Arkansas State Tops Sun Belt Preseason Poll
Head coaches picked the Red Wolves to win the conference, with Layne Taylor and Tameron Ferguson named to the preseason All-Sun Belt second team.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Basketball
Arkansas State men's basketball was named the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference in a poll of league head coaches. The Red Wolves open the season Monday night, hosting Toledo, after finishing 2025-26 with a 20-12 record.
Why it matters
The preseason ranking signals that the program's rebuilt roster, which returns only one player from last season, is viewed as the conference's top team. Its new guards will carry much of the expected offensive load in Jonesboro.
The poll reflects the coaches' expectations rather than game results, and Arkansas State returns just one player, guard Royal Blue Smith, from its 2025-26 roster. Layne Taylor averaged 8 points and 3.2 assists per game at Murray State and 17.4 points, 3.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds at Central Arkansas, while Tameron Ferguson averaged more than 20 points and six assists per game at Augustana (S.D.).
The players
Ryan Pannone
Pannone is the head coach of Arkansas State men's basketball, known for recruiting players from across the country and abroad.
Layne Taylor
Taylor is a guard who transferred to Arkansas State after previous stops at Central Arkansas and Murray State, and was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt second team.
Tameron Ferguson
Ferguson is a guard who transferred from Division II Augustana (S.D.), where he was the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year and the only Division II player to average more than 20 points and six assists per game last season.
The details
Coach Ryan Pannone has recruited players from across the country and abroad, and the roster includes players from seven states and five countries. Taylor re-entered the transfer portal a second time after an initial failed recruitment during the first portal window. The team is expected to play a fast, uptempo, ball-movement style with Smith, Taylor and Ferguson as the featured guards.
Timeline
Nov. 6: Arkansas State plays a road game at Alabama.
Monday night: Arkansas State opens the season hosting Toledo.
Nov. 25: Arkansas State plays a road game at Florida International.
Season Trajectory
Arkansas State follows a 20-12 finish in 2025-26 with a preseason favorite designation despite returning only one player from that roster. The ranking places the Red Wolves' transfer-built rotation at the top of a Sun Belt field in the coaches' view.
Fantasy and bracket players tracking Arkansas State will see Taylor and Ferguson as the primary guard options, with ten of 13 nonconference games at home. The schedule makes early-season attendance in Jonesboro the most accessible way to watch the new roster.
The takeaway
A preseason favorite designation reflects coaches' expectations for a rebuilt roster, so the first home games against Toledo will show how quickly the transfer guards fit together.
What happens next
Arkansas State opens the season Monday night hosting Toledo, followed by a Nov. 6 road game at Alabama and a Nov. 25 road game at Florida International.
Further reading
For more on the program's rebuilt roster, see Basketball coverage across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
