Mt. Pleasant’s Payton Hagans named SEC Player of the Year

The Southeast Conference boys basketball season yet again went down to the wire, with the team title race going down to the final games of the season.

When all was said and done, it was Mt. Pleasant who walked away with the crown after going 8-2 through SEC play. Fort Madison and Keokuk followed with 7-3 records, while Burlington and Washington each finished 4-6 and Fairfield 0-10.

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With the completion of the season, it means that the 2024 SEC All-Conference boys basketball teams have been released.

On this year’s list, leading the way is Mt. Pleasant with five selections, along with Keokuk and Fort Madison.

The Panthers also have this year’s player of the year in senior Payton Hagans.

Burlington has four, while Washington and Fairfield each have three.

Hagans had a stellar final season for the Panthers, leading the conference averaging 22.8 points a game. Along with that he led the SEC in field goals made (8.1), three pointers made (2.8) and free throws made per game (3.8).

He was also second in the SEC in steals with 2.3 and ranked fifth in assists with an average of 2.9.

Joining Hagans on first team is sophomore Christian Stacy. In his first starting role for the Panthers, Stacy was an efficient underclassman.

Stacy averaged a fourth conference best 14.6 points a game as well as 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists, tied for fifth with Hagans.

At the foul line, Stacy was the most reliable in the SEC, hitting with a 78.41% clip. He knocked down 3.5 foul shots a game, which ranked third in the league.

On second team for the Panthers is senior Nate Stroud. Stroud did a little bit of everything for the Panthers, scoring 10.1 points a night on a 47.9% clip.

Stroud also pulled down a team leading 7.0 rebounds a game. That mark ranked third in the SEC.

The Panther’s two honorable mention picks were sophomore Noah Lange and junior Avin Truong.

For Washington, junior Logan McDole is the lone second team selection.

McDole led the Demons with 12.3 points a game as well as rebounds (4.2) and assists (2.8). He was also finished with a team high 47.3% field goal percentage.

Sophomore Drew Conrad and senior Roman Roth were the pair of honorable mention selections.

For Fairfield, junior Riley Perkins is a second team selection.

Perkins averaged 12.1 points to lead the Trojans. Along with his scoring, he averaged 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists. His assists mark ranked third in the conference.

He also averaged a conference third best 2.3 made threes a game.

Junior Luke Konczal and senior Sam Weaton get the honorable mention nod.

ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM

Shaye Stringer (12), Burlington

Hunter Cresswell (12), Fort Madison*

Jaxon Clark (10), Keokuk*

Diego Garcia (12), Keokuk

Payton Hagans* (12), Mt. Pleasant

Christian Stacy (10), Mt. Pleasant

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ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM

Christos Kantzavelos (12), Burlington

Riley Perkins (11), Fairfield*

Nolan Guzman (10), Fort Madison*

Dayton Lamar (11), Fort Madison

Brenton Hoard (11), Keokuk

Nate Stroud (12), Mt. Pleasant*

Logan McDole (11), Washington*

*Unanimous Selection

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ALL-SEC HONORABLE MENTION

Luke Konczal (11), Fairfield

Sam Weaton (12), Fairfield

Leif Boeding (12), Fort Madison

Julian Dear (11), Fort Madison

Chase Eckland (12), Keokuk

Tramell Smith (11), Keokuk

Noah Lange (10), Mt. Pleasant

Avin Truong (11), Mt. Pleasant

Drew Conrad (10), Washington

Roman Roth (12), Washington

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Payton Hagans (12), Mt. Pleasant

AREA ALL-ACADEMIC

Fairfield: Cooper Polonsky, Ryan Giberson, Riley Perkins, Luke Konczal, Ben Boatright, Jolie Crile (mgr) and Chloe Frescoln (mgr).

Mt. Pleasant: Avin Truong.

Washington: Logan McDole, Luke Schiebel, Brendan Taylor, Noah Greiner, Roman Roth, Seth Shepherd and Andrew Shepherd.

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