‘25 Summer Shootaround: Mystery School No. 1 Revealed!

Podcast: Eye On College Basketball
Hosts: Gary Parrish & Matt Norlander
Date: August 28, 2025
Subject: James Madison Dukes Men’s Basketball Preview (2025-26 Season)

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off the Summer Shootaround auction series, where donated proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The winning bidder, Jeff Smith, chose to spotlight the James Madison Dukes for the second consecutive year—a mid-major making significant strides under coach Preston Spradlin. Parrish and Norlander deliver analysis, context, and insider tidbits, including scheme, roster reconstruction, and program trajectory, all while honoring a listener’s personal story connected to the show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Auction Series Context & Listener Dedication

Segment: 05:38 – 10:52

• Listener Story: Jeff Smith, who lost his father earlier in the year, dedicated the episode to their shared love of JMU and college basketball, reiterating the show's impact on their family.
• Ethics of Auction Repeats: The hosts debate—lightly—whether repeat school auction winners should be limited. They conclude maximizing charitable donations and positive connections outweighs limiting participation.
  • Quote [08:22, Gary Parrish]:
    “If that rule were in place, it would have quite literally prevented us from hearing from Jeff Smith again this year. … That’s good enough for me, man.”

James Madison Program Status & Sun Belt Context

Segment: 10:54 – 13:41

• Facilities/NIL/Support: JMU stands as one of the Sun Belt’s most well-positioned mid-major programs, boasting strong resources, fan base, and NIL backing.
• Conference Realignment: JMU joined the Sun Belt driven by football ambitions; the league itself is undergoing a significant competitive makeover.
• Coach Profile:
  • Preston Spradlin: At 38, Spradlin is entering his second year after a 20-12 debut season with an almost entirely new roster. Both hosts see him as a future Power 5 head coach.
  • Quote [12:39, Norlander]:
    “If Spradlin continues on the trajectory that I think he’s on… I think he is someone that will be coaching at the Power 5 level in men’s college basketball within the next half decade.”

Roster Turnover & Transfer Era Analysis

Segment: 13:41 – 18:01

• Transfer Culture and “Cinderella” Debate:
  • The hosts discuss how transfer waivers and NIL are changing mid-major basketball, but agree coaches using programs as stepping stones has always existed, and now players simply join them. They don’t see the “death of Cinderella.”
  • Quote [13:41, Parrish]:
    “Coaches have used these types of programs as launching pads…for decades, and now players are doing it pretty regularly.”
• Extreme Roster Overhaul:
  • Only two scholarship players return; 10 new transfers arrive—plus high school recruits and even a walk-on (Chance Lundy) from the club program.
  • Memorable Detail: Chance Lundy, an All-American on JMU’s club team and a practice player for the women’s program, is now on the roster.

State of Cinderella: Will Upstarts Still Break Through?

Segment: 18:01 – 21:30

• Parrish & Norlander’s Take:
  • Both believe that despite increased player movement and NIL, major tournament upsets will persist—just perhaps less frequently.
  • Quote [19:18, Norlander]:
    “Cinderella will never be dead as long as we invite at least one school from every conference into the dance.”
  • Parrish Adds [20:45]:
    “Never again? Cinderella’s dead? I don’t buy that.”

2025–26 Roster Breakdown

Segment: 21:30 – 27:02

• Key Returners:
  • Eddie Ricks III: 6.7 PPG, 25+ MPG, starts at the 3.
  • Justin Taylor: Former Syracuse player, limited production last year but experience from ACC.
• Projected Starters:
  • PG: Brad Douglas (Georgia Southern/Little Rock/Juco—a “well-traveled” veteran).
  • SG: Cliff Davis (UTRGV; high-volume shooter).
  • SF: Eddie Ricks III.
  • PF: Justin McBride (former Oklahoma State/Nevada, potential breakout & “Julius Randle type”).
  • C: Gabe Newhoff (NAIA transfer), with Eli Wilbourne (Duquesne) and Ike Cornish (Maryland, top-100 recruit) as key depth.
• Portal Philosophy, per Spradlin:
  • Quote [26:00, Spradlin via Norlander]:
    “We cannot recruit to our system… The system changes, but our culture does not. Going through the portal, we’re doing culture checks on these players constantly. … We don’t bend on that culture piece, no matter what.”
  • JMU lost out late on some targets to higher bidders, underlining the portal’s volatility.
• Recruiting Breakthrough:
  • Preston Fowler, Class of 2025: A four-star recruit, illustrating how high-major reluctance to take risks on “lower-rated” high schoolers has opened a lane for top mid-majors like JMU.

