Only four teams were able to collect wins on the road, but several other teams showed flashes of excitement.
Sun Belt basketball kicked off the 2025-26 season on Monday (and Tuesday) night, with 13 of the 14 teams competing in the MAC-SBC Challenge. Only four teams were able to collect wins on the road, but several other teams showed flashes of excitement. Here’s how each Sun Belt program got their season kicked off.
App State
The Mountaineers lost 82-66 to Central Michigan. The game was never in doubt for the Chippewas, as App State did not take the lead in this game. The Mountaineers also missed 15 free throws and were dominated on the glass, being out-rebounded by 10. USF transfer Kasen Jennings led the way with 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Returner Alonzo Dodd was the only other player in that scored in double figures, with 11.
Arkansas State
Ryan Pannone got his first win of his college basketball head coaching career, upsetting Ohio 89-85 on the road. The Red Wolves committed 18 turnovers but it didn’t matter, as the Red Wolves dominated on the glass, grabbing 16 more boards. They also hit 37 percent of their shot from deep, netting 10 total. Florida State transfer Chandler Jackson finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in his Arkansas State debut. San Diego transfer Joey Chammaa also added 21 points off of the bench in his debut.
Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina faced off with Western Michigan in a rematch from last season’s opener, this time falling 76-71. The Chants got off to a quick 11-2 lead and didn’t trail in the first half. However, 29 team fouls and only shooting 60 percent from the free throw line would lead to their downfall. RaSheed Jones finished with 21 points and made five threes. Boston College transfer Joshua Beadle had 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Le Moyne transfer AJ Dancler finished with 18 points, five assists, and five steals. This three-guard oriented team saw a much faster and more entertaining style of play compared to last year, but they will need more contributions outside of those three.
Georgia Southern
The Eagles were the only Sun Belt team to not compete in the MAC-SBC Challenge, but still followed the trend of Sun Belt teams losing, falling to East Carolina 92-89. The game was truly a close game, but Georgia Southern could have easily won the game and scored over 100 points. The Eagles missed 12 free throws, committed six more fouls, and allowed 18 offensive rebounds. Murray State transfer forward Alden Applehite finished with 21 points after scoring 16 in the first half. The returning Tyren Moore scored 18 points and was 4-7 from deep. Spudd Webb scored 16 in his first ever Division I basketball game.
Georgia State
Georgia State got steamrolled in the second half by Eastern Michigan, losing by a final score of 71-49. Eastern Michigan didn’t have the prettiest of games despite the 22-point victory, as they committed 13 turnovers and shot 42.5/27.3/54.5 splits. However, this was not nearly as bad of a day as what the Panthers had. Georgia State shot under 30 percent from the field, gave up 22 offensive rebounds, committed 17 turnovers, and allowed 54 points in the paint. Jelani Hamilton was the only player that scored in double-figures with 13 points. No other player scored more than seven.
James Madison
The Dukes fell to Akron 85-71. James Madison came out of the halftime break and quickly grabbed a double-digit lead, but that slowly evaporated as they only scored 10 points in the last nine minutes. The Dukes finished the game close to even, or better, in a majority of the stats. However, 22 fouls and 19 turnovers are things that will not help them win many games. In terms of scoring, the Dukes were led by transfers Cliff Davis and Justin McBride, who both finished with 14 points. Freshmen Preston Fowler and Christian Brown played roles off the bench, and will have opportunities to make an impact this season.
Louisiana
Quannas White did not get off to the start he wanted to in Lafayette, falling to Ball State 75-64 in his first game as a head coach. Fouls were the story of the game, like it was for many Sun Belt teams, with the Ragin’ Cajuns committing 22 of them compared to 12 for the Cardinals. Louisiana also only shot 32.1 percent from deep, compared to 53.3 percent from Ball State. Oklahoma State transfer Jamyron Keller led the way in scoring for Louisiana, putting up 21 points, but on 20 shots.
