FRISCO, Texas – East Texas A&M's Noah Pagotto has earned the Southland Conference's Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year honor, the league announced Tuesday along with the All-Academic team.
Pagotto had a 3.96 GPA as an Electrical Engineering major. The junior from Wollongong, Australia, averaged 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds for a Lions' squad that more than doubled its win total from last season. Pagotto averaged roughly 26 minutes per game, getting the starting nod 22 games out of East Texas A&M's total of 32, none of which he did not appear in.
He finished as a President's List Scholar while claiming a spot on the SLC Commissioner's Honor Roll and the CSC Academic All-District.
Southland Conference All-Academic Teams are nominated by the head coach, sports information director and an academic/compliance staff member from each school. Voting for one’s own athlete for Student-Athelte of the year is not permitted.
To be eligible for all-academic distinction, an athlete must hold a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average through the semester prior to the sport’s championship, completed at least one full academic semester at the nominating school prior to the current season, and participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s competitions during the most recently completed season. Student-Athlete of the Year nominees must have held at least a 3.50 GPA and have completed at least one semester of athletic competition at the nominating school, including the current season.
2025-26 Southland Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year - Noah Pagotto, East Texas A&M, Jr., 3.96 GPA
2025-26 Southland Men's Basketball All-Academic Team
Noah Pagotto, East Texas A&M, Jr., 3.96 GPA
London Fields, East Texas A&M, Jr., 3.54 GPA
Ryan Bartley, HCU, Gr., 4.00 GPA
Mamborou Mara, HCU, Gr., 3.80 GPA
Love Bettis, UIW, Gr., 3.35 GPA
Lewis Row, UIW, Gr., 4.00 GPA
Mihael Tomic, UIW, Fr., 3.65 GPA
Amani Drummond, UIW, Sr., 3.77 GPA
Esteban Mann, UIW, Jr., 3.66 GPA
Janko Bulajic, Lamar, Sr., 3.71 GPA
Larry Johnson, McNeese, So., 3. 57 GPA*
Javon Garcia, McNeese, Gr., 3.80 GPA
Garwey Dual, McNeese, Jr., 3.42 GPA
Coleton Benson, UNO, Jr., 3.36 GPA
Irish Coquia, UNO, Jr., 3.31 GPA
Kedrick Osby, UNO, Jr., 3.55 GPA
Christian Winborne, Nicholls, Jr, 3.58 GPA
CJ Booker, SLU, R-So., 3.40 GPA
Garrett Shoemaker, SLU, Fr., 3.33 GPA
Nick Shogbonyo, TAMUCC, Sr., 3.67 GPA
Mason Gibson, TAMUCC, Gr., 4.00 GPA
Leo Torbor, TAMUCC, Sr., 3.70 GPA
Sheldon Williams, TAMUCC, Sr., 3.60 GPA
Koree Cotton, UTRGV, Jr. 3.50 GPA*
Filip Brankovic, UTRGV, Jr. 3.33 GPA
Marvin McGhee III, UTRGV, Gr. 3.40 GPA
Julien Gomez, UTRGV, Fr. 3.33 GPA
*First Team All-Conference Selections