Kentucky will look to build on a 1-0 start when it faces James Madison on Friday, but the matchup also brings an immediate early-season question for the Dukes after their 86-77 loss to Miami (OH) in the opener. Preston Spradlin’s team already showed a willingness to fire away from deep, yet Kentucky’s size, momentum and home setting should make this a stern test.
That is the basic shape of the game: Kentucky are trying to move forward after an opening win, while James Madison are trying to avoid an 0-2 start after a game in which they were able to generate volume from three-point range but could not quite control the result. The Dukes were projected to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference, but the opener against the Miami (OH) RedHawks gave an early reminder that reputation alone does not carry a team through November.
Spradlin’s return adds another layer
One of the more interesting details in this meeting is Preston Spradlin’s path back to Kentucky. He played college basketball at Alice Lloyd College from 2005-2009, then served as a graduate assistant for Kentucky’s men’s team from 2009-2011 before becoming the program’s director of basketball operations from 2011-2014. After that, he was an assistant coach at Morehead State from 2014-2016 and later Morehead State’s head coach from 2016-2024.
Now he brings James Madison into Lexington with a team that went 18-15 last season and finished eighth in the Sun Belt. That makes Friday more than just a standard non-conference game. It is also a chance for Spradlin’s group to show whether it can handle the step up in intensity against a Kentucky side that has already shown early flashes.
Three-point volume is the Dukes’ weapon
James Madison’s profile is fairly clear. The Dukes take a large number of three-point attempts, and against Miami (OH) that pattern was on show again. They attempted 34 triples and made 14, shooting 41% from beyond the arc. That kind of volume can change a game quickly if the shot is falling.
But the opener also showed the risk. Even with that perimeter production, James Madison still came out on the wrong side of an 86-77 scoreline. Kentucky, meanwhile, have already shown they can find answers on the perimeter of their own after Tuesday’s win over Manhattan, when Milan Momcilovic made six three-pointers.
Kentucky still have room to sharpen up
There is a reason this game should still feel like an early test rather than a routine home date. Kentucky had slow starts through the exhibitions and in their first game, so the opening stages against James Madison matter. If the Wildcats allow the Dukes to settle into a rhythm from long range, the game could become uncomfortable much faster than expected.
There is also a familiar Kentucky storyline in the background, with Justin McBride having played for Spradlin at James Madison last year before transferring to Kentucky. That adds a small but meaningful link between the two teams, even if the bigger focus remains on how the Wildcats respond to another opponent willing to launch from deep.
For Kentucky, the assignment is simple enough: defend the three-point line, improve the start, and use home court to keep the season moving in the right direction. For James Madison, it is about proving that an 86-77 defeat in the opener does not define the ceiling of a team that still believes it can compete near the top of the Sun Belt. Friday’s game should tell us a lot about both.
