Southern Miss men’s basketball guard Isaac Taveras has been named Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year by the league’s coaches.
The results of the annual poll from the league’s 14 coaches were released Monday with the senior from the Dominican Republican earning not only the top individual honor but also landing on the preseason All-Sun Belt first team.
In 2025-26, Taveras averaged 15.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 22 games. He ended the season with his best performance – 36 points, nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists – in a loss to Troy in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals.
While the league’s coaches were high on Taveras, they weren’t as high on this year’s Southern Miss team as a whole. No other Golden Eagles earned preseason All-Sun Belt honors, and the group was picked to finish seventh.
Arkansas State was chosen to win the regular season crown, followed by James Madison, Troy, South Alabama, Marshall, and Louisiana
Southern Miss, which went 19-16 a year ago, will tip off the 2026-27 season at home against Tougaloo on Nov. 2.