Schedule Outlook & Season Expectations

Segment: 29:57 – 34:35

• Notable Non-Conference Games:
  • @Akron (Sun Belt/MAC Challenge) — Immediate major test.
  • Host Towson (CAA’s best).
  • @George Mason (A10, potential top mid-major matchup).
  • @Arkansas (arranged by Calipari as a favor to Spradlin).
  • Multi-team event vs. FIU & Omaha (location: Florida).
• Sun Belt Preseason Projections:
  • Only three teams in preseason top-150 at Torvik: Arkansas State, James Madison, Troy.
  • JMU projected 2nd in the league (Torvik: 139th).
• Wins Prediction:
  • Norlander: 21-10, top-three finish, 20+ wins as success.
  • Parrish: 22-9 before the conference tournament, finish top 135 in metrics.
  • Tournament appearance not the only metric of success; regular season and conference tournament luck are both needed for a bid.
  • Quote [33:57, Parrish]: "It’s just hard to make the NCAA tournament from this league… You’ve got to be good and then you’ve got to get lucky."

Coaching Style & X’s and O’s for 2025–26

Segment: 35:28 – 38:32

• Spradlin’s Tactical Outlook:
  • After being forced smaller and less effective defensively last season, JMU will strive to play “inside-out” with more post threat and physicality, and an up-tempo edge.
  • Quote [35:46, Spradlin via Norlander]:
    “We addressed that in the portal. We will play inside out a little more. … We’ll have more than one post threat on the roster. Multiple post players could play at the same time. … We’re going to be more physical and going inside out allows us to help the guys that we brought in have size and shooting and not just rely on the small guards to make so many shots.”
  • Norlander notes that at the mid-major level, playing two traditional bigs can still be effective, and the Sun Belt presents a wide range of tactical diversity to challenge coaches.

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• [10:45, Parrish]:
  "If the only two people on this planet who cared about that James Madison episode … happened to be Jeff and his ailing father and they got to spend that time together and laugh together and cry together … that's good enough for me, man."

• [28:08, Parrish]:
  On high-major shifting recruiting focus:
  "In all this chaos that has engulfed the sport, one of the things that has opened up for mid major programs is the ability to recruit a higher level of high school player if you want to."

• [35:46, Spradlin via Norlander]:
  "We addressed [last year’s lack of size] in the portal. We will play inside out a little more. … We'll have more than one post thread on the roster."

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 05:38 – Start of James Madison segment, context for listener’s story and the auction.
• 10:54 – JMU’s position as a mid-major power and setup for 2025–26.
• 13:41 – Transfers, NIL, recruiting, and the “death of Cinderella” debate.
• 21:30 – Roster breakdown, who’s back, new arrivals, and transfer market strategy.
• 29:57 – Schedule rundown, key games, and season outlook.
• 35:28 – Coaching tactics for 2025–26, return to inside-out basketball and physicality.

Closing Thoughts & Tone

The episode is rich in warmth and humor—true to Parrish and Norlander’s banter. Personal stories, including the tribute to the listener’s late father, make it heartfelt. Their expertise comes through in nuanced takes on roster construction and the challenges of mid-major coaching in the transfer/NIL era.

JMU fans, and mid-major basketball lovers in general, should find plenty of substance and optimism here.

If you want to experience the full episode’s mix of expert analysis and genuine heart, check out the complete show!