2025–26 Florida A&M Rattlers basketball team

2025–26 Florida A&M Rattlers basketball
ESPN HBCU Hoops Invitational champions
ConferenceSouthwestern Athletic Conference
Record15–16 (11–7 SWAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Jarrod Lazarus
  • Rob Lewis
  • Gene Granger
Home arenaAl Lawson Center
2025–26 SWAC men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Bethune–Cookman 14 – 4   .778 17 – 15   .531
Florida A&M 11 – 7   .611 15 – 16   .484
Southern 11 – 7   .611 17 – 17   .500
Texas Southern 10 – 8   .556 12 – 18   .400
Alabama A&M 10 – 8   .556 18 – 15   .545
Arkansas–Pine Bluff 10 – 8   .556 13 – 19   .406
Jackson State 10 – 8   .556 12 – 21   .364
Prairie View A&M † 9 – 9   .500 19 – 17   .528
Grambling State 7 – 11   .389 14 – 19   .424
Alabama State 7 – 11   .389 10 – 22   .313
Alcorn State 7 – 11   .389 9 – 23   .281
Mississippi Valley State 2 – 16   .111 3 – 30   .091
† 2026 SWAC tournament winner
As of March 18, 2026

The 2025–26 Florida A&M Rattlers basketball team represented Florida A&M University during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Rattlers, led by first-year head coach Charlie Ward, played their home games at the Al Lawson Center in Tallahassee, Florida as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Previous season

The Rattlers finished the 2024–25 season 14–17, 10–8 in SWAC play to finish in seventh place.[1] In the SWAC tournament, they defeated Prairie View A&M in the first round, before falling to Jackson State in the quarterfinals.

On April 11, 2025, it was announced that head coach Patrick Crarey II would be accepting the head coaching position at Grambling State.[2] On April 15, the school announced the hiring of former NBA player and Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward as the team's next head coach.[3]

Preseason

On October 8, 2025, the SWAC released their preseason polls. Florida A&M was picked to finish eighth in the conference.[4]

Preseason rankings

SWAC Preseason Poll
Place Team Votes
1 Bethune–Cookman 232 (12)
2 Southern 214 (5)
3 Jackson State 208 (1)
4 Alabama State 183 (3)
5 Texas Southern 182
6 Alabama A&M 163
7 Grambling State 151
8 Florida A&M 115
9 Prairie View A&M 99
10 Alcorn State 74
11 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 70 (1)
12 Mississippi Valley State 25
(#) first-place votes

Source:[4]

Preseason All-SWAC Teams

Preseason All-SWAC Team
Team Player Year Position
Second Jordan Chatman Senior Guard

Source:[4]

Roster

2025–26 Florida A&M Rattlers men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G 0 Lenard Taylor Jr. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Sr Baltimore, Maryland
G 1 Antonio Baker Jr. 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Savannah, Georgia
G 2 Jordan Chatman 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Birmingham, Alabama
G 3 Jaquan Sanders 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sr Far Rockaway, New York
G 4 Anquan Boldin Jr. 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jr Delray Beach, Florida
G 8 Amir Rahman 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Brentwood, Tennessee
F 10 Kaleb Washington 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Atlanta, Georgia
G 11 Micah Octave 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Boca Raton, Florida
G 12 Anthony Knowles 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Fr Miami, Florida
G 13 Devere Palmer Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Jr Queens, New York
G 14 Malcolm Stute 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS Fr Washington, D.C.
F 22 Tyler Shirley 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS Sr Atlanta, Georgia
C 34 Miles Ndalama 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jr Ndola, Zambia
F 55 Tuscan Onuoha 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) RS Jr Sydney, Australia
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 17, 2025

