The Breeze
JMU BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Time travel back to 1983. JMU
men’s basketball won its third consecutive NCAA Tournament game under then-head coach Lou Campanelli (1972-85). The Dukes failed to win an NCAA Tournament game in the Round of 64 for the next 41 years and only clinched twice in 1994 and 2013.
Last year under former head coach Mark Byington (202024), JMU broke its 41-year-long drought, spectacularly — boat racing No. 5 seed Wisconsin 72-61.
JMU basketball became the talk of the town for the first time since the ’80s. But now, Byington has left, and only one scholarship player
from that team remains.
However, fans shouldn’t expect a drop-off from first-year head coach Preston Spradlin — who won two conference championships at Morehead State and hopes to carry this momentum to JMU.
Women’s basketball also hopes to replicate its success while searching for more. Last season, the Dukes were moments away from defeating Marshall and being crowned Sun Belt Champions but fell in overtime.
Head coach Sean O’Regan is going into his ninth season at JMU and has six seasons with 20-plus wins. The Dukes have won four
sports editors
regular season championships and one conference championship under O’Regan, who has a record of 180-75.
“Everybody in this building (Atlantic Union Bank Center) expects us to win the Sun Belt, so that’s what we’re going to do,” O’Regan said.
Blast to the past with The Breeze’s basketball special section, “Twist & Shoot.” Find details about Spradlin’s philosophy, in-depth reporting on fan-favorite Xavier Brown and a homecoming story on former STAB guard Justin Taylor. On the women’s side, we cover O’Regan’s approach to
crafting an extremely difficult outof-conference schedule and how some of the old can mix with new to turn the Lady Dukes from runnerups to champions once more.
Sincerely,
Hayden Hundley
Preston Comer
Sports Editors
WHAT’S INSIDE
Preview | JMU men’s basketball looks to ride momentum of last season despite roster changes
By PRESTON COMER The Breeze
When any team loses all but one scholarship player, it can be easy for players and coaches to have difficulty buying in on a successful season. That’s not the case for JMU men’s basketball.
The Dukes’ lone remaining scholarship player is junior guard Xavier Brown, who is carrying the standard set by last year’s run.
“When you’re coming in here, the standards high, like Round of 32 and 32 wins,” Brown said. “[The new players] feel pressure. I’m like, ‘We don’t feel pressure, we just play’ … Coming in here, everybody understands it’s a hot spot, and everybody wants to beat us every night. What more could you ask for?”
Last season, Brown averaged 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and two assists per game in 21.1 minutes per contest. Brown’s breakout performance came at the perfect time for JMU, as he scored 21 points — all in the first half — against Arkansas during the Sun Belt title game. His success in the backcourt led to him being named to the Preseason AllSun Belt Third Team.
Brown’s backcourt partner in crime will be redshirt senior guard Mark Freeman, who came from Morehead State along with head coach Preston Spradlin. Freeman sat out all last season due to a wrist injury but took advantage of his time out so he’d be ready to return to the court.
“Things slowed down for me a lot,” Freeman said. “My shot selection, my pace, my decision-making. Then my response also. I used to have terrible body language. I’ve grown from that. Sitting out just made me look at the game different … So it just made me cherish it a lot more, and just [helped] the game slow down for me tremendously.”
Before his injury, Freeman was named the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year after averaging 15 points and 3.7 assists per game in 2022-23.
Brown has plenty of experience on the court. He played 63 games for JMU and made 17 starts — all last season. But Freeman has played 113 career games and made 79 starts.
“His pace is impeccable, he’s extremely smart,” Brown said of Freeman. “He didn’t play last year and just seeing his everyday grind, he’s a pro. Just being in the backcourt with a pro, I’m truly blessed. I couldn’t ask for a better running mate in the backcourt.”
Along Freeman, there are plenty of transfers fortifying JMU’s roster. One of its strongest positions is forward/wing. Spradlin added four forwards who could all be key pieces of the Dukes’ rotation — sophomore Eddie Ricks III as one of them. Ricks came with Spradlin and Freeman from Morehead State, and he averaged 7.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 28 games last season as a freshman.
To complement the young Ricks, Spradlin added three other forwards with quite impressive résumés: redshirt senior Luke Anderson, junior Justin Taylor and junior AJ Smith.
Taylor and Smith both come from other Division I schools — Southern Indiana and Syracuse, respectively. Taylor started all 32 games for Syracuse a season ago, averaging five points and four rebounds per game. Smith started all 31 games for Southern Indiana last season and averaged 13.7 points with 8.8 rebounds per game.
