Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
The Sun Belt Conference has announced that third year transfer Kyran Tilley was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team while Bulldog basketball was voted to the twelfth spot in the preseason poll.
Tilley comes to Ruston after spending two seasons at Division-II Central Missouri, where he was voted to the Third Team All-MIAA, MIAA Defensive Team, and Freshman of the Year in the 2024-25 season.
In his second season, he led the Mules to a 24-10 overall record and a second-place finish in the MIAA with a conference record of 14-5. The Mules would go on to reach the NCAA-II Central Regional semifinals. That season, he started all 34 games, averaging 12.7 points per game, shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 71.3 percent from the charity stripe. He was second on the team in total assists, with 124. He led the Mules with 54 steals on the season.
The Bulldogs return to the Sun Belt for the first time since 2001 with a nearly brand new team, the only returner being Jaylen Fenner. In their last season as a part of CUSA, the ‘Dogs had an overall record of 20-14, 11-9 in conference. They reached the CUSA Conference Championship game, falling to Kennesaw State 60-71.
2026 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Arkansas State (3) – 182
2. James Madison (9) – 176
3. Troy – 143
4. South Alabama – 136
5. Marshall – 125
6. Louisiana – 117
7. Southern Miss (2) – 109
8. App State – 105
9. Georgia Southern – 85
10. Georgia State – 79
11. Old Dominion – 76
12. Louisiana Tech – 64
13. Coastal Carolina – 58
14. ULM – 15
*Parentheses indicate first-place votes
Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year:
Isaac Taveras, Southern Miss [4th Yr. | G | Santo Domingo, D.R.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Adante’ Holiman, Old Dominion [4th Yr. | G | McAlester, Okla.]Peyton Law, South Alabama [5th Yr. | F | Calhoun, Ga.]Jacob Meyer, Georgia State [4th Yr. | G | Covington, Ky.]Noah Otshudi, Marshall [5th Yr. | G | Hamilton, Ontario, Can.]Isaac Taveras, Southern Miss [4th Yr. | G | Santo Domingo, D.R.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Tameron Ferguson, Arkansas State [3rd Yr. | G | St. Cloud, Minn.]Preston Fowler, James Madison [2nd Yr. | F | Vernon, Conn.]Dallas Gardner, Georgia Southern [4th Yr. | G | Charlotte, N.C.]Gage Lattimore, James Madison [3rd Yr. | G | Greensboro, N.C.]Layne Taylor, Arkansas State [3rd Yr. | G | Farmington, Ark.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Jacoi Hutchinson, Troy [4th Yr. | G | Laurel, Md.]Jamyron Keller, Louisiana [4th Yr. | G | St. Matthews, S.C.]Jalen Langsy, South Alabama [3rd Yr. | G | Shakopee, Minn.]Kyran Tilley, Louisiana Tech [3rd Yr. | G | Louisville, Ky.]
K.J. Windham, James Madison [3rd Yr. | G | Indianapolis, Ind.]
