LSC Hoops Week
DBU is predicted to win its second consecutive Lone Star Conference men’s basketball regular season title according to the 2025-26 preseason poll, it was announced on Monday (Oct. 20). St. Mary’s senior guard Damani Claxton claimed the preseason player of the year honors.
The preseason poll and preseason player of the year are voted on by LSC head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
DBU totaled 850 points and collected 42 of the possible 51 first-place votes to be the favorite. Head coach Blake Flickner’s Patriots went 34-5 overall and 19-3 in league play last season. DBU won its first LSC regular season championship, LSC tournament title and NCAA Division II South Central Regional crown – on its home court – in program history. The Patriots advanced all the way to the national semifinals of the NCAA tournament and finished the year ranked No. 4 in the nation.
St. Mary’s is picked as the conference runner-up with 724 points and two first-place votes. Head coach Bubba Meyer’s Rattlers went 20-11 overall and 16-6 in LSC play last season and reached the semifinals of the South Central Regional.
Two-time LSC champion Lubbock Christian is predicted to finish in third place with 720 points and four first-place votes. The Chaps went 25-9 overall and 18-4 in league play last season. LCU was runner-up in both the LSC regular season and tournament and earned a berth in the South Central Regional. They finished ranked No. 21 in the country.
St. Edward’s is the fourth-place pick with 669 points. The Hilltoppers, who went 20-11 overall and 14-8 in LSC play in 2024-25, advanced to South Central Regional.
West Texas A&M, which has won 11 LSC championships and five out of the last eight, is selected for a fifth-place finish with 654 points and two first-place votes. Two-time LSC champion Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico tied for sixth place with 592 points. Nine-time LSC champion Midwestern State collected 558 points to round out what would be the potential eight teams to qualify for the LSC tournament. WT and MSU both earned NCAA tournament bids last year.
UT Permian Basin is picked to finish in ninth place with 468 points and Texas A&M International (350 points) round out the top 10. TAMIU picked up the final first-place vote.
Texas A&M-Kingsville (330 points) is picked in the No. 11 spot, followed by Cameron (301 points), Oklahoma Christian (266 points), UT Tyler (260 points), Western New Mexico (193 points), new league member UT Dallas (188 points) and Sul Ross State (88 points).
Claxton, who is a 6-foot, 175-pound native of Bronx, N.Y., averaged 17.1 points, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. He made 45 3-pointers and shot 80.4 percent from the free throw line. Claxton was named LSC Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team All-LSC honors.
Additionally, 17 players – including Claxton – were selected for the LSC Men’s Basketball Preseason Players to Watch list. The student-athletes were nominated by their member institution.
Notes:
- The LSC men’s basketball season begins as early as Oct. 31. To see the league schedule, click here.
- LSC Hoops Week is Oct. 20-24. Watch interviews from all 17 men’s basketball teams and the preseason player of the year on the conference’s YouTube page.
- The LSC men’s basketball tournament is scheduled for March 5-7-8 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. Tickets will go on sale in February.
- All LSC men’s basketball games can be viewed live on FloCollege. Monthly and yearly subscriptions are available.
2025-26 LSC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL, PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PLAYERS TO WATCH
Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
DBU |
42 |
850 |
| 2 |
St. Mary’s |
2 |
724 |
| 3 |
Lubbock Christian |
4 |
720 |
| 4 |
St. Edward’s |
|
669 |
| 5 |
West Texas A&M |
2 |
654 |
| T6 |
Angelo State |
|
592 |
| T6 |
Eastern New Mexico |
|
592 |
| 8 |
Midwestern State |
|
558 |
| 9 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
468 |
| 10 |
Texas A&M International |
1 |
350 |
| 11 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
|
330 |
| 12 |
Cameron |
|
301 |
| 13 |
Oklahoma Christian |
|
266 |
| 14 |
UT Tyler |
|
260 |
| 15 |
Western New Mexico |
|
193 |
| 16 |
UT Dallas |
|
188 |
| 17 |
Sul Ross State |
|
88 |
Preseason Player of the Year
Damani Claxton, G, Sr., St. Mary’s
Players to Watch
| Name |
School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Major |
Hometown |
| Jordan Crawford |
Angelo State |
G |
Sr. |
Sociology |
Ruston, La. |
| Jordan Mitchell |
Cameron |
G |
Sr. |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
West Memphis, Ark. |
| Xavion Brown |
DBU |
G |
Sr. |
Kinesiology |
Sacramento, Calif. |
| Jose Murillo |
Eastern New Mexico |
F |
Sr. |
Business Administration |
Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Amondo Miller Jr. |
Lubbock Christian |
F |
Sr. |
Communications |
Littleton, Colo. |
| Jonathan Jackson |
Midwestern State |
G/F |
Gr. |
Exercise Physiology |
Sachse, Texas |
| Miles Gibson |
Oklahoma Christian |
G |
Jr. |
Finance |
Allen, Texas |
| Blake Nielsen |
St. Edward’s |
G |
Gr. |
Finance |
Perth, Australia |
| Damani Claxton |
St. Mary's |
G |
Sr. |
Exercise & Sport Science |
Bronx, N.Y. |
| Antwonne Holmes |
Sul Ross State |
G |
Jr. |
Business Administration |
El Paso, Texas |
| Caylen Goff-Brown |
Texas A&M International |
G |
Sr. |
Psychology |
Tulsa, Okla. |
| Allen Singleton |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
G |
Sr. |
Engineering |
League City, Texas |
| Zach Spitzer |
UT Dallas |
F |
Jr. |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
Allen, Texas |
| Tash Lunday |
UT Permian Basin |
F |
Gr. |
Kinesiology |
Flandreau, S.D. |
| Sam Phipps |
UT Tyler |
F |
Sr. |
Information Technology |
Wellsville, Utah. |
| Brock Mishak |
West Texas A&M |
G |
Jr. |
Business |
Fort Collins, Colo. |
| Cortaviaus Seales |
Western New Mexico |
G |
Sr. |
Marketing |
Rock Island, Ill. |
