Southern won the Southwestern Conference regular season last year, but came up short in the conference tournament. Grambling, Alcorn State, and Prairie View had each had their runs at the top in previous seasons. Is this the year that the traditional SWAC powers get back to the top, or is there another team ready to make a move? We’ve got the answer and one play that you’ll need to make before the season tips off.
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2025-26 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Basketball Champion Best Bet
Bethune Cookman to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference
Reggie Theus is entering his fifth season with Bethune-Cookman. He finished 10th in his first year but has improved every year. In year two? Bethune-Cookman finished seventh. Theus finished fifth in his third year and in third place last year. He’s got his program trending in the right direction, and this is the season he breaks through to the top.
Bethune-Cookman returns three starters from last year’s team that finished third in the SWAC. Forward Daniel Rouzan made the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference team last year. He’s back to add rebounding and interior bulk to the Wildcats’ starting lineup. Rouzan will likely pair with returning big man David Onanina. Also, senior guard Seneca Willoughby comes back to run the point. Willoughby doesn’t light up the scoreboard, but he does a lot of little things and can distribute.
The biggest get for Bethune-Cookman through the transfer portal was graduate transfer Doctor Bradley. Bradley comes in from Arkansas-Pine Bluff and was an absolute hooper last year. He averaged 19.6 points, 9.5 boards, and 4.5 assists per game in 18 starts last year. Bradley should figure into the Wildcats’ starting five.
Senior guard Jakobi Heady transferred back to Bethune-Cookman after a season with Central Michigan. He’ll be joined by his brother, Quentin. Forward Quentin Heady also played with Central Michigan last year. The Heady brothers should be key cogs in Bethune-Cookman’s rotation.
The rest of Bethune-Cookman’s roster is filled out by returning underclassmen and a couple of JUCO transfers. The Wildcats only have one true freshman on the roster. Given their depth, it’s unlikely that freshman Dailon Minor gets very many minutes this year.
On talent alone, the Wildcats are in a great position to contend for the SWAC regular season title. They have guys that can score, big men that can rebound, and a few other pieces that can fit in between them. This is the best roster that Reggie Theus has put together in his time at Bethune-Cookman, and the program has made progress every year he’s been at the helm. Expect the Wildcats to win the SWAC regular season this year.
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