FRISCO – East Texas A&M University men's basketball student-athlete Noah Pagotto has been named the Southland Conference Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday morning and is one of two Lions named to the Southland All-Academic Team.
 
Pagotto (Wollongong, Australia) is the first Lion men's basketball player to earn the Southland Athlete of the Year award and the second for East Texas A&M this year across all sports thus far.
 
Along with Pagotto, London Fields (Tupelo, Miss.) is also named to the Southland All-Academic team. It is the first time in the Division I era that the program has had multiple honorees on the Southland All-Academic team.
 
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-Athlete 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.
 
An electrical engineering major at East Texas A&M, Pagotto was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team, the President's List, and the Southland Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. This past season, Pagotto was third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding, have played 32 games and starting 22.
 
Fields appeared in 25 games last season and started 10. He was named to the Dean's List, while also being selected to the SLC Commissioner's Honor Roll and helped the Lions improve their win total by six games.
 
2025-26 Southland Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year - Noah Pagotto, East Texas A&M, Jr.

2025-26 Southland Men's Basketball All-Academic Team
Noah Pagotto, East Texas A&M, Jr.
London Fields, East Texas A&M, Jr.
 
Ryan Bartley, HCU, Gr.
Mamborou Mara, HCU, Gr.
 
Love Bettis, UIW, Gr.
Lewis Row, UIW, Gr.
Mihael Tomic, UIW, Fr.
Amani Drummond, UIW, Sr.
Esteban Mann, UIW, Jr.
 
Janko Bulajic, Lamar, Sr.
 
Larry Johnson, McNeese, So.*
Javon Garcia, McNeese, Gr.
Garwey Dual, McNeese, Jr.
 
Coleton Benson, UNO, Jr.
Irish Coquia, UNO, Jr.
Kedrick Osby, UNO, Jr.
 
Christian Winborne, Sr., Nicholls, Jr
 
CJ Booker, SLU, R-So.
Garrett Shoemaker, SLU, Fr.
 
Nick Shogbonyo, TAMUCC, Sr.
Mason Gibson, TAMUCC, Gr.
Leo Torbor, TAMUCC, Sr.
Sheldon Williams, TAMUCC, Sr.
 
Koree Cotton, UTRGV, Jr.*
Filip Brankovic, UTRGV, Jr.
Marvin McGhee III, UTRGV, Gr.
Julien Gomez, UTRGV, Fr.

*First Team All-Conference Selections