“That’s my guy, No.5, he’s a great guy,” Smith said of Taylor. “He’s a great shooter, finishes around the rim well, and I love his tenacity to just track down rebounds along with me.”
The other forward, Anderson, has yet to play a Division I game. He transferred from Division II Florida Southern where he spent three seasons and played 83 games. Last season, Anderson averaged 19.8 points and eight rebounds per game and has shot over 40% from the field and from three for his entire career.
“It’s a big jump I think with the speed out here, Luke’s done an unbelievable job,” Spradlin said. “Once he got here he really started diving in and taking care of his body, he’s really got himself into Division I shape since he’s been here … Taking this year and that he’s not having to spend much time in class, and maybe getting on the film side of it, that’s allowing the game to slow down for him a little bit.”
Taylor and Smith are listed at 6-feet-6 inches, while Ricks and Anderson are listed at 6-feet-7 inches. The Dukes’ height at the forward position is close to their tallest players last season.
“Having a big team is important to us,” Spradlin said. “We don’t want to sacrifice our skill, but if we have the opportunity to check that box and be big across the board, it gives you an advantage … Because of our size, it makes us tough to match up with, and then helps on the defensive end as well.”
Two new players adding size to JMU are senior forward Ebenezer Dowuona and senior center Elijah HutchinsEverett, both listed at 6-foot-11 inches. Last season, the Dukes didn’t have a true center in their rotation, as 6-foot-
9-inch forward T.J. Bickerstaff (2023-24) would get the bulk of the minutes at the five. Hutchins-Everett is listed at 255 lbs — 35 lbs more than Bickerstaff — and has his fair share of experience playing under the rim in college.
Hutchins-Everett spent his first two seasons with Austin Peay State University, where he started in 54 games and averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in two seasons with the Governors. He showed off his ability to play true center at Austin Peay and posted up on 44% of its possessions in his sophomore season, putting him in the 84th percentile for post-up percentage in all Division I.
During his junior season, Hutchins-Everett played for Seton Hall in arguably the best men’s basketball conference — the Big East. As a Pirate, Hutchins-Everett played in 31 games, averaging 3.5 points in 12.9 minutes per contest.
JMU’s size will help with what many players label as Spradlin’s primary emphasis: defense.
“Spradlin speaks on defense first, so seeing our size and skill level, I think we are scary for other teams,” Ricks said. On offense, Spradlin ran Morehead State at a slower pace, averaging 65.4 possessions per 40 minutes. One factor toward the Eagles’ slow-paced, half-court offense was injuries such as Freeman’s — yet they were efficient and ranked 23rd in the NCAA in two-point field goal percentage at 55%.
“We ran one of the most efficient offenses, too,” Spradlin said about the pace of Morehead State’s offense last season. “Everybody loves to say slow, but we played as fast as we could play efficient basketball relative to our roster.”
JMU was picked to finish No. 2 in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll and earned one first-place vote. Arkansas State, which was picked to finish No. 1, earned 12 first-place votes.
“We had a meeting [about the poll] the next day to talk about it,” Spradlin said. “We took it as an understanding that we’re going to get everybody’s best shot.”
The Dukes will tip off their season at home against Ohio on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
CONTACT Preston Comer at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
LEFT: Junior guard/forward AJ Smith averaged 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last season for Southern Indiana. RIGHT: Junior point guard Xavier Brown is the lone returning scholarship player for JMU. Photos by Kailey Garner / The Breeze
Returning Duke Xavier Brown’s roots prepared him to
By HAYDEN HUNDLEY
The Breeze
JMU head coach Preston Spradlin described junior point guard Xavier Brown’s energy as “infectious.”
Before starting his availability with the media on Oct. 23, Spradlin joked, “That guy Xavier can talk, can’t he?”
On a more serious note, Spradlin said he doesn’t want Xavier to lose his fire, because his intensity is just who he is.
“We need that, because it makes everybody else around him better,” Spradlin said. “It can ignite something special in our team and in every player. We just have to do a great job of controlling it, so it doesn’t leave some scorched earth behind it every now and then.”
Since Xavier first stepped on the court as a freshman against Valley Forge in 2022, and in the Dukes’ season-opening 79-76 overtime win over then-No. 4 Michigan State last year, he still occasionally encourages the player he’s guarding to take him on by slapping the floor — even against a top-five opponent.
