The only Division I men’s program with as many wins as the defending 2023 National Champion UConn Huskies: the James Madison Dukes.
Under fourth-year head coach Mark Byington in the program’s second season of Sun Belt Conference contention, James Madison finished with a 31-3 record, the best in program history. Headlined by an early season upset over then-No. 4 Michigan State, an undefeated non-conference campaign, and a national ranking as high as No. 18 in the AP Top 25, it’s been a magical season in Harrisonburg, Virgnia.
“JMU has a great story,” said Byington. “I’m glad we’re able to be on this stage to help JMU shine even more. Our football team and us, we were in the Top 25 [for] a couple weeks there and it was awesome. Every time you looked on television you were seeing JMU and that’s great for anybody that has pride in the university or knows about the university and also to know our story.”
Despite falling short in conference play to eventual Sun Belt regular-season champions Appalachian State and garnering the No. 2 seed at the SBC Championship, James Madison cruised to its first conference tournament crown since 2013.
Leading the way was Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player Noah Freidel, a former South Dakota State Jackrabbit who’s averaging 12.1 PPG for the Dukes this season. In a quarterfinals win over Marshall, he managed 12 points and four boards before returning in the semifinals with a season-high 28 points to defeat Texas State 73-68.
Against Arkansas State in the finals, Freidel contributed 12 points while sophomore guard Xavier Brown stole the show with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double for a 91-71 win over the Red Wolves.
“When we play in the Sunbelt, or the CAA, or SoCon, or some other conferences, it’s not always the best team that gets there,” said Byington. “Sometimes it’s the team that got hot at the right time, the team that got fortunate and the way the [Sun Belt] tournament is right now it’s a one-bid league. Things in college sports have made it even tougher for one-bid leagues so you’ve got to cherish and take advantage of the opportunity.”
Now, after a near perfect season, No. 12-seeded James Madison arrives in Brooklyn for a chance at upsetting red-hot No. 5 Wisconsin coming off its first Big Ten Championship finals appearance since 2017.
With the Badgers upsetting nationally ranked Purdue in Minneapolis, it’ll be an uphill battle for the Dukes to secure the…
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