2025–26 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season

The 2025–26 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season is the upcoming season for Sun Belt Conference men's basketball teams that will began with practices in October 2025, followed by the start of the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Conference play will begin in December 2025, and conclude on February 27, 2026. The 2026 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament will take place from March 3–9, 2026, at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida.

Head coaches Coaching Changes Arkansas State On March 24, 2025, head coach Bryan Hodgson left to become head coach of South Florida. On March 30, 2025, former Alabama assistant coach, Ryan Pannone was named head coach.

Louisiana Houston associate head coach, Quannas White was named head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns on March 10, 2025. This comes after 15-year head coach, Bob Marlin was fired on December 19, 2024.

Louisiana–Monroe Keith Richard retired at the end of the 2024–25 basketball season after fifteen seasons. Assistant head coach, Phil Cuningham was named his successor

Coaches TeamHead coachPrevious jobYears at schoolOverall recordSun Belt recordSun Belt titlesSun Belt Tournament titlesNCAA TournamentsAppalachian StateDustin KernsPresbyterian7111Arkansas StateRyan PannoneAlabama 1000Coastal CarolinaJustin GrayWestern Carolina2000Georgia SouthernCharlie HenryAlabama 3000Georgia StateJonas HayesXavier 3000James MadisonPreston SpradlinMorehead State2100LouisianaQuannas WhiteHouston 1111Louisiana–MonroePhil CunninghamLouisiana-Monroe 1000MarshallCornelius JacksonMarshall 2000Old Dominion Mike JonesMaryland 2000South AlabamaRichie RileyNicholls State8100Southern MissJay LadnerSoutheastern Louisiana7000Texas StateTerrence JohnsonTexas State 6200TroyScott CrossTCU 7222

Preseason Preseason Coaches Poll On October 20, 2025, the conference announced a preseason conference poll as voted by the league's 14 head coaches. RankTeam 1. James Madison (1) 2. Arkansas State (3) 3. South Alabama (4) 4. Troy (1) 5. Old Dominion (2) 6. Marshall (1) 7. App State (1) 8. Texas State 9. Louisiana (1) 10. Georgia Southern 11. Georgia State 12. Southern Miss 13. Coastal Carolina 14. Louisiana–Monroe

Sun Belt preseason player of the year Robert Davis Jr. –Old Dominion

Preseason All-Sun Belt team 2025-26 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams First Team Second Team Third TeamRobert Davis Jr. – Old Dominion Bradley Douglas – James Madison Thomas Dowd - Troy Tyren Moore – Georgia Southern Jalen Speer – MarshallEren Banks – Appalachian State Mark Drone – Texas State Jelani Hamilton – Georgia State Chandler Jackson – Arkansas State RaSheed Jones – Coastal CarolinaJordan Battle – Old Dominion John Broom – South Alabama Kaden Grumbs – TexasState Matt Van Komen – Marshall Nakavieon White – Georgia Southern

Regular season Early season tournaments Team Tournament FinishArkansas State Arkansas State Multi Team Event 1stCoastal Carolina Western Illinois MTE 1stGeorgia State Cancún Challenge –James Madison FIU MTE 1stLouisiana–Monroe ETSU MTE 3rdSouth Alabama Showdown in St. Pete 1stTexas State Resort World Las Vegas Classic 4thTroy Coconut Hoops 3rd