That mentality was engraved into Xavier, the youngest of four siblings, at a very early age. His dad, Chris, said one of their family mottoes when Xavier was growing up was “Respect all, fear no one.” Chris joked he wouldn’t be surprised if the young Xavier invented the motto himself.
Chris, who’s currently the head men’s basketball coach at Smithfield High School in Smithfield, Va., coached four of his children including Xavier. When his youngest was born, Chris ran a basketball camp in their Atlanta home.
Two days after Xavier’s birth, Chris said he told his wife, Shawnie, “Hey, bring that boy to the gym in that basket and he can just sit in the gym and hear the ball bounce until you get tired and y’all can go home, but I want him here at camp
As Chris put it, basketball is in the Browns’ “DNA.”
Chris grew up with 12 brothers and sisters and said almost all of them played basketball at one point. When Xavier was in sixth grade, his older siblings — including his sister Keyana who’s a former assistant women’s basketball coach at UNCW — were playing for high school state championships.
Before Xavier earned a scholarship with JMU or a spot at Oak Hill Academy — where he played his sophomore year —
“We compete about everything,” Chris said. “When he comes home we’re going shot-for-shot station-for-station. I’m 58, but I still feel I can get him as long as I don’t have to
Chris said when he was out late coaching Xavier’s older siblings, Xavier was home telling his mom that he would be
‘fear no one’
“He was in the gym watching older siblings win state championships [or] sign college scholarships, so I feel like he was committed to that,” Chris said. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s always been a dreamer. There were some times where I couldn’t take him to the gym because I was going to be out late and he would stay at home and he would tell his mom one day I’m going to be playing division one basketball. And y’all will be coming to my games.”
Fast forward eight years later, and Xavier’s parents are doing just that. Chris said Xavier’s most “surreal” game was his career-high 21-point performance against Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Championship last year — all of which were scored in the first half.
Xavier made his first three at the 17:38 mark and then made another at 16:19. Chris said that’s when he thought it would be tough for the Red Wolves to slow him down.
He was right.
After subbing out at 13:49, Xavier checked back in at 10:19, made a jumper at 9:53 and then pulled up from just above the midcourt logo at 8:42 — where his Dad was sitting — and made his fourth consecutive shot.
“I was sitting right there at halfcourt and I just knew that the kid was in the zone,” Chris said.
He wasn’t done after that, as he hit his next four shots — two of them three-pointers, one of which near midcourt. Behind Brown’s team-leading 21 points, the Dukes beat Arkansas State 91-71 to win their first-ever Sun Belt Championship.
When asked how high that game ranks in the top performances of his career, Xavier said it’s “Up there, because of the magnitude of the game.”
“I don’t remember much about it,” Xavier said. “I was just lost in the game, and it’s a huge performance, but it’s behind me. I’m ready to get back to this season, get going, and hopefully have more performances like this, I can’t wait.”
Xavier is the only returning scholarship player for JMU this season. But it was close to being none when he entered the transfer portal on March 26, only to announce his return to JMU via Instagram on April 1.
“I told him to trust God, trust the process and trust his work and his good name,” Chris said when asked what advice he gave Xavier when he entered the portal.
Chris said he was comfortable sitting back and letting Xavier handle the decision on his own, as he asked newly-hired coach Spradlin questions about his philosophy.
Head coach Preston Spradlin said he doesn’t want junior guard Xavier Brown to lose his fire. He added the backcourt of him and redshirt senior Mark Freeman has been “electric,” in the off-season.
Grace Sawyer / The Breeze
Brown had a 21-point first half performance against Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Championship last season. Breeze file photo
“I knew that as long as the type of coach [who] was going to take over at James Madison, was going to continue to push him [and] come in with a super respectful approach to the game,” Chris said, “and when we got with coach P (Preston) he told me on that day that he felt great,”
Spradlin was hired on March 29 and reached out to the Brown family a day later. Upon their first meeting, Chris said he knew Spradlin was the right man for the job, and less than a week later, Xavier told Spradlin he would return to JMU
“JMU has poured into me so much and I’m truly blessed,” Xavier said. “This place has given me a lot when I had nothing.”
If you’re behind Xavier while in line at Dunkin’ Donuts in the Student Success Center, your coffee might be paid for.
“If that means giving out a few dining dollars, if I see somebody in the Dunkin’ line, they’re getting coffee, it’s on me, because honestly, I’ve gained a lot from the school,” Xavier said. “So all the time, if somebody stops me and we want to talk about basketball or something, as long as I don’t have to get to class or anything, I’m always cool to talk. So it means a lot to me because they’ve given a lot to me.”
