BOONE, N.C. - After closing out a season-long four-game road trip in Conway last Saturday, the App State men's basketball team is set to open up a season-long four-game homestand by welcoming the James Madison Dukes to the Holmes Center on Thursday. The Mountaineers will play their seventh and eighth consecutive games against teams from Sun Belt East schools this week against James Madison and Old Dominion (Saturday). Tip off against the Dukes is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
App State will return to Boone for the first time since Dec. 20 on Thursday, ending what was a 24-day stretch in which the Mountaineers did not play a home game. App State concluded its season-long four-game road trip, which spanned 10 days, with a 52-50 win over Georgia State in Atlanta on Jan. 8 and a 62-67 loss to Coastal Carolina last Saturday.
App State enters Thursday's home contest vs. the Dukes having won 30 of its last 36 games at the Holmes Center since the start of the 2023-24 season. Over the last 36 home games, the Mountaineers have outscored their foes by 15.9 points per game (572 total). This season, the Mountaineers have posted four double-digit victories at home, which include an 18-point win over Coastal Carolina to open their Sun Belt schedule.
The Mountaineers enter Thursday's contest vs. James Madison with the most conference wins of any other team in the Sun Belt Conference since 2019, boasting 68 wins, which is three clear of the next closest team (South Alabama - 65). Since
Dustin Kerns took over the program before the 2019 season, the Mountaineers have totaled four 10-win seasons in Sun Belt play, which are the most in six years since 2006-12 (also achieved four in those six seasons).
The Matchup
- Who: App State vs. James Madison
- Where: Holmes Convocation Center // Boone, N.C.
- When: Thursday, Jan. 15 // 6:30 p.m.
Tune In
- Watch: Watch (ESPN+) | David Jackson (PxP), John Reisterer (Color), Bob Dillner (Sideline)
- Listen: FLAGSHIP 97.3 (North Wilkesboro), 950 AM/92.7 FM (Greensboro), 790 AM/93.7 FM (Johnson City) | Matt Present (PxP)
- Live Stats: appstatesports.com
Last Time Out
Despite leading for 31 minutes and by as many as 13 points, App State fell in the final game of its road trip to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers last Saturday. The Chanticleers took the lead late after a Joshua Beadle 3-pointer and held on to a slim lead for the duration of the contest.
App State's defense struggled to contain Coastal Carolina in the second half, as the Chanticleers scored 41 points in the final frame and shot 64 percent from the field. App State led by six points at halftime, but a second-half outburst by Beadle, who scored 20 points in the final 20 minutes, and a poor offensive effort by the Mountaineers helped Coastal Carolina pull ahead.
Although it fell, App State did shoot the ball well from the free-throw line, burying 13 of its 17 free-throw attempts. App State's 76.5 percent mark from the charity stripe was its highest of the season.
Alonzo Dodd,
Kasen Jennings,
Jalen Tot and
Michael Marcus Jr. each went perfect from the line, combining for an 11-11 clip.
Scouting the Mountaineers
App State enters play on Thursday with a 10-8 record and has won six of its last nine games, which include three by double digits. App State owns a 3-3 record in Sun Belt play, which places it in a tie for seventh place in the league standings. The Mountaineers are one of eight teams with at least three Sun Belt wins entering Thursday, and stand 1.5 games back from second place in the league standings and two games back from the top.
The Mountaineers continue to be one of the best defensive teams in the Sun Belt Conference entering Thursday as they pace the league in scoring defense, allowing 66.7 points a game, which is 0.7 points ahead of the next closest team (South Alabama - 67.4). App State has paced the conference in scoring defense each of the past four seasons, while also ranking in the top 50 in that category nationally since 2020-21. When the Mountaineers have won this season, they use their defense to do so, as they allow 58.9 points a game in wins compared to 76.5 points in losses.
Offensive rebounding has become a strong point for App State this season, as it enters Thursday's game against James Madison as the Sun Belt's third-ranked team in offensive rebounding (12.6 per game). App State enters Thursday having grabbed at least 12 offensive rebounds in each of its last four games and has grabbed at least 12 offensive rebounds 10 times this season, which is already more games with 12 or more offensive rebounds than last season (nine).
Three players enter Thursday's game vs. James Madison averaging at least 10 points in Jennings (14.2), Dodd (12.2) and Wilson (10.7). Wilson and Dodd have been especially hot over the last nine games, as Dodd is averaging 15.2 points per game, while Wilson is scoring 13.2 points and grabbing 9.3 rebounds a contest since Dec. 3. Additionally, Tot, who made his first start of the season against Georgia State on Jan. 8, has scored at least 12 points in three of his last four contests and enters Thursday averaging 12.75 points per game over his last four games.
Scouting the Dukes
James Madison enters Thursday with a 9-8 record for the season and a 2-3 record in Sun Belt play. The Dukes have won two of their last three games, posting a road win over Arkansas State on Jan. 3 and a come-from-behind win over Old Dominion at home in their last game.
The Dukes posted an impressive win against Old Dominion last Saturday, as they came back from down by as much as 19 points, including an eight-point deficit with 3:46 to play in the second half, to clinch a thrilling win. It was JMU's largest comeback victory since the 2023-24 season, when it also posted a 19-point comeback win over Georgia Southern.
Justin McBride enters play in Boone as the Sun Belt's third-leading scorer, averaging 17.7 points per contest. McBride is coming off a 29-point performance against Old Dominion in his last outing and has tallied at least 20 points in seven games this season. Overall, the Dukes see three players who average double figures in Bradley Douglas (13.2) and Cliff Davis (11.9).
Series History
App State and James Madison are slated to meet for the 13th time on Thursday, with this being the seventh meeting between the two teams as conference foes (JMU joined the Sun Belt prior to the 2022-23 season). This will also be the seventh meeting between the two teams at the Holmes Center.
App State holds the edge in the series at 9-3 and enters Thursday having won each of the past four games in the series. Additionally, App State has won each of the last two games played in Boone against the Dukes.
The Mountaineers' offense has done well against the Dukes over the last two meetings in Boone, as they are averaging 84 points a game over the last two games against JMU at the Holmes Center.
Next Up
Following action on Thursday against the Dukes, App State will play host to the Old Dominion Monarchs at the Holmes Center on Saturday. Saturday's game will mark the second and final regular-season matchup between App State and ODU. Tip off is slated for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
