Men's Basketball

SoCon men’s hoops preseason all-conference team, poll announced

Furman is voted favorite in poll; VMI’s Bradley is preseason POTY

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Furman Paladins are the preseason favorites to win the 2026-27 men’s basketball title in polling of the league’s 11 head coaches, while VMI guard Rickey Bradley, Jr. is the coaches’ selection as the preseason player of the year.
 
The coaches, who also picked a 10-member preseason all-conference team, were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes as part of the balloting. Seven different programs were represented on the preseason All-SoCon squad, with Furman, VMI and Wofford leading the way with two selections apiece.
 
Furman collected 10 first-place votes and 100 points in the preseason poll. Head coach Bob Richey led the Paladins to a 22-13 record last season en route to a SoCon tournament crown. Furman placed Marcus Kell and Charles Johnston on the preseason all-conference team. Kell poured in 13.6 points per game as a member of Western Carolina a season ago, while Johnston nearly averaged a double-double for the Paladins last season, logging 9.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
 
ETSU checked in second in the poll with 86 points and the final first-place vote. The Bucs, who are led by the reigning Anton Foy Coach of the Year Brooks Savage, went 23-11 overall and 13-5 in conference play during the 2025-26 season, leading to a regular season SoCon crown. ETSU guard BJ Ward was voted onto the preseason all-conference squad. Ward averaged 10.9 points last season for Southeast Missouri State.
 
Wofford checks in at the third spot with 78 points. The Terriers were 19-13 overall with an 11-7 conference mark last season. Guards Cam Lowe and Chace Watley represent the squad on the preseason all-conference team.
 
Samford followed in fourth with 70 points. Cooper Noard, a transfer from Cornell, made the preseason all-conference squad for the Bulldogs. Chattanooga is fifth in the poll, earning 59 points.
 
Tennessee Tech was sixth in the poll with 57 points. Mercer checks in at No. 7 in the poll, finishing with 47 points. Bears junior Brady Shoulders is on the preseason all-conference team. Western Carolina claimed the eighth spot with 41 points.
 
VMI came in the ninth spot with 32 points. Bradley and TJ Johnson represent the Keydets on the preseason all-conference team. Bradley, who was voted the preseason player of the year for the second consecutive year, averaged 16.3 points per game two seasons ago. Johnson is the league’s top returning scorer after averaging 18.3 points per contest.
 
The Citadel with 21 points and UNC Greensboro with 14 points rounded out the poll.
 
The 2026-27 season gets underway on Monday, Nov. 2, with nine SoCon teams in action. UNCG and Wofford will open its season the next day.
 
The 2027 Ingles SoCon Men’s Basketball Championship will be held March 5-8 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.
 
2026-27 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
  1. Furman (10)
 100
  1. ETSU (1)
 86
  1. Wofford
 78
  1. Samford
 70
  1. Chattanooga
 59
  1. Tennessee Tech
 57
  1. Mercer
 47
  1. Western Carolina
 41
  1. VMI
 32
  1. The Citadel
 21
  1. UNCG
 14
 
2026-27 Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year
Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI
 
2026-27 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team
BJ Ward, Sr., G, ETSU
Marcus Kell, Gr., F, Furman
Charles Johnston, 5th, F, Furman
Brady Shoulders, Jr., G/F, Mercer
Cooper Noard, 5th, G, Samford
Tate Darner, So., G, Chattanooga
Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI
TJ Johnson, Sr., F, VMI
Cam Lowe, R-Jr., G, Wofford
Chace Watley, So., G, Wofford