MORROW, Ga. — Savannah State University men's basketball officially turned its attention toward the 2026-27 season as the Tigers participated in the Georgia Power SIAC Basketball Media Day at the Morrow Center.
Head Coach Clevan Thompson was joined by guard
Zion Davis and forward
Kelvin Cochran as Savannah State's representatives at the annual event, which brought together coaches and student-athletes from across the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to preview the upcoming season.
The Tigers enter the new campaign looking to build on Thompson's first full season at the helm. Savannah State finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 16-12 overall record and a 15-9 mark in conference play, earning the No. 3 seed from the SIAC East Division for the conference tournament.
Savannah State was selected to finish sixth in the SIAC's 2026-27 predicted order of finish, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Morehouse was selected first, followed by Clark Atlanta, Tuskegee, Miles and Edward Waters, with Savannah State rounding out the top six.
The Tigers also placed three student-athletes on the 2026-27 Preseason All-SIAC Third Team, with
Zyere Edwards,
James Leach and Davis each earning preseason recognition.
Edwards returns after finishing as Savannah State's second-leading scorer during the 2025-26 season. The Savannah native appeared in all 28 games and averaged 10.5 points, 2.0 steals and 1.9 assists per game. Edwards finished the year with 295 points and a team-high 57 steals while shooting 73.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Davis, one of Savannah State's representatives at Media Day, started 19 of the 26 games in which he appeared last season. The Dublin, Ga., native averaged 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, finishing the year with 235 points and 77 rebounds. Davis connected on 35.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range and collected 29 steals.
Leach provided a strong presence in the frontcourt for the Tigers last season, starting 25 of 28 games. The Savannah native averaged 7.0 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game, pulling down 181 rebounds, including 74 on the offensive glass. Leach was also one of Savannah State's most efficient offensive players, connecting on 65.1 percent of his field-goal attempts. Defensively, he led the Tigers with 40 blocked shots.
Together, the three preseason selections accounted for 726 points, 295 rebounds and 126 steals during the 2025-26 campaign.
Cochran joined Davis at Media Day after appearing in 27 games for the Tigers last season. The Bainbridge, Ga., native shot 55 percent from the floor and contributed 63 points and 41 rebounds while providing depth in the Savannah State front court.
With three Preseason All-SIAC selections and an experienced group returning, the Tigers now shift their attention toward preparations for the 2026-27 season.
Savannah State will look to continue building under Thompson as the Tigers prepare for another run through the SIAC.
The SIAC preseason teams and predicted order of finish were selected by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
| FIRST TEAM |
| NAME |
POSITION |
SCHOOL |
CLASS |
HOMETOWN |
| Khalil Genwright* |
Guard |
Tuskegee |
Sr. |
Wilmington, N.C. |
| Sincere Moore* |
Guard |
Morehouse |
Sr. |
Chesterfield, Va. |
| Cameron Evans |
Guard |
Albany State |
Sr. |
Americus, Ga. |
| Brandon Peters |
Guard |
Morehouse |
Jr. |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| Christopher McKnight |
Guard |
Allen |
Sr. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
| – * RETURNING 2025-26 ALL-SIAC SELECTION |
| SECOND TEAM |
| NAME |
POSITION |
SCHOOL |
CLASS |
HOMETOWN |
| Anthony Wright |
Forward |
Tuskegee |
Sr. |
Decatur, Ill. |
| Tavaris Bell |
Guard |
Allen |
So. |
Columbia, S.C. |
| Terin Wofford |
Guard |
Kentucky State |
Sr. |
Decatur, Ga. |
| Sean Paige |
Center |
Kentucky State |
Sr. |
Maywood, Ill. |
| Gerrard Living |
Forward |
LeMoyne-Owen |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas |
| THIRD TEAM |
| NAME |
POSITION |
SCHOOL |
CLASS |
HOMETOWN |
| Zyere Edwards |
Point Guard |
Savannah State |
Sr. |
Savannah, Ga. |
| Malachi Chavis |
Guard |
Benedict |
Jr. |
Huntsville, Ala. |
| James Leach |
Forward |
Savannah State |
Sr. |
Savannah, Ga. |
| Jayvon Johnson |
Guard |
Edward Waters |
So. |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| Zion Davis |
Guard |
Savannah State |
Sr. |
Dublin, Ga. |
| PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| NAME |
POSITION |
SCHOOL |
CLASS |
HOMETOWN |
| Khalil Genwright |
Guard |
Tuskegee |
Sr. |
Wilmington, N.C. |
| PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| NAME |
POSITION |
SCHOOL |
CLASS |
HOMETOWN |
| Anthony Wright |
Forward |
Tuskegee |
Sr. |
Decatur, Ill. |
| 2026-27 SIAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH |
| 1. Morehouse |
| 2. Clark Atlanta |
| 3. Tuskegee |
| 4. Miles |
| 5. Edward Waters |
| 6. Savannah State |
| 7. Albany State |
| 8. Benedict |
| 9. LeMoyne-Owen |
| 10. Central State |
| 11. Fort Valley State |
| 12. Allen |
| 13. Lane |
| 14. Kentucky State |
| 15. Spring Hill |
Watch The Men's Basketball Media Day Interview
HERE.
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