NEW ORLEANS – James Madison junior forward Justin McBride has been tabbed Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after leading the Dukes to a pair of non-conference wins at the FIU MTE in Miami, Fla.
 
McBride becomes the first James Madison men’s basketball player to earn the Sun Belt’s top weekly honor since former guard Mark Freeman on Feb. 4, 2024.
 
In three games last week, McBride averaged 22.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 22-for-41 (.537) from the floor and 9-for-16 (.563) beyond the 3-point arc.
In an 80-72 road win at FIU on Nov. 24, McBride finished with a career-high 26 points on 9-for-11 shooting along with nine rebounds. He also finished 7-of-9 at the charity stripe and added three assists. 
The next day, McBride scored 24 points to lead the Dukes to an 88-77 victory over Omaha. The Plano, Texas native shot 9-for-11 overall and a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range to complement five rebounds and one assist. McBride finished his week with 18 points and six rebounds against George Mason on Nov. 29.

2025-26 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Players of the Week
Week 1 – Cooper Campbell, Troy (So., G – Puyallup, Wash.)
Week 2 – Spudd Webb, Georgia Southern (Gr., G – Hartwell, Ga.)
Week 3 –Tylik Weeks, Southern Miss (Jr., F – New York, N.Y.)
Week 4 –Justin McBride, James Madison (Jr., F – Plano, Texas)