The South Alabama men's basketball team is set to tip off the 2025–26 regular season on Monday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. (CT) as the Jaguars take on Toledo in the MAC–SBC Challenge. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
- Three Jaguars finished with 20 points or more as South Alabama opened its 2025–26 campaign with an 88–76 exhibition victory over the Argonauts inside the Mitchell Center.
- South Alabama shot 50 percent from the field and had four players finish in double figures, using a balanced attack and a strong second half to pull away in its lone preseason tune-up against West Florida. The Jaguars limited West Florida to 36.4 percent shooting overall and just 28.4 percent from three-point range.
- In his Jag debut,
Chaze Harris led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line, while adding four assists and four steals.
Against the Rockets
- This will mark just the second all-time meeting between the two programs. Toledo claimed the first matchup back in 2001, defeating a Bob Weltlich-led Jags squad 76–67 in overtime.
Scouting Toledo
- The Rockets are led by head coach Tod Kowalczyk, who enters his 15th season at the helm with a 296–196 record at Toledo.
- Junior guard Sonny Wilson, the lone returning starter from last year's 18–15 squad, averaged 15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last season, earning Third-Team All-MAC honors.
- Toledo added several transfers during the offseason, including Sean Craig (IUPUI), Austin Parks (Ohio State), Chris Riddle (DePaul), Mynor Strong (Dodge City CC) and Kyler Vanderjagt (Central Michigan).
- The Rockets were picked to finish sixth in the MAC preseason poll, while Wilson was named to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team.
Notes You Need to Know
- South returns a strong core from last year's 21-win team that captured a share of the Sun Belt regular-season championship — the program's first since 2008. The Jags bring back four players with experience from a year ago —
John Broom,
Jayden Cooper,
Randy Brady, and
JJ Wheat — along with
Maxwell Land, who returns from injury.
- The roster also features eight newcomers, including six transfers and two freshmen. Headlining the group are NAIA All-Americans
Peyton Law and
Chaze Harris, along with Canadian sharpshooter
Adam Olsen.
- South Alabama was picked to finish third in the 2025–26 Sun Belt Conference preseason poll, trailing last year's co-champions James Madison and Arkansas State.
- Broom earned Preseason All-Sun Belt honors after starting all 32 games as a freshman in 2024–25, averaging 5.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while leading all Sun Belt freshmen in steals.
- Under head coach Richie Riley, the Jaguars are 4–3 in season openers and 13–7 overall in the last two decades. South Alabama looks to bounce back from last year's opening-night loss to Central Michigan at the Mitchell Center.
Follow the Jags
For complete coverage of South Alabama men's basketball, follow the Jaguars on social media at @SouthAlabamaMBB on X (Twitter), @southalabamambb on Instagram, and visit USAJaguars.com for all the latest news and updates.
