James Madison Dukes men's basketball

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James Madison Dukes
Basketball current event.svg 2023–24 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team
James Madison University Athletics logo.svg
UniversityJames Madison University
Head coach Preston Spradlin (1st season)
Conference Sun Belt
Location Harrisonburg, Virginia
Arena Atlantic Union Bank Center
(Capacity: 8,500)
Nickname Dukes
Student sectionElectric Zoo
ColorsPurple and gold [1]
   
Uniforms
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Home
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Away


NCAA tournament round of 32
1976*, 1981, 1982, 1983, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1974*, 1976*, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1994, 2013, 2024
*at Division II level
Conference tournament champions
1981, 1983, 1994, 2013, 2024
Conference regular season champions
1981, 1982, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2015, 2021

The James Madison Dukes men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school, a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, joined the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2022, after having been a member of the Colonial Athletic Association since that league's establishment in 1979. The Dukes are led by head coach Preston Spradlin. The Dukes play their home games at the on-campus Atlantic Union Bank Center which seats 8,500 fans and opened in November 2020. The Dukes have appeared six times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2024.

Contents

History

The James Madison Dukes men's basketball team was founded in 1945, but was not a fully developed program until the late 1960s as James Madison University became a fully coeducational institution. The 1969–1970 season was the first as a varsity intercollegiate program. The Dukes were led by Cleve Branscum during the team's first two seasons, compiling a record of 20–17. The program was guided by new Administrative Director Dean Ehlers for the 1971–1972 season. Ehlers hired Lou Campanelli following the season, but remained at James Madison as the A.D. until 1993.

Lou Campanelli era

Taking over as the James Madison head coach in 1972, Lou Campanelli led the Dukes program for thirteen years (1972-1985). Campanelli coached the Dukes to two NCAA Division II basketball tournaments and then three NCAA Division I basketball tournaments after the school transitioned from Division II to Division I. In the Dukes' first ever appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament in 1981, Campanelli coached the team to a win over Georgetown. The Dukes would win a game in each of the Dukes’ following appearances in the NCAA Division I tournament under Campanelli, and lost by two points to eventual national champions University of North Carolina in the second round of the 1982 tournament.

Lou Campanelli was hired as the head coach at California in 1985. Campanelli finished at James Madison with a record of 238–118.

John Thurston era

John Thurston was hired as the fourth head coach of the James Madison Dukes men's basketball team in 1985. Thurston had previously served as an assistant coach under Campanelli with the Dukes since 1975. Thurston successfully turned the program around in his second season at the helm, guiding the Dukes to a 20–10 record, a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, and was named Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year. However, with a 6–11 start to the 1988 season, James Madison University President Ronald E. Carrier announced that Thurston's contract would not be renewed at the end of the season and Thurston resigned hours later. [2] The Dukes replaced Thurston with interim head coach Tom McCorry to finish the 1988 season.

Lefty Driesell era

In 1988, the Dukes hired former Davidson and Maryland head coach Lefty Driesell to lead the program. [3] Driesell led the Dukes for nine seasons, compiling a record of 159–111 and taking the Dukes to the NCAA tournament in 1994.

Sherman Dillard era

In 1997, James Madison hired Sherman Dillard to lead the men's basketball program. [4] Sherman Dillard played basketball at James Madison under Lou Campanelli from 1973 to 1978. Prior to accepting the position at JMU, he had been the coach at Indiana State. He led the Dukes through the 2004 season, guiding the program to one regular season title in 2000 and compiling a record of 93–106.

Dean Keener era

The Dukes hired Dean Keener in 2004 to be the program's next men's basketball head coach. Keener came from Georgia Tech, where he was an assistant on the 2004 National Runner-Up team. He had also been a one time assistant coach at JMU under Sherman Dillard for the 1999–2000 season.

Under Keener, the Dukes compiled a record of 31–85. During the 2008 season, Keener resigned as the head coach, but he led the team through the end of the season. [5]

Matt Brady era

James Madison hired Matt Brady to be the head coach of the men's basketball program in 2008. In his first season, Brady led the Dukes to an 18-win regular season and earned the program's first postseason berth since 1994 in the newly created CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Under Brady in 2013, the Dukes won their first CAA tournament since 1994, earning a berth in the NCAA tournament. As a 16 seed, the Dukes defeated Long Island in the First Four before being defeated by Indiana in the second round.

Matt Brady led the Dukes to a share of the regular season CAA title in 2015 but the Dukes did not win the CAA Tournament and were invited to the CIT tournament. Brady was fired following the 2016 season, despite winning 21 games. [6]

Louis Rowe era

In 2016, James Madison hired JMU men's basketball alumnus and former assistant coach Louis Rowe to be the program's tenth men's basketball coach. Rowe led the Dukes for four seasons before being let go at the end of the 2020 season. [7] Under Rowe, the Dukes compiled a record of 43–85.

