JMU Men’s Basketball Welcomes Two Standout Additions to 2024-25 Roster

James Madison Head Coach Mark Byington announced the signing of two future men's basketball student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday in Micah Smith and Damon "Redd" Thompson Jr., who will join the Dukes for the 2024-25 season.

"We were very selective in our early recruiting period," Byington said. "As a staff, we decided we only wanted players that we felt were immediately impactful and have a chance to be all- conference players. We believe that is true for Micah and Redd."

Micah Smith | Forward | 6-8 | Tyrone, Ga. | Sandy Creek

Follows in the footsteps of another JMU standout, TJ Bickerstaff, who also attended Sandy Creek
2022-23 3A Player of the Year after leading Sandy Creek to state championship
Averaged 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals as a junior
Competed with the 'Anthony Edwards 5' on the Adidas circuit, including participation in the Adidas All-American Camp
Rated as a three-star prospect, ranking 155th overall and 34th among power forwards in the 2024 class by 247Sports and 14th-ranked player in Georgia

Byington on Smith: "Micah is a perfect modern day player and a perfect fit for our program. He is 6-8 with long arms and can play three or four positions. Micah has tremendous athleticism, but I love his intelligence and feel for the game. He plays for one of the best programs in Georgia. We always love getting a super talented player from Atlanta."

Damon "Redd" Thompson Jr. | Guard | 6-0 | Richmond, Va. | John Marshall

Starting point guard who helped lead John Marshall to back-to-back state championships
Helped JMHS to undefeated 28-0 record in 2022-23 season
Named MVP at the 2022-23 Chick-Fil-A Classic
Two-time VHSL First Team All-State selection
Well-rounded guard with strong handle and consistent shooting ability
Ranked as a three-start prospect by 247Sports and considered #22 point guard national and #9 overall player in Virginia for the Class of 2024

Byington on Thompson Jr.: "Redd is fearless, and I love that. He is going to go after whoever he's playing against, regardless of their ranking, school or reputation. He is very intelligent and is capable of huge scoring nights or assist nights. Redd is a winner, and he has an elite work ethic. I don't worry about him adjusting to college, because he has been well coached by Ty White and has played for one of the best high school programs and AAU Programs (Team Loaded) in the country."

Both Smith and Thompson Jr. are poised to make significant contributions to the JMU men's basketball program in 2024-25.

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