NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 mid-major power rankings for 2022-23 season

25. James Madison Dukes

2021-22 record: 15-14 (6-12 in CAA)

Last season’s non-conference for the Dukes included wins over Wright State, George Mason, and the big home upset over Virginia. Yet the final year in the Colonial Athletic Conference didn’t go well, with a combo of injuries and bad luck derailing them. The hope is that the move to the Sun Belt this year will bring them good luck.

What helps is that James Madison returns just about all of the key pieces from last season, including leading scorer Vado Morse (15.0 ppg). The senior guard is joined by Takal Molson (12.3 ppg), who missed half of league play, which helps explain the losses. Justin Amadi, Terrence Edwards, and Charles Faiden, who each averaged over 9.0 ppg, are back as well in the rotation.

If they didn’t already have enough depth, the team went out and landed a pair of key transfers from the forward. Forward Mezie Offurum is a 5th-year transfer from Mount St. Mary’s and a 6’8 power forward with both size and experience. And Noah Freidel comes from South Dakota State after averaging 13.6 ppg and 39% three-point shooting in three years. The 6’4 guard adds more perimeter offense and experience and gives James Madison one of the best 8-9 man rotations in the Sun Belt.

The CAA and the Sun Belt are fairly similar in talent so the transition for the Dukes shouldn’t be too difficult. Can they come in and win the league in year 1? We’ve seen other programs do the same. But this team will have to improve on the defensive end to make sure last season’s league play results don’t happen again.