Marshall
Despite committing 29 fouls and 26 turnovers, Marshall pulled off the road victory over UMass 78-72. Even with those issues, the Herd were able to cause havoc of their own. Marshall forced 20 turnovers, and dominated the glass with 40 rebounds. The Herd also scored six more fast break points, and had four more points in the paint. Marshall also had 22 assists on 27 made baskets, an impressive stat that head coach Corny Jackson will be proud of. After a surprise bench appearance, Wyatt Fricks led Marshall in scoring with 16. Wilson Dubinsky, who also came of the bench, pitched in 12 points but also added nine rebounds. Noah Otshudi had a game-high nine assists.
Old Dominion
The Monarchs lost 87-72 to Miami (OH). Old Dominion got off to a early 14-point lead, and it seemed like the Monarchs were going to run away with it as it felt like they couldn’t miss a three. Eventually that lead would evaporate and more, with the RedHawks going up 19 in the second half. A lot of that was due to turnovers and fouls, with the Monarchs fouling 23 times and giving the ball away 19 times. Preseason Player of the Year Robert Davis Jr. did not play in the game, similar to the preseason exhibition. Expected starter Stephaun Walker also did not play. Coastal Carolina transfer Jordan Battle finished the game with 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. LJ Thomas led the team in scoring (13) and assists (6).
South Alabama
South Alabama pulled off a road upset, with a 76-74 victory over Toledo. The Jaguars dominated in the paint, outscoring the Rockets 48-22. South Alabama shot 55.2 percent from the field, a feat that will help any team win games. They also dominated the glass, grabbing 10 more boards than Toledo. Stretch forward Adam Olsen finished with 23 points, hitting five of the Jaguars seven threes. Frontcourt mate Peyton Law pitched in 18 points, shooting 9-10 from the field. Preseason All-Conference selection John Broom surprisingly came off the bench, but still played 20 minutes.
Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles blew an early 15-point lead, falling to Buffalo 85-79. Southern Miss had plenty of chances to put the game away, but couldn’t quite do it. They finished the game with 27 fouls, a theme we saw a lot throughout the conference. The Golden Eagles did outscore the Bulls in the paint, on the break, and shot better from the field, but it was not enough. Head Coach Jay Ladner played 14 guys and still seems to be searching for his rotation. Transfer Issac Taveras led the conference in scoring through one game, with 28 points. JUCO transfer Tylik Weeks also had a big game in his first Division I contest, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Texas State
The Bobcats put in the worst performance in the conference, losing to Bowling Green 83-48. Texas State did not lead a single time in the game, and nothing went right for them. The Bobcats were out-rebounded, turned the ball over more, committed more fouls, only shot 17.6 percent from three, and missed four free of their seven free throws. Franck Emmou led the way with 12 points in his first game for the Bobcats, as he redshirted last season. 10 other Bobcats got a bucket, with no players scoring more than seven. No starters scored more than five points or shot over 50 percent.
Troy
Troy came out victorious in one of the best games of opening night, defeating Kent State 1-3-97 in overtime. Point Guard Cooper Campbell hit a layup late in regulation to send the game to overtime, where the Trojans took over. Troy struggled on the glass, but led the game in nearly every other statistical category. Points off of turnovers were something that helped the Trojans win this game, scoring 24 points off of 14 forced turnovers. All five starters scored double-digit points, led by forward Theo Seng, who scored 24. Thomas Dowd, who appeared to have an injury late in regulation but came back into the game in overtime, finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
ULM
The Warhawks fell to Northern Illinois 102-82. ULM got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 15-4 lead but could not hold on. The rebounding disparity is the main thing that stuck out, as the Huskies out-rebounded the Warhawks 44-18. Starting center Brentay Noel is out for the season due to injury, and first-year head coach will need to find some presence on the inside to fill those shoes. Guard Krystian Lewis appears to be the number one option on offense, as he finished with 22 points and took 16 shots. Freshman Przemek Hartman scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench in his first collegiate game.
The Sun Belt’s opening night showcased a mix of gutsy road victories and early-season woes. While teams like Troy and South Alabama looked like they will be back at the top of the conference, teams like Texas State and Georgia State will look to bounce back from embarrassing losses. Teams will return to action throughout the week as non-conference play is just getting underway.
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