McNeese State’s thrilling 69-67 upset over Clemson in the first round of last year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament marked the first time a team representing the Southland Conference won a game in the Big Dance since 2021 Abilene Christian’s 53-52 shocker over Texas in the same round. Will Wade’s squad was able to overcome an embarrassing 86-65 loss suffered the year prior to Gonzaga, a year the Cowboys went an astounding 30-3 entering the tournament. The magic was short-lived, as the Bayou Bandits fell short in the second round to Purdue 76-62. Regardless, these results were a huge step in the right direction for the conference for future teams in the tournaments to come.

However, Will Wade has since left for NC State, and the Cowboys only have 3 returning players from last year’s tournament team. Additionally, the calendar flipped, leaving this year’s 2026 Southland Conference Tournament open for anyone to win. McNeese State has dominated the conference in recent history, only losing 5 Southland games over the past 3 seasons. But Stephen F. Austin (SFA) was able to grab the regular season Southland crown and the top spot in this year’s conference tournament. You may remember the Lumberjacks from past tournament success, as they were able to win two games in the three-tournament span from 2014-2016 under the direction of current Illinois head coach Brad Underwood.

It seems like a two team race to the top, but don’t discount the field in this conference. Though their conference tournament bracket sets up well for the top teams as a gauntlet-style, meaning McNeese State and SFA being top two in the conference get an auto bid to the semifinals, momentum can stunt that advantage, which is exactly what teams like UT Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and New Orleans have the chance to do. It should be a fun one to watch during Champ week, so let’s break down what’s in store for the teams playing in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The Favorites

As I am writing this for the third season now, I’m getting a sense of déjà vu saying that one of the favorites for this tournament is McNeese State. But give credit where credit is due, because even with a mainly overhauled roster, the Cowboys still find themselves towards the top of the conference. This is in large part due to some great guard play, highlighted by Larry Johnson. The Creighton transfer, who didn’t see any action with the Bluejays last season, has made an impact for McNeese State in more ways than one, leading the team in scoring and rebounding per game, averaging 17.2 and 5.3 respectively. He is a three-level scorer, with his strongest area being down low. Standing at 6’4”, he can bully his way to wherever he wants to on drives to the hoop and he’s not afraid to throw down any lob that comes his way. His outside shooting is slightly sub-par, but he makes up for it in the other facets of his game.

And who could forget last year’s Southland Conference Player of the Year Javohn Garcia? Instead of departing for NC State with Will Wade, the senior guard decided to stay in Lake Charles and he has replicated his success in the scoring column form last season, averaging 11.3 points per game (PPG). Match that with the natural scoring ability of Tyshawn Archie and the facilitating power possessed by Garway Dual, and the Bayou Bandits are a threat to make it a three-peat under first year head coach Bill Armstrong. Their lack of a consistent force in the paint is definitely something of note, but they have been able to find ways to win despite this potential flaw all season, further proving that you can’t write this team off.

This year, the top team isn’t as clear cut as what it had been in the past for the Southland, as SFA won the regular season and earned the top spot in this year’s Southland conference tournament. Last year, SFA finished 10th after returning to the Southland for the first time since the 2020-2021 season after departing for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). However, they have been able to get back on track, rekindling their success they’ve had in past years. This year’s main spark has come from the Southland Men’s Basketball Player of the Year Keon Thompson, the team’s leading scorer and the conference’s second leading scorer with 18.1 PPG. The senior guard also leads his team in assists per game (APG). He is a capable outside shooter, but he loves to drive. He becomes most dangerous when he reaches the elbow. His ability to continue driving hard to the cup, kick it out to one of his teammates, or stop and pop, are all equally a threat that makes him hard to defend.

