It is officially the start of a new season for Ohio, and it all starts with an opening-night matchup against James Madison. The Bobcats will face the Dukes on the road in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with the opportunity to start their season off on the right foot, taking down a team that peaked at No. 18 on the AP Poll last year.
Here’s everything to know ahead of the matchup.
Game Information
Opponent: James Madison
Location: Athletic Union Bank Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
Time: Monday at 7 p.m.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here.
Meet the opponent
Head Coach: Preston Spradlin (first season)
Projected starters:
No. 0, Mark Freeman
No. 3, Eddie Ricks III
No. 4, Elijah Hutchins-Everett
No. 5, Justin Taylor
No. 44, Luke Anderson
James Madison notes
In almost the complete inverse of Ohio, which maintained continuity over the off-season, James Madison is coming into the 2024-25 season with a near-brand new team. The Dukes had an immensely successful season, going 32-4 and making the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history.
The team lost its head coach and leading scorers in all five primary stat categories but brought in talent through the transfer portal. The entire projected starting five as well as many names on the bench have come from the portal, including guards Mark Freeman and Eddie Ricks III who followed their head coach at Morehead State, Spradlin, to James Madison.
Player to Watch: Mark Freeman
Freeman comes into this season after missing the entire 2023-24 season with a wrist injury. The season prior, he was the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, averaging 15.0 points per game and 3.7 assists per game. Freeman will be a veteran leader for this new team, and will look to return the productive ways he exhibited in 2022-23.
