All Conference Teams: Week 2

Most teams are approaching the half-way point of their conference play and in the second week of our in-depth look at the BCS conferences there was definitely some movement in our player rankings (co-written by Dan Russo and Stephen Kalayil.  

PAC-12 POY and All Conference

POY:

Current PAC-12 Player of the Year

Nick Johnson (Arizona) – Last week Johnson was narrowly edged out by Justin Cobbs for POY in the PAC-12; however after leading Arizona to a win over Colorado and Utah this week he sits alone at the top. Against Colorado, Johnson went 7-14 from the field for 18 points and then followed that up in a closely contested contest against Utah with 22 points on 9-18 shooting. It’s going to be hard for anyone to supplant Johnson, who is averaging 18 points per game in conference play from this position throughout the rest of conference play.

Last Week: 1^st Team All Conference

First Team:

Kyle Anderson (UCLA) – Slo-mo maintains his spot with a strong week which saw UCLA defend its home-court against its Northern California rivals. In surprisingly easy wins against Stanford and California, Anderson had his standard stat stuffing type games. Against Stanford Anderson went for 13 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds and then followed that up Sunday night with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. A triple double threat every time he takes the court, the 6’8” Anderson makes the game look easy. UCLA sits alone at second place and Anderson is averaging 17.1 ppg, 9.6 rbg, and 6.6 apg through seven games.

Last Week: 1^st Team All Conference

Chris Wilcox (Washington) –After Washington lost two in a row on the road, the Huskies defended their home-court against the Oregon schools in two games that went down to the last minute. In an upset win over Oregon, Wilcox went for 23 points on five three’s including one with 43 seconds left. Against Oregon State Wilcox went for 14 and is now averaging18.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game to go along with 21 three’s in conference play. The Huskies are now 5-3 in conference play despite being predicted to win five games all year. 

Last Week: 1^st Team All Conference

Justin Cobbs (California) – A rough week for the inaugural POY. Cal went from undefeated to 5-2 in a span of a few days with two losses in Southern California. Cobbs had 22 points and six assists in a rather uninspiring game against USC and scored 14 points in a loss to UCLA, but only recorded one assist. Cal will try to right the ship this week at home against Arizona State and Arizona.  

Last Week: POY

Jahii Carson (Arizona State)  – The pre-season POY was an omission last week after ASU struggled to a 2-3 start out of the gate The Sun Devils righted the ship this past weekend and Carson was the key reason. Against Colorado, the sophomore guard put up 23 points and eight rebounds and also started the week with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists against Utah. Through seven games Carson is averaging 16.7 points per game.

Last Week: N/A

 Roberto Nelson (Oregon State)  – The Beavers are currently 3-4 in conference play and depend heavily on the play of senior Roberto Nelson. So far the high scoring guard is leading the PAC-12 in scoring with 23.7 points per game in conference play. In a win against Washington State, Nelson put up 26 points on 6-10 shooting and then in a weekend loss to the Huskies he went for 31 on 11-21 shooting.

Last Week: N/A

Freshman of the Year:

Aaron Gordon (Arizona) – Gordon holds on to the top spot as he played an integral part in Arizona’s two wins this week. He didn’t shoot the ball well from the field (or the line) but put up a double-double against Utah and is averaging 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds in conference play. On Saturday, Washington freshman Nigel Williams-Goss went for 32 points and five rebounds and with a few more strong performances could take over Gordon’s spot.

Last Week: Freshman of the Year

ACC POY and All-Conference

POY:

Lamar Patterson (Pittsburgh) – Two wins for Pittsburgh and another two solid games for Patterson including a 28 points, 7 rebound, 7 assist performance against Maryland. The schedule gets tougher for Pittsburgh and Patterson has a hard week ahead of him with home games against Duke and Virginia. Patterson is currently averaging 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. The Panthers are out to a surprising 4-1 record led by Patterson’s all-around play. The physical senior guard has a 123.4 ORTG, but the ACC schedule gets tougher from here on out.

Last Week: POY

First Team:

CJ Fair (Syracuse) – The top player for the top team in the conference is averaging 15.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and had another steady game with 15 points and seven rebounds in Syracuse’s only game this week against Miami.

Last Week: First Team All-Conference

Tyler Ennis (Syracuse) – 14, 4, and 5 for Ennis in a road win against Miami. The freshman point guard has filled in admirably for Michael Carter-Williams in Cuse’s first year in the ACC. 

