The Gulf South Conference (GSC) men's basketball season is entering a new era, and the defending tournament champions won't be around to defend their crown.
West Florida captured the 2026 GSC Men's Basketball Tournament title before departing for NCAA Division I. Now, 11 men's programs are gearing up for the 2026-27 season, with West Alabama defending its regular-season crown and Alabama Huntsville chasing another deep NCAA Tournament run.
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The 2026-27 GSC men's basketball season tips off Nov. 13, with conference play beginning in early December. From returning award winners to a championship race blown wide open by the Argonauts' departure, here are five things to know about GSC men's basketball before opening night.
1. West Alabama Is The Team Everyone Wants To Knock Off
West Alabama dominated the 2025-26 GSC regular season, finishing 19-3 in conference play and earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The Tigers' numbers last season:
- 24-4: Regular-season record
- 64.1: Points allowed per game
- +14.3: Average scoring margin
- 9.7: Turnovers per game
Head coach Nick Woodruff earned his third GSC Coach of the Year award in five seasons, while guard BJ Brown Jr. received Third Team All-GSC honors.
But the Tigers didn't finish with both conference trophies. West Florida defeated them 76-69 in the tournament championship game.
Brown is back for his senior season after averaging 11.7 points, 5.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game in 2025-26. With an experienced point guard running the offense, West Alabama has an opportunity to defend its regular-season title and make another run at the tournament crown.
2. The Defending Champions Have Left The Building
West Florida won the 2026 GSC Tournament, but the Argonauts won't be defending their title.
After defeating West Alabama in the championship game, West Florida moved to NCAA Division I and joined the ASUN Conference for the 2026-27 athletic season.
The Argonauts' championship run featured 21 points from Aric Demings in the final, earning him tournament Most Outstanding Player honors before the program made the move to Division I.
Their departure leaves the GSC with 11 men's basketball programs and guarantees a different tournament champion in 2027.
West Alabama, Montevallo and UAH are among the returning programs looking to seize that opportunity.
3. Alabama Huntsville Has Unfinished Business
UAH has been knocking on the door of a major NCAA Division II breakthrough.
The Chargers reached the South Regional championship game in both 2025 and 2026, establishing themselves as one of the region's most consistent postseason contenders.
UAH was one of four GSC men's teams selected for the 2026 NCAA Division II Tournament, joining West Alabama, Montevallo and West Florida.
UAH's opening weekend in 2026-27:
- Nov. 13: vs. Barry
- Nov. 14: vs. Nova Southeastern
Those are two significant early tests against South Region heavyweights for a program hoping to turn its recent postseason success into an even deeper national tournament run.
4. Meet The GSC's Returning Stars
The GSC lost some notable talent after last season, but several familiar names are back for 2026-27.
Fred Bailey, Trevecca Nazarene
The reigning GSC Freshman of the Year is back for his sophomore season after averaging:
- 13.8 points per game
- 6.7 rebounds per game
- 4.9 assists per game
Bailey started all 28 games last season, earned Third Team All-GSC honors and became the first Trevecca player to win a GSC major season award.
BJ Brown Jr., West Alabama
Brown returns for his senior season after earning Third Team All-GSC honors in 2025-26. The point guard led the conference in assists and delivered 26 points and seven assists in West Alabama's conference tournament semifinal victory over UAH.
Jax Abernathy, Alabama Huntsville
Abernathy joins UAH after earning Third Team All-GSC honors as a freshman at Trevecca Nazarene. He averaged 16.7 points per game last season and produced 11 games with at least 20 points.
His arrival gives the Chargers another proven GSC scorer as they pursue a third consecutive trip to the South Regional championship game.
5. Eleven Teams, Eight Tournament Tickets
The GSC's new 11-team format gives every conference matchup added importance.
Each team will play a 20-game double-round-robin schedule, facing every conference opponent once at home and once on the road.
Important 2026-27 GSC basketball dates:
- Nov. 3: Men's GSC Basketball Tipoff media event
- Nov. 13: Regular season begins
- Early December: Conference play begins
- Feb. 26: Conference regular season concludes
- March 1: GSC Tournament quarterfinals
- March 4: GSC Tournament semifinals
- March 7: GSC championship game
Only the top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament, with the higher seed hosting each round.
That means three programs will miss the conference tournament entirely.
For the remaining eight, the road to a GSC championship will run through three elimination games.
How Can I Watch GSC Men's Basketball In 2026-27?
FloCollege is the streaming home of Gulf South Conference basketball.
Fans can watch GSC men's basketball regular-season and tournament games live and on demand through FloCollege and the FloSports app.
The platform will stream more than 250 combined men's and women's GSC basketball games during the 2026-27 season.
Sign Up To Watch GSC Basketball On FloCollege
Where Can I Find GSC Basketball Replays?
For live broadcasts, replays and additional coverage, visit Gulf South Men's Basketball on FloHoops.
When Is The 2027 GSC Men's Basketball Tournament?
The 2027 Gulf South Conference Men's Basketball Championship begins March 1 with quarterfinal games, followed by the semifinals March 4 and the championship game March 7.
The top eight teams qualify, with the higher seed hosting each matchup.
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