As one of only five returning players this season, Xavier took it upon himself to help familiarize the new players with Harrisonburg. While doing so, Xavier said he’s learned new spots outside the mainstays like Jimmy Madison’s.
He said he didn’t understand how crucial
off-the-court chemistry was as a freshman, but last year, experienced players like former guards Noah Freidel (2022-24) and Terrence Edwards (2020-24) showed him what brotherhood means.
Xavier has a newfound brotherly relationship with Preseason First Team All-Sun Belt redshirt senior guard Mark Freeman, who played under Spradlin at Morehead State for the past two seasons.
At the beginning of the off-season, Spradlin said he would often put them against each other in drills, but lately, he said he’s used them together and they’ve been “electric.”
Off the court, the duo has spent time at Freeman’s house because Freeman said his one-year-old son “loves” playing with Xavier’s dog.
“He has a family, so being able to spend time at his estate … [And] just being able to be in there with his family, that means a lot to me,” Xavier said. “He’s a great guy, it’s just easy to be around him.”
Freeman echoed similar traits about his “backcourt mate,” saying he has a great motor, but is an even better person offthe-court. As Chris said, one day Xavier won’t be able to bounce the basketball anymore, so his kindness and love for people is what means the most to him.
“We’re a family about love,” Chris said. “It feels great to pull up to a game and have people shout me and say, ‘Coach Brown, X [Xavier] is a good basketball player, but we feel like he’s an even better person.’”
CONTACT Hayden Hundley at breezesports@gmail.com. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
SUNDAY - THURSDAY 11:00 AM TO 9:00 PM
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 11:00 AM TO 10:00 PM
Junior guard Xavier Brown led JMU with 52 steals last season. He set a career high with five Breeze file photo
JMU men’s basketball transfers help implement “Championship DNA”
By TYLER CHINN contributing writer
Most of JMU’s roster is accustomed to winning, and head coach Preston Spradlin brings that same mentality with him from Morehead State — where he went 94-40 during his last four seasons.
As basketball season steadily approaches, JMU is in a primed position to win — now more than ever.
“They know what it is like to be picked at the top of a league in a preseason poll,” Spradlin said.
Picked to finish second in preseason Sun Belt polls, the Dukes want to build off last season’s success, while adding key new pieces to help.
Alongside Spradlin, redshirt senior guard Mark Freeman, sophomore forward Eddie Ricks III and redshirt freshman forward Matt Hain are expected to take on leadership roles based on their experience with the former Morehead State coach.
“[They know] how to respond, the effort levels we go with, how to compete every single day,” Spradlin said.
For Ricks, this mentality is the only thing he’s known at the college level. Last year, Ricks arrived at Morehead State and appeared in 28 games. He was a key contributor when on the floor, averaging 7.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 25.3 minutes per game.
“He doesn’t know anything other than you come to work every single day and you punch your ticket to go to March Madness,” Spradlin said. “We have to make sure that his experience is infectious and contagious amongst the rest of our team.”
That contagiousness doesn’t just include chemistry on the court, but off it as well.
“We pride ourselves on spending more time with our players and spending more time together than anyone that we know of,” Spradlin said. “Not just on a team setting, but an individual as well.”
Ricks wants to make sure his leadership helps his teammates become accustomed to Spradlin’s philosophy.
“I had a good season last year, so obviously they brought me with them, but the leadership level, at least for me, is definitely increasing,” Ricks said. “I come out here just to teach the guys what to do this, what to do that, because I know what to expect. So I come in every day just trying to teach the guys.”
Along with Ricks, Freeman is expected to make a quick impact for JMU with four seasons of collegiate experience — and 113 career games played — already under his belt.
Freeman — who was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team — averaged 15 points and 3.7 assists in 30.3 minutes per game with Morehead State in 2022-23, but sat out last season with a wrist injury. Nonetheless, Freeman knows his playing experience can benefit JMU.
“I think it’s going to be vital, my experience,” Freeman said. “This is my sixth year. This is my fourth school. So, when things get thick and when games get close at the end, experience, that always helps.”
Freeman said he and Ricks have already stepped up as leaders at practice so far throughout the preseason. Relating to how having familiar faces in the system has helped others learn.
“Two guys who came from Morehead, know [the] coach’s system, know he wants to win,” Freeman said. “It’s good for me and Eddie to jump out there for drills first.”
