We Speak Men's College Basketball
Florida’s Thomas Haugh Named SEC Preseason Player of the Year as Coaches’ All-SEC Teams Are Announced
The Southeastern Conference unveiled its 22nd annual men’s basketball coaches’ preseason All-SEC teams Thursday, tipping off the 2026-27 season.
Florida’s Thomas Haugh was the coaches’ choice for SEC Preseason Player of the Year. Joining Haugh on the preseason first team is Alabama’s Amari Allen, Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard, and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner.
The SEC’s seven teams ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 are the most in the nation: Florida 1st, Texas 7th, Tennessee 8th, Arkansas 12th, Alabama 20th, Kentucky 23rd, and Vanderbilt 24th.
The SEC is the top-ranked conference entering the 2026-27 season, according to KenPom. The SEC has led the KenPom conference rankings in each of the last two seasons, including a record rating of +22.09 in 2025. Ten teams ranked in the Top 30 of KenPom’s preseason team rankings lead all conferences. All 16 teams rank in the Top 100.
The 2026-27 campaign begins Monday, November 2, with league play set to begin January 2. The SEC Tournament returns to Nashville, Tenn., as Bridgestone Arena will host the event from March 10-14, 2027.
First Team: Amari Allen, Alabama; Rueben Chinyelu, Florida; Thomas Haugh, Florida; Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt.
Second Team: Alex Condon, Florida; Juke Harris, Tennessee; Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky; Matas Vokietaitis, Texas; Jordan Smith Jr., Arkansas.
Third Team: PJ Haggerty, Texas A&M; Malachi Moreno, Kentucky; Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn; David Punch, Texas; Billy Richmond III, Arkansas.
Preseason Player of the Year: Thomas Haugh, Florida.
Howard Tops Tight MEAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll; Watch List Announced
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We Speak Men's College Basketball
Howard Tops Tight MEAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll; Watch List Announced
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its 2026-27 Men’s Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish and Preseason Watch List, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Howard claimed the top spot in the predicted order of finish, earning 62 points and six first-place votes. Morgan State followed in second with 46 points and one first-place vote, while Norfolk State placed third with 43 points and one first-place vote.
North Carolina Central finished fourth with 42 points, followed by South Carolina State in fifth with 36 points. Delaware State and Coppin State tied for sixth with 20 points each, while Maryland Eastern Shore rounded out the eight-team poll with 18 points.
2026-27 MEAC Men’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
1. Howard — 62 (6)
2. Morgan State — 46 (1)
3. Norfolk State — 43 (1)
4. North Carolina Central — 42
5. South Carolina State — 36
T6. Delaware State — 20
T6. Coppin State — 20
8. Maryland Eastern Shore — 18
2026-27 MEAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Watch List
The conference also recognized student-athletes across all eight member institutions named to the 2026-27 Preseason Watch List:
Coppin State
Brendan Johnson | Jr. | G | Baltimore, Md.
Tafara Gapare | 5th | F | Wellington, New Zealand
Delaware State
Nehemiah Reedus | Sr. | F | St. Louis, Mo.
Rahmir Moore | 5th | G | Philadelphia, Pa.
Howard
Cam Gillus | Sr. | G | Falls Church, Va.
Cedric Taylor III | Sr. | G | Atlanta, Ga.
Maryland Eastern Shore
Levi Beckwith | So. | F | Raleigh, N.C.
Saadiq Moore | Jr. | PG | Pasadena, Calif.
Morgan State
Alfred Worrell Jr. | 5th | G | Washington, D.C.
Keith Richard | Jr. | G | Dallas, Texas
Norfolk State
Bahsil Laster | Jr. | G | Philadelphia, Pa.
Jordan Skyers | Fr. | G | Harlem, N.Y.
North Carolina Central
Ryan Archey | Sr. | G | PG County, Md.
Maurice Vassel | Jr. | F | St. Ann, Jamaica
South Carolina State
Mitchell Taylor | Jr. | G | Atlanta, Ga.
Noah Treadwell | So. | G | Atlanta, Ga.
Florida’s Thomas Haugh Named SEC Preseason Player of the Year as Coaches’ All-SEC Teams Are AnnouncedNational Exhibition Roundup: Ranked BYU Rallies, Iowa State Routs, and a Rivalry Thriller in SeattleACC Exhibition Roundup: SMU Edges Texas A&M in a Thriller, Syracuse and Cal Fall on the RoadNo. 10 Houston 83, No. 16 Michigan 66: Thomas Jr.’s 25 Lead Cougars at The Battleground 2k26Jorge Drexler’s Homecoming Pays Off: ‘Taracá’ Earns Seven Latin Grammy NominationsCraft the Concept of Time, Create a Black Hole & Build an Extraordinary Elemental Factory in ‘Fakutori’, Launching December 16thThe Mound: Omen of Cthulhu Unleashes a Monstrous Halloween UpdateKany García Takes ‘Puerta Abierta’ to Las Vegas: Two Latin Grammy Nominations and a Live Performance-
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