NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – The James Madison backcourt tandem of Mark Freeman and Xavier Brown earned Preseason All-Sun Belt honors, while the Dukes were picked second in the preseason men’s basketball coaches’ poll, the league office announced on Monday morning.

JMU was voted second behind Arkansas State, who collected 12 first-place votes and 190 total points. The Dukes picked up one first-place vote and 170 total points, followed by Troy (155), Louisiana (144) and Southern Miss (133).

Freeman, the native of Memphis, Tenn., was named First Team All-Sun Belt and reunited with Head Coach Preston Spradlin after being named the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year at Morehead State. He averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per contest with the Eagles in 2022-23 before sitting out 2023-24 with an injury. In his career, which also includes stops at Illinois State and Tennessee State, Freeman has appeared in 112 games and has accumulated 1,246 points – including 59 games in double figures and six with 20 points or more.

Brown earned a spot on the All-Sun Belt Third Team after starting 18 of the final 19 games of the 2023-24 season for JMU while putting up 6.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He finished the season with 52 steals – the fifth-most in a single season in program history – and was a key contributor for a Dukes squad that went 32-4 and advanced to the Second Round of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

JMU enters the 2024-25 season with 12 newcomers – 11 transfers and one freshman. The Dukes will open their season at the Atlantic Union Bank Center on Monday, Nov. 4, hosting Ohio in the first leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge at 7 p.m.

Fans can join the Duke Club today – in addition to supporting JMU student-athletes, a Duke Club membership provides numerous benefits, including access to exclusive events, game day experiences (i.e. game day parking and access), informational updates, and a 10% discount at the JMU Bookstore. For more information on how to join, visit JMUDukeClub.com or call (540) 568-6461.

Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 basketball season are on sale now! Two mini-plan options are also available and can be purchased at JMUTickets.com or by calling 540-568-3853.

2024 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year:
Kobe Julien, Arkansas State [R-SR | F | Baton Rouge, La.]

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Mark Freeman, James Madison [R-SR | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Kobe Julien, Arkansas State [R-SR | F | Baton Rouge, La.]
Hosana Kitenge, Louisiana [SR | F | Crawley, England]
Nate Martin, Marshall [SR | F | Houston, Texas]
Myles Rigsby, Troy [SO | F | Fort Worth, Texas]

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall [5th Yr. | F | Lagos, Nigeria]
Tayton Conerway, Troy [SR | G | Burleson, Texas]
C.J. Huntley, App State [GR | F | Huntersville, N.C.]
Toneari Lane, Georgia State [SR | G | Atlanta, Ga.]
Taryn Todd, Arkansas State [SR | G | Ontario, Canada]

Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Xavier Brown, James Madison [JR | G | Williamsburg, Va.]
Andre Curbelo, Southern Miss [GR | G | Vega Baja, Puerto Rico]
Tyrel Morgan, Texas State [GR | F | Atlanta, Ga.]
Izaiyah Nelson, Arkansas State [JR | F | Atlanta, Ga.]
Myles Tate, App State [SR | G | Spartanburg, S.C.]

2024 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Arkansas State (12) – 193
2. James Madison (1) – 170
3. Troy (1) – 155
4. Louisiana – 144
5. Southern Miss – 133
6. App State – 122
7. Texas State – 89
T8. Georgia Southern – 85
T8. Old Dominion – 85
10. Marshall – 79
11. South Alabama – 78
12. Georgia State – 75
13. Coastal Carolina – 34
14. ULM – 28

Parentheses indicate first-place votes

— JMU Athletics —