JMU Adds Former OVC Player of the Year Mark Freeman

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison men's basketball Head Coach Preston Spradlin announced the signing of a ninth student-athlete to the 2024 men's basketball class on Tuesday, as veteran guard Mark Freeman signed with the program for the 2024-25 season.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Freeman joins JMU with five years of collegiate experience, including the past two seasons at Morehead State, where he was the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.

Mark Freeman | Guard | 5-11 | 170 | Memphis, Tenn./Southwind (Morehead State)

Transfers to JMU after two seasons at Morehead State (2022-24), one at Illinois State (2021-22) and two at Tennessee State (2019-21)
Appeared in 112 career games with 78 starts in his career
Started all 30 games in 2022-23 at MSU before missing 2023-24 season due to injury
Started 14 of 31 games in 2021-22 at Illinois State
Started 34 of 51 games for Tennessee State between 2019-21
2023 OVC Player of the Year and First Team All-OVC
2021 Second Team All-OVC at TSU
In career, has scored, 1,246 points, averaging 11.1 points per game with 3.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
In Player of the Year season, averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.7 rebounds at Morehead
Scored in double figures in 59 games, including six 20+ point games and two over 30
Career-high 34 points vs. Bucknell in 2021-22 while at Illinois State
Led Morehead State to 2022-23 OVC regular-season title, its first since 1983-84
Averaged 8.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 2021-22 at ISU
Averaged 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists from 2019-21 at TSU, which included 16.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists in sophomore season

Spradlin on Freeman: "We are excited to welcome Mark to JMU to play his final year of college basketball! He brings a wealth of experience both as an elite player and leader of a championship program. He is a dynamic guard who can take over games with his scoring and passing. We are thankful to add another familiar face to our program who walks in the door understanding our culture and the standards that we operate with."

Freeman is the eighth transfer and ninth overall signee of the incoming JMU class, joining transfers Luke Anderson (Florida Southern), Ebenezer Dowuona (Georgia Tech), Elijah Hutchins-Everett (Seton Hall), Bryce Lindsay (Texas A&M), Eddie Ricks III (Morehead State), AJ Smith (Southern Indiana) and Justin Taylor (Syracuse) and high school senior Redd Thompson (John Marshall HS).