After hitting 20 wins in 2024-25 but losing in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals, JMU men’s basketball has its eye on building a more cohesive and consistent roster next season. That starts through the transfer portal, where the Dukes need to replace a number of losses to both graduation and the portal.

Here’s a quick update on where the Dukes stand in bringing in new players via the portal.

Visitors

Mount St. Mary’s guard Carmelo Pacheco

A Harrisonburg native, Pacheco is one of the best shooters in the country. He began his career at UVA-Wise before spending this past season with Mount St. Mary’s, where he shot 46.4% from 3-point range on 166 attempts. With two years of eligibility left, Pacheco is a top target for the Dukes, who seemingly want at least one sharpshooter on next year’s roster. He’ll visit on Monday, he tells us.

Toledo guard Seth Hubbard

Hubbard, who began his career at Western Michigan, is an interesting prospect. He’s shown the ability to score — he averaged more than 14 points per game two seasons ago and dropped 28 points for the Rockets in the team’s final game of the season this year — but he’s never shot over 40% from the floor over an entire season before. He could be a key piece on a mid-major winner, if surrounded by the right team and can improve his shooting efficiency. He’s among those to visit JMU, according to The Portal Report.

Stephen F. Austin guard Matt Hayman

This would be a notable commitment, as the former JUCO player progressed wonderfully in three seasons with Stephen F. Austin. Hayman averaged 14 points per game this past season, and he’s a career 37.3% shooter from 3-point range. The 6-5 guard tallied 99 steals over the last two seasons, suggesting there’s some defensive upside in his game, too. He visited JMU, per Shane Mettlen of The Daily News-Record.

Reported interest

Deuce Turner, UCSB guard

A guard, Turner has played for Bucknell, San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara. His best season came in 2023-24, when he averaged 15.5 points per game for San Diego and made just over 37% of his 3-pointers. Turner has received a lot of mid-major interest and would be a decent addition given his experience and shooting potential. It’s unclear if he’ll visit JMU, but Locker Room Access has reported on mutual interest between Turner and the Dukes.

Derrin Boyd, College of Charleston guard

The former Lipscomb and Charleston standout has averaged more than 10 points per game in three consecutive seasons, shooting at least 38% from 3-point range each year. While JMU reportedly showed interest in the guard, he’s also been recruited by Power Conference programs. Boyd would be a home-run addition, but the veteran guard will likely play at a higher level than the Sun Belt in 2025-26. 

Sami Pissis, New Hampshire guard

Pissis is one of the few inefficient scorers who has reportedly been contacted by JMU. He averaged nearly 16 points per game at the guard position this past season, but he also shot just under 35% from the field. He’s also been contacted by plenty of high-level programs. Is JMU a realistic landing spot? If it is, the Dukes need to figure out how to help him be more efficient.

Stephen Giwa, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forward

The 6-9 forward has started 53 games over the last two seasons, and while he’s not a prolific scorer (5.7 career points per game), Giwa does well to block shots and rebound. He could be a nice depth piece in the frontcourt. The Athletic reported that JMU contacted him.

Jazz Gardner, Pacific center

Another big man, The Portal Report initially reported JMU’s interest in Gardner. The 7-footer averaged 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game last season. Like Giwa, he’s a potential depth piece in the frontcourt.

Emmanuel Ugbo, Boise State wing

The 6-8 wing from the Netherlands could develop into a standout after playing in all 36 games for the Broncos. He averaged 10 minutes per game, scoring 3.1 points per game. He’s also received interest from Washington State and UCF, among others. He would be a significant addition with the potential to be a Sun Belt standout.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications