The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) men’s basketball team is set to start its campaign in the 2026 Southern Conference (SoCon) Men’s Basketball Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The tournament begins on Saturday at noon, with ETSU awaiting its opponent, which will be determined by the outcome of the game between Chattanooga and The Citadel.
ETSU enters the tournament as the top seed after securing the regular season title by a two-game margin. The team is aiming for its 11th conference tournament championship, having last won the SoCon tournament in 2020. Historically, ETSU holds a 45-27 record in SoCon tournament play and a 29-13 record in games played in Asheville.
The Bucs have received several individual honors this season. Their head coach was named Anton Foy SoCon Coach of the Year for 2026, becoming the fifth ETSU coach to earn this recognition. Of note, three of the previous four ETSU coaches who won Coach of the Year also led their teams to win the conference tournament that same year: Les Robinson in 1990, Murry Bartow in 2004, and Steve Forbes in 2020. The current coach is approaching his 60th win at ETSU.
Additionally, an ETSU player has been named SoCon Defensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. This player is unique within the league for ranking among the top ten in both blocked shots and steals during this season. Another team member earned SoCon Sixth Man of the Year honors by leading all players with limited starts (10 or fewer) in points scored and leading those with up to 15 starts in made three-pointers, assists, and steals.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for March 7 at noon, followed by semifinals on March 8 at 4:00 p.m., and concluding with the championship game on March 9 at 7:00 p.m. Games will be broadcast on ESPN+ throughout most of the tournament and either ESPN or ESPN2 for Monday’s championship game.
Further details about ETSU men’s basketball can be found at their official website.
