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Washington Evening Journal
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Mt. Pleasant basketball leads SEC heading into 2024
Panthers hold grip on conference lead, Washington and Fairfield in the hunt
As expected the first half of the Southeast Conference boys basketball season lived up to the hype.
Historically, all six teams in the SEC have given each other great games and the same held true through the first four weeks of the season.
So far, it’s still anyone’s race. At the moment though, it’s Mt. Pleasant who holds the conference lead at 4-0.
Led by the SEC’s leading scorer in senior guard Payton Hagans (24.9 PPG) the Panthers have downed the next three closest teams in Keokuk (3-1), along with Washington and Fort Madison who are both 2-2. Burlington (1-3) and Fairfield (0-4) follow.
Those games were not easy ones though and could have gone either way with the Panthers edging Keokuk 57-55 before winter break and Washington prior to that 70-53 in a game that was at single digits heading into the fourth. Against Fort Madison the Panthers held off a late Bloodhound surge to win 52-50.
Coming into 2024, Mt. Pleasant will head to New London to begin the new year and then will kick off SEC play off at home against Fairfield, who still is searching for its first conference win.
Washington is one of the most dangerous teams in the SEC with a plethora of youthful talent scatter across the roster. Washington’s top three scorers are a junior, sophomore and freshman. Sophomore guard Drew Conrad leads Washington averaging 14 points a night. Junior forward Logan McDole averages 11.7 points a game and freshman Nic Stone 8.2 points a contest.
The Demons two conference losses have come against the top two squads in Mt. Pleasant and then Keokuk, 64-37.
On a positive note for Washington, they have been playing some great ball in the final few weeks of the year.
The Demons not only topped fellow third-place Fort Madison by 10, 73-63, but also took No. 10 (Class 3A) Williamsburg to overtime on the road, coming up just short 77-69.
In 2024, the Demons first matchup will be against Burlington at home. Burlington’s lone SEC win came against Fairfield.
Speaking of Fairfield, the Trojans have some work to do to get back into the upper ranks of the conference. With just a pair of returning varsity players from a year ago in junior Riley Perkins (13.6 PPG) and senior Sam Weaton (8.7 PPG) the Trojans have shown that they can hang with the best.
While the Trojans have yet to find their first SEC victory, they have given some of the top league opponents some trouble. Fairfield nearly took down second seeded Keokuk at home. The Trojans lost that one 50-39, but trailed by just three heading into the fourth.
Out of the break, the Trojans will have a pair of tough opponents waiting. First the Trojans will take on a stout Holy Trinity Catholic team and then Mt. Pleasant is up next. That one will be played on the road.
