SoCon Releases 2026-27 Basketball Preseason Poll
10/7/2026 11:05:00 AM | Basketball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Citadel basketball team was picked to finish 10th in the 2026-27 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the league office announced Wednesday. The Bulldogs received 21 points in the preseason poll, which was voted on by the conference's 11 head coaches.
Furman was selected as the preseason favorite after receiving 10 first-place votes and 100 points. ETSU earned the remaining first-place vote and finished second with 86 points, while Wofford rounded out the top three with 78 points.
Samford was picked fourth with 70 points, followed by Chattanooga with 59. Tennessee Tech was sixth with 57 points, Mercer seventh with 47 and Western Carolina eighth with 41. VMI finished ninth with 32 points, followed by The Citadel and UNCG.
VMI senior guard Rickey Bradley Jr. was selected as the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Bradley was also one of 10 student-athletes selected to the Preseason All-Southern Conference Team.
The 2026-27 season gets underway Monday, Nov. 2, with nine SoCon programs in action. The Citadel officially opens the season on the road against Loyola Chicago.
The 2027 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championship will be held March 5-8 at Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
2026-27 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Furman (10) – 100
2. ETSU (1) – 86
3. Wofford – 78
4. Samford – 70
5. Chattanooga – 59
6. Tennessee Tech – 57
7. Mercer – 47
8. Western Carolina – 41
9. VMI – 32
10. The Citadel – 21
11. 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
For the latest information on The Citadel basketball team, visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelHoops on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Furman was selected as the preseason favorite after receiving 10 first-place votes and 100 points. ETSU earned the remaining first-place vote and finished second with 86 points, while Wofford rounded out the top three with 78 points.
Samford was picked fourth with 70 points, followed by Chattanooga with 59. Tennessee Tech was sixth with 57 points, Mercer seventh with 47 and Western Carolina eighth with 41. VMI finished ninth with 32 points, followed by The Citadel and UNCG.
VMI senior guard Rickey Bradley Jr. was selected as the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Bradley was also one of 10 student-athletes selected to the Preseason All-Southern Conference Team.
The 2026-27 season gets underway Monday, Nov. 2, with nine SoCon programs in action. The Citadel officially opens the season on the road against Loyola Chicago.
The 2027 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championship will be held March 5-8 at Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
2026-27 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Furman (10) – 100
2. ETSU (1) – 86
3. Wofford – 78
4. Samford – 70
5. Chattanooga – 59
6. Tennessee Tech – 57
7. Mercer – 47
8. Western Carolina – 41
9. VMI – 32
10. The Citadel – 21
11. 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
For the latest information on The Citadel basketball team, visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelHoops on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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