Brown, who’s one of five returners from last year’s team, spoke continuously about how their chemistry has grown throughout practice. Brown discussed how Freeman’s presence within the team has benefited him.
see MOREHEAD, page 19
Redshirt senior guard Mark Freeman (above) was named the 2022-23 OVC Player of the Year after averaging 15 points per game. Courtesy of Morehead State Athletics
MEN’S NAMES TO KNOW
3 0
Mark Freeman, R-SR. | G
• Missed all of last season at Morehead State with wrist injury.
• 2022-23 OVC Player of the Year for Morehead State, averaging 15 points and 3.7 assists per game.
• Has played in 113 career games and started in 79.
Eddie Ricks III, SO. | F
• Averaged 7.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 28 games at Morehead State.
• Recorded two double-doubles in his freshman season.
• Had a career-high 21 points against UT Martin.
5
Justin Taylor, JR. | G
• Started in all 32 games for Syracuse last season.
• Averaged five points and four rebounds per game last year.
• Career 34% shooter from three-point range.
1
Xavier Brown, JR. | G
• Preseason Third Team All-Sun Belt.
• Played in all 36 games last season, making 17 starts.
• Has career-highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds vs. Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Championship.
4
Elijah Hutchins-Everett, SR. | C
• 2021-22 OVC Freshman of the Year at Austin Peay State.
• Averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in two seasons at Austin Peay.
• Played in 31 games for Seton Hall last season, averaging 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
21
AJ Smith, JR. | G/F
• Started in all 31 of Southern Indiana’s games last season.
• Averaged 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game last year.
• Ranked 13th in OVC for scoring and fourth in rebounding last season.
WOMEN’S NAMES TO KNOW
Ashanti Barnes, SR. | F
• Averaged 7.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 34 games for JMU last season.
• Finished second on the Dukes in rebounds last season with 232.
• Scored a Division I career-high 17 points vs. Arkansas State last season.
Olivia Mullins, R-SR. | G
• Appeared in all 35 of JMU’s games last season, averaging 5.1 points per game.
• Finished second on the Dukes in assists last season with 84.
• Scored season-high 14 points vs. Georgia Southern last year.
Ro Scott, GR. | G
• 2024 All-Sun Belt First Team.
• Averaged 18 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 37 games for Marshall.
• Recorded career-high 31 points against Chattanooga.
Jamia
• Averaged 9.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 34 games for JMU last season.
• Scored career-high 25 points vs. ULM last season.
• Finished second on JMU in steals last season with 29.
Kozlova, R-SR. | C
• 2024 All-Sun Belt Second Team.
• Averaged 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for JMU last season.
• Led the Sun Belt in field goal percentage last season (60.7%).
R-SR. | G Peyton McDaniel, R-JR. | G
• 2024 Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year.
• Started all 35 games for JMU last season, averaging 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
• Shot a Sun Belt-best 46.4% from three in conference play last year.
Kseniia
Hazell,
Photos courtesy of JMU Athletics
JMU women’s hoops look to grow from competitive non-conference schedule
By SARABETH ELLIS The Breeze
Sean O’Regan has been the head coach of JMU women’s basketball for nine years but has yet to encounter a schedule like the one the Dukes will have during their 2024-25 season.
The Dukes will face No. 9 NC State and No. 6 Notre Dame on the road — on Nov. 13 and Dec. 19 respectively — and No. 4 Texas on Dec. 8 at home. They’ll also be competing against other notable teams like Villanova and Florida who both have experience in the NCAA tournament.
“I don’t recall in my nine years having [scheduled] three top 10 teams,” O’Regan said. “One every once and a while, but I don’t believe ever three.”
O’Regan noted that when he took over the program from former JMU head coach Kenny Brooks, the main thing Brooks emphasized to O’Regan was the importance of scheduling and recruiting.
O’Regan said most of the schedule was made before the off-season but held off on adding some of the “heavy hitters” until after the Dukes had secured some transfers in the portal, and he knew what the team’s strengths would be.
“Probably 80 percent of the schedule was done before we got to the off-season,” O’Regan said. “You never know how you are going to do in the [transfer] portal, so once we were able to get Zakiya [Stephenson] and Bree [Robinson] — we had already had Ro [Scott] in there — it was like, ‘Yeah, I think we are going to be pretty good, and I don’t think we will have a drop-off. I think we will be a little bit more athletic, a little bit faster, better ball-handling guards, so we didn’t schedule Notre Dame or Texas until then.’”
