UAC
Nine Teams, No Heir
Ty Robinson gives Central Arkansas a two-way centerpiece, and Aaron Clark supplies Little Rock the proven scoring its rebuild demands. Their ability to create without weakening the defense sets the top of the race.
The cover line
Tarleton State can protect the rim around Caleb Blackwell, while Austin Peay pairs Zyree Collins with Rashaud Marshall's interior finishing. Those contrasting answers make the chase less about star power than which contender can hide its thinnest lineup.
Projected champion
Central Ark.
The team to beat on our official board
Dark horse
Eastern Ky.
The team most likely to break the bracket
Projected NCAA bids
1
A deep one-bid league with several guards capable of testing a first-round favorite.
Chaos rating
95 / 100
How likely the board is to get weird
The quick read
Conference superlatives
The opening tip
United by Name, Divided by Design
The UAC should play through aggressive guards, compact switching groups and center-by-committee rotations, making shooting at the four and defensive rebounding unusually valuable separators.
The UAC starts basketball life with a blank banner and nine programs arriving from three different league maps. There is no defending UAC champion and no useful shortcut for sorting the favorite from the field. The first race comes down to a clean argument: can an established partnership carry a new league, or will one of the assembled contenders learn quickly enough to claim the name for itself? Central Arkansas owns the best answer today. Ty Robinson returns from the group that shared the ASUN regular season title after averaging 14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. Luke Moore supplied 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals as a freshman. Their reads are already built in. Camren Hunter's 21 point average has left, which turns Tucker Anderson's shooting into a structural piece. He can clear the lane for Robinson and let Moore feed several finishers. John Shulman's bet is that five connected players can divide Hunter's enormous job. Tarleton and Little Rock attack that bet from opposite benches. New Tarleton coach Eric Haut assembled seven transfers and gave them sharply defined jobs. Caleb Blackwell can create, Franck Emmou made 42.0 percent of his threes, and JaVar Daniel blocked 48 shots at West Georgia. Travis Ford's Little Rock rebuild bets on creators. Aaron Clark scored 15.3 per game at Pepperdine, while Jah'Likai King adds another 14.0 points per game. Austin Peay sits between continuity and overhaul. ASUN Freshman of the Year Zyree Collins still starts possessions, and Rashaud Marshall still finishes them at 65.6 percent, but Collin Parker's departure leaves three lineup spots to solve. Everyone else can bend the race through matchups. Eastern Kentucky can stretch help with 43.3 percent shooter Jackson Holt and protect the rim with Shadrak Lasu. North Alabama can pair versatile forward Drey Carter with rebounding guard Mike Evbagharu. UT Arlington can make the lane feel crowded around Tycen McDaniels and two seven footers. West Georgia and Abilene Christian can defend well enough to make a favorite uncomfortable, although both still need a dependable scorer. The first UAC crown will belong to the contender whose roster construction becomes real five man chemistry first.
The defining storylineCan Little Rock's proven scorers create a top-tier offense before its rebuilt interior defense becomes dependable?
Official projection + model comparison
The big board
See how every team stacks up through projected records, finish ranges, and the model’s view of the race.
Ranking machine · comparison at a glance
Editorial board vs. model
Teams are ordered by the official Shooty Hoops editorial rank.
