Hampton at James Madison 11/9/22 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

The Hampton Pirates will open their college basketball regular season on the road Wednesday when visiting the James Madison Dukes. Last season Hampton was 9-19 overall and 5-11 in the Big South Conference. Hampton has moved to the Colonial Athletic Association. Hampton suffered last season from poor scoring, totaling 70 points against Division 1 opponents only seven times. The Pirates finished last in the Big South in 2021-21.

Russell Dean, a senior guard, is Hampton’s best returner from last season. Dean averaged 14.9 points, which was second-best for Hampton and a team-high 3.9 assists. The best new addition to Hampton’s squad is guard Jordan Nesbitt, who as a high school star committed to Memphis but did not see much action and transferred to play for the Saint Louis Billikens, prior to joining the Pirates this year. Last season, Nesbitt was a starter for St Louis and averaged 8.2 points while scoring in double-figures 13 times.

James Madison opened its regular season with an impressive 123-38 rout of Division III Valley Forge. James Madison used its superior size, speed and athleticism to jump out to a 72-11 halftime lead. James Madison shot 61.3% overall and an impressive 63.6% from three-point territory. The Dukes outrebounded Valley Forge 49-26. James Madison’s defense forced Valley Forge into making 28 turnovers while the Dukes took good care of the ball, turning it over just eight times.

The leading scorer for James Madison following the first game of the regular season is Noah Friedel with 17 points while Takal Molson has scored 14 points and Shane Feden has 12. The leading rebounder after one game is Jerrell Roberson with 11, while the leader in assists is Brycen Blaine with five. James Madison is shooting 61.3% overall and 63.6% from three-point territory. On opening night, the Dukes hit 14 or 22 attempts from three-point territory.