Sophomore guard Bree Robinson joins the squad after a year of playing at Michigan State where she appeared in 17 games. Robinson said she believes coming from a Power conference helps her prepare to compete against the bigger teams the Dukes will face.
“I have been through this,” Robinson said. “The scouting [and] getting mentally prepared to play in front of a massive crowd like playing at Iowa was insane. Having that experience and knowledge has definitely helped.”
O’Regan said when scheduling these high-caliber teams, he was confident JMU had built a big enough name for itself to be considered a competitive opponent and had faith in his team to rise to the challenge.
“One piece of it is the respect that James Madison carries around Division I,” O’Regan said. “I think there is a level of respect for our program, number one. Number two, it is how much I believe in this team … Are we going to win every game? No, we are absolutely not going to win every game, but I want us to be as prepared as we can be to play in the Sun Belt and win the Sun Belt.”
Another factor that O’Regan said went into the scheduling was how many teams aren’t willing to take on JMU.
“It’s easy to say, ‘Don’t schedule them,’ not a lot of teams will play us right now,” O’Regan said. “So, it’s hard to get exactly who you want. I wish it was that easy.”
The biggest surprise to most was No. 4 Texas traveling to play at the Atlantic Union Bank Center (AUBC) this season.
“There was a lot of people that when I shared that with them, their jaw dropped a little bit [at] being able to do that,” O’Regan said.
The JMU vs. Texas matchup is a home-and-home agreement — meaning the Dukes will travel to play at Texas during the 2025-26 season.
O’Regan compared the Texas matchup to the 2021-22 JMU men’s basketball season when Virginia head coach Tony Bennett brought his team to play the Dukes, and the game drew a crowd of 8,439 — setting the attendance record at AUBC.
see WOMEN’S SCHEDULE , page 16
JMU women’s basketball head coach Sean O’Regan said he’s yet to encounter a schedule like the one the Dukes will have this season. Breeze file photo.
Preview | ‘Collective fight’ of transfers, returners look to bolster women’s hoops
By MAEGHAN STOCKLI
The Breeze
After a combined 28-25 record in its last two seasons in the CAA in 2020-22, JMU women’s basketball has stoked its fire since transitioning to the Sun Belt.
After winning the Sun Belt Championship in 2023 and falling just shy of a repeat in overtime last season, there’s no doubt the team won’t have the drive for vengeance. The Sun Belt thinks so too — the Dukes were picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll.
While the Dukes enter this season with some new faces and returning veterans, they’re all here for the same goal — no matter what new adversity they may face.
“The standard is the standard,” head coach Sean O’Regan said. “It doesn’t matter what league you’re in, how good your team is, everybody in this building expects you to win the Sun Belt, and so that’s what we’re gonna do.”
The Dukes have six new players — including three freshmen and three transfers — to bring to the lineup to help achieve this year’s goals. JMU added graduate guard Ro Scott from Marshall,
sophomore guard Bree Robinson from Michigan State and sophomore guard Zakiya Stephenson from Ole Miss.
“There’s a togetherness and coming together year after year, but that’s really what I want to see … a collective fight,” O’Regan said.
There are three Dukes who will be on the radar: two returners and one transfer, specifically redshirt junior guard Peyton McDaniel, redshirt senior center Kseniia Kozlova and Scott.
McDaniel was voted the Sun Belt’s Preseason Player of the Year after she averaged 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season. She also recorded seven double-doubles, joined the 1,000-point club and moved to fifth all-time in JMU history with 191 three-pointers.
“I’m glad she got some recognition to prove she’s the player of the year, I’m really hoping she can end up with that at the end of the year,” O’Regan said.
Kozlova was recognized as part of the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team after averaging 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last year and led the Sun Belt in field goal percentage with .607 in conference play.
“I feel great, it’s my last collegiate season and I can’t wait to get started,” Kozlova said.
Scott was the final player recognized in the preseason awards and was honored AllSun Belt Third Team for the Dukes since she recorded 21 points and 3.8 rebounds last season at Marshall.
“She’s really good … really funny off the court and I feel like a lot of us have been able to bond with her off the court,” McDaniels said.
Scott said this team marks the first time she’s hung out with her teammates outside of basketball. With that welcoming atmosphere, Scott is ready to add her own value to the team.
“I’m excited to bring that dog mentality and add a little edge to the team,” Scott said.
