Troy University Athletics
Troy University
James Madison
Men's Basketball Set to Host James Madison Thursday Night
1/28/2026 9:51:00 AM | Basketball (M)
TROY, Ala. – Off to its best conference start through nine games since the 2002–03 season, Troy men's basketball returns to Trojan Arena for a Thursday night tilt against James Madison. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m., with the game streaming on ESPN+ and available on the Troy Sports Media Network.
Troy (15-6, 8-1) is coming off a two-win road week, earning victories over Old Dominion and Georgia Southern. Despite shooting just 29.4% from three-point range compared to its season average of 35.8%, Troy leaned on a +21 rebounding margin and an 81% mark from the free throw line to grind out two close wins.
Against Georgia Southern, Thomas Dowd recorded his fourth-straight double-double, and 12th overall this season. Dowd scored 16 and added 12 rebounds, including a key offensive rebound putback to give Troy a lead with 1:25 remaining in the game.
Victor Valdes finished Saturday's game with 22 points, his seventh game this season scoring 20-plus. Valdes made 22 free throws over the two-game road stretch, currently ranking second in the Sun Belt and 43rd in the nation with 108 makes from the charity stripe.
James Madison (13-8, 5-3) recently ran away with a win over Texas State on Saturday, 82-57. Justin McBride and Cliff Davis both scored 18 points for the Dukes, while Christian Brown tallied a game-high nine rebounds.
Troy holds a 1-3 all-time record against James Madison.
Game Information
Location: Troy, Ala. (5,200)
The Matchup: Troy vs. James Madison
When: Thursday, January 29 – 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Troy Sports Media Network
Free Points
Victor Valdes is second in the Sun Belt in free thows made (108) and second in free throws attempted (142). Troy's Division I record for free throws made in a season is 142, set by Myles Rigsby last year.
Sharpshooter
Cobi Campbell is eighth in the country in 3-point percentage at 45.5%. Campbell has knocked down 2.5 threes per game this season and has made 117 treys overall.
Attacking the Glass
Thomas Dowd is near the top of several statistics nationally. The Dothan native ranks seventh in total rebounds (208) and 12th in rebounds per game (10.4). Additionally, Dowd is one of nine players to be averaging at least 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
Scouting James Madison
James Madison comes to Troy following a dominant home win over Texas State on Saturday, 82-57. Justin McBride leads the Dukes in scoring this season, averaging 17.3 points while pulling in 5.7 rebounds per game. James Madison ranks second in the Sun Belt and 61st in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 9.6. The Dukes are also second in percentage from 3-point territory at 35.8%.
Up Next
Troy hosts App State in the second game of its two-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3:33 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+ and available to listen to on the Troy Sports Media Network.
Notables
- Scott Cross is in his seventh season at the helm of the Trojans, amassing a 118-93 record during his time at Troy. Over the last four seasons, Troy has won 20-plus games every year, which includes 10-plus Sun Belt wins each season.
- Troy is in the midst of a five-game winning streak for the second time this season. The Trojans last recorded multiple winning streaks of five games or more during the 2023–24 season, when they won six straight games on two separate occasions.
- Troy's 8-1 Sun Belt record is its best start since the team joined the conference in 2005. The Trojans are off to their best conference start since the 2002-03, as members of the A-SUN. Troy began that conference season 10-1 and ultimately went on to win the A-SUN Tournament, earning its first NCAA Tournament bid in school history.
- Thursday night's game will be a rematch of a 2025 Sun Belt Tournament semifinals matchup, a game that Troy won 79-60 after racing to a 19-point halftime lead.
- Victor Valdes and Thomas Dowd have paced the scoring output at 16.5 and 15.7 points per game this season, respectively. Dowd has also added a Sun Belt leading 10.5 rebounds per contest, while Theo Seng is Troy's third leading scorer, averaging 13.1 points.
