The JMU season for male basketball 2024-25 ended in the semi-finals of the Sun Belt tournament. The dukes won 20 games, but they failed to make after-season tournaments. Year 1 of the Preston Spradlin era included positive points, but the program wants to be better in the 2025-26 season.
These objectives begin this offseason with the construction of the alignment. Between graduate players like Mark Freeman and expected transfers, the list of dukes will still have large holes to fill. Can dukes build a candidate for the solar belt? Will it be a top 100 team next season? Let's follow the movements of the dukes in the portal.
Transfer of additions
Bradley Douglas, G, Georgie Southern – A 6-1 guard with a Sun Belt experience, Bradley played in the 33 games for the Eagles last season. He collected on average 12.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last year. He started his career at the JOCO level before joining Little Rock, then Georgia Southern. He should have a year of eligibility, giving the dukes an experienced guard who can play both the point of view and the shot.
Gabe Newhof, F / C, Spring Arbor – The NAIA star (6'9 and 225 lb) collected an average of 21.7 points and 8 rebounds per game during her three -year career in Spring Arbor. He is not a shooter of 3 points (6 career attempts), but he is very effective inside the arc (percentage of FG in a career of 61% and a shooter of 78.3% FT last season). He can defend well, blocking at least 24 shots during each of his three seasons, and he does it without a poverty, with an average of less than two faults per game during his career. D1 is a much higher level of competition, but Newhof has the game to succeed in the solar belt.
Look at our interview with Gabe here.
Elijah Wilborn, F / C, St. Francis / Duquesne – JMU brings an essential size with Wilborn, an attacker / 6-8 center which has an average of 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 58 career games. It is an effective marker with two years of eligibility. His style of physical play (it is all in 215 pounds) and a defensive meaning (2.5 blocks per 40 minutes in his career) make him an ideal front area adapted to the Preston Spradlin team. Duquesne and St. Francis actually used Wilborn in the center for a large part of his career despite his lack of size compared to most centers, by Kenpom. He should adapt well to the Sun Belt, after spending last year against the A-10 competition. He can play 4 or 5.
Look at our interview with Eli here.
Paul Jones III, G, Winthrop – Jones joined JMU with three years of eligibility after a high first year season in Winthrop. He collected an average of 7.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season, winning a place in the Big South All-Freshman team. It does well to take care of the ball (0.6 revenue of turnover per game) and should be a nice addition to the shooting goalkeeper. Its shooting efficiency (32.6% to 3 and 62.5% of the free throw line) has room to improve, but the left -hander has a soft blow and can end up on both hands. He had two -digit performances against Louisville (13) and Indiana (10).
Paul Lewis, G, Vanderbilt / Utsa – Matt Lewis' younger brother will follow in the footsteps of his older brother. Lewis, a 6-2 goalkeeper, played more than 50 games for Vanderbilt to start his university career as a bench player before joining UTSA. He played in just two games for the UTSA last season, suggesting that he could potentially receive a Redshirt and that he has two years of eligibility. At the very least, he is a year old with the dukes. Lewis has an average of 13.3 minutes per game and 3.7 points per game in his career, but the Sun Belt is a step in competition (obviously) of the sec. A guy who scored 10 points in 15 minutes against Kentucky in March 2023 has the potential to have an impact in the SBC. This is an exciting (and frankly necessary) addition for a JMU team at a slow start in the portal. Lewis can play in point or shooting.
Transfer departures
Xavier Brown, g to usf – Three -year -old Duke, Brown is in the portal, according to Jeff Goodman. He has an average of more than 10 points per game this season, while leading the team with 46 interceptions. He played a key role for the 2023-24 team which also won an NCAA tournament match, starting 17 of the 36 team games. The vocal chief is a significant loss, and he will play next season in AAC for the former coach of the Arkansas State, Bryan Hodgson.
AJ Smith, G / F in Bradley – The rising senior leaves Harrisonburg after being transferred during the last off -season in southern Indiana. He played and started 32 games this season and collected an average of 7.3 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. He scored two -digit 10 times and made 20 points once. He landed in a good mid-meter school closer to his home.
Bryce Lindsay, G in Villanova – The upward second -year guard has just won the sixth man of the year Sun Belt, and the first year honors of the year after an average of 13.4 points per match on 45.5% shooting. He was one of the best 3-point shooters in the solar belt in 2024-25 and will play in the Big East next season.
Redd Thompson, G in Longwood – A second year student, Thompson played in just nine games for the dukes in 2024-25. There was optimism that he could become a remarkable future, but he left the dukes for a program in the different state.
Jerrell dressrson, f – The junior striker played sparingly during his career JMU and had no obvious path to play time in Harrisonburg despite his size of 6'9. He will probably look for an increased playing time for his next stop.
Will LOVES-WATTS, G – A late addition to the portal, Loyings-Watts spent only one year in Harrisonburg after starting his career in the north of Illinois. There was optimism among the fans that Womis-Watts would become a greater contributor as a junior and senior.
Photo graceful of JMU Athletics Communications
