM | 550 AM and the Varsity Network App with Dave Riggert, with coverage beginning 30 minutes before tip inside James A. Rhodes Arena.

DUKES PICKED AS SUN BELT FAVORITES

JMU was voted as the preseason favorite in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll on Oct. 20.
This matchup pits two preseason favorites in their respective leagues, as Akron was chosen as the favorite in the MAC with 11 of 13 first-place votes.
In total, eight different teams received first-place votes in the Sun Belt preseason poll.
South Alabama led the way with four tallies while Arkansas State (3) and Old Dominion (2) also picked up multiple first-place votes.
Despite just one first-place vote, JMU tallied 175 total points, 19 more than Arkansas State (154) in second. Other teams to pick up a first-place vote include Troy, Marshall, App State, and Louisiana.

2024-25 SUN BELT REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS

In his first season as head coach of James Madison men's basketball, Preston Spradlin continued his winning ways as a head coach.
Spradlin led the Dukes to a 20-12 overall record and a share of the regular-season Sun Belt Conference title with a 13-5 record in league play.
After starting conference play with a 3-4 record, JMU rattled off 10 straight wins in league play before dropping the regular-season finale at Texas State in double overtime.
For Spradlin, the regular-season crown marked his third consecutive, going back to his final two seasons at Morehead State and his first at JMU. He also won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in 2020-21 and 2023-24 during his tenure with the Eagles.
During his time at Morehead State, Spradlin accumulated a 140-109 (.562) record. In his last four seasons, he guided his teams to a 94-40 overall record and a 58-16 conference mark, along with regular-season and tournament success.
He led MSU to its second appearance in the Division I Men's Basketball Championship in 2023-24, their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past four seasons under Spradlin's leadership.
The Eagles finished with 22 or more wins in his final four seasons, a first for the Morehead State program that began in 1929.

2024-25 SEASON RECAP

JMU Men's Basketball notched its third straight 20-win season in 2024-25, finishing 20-12 and with a share of the regular-season Sun Belt Championship.
It is the first time the Dukes have tallied three consecutive 20-win seasons since 1992-94 under Lefty Driesell.
Along with finishing the season with 20 wins, JMU recorded 13 conference wins – including 10 straight from Jan. 22 to Feb. 28. The streak of 10 consecutive conference wins was just the third occurrence in program history, also doing it in the 2023-24 and 1989-90 seasons.
Mark Freeman led the Dukes in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game. Freeman was named First Team All-Sun Belt following the season, also being named the conference's Newcomer of the Year in his final season of eligibility.
Bryce Lindsay was also named Third Team All-Sun Belt following a redshirt freshman season where he averaged 13.4 points per game, the fifth-highest total by a freshman in JMU program history.
Lindsay was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and the Sixth Man of the Year.

DUKES' HISTORY IN OPENERS

JMU has won eight straight season openers, dating back to a 62-55 loss to Old Dominion on Nov. 11, 2016.
Last season, the Dukes took down Ohio 88-78 inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center on Nov. 4 to open the 2024-25 campaign.
JMU Head Coach Preston Spradlin is 4-4 in season openers in his career, dating back to the 2017-18 season at Morehead State.
Since 2000, JMU is 14-10 in season openers.

JMU VS. THE MAC

JMU is 15-10 against current members of the MAC Conference. Its last meeting against a member of the MAC was Feb. 8, 2025, at Toledo, where the Rockets came away with a 72-69 win.
In MAC-SBC Challenge games, JMU is 3-1 dating back to the first season of the challenge in 2023-24. The Dukes have defeated Kent State in double overtime, 113-108, on Nov. 9, 2023, Akron at home, 73-59, on Feb. 10, 2024, and Ohio, 88-78, at home on Nov. 4, 2024.

JMU VS. AKRON

JMU and Akron have met three times, with the Dukes having won two of three previous matchups.
The last meeting between the schools came Feb. 10, 2024, in Harrisonburg, Va., as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge.
The teams split a home-and-home series in 2002-03 and 2003-04, with the home team winning both matchups.

AKRON RIDING HOME WINNING STREAK

Akron has not lost at home since a 61-60 setback to Eastern Michigan on March 5, 2024. The Zips have won 16 straight games inside James A. Rhodes Arena - going 16-0 at home last season.
Furthermore, Akron has not lost a home opener since Nov. 15, 2009, when it fell to Austin Peay 80-77.
In the past five seasons, Akron is 65-6 at home.

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