Sean East II Named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Sean East II of the University of Missouri men’s basketball team was honored as the best in the SEC for his combination of work on the court and in the classroom on Monday, earning the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

On the basketball court, East is enjoying one of the top individual campaigns by a Tiger in years. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, East ranks fifth in the SEC with 17.9 points and ninth with 4.0 assists per game. His 17.9 points are the most by a Tiger since 2013-14, while he is also aiming to become just the sixth player in school history to average 15 points and four assists in a single season.

Overall, East has increased his scoring average by 10.6 points from the 2022-23 campaign – the largest increase in the SEC this season, sixth most among power-conference players and the most by a Tiger since 1976-77. The point guard has scored at least 20 points in the last seven games, the longest streak by a Tiger since 1990-91.

Off the court, East earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies last year with a 3.64 grade point average. He is currently pursuing his master’s in positive coaching, maintaining a GPA of 3.90. In 2023, East earned NABC Honors Court and SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll accolades.

East is the second Tiger in program history to earn the award as voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches, joining Kobe Brown one season ago.

East and the Tigers now turn their attention toward the postseason, opening the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night against Georgia. Tipoff in Nashville is at approximately 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network.