- 1Central Ark.The reigning ASUN regular-season champion enters its new league first, with a proven system and only one consequential role still open.Conf / overall12-4 / 19-11TierFavoriteCeiling / floor1–3Boards agree · #11Official rankCentral Ark.The reigning ASUN regular-season champion enters its new league first, with a proven system and only one consequential role still open.Boards agree · #1Conf / overall12-4 / 19-11TierFavoriteRange1–3
- 2Tarleton St.A new coach, ten newcomers and four returners make Tarleton the UAC's fastest experiment, with a second-place ceiling tied to immediate clarity.Conf / overall11-5 / 18-12TierContenderCeiling / floor1–5Boards agree · #22Official rankTarleton St.A new coach, ten newcomers and four returners make Tarleton the UAC's fastest experiment, with a second-place ceiling tied to immediate clarity.Boards agree · #2Conf / overall11-5 / 18-12TierContenderRange1–5
- 3Little RockFord's first roster can score from three levels, but third place depends on whether Lacey makes an almost total reconstruction function as a team.Conf / overall10-6 / 17-13TierContenderCeiling / floor1–61 spot higher than published model · #43Official rankLittle RockFord's first roster can score from three levels, but third place depends on whether Lacey makes an almost total reconstruction function as a team.1 spot higher than published model · #4Conf / overall10-6 / 17-13TierContenderRange1–6
- 4Austin PeayThe defending co-champion brings the league's best point-center partnership into a fourth-place forecast shaped almost entirely by untested perimeter depth.Conf / overall9-7 / 16-14TierContenderCeiling / floor2–71 spot lower than published model · #34Official rankAustin PeayThe defending co-champion brings the league's best point-center partnership into a fourth-place forecast shaped almost entirely by untested perimeter depth.1 spot lower than published model · #3Conf / overall9-7 / 16-14TierContenderRange2–7
- 5Eastern Ky.Fifth is a conservative starting point for Hamilton's longest roster, which finally gives his frantic pace a chance to survive defensive possessions.Conf / overall8-8 / 15-15TierDangerous MiddleCeiling / floor3–81 spot higher than published model · #65Official rankEastern Ky.Fifth is a conservative starting point for Hamilton's longest roster, which finally gives his frantic pace a chance to survive defensive possessions.1 spot higher than published model · #6Conf / overall8-8 / 15-15TierDangerous MiddleRange3–8
- 6North Ala.Sixth reflects an offense without an established closer, while Pujol's oversized roster can drag contenders into uncomfortable possession games.Conf / overall7-9 / 14-16TierDangerous MiddleCeiling / floor3–81 spot lower than published model · #56Official rankNorth Ala.Sixth reflects an offense without an established closer, while Pujol's oversized roster can drag contenders into uncomfortable possession games.1 spot lower than published model · #5Conf / overall7-9 / 14-16TierDangerous MiddleRange3–8
- 7UTASeventh feels cautious for a roster with four playable bigs, yet UTA enters every close game searching for a proven decision-maker.Conf / overall6-10 / 12-18TierDangerous MiddleCeiling / floor4–9Boards agree · #77Official rankUTASeventh feels cautious for a roster with four playable bigs, yet UTA enters every close game searching for a proven decision-maker.Boards agree · #7Conf / overall6-10 / 12-18TierDangerous MiddleRange4–9
- 8West Ga.Kenneth Chime gives the Wolves a defensive backbone, while Chas Lewless must turn a ten-game glimpse into a sustainable lead-guard season.Conf / overall5-11 / 11-19TierLong ShotCeiling / floor5–91 spot higher than published model · #98Official rankWest Ga.Kenneth Chime gives the Wolves a defensive backbone, while Chas Lewless must turn a ten-game glimpse into a sustainable lead-guard season.1 spot higher than published model · #9Conf / overall5-11 / 11-19TierLong ShotRange5–9
- 9Abilene Chr.Tanner retained two defensive organizers but lost every high-usage creator, leaving ACU's standings fate to a young, international supporting cast.Conf / overall4-12 / 9-21TierLong ShotCeiling / floor6–91 spot lower than published model · #89Official rankAbilene Chr.Tanner retained two defensive organizers but lost every high-usage creator, leaving ACU's standings fate to a young, international supporting cast.1 spot lower than published model · #8Conf / overall4-12 / 9-21TierLong ShotRange6–9
The interactive scouting room
Team-by-team preview
Move across the conference one program at a time. Open projected rotations, meet the players, and inspect the identity and postseason case behind every ranking.
2026-27 team preview · official rank 1
Central Ark.
Conference
12-4
Overall
19-11
Finish window
1–3
Confidence
78%
Official order · choose a team file
Projected rotation · Published roster depth chart
10 of 10 primary spots filled
Five on the floor
The All-Conference court
Explore all three projected teams. Select a player for the spotlight, then choose Open Player Card for their full profile.
The basket is on the upper baseline. Guards are positioned around the lower three-point perimeter, while forwards and centers are positioned in the upper lane and around the rim.
The hardware
The awards race
Browse every projected award race. See the current favorite, the strongest challengers, and the case for each pick.
The projected podium
Player of the Year
Why this pick leads
Robinson owns the best two-way perimeter case and leads the projected favorite, but Marshall's interior efficiency and Clark's scoring volume keep the race contested.