Mark Byington era

In March 2020, James Madison hired Mark Byington to lead the Dukes men's basketball team. Before coming to JMU, Byington was the head coach at Georgia Southern. [8] In his first season at JMU, Mark Byington lead the Dukes to a share of the regular season title, the team's first since the 2015 season.

In the first season of his tenure at James Madison, the Dukes opened their new on-campus arena, the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

On December 7, 2021, Byington's Dukes defeated Virginia for the first time in program history in front of a sold-out home crowd.

The 2023—24 season started with a road wins at Michigan State and Kent State, both of which broke home winning streaks held by the teams. The Dukes followed up those wins with a win at home over Howard, propelling the Dukes into the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history. [9] On December 9, 2023, the team broke their record for best start to a season by defeating Old Dominion University to start 9-0. [10] After a 14—0 start to the season, the best start in program history, the Dukes dropped their first game of the season on January 6 at Southern Miss. [11] The Dukes won the 2024 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament, securing an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. As the 12 seed in the South region, the Dukes upset 5 seed Wisconsin in the First Round, [12] before losing to Duke in the Second Round. This was the first time that the Dukes advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament since the 1993-94 season. The Dukes finished the 2023—24 season with a record of 32—4, the best in program history.

Following the Dukes' loss in the NCAA Tournament, Mark Byington accepted the head coach position at Vanderbilt. [13] Byington guided the Dukes to a 82–36 record across his four seasons as head coach.

Preston Spradlin era

On March 29, 2024, James Madison hired Preston Spradlin as the new head coach of the men's basketball team. Spradlin previously led the Morehead State Eagles for eight seasons. [14]

Rivalries

Historically, James Madison's rivals had been in-state members of the Colonial Athletic Association: William & Mary, VCU, George Mason, Old Dominion, and Richmond. Now members of the Sun Belt Conference, the Dukes only remaining conference rival from the old CAA is Old Dominion. However, James Madison has continued to schedule its former conference rivals in non-conference play. James Madison and Old Dominion's basketball rivalry is also a part of their all-sports rivalry known as the Royal Rivalry.

James Madison vs. In-State NCAA Division I Schools

SchoolRecordFirst MeetingLast Meeting
George Mason 48–4819702021
Hampton 6–119952023
Liberty 7–219802009
Longwood 6–220052016
Norfolk State 2–219982020
Old Dominion 33–5819722024
Radford 16–419842023
Richmond 22–3419802017
Virginia 1–1219772022
VCU 22–4419712020
VMI 14–719732007
Virginia Tech 4–1019782006
William & Mary 52–5019782022

James Madison vs. Sun Belt Members

This reflects the Dukes' record against the current Sun Belt Conference's membership as of the 2022–23 season.

SchoolRecordFirst MeetingLast Meeting
Appalachian State 3–720022024
Arkansas State 4–019932024
Coastal Carolina 5–019872024
Georgia Southern 3–120232024
Georgia State 9–919762024
Louisiana 2–120162024
Louisiana–Monroe 2–020232024
Marshall 7–220102024
Old Dominion 33–5819722024
South Alabama 3–419762024
Southern Miss 0–220232024
Texas State 2–120232024
Troy 1–020232023

James Madison vs. CAA Members

James Madison also maintained competitive series against the other members of the Colonial Athletic Association during their tenure in the CAA.

SchoolRecordFirst MeetingLast Meeting
Charleston 7–1120072022
Delaware 13–2320022022
Drexel 16–2619952022
Elon 9–1019752022
Hofstra 15–2420022022
Northeastern 10–2319772022
Towson 37–2119792022
UNC Wilmington 37–4319792022
William & Mary 52–5019782022

Source: [15]

Postseason results

NCAA Division I tournament results

The Dukes have appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament six times. Their combined record is 5–6.

YearRoundSeedOpponentResult
1981 First Round
Second Round		#10#7 Georgetown
#2 Notre Dame 		W 61–55
L 45–54
1982 First Round
Second Round		#9#8 Ohio State
#1 North Carolina 		W 55–48
L 50–52
1983 First Round
Second Round		#10#7 West Virginia
#2 North Carolina 		W 57–50
L 49–68
1994 First Round#14#3 Florida L 62–64
2013 First Four
Second Round [upper-alpha 1] 		#16#16 Long Island
#1 Indiana 		W 68–55
L 62–83
2024 First Round
Second Round		#12#5 Wisconsin
#4 Duke 		W 72–61
L 55–93
  1. ↑ Following the introduction of the First Four round in 2011, the Round of 64 was referred to as the Second Round instead of the First Round from 2011 to 2015.

