stuckey vs. loyola
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Men's Basketball

VMI opens SoCon competition versus Samford and Chattanooga

LEXINGTON, Va. - The VMI basketball team looks for a fresh start to the season when the Keydets open Southern Conference play January 1-3, 2026, at the friendly confines of Cameron Hall when league rivals Samford and Chattanooga visit Lexington.
 
The Keydets face the Samford Bulldogs on New Year's Day at 1 p.m. before taking on the Chattanooga Mocs Saturday, Jan. 3 also at 1 p.m.
 
Broadcast Information
Thursday, January 1 – 1 pm vs. Samford              Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, January 3 – 1 pm vs. Chattanooga       Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
 
Quick Hits
* VMI looks to begin conference play with a win after falling to Radford by a 97-90 score on the road in the non-conference finale Sunday, December 21
* Sophomore Linus Holmstrom was named the SoCon Player of the Week on Monday, December 15 after he spurred the Keydets to an 86-70 victory on December 9 over Loyola with a game-high 23 points as he hit a career-high seven threes
*Junior forward TJ Johnson leads the conference in points per game at 18.8 and is presently fourth in the league in defensive rebounds at 5.3 per contest.
* The Keydets rank among the top in the SoCon standings in several statistical categories including second in free-throw percentage at 72.9 percent and third in both steals (8.0) and three-point percentage (33.7). VMI also ranks fourth in the league in offensive rebounds per contest at 12.1
* Tan Yildizoglu ranks fourth in steals at 1.4 per outing and fifth in assists at 4.0
 
All-Time Series vs. Samford (5-22)
Thursday's game marks the 28th all-time meeting between the schools with Samford dominating the win column with 22 victories to VMI's five. The Keydets look to snap a seven-game losing skid to the Bulldogs as the last win against Samford came in January of 2022.
 
About the Bulldogs (5-8)
Samford has won three games in a row heading into the new calendar year with wins over Cornell, Bryan College and Reinhardt College. The Bulldogs have played a difficults schedules with losses coming to the likes of #21 Arkansas, FGCU, New Mexico State, Utah Valley and VCU. Jadin Booth ranks just behind VMI's TJ Johnson among the league's scoring leaders at 18.6 points per game.
 
All-Time Series vs. Chattanooga (16-54)
Saturday's game marks the 71st all-time meeting between the schools in a series dating back to 1977. VMI also looks to break UTC's seven-game winning streak in the series as the Keydets have not defeated the Mocs in Chattanooga in February of 2022.
 
About the Mocs (6-7)
Chattanooga has also played a tough schedule with their losses coming to St. Mary's, UNLV, FCGU, SEMO, #21 Auburn and Bellarmine. UTC will play at UNCG on January 1 before heading up to Lexington to face VMI January 3.
Jordan Frison - named the SoCon Player of the Week on December 22 - leads the team with 15.0 ppg and Teddy Washington, Jr. is second on the team at 9.9 ppg. Former Keydet Brennan Watkins is averaging 7.8 ppg.








 
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

F
6' 7"
Junior
Tan Yildizoglu

#30 Tan Yildizoglu

G
6' 4"
Junior

Players Mentioned

TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

6' 7"
Junior
F
Tan Yildizoglu

#30 Tan Yildizoglu

6' 4"
Junior
G