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

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Chattanooga Mocs are the preseason favorites to win the 2025-26 men’s basketball title in polling of the league’s 10 head coaches, while VMI senior 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. Five different programs were represented on the preseason All-SoCon squad, with Chattanooga leading the way with three selections.
 
Chattanooga collected five first-place votes and 77 points in the preseason poll. Head coach Dan Earl, who was the 2025 Anton Foy Coach of the Year, led the Mocs to a 29-9 record last season en route to a SoCon regular season crown. After falling in the semifinals of the conference tournament, Chattanooga went on to win the NIT Tournament title. The Mocs placed redshirt sophomore Collin Mulholland, along with transfers Jikari Johnson and Teddy Washington Jr. on the preseason All-SoCon team.

Furman checked in second in the poll with 73 points and the other five first-place votes. The Paladins, led by head coach Bob Richey, went 25-10 overall and 11-7 in SoCon play during the 2024-25 season. Furman put a pair of forwards on the preseason all-conference team. Cooper Bowser made the squad after leading in blocks last season with 57, while Tom House averaged 7.1 points for the Paladins a season ago.

Samford is third in the preseason poll with 62 points. The Bulldogs were 22-11 last season with a 12-6 conference ledger. Guard Jadin Booth and center Dylan Faulkner represent the team on the preseason squad.

ETSU was close behind in fourth with 61 points. Junior guard Jaylen Smith, a transfer from North Florida, made the preseason all-conference team for the Bucs. UNCG checks in at No. 5 in the poll, earning 43 points.

VMI finished sixth in the preseason poll with 41 points. Bradley made the preseason all-conference team after averaging 16.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Bradley, who was a third-team all-conference selection after last season, is the conference’s top returning scorer.

Western Carolina came in seventh in the preseason poll with 32 points, with Catamounts forward Marcus Kell rounding out the preseason team.

Mercer (30), Wofford (21) and The Citadel (10) completed the poll. Wofford is the defending SoCon tournament champion and are under the direction of new head coach Kevin Giltner, who is a 2012 Wofford graduate. Giltner is a five-time Southern Conference champion as a coach and student-athlete.

  
The 2025-26 season gets underway Monday, Nov. 3, with eight SoCon teams in action. ETSU and UNCG will open its season on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
 
The 2026 Ingles SoCon Men’s Basketball Championship will be held March 6-9 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.
 
2025-26 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll

 
2025-26 Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year
Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI
 
2025-26 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team
Jaylen Smith, Jr., G, ETSU

Cooper Bowser, Jr., F, Furman

Tom House, Sr., G, Furman

Jadin Booth, Gr., G, Samford

Dylan Faulkner, Jr., C, Samford

Jikari Johnson, Gr., G, Chattanooga

Collin Mulholland, R-So., F, Chattanooga

Teddy Washington Jr., Gr., G, Chattanooga

Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI

Marcus Kell, R-Jr., F, Western Carolina