VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State men's basketball team is one of ten teams currently under consideration in the first NCAA South Region rankings, which were released Wednesday afternoon.  
 
There will be two more public rankings each of the next two Wednesdays prior to the 2026 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Selection Show set for Sunday, Mar. 8, 2026, at a time to be determined most likely in the evening.  
 
In alphabetical order, the teams under consideration in the initial ranking include; Alabama Huntsville (UAH), Florida Southern, Montevallo, Nova Southeastern, Palm Beach Atlantic, Trevecca Nazarene, Tuskegee, West Alabama and West Florida.  
 
The NCAA Division II men's basketball regional will be contested at likely the top site in the region when the selection show is announced on Mar. 8.  The regional dates are set for Mar. 14, Mar. 15 and Mar. 17, while the Elite Eight and National Semifinal Rounds are set for Mar. 25 and Mar. 27, respectively, in Pittsburgh, Pa.  The NCAA Division II National Championship Game is set for Apr. 5 in Indianapolis, Ind., in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Men's Final Four.
 
The Blazers, who finished 25-7 a season ago and qualified for the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2021, are 8-13 in 14 trips to the NCAA postseason in program history.  VSU qualified in 2020 for the NCAA postseason, before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Head coach Mike Helfer has guided the Blazers to nine appearances in the NCAA postseason, including an Elite Eight berth in 2010.  
 
VSU (16-8, 11-7 GSC) returns home to host Christian Brothers on Thursday at 8 p.m. at The Complex for the Play4Kay/Pink Out Game and then closes the 2025-26 home regular season slate on Saturday at 4 p.m. versus Union for Senior Day.