But it’s not just a one man wrecking crew. Junior guard Lateef Patrick is just behind Thompson in the scoring column, with 15.5 PPG. Patrick is an impressive scorer with a smooth shot, as he is shooting an astounding 80.7% from the field. He is equally as much of a threat with the basketball as Thompson, which can be difficult from a coaching standpoint. Though Thompson and Patrick are the only two averaging in double digits for the season, the rest of their roster contributes in more ways than just the scoring column. Chrishawn Christmas and Jerald Colonel, standing at 6’5” and 6’9” respectively, both average over 7 RPG and can be a force down low. Narit Chotikavanic and Kam Burton are both sharpshooting guards, sitting at No. 1 and No. 2 in three-point field goal percentage (3P%), with both over 40% from deep. Not only can they put the biscuit in the basket, but they can defend as well. They are allowing the least amount of PPG in Southland play, holding opponents to an average of 65.9. They have all the makings of a good team, and they are certainly a force to be reckoned with in the conference tournament.

Contender

However, this conference is much deeper than the top two. Take UTRGV for example. They finished a respectable 14-8 in Southland play, and they have a very balanced attack. Junior guard Koree Cotton is the main threat for the Vaqueros, averaging 13.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG. Junior Filip Brankovic and Graduate Marvin McGhee III are capable scorers as well as contribute 12.8 and 10.6 PPG respectively. But where I think UTRGV can be dangerous is their ability to shoot the three. Cotton, McGhee, senior Kye Dickson, and freshman Julien Gomez all shoot at a 40% or better clip from beyond the arc. They averaged over nine threes made a game, the best in the Southland. They also shoot over 47% from the field as a team, also the best in the conference. Every player has the green light to shoot, and none of them are afraid to do so. Though they don’t mind driving to the rack, they stand by the saying “Live by the three, die by the three.” They play very fast, as they are consistently active with lots of energy on both ends of the court. This makes them very streaky, as they might not be able to stay very consistent, especially if they run into some good defensive play. But they have a bye in the conference tournament, and with a win, they will face off against McNeese state, who they already knocked off earlier this season, 79-76. Sometimes in March, all it takes is a spark to get hot, and the Vaqueros are more than capable of generating just that.

Even with the top teams playing great basketball, there is always a chance for a dark horse, and the Privateers of New Orleans have the chance to be that team. They finished outside the top four in the conference, unable to earn a bye, meaning they will have to win four games in four days to take Southland down. But this team is more than capable to do just that. They have wins over UTRGV and SFA, with a close loss to McNeese State just a few weeks ago. They also have a win over tournament hopeful TCU to start the season, so they know how to compete and beat good teams. However, just as they can beat anyone, they are also susceptible to anyone as well. They play Houston Christian in the opening game of the Southland Tournament, who they have lost to both times they have matched up this season. They also fell to Southeast Louisiana, who didn’t qualify for the conference tournament, to end the regular season. Guards Coleton Benson and Jakevion Buckley are the two headed monsters for this squad, as they averaged over 30 PPG during the regular season. Sophomore MJ Thomas, standing at 6’8”, adds a solid presence down low for New Orleans. They like to play offense, but defense is not their strong suit, as they surrender the most PPG to opponents in the conference, that being 78.4. However, with their ability to compete with everyone, you can’t count out the Privateers.

As for my pick, I would have to go with Stephen F. Austin. It’s hard to decide between the top two teams, as they have both played equally well this whole season. But SFA seems like the more complete team. Keon Thompson won the conference’s player of the year for a reason. He can take over a game at a moment’s notice, and having Lateef Patrick, Chrishawn Christmas, and Jerald Colonel supplementing his play makes SFA a hard team to bet against. Maybe I just don’t want any extra déjà vu from McNeese State winning again, but seeing them represent the Southland in the Big Dance for the third consecutive season would be an interesting sight to see.

But here is some history to chew on. The last time a team from the Southland won three consecutive conference tournaments was from 2014-2016. The team to do? Stephen. F Austin. The top team in the conference this season has the chance to prevent another team from doing what they completed a decade ago. It seems poetic, and some stories we’ve seen play out in March over the years couldn’t be written better than the way they turned out. For that reason, among others listed earlier, I think the Lumberjacks will return to March Madness for the first time since the 2017-2018 season.