The Dukes have a stacked schedule ahead of them, only bringing more excitement and drive to the team. They play three top-10 teams — No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 4 Texas and No. 9 NC State — which adds to the caliber of the dynamic they’re creating.
“We’re really excited and to know that coach [O’Regan] believes in us that much … As he set that as our schedule helps me trust a lot,” Robinson said.
For the current players, this is the first time the first game of the season is away, as this is the Dukes’ first away season-opener since 2012 when they faced U. Va. in Charlottesville.
“We’ll be tested early, they’re a really good team,” O’Regan said. “I’m excited but it’ll be a good test.”
JMU will start its season against Kent State on Nov. 4 in Kent, Ohio at 7 p.m
CONTACT Maeghan Stockli at stocklma@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more women’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.
Redshirt junior guard Peyton McDaniel was voted the Sun Belt’s Preseason Player of the Year. McDaniel averaged 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season.
Photos by Kimberly Aikens / The Breeze
The Dukes will be facing three top-10 teams this season — No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 4 Texas and No. 9 NC State.
HEY DUKES LET’S GO DUKES!
“That is what I am hoping for with Texas,” O’Regan said. “Can it be the highest level of entertainment for this place and this community? So, having a team that, I’m sure in [Texas head coach] Vic Schaefer’s mind, has the ability to win a National Championship — having them here and being able to make a run at them — is a huge opportunity and says a lot about his confidence and his ability to do his part in growing
The Dukes will not only gain entertainment from tough opponents like Texas and NC State but will also draw more recognition to the program and gather experience that will prepare them for conference play, as well as a potential NCAA
“Any time we come out here we are trying to win, but really gain experience from it, so that when we lace it up to play Troy [on] Dec. 29, we are stronger now because we played Texas and whatever we got out of that experience,” O’Regan said.
With the Dukes placing first in the 2024 Sun Belt Conference
Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll and looking to return to the Sun Belt Championship for the third consecutive year, O’Regan says the most important part of scheduling was finding the correct balance to help the team achieve its goal of another championship.
“You try to find the best balance that gets you ready to win the league, which is the only thing that matters,” O’Regan said.
Redshirt junior guard Peyton McDaniel and the rest of the team feel confident going into another competitive season.
“I think everybody in our locker room and on our staff is up for that challenge,” McDaniel said. “They have the confidence in us to go out there and compete, so we are excited to have that challenge.”
CONTACT Sarabeth Ellis at ellis2sp@dukes.jmu. edu. For more women’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
LEFT: The Dukes will face several high-caliber teams this season, which head coach Sean O'Regan said means JMU had built a big enough name for itself to be considered a competitive opponent. ABOVE: Redshirt senior center Kseniia Koslova was selcted to the 2024 Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team. Photos by Kimberly Aikens / The Breeze
Justin Taylor arrives to JMU after stints at IMG, Syracuse
By JACKSON HEPHNER
The Breeze
Junior guard Justin Taylor’s path to JMU may have started at St. Anne’s-Belfield (STAB) in Charlottesville, but it took several stops along the way.
Basketball has been a part of Taylor’s family his entire life. His mother, Kerri Taylor (’86), played for JMU during her freshman year.
“There was only a campus on one side of [I-81] and they had just started building the Convocation Center during my time there,” she said, “so a lot different than what you see now.”
Decades later, Kerri watched as her son’s basketball career took off at STAB. Justin received his first Division I offers his sophomore season and began to appear in national rankings. But as he ascended, COVID threw a wrench into his senior season.
STAB didn’t have a 2020-21 season, and the following season was still up in the air when it came time to re-enroll for 2021-22. Kerri described the decision to leave as a difficult one, with Justin leaving behind his coach and trainer, Damin Altizer, as well as his friends and family.
“It was kind of a leap of faith to leave that environment,” Kerri said, “but he just needed the assurance that he was going to get a season.”
Justin, who had already committed to Syracuse for the following year, opted to spend his senior year at IMG Academy, a private school designed to develop athletes. There he played for Bob Gallager, who is now an assistant coach at Bowling Green.
“When you’re playing at IMG, you get everybody’s best punch,” Gallager said. “You’re everybody’s Super Bowl.
Everybody is really excited to play that game. So my biggest memories were just how we battled back against adversity, and then Justin just kept getting better and better.”
Gallager remembered Justin’s skillset as a prospective player — a 6-foot-6 guard who could shoot, drive and be a mismatch on the perimeter. But Gallager also remembered how he could mesh with “every kind of kid from any kind of background.”
