Preseason All-Conference Teams: SEISC South

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year: </strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978106' first='Shay' last='Stephens'] (Notre Dame)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stephens is the best player in the division, and Notre Dame enters the season as the team to beat, making this a pretty straight forward choice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>First Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978106' first='Shay' last='Stephens'] (Notre Dame): 20.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.8 steals, 51.0 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-4/6-5 guard with the ability to score from anywhere as well as create plays for his teammates, Stephens stuffs the stat sheets in a variety of ways for the Nikes. The future Western Illinois guard uses his length, speed, and IQ to his advantage on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1596452' first='Max' last='Griffin'] (Mediapolis): 16.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The leading scorer for the Bulldogs last season, Griffin is a skilled guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands. He shoots it well off the catch, has tight handles and great vision, and does a great job playing with pace and changing speeds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906532' first='Will' last='Cocherell'] (Van Buren County): 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.2 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cocherell showed his ability to impact the game in a number of different ways last season, leading the Warriors in assists and steals, while ranking second in scoring. Following the graduation of their leading scorer, he'll have the ball in his hands even more as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731885' first='Ayden' last='Figuereo'] (West Burlington): 9.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 64.2 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Figuereo was the fourth option on a loaded Falcons team last season and still nearly averaged a double-double. A plus-athlete with size, length, and toughness, he plays with a non-stop motor and is a menace on the glass on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731857' first='Will' last='Luttenegger'] (Mediapolis): 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.4 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Luttenegger pairs with Griffin to give the Bulldogs arguably the best backcourt in the entire conference. He's a skilled playmaker who gets his teammates involved and scores from all three levels. He's a good on-ball defender who does a great job getting into passing lanes and turning defense into quick offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 London Franklin (New London)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2887884' first='Layne' last='Rung'] (Holy Trinity Catholic)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906549' first='Connor' last='Hulett'] (Danville)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978138' first='Will' last='Hayes'] (Central Lee)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1710386' first='Owen' last='Swan'] (Central Lee)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Leighton Rice (Danville)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765537' first='Brigham' last='Porter'] (New London)<br>2026 Dillan Mason (Danville)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2828822' first='William' last='Worrall'] (Mediapolis)<br>2027 Eli Oleson (Notre Dame)<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->