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 3, 2025*
8:50 p.m., ESPN+ 		at South Florida L 67–102  0–1
  16 – Octave   8 – Octave   3 – Boldin Jr.  Yuengling Center (6,531)
Tampa, FL
November 8, 2025*
1:00 p.m., SWAC TV 		Kennesaw State L 72–92  0–2
  16 – Palmer Jr.   9 – Octave   3 – Tied  Al Lawson Center (704)
Tallahassee, FL
November 11, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at UCF L 60–97  0–3
  12 – Knowles   6 – Ndalama   3 – Tied  Addition Financial Arena (10,057)
Orlando, FL
November 17, 2025*
6:30 p.m., SECN 		at Georgia L 57–87  0–4
  16 – Boldin Jr.   6 – Shirley   3 – Washington  Stegeman Coliseum (5,971)
Athens, GA
December 2, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Jacksonville L 82–85 OT 0–5
  20 – Sanders   5 – Tied   5 – Tied  Swisher Gymnasium (862)
Jacksonville, FL
December 6, 2025*
3:30 p.m. 		vs. Florida Memorial
ESPN HBCU Hoops Invitational Championship 		W 60–58  1–5
  12 – Washington   12 – Shirley   3 – Tied  State Farm Field House (348)
Orlando, FL
December 15, 2025*
7:00 p.m. 		Albany State W 93–77  2–5
  25 – Chatman   6 – Tied   7 – Baker Jr.  Al Lawson Center (602)
Tallahassee, FL
December 17, 2025*
7:00 p.m. 		Jacksonville W 72–65  3–5
  17 – Baker Jr.   6 – Tied   3 – Tied  Al Lawson Center (791)
Tallahassee, FL
December 19, 2025*
8:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Tarleton L 54–78  3–6
  17 – Chatman   5 – Boldin Jr.   3 – Shirley  EECU Center (811)
Stephenville, TX
December 21, 2025*
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at TCU L 56–80  3–7
  16 – Sanders   5 – Tied   5 – Sanders  Schollmaier Arena (4,962)
Fort Worth, TX
December 28, 2025*
3:30 p.m., ACCNX 		at Georgia Tech L 65–89  3–8
  21 – Washington   5 – Tied   4 – Sanders  McCamish Pavilion (5,967)
Atlanta, GA
SWAC regular season
January 3, 2026
5:30 p.m. 		at Bethune–Cookman L 83–87  3–9
(0–1) 		 22 – Sanders   9 – Octave   3 – Tied  Moore Gymnasium (864)
Daytona Beach, FL
January 10, 2026
7:00 p.m. 		Southern W 67–59  4–9
(1–1) 		 17 – Shirley   8 – Octave   3 – Tied  Al Lawson Center (1,005)
Tallahassee, FL
January 12, 2026
7:00 p.m. 		Grambling State W 91–84  5–9
(2–1) 		 24 – Sanders   8 – Octave   4 – Tied  Al Lawson Center (901)
Tallahassee, FL
January 17, 2026
6:30 p.m. 		at Arkansas–Pine Bluff W 71–67  6–9
(3–1) 		 18 – Sanders   8 – Octave   7 – Octave  H.O. Clemmons Arena (2,423)
Pine Bluff, AR
January 19, 2026
8:00 p.m. 		at Mississippi Valley State W 62–48  7–9
(4–1) 		 16 – Sanders   9 – Baker Jr.   6 – Sanders  Harrison HPER Complex (167)
Itta Bena, MS
January 24, 2026
6:00 p.m. 		Alcorn State W 66–58  8–9
(5–1) 		 17 – Ndalama   6 – Tied   7 – Sanders  Al Lawson Center (1,101)
Tallahassee, FL
January 26, 2026
7:00 p.m. 		Jackson State L 65–66  8–10
(5–2) 		 17 – Washington   5 – Tied   4 – Sanders  Al Lawson Center (1,005)
Tallahassee, FL
January 31, 2026
5:00 p.m. 		at Alabama A&M L 65–72  8–11
(5–3) 		 16 – Shirley   9 – Shirley   3 – Shirley  AAMU Event Center (4,988)
Huntsville, AL
February 2, 2026
7:00 p.m. 		at Alabama State L 66–79  8–12
(5–4) 		 22 – Shirley   13 – Octave   3 – Sanders  Dunn–Oliver Acadome (1,324)
Montgomery, AL
February 7, 2026
6:00 p.m. 		Texas Southern L 57–62  8–13
(5–5) 		 18 – Octave   10 – Octave   2 – Tied  Al Lawson Center (1,080)
Tallahassee, FL
February 9, 2026
7:00 p.m. 		Prairie View A&M W 100–96  9–13
(6–5) 		 15 – Washington   9 – Tied   7 – Sanders  Al Lawson Center (903)
Tallahassee, FL
February 14, 2026
3:30 p.m. 		at Jackson State L 60–80  9–14
(6–6) 		 16 – Octave   6 – Octave   3 – Tied  Williams Assembly Center (945)
Jackson, MS
February 16, 2026
8:00 p.m. 		at Alcorn State W 86–78  10–14
(7–6) 		 17 – Sanders   7 – Chatman   8 – Sanders  Davey Whitney Complex (508)
Lorman, MS
February 19, 2026
8:30 p.m. 		Alabama A&M L 61–63  10–15
(7–7) 		 23 – Shirley   10 – Octave   7 – Sanders  Al Lawson Center (1,205)
Tallahassee, FL
February 21, 2026
6:00 p.m. 		Alabama State W 76–63  11–15
(8–7) 		 19 – Baker Jr.   14 – Octave   6 – Sanders  Al Lawson Center (1,501)
Tallahassee, FL
February 26, 2026
8:30 p.m. 		at Southern W 82–71  12–15
(9–7) 		 25 – Shirley   10 – Chatman   10 – Sanders  F. G. Clark Center (5,123)
Baton Rouge, LA
February 28, 2026
5:30 p.m. 		at Grambling State W 66–59  13–15
(10–7) 		 16 – Sanders   8 – Shirley   4 – Shirley  Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,577)
Grambling, LA
March 5, 2026
7:30 p.m. 		Bethune–Cookman W 81–77  14–15
(11–7) 		 18 – Sanders   11 – Octave   2 – Tied  Al Lawson Center (3,100)
Tallahassee, FL
SWAC tournament
March 11, 2026
8:30 p.m., ESPN+ 		(2) vs. (7) Jackson State
Quarterfinals 		W 70–60  15–15
  14 – Baker Jr.   10 – Octave   4 – Tied  Gateway Center Arena (1,274)
College Park, GA
March 13, 2026
8:30 p.m., ESPN+ 		(2) vs. (3) Southern
Semifinals 		L 70–73  15–16
  16 – Shirley   9 – Octave   6 – Baker Jr.  Gateway Center Arena (2,782)
College Park, GA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern.

Sources:[6][7]

References

  1. ^ "2024-25 Men's Basketball Standings". swac.org. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  2. ^ "Patrick Crarey embraces expectations as new GSU hoops coach". Ruston Daily Leader. April 11, 2025. Archived from the original on April 11, 2025. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  3. ^ "Charlie Ward Named Head Men's Hoops Coach At Florida A&M". Heisman. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "SWAC Announces 2025 Men's Basketball Preseason Selections". Southwestern Athletic Conference. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  5. ^ Antilla, Liv (December 5, 2025). "FAMU claim of forfeit contested in HBCU basketball tournament". The Herald (Rock Hill). Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  6. ^ "2025–26 Men's Basketball Schedule". Florida A&M. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  7. ^ "Florida A&M Rattlers 2025-26 Regular Season NCAAM Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
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