Troy's Scott Cross Named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year

Trojans' Thomas Dowd earns 1st-team All-Sun Belt honors

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Troy's Scott Cross has been named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in men's basketball. Cross led the Trojans to their first outright Sun Belt regular-season championship this season, finishing with a 12-6 conference record. Troy forward Thomas Dowd was also named to the All-Sun Belt first team.

Why it matters

This is a significant achievement for the Troy men's basketball program, as they have not won the Sun Belt regular-season title outright since 2004. The recognition of Cross as Coach of the Year and Dowd's selection to the All-Sun Belt first team highlights the team's success and the leadership of the coaching staff.

The details

In his seventh season at Troy, Cross is the Trojans' first Sun Belt Coach of the Year in men's basketball since Don Maestri in 2009. This is the second time Cross has earned the award, as he was also named Sun Belt Coach of the Year at UT-Arlington in 2017. Dowd, a 6-foot-9 junior from Dothan, Alabama, averages 14.6 points and a league-best 10.1 rebounds per game this season.

  • Troy won the Sun Belt regular-season championship outright this season, their first such title since 2004.
  • The Sun Belt tournament begins on Tuesday, March 2, 2026 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida.

The players

Scott Cross

The head coach of the Troy men's basketball team, in his seventh season with the Trojans.

Thomas Dowd

A 6-foot-9 junior forward for the Troy Trojans, who was named to the All-Sun Belt first team after averaging 14.6 points and a league-best 10.1 rebounds per game this season.

Victor Valdes

A senior guard for the Troy Trojans, who was named to the All-Sun Belt third team after leading the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game and averaging 4.5 assists per game.

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What’s next

Troy is the No. 1 seed for the Sun Belt tournament, which begins Tuesday at Pensacola (Fla.) Bay Center. The Trojans get a bye all the way to the semifinals, and will play their first tournament game at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The takeaway

Coach Cross's recognition as Sun Belt Coach of the Year, combined with the strong individual performances of players like Thomas Dowd, demonstrates the continued growth and success of the Troy men's basketball program. Their regular-season title and tournament seeding position them well to potentially earn an NCAA Tournament bid and make a deep postseason run.