ROME, Ga. - The 2026 Southern Athletic Association (SAA) is ready for action on Thursday at Berry College.
Rhodes and Trinity captured the Regular Season title and the No. 1 and 2 seed to have a bye in the first round of the tournament.
The tournament will run February 26-28, featuring five total games. Quarterfinals will be played Thursday at 5 and 7 p.m. ET, followed by semifinals on Friday at the same times. Adavancing teams will play in the championship on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET in Rome, Georgia.
Glimpse at the Matchups:
Game One | No. 4 Millsaps vs. No. 5 Southwestern
The Millsaps Majors carry a 2–0 regular-season edge over the Southwestern Pirates, though both matchups were tightly contested from start to finish. Millsaps features a balanced offensive attack, with four players averaging double figures in Toney, James, Kent, and Lumar — each having appeared in all 25 games this season. Southwestern matches that depth with four double-digit scorers of its own in Enakpene, Lewis, Gomez, and Shugars, setting up a matchup defined by balance and scoring versatility on both sides.
Game Two | No. 3 Centre vs. No. 6 Sewanee
The rivalry continues, this time inside Cage Arena as the Centre Colonels and Sewanee Tigers meet once again. Despite earning the higher seed, Centre dropped both regular-season matchups to Sewanee in a pair of tightly contested battles, adding even more intensity to this postseason showdown. The Tigers boast both the SAA Athlete of the Year and Rookie of the Year in Fletcher Bigham and Nikolas Avaliani, respectively. The Colonels counter with All-Conference standouts Drake Ingram, Nolan Wahl and Kalib Thomas, setting the stage for another chapter in a heated rivalry.
Game Three | No. 1 Rhodes vs. Winner of Game One
Rhodes Lynx enter the tournament riding high after capturing their first regular-season title since 2016–17. Guided by the SAA Coaching Staff of the Year and head coach Zo Goodson, the Lynx return to Cage Arena poised for another championship push. Phil Dotson paces the offense with 21.2 points per game this season, highlighted by a 42-point performance in December. Rhodes’ depth is equally impressive, with four additional double-figure scorers in Huxtable, Lombard, Jones Jr., and Maddox — giving the Lynx a balanced and dangerous attack heading into postseason play.
Game Four | No. 2 Trinity vs. Winner of Game Two
Trinity Tigers claimed a share of the regular-season title and will await the winner of the Centre Colonels and Sewanee Tigers matchup. Trinity’s only conference setbacks this season came at the hands of No. 1 Rhodes Lynx, underscoring just how strong the Tigers have been throughout league play. Defensively, Trinity is fueled by SAA Defensive Athlete of the Year Zach Fenn, who leads the nation in steals per game and consistently creates transition opportunities. On the offensive end, leading scorer Will Bronson capitalizes on those chances. A three-time SAA Athlete of the Week selection, Bronson has delivered standout performances all season and remains a key piece in Trinity’s championship pursuit.
For more information on the 2026 Men's Basketball Tournament please visit our championship webpage (gear, photos, results) linked at the top of this page.
For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at
www.saa-sports.com. Be sure to stay up to date on all ofyour Southern Athletic Association news by following @SAA_Sports on Twitter (X) and @SAA_Sports on Instagram.