Image courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications

By Bennett Conlin

JMU men’s basketball earned a No. 12 and will open its NCAA Tournament against Wisconsin, it was announced Sunday night. The teams will play Friday in Brooklyn, New York.

The winner of JMU-Wisconsin will face the winner of Duke-Vermont.

The Dukes come into the Big Dance as one of the hottest teams in the sport, winning a nation’s best 13 consecutive games coming into the event. They’re an absurd 31-3 on the season, with notable wins over Michigan State and Akron.

Terrence Edwards, the Sun Belt Player of the Year, leads a deep roster with numerous scoring options. Three Dukes score 10+ points per game, and Julien Wooden averages 9.9 per contest.

Defensively, JMU made strides over the course of the season. The Dukes rank second nationally in 3-point field goal defense. JMU sits in the top 80 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom.

An opening win would be historic for the Dukes, as JMU hasn’t made the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 1983. The Dukes most recently won a play-in game as a No. 16 seed in 2013.

For the first time in a long time, JMU brings a dangerous roster capable of making a Sweet 16 into an NCAA Tournament.