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Washington Evening Journal
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Southeast Conference basketball look ahead
Mt. Pleasant, Fairfield and Washington set for another competitive basketball season
The Southeast Conference basketball race has went down to the wire for years now and in 2023-24, it’s looking like it’s going to be another toss up.
Last season it was Mt. Pleasant (18-6, 8-2) reining supreme on the boys’ side, while Keokuk (16-6, 8-1) took the girls race.
The Washington boys finished just one game back with a record of 11-10 and 7-3 in SEC play, while Fairfield ended with one less win at 6-4 in conference action and 12-10 overall.
Keokuk and Fort Madison rounded out last season boys’ standing with conference record of 1-9.
On the girls’ side, Mt. Pleasant (11-12, 6-3) followed Keokuk and Fort Madison with a third overall finish.
Washington finished just behind the Panthers with a conference record of 4-6 and an overall of 7-14.
Burlington finished 2-6 in the conference, while Fairfield was 1-9 in SEC play with an overall of 2-19.
Mt. Pleasant is looking to take the conference crown once again as senior Payton Hagans makes a return. Last season, Hagans averaged 20.7 points per night, 8.2 rebounds per games and 3.5 assists, along with 2.4 steals last season before a foot injury ended his season.
The next two highest scores in Aaiden Ashton and Owen Vansickel are gone, but the likes of senior Nate Stroud (7.1 ppg), sophomore’s Christian Stacy (2.5 ppg) and Noah Lange (2.2 ppg) all make a comeback.
Washington is going to have some newer faces on the varsity roster this time around.
The Demons lose four of their top five scorers to graduation, which includes standout guard Ethan Patterson (19.5 ppg), Ajay Six (10.4 ppg), Aden Six (9.8 ppg) and Avery Six (4.6 ppg).
Junior Logan McDole is likely to take over the lead as he ended 2022-23 averaging 9.4 points per night with 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
No one else on the Demons squad averaged above two points last time around.
Fairfield also loses much of its scoring from last winter as the leading trio of Max Weaton (19.5 ppg, 13.6 rpg), JJ Lane (18.2 ppg) and Tate Allen (9.4 ppg) are all gone, along with head coach Mick Flattery.
It’s now up to junior Riley Perkins (6.1 ppg), senior Sam Weaton (4.7 ppg) and senior Cooper Polonsky (2.1 ppg) to lead the Trojans into what will be a new look for the first time in four years.
On the girls’ side of things, Mt. Pleasant is going to look a lot different this go around.
The Panthers will be without star guard and graduate Andrea Lopreato for the first time in four years. Lopreato averaged 20 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season. They will also miss graduate and point guard Tristian Shull (11.9 ppg, 2.7 apg).
Leading the Panthers this season will be senior Hailey Parrott (2.8 ppg), senior Juliana Burns (1.3 ppg) and sophomore Abby Carthey (1.2 ppg).
Washington is going to look somewhat similar from a year ago as young talent that saw the floor a lot in 2022-23 is now taking over the starting role.
Sophomore Adalyn Long will be the leading player as she averaged a cool 9.7 points as a freshman.
Leading rebounded Alex Murphy is gone, along with graduates Kaylin Long and Makenna Conrad, but junior Kendall Hinrichsen (3.5 ppg), senior Maci Williams (3.1 ppg) and junior Lauren Hinrichsen (2.9 ppg) are set to step up for the Demons.
Fairfield brings back arguably the most from a year ago. The Trojans only loss is senior Ashlyn Lisk, who averaged 8.8 points per night.
Senior Savannah Hollander will pace the Trojans as her 12 points a contest and 5.1 rebounds led them last season.
Fellow seniors Maddie Jones (3.6 ppg), Briana Steele (3.0 ppg) and Addison Ferrel (2.9 ppg) are all back as well. The Trojans also bring back six sophomores that saw action last season.
If one thing is for sure, it’s that the SEC is bound to be another battle for the crown in 2022-23.
