James Madison vs Delaware prediction: Gage Lattimore and a rebuilt JMU test Delaware's new-look Blue Hens
Both programs turned over most of their rosters, so this early nonconference game in Newark rests on transfers who have never shared a floor.
- Expect a feeling-out game between two rosters full of newcomers, with JMU's deeper transfer class against a Delaware team picked 10th in Conference USA.
- Watch Gage Lattimore, a 39.2% three-point shooter at North Carolina Central, against a Delaware defense rebuilt around new guards.
- No spread or total has been posted. Delaware's 63.7 possessions per 40 minutes last season, 350th nationally, is the number that bears most on a total.
Two rosters starting over
Few early-season games tell you less about last season than this one. James Madison returns just 14.8% of last season's minutes and brought in 13 new players. Delaware returns 25.8% after losing Christian Bliss, Macon Emory, Justyn Fernandez and Tyler Houser.
That makes last year's records, 18-15 for the Dukes and 10-21 for the Blue Hens, a weak guide. The same is true of the final adjusted efficiency ratings, which measure points per 100 possessions adjusted for opponents. Those ratings ranked JMU 213th and Delaware 294th, but they describe players who are mostly gone. This game is about who arrived.
Lattimore leads the Dukes' haul
Preston Spradlin, in his third season, rebuilt through the portal, and coaches noticed. JMU was picked second in the Sun Belt preseason poll with a league-best nine first-place votes.
The centerpiece is Gage Lattimore, who averaged 16.6 points at North Carolina Central and made 39.2% of his threes. He also shot 86.7% at the line, which matters in a close finish. Adrian Myers adds a second shooter after hitting 37.2% from deep at San José State. Jacob Hogarth brings frontcourt rebounding: he averaged 7.0 boards at Gardner-Webb.
JMU also has more size. Its roster averages 78.0 inches when weighted by minutes, compared with 76.6 for Delaware.
Delaware's new guards and an open question
Martin Ingelsby, in his 11th season, lost Christian Bliss to Stanford, Justyn Fernandez to UAB, Tyler Houser to Chattanooga and Macon Emory to Tulsa. Coaches picked Delaware 10th in Conference USA.
The replacements can shoot. Kachi Nzeh, using his final year of eligibility, hit 41.5% of his threes at Little Rock. Devin Dinkins averaged 12.1 points at Manhattan, and Alex Kazanecki is the steadiest holdover after making 37.1% from deep last season.
Nick Petronio is the wild card. The Boston College transfer missed the last two seasons with two separate ACL injuries, and how much he can play this season is still unclear.
Style that may survive the turnover
Both head coaches are back, so their habits may carry over even with new players. Last season Delaware played one of the slowest paces in the country and leaned on the three. Its 3-point attempt rate, the share of shots taken from deep, was 46.0%, 48th nationally.
Delaware's weakness was the offensive glass. The Blue Hens rebounded just 21.0% of their own misses, 363rd of 365, and JMU's size could keep that number low again.
JMU's defense rarely forced mistakes last season. Its forced turnover rate was 12.9%, 361st nationally, but opponents made only 32.5% of their threes. If that profile holds, Delaware will get clean possessions and will need to make shots over a bigger defense.
What to watch
- JMU's opener: The Dukes host Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 2, an early look at how Lattimore and Myers fit together. - Petronio's status: Any sign he is cleared changes Delaware's rotation. - Delaware's three-point volume: A slow, shot-heavy game plan keeps a mismatch in talent closer. Hogarth and a JMU roster that averages 78.0 inches against a Delaware roster at 76.6.
Key players
- Gage Lattimore (James Madison): Averaged 16.6 points last season while shooting 39.2% from three.
- Adrian Myers (James Madison): Scored 11.1 points per game last season and hit 37.2% of his threes.
- Jacob Hogarth (James Madison): Pulled down 7.0 rebounds per game last season and shot 52.6% from the field.
- Preston Fowler (James Madison): Played 23.0 minutes per game for JMU last season, the most of any returning Duke.
- Kachi Nzeh (Delaware): Shot 41.5% from three last season and averaged 11.7 points.
- Devin Dinkins (Delaware): Started all 32 games last season, averaging 12.1 points and shooting 88.5% at the line.
- Alex Kazanecki (Delaware): Made 37.1% of his threes last season in 28.7 minutes per game.
Numbers that matter
| JMU returning minutes | 14.8% | Almost everything from last season's JMU team is gone, so last season's numbers say little about these Dukes. |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware returning minutes | 25.8% | Delaware also starts over after losing Christian Bliss, Macon Emory, Justyn Fernandez and Tyler Houser. |
| Delaware pace, last season | 63.7 | That was 350th nationally, and the same coach returns, so a slow game is likely. |
| Delaware offensive rebound rate, last season | 21.0% | That ranked 363rd of 365, a weak spot against a taller JMU roster. |
| JMU forced turnover rate, last season | 12.9% | That ranked 361st, so the Dukes defended without forcing many mistakes. |
James Madison vs Delaware: quick answers
When is James Madison vs Delaware?
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.