How strongly the current projection favors this pick. These are not betting odds.
Beyond the main ballot
The extra pages
Meet the players outside our All-Conference and award picks who could still shape the race, then explore breakout candidates and bold predictions.
Five players who can tilt the order
Race Shapers
Possessions That Move the Race
None made an all-league or award ballot, but each controls a pressure point that could reshape the standings.
Harry Beauchamp
Central Ark.G · SoBench spacing
Harry Beauchamp Changes the Geometry
Beauchamp made 42.9 percent of his threes last season. If that survives greater defensive attention, Central Arkansas can preserve spacing when its starters rest.
72% confident
Chas Lewless
West Ga.G · R-SoPrimary creator
Chas Lewless Gets the Keys
Lewless averaged 12.8 points and 2.9 assists before his season ended after ten games. West Georgia now needs that production over a full schedule.
66% confident
Terrion Burgess
Little RockF · SoTwo-way expansion
Terrion Burgess Stretches the Four
Burgess shot efficiently in a six-game sample. Little Rock needs his size and spacing to connect a guard-rich lineup to its rebuilt centers.
70% confident
Braylon Patton
North Ala.G · SoTempo lever
Braylon Patton Pushes North Alabama
Patton's speed can diversify a lineup otherwise built around bigger, physical newcomers, provided his 25.7-percent three-point mark improves.
63% confident
Cade Hornecker
Abilene Chr.F · R-SrFrontcourt ballast
Cade Hornecker Holds the Paint
Hornecker's rebounding and positional size must stabilize a young ACU rotation after the Wildcats lost their primary scorers and creators.
70% confident
Five growth bets
Breakout Team
The Next Role Is Larger
Each candidate owns a credible baseline and a specific route to more minutes, touches or defensive responsibility.
Luke Moore
Central Ark.G · SoBigger scoring role
Luke Moore Adds the Finish
Moore already averaged 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals. Average shooting at the rim would turn a useful organizer into a complete lead guard.
77% confident
Cole McCormick
Central Ark.G · JrVolume meets efficiency
Cole McCormick Claims More Possessions
McCormick scored 9.1 points on 60.1-percent true shooting. More touches could replace part of Camren Hunter's lost creation without damaging efficiency.
75% confident
Kenneth Chime
West Ga.F · R-SoStarter minutes
Kenneth Chime Scales the Defense
Chime's 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks came in only 20.3 minutes. A larger workload could make him the league's most productive defensive big.
69% confident
Leroy Kelly IV
Tarleton St.G · SoPoint-of-attack heat
Leroy Kelly IV Sets the Temperature
Kelly averaged 2.0 steals in 22 games. His pressure can make Tarleton's deep transfer rotation easier to organize.
73% confident
Taj Walters
Little RockG · SoSecond-unit force
Taj Walters Wins the Middle Minutes
Walters brings 8.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 38.3-percent three-point shooting to a bench that needs stable two-way possessions.
68% confident
Three testable calls
Bold Predictions
Lean Into the Variance
The UAC's rebuilt rosters make room for a few outcomes that are aggressive without being fanciful.
Peay day in March
Peay Day Comes in March
Zyree Collins and Rashaud Marshall turn the league's best inside-out partnership into a UAC tournament title, sending the fourth-place Governors to the NCAA tournament.
Confidence · 56%
Ford finds another gear
Little Rock Rises Above the Crowd
Aaron Clark and Jah'likai King give Travis Ford two late-clock answers, lifting the Trojans from third in this projection to the top of a crowded UAC regular-season race.
Confidence · 57%
No breathing room
Five Teams Enter the Final Weekend Alive
Central Arkansas, Tarleton, Little Rock, Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky remain within two games of first, leaving the regular-season crown unsettled until the final night.
Confidence · 64%
Your turn on the record
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Build your own board
Rank the league, draw your tiers, name fifteen All-Conference players, and hand out the hardware. Your draft stays on this device until you choose to publish it. You can return to the same link to edit and resubmit later.
Checking for a local draft
The crowd's ballot
Community consensus
See where completed fan ballots agree, where opinions split, and how the community compares with Shooty Hoops and your own picks.
Counting the room
Building the current community board…