NCAA Division II tournament results

The Dukes have appeared in the NCAA Division II tournament twice. Their record is 0–3.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1974 First roundFiskL 54–59
1976 Regional semifinals
Regional 3rd-place game		Old Dominion
Morgan State		L 77–86
L 81–86

NIT results

The Dukes have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) five times. Their combined record is 0–5.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1987 First roundStephen F. AustinL 63–70
1990 First roundNew OrleansL 74–78
1991 First roundProvidenceL 93–98
1992 First roundRutgersL 69–73
1993 First roundProvidenceL 61–73

CBI results

The Dukes have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) once. Their record is 0–1.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2011 First roundDavidsonL 65–85

CIT results

The Dukes have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) twice. Their record is 2–2.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2009 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Mount St. Mary's
Liberty
Old Dominion		W 69–58
W 88–65
L 43–81
2015 First roundUSC UpstateL 72–73

Related Research Articles

Louis P. Campanelli was an American basketball coach. He served as head coach at James Madison University from 1972 to 1985 and the University of California, Berkeley from 1986 to 1993.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Thurston (basketball)</span> American college basketball coach (born 1948)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Madison Dukes women's basketball</span>

The James Madison Dukes women's basketball team is the basketball team that represents James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Sun Belt Conference after previously playing in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Dukes are led by fifth-year head coach Sean O'Regan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball season</span> Sports season

The 2016–17 CAA men's basketball season marked the 32nd season of Colonial Athletic Association basketball. The season began with practices in October 2016, followed by the start of the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play began in late December and concluded in late February.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Madison Dukes softball</span>

The James Madison Dukes softball team represents James Madison University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and plays home games in Veterans Memorial Park. JMU has won six CAA championships, including back-to-back Championships in 2016 and 2017. The Dukes have been to the NCAA Division I softball tournament nine times, hosting Regionals and Super Regionals in 2016. The team's head coach is Loren LaPorte, leading the Dukes to a 197–74 record in six seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by first-year head coach Louis Rowe, played their home games at the James Madison University Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 10–23, 7–11 in CAA play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They defeated Drexel in the first round of the CAA tournament to advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to College of Charleston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by second-year head coach Louis Rowe, played their home games at the James Madison University Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 10–22, 6–12 in CAA play to finish in a four-way tie for seventh place. They lost in the first round of the CAA tournament to Drexel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2019–20 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by fourth-year head coach Louis Rowe, played their home games at the James Madison University Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 9–21, 2–16 in CAA play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round of the CAA tournament to Elon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2020–21 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by first-year head coach Mark Byington, played their home games at the newly opened Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they finished the season 13–7, 8–2 in CAA play to earn a share of the regular season championship. They lost in the quarterfinals of the CAA tournament to Elon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2021–22 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by second-year head coach Mark Byington, played their home games at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 15–14, 6–12 in CAA play to finish in eighth place.

The 1982–83 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University during the 1982–83 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by 11th-year head coach Lou Campanelli, played their home games at the on-campus Convocation Center and were members of the southern division of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2022–23 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by third-year head coach Mark Byington, played their home games at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Sun Belt Conference.

The 2010–11 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University in the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by head coach Matt Brady, played their home games at the JMU Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Dukes finished sixth in the CAA during the regular season, and were upset in the first round of the CAA tournament by William & Mary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–24 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2023–24 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Byington and played their home games at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Sun Belt Conference.

References

  1. ↑ "Color Information" (PDF). JMU Official Athletics Identity Usage and Style Guide. July 12, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  2. ↑ "James Madison basketball coach John Thurston resigned Friday hours..." upi.com. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  3. ↑ "Comeback for Lefty Driesell: New Coach at James Madison". latimes.com. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  4. ↑ "JMU HIRES DILLARD". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  5. ↑ "KEENER RESIGNS JMU BASKETBALL COACHING POSITION". caasports.com. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  6. ↑ "Matt Brady out as James Madison coach after 21-win season". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  7. ↑ "James Madison parts ways with Louis Rowe after 4 seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
  8. ↑ "Mark Byington Named Men's Basketball Head Coach". jmusports.com. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
  9. ↑ "Dukes Ranked in AP Poll For First Time in Program History". James Madison University Athletics. 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  10. ↑ "#18 Dukes Cruise Past Old Dominion, Improve to 9-0". James Madison University Athletics. 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  11. ↑ "#Men's Basketball Falls at Southern Miss". James Madison University Athletics. 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  12. ↑ "James Madison pulls first 12-5 upset of March Madness by knocking off Wisconsin 72-61". ESPN. 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  13. ↑ "Vanderbilt Names Mark Byington Head Basketball Coach". Vanderbilt University Athletics - Official Athletics Website. 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  14. ↑ "VJames Madison Welcomes Preston Spradlin as Men's Basketball Head Coach". James Madison University Athletics. 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  15. ↑ "Record Book – All-Time Results by Opponent (Division I)" (PDF). 2021–22 JMU Men's Basketball Media Prospectus. James Madison Dukes. November 8, 2021. pp. 38–44. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
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