Last Week: 1^st Team All Conference

Rodney Hood (Duke) – Hood struggled with the flu this week, but he still managed to go for 18 points and nine rebounds against Florida State. 2-0 this past week the Blue Devils are now 4-2 in the conference and still within striking distance of Syracuse. 

Last Week: 1^st Team All Conference

Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) – The Cavs went 2-0 this week with home wins against UNC and Virginia Tech while the Clemson Tigers struggled in two blowout losses to Pitt and the Tar Heels. What that means, K.J. McDaniels falls out of the rankings and Malcolm Brogdon takes his place. So far Brogdon is averaging 15 points and five rebounds for the 6-1 Cavaliers including two strong performances this week where he averaged 17 points. 

Last Week: N/A

Freshman of the Year:

Tyler Ennis (Syracuse) – Ennis still has a stranglehold as the top freshmen in ACC play, but Jabari Parker started to pick up his play this past week with two double-doubles. Parker continued to struggle shooting the ball, but grabbed 15 rebounds against Miami and 14 against Florida State. 

Last Week: Freshman of the Year

Big East POY and All Conference

POY:

 Doug McDermott (Creighton) – 23 ppg and 7 rbg

First Team:

Bryce Cotton (Providence) – 22 ppg and 6.4 apg. Providence went 2-0 this past week with wins over Butler and Xavier.

Semaj Christon (Xavier) – 21.1 ppg and 3.9 apg. Christon went for 27 against DePaul.   

JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova) – 14.9 ppg and 6.1 rbg for a 6-1 Villanova team.  

Devin Gardner (Marquette) – Gardner replaces DSR on this list after two strong games this week. He scored 20 against Gtown in a win and put up 29 points and 13 boards in a loss to Villanova.

Freshman of the Year:

 Josh Hart (Villanova) – Hart struggled mightily this week in a loss to Creighton and a win against Marquette but still hangs on to the top spot. If Billy Garrett Jr. had played in Depaul’s last game he most likely would have replaced Hart as the top freshman. 

Big 12 POY and All-Conference

POY:

Marcus Smart (Oklahoma St.) – Despite a low scoring game against West Virginia, Smart maintains his spot at the top with 16.8 ppg, 8.3 rbg, and 5.7 apg. 

First Team:

Joel Embiid (Kansas) – Embiid continued to dazzle and is now the number one prospect on NBA big boards. Currently averaging 12 points and seven rebounds the talented big man improves every time out.

 Deandre Kane (Iowa State) – Despite the ankle injury and Iowa State’s slide, Kane is still putting up monster numbers for the Fred Hoiberg and the Cyclones averaging 19 points to go with 6.3 boards, 5.2 assists, and 2.7 steals in conference play.

 Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) – Wiggins cracks the list after two strong games. In a win against Baylor, Wiggins went for 17 points and seven assists and then followed that up against TCU with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a blowout of TCU. So far Wiggins is averaging 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Not bad for an “under-achieving” freshman. 

Juwan Staten (WVU) – Staten continued his strong overall performance and maintained his high conference averages in a win against Texas Tech and a road loss to Oklahoma State. Staten is averaging 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.

Freshman of the Year:

Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) – Embiid has replaced Wiggins as the projected number one pick, but after a strong week, it’s Wiggins who takes the lead for Freshman of the Year in the Big-12. Still a long ways to go, the two teammates should battle it for the remainder of the season. 

AAC POY and All Conference

POY:

Shabazz Napier (UCONN) -  Napier is continuing to show he is the best player in the American conference by leading UCONN to wins over Temple and Rutgers. This past week, Napier dropped 26 points (20 in the second half), 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in a tough win over Rutgers. He contributed to shutting down Rutgers guard and leading scorer, Myles Mack to just 6 points. Shabazz also tallied 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in an easy win over Temple.  In conference play, Napier is averaging 21.1 points and 6.3 assists which are league best. Russ Smith (Louisville) and Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) continue to be in a close second in the AAC POY race.

First Team:

      

Russ Smith (Louisville) - Smith and Louisville had an easy week by whipping South Florida on the road. Russ had a quiet 12 points but contributed 6 assists and 3 rebounds.  His AAC stats of 20.1 PPG, 4.5 APG and 2.4 SPG are reflective of what a pre-season AAC player of the year and Wooden award candidate should be averaging.  This week, Smith will have a tough challenge in matching up against senior guard Sean Kilpatrick in a battle of AAC leading teams.     

Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) - The Wooden award candidate had a solid game against UCF (19 points, 3 assists) and a monster game (29 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists) against Temple. Kilpatrick stepped and hit two game winning free throws with 7.2 seconds left against a scrappy Temple team.  The senior held his own against Dalton Pepper in a match-up of elite AAC guards. The Kilpatrick/Russ Smith showdown is must see viewing for college basketball fans this week.

Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) - Harrell l looks to be getting closer to the player that scouts and analysts predicted he would be.  In American conference play, Harrell is ranked 2^nd in FG percentage and 1^st in rebounds with 9.4 per game. He’s edging out Shaq Goodwin (Memphis) and TaShawn Thomas (Houston) who appeared in last week’s all-conference team.  This week, he’ll be challenged against a good frontline in an American clash between #12 Louisville and #15 Cincy.

Markus Kennedy (SMU) - The Villanova transfer has moved into the AAC all conference team this week after posting big numbers in wins versus Houston and Rutgers.  Against Houston, Kennedy shined against TaShawn Thomas with a very complete game of 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.  Kennedy and Nic Moore have been the catalyst for SMU’s (16-4, 5-2) record.  If Kennedy can keep up this production with a bit of help, SMU might be getting back to the NCAA tourney for the first time since 1993. In conference play, Kennedy is currently 4^th in blocks (1.7), and 2^nd in rebounds (9.0) and 4^th in FG percentage (54.2) per game.   

Freshman of the Year:

Terry Rozier (Louisville) - The Cleveland native had a solid stat line of 9 points, 5 assists and 3 steals for the Cardinals in their win over South Florida. Rozier has demonstrated that as a freshman, he is the right guy to run the team with Russ Smith.  At this point in league play, Rozier and Austin Nichols of Memphis are the easily the two best freshmen in the AAC.     

SEC POY and All Conference

POY / Freshman of the Year:

Julius Randle (Kentucky) - Randle is still holding on as the leader for SEC player of the year. Last week, Randle put up solid stats in wins against struggling SEC teams, Georgia and Texas A&M.  In SEC play, Randle is averaging a double double with 13.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game (2^nd in the SEC). Jabari Brown (Missouri) is on Randle’s heels for SEC POY.  He’s far and away been the best freshman in the SEC this year at this point. In order, the next best freshmen have been James Young (UK), Andrew Harrison (UK) and Jordan Mickey (LSU).

Jabari Brown (Missouri) - Jabari had a huge week in a tough loss against LSU and close win against South Carolina. He put up 28 points, 4 rebounds and shot 10-15 from the field (5-6 from 3 point land) against an up and coming LSU team.  Against South Carolina, Brown had 24 points (7-13 from the field), 6 assists and 6 rebounds. In conference play, Brown leads the league in scoring at 22 PPG, and is shooting a scorching 55.3 percent from 3 point range. If he continues this pace for Missouri, (15-4, 3-3) he’ll be the leader for SEC player of the year.       

Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee) - Stokes makes his first appearance in the SEC all-conference team, with a solid performance against #6 Florida. In a forgettable game for Tennessee, Stokes was the lone bright spot for the Volunteers with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Stokes was the only player playing with passion and aggression against the Gators tough frontline which is anchored by Patric Young. His averages of 10.8 rebounds and 13.5 points in league play make him and Randle the only SEC players to be averaging a double double in league play.

Jarvis Summers (Ole Miss) - Andrew Harrison (Kentucky) could wind up the being the best PG in the SEC due to his improving play and potential at the position, though he didn’t play like it in UK’s wins this past week over Georgia and Texas A&M.  Scotty Wilbekin (Florida) is leading his team to W’s but not overwhelming us with his PG play.  However, Jarvis Summers of the Ole Miss Runnin’ Rebels gets the nod this week as the best PG in conference, overtaking Andrew Harrison.  In SEC play, he’s averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game for a surprising Ole Miss (14-4, 5-1) team. He’s made a dramatic jump in from his junior to senior year and has Ole Miss in the hunt for an NCAA tourney bid with the help of his outspoken backcourt mate, Marshall Henderson. 

James Young (Kentucky) and Casey Prather (Florida) Tied - This was too close to call. Young has been UK’s best scorer in SEC play by averaging 15.1 points per game on a team that is filled with scorers and talent.  He’s been a solid shooter this season and played big in essentially every big game this season for UK. I’m still not convinced there is another SF I’s rather have in the SEC.  Prather, as we’ve stated in previous posts is probably the most improved player in college basketball. His SEC play hasn’t been up to par in comparison to his non-conference output, but he is still the leader and leading scorer (15 PPG in SEC play) for the SEC’s best team.

