clark-stuckey 2025 socon tourney
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Men's Basketball

Keydets head to Asheville for Ingles SoCon Championship

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The VMI basketball team is heading down to Asheville, North Carolina, for the 2026 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships where they open the tournament facing No. 7 seed UNCG in the first round.
 
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Harrah's Cherokee Center shortly after the No. 8-9 Chattanooga-Citadel first round game.
 
Tournament Bracket
 
Keydet fans headed down to the big event are encouraged to purchase tickets through the VMI Ticket Office at the following link:
https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2new/team.asp?SponsorID=19573
 
Broadcast Information
Watch on ESPN+  |  Live Stats
 
The No. 10 seed Keydets (6-25, 1-17) and No. 7 Spartans (13-18, 9-9) face each other for the third  time this season after UNCG claimed wins in both contests.
 
At last year's tournament, the No. 7 seed Keydets upset No. 2 UNCG in the quarterfinals by a 64-57 score and look to return with the magic at the 2026 tournament.
 
The 2025-26 Season Series
The Spartans defeated VMI in Lexington by an 85-78 count on January 21 in Lexington and later defeated the Keydets in Greensboro on February 11 by a 92-71 count.
 
All-Time Series (11-29)
After taking two losses to UNCG this season, the Keydets will look to pick up their 12th all-time win over the Spartans
 
Johnson named Third Team All-Southern Conference
After an outstanding junior season on the hardwood, VMI junior TJ Johnson has been named a Third Team All-SoCon recipient, the league announced Wednesday ahead of this weekend's Ingles Southern Conference Championship.
 
The Belton, Texas, native played a big role for the Keydets this season by averaging 35.4 minutes per game, second-most in the league.
 
Deadly from beyond the arc, Johnson ranks second in the SoCon and seventh among all D-I shooters with nearly four three-pointers made per game. Johnson has launched 301 shots beyond the arc, ranking first nationally, and has made 107 three-point field goals, the fifth-most in the country.
 

2026 Ingles Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship
Friday, March 6 (ESPN+/Nexstar)
Game 1 - (8) Chattanooga vs. (9) The Citadel, 5 p.m.
Game 2 - (7) UNCG vs. (10) VMI, 7:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 7 (ESPN+/SCETV)
Game 3 - (1) ETSU vs. Game 1 winner, Noon
Game 4 - (2) Wofford vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 - (3) Samford vs. (6) Furman, 6 p.m.
Game 6 - (4) Mercer vs. (5) Western Carolina, 8:30 p.m.
 
Sunday, March 8 (ESPNU)
Game 7 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 8 - Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.
 
Monday, March 9 (ESPN or ESPN2)
Championship game, 7 p.m.






 
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Players Mentioned

TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

F
6' 7"
Junior

Players Mentioned

TJ Johnson

#44 TJ Johnson

6' 7"
Junior
F