NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Marquette rise in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
21. James Madison (6-0)
The Dukes worked their way quickly into the national rankings with that impressive opening night upset win at Michigan State. They may not be playing at the highest level in the nation, but Mark Byington’s squad has simply kept winning in the weeks since, getting two more very solid wins this past week during their holiday tournament.
James Madison went down to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge and had a pair of solid performances, starting with an 82-76 win over a solid Southern Illinois team on Tuesday. Terrence Edwards had 24 points while T. J. Bickerstaff added 19 points and 7 rebounds. Their performance the following day in the title game was even more outstanding, as the Dukes won 95-64 over Fresno State, getting 26 points from Noah Freidel.
A lot of things have gone right for James Madison this season, including the play of pieces like Bickerstaff and Freidel in these early weeks. Obviously, the momentum from that win in East Lansing was a great jumpstart for the season, but they are no flash in the pan. James Madison looks like they are for real and possibly one of the best mid-majors in the nation. Next week’s lone challenge is against a Buffalo team that’s really struggling.