By Jack Kutz

JMU fans got their first glimpse of the men’s basketball team Sunday in a home exhibition against Richmond.

Here are some game notes from the Dukes’ 90-81 win over the Spiders:

Starting lineup

PG: KJ Windham

SG: Paul Jones III

SF: Adrian Myers

PF: Preston Fowler

C: Garrett Sundra

After a down 2025-2026 season for JMU men’s basketball, head coach Preston Spradlin went through his third recruiting period at JMU career. He was only able to retain two players from past season, so he brought in nine players via the transfer portal. Spradlin also brought in three high school recruits. 

With a practically brand new team compared to his prior two seasons, Spradlin enters his third season with lofty expectations from fans and the media alike. JMU is entering the American Conference within the next two sporting seasons, a much better basketball conference than the Sun Belt. The American ranked No. 10 while the Sun Belt ranked at No. 20, according to Warren Nolan’s Conference NET Ranking. 

DNP’s

Cavan Reilly, Delaware Transfer: The fifth-year transfer guard from Delaware dressed for the game but didn’t play. 

Emarquis Jones, Goldey-Beacom Transfer: The fourth-year forward came out of the locker room in sweat pants and a boot on his right foot. No reports have been given on the reason he was out. 

This team is deep at guard and plays through them

In the exhibition, Spradlin played five guards for 17+ minutes. This included Windham, Gage Lattimore, Brandon Lee, Ace Meeks, and Paul Jones. 

The two best performers were Windham and returner Paul Jones III. Jones dropped 17 points (5-for-9 on 3s), five rebounds, and an assist in 23 minutes. After an injury-riddled first season for the Dukes, the third-year player looked very comfortable in Spradlin’s system. Windham, a third year Northwestern transfer, had 16 points. He was the main ball handler while he was in the game. He was just named to the preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team.

Ace Meeks, Gage Lattimore, and Brandon Lee combined for 31 points. Ace Meeks, a true freshman, racked up 12 points and four assists in 17 minutes, using his quickness and dribbling. Lattimore, a third-year North Carolina Central transfer, put up an impressive performance with eight points on efficient shooting, adding four assists in 21 minutes. The third-year player was an aggressive scorer in multiple facets of the game but struggled at times defensively. Lattimore was just named to the preseason All-Sun Belt second team. Lee, a former four-star commit to Illinois, played very fast and efficiently. The second-year player put up 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists. What’s most interesting about the 6’4 guard is that he was defending Richmond’s small forward at times. 

Because of JMU’s sheer amount of guards on the roster, Preston Spradlin ran three-guard lineups with Lee or Windham playing defense on Richmond’s three. This led to a very fast and fun style of offense compared with Spradlin’s usual scheme he runs. Similarly to when Mark Freeman, Xavier Brown, and Bryce Lindsay played together in 2024-2025, we could see a sized up version this season.

3-point defense adjustment

The Dukes allowed Richmond to shoot 11-24 from 3. This included four 3-pointers from Jack McCaffrey, a 6’9 forward for the Spiders. On multiple occasions, particularly in the first half, the Dukes were lost on the perimeter and punished by the Spiders. This allowed Richmond to come back from a double-digit deficit. They shot 9-14 from deep in the first half. In the second half, JMU improved its 3-point defense. The Spiders shot 2-10 from beyond the arc in the second half. 

Is this a fantastic halftime adjustment from Preston Spradlin or was it simply the Spiders going cold? 

The front court

JMU’s front court was a big point of conversation over the offseason after the additions of Notre Dame transfer Garrett Sundra and Gardner-Webb transfer Jacob Hogarth. Sundra is the first stretch big that Spradlin has recruited to JMU and Jacob Hogarth is 35 lbs heavier now than his listed weight as a sophomore. Both players are very interesting third-year players with unique skills. 

The 6’11 player, even while only shooting 1-3 from 3, draws attention away from the paint. Because of his magnetic threat from deep, there seemed to be extra space in the paint for cutting compared to past Spradlin squads. Sundra also snagged five rebounds in his 23 minutes. However, Garrett Sundra’s defense was not too impressive. He was getting beaten up in the paint by Richmond. He also missed some backdoor cuts that allowed the Spiders to get uncontested looks in the paint.

For the second year in a row, Spradlin bulked up one of his big men over the offseason. Hogarth, now he is listed at 245, had a good showing in the exhibition. He had six points, one rebound, and JMU’s only block. The 6’9 forward played solid defense in the paint as well. If Hogarth can refine his skills and athleticism while maintaining his weight, he could be a dangerous weapon for the Dukes as the season goes on.

After two seasons of mediocre forward play, Spradlin seems to have found a great deal of quality forwards during the offseason. 

Adrian Myers: Myers played 21 minutes and started for the Dukes. The fourth-year player 37% from three last season at San Jose State and he showcased that by nailing a 3 on two attempts. He also got to the free-throw line at a great rate and got to shoot from the charity stripe eight times. 

Marley Curtis: In spite of not playing in the first half, Curtis played an important 10 minutes in the second half. Listed at 6’7 and 230 lbs, he played his minutes at the power forward spot. He did a great job of playing defense and hustling. On one play in particular, Curtis forced a loose ball and hustled for the ball out of bounds, causing a turnover. The second-year North Dakota transfer played with a lot of heart and showed why he should be in coach Spradlin’s rotation.

Preston Fowler: The second-year returner for JMU played 23 minutes but didn’t record any points. He did grab two rebounds and pick up two assists while not giving up a turnover. Fowler seems to be picking up where he left off last season by doing the little things right and letting the game come to him. Fowler was just named on the preseason All-Sun Belt second team.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications