That's a great way to start the SBC off towards a stronger rating for the 2023-24 season!

Hopefully the success continues and the rest of the SBC will play well.

It certainly deserves it's own thread.

This up there with the biggest wins in the past decade:

James Madison over #4 Michigan State (2023)
Georgia State over #16 Baylor (2015)
Little Rock over #12 Purdue (2016)
UTA over #12 St. Mary's (2016)

Hope this and football leads to a very large surge in donations (including our collective) or this could be just a flash in the pan year! But what a year to be a JMU fan!

I am still in disbelief on this one. I've been a fan of this program for decades and MBB has been a mess.

As a fan of the Sun Belt overall, I am glad we were able to make a statement on behalf of the entire conference. SBC basketball is 'on the rise'. Last year was a big step forward and hopefully this year is an even larger step.
I like this part of the season as I am rooting for all the teams in the conference to win.
Hopefully this is the first of many statements made in the OOC.
We're playing Kent State on Thursday and that's another opportunity to boost the conference.

Awesome win JMU! This is how to make a statement!

Looks like you're the class of the conference this year, where teams at the top last year (Louisiana, Marshall, South Alabama) are in for a down year.

Congrats, Dukes! As a Coastal fan, I'm used to cheering on the other Sun Belt schools with viable basketball programs as the Chanticleers have to live vicariously through others that are competitive. Maybe one season soon we'll help carry the torch of lifting the conference up with a March Madness appearance but until then fight on brothers and enjoy this great win...

Way to go Dukes!
StunBelt is alive and well!!

HFS!



guess it's time to start honing up on me hoops chops!

James Madison f$%ked with Tom Izzo all kinds of ways

[from the ESPN.com article]
Michigan State had not lost a home game in the month of November since David Robinson -- the Basketball Hall of Famer who starred for the San Antonio Spurs -- led Navy to a 91-90 overtime win over the Spartans in 1986. The program had not lost a season opener in East Lansing since 1970.

The holidays could be somewhat awkward for Izzo, as well, after this loss. His nephew, Matt Bucklin, is an assistant at James Madison, a Sun Belt program that won its second-ever game over a ranked opponent after losing 42 of its previous 43 matchups, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Michigan State is the first Associated Press top-5 team to lose its season opener at home against an unranked opponent since Kentucky lost at home to Western Kentucky in 2001. Also, Izzo entered Monday's game with a 21-7 record in season openers, per Michigan State.

What impressed me most was JMU led throughout only to have Michigan State score the last four points to force overtime.

The home ranked team almost always wins those games. JMU showed a ton of mental toughness.

Kent State is a really good team. Gotta make sure this isn't a trap game.

Great win JMU!