SUNO Earns No. 16 seed, face host No. 1 Oklahoma Wesleyan in NAIA First Round
SUNO Men's Basketball earns the No. 16 seed in the Liston Quadrant and will face No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan in the NAIA Men's Basketball First Round on March 13.
The Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) men's basketball team officially learned its postseason destination Thursday evening during a watch party inside the Arts & Humanities Building Auditorium, where players, coaches, staff, and fans gathered to watch the announcement of the 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament field.
As the brackets were revealed, the Knights discovered they will enter the tournament as the No. 16 seed in the Liston Quadrant and will face No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan in the NAIA Men's Basketball First Round. The matchup is scheduled for Friday, March 13 at 6 p.m., with Oklahoma Wesleyan serving as the First- and Second-Round host site. All SUNO tournament games will be streamed live on Urban Edge Network, with live stats to be released in the coming days. Tickets for the First and Second Round will soon be made available by Oklahoma Wesleyan.
SUNO Men's Basketball pictured with HBCU Athletic Conference Commissioner Kiki Baker Barnes, PhD. (front left) and SUNO Chancellor Joseph Bouie, Jr. (front middle holding trophy).
Reflecting on the Knights' title game win, SUNO Chancellor Joseph Bouie, Jr. stated, "This championship represents the heart, grit, and unity of our student-athletes. To bring this title back to SUNO for the first time since 2012 speaks volumes about the growth of our program and the dedication of our players and coaches. The entire SUNO family celebrates this extraordinary accomplishment."
Also present was Councilman Eugene Green, who presented the team and coaches with a proclamation.
Donte Briggs (left), Devin Daniels (center), and Aumad Hackett (right) stand with their proclamations from Councilman Green.
The moment SUNO's name appeared on the screen sparked cheers throughout the auditorium, marking another milestone for a program that has continued its resurgence under head coach James A. Matthews, III.
"They locked in. We learned how to play with what we have because we're very talented," Matthews said during an interview with WWLTV following the announcement. "It's like putting a puzzle together. Our team was constructed for this national run. We had a boost defensively. We locked in, we rebounded the basketball well, we finished possessions, and we ran our offense. That was important for us. Once we figured that out, our shot selection was better; we saw the results of it. We're looking forward to what we're doing. We started the season 1-7. It's easy from that point to kind of just pack up everything and be like let's just get through the season, but we were intentional with the way we made our schedule this year. I knew we were talented, but we just needed to watch some good teams that had winning traits. We played some tough teams, a lot of the teams we just saw on the board [bracket], which also gives us the confidence. I think it's just a springboard into what we're doing."
The Knights' return to the national stage comes after a remarkable season defined by perseverance and growth. SUNO battled through early adversity, starting the year 1–7, before rallying behind a resilient group of student-athletes that refused to fold.
"This team embodies what we always talk about — resilience," Matthews said. "We started the season 1–7 and a lot of teams would pack it up then, but this team showed the mental toughness, the fortitude and the stick-to-itiveness to stay with it, and this is the byproduct of it. What I'm so excited about is there are so many life lessons learned through the sport of basketball. When things don't go your way, you don't give up — you just fight and continue to go after it, and that's what this team did. We made an incredible run in our conference tournament, and I'm just so proud of these guys."
The Knights' postseason berth marks their eighth appearance in the NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament, and first appearance in 14 years. In their 2012 tournament showing, the Knights defeated Tougaloo to earn the automatic berth. This is a true full-circle moment.
"The only doubt will come from outside our locker room," Matthews continued. "We know how good we are. We know how good we could be. We know when we're playing at our best, we could play with anyone. There's no doubt, but it's not a 'nothing to lose' thing. We feel like we do have something to lose. We're not just happy because we made it. Now that we're in, we're going to compete. That's what makes this team different than my teams in previous years. It is the competitive nature of this group."
The 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament field includes 64 teams, which will begin play in the First Round on March 13 at 16 host sites across the country. First-round winners will advance to the Second Round on March 14, with the surviving teams earning a trip to the historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, where the Round of 16 begins March 19.
The tournament field features 35 automatic qualifiers, determined by conference championships, while the remaining 29 at-large selections were chosen by the NAIA Men's Basketball National Selection Committee. The committee is composed of NAIA men's basketball head coaches and administrators representing five geographic regions: West, Midwest, South, East, and North.
For the Knights, the bracket reveal served as both a celebration and a reminder that the journey continues. Now, SUNO turns its focus to the challenge ahead — a national stage, a top-seeded opponent, and another opportunity to prove just how far resilience can take them.
To request interviews or submit other inquiries, contact SUNO Athletics at
athletics@suno.edu or (504) 514-4683. For University inquiries and interviews with Chancellor Bouie, contact Director of Communications, Darren Smith, Jr. at dsmith01@suno.edu or (504) 617-5458.
About Southern University at New Orleans:
Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), founded in 1956, is a public historically black university committed to providing quality educational opportunities for the diverse populations of the Greater New Orleans region. As part of the Southern University System, SUNO offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for personal and professional success.
About SUNO Athletics:
The Southern University at New Orleans Knights Department of Athletics emphasizes competitive excellence, academic achievement and community engagement. For the full 2025–26 schedule, rosters, and ticket information, visit sunoathletics.com and follow @sunoathletics on social media.
Stay up to date on sunoathletics.com and on social media.
Facebook/Instagram/X: @sunoathletics
VB IG: @sunoknightsvolleyball
WBB IG: @sunoknightswbb
MBB IG: @sunoknightsmbb
Baseball IG: @sunoknightsbaseball
Baseball X: @sunobsb