Conference matrix  APPASUCCUGSOGSTJMUULULMMARODUUSAUSMTXSTROYvs. Appalachian State—0–067–4962–670–063–7052–5080–650–00–081–8881–7373–7565–570–00–00–0vs. Arkansas State0–0—0–00–00–074–78 0–00–00–00–00–093–86 89–7086–74 vs. Coastal Carolina 49–6767–620–0—81–820–00–00–00–00–076–7466–700–00–00–00–0vs. Georgia Southern0–00–082–81 —90−67 0–00–00–00–093–860–00–00–00–0vs. Georgia State70–6350–520–00–067–90—96–920–00–080–840–00–00–00–00–0vs. James Madison65–800–00–00–092–96—64–660–00–068–7470–690–00–00–00–0vs. Louisiana 0–00–00–00–00–00–0—76–620–00–058–63 54–6274–670–00–0vs. Louisiana–Monroe0–00–00–00–00–00–062–76—0–00–092–960–00–00–0vs. Marshall88–81 0–00–00–084–8066–64 0–00–0—0–00–00–00–063–70 vs. Old Dominion 73–8175–730–074–7670–6686–930–074–68 69–700–00–00–0—0–00–00–00–0vs. South Alabama 57–650–00–00–00–00–063–5896–920–00–0—0–065−67 49–59 vs. Southern Miss0–086–93 0–00–00–00–062–5474–670–00–00–00–0—0–00–0vs. Texas State0–070–890–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–067–650–0—0–0vs. Troy0–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–070–630–059–490–00–0—Total0–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–00–0

Player of the week WeekPlayer(s) of the WeekSchoolNov 10Cooper CampbellTroyNov 17Spudd WebbGeorgia SouthernNov 24Tylik WeeksSouthern MissDec 1Justin McBrideJames MadisonDec 8Spudd Webb (2)Georgia Southern Dec 16Alonzo DoddAppalachian State Dec 23Chaze HarrisSouth Alabama Dec 30A.J. Dancler Coastal Carolina Jan 5Jalen SpeerMarshallJan 12Adam OlsenSouth AlabamaJan 19Victor ValdesTroyJan 27Jelani HamiltonGeorgia StateFeb 2Kasen Jennings Appalachian StateFeb 9Djahi Binet Southern MissFeb 16Chaze Harris (2)South AlabamaFeb 23Cliff DavisJames Madison Mar 2A.J. Dancler (2)Coastal Carolina

Records against other conferences +Power 6 Conferences Conference RecordACC0–5Big East0–1Big Ten0–2Big 120–2Pac–120–0SEC0–2 Combined 0–12Other NCAA Division I ConferencesRecordAmerica East0–0American3–5ASUN1–3Atlantic 100–2Big Sky0–0Big South5–4Big West0–2CAA2–5Conference USA7–2Horizon0–1Independents/Non-Division I0–0Ivy1–0MAAC0–0MAC4–11MEAC5–1Missouri Valley0–1Mountain West1–0Northeast2–0OVC4–1Patriot0–1Southern1–2Southland4–3SWAC6–1Summit2–1West Coast0–3WAC2–0 Combined 49–51

Postseason Sun Belt tournament

Source:

* – Denotes overtime period

The tournament will be held at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida, from March 3–9, 2026.

NCAA tournament

Seed Region School First Four First round 13 South Troy Bye L 47–76 vs. Nebraska W–L (%): Total:

National Invitation Tournament

Seed Bracket School 1st round Auburn South Alabama L 67–78 at AuburnW–L (%): Total:

Honors and awards Sun Belt Awards

2024-25 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Individual Awards Award Recipient(s)Player of the Year Chaze Harris – South AlabamaCoach of the Year Scott Cross – Troy Defensive Player of the Year Luke Wilson – Appalachian StateNewcomer of the Year Joshua Beadle – Coastal Carolina Freshman of the Year D.J. Hall – Texas State Sixth Man Award Joey Chammaa – Arkansas State

2025-26 Sun Belt Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams First Team Second Team Third TeamJoshua Beadle – Coastal Carolina Thomas Dowd – Troy Wyatt Fricks – Marshall Chaze Harris – South Alabama Tylik Weeks – Southern MissD.J. Hall – Texas State Jelani Hamilton – Georgia Southern Kasen Jennings – Appalachian State Adam Olsen – South Alabama Jalen Speer – Marshall Cliff Davis – James Madison Alonzo Dodd – Appalachian State Christian Harmon – Arkansas State Justin McBride – James Madison Victor Valdes – Troy

References