Big 10 POY and All Conference

POY:

Nick Stauskas (Michigan) –Michigan sits alone in first place after taking care of the rival Spartans in East Lansing. In the Wolverines first game of the week they defeated Iowa at home when Stauskas went for 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 8-14 shooting. He got some help from freshman Derrick Walton against MSU, but still finished with 19 points on 5-9 shooting.  

First Team:

Gary Harris (Michigan State)

Keith Appling (Michigan State)

Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa)

Sam Decker(Wisconsin)

Freshman of the Year:

Noah Vonleh (Indiana) – In a win against Illinois, Vonleh struggled to get baskets but he still added 14 rebounds. Derrick Walton had a great game for Michigan in an upset win but still has a ways to go to challenge Vonleh.

Cliff Alexander: The #1 in 2014

Cliff Alexander As a Sophomore

Just over one year ago in the HoopHall Classic, Chicago big man Jahlil Okafor took over the crown from his good friend Tyus Jones as the top player in the class of 2014. With a 26 point, seven rebound performance against Long Beach Poly, Okafor wrapped up an impressive two month span of impressive play which began from the opening tip of his junior year with a 34 point performance in the Chicago Elite Classic. Now, one year later, it is his Chicago counterpart in Cliff Alexander that holds the crown after a dominant 30 point, 13 rebound, and five block effort in an upset win over Montverde, the top team in the country. 

While one has to be careful not to overreact as many will certainly do after seeing Big Cliff’s latest exploits, this takeover has been coming for several months. In AAU play, Cliff Alexander joined up with Okafor and the Mac Irvin fire and finally got to play against the top talent in the country. Throughout the AAU circuit, Cliff averaged close to 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. It was supposed to be Okafor’s time to shine in his third year playing at the 17U level, but instead he suffered injuries throughout the spring before playing an integral part for the U19 gold medal USA team averaging 10.8 points per game against players several years older. This is by no means a knock on Okafor who constantly deals with double and triple teams and zone defenses night in and night out, but it is a reflection of how dominant Cliff Alexander has been as a senior.

In the winter of 2012, Alexander and Okafor, both sophomores went head to head in a regular season match-up. While Okafor was the more highly regarded player, the match-up was scored a draw as Alexander finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. A few months later in the spring and after a noteworthy sophomore season, Alexander put together a commanding display against his age group in the NY2LA Swish N’Dish. At the time Alexander was slowly rising up the rankings from the high teens to just outside the Top 10. After watching his performance I noted “ESPN currentlyhas Jahlil Okafor, another Chicago big man ranked #2 in the 2014 class; howeverI would have these players ranked #2 and #2a.” The two went at it again as juniors in the playoffs and once again the match-up was deemed a draw as Alexander went for 14 points compared to Okafor’s 13. Despite the national discrepancy, Alexander was chipping at Okafor’s heals.

Now in his senior season, it was Alexander who used the Chicago Elite Classic as a stepping stone. In a game against Bishop Gorman which featured two five-star junior big men in 6’10” Stephen Zimmerman and 6’9” Chase Jeter, Alexander went for 22 points and 20 rebounds. Needless to say the two 2015 prospects were not ready for Alexander’s power and tenacity. So far Alexander is averaging close to 27 points, 17 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game and his team is undefeated with him in the line-up. 

Alexander is an explosive athlete that loves to run the floor and with a frame similar to DeAndre Jordan he produces a plethora of rim-rattling dunks and blocks on a nightly basis. He tries to destroy the rim at every chance and is an extremely quick leaper which helps with his explosive dunks and blocked shots around the rim. There is no question that Okafor has better foot work around the basket along with a go-to spin move, but Alexander’s offensive arsenal has been improving rapidly. Against Montverde he had several spin moves on the baseline and showed off an impressive ability to find open teammates in the paint. Two weeks ago against North Chicago, Alexander pulled a nifty up and under move in the post which resulted in his only non-dunk or lay-up for the game (out of 13 made field goals). In AAU play Alexander showed off a 12 foot jump shot at times, but this is still not one of his current strengths. His game is made out of raw power and aggression; however his overall skill level is starting to catch-up and definitely on an upward trajectory.

