Men's Basketball to Play in Inaugural Naples Invitational

ESTERO, Fla. - The James Madison men's basketball team has added a strong non-conference event to its 2021-22 schedule, as the Dukes will take part in the inaugural Naples Invitational on Nov. 22-24, 2021.

JMU will open the tournament on Monday, Nov. 22, facing Kent State at 12 p.m. in the day's first quarterfinal. The two teams have met four times previously, splitting the all-time series 2-2 and meeting for the last time during the 2011-12 season in Harrisonburg.

The Dukes and Golden Flashes will join a strong mid-major field that includes George Washington, Wright State, ETSU, Murray State, Missouri State and Long Beach State.

The Naples Invitational will be played at the Community School of Naples, with streaming options to be announced at a later date. The bracket will follow with second-round games on Tuesday, Nov. 23 and final-round contests on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Complete information on the week can be found at NaplesInvitational.com.

The tournament will mark the first in-season, multi-team event for the Dukes since traveling to Rochester, Mich. for the Men Against Breast Cancer Oakland Hoops Challenge during the 2018-19 campaign.

The Dukes, who added incoming freshmen Andrew McConnell, Devon Savage and Jaylen Stinson to the 2021-22 roster in November and a quartet of transfers earlier this offseason, will return four starters from the 2020-21 roster that captured the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title.

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