NCAA Tournament March Madness

#51 James Madison

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Projected seed: 11 (automatic qualifier)

James Madison's season record pops off the page, but the quality of their wins and the overall strength of their schedule is a different story. Their biggest statement game was snagging a road win over Michigan State, a solid victory against a reputable program. However, following that, they've largely feasted on lower-tier competition with only a couple of hiccups along the way, most notably a slip up at Southern Miss and a loss to Appalachian State. While they avenged the loss against Appalachian State at home, that road defeat to Southern Miss sticks out as a sore thumb on their resume. A powerhouse offensive showing throughout the season has been their calling card, but the lackluster defensive numbers could be a red flag against high-caliber NCAA tournament offense. To bolster their case, they ran the table in the Sun Belt tourney, picking up wins against respectable mid-major opponents like Texas State and Arkansas State under the brighter lights of March, indicating they can win pressure games. Heading into the tournament, momentum is with them, but their potential success will hinge on whether their offense can keep firing against sterner defenses and if their own defense can step up a few notches.

Date Opponent Ranking Outcome
11/6@Michigan St28W79-76
11/9@Kent188W113-108
11/12Howard263W107-86
11/17Radford218W76-73
11/21(N)S Illinois118W82-76
11/22(N)Fresno St208W95-64
11/29Buffalo357W81-66
12/9@Old Dominion296W84-69
12/16@Hampton332W88-71
12/19Coppin St354W87-48
12/22@Morgan St324W89-75
12/30Texas St169W82-65
1/4@Louisiana145W68-61
1/6@Southern Miss229L81-71
1/11South Alabama217W89-55
1/13Appalachian St81L59-55
1/18ULM292W89-70
1/20Marshall225W67-52
1/24@Old Dominion296W78-62
1/27@Appalachian St81L82-76
2/1Coastal Car315W105-67
2/3Old Dominion296W78-63
2/7@Arkansas St129W77-73
2/10Akron110W73-59
2/15Georgia St228W83-63
2/17Ga Southern280W87-80
2/21@Marshall225W84-58
2/24@Ga Southern280W80-74
2/28@Georgia St228W84-78
3/1@Coastal Car315W86-76
3/9(N)Marshall225W81-64
3/10(N)Texas St169W73-68
3/11Arkansas St129W91-71