Millsaps men’s basketball looks to build on 15-win season
Millsaps College will open its 2026-27 men’s basketball season with eight returning players and six newcomers after a 15-11 campaign, the program’s most wins since 2019-20. The Majors are scheduled to begin Nov. 7 against Eureka College at the Rhodes College Classic in Memphis, followed by a Nov. 8 game against Austin College.
Second-year coach Connor Kuykendall will lead the team with assistant coach Griffin Levine. The roster includes three junior college transfers: Trevor Clayton from Meridian Community College, Caleb Hunt from Jones College and Kori Taylor from Mississippi Delta Community College. Freshmen Jordan Smith, Devin Petersen, Davis Joyner, Ky Oscar and Brady Karp also join the team, along with redshirt Mac Burch.
Senior forward Jaxon Toney returns after averaging 12.4 points and collecting 178 rebounds last season. He recorded 42 blocks and 20 steals, finishing third in the conference in blocks and sixth in total rebounds. Toney started 18 of the 26 games in which he appeared, according to the season preview.
Senior guard Davion James averaged 11.8 points and had 69 assists. Cameron Lumar, a 2023-24 All-SAA honorable mention, recorded 50 blocks, 23 assists and 21 steals. The preview also cites a block for Lumar. Rodney Phillips Jr. shot 51.22% from the field and 72.50% from the free-throw line, with 156 points, 136 rebounds and 16 assists.
Other returning players include junior Matheus Siqueira, who had 13 rebounds in 12 games, and juniors Brock Smith, Samuel Holt and Wyatt Richardson. Brock Smith scored 41 points, while Holt recorded 10 rebounds.
Millsaps has 12 regular-season home games scheduled at the Hangar Dome and 14 away or neutral-site games. Its nonconference schedule includes a Nov. 10 exhibition against NCAA Division I Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and a Nov. 13 home game against Centenary. The Majors are scheduled to open Southern Athletic Association play Dec. 1 at Rhodes.
The regular-season schedule lists home games against Sewanee on Feb. 19 and Berry on Feb. 21. The SAA championship is scheduled for Feb. 25-27 in Memphis, with the top six teams in the league standings qualifying.
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