RADFORD, Va. – Radford's road swing continues Friday night against #24 James Madison.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: #24 JMU Dukes (3-0, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Location: Harrisonburg, Va. (Atlantic Union Bank Center)

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Streaming: CLICK HERE (ESPN+)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Radio: CLICK HERE (WRAD 101.7/103.5 FM)
Tickets: CLICK HERE

SERIES HISTORY
Radford owns a 4-15 record across 19 all-time meetings with JMU, but more importantly, the Highlanders are still winless (0-10) when playing in Harrisonburg.
 
The in-state opponents went head-to-head each season between 2017 and 2021, with Radford taking both games inside the Dedmon Center and the Dukes taking the rest.
 
Their most recent meeting, on Dec. 11, 2021, was a tale of two halves as the Highlanders went into the AUB Center and took a 41-29 lead into the halftime break before JMU flipped the script and out-scored Radford, 50-29, in the second half to earn a 79-70 win. None of the 11 Highlanders who played in that game are still on the roster today.
 
SCOUTING THE DUKES
The Dukes found themselves to be the early-season darlings of college basketball thanks to a 79-75 overtime upset of No. 4 Michigan State and the haven't faltered since. With follow-up wins over Kent State and Howard, JMU is reaching and, by all accounts exceeding, high preseason expectations.
 
JMU was picked to finish first in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll and its current #24 ranking in the AP Poll is a program history first. The Dukes have the 7^th-best scoring offense in the nation with 99.7 points score per game, much of which can be attributed to a 42.9% clip from three-point range (19^th in the nation), as well as 22.3 made free throws per game (9^th in the nation) and 18.7 assists per game (34^th in the nation).
 
Redshirt junior wing Terrence Edwards has taken a massive leap forward, leading the Dukes with 21.0 points per game. A grad transfer from Boston College, the 6'9", 220-lb forward T.J. Bickerstaff has made a major impact as well, averaging 14.7 points and a team-high 8.7 rebounds per contest.
 
RANKED OPPONENTS
As you would expect, games against nationally-ranked opponents are no easy task. Since Darris Nichols began his tenure as head coach, Radford has faced just two ranked teams – No. 25 Virginia (L, 52-73) in 2021-22 and No. 19 North Carolina (L, 70-86) earlier this season.
 
In the history of the Radford men's basketball program, the only win over a ranked team came in a 62-59 upset of the No. 17 Texas Longhorns on Nov. 30, 2018.
 
BOUNCING BACK
Radford suffered a tough loss at VCU on Wednesday night as a strong showing in the first half was soured by a cold-shooting second half, leading to a 73-50 defeat. In the Darris Nichols era, the Highlanders are 15-18 in games directly following a loss and 1-0 this season.
 
COMMONWEALTH FOES
In two-plus years with Darris Nichols and his staff leading the way, the Highlanders have gone 8-10 in 18 games against programs located within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Radford has played 12 different teams in those 18 games: Emory & Henry, Virginia, Virginia Tech, William & Mary (twice), JMU, Longwood (four times), Hampton (twice), Bridgewater, Averett, VMI, VCU (twice) and Eastern Mennonite.

FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team throughout the season, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordHoops on Twitter, 'radfordhoops' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.