After knocking off the number one team in the nation, Alexander’s dominance will now be talked about by more than those in the city of Chicago. By no means has Okafor’s play slipped but instead Cliff Alexander has started to emerge from his large shadow and unfortunately the two are not scheduled to match-up as seniors unless their teams meet in the playoffs. Last year Okafor used the HoopHall Classic to take the crown as the top player in 2014; however this year Big Cliff used the same tournament to topple the king and supplant himself as the #1 rated recruit in high school.

All Conference Teams Cont'd: Big 10, AAC, and SEC

The conference look-in continues with the Big 10, AAC, and SEC. The AAC and SEC picks were compiled by Stephen Kalayil. The Louisville die-hard can be followed @stephenkalyail and surprisingly shows Kentucky a LOT of love with his SEC picks. 

BIG 10 POY and All-Conference

POY:

Keith Appling (Michigan State)­ – The fourth year senior point guard is averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists through six conference game as the Spartans sit atop the standings at 6-0. In two overtime wins, Appling had his best games with a 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebound performance against Ohio State and a 24 point performance against Minnesota. Against the Buckeyes he hit a clutch three in overtime to give Michigan State their final lead and against the Gophers he hit 15 out of 16 free throws.

All-Conference:

Gary Harris (Michigan State) – Along with Appling, Harris has also been scoring at a high level during the Spartans 6-0 start. Right now he is averaging 18 points and 4.8 assists per game.  To kick off Big 10 play, Harris scored 26 points against Indiana including a 5-10 performance from downtown. Harris did struggle shooting the ball in two wins over Minnesota and Northwestern, but recently went 7-9 from the field in a road win against Illinois.

Nick Stauskas (Michigan) – Known for his three point shooting, the sharp shooting sophomore has expanded his game during conference play as the Wolverines are off to a surprising 5-0 start including a gritty road win at Wisconsin this past weekend. Stauskas is averaging 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. So far Stauskas has played 34 or more minutes in each game, but is still shooting 49% from the floor. Michigan’s schedule gets tough in a hurry with games against Iowa and Michigan State up next.

Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa) – High expectations were placed on the Hawkeyes in the pre-season and so far they have delivered with a 4-1 conference record. Led by Marble, Iowa handed Ohio State a home loss and soundly defeated the Gophers at home. Marble is averaging 19 points and 4 rebounds a game including a 22 point game against the Buckeyes.

A.J. Hammons (Purdue) – The 7’0” sophomore is averaging 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but it is his play over the last three games that gets him on the list. During a three game win streak, Hammons went for 18 points against Nebraskas, 17 points and 8 rebounds against Illinois, and 10 points and 7 rebounds against Penn State. The big man is also averaging 2.8 blocks per game for the 3-3 Boilermakers.

Freshman of the Year:

Noah Vonleh (Indiana) – While several freshmen have made their mark in Big 10 play, Noah Vonleh has performed at the highest level averaging 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.  He scored a high of 19 points in a close road win over Penn State and recorded four blocks in both an overtime loss to Illinois and a home win against Wisconsin. 

AAC POY and All-Conference 

POY:

Shabazz Napier Dominating AAC play

Shabazz Napier (UCONN): Napier barely edges out Cincinnati’s Sean Kilpatrick and UofL’s Russ Smith for POY at this point in the season in the AAC. Shabazz is easily the most important player to his team in the AAC. This is evident with Napier’s averages of 16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2 steals a game which rank 4^th, 14^th, 1^st and 3^rd in the AAC this season. Napier has led the Huskies to NCAA tourney resume wins over Maryland, Florida, Indiana and Memphis.  Russ Smith, Sean Kilpatrick, Yogi Ferrell (IU), Joe Jackson (Memphis), Nick Faust (Maryland) and Scottie Wilbekin (Florida) are amongst the list of high profile guards who have been shredded by the 2K Sports Tourney MVP. 

All Conference Team:

Russ Smith (Louisville):  Although Russdiculous’s scoring average is slightly down from last season from 18.4 to 18.1 ppg, he has become a reliable distributor in his senior season by averaging 4.7 assists and has kept up his lethal defender status with 1.95 steals per game for the defending national champs. Despite the loss of Chane Behanan (disciplinary) and Kevin Ware (injury) during this season, Smith is rounding into the consistent, efficient player that UofL needs to take the AAC in its inaugural season.

Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati): The leading scorer in the AAC, has #19 Cincinnati surprisingly in first place with a 17-2 record and 6-0 start in league play. Kilpatrick might be one of the most underrated players in the college basketball this season and has become the unquestioned leader that head coach Mick Cronin has been missing at UC.  One stat that stands out is Kilpatrick’s knack to getting to the free throw line. He averages 5.6 FTA and is shooting 85% from the stripe, which is right on par with Napier.           

