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James Madison University (JMU) sponsors an 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program that competes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The JMU men's basketball team, nicknamed the Dukes, has appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament six times, most recently in 2024. The Dukes have a rich basketball history, with the team being founded in 1945 and appearing in the NCAA Division II tournament twice before transitioning to Division I. JMU is a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) and has a strong tradition in women's athletics, with the women's basketball team being one of the longest-running programs in the country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the team | James Madison Dukes |
| University | James Madison University (JMU) |
| Location | Harrisonburg, Virginia |
| Affiliation | Sun Belt Conference (SBC) |
| Level | Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association |
| Mascot | Duke Dog |
| School colors | Royal purple and gold |
| Number of NCAA national championships won | 5 |
| Head Coach | Mark Byington |
| Number of appearances in the NCAA Division I tournament | 6 |
| Number of appearances in the NCAA Division II tournament | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
The James Madison Dukes men's basketball team history
The James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represents James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The team was founded in 1945, but it wasn't until the late 1960s, as James Madison University became a fully coeducational institution, that the program became fully developed. The 1969–1970 season was the first as a varsity intercollegiate program.
The Dukes are members of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022, having previously been a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) since its establishment in 1979. James Madison University was a charter member of the CAA in 1985 and is also affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference.
The Dukes have appeared in the NCAA tournament six times, most recently in 2024. They have a combined record of 4-5. Their best performance came in the 2023-24 season, where they reached the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1993-94 season. They finished that season with a record of 32-4, the best in the program's history.
In March 2020, James Madison hired Mark Byington, who had previously been the head coach at Georgia Southern, to lead the Dukes. In his first season, he led the team to a share of the regular-season title, their first since 2015. In December 2021, Byington's Dukes defeated Virginia for the first time in program history. In 2023, the Dukes broke their record for the best start to a season, going 9-0. Following their appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Byington left to take the head coach position at Vanderbilt, and Preston Spradlin was hired as his replacement.
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The team's NCAA Division I tournament appearances
James Madison University sponsors an 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program that competes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The James Madison Dukes men's basketball team has appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament six times, most recently in 2024.
- 1981: In their first appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament, the Dukes, coached by Lou Campanelli, won against Georgetown.
- 1982: The Dukes won a game in the tournament and lost by two points to the eventual national champions, the University of North Carolina, in the second round.
- 1994: Led by coach Lefty Driesell, the Dukes made it to the NCAA tournament this year.
- 2013: As a 16th seed, the Dukes, coached by Matt Brady, defeated Long Island in the First Four before losing to Indiana in the second round.
- 2024: The Dukes received a No. 12 seed in the South Region and faced No. 5 Wisconsin in the first round.
The James Madison Dukes women's basketball team has appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament 12 or 13 times, most recently in 2023. They have made it to the tournament in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
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JMU's basketball coaches
James Madison University (JMU) sponsors an 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program that competes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The JMU Dukes men's basketball team has had 11 head coaches in its 54-season history.
Mark Byington was the head coach of the Dukes from 2020 until 2024, when Preston Spradlin was hired as the new head coach. Byington guided the Dukes to an impressive 81-35 record during his tenure. He made his NCAA Championship debut as a full-time collegiate coach in 2024, where JMU received a No. 12 seed in the South Region and faced No. 5 Wisconsin in the first round.
Preston Spradlin, a native of Pikeville, Kentucky, was hired on a six-year deal. Before joining JMU, he spent five seasons on the staff of John Calipari at Kentucky, including two years as a graduate assistant coach and three years as director of operations. Spradlin's previous head coaching experience includes a successful stint as interim head coach of the Eagles in 2016-17, where he guided them to a 12-9 record at the young age of 29. In his two seasons as head coach, the Eagles went 23-11 and 23-8, with a 17-3 league record and an NCAA trip.
JMU's swift appointment of Spradlin as head coach demonstrates their commitment to building a strong basketball program. His experience, passion, and genuine care for his student-athletes and the community make him an excellent fit for the university.
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The team's colours and mascot
The James Madison Dukes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" comes from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. The university mascot, Duke Dog, is often seen at sporting events, and the school colours are royal purple and gold, with an emphasis on purple as the Dukes' identifying colour. Secondary colours for JMU include white, black and grey.
The men's basketball team at JMU was founded in 1945, the same year the school (then known as Madison College) enrolled its first male students. The current head coach is Mark Byington. The Dukes completed a 28-season tenure at the James Madison University Convocation Center in 2019-2020, moving to the new Atlantic Union Bank Center for the 2020-2021 season.
JMU is a member of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference (SBC), which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level. In football, JMU participates in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of Division I. JMU was a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), now known as the Coastal Athletic Association. The Dukes officially left the CAA and joined the SBC in 2022, participating in Division I FBS football and other SBC-sponsored sports.
JMU's men's basketball team has compiled an all-time record of 567-432. On March 12, 2013, the Dukes defeated Northeastern University to win the CAA tournament, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This was the first appearance in the tournament since 1994 and only the second time in the school's history of winning the CAA.
The women's basketball team was founded in 1920, making it one of the longest-running women's basketball programs in the country. The team has made the NCAA tournament eleven times, most recently in the 2013-2014 season.
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The team's performance in the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship
James Madison University (JMU) sponsors an 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program that competes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The JMU men's basketball team, known as the Dukes, has appeared in the NCAA tournament six times, most recently in 2024.
In 2024, the Dukes received a #12 seed in the South Region and faced #5 Wisconsin in the first round in Brooklyn. This was the first meeting between the two teams. The Dukes were coached by Mark Byington, who made his NCAA Championship debut that year. Byington had a successful record as head coach of the Dukes, guiding them to an 81-35 or 82-36 record across his four seasons in charge. The team had a strong start to the 2023/24 season, going 14-0 and achieving the best start in program history. They won the 2024 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament, securing their place in the NCAA Division I tournament.
The outcome of the game against Wisconsin is not known, but the Dukes' overall record in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship is 4-5. The team has had some notable successes in the tournament in previous years, including a win against #7 West Virginia as #10 seed in 1983, and more recently, a victory against Long Island in the First Four in 2013.
Following the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Mark Byington left his position as head coach and took up a new role at Vanderbilt. On March 29, 2024, JMU hired Preston Spradlin as the new head coach of the men's basketball team.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, James Madison University sponsors an 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program that competes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The men's basketball team at JMU was founded in 1945.
The James Madison Dukes men's basketball team is a part of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The JMU basketball team is a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), which they joined in 2022. Prior to that, they were a part of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
The JMU basketball team has appeared in six NCAA Division I tournaments, most recently in 2024.
