Troy University’s men’s basketball team will begin its Sun Belt Conference tournament campaign as the top seed, facing No. 8 Southern Miss in the semifinals on Sunday at 5 p.m. in Pensacola, Florida.
The Trojans (21-10 overall, 12-6 Sun Belt) secured a bye to the semifinal round after clinching their second consecutive regular-season conference title with an 80-65 win over ULM on February 27. Entering that night tied for first place with Appalachian State, Marshall, and South Alabama, Troy emerged as outright champions when all three rivals lost their games.
This marks the fifth straight season Troy has won at least 20 games and posted double-digit wins in conference play—an achievement unmatched by any other team in the league during this period.
Sunday’s matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ and available via radio through the Troy Sports Media Network. The winner of this game will advance to Monday’s championship contest at 6 p.m., earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Scott Cross was named Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year by the Sun Belt Conference on March 2, his second time receiving this honor and his first while coaching at Troy. “Cross guided Troy to a 20-11 regular season, the fifth-straight season the Trojans have reached 20 wins. Troy also earned 10-plus conference wins for the fifth consecutive season, going 12-6 in Sun Belt play. Cross is Troy’s second coach to win the award – Don Maestri earned it for his efforts during the 2008-09 season,” according to a statement from the university.
Players Thomas Dowd and Victor Valdes received All-Sun Belt honors for their performances this year—their first postseason recognitions. Dowd was selected for the first team after averaging a double-double with 14.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game; he is currently one of only nine players nationwide with at least 450 points and 300 rebounds this season across college basketball. Valdes averaged a team-high of 15 points per game along with an average of 4.5 assists.
Valdes is also close to breaking a school record for free throws made in a single season; he has matched Terry McCord’s mark of 156 set during the 1992–93 campaign.
Southern Miss enters Sunday’s contest having already played three tournament games in Pensacola—defeating James Madison, Texas State, and App State—to reach this stage as an eighth seed. During regular-season meetings between these teams, each side won its home game against each other.
Southern Miss leads both the Sun Belt Conference and ranks among national leaders in free throw attempts per game (24.6). Tylik Weeks averages nearly twenty points per outing as their leading scorer; Djahi Binet contributes more than ten points and eight rebounds per contest.
Scott Cross is now in his seventh year leading Troy’s program with an overall record of 123-98 since taking over as head coach. Over his tenure—and especially during recent seasons—the Trojans have consistently finished among conference leaders both overall and within league play.
Troy seeks back-to-back tournament titles—a feat last accomplished by Georgia State when they won consecutive championships in 2018 and 2019.
