DBU is predicted to win its third consecutive Lone Star Conference men’s basketball regular season title according to the 2026-27 preseason poll, it was announced on Monday (Oct. 19) during
LSC Hoops Week. Oklahoma Christian senior guard Miles Gibson 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 841 points and collected 35 of the possible 51 first-place votes to be the favorite. Head coach Blake Flickner’s Patriots went 29-7 overall and 18-2 in league play last season. DBU also won its second straight LSC tournament title and reached the championship game of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, which it hosted. The Patriots finished ranked No. 15 in the nation.
Eastern New Mexico is picked as the conference runner-up with 751 points and six first-place votes. Head coach Daven Vo’s Greyhounds went 26-6 overall and 17-3 in LSC play last season. They tied for second place in the league and reached the LSC tournament title game. ENMU also earned a berth in the regional and finished ranked No. 13 in the country.
Two-time LSC champion Lubbock Christian is predicted to finish in third place with 735 points and two first-place votes. The Chaps went 27-6 overall and 17-3 in league play last season. LCU tied for the conference’s runner-up spot, earned a bid to the regional and finished ranked No. 14 in the nation.
St. Edward’s is the fourth-place pick with 670 points and one first-place vote. The Hilltoppers, who went 25-9 overall and 13-7 in LSC play in 2025-26, advanced to regional semifinals.
Western New Mexico is the fifth-place selection with 657 points and four first-place votes. The Mustangs, which went 22-8 overall and 15-5 in league play, advanced to the LSC tournament and regional for the first time in program history.
St. Mary’s, which advanced to the regional semifinals last year, is picked to finish in sixth place with 615 points. West Texas A&M, which has won 11 LSC championships and five out of the last nine, is selected for a seventh-place finish with 596 points and one first-place vote. Two-time LSC champion Angelo State is eighth with 499 points and one first-place vote. Texas A&M-Kingsville, which is also a two-time LSC champion, collected 439 points to round out what would be the potential nine teams to qualify for the LSC tournament
UT Tyler rounded out the top 10 with 399 points and received the final first-place vote.
Oklahoma Christian is picked 11th with 333 points, followed by UT Dallas (316 points), 2017 LSC champion UT Permian Basin (294 points), nine-time LSC champion Midwestern State (260 points), Texas A&M International (200 points), Cameron (125 points) and Sul Ross State (73 points).
Gibson, who is a 6-foot-5 native of Allen, Texas, averaged 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds last season. He had seven double doubles, a pair of 30-point games and added 31 steals. Gibson was an LSC All-Conference Second Team selection last year.
Additionally, 17 players – including Gibson – 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. 30. To see the league schedule, click here.
- LSC Hoops Week is Oct. 19-23. Watch interviews from all 17 men’s basketball teams and the preseason player of the year on the conference’s YouTube page.
- All 17 LSC men’s basketball teams are eligible to win the regular season title and advance to the LSC and NCAA Division II postseason tournaments.
- The nine-team LSC men’s basketball tournament is scheduled for March 2 on campus and March 5-7 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. Tickets will go on sale in February.
- The NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball South Central Regional is scheduled for March 13-14, 16 at a site to be determined. The Elite Eight is set for March 23, 25, 27 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.
- All LSC men’s basketball games can be viewed live on FloCollege. Monthly, yearly and family subscriptions are available.
2026-27 LSC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL, PLAYER OF THE YEAR, PLAYERS TO WATCH
Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
1st |
Total |
| 1 |
DBU |
35 |
841 |
| 2 |
Eastern New Mexico |
6 |
751 |
| 3 |
Lubbock Christian |
2 |
735 |
| 4 |
St. Edward’s |
1 |
670 |
| 5 |
Western New Mexico |
4 |
657 |
| 6 |
St. Mary’s |
|
615 |
| 7 |
West Texas A&M |
1 |
596 |
| 8 |
Angelo State |
1 |
499 |
| 9 |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
|
439 |
| 10 |
UT Tyler |
1 |
399 |
| 11 |
Oklahoma Christian |
|
333 |
| 12 |
UT Dallas |
|
316 |
| 13 |
UT Permian Basin |
|
294 |
| 14 |
Midwestern State |
|
260 |
| 15 |
Texas A&M International |
|
200 |
| 16 |
Cameron |
|
125 |
| 17 |
Sul Ross State |
|
73 |
Preseason Player of the Year
Miles Gibson, G, Sr., Oklahoma Christian
Players to Watch
| Name |
School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Major |
Hometown |
| Jhordan Ryan |
Angelo State |
F |
Sr. |
Kinesiology |
St. John's, Montserrat |
| Xavier Harris |
Cameron |
G |
Sr. |
Business Management |
Northglenn, Colorado |
| Bishop Jones |
DBU |
G |
Sr. |
Communication |
Frisco, Texas |
| Maurice Austin |
Eastern New Mexico |
G |
Jr. |
Business Administration |
Pueblo, Colo. |
| Leo Nordberg |
Lubbock Christian |
G |
Sr. |
Finance |
Helsinki, Finland |
| Aric Demings |
Midwestern State |
G |
Sr. |
Applied Arts & Sciences |
DeSoto, Texas |
| Miles Gibson |
Oklahoma Christian |
G |
Sr. |
Business |
Allen, Texas |
| Sean Elkington |
St. Edward’s |
C |
5th |
MBA |
Crosby, Texas |
| Lawyer Jones |
St. Mary's |
G |
Jr. |
Exercise & Sport Science |
Waco, Texas |
| Antwonne Holmes |
Sul Ross State |
G |
Sr. |
Business Administration |
El Paso, Texas |
| Aaron Perez |
Texas A&M International |
G |
Jr. |
Business Administration |
Houston, Texas |
| Bryce Smith |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
PG |
Jr. |
Business Management |
Baytown, Texas |
| Jaden Jefferson |
UT Dallas |
G |
Jr. |
Healthcare Management |
Forney, Texas |
| Tyler Hamilton |
UT Permian Basin |
G |
Sr. |
Marketing |
Detroit, Mich. |
| Sean Emfinger |
UT Tyler |
G |
Sr. |
Management |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Jailyn Sledge |
West Texas A&M |
G |
Jr. |
Management |
Amarillo, Texas |
| Andre Harris |
Western New Mexico |
F |
Sr. |
Sports Science |
Mesa, Ariz. |