All Conference Awards: The Final Version

ACC:

UVA won their first regular season title since 1981 and finished with a 16-2 record after losing their last game Sunday in overtime to Maryland. Syracuse got back on the winning track by blowing out Florida State to claim the two seed in the ACC tournament and Duke put a second half whooping on UNC to win the tie-breaker for the three seed. Right now it is looking like only five ACC teams will make the tournament with two of them (Cuse and Pittsburgh) having just come over from the Big East. Outside of the top programs in the conference it definitely was another lackluster season for the ACC as a whole.

Player of the Year:

TJ Warren (NC State) – 25.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg

If I had to guess, I would go ahead and say that Jabari Parker will probably get the POY nod from the media over TJ Warren; however I have to give the slight nod to the sophomore forward from N.C. State.  Before we get to the stats, let’s start with expectations. Duke was predicted to finish first in the ACC with N.C. State coming in tenth. Duke went 13-5 and tied with North Carolina for third place (although they won the tie breaker). Meanwhile, N.C. State finished at 9-9 and sits all alone in seventh place. N.C. State exceeded expectations while Duke never really mounted a battle for the regular season crown. Second, why don’t we talk about surrounding talent? Coach K took advantage of his plethora of perimeter players and spaced the court with shooters lined up all over the place. Teams were forced to guard Parker one on one and could very rarely offer up any help in fear of giving up an open three to the second best offense in the country. Meanwhile, not one person on the Wolfpack gave coaches fits at night besides Warren. The paint was clogged with big men Jordan Vandenberg and Kyle Washington, while Tyler Lewis and Ralston Turner manned the guard spots. With a lack of talent, teams were free to focus on Warren at every opportunity. 

Now, we can talk individual stats. Warren led the conference in scoring by a wide margin at 25.5 ppg while Parker averaged 17.6. Parker led the league in rebounds with 9.8 per game compared to Warren who averaged 6.5 rpg. Score one for Parker. In ACC play, Warren took 318 shots and hit them at a rate of 52.5%. After struggling to start conference play, Warren shot 50% or better in 12 of his last 14 games compared to Parker who shot 45% and only shot 50% or better in eight games. Parker looked unstoppable going for a career high 30 points against UNC, but Warren went for 41 points against Pittsburgh and 42 points against Boston College in the last week of play. Warren did more for his undermanned team than Parker and did it in a more efficient manner.

All Conference Team:

Jabari Parker (Duke) – 17.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg

Parker came along way in a two month span. In the freshman’s first ACC game he was benched for the final five minutes due to lackluster a play and was content to shoot jump shots. 17 games later, Parker was a beast destroying UNC in his best game of the year. No matter who was guarding him, Parker attacked relentlessly and finished 10-17 from the floor and recorded his sixth straight game with double figure rebounds. Earlier in the week, Duke lost to Wake Forest as 11 point favorites, but Parker went 7-11 and had 19 points and 10 rebounds. For most of the ACC season, Parker did not have his shot going from behind the arc, but with two three’s on Saturday he finished a hair over 30% in ACC play. Just missing out on the POY award, Parker easily wins the award as top freshman.

Marcus Paige (UNC) – 16.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.8 apg

It can be argued that Paige meant the most to his team. Without #2ndHalfPaige, there is a good chance that UNC would have been fighting for a spot on the bubble. Instead the sophomore point guard led the Tar Heels to a 12-1 finish after getting off to a 1-4 conference start. Paige averaged 17.6 points per game over the last 13 and hit countless clutch shots in wins over Duke and Florida State, and also a buzzer beater in overtime to defeat N.C. State. Sporting one of the prettiest jump shots in college basketball, the Tar Heels are going to need a high scoring performance every time they take the court to advance in the NCAA tournament. 

Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) – 15 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.4 spg

Mr. Consistent. The best player on the top team in the conference averaged 14.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg and was the only player to score in double figures in every single ACC game. The 6’5” red-shirt sophomore only shot 44.8% from the field, but he led the conference in free throw shooting at 88.8%. He scored a season high 19 points against Syracuse and also hit the game winning three against Pittsburgh. Everyone assumed Joe Harris was going to be the UVA player to make first team all-conference, but Brogdon has been the Cavaliers steady hand throughout the year. 

C.J. Fair (Syracuse) – 16.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg

Syracuse struggled down the stretch in ACC play, but Fair made sure they entered tournament play on a winning note with 22 points and seven rebounