TAMPA, Fla. — Ave Maria will open the 2025-26 season as the preseason favorite in Sun Conference Men’s Basketball, earning 64 points and eight first-place votes in the poll of league head coaches.
The Gyrenes enter the new campaign as the defending Sun Conference Tournament Champions after posting a 25-7 overall record and a 13-3 mark in conference play last season. Ave Maria captured its second title in program history and looks to build on the momentum from a 2024-25 season that ended with a trip to the NAIA National Championship Second Round.
Keiser, the 2024-25 regular season champion and NAIA National Championship Final Site qualifier, ranks second in the poll with 55 points and one first-place vote. The Seahawks went 26-6 overall and 14-2 in league play a season ago, leading The Sun in both scoring margin and defensive efficiency.
Southeastern, last year’s tournament runner-up, sits third with 47 points, while Florida Memorial (39) and Coastal Georgia (38) round out the top five. The Lions finished 23-8 overall and 12-4 in conference play in 2024-25. Coastal Georgia enters the season under new head coach Tim MacAllister, who takes over the Mariners program in his first year at the helm.
St. Thomas holds the sixth spot with 36 points, followed by New College of Florida (17), Warner (15), and Webber International (13). The 2024-25 season marked New College’s Sun Conference debut and first appearance in the Sun Conference Tournament.
Conference play is scheduled to begin Saturday, November 15, with the Sun Conference Tournament tipping off on Tuesday, February 24.
| 2025-26 Sun Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
Team |
Points
(first-place votes) |
2024 Conference Record |
2024 Overall Record |
| 1 |
Ave Maria |
64 (8) |
13-3 |
25-7 |
| 2 |
Keiser |
55 (1) |
14-2 |
26-6 |
| 3 |
Southeastern |
47 |
8-8 |
14-17 |
| 4 |
Florida Memorial |
39 |
12-4 |
23-8 |
| 5 |
Coastal Georgia |
38 |
5-11 |
8-17 |
| 6 |
St. Thomas |
36 |
6-10 |
10-16 |
| 7 |
New College |
17 |
7-9 |
14-15 |
| 8 |
Warner |
15 |
5-11 |
11-16 |
| 9 |
Webber |
13 |
2-14 |
6-21 |
Key Links
ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now in its 35th year, The Sun Conference — a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1990 — is a leading member of the NAIA. The league’s 10 full-member institutions across Florida and Georgia compete in 24 championship sports. Under Commissioner Dustin Wilke, The Sun continues to raise the standard in collegiate athletics. Learn more at thesunconference.com.
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