bradley - 2025 socon tournament

Men's Basketball

Bradley named SoCon Preseason Player of the Year

Keydets picked to finish sixth in league’s preseason coaches’ poll

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After a breakout junior season in 2024-25, VMI senior guard Rickey Bradley, Jr. has been tabbed the 2025-26 Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year as recognized by the league's 10 head coaches, the conference announced Wednesday morning.
 
The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native received Third Team All-SoCon honors a year ago and was named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team after leading the Keydets to the semifinals of last year's SoCon Tournament, including an upset over No. 2-seed UNCG in the quarterfinal in which he logged his first career double-double (23 points, career-high 11 rebounds).
 
"Rick is very deserving of this preseason recognition by the Southern Conference," said VMI Head Coach Andrew Wilson. "He is mature beyond his years and is one of the most focused and driven young people I've ever been around.  Rick is determined to change the narrative of VMI Basketball and our entire program is grateful for his commitment."


 
He is the first VMI basketball player to be named a conference Preseason Player of the Year since Stan Okoye was given the honor by the Big South Conference ahead of the 2012-13 season.
 
After transferring back to VMI following a one-year detour at Georgia State, Bradley finished fifth in the SoCon in points per game at 16.3 and showed his stealth by averaging 33.6 minutes per game, third most in the league.  An excellent defender, he also averaged 1.4 steals per game for the seventh highest average in the conference.
 
Bradley earned a career-high 30 points at home versus Mercer January 4, then proceeded to put up 29 against The Citadel on the road January 18 to lead VMI to a thrilling 75-70 win in Charleston. He was also named the SoCon Player of the Week January 20 for his efforts in wins over Western Carolina and The Citadel.
 
The Keydets were slated to finish sixth in the league standings in the preseason coaches' poll also revealed Wednesday morning.
 
VMI returns the grand majority of its roster from a year ago and returns the second-highest production level in the country led by upperclassmen Bradley, TJ Johnson, Tan Yildizoglu, AJ Clark and Linus Holmstrom.
 
The link below provides a summary of accomplishments from the 2024-25 season that VMI is building off going into the 2025-26 campaign:
https://vmikeydets.com/news/2025/3/13/mens-basketball-the-2024-25-vmi-basketball-season-a-year-to-remember.aspx
 
The winners of last year's NIT Tournament, Chattanooga enters the season as the preseason No. 1 favorite with 77 votes just ahead of second-place Furman (73). Samford, ETSU and UNCG round out the top five, while VMI was picked sixth ahead of Western Carolina, Mercer, Wofford and The Citadel.


2025-26 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. Chattanooga (5) 77
2. Furman (5) 73
3. Samford 62
4. ETSU 61
5. UNCG 43
6. VMI 41
7. Western Carolina 32
8. Mercer 30
9. Wofford 21
10. The Citadel 10
 
2025-26 Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year
Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI
 
2025-26 Preseason All-Southern Conference team
Jaylen Smith, Jr., G, ETSU
Cooper Bowser, Jr., F, Furman
Tom House, Sr., G, Furman
Jadin Booth, Gr., G, Samford
Dylan Faulkner, Jr., C, Samford
Jikari Johnson, Gr., G, Chattanooga
Collin Mulholland, R-So., F, Chattanooga
Teddy Washington Jr., Gr., G, Chattanooga
Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI
Marcus Kell, R-Jr., F, Western Carolina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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Players Mentioned

Rickey Bradley, Jr.

#1 Rickey Bradley, Jr.

G
6' 2"
Senior
AJ Clark

#5 AJ Clark

G
6' 4"
Junior
TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

F
6' 7"
Junior
Tan Yildizoglu

#30 Tan Yildizoglu

G
6' 4"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Rickey Bradley, Jr.

#1 Rickey Bradley, Jr.

6' 2"
Senior
G
AJ Clark

#5 AJ Clark

6' 4"
Junior
G
TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

6' 7"
Junior
F
Tan Yildizoglu

#30 Tan Yildizoglu

6' 4"
Junior
G