2026–27 Southland Top 10 Players: Larry Johnson Leads MMH's Preseason List
2026-10-23
The Southland's best player and its most interesting newcomers do not require the same kind of projection. Larry Johnson has already demonstrated that he can score against this league. Other candidates arrive with smaller high-major roles or substantial production at a different level. This list weighs demonstrated skill, expected responsibility and fit with the current roster. It is an independent MMH preseason ranking, not a reproduction of an official all-conference ballot.
Every statistical line below describes actual 2025–26 production at the named school and level. It is not a prediction of a player's 2026–27 averages. A productive Division II season receives a different degree of certainty from a comparable Division I résumé.
1. Larry Johnson — McNeese
2025–26: McNeese, NCAA Division I — 34 games, 17.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.4 APG.
Johnson is the strongest combination of established performance and projected responsibility in the conference. He can attack the paint, finish through traffic and score without depending entirely on a perimeter jumper. McNeese's new guards and frontcourt options should give opponents more actions to defend around him, while his familiarity with Bill Armstrong's program reduces the uncertainty attached to an otherwise changing roster.
The next step is making the offense better when defenses load toward him. That does not require Johnson to become a different player; it requires quicker reads and dependable help from the surrounding guards. He starts first because his leading-scorer role is supported by a full season of high-level Southland production. Official biography · Final statistics
2. Corey Chest — McNeese
2025–26: Ole Miss, NCAA Division I — 34 games, 2.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.6 APG in 13.0 MPG.
Chest ranks this high because of how his skills fit the Cowboys, rather than because of a large prior scoring average. Rebounding, mobile defense and finishing can create value without taking possessions away from Johnson. He can help McNeese complete defensive stops and generate opportunities before the opposing defense is set.
There is projection in moving a player from a limited SEC role to a potential conference standout. Chest must handle a larger workload and remain productive when opponents make him finish in traffic. Still, his physical tools and the opportunity to play beside an established scorer create one of the clearest newcomer paths to a major impact. McNeese roster and biography links · Ole Miss final statistics
3. Sebastian Robinson — Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
2025–26: NJIT, NCAA Division I — 30 games, 14.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG.
Robinson gives the Islanders an established shot creator, especially when a possession reaches its second or third action. His ability to score in the midrange can be valuable against opponents who protect the rim and make perimeter players create a shot rather than simply catch one. Corpus Christi has enough other options that he should not have to solve every possession alone.
The fit with Jordan Mizell and the frontcourt is central to the selection. Robinson can spend more time attacking as a scorer when another guard starts the offense and the interior players occupy help defenders. He is one of the league's safer projected scoring leaders because he arrives with substantial, recent Division I responsibility. Current official biography · NJIT final statistics
4. Quante Berry — Lamar
2025–26: Memphis, NCAA Division I — 30 games, 6.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.2 APG in 18.2 MPG.
Berry's opportunity is larger than his previous scoring average. Lamar needs a perimeter player who can create offense while also taking difficult defensive assignments, and his length and experience fit that job. Niccolo Moretti's passing and Filip Radakovic's secondary creation should help Berry find chances without turning every possession into an isolation.
We are projecting growth in responsibility, not substituting a more productive older season for his Memphis numbers. The question is whether he can deliver efficient offense consistently while playing in Jordan Fee's demanding pressure system. His projected two-way role gives him a higher ceiling than a straight comparison of last year's points per game would suggest. Official roster · Memphis final statistics
5. MJ Russell — Stephen F. Austin
2025–26: ULM, NCAA Division I — 32 games, 15.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG.
Russell gives SFA a proven scorer as it replaces the previous starting group's production. His athleticism can help on the defensive end and in transition, but his most important job is providing a dependable scoring threat alongside the new lead guards. A player who has already managed a major Division I workload can shorten the adjustment period for a changing lineup.
He does not need to reproduce every part of his ULM role. SFA has shooting from Narit Chotikavanic, passing from several frontcourt combinations and alternative guard options. Russell makes this list because the Jacks have a specific need for his demonstrated scoring, with enough support to let him play to that strength. Current roster · ULM final statistics
6. Mekhi Conner — Incarnate Word
2025–26: Sacred Heart, NCAA Division I — 31 games, 7.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 6.3 APG.