“He worked really hard,” Gallager said, “and that summer after we finished the season, when he got on the campus at Syracuse, I was home and I was able to go watch practice, which was really cool, seeing him practice in the Carmelo Anthony [Basketball] Center, and just watching how good he was in practice was really cool.”
Justin played two seasons with the Orange, playing in 61 career games with 34 starts, including all 32 games last season. As a starter during his sophomore season, Taylor went through some shooting struggles due in part to playing out of position as a power forward. He averaged five points per game last season.
When Justin decided to enter the transfer portal following the season, Gallager — who said he did not nor is currently recruiting Taylor as a member of the Bowling Green staff — figured he “needed a real opportunity.”
“He had hit some adversity at Syracuse,” Gallager said, “and he just needed a fresh start with a chance to be a more focal point on the offense. So when I saw he’s going to James Madison, I just thought, ‘Wow, that’s a huge get for them, and that’s a perfect fit.’”
see TAYLOR , page 18
Junior guard Justin Taylor (above) started in all 32 games for Syracuse last season. Courtesy of Syracuse Athletics
from TAYLOR page 17
Kerri described Justin’s decision as tough, but easy. She said he wanted to play in a system that was more conducive to his game, as well as closer to home. She added he also wanted to be with a program that emphasized being part of a team, with coaches that would grow him both as a man and as a player.
“I think he’s found a group of coaches that are good Christian, godly men who value these guys for more than just what they do on a basketball court, that want to make them better as men off the court,” Kerri said, “because ultimately, that ball stops bouncing eventually.”
Despite surgery on a displaced scaphoid fracture during the offseason, Justin said he’s “ready to go” for his first season with the Dukes. He’s also already shared praise of Spradlin from the short time they’ve been together.
“When you have a guy that you can trust and is going to hold you accountable and expect the best for me each and every day, personally and as a team, you have no choice but to get better,” Justin said.
As Gallager put it, this season will be an opportunity for Justin as he steps into a bigger leadership role with the Dukes. But even after such a long and remarkable journey that led to Harrisonburg, Justin is focused on helping the Dukes continue to win.
“I’m not too worried about personal, individual stuff right now,” Justin said, “because I think that comes along with winning basketball games and doing our jobs every day. I’m just super excited for the season and hoping we win a lot of basketball games.”
CONTACT Jackson Hephner at hephnejt@dukes. jmu.edu. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
LEFT: Taylor said he's "ready to go" for the season after dealing with a displaced scaphoid during the offseason. Kailey Garner / The Breeze RIGHT: Taylor's mom, Kerri, said Justin wanted to play in a system that was more conducive to his game, leading to his commitment to JMU. Courtesy of Syracuse Athletics
Spradlin’s complementary style of play.
However, Spradlin highlighted how Freeman’s defense can be something to look out for as well.
“He’s a sneaky good defender,” Spradlin said. “People don’t really give him as much credit for that as they should, but he’s a lot of fun to watch.”
Ricks emphasized that defense is important to Spradlin’s philosophy.
“[Defense is] his first thing,” Ricks said. “You can’t play defense, you obviously can't win.”
Spradlin’s defense ranked near the top of the nation last season — 65th out of 362, according to Team Rankings.
A major factor in Spradlin’s defense this season will be the height he brought to JMU. The Dukes have eight players on their roster over 6 foot 6.
“We can go big,” Spradlin said. “Our size makes us tough to match up with, and then it
helps on the defensive end as well.”
Spradlin said each player has consistent and positive attitudes — something which gives the Dukes “the chance to come in every single day and have a good practice.”
He also said his rotation plans focus on playing multiple guys to hone in on different advantages, still with discipline and efficiency.
“We’re coaching every single rep, we’re coaching every player,” Spradlin said. “Whether they’re a starter or they’re a walk on … It’s not just the standard is for these guys and not these others. So everybody gets coached.”
Outside of his players’ size and talent, Spradlin hinted at something else that gives him confidence in the Dukes to win.
“This is going to be a fun group,” Spradlin said. “It’s extremely important to have players on your roster with championship experience, we call it ‘Championship DNA.’”
CONTACT Tyler Chinn at chinntct@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
TOP: JMU head coach Preston Spradlin’s defense at Morehead State last season ranked 65th of 350-plus Division I teams. Kailey Garner / The Breeze BOTTOM: Sophomore forward Eddie Ricks III said that defense is Spradlin’s priority. Courtesy of Morehead State Athletics
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