FORT SMITH, Arkansas – Four starters on the Ouachita men's basketball team earned All-GAC accolades to stamp a statement season, the league revealed at Wednesday's welcome ceremony ahead of the Great American Conference Basketball Tournament.   

Senior Devon Hancock headlined the honors as the lone unanimous selection to the All-GAC First-Team, while he also took home the 2026 Newcomer of the Year award. The 6-foot-3 Dallas native leads the Tigers averaging 17.4 points per game, the third-highest scorer in the conference. Hancock has knocked down 63 threes at a 40% clip, which both rank fourth in the GAC. He is one of only two players in the league with multiple 30-point games this season. Whether it's stretching the floor or taking over in crunchtime, Hancock has become Ouachita's offensive catalyst from opening tip to the final horn.

Junior Christian Parks was named the GAC Defensive Player of the Year after adding his name to Ouachita's record book. The 6-foot-7 rim protector totaled 67 blocks during the regular season to break Ouachita's single-season record. His 67 blocks rank ninth nationally among NCAA Division II players. 

Parks also earned All-GAC Second Team honors after putting together one of the most efficient seasons in the conference. The Meridian, Mississippi native ranks second in the GAC with a 70% field goal percentage and is tied for third in total rebounds, while averaging 9.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He fueled the Tigers identity on both ends of the floor, stacking three defensive weekly honors before he claimed the final GAC Player of the Week recognition of the regular season. 

Senior point guard PJ Neal joined Parks on the All-GAC Second Team after orchestrating one of the most efficient offenses in the GAC. The Houston native ranks third in the league in assists at 4.1 per game, often controlling tempo to dictate the pace of play. Where Hancock provided Ouachita the punch of a reliable scorer and Parks patrolled the paint, Neal was the maestro to keep the offense in a flow state.

Freshman Jaxon Conley added an Honorable Mention recognition to cap his disruptive breakout campaign. Conley leads the GAC with 60 steals, which ranks second nationally among all Division II freshmen. The defensive instincts and relentless energy from the Springdale, Ark. native have translated into transition opportunities and momentum-swinging plays for a team that thrives off fast breaks. Conley also ranks 10th in the conference in total rebounds, an impressive feat for a guard in his first collegiate season.

With a unanimous first-team selection, a defensive player of the year, and two playmakers recognized among the league's best, Ouachita has cemented its position in the postseason picture. At 22-6 overall, the Tigers rose to No. 6 in Wednesday's NCAA DII Regional Rankings release, which is a blueprint to help the committee fill out the 64-team bracket for the NCAA D2 Men's Basketball Tournament. 

No. 2-seed Ouachita opens the GAC Tournament against No. 7-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday. Tip-off is set for noon at Northside Arena.