Conner's passing is a tangible organizing strength for a team with numerous new pieces. He can draw a second defender, identify a cutter and deliver the ball where a teammate can use it. Those skills should help UIW convert a collection of scoring possibilities into something more coherent.
His ranking is not an endorsement of every uncertainty surrounding the Cardinals. The offense still depends on shooting, health and how newcomers from other levels adjust. Conner nevertheless has a credible route to being one of the conference's most influential players because he improves the quality of the opportunities around him. Sacred Heart spells his surname Conner; UIW's roster currently uses Connor. These refer to the same player. Official Sacred Heart biography · Final statistics
7. Narit Chotikavanic — Stephen F. Austin
2025–26: Stephen F. Austin, NCAA Division I — 34 games, 9.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.6 APG.
Chotikavanic made 87 threes at a 39.4 percent rate and gives SFA a returning skill that travels across lineup changes. Defenses must account for him away from the ball, creating room for guards to penetrate and bigs to finish. His value is not limited to the possessions on which he takes the shot.
Our rotation keeps him as the first scoring guard off the bench and a major closing-lineup candidate. That label does not imply a small role. On a roster with several new perimeter players, the ability to maintain spacing and make quick decisions can earn him important minutes regardless of who starts. Official roster · Final statistics
8. Niccolo “Nico” Moretti — Lamar
2025–26: Florida Atlantic, NCAA Division I — 33 games, 5.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 3.3 APG.
Moretti's influence could exceed his scoring total. Lamar's new roster needs someone who can control the tempo of a possession, find the next pass and keep aggressive basketball from becoming hurried basketball. His familiarity with Fee from Florida Atlantic should help the Cardinals establish that balance.
He also makes the other projected starters easier to use. Berry can attack as a scorer, Hinker can move into pick-and-pop opportunities, and Radakovic can create against a defense that has already shifted. Moretti's place reflects a specific, consequential role: making an ambitious new lineup function together. Official Lamar biography · Florida Atlantic final statistics
9. Izzy Miles — Northwestern State
2025–26: Northwestern State, NCAA Division I — 32 games, 10.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.3 APG.
Miles anchors our optimism about Northwestern State because his contribution is already established within the league. He can defend a difficult perimeter matchup and provide credible shooting, allowing Rick Cabrera to introduce new creators without rebuilding every part of the backcourt at once.
The additions of Kai Simpson and Nathan Ojukwu could reduce the number of possessions Miles must rescue late in the clock. If that happens, he can concentrate on taking good shots and setting a defensive standard. The Demons' leap is not guaranteed, but Miles gives that projection a firmer base than the newcomers' raw scoring averages alone would provide. Official roster · Final statistics
10. Dan Mukuna — Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
2025–26: Fort Hays State, NCAA Division II — 29 games, 17.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.0 APG.
Mukuna earns the final place because his combination of frontcourt scoring and rebounding addresses a meaningful part of Corpus Christi's roster. He can offer more than a stationary finishing target, giving the Islanders options to use him inside and outside while their guards attack.
The Division II-to-Division I transition makes this a less certain selection than several above it. His prior production should not be copied into a Southland forecast, and he must show that his finishing and rebounding hold up against greater size and speed. The fit alongside Robinson, Mizell and Basil is compelling enough to make him our final choice, with the competition level clearly attached to the case. Current official biography · Fort Hays State final statistics
The players just outside
Nick Jones and Kahlil Singleton give LSU New Orleans two strong alternatives to this list. Kai Simpson and Nathan Ojukwu could force their way into the conversation if their lower-division production translates quickly at Northwestern State. UTRGV's Jace Posey has an attractive opportunity for a larger role, while Southeastern's Quincy Allen has significant upside if available consistently. These are preseason judgments, and demonstrated performance should change the order once the season begins.
Research note: All ten selections are included in the separate 120-player rotation dataset. Detailed recruiting histories, availability notes and source conflicts are recorded there. Corpus Christi's existing MMH standings link displayed “Team not found” during verification, so its team name remains unlinked here.