Valparaiso at James Madison, 7:00 PM Eastern, free streaming at caa.tv
The UTR Game of the Day heads to Harrisonburg, Virginia tonight as the Colonial’s James Madison Dukes host the Horizon League’s Valparaiso Crusaders. The Dukes enter tonight’s game with a record of 7-5, though they have dropped three of their last four to sub-KenPom 150 teams. This will be JMU’s last chance to pick up a win before CAA play starts on Saturday, and if the Dukes are going to be able to find a way to compete with conference favorites Northeastern and William & Mary, they need to start turning their season around immediately. Having Yohanny Dalembert become a consistent double-digit scorer could be the key for James Madison moving forward.
The road team in tonight’s game, Valparaiso, has played like they intend to be a serious contender in the Horizon League. While the primary focus in the Horizon so far has been Green Bay, Valpo is quietly sitting at 12-2 overall with top 100 KenPom and RPI ratings. Their wins include a solid road victory at Eastern Kentucky (who notably beat Miami) and a win at Fort Wayne, which may be among the contenders in the Summit League. Valpo is looking for its fifth straight win in what will also be their final tuneup before the start of conference play. Alec Peters has been leading the way so far this season for the Crusaders, having scored 23, 23 and 29 points in his last three games.
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