SEC Awards And Honors Handed Out; Donovan Gets COTY Over Grant

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Well, it looks like the “haters” won out, just as John Calipari had feared.  Tony Barbee — he of the 4-12 record at Auburn — did not win the SEC’s Coach of the Year award.  Instead, Florida’s Billy Donovan took that honor.

Last week, we stated that we would have given that award to Anthony Grant on the basis that going 12-4 with his roster trumps — by a smidge — Donovan going 13-3 with his roster.  Grant did more with less.  But you’ll hear no complaints from us about Donovan’s selection.  Our feelings were 51-49 in favor of Grant, but Donovan had a tremendous year, too.

His Gators have no pure star and there isn’t a string of one-and-doners in their line-up.  And Donovan’s squad proved to be the class of the league while playing in the more dangerous SEC East.

In terms of other honors, here goes:


SEC Player of the Year: Chandler Parsons, Florida

SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Riley Benock, Mississippi State

SEC Freshman of the Year: Terrence Jones, Kentucky

SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Brian Williams, Tennessee

SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Muldrow, South Carolina


The selection of Parsons will be met with hoots and hollers because he’s not a big “numbers” guy.  Instead he’s a glue guy, a good-attitude guy.  Being that he was the MVP of the best team in the league, it’s no surprise he won the award.

The other controversial selection will be Terrence Jones over teammate Brandon Knight for Freshman of the Year honors.  Both were good, but one ran the point and the other didn’t.  We’d have given Knight the award, but you can’t argue with Jones’ production.


First Team All-SEC
JaMychal Green, F, Alabama
Chandler Parsons, F, Florida
Trey Thompkins, F, Georgia
Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky
Brandon Knight, G, Kentucky
Chris Warren, G, Ole Miss
Scotty Hopson, G, Tennessee
John Jenkins, G, Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC
Tony Mitchell, F, Alabama
Rotnei Clarke, G, Arkansas
Kenny Boynton, G, Florida
Erving Walker, G, Florida
Travis Leslie, G, Georgia
Dee Bost, G, Mississippi State
Tobias Harris, F, Tennessee
Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
Jeffery Taylor, F, Vanderbilt

SEC All-Freshman Team
Trevor Releford, G, Alabama
Patric Young, F/C, Florida
Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky
Brandon Knight, G, Kentucky
Doron Lamb, G, Kentucky
Ralston Turner, G, LSU
Bruce Ellington, G, South Carolina
Tobias Harris, F, Tennessee

SEC All-Defensive Team
Delvon Johnson, F, Arkansas
DeAndre Liggins, G, Kentucky
Reginald Buckner, F, Ole Miss
Sam Muldrow, F/C, South Carolina
Jeffery Taylor, F, Vanderbilt