The Shadow
HARRISONBURG, Va. (VR) – James Madison men’s basketball was selected to finish second in the Preseason Sun Belt Coaches Poll, while Preston Fowler and Gage Lattimore earned Second Team All-Conference honors and K.J. Windham was named Third Team All-Conference, as announced by the league on Monday afternoon.
Fueled by a SBC-high nine first-place votes, the Dukes totaled 176 points in this year’s poll, six points behind leader Arkansas State. Three of five remaining first place votes went to Red Wolves while Southern Miss claimed the rest. James Madison has been picked to finish in the top-two each season since head coach Preston Spradlin took over the program prior to the 2024-25 campaign.
Fowler, a second year guard, returns to JMU after competing in all 33 games, including 14 starts, in his rookie season. The Vernon, Connecticut, native finished the year averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, highlighted by a career-best 20 point and 11 rebound double-double performance against Georgia Southern (Feb. 25). Fowler wrapped up his freshman season recording double-digit points five times.
Making his way from North Carolina Central, Lattimore was one of the most exciting players in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season. Starting in all 31 games, the guard averaged a remarkable 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists for the Eagles, resulting in First Team All-MEAC and First Team BOXTOROW HBCU All-American honors. One of his most memorable performances from last season was a 29 point night against JMU (Dec. 3, 2025). Lattimore tallied double-digit points in 27 games last year, including nine 20-plus point performances, and a career-high 39 point night against Bluefield St. (Nov. 12, 2025).
Earning Third Team honors, Windham is a transfer guard who spent the last two seasons competing for Northwestern. During this span, Windham played in 43 games and made four starts for the Wildcats. The guard finished his career at NU averaging 4.9 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 rebounds per game. He also reached the double-digit mark eight times and recorded two 20-point performances. Coming out of high school, 247Sports tabbed Windham the second-best player in the state of Indiana and the 18th-best combo guard in the nation.
The 2026-27 JMU men’s basketball team features 13 new Dukes and two returning players, Fowler and Paul Jones III. Jones competed in 20 games last year, averaging 2.8 points per contest during his sophomore campaign.
James Madison tips off the season on Monday, Nov. 3, hosting Miami (Ohio) at the Atlantic Bank Union Center.
Fans can join the Duke Club today – in addition to supporting JMU student-athletes, a Duke Club membership provides numerous benefits, including access to exclusive events, game day experiences (i.e. game day parking and access), informational updates, and a 10 percent discount at the JMU Bookstore. For more information on how to join, visit JMUDukeClub.com or call (540)-568-6461.
Single-game and season tickets for the 2026-27 basketball season are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at JMUTickets.com or by calling (540)-568-3853.
2026 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year:
Isaac Taveras, Southern Miss [4th Yr. | G | Santo Domingo, D.R.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Adante’ Holiman, Old Dominion [4th Yr. | G | McAlester, Okla.]
Peyton Law, South Alabama [5th Yr. | F | Calhoun, Ga.]
Jacob Meyer, Georgia State [4th Yr. | G | Covington, Ky.]
Noah Otshudi, Marshall [5th Yr. | G | Hamilton, Ontario, Can.]
Isaac Taveras, Southern Miss [4th Yr. | G | Santo Domingo, D.R.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Tameron Ferguson, Arkansas State [3rd Yr. | G | St. Cloud, Minn.]
Preston Fowler, James Madison [2nd Yr. | F | Vernon, Conn.]
Dallas Gardner, Georgia Southern [4th Yr. | G | Charlotte, N.C.]
Gage Lattimore, James Madison [3rd Yr. | G | Greensboro, N.C.]
Layne Taylor, Arkansas State [3rd Yr. | G | Farmington, Ark.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Jacoi Hutchinson, Troy [4th Yr. | G | Laurel, Md.]
Jamyron Keller, Louisiana [4th Yr. | G | St. Matthews, S.C.]
Jalen Langsy, South Alabama [3rd Yr. | G | Shakopee, Minn.]
Kyran Tilley, Louisiana Tech [3rd Yr. | G | Louisville, Ky.]
K.J. Windham, James Madison [3rd Yr. | G | Indianapolis, Ind.]
2026 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Arkansas State (3) – 182
2. James Madison (9) – 176
3. Troy – 143
4. South Alabama – 136
5. Marshall – 125
6. Louisiana – 117
7. Southern Miss (2) – 109
8. App State – 105
9. Georgia Southern – 85
10. Georgia State – 79
11. Old Dominion – 76
12. Louisiana Tech – 64
13. Coastal Carolina – 58
14. ULM – 15
Parentheses indicate first-place votes
