johnson, bradley preseason all-socon

Men's Basketball

Johnson, Bradley named to Preseason All-SoCon Team

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – With much anticipation for the college basketball season to arrive, the Southern Conference announced its 2026-27 Preseason All-Conference Team featuring VMI seniors Rickey Bradley, Jr. and TJ Johnson.
 
For the second year in a row, Bradley has been tabbed the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year while Johnson was named to the Preseason All-SoCon Team for the first time of his career.
 
Bradley, Jr. was forced to sit out the entire 2025-26 season due to injury and was never able to show the country and the league his abilities on the court. He was given a medical redshirt and granted a fifth year of eligibility to compete for the Keydets this season.
 
As a junior in 2024-25, he was named a Third Team All-SoCon recipient and to the SoCon All-Tournament team after leading VMI to the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament by upsetting No. 2 seed UNCG in the quarterfinals. That season, he ranked third in the league in minutes per game at 33.6 and fifth in the league in points per game at 16.3. Starting all 34 games on the year, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native scored a career-high 30 points against Mercer on January 4, 2025, and achieved his first career double-double against UNCG in the SoCon tourney where he logged 23 points to go with a career-high 11 rebounds.
 
Johnson was named a Third Team All-Southern Conference recipient last season after tracking 14 games with at least 20 points scored as well as three contests with over 30 points. He ranked fourth in the NCAA in three-point attempts with 310 for the season and seventh in the NCAA in three-pointers made per game at 3.55, second-most in the conference.
 
He finished the season ranked 18th in the NCAA in total three-pointers made for the season (110) and ranked first in the league in three-point attempts per game (10.0). Always reliable, Johnson averaged 35.5 minutes per game and showed his defensive prowess by averaging 1.5 steals per game in addition to 5.5 defensive rebounds per contest, fifth highest in the league.
 
An excellent student and ambassador for the Institute, Johnson is one of three student-athletes nationwide to serve on the NCAA Board of Directors to represent student-athletes in the modern collegiate athletics landscape.
  
2026-27 Preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year
Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI
 
2026-27 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team
BJ Ward, Sr., G, ETSU
Marcus Kell, Gr., F, Furman
Charles Johnston, 5th, F, Furman
Brady Shoulders, Jr., G/F, Mercer
Cooper Noard, 5th, G, Samford
Tate Darner, So., G, Chattanooga
Rickey Bradley Jr, Sr., G, VMI
TJ Johnson, Sr., F, VMI
Cam Lowe, R-Jr., G, Wofford
Chace Watley, So., G, Wofford


2026-27 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
  1. Furman (10)
 100
  1. ETSU (1)
 86
  1. Wofford
 78
  1. Samford
 70
  1. Chattanooga
 59
  1. Tennessee Tech
 57
  1. Mercer
 47
  1. Western Carolina
 41
  1. VMI
 32
  1. The Citadel
 21
  1. UNCG
 14

 
 

 
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Players Mentioned

Rickey Bradley, Jr.

#1 Rickey Bradley, Jr.

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

F
6' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Rickey Bradley, Jr.

#1 Rickey Bradley, Jr.

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
G
TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

6' 7"
Senior
F