TaShawn Thomas (Houston): On a team that has strong talent in LJ Rose (Baylor transfer), Daniel House and Chicken Knowles, it has been Thomas who has lead the mercurial Houston Cougars.  Thomas leads the AAC in blocks per game at 3.3 and is second in rebounding at 8.7 along with averaging 16.7 points for the Cougars.       

Shaq Goodwin (Memphis) and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) (Tie):  It was tough for me to pick one player over the other for the last spot on our all conference AAC team.  Goodwin, a sophomore from Atlanta has given Josh Pastner and Memphis the down low presence that they have lacked for sometime from it’s normally guard oriented team. Harrell came into the year with some high expectations for his sophomore season, but hasn’t fully lived up to them. The expectations were a bit unrealistic but he’s put together a strong season averaging 12 points, 8.4 rebounds and arguably came off his best game of the season against UCONN with 18 points and 13 rebounds.  Goodwin and Harrell lead the AAC in field goal percentage at .635 and .634. Harrell has been the better rebounder thus far in the season but Goodwin has been the better of the two in the blocks department. Goodwin also got the best of Harrell in Memphis’s signature win over UofL in the KFC YUM! Center this year.    

Freshman of the year:

Terry Rozier (Louisville): The AAC isn’t deep this year in impact freshman like the rest of the power conferences, but Rozier sticks out as the freshman who is making the best impact for a winning team.  After getting spot minutes early in the season, Rozier took the starting PG spot at Louisville due to injury for National JUCO player of the year Chris Jones. The Hargrave Military Academy product has been running the team efficiently and has commanded a Rick Pitino offense that is notoriously tough to master for a freshman. His numbers may not be gaudy, but his court presence and poise as a freshman has given him the nod in my book as AAC freshman of the year.

SEC POY and All-Conference

POY:

Julius Randle PF (Kentucky) - Julius Randle has lived up to his billing as a consensus top 3 high school player and future top 5 NBA draft pick. Randle is averaging a double-double with 16.9 points and 10.5 assist per game on arguably the most talented team in college basketball.  Along with fellow freshmen James Young and Andrew Harrison, Randle is leading the Wildcats to a 13-4 record and 2^nd place standing behind Florida.  Randle has been un-guardable this season on the low block and his held his own against some of college hoops elite big men in Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Adrian Payne (Michigan State) and Cory Jefferson (Baylor).     

     

All Conference Team:

Casey Prather (Florida) - Prather is the most improved player in the country this year for SEC leading Florida. Prather went from averaging 6.2 PPG as a role player to 17.3 PPG as a star his senior year for a Gator team that is full of talent. Also, he leads the SEC in FG percentage and has been able to harness his elite athleticism in his senior year.   

James Young (Kentucky) - There isn’t a small forward in the SEC that has performed to the level of James Young this season. As a freshman, he has shown up in every big game for UK and has hit timely shots for the Wildcats in games against Louisville, Arkansas and Michigan State.  Young’s 14.2 PPG and 4.4 rebounds has him as the second best freshman in the SEC in my book to his teammate Julius Randle.   

Andrew Harrison (Kentucky) - Andrew Harrison has finally arrived as the best PG in the SEC. The SEC has elite guards in Scotty Wilbekin (Florida), Kasey Hill (Florida); however  Harrison is beginning to excel in John Calipari’s dribble drive offense and is arguably coming off his best game as Wildcat with a poised 26 point, 3 assist effort.  He is beginning to trend in the right direction after getting off to a so-so start with unrealistic expectations for the season.   

Jabari Brown (Missouri) - The Oregon transfer has been Mr. Consistent for the Tigers scoring in double figures in every game of his junior season and averaging 18.7 points per game, He’s the best rebounding guard in the SEC averaging 4.7 rebounds per contest with a career high of 9 against Nevada. 

Freshman of the year:

Julius Randle (Kentucky) - Julius Randle takes this award easily.  The SEC has seen its fair share of impact freshmen in years past, but Randle could be the best that has come through since fellow Wildcat Anthony Davis. There are plenty of impact freshmen in the SEC this season in James Young (UK), Andrew and Aaron Harrison (UK), Bobby Portis (Arkansas) Kasey Hill (Florida) and Jordan Mickey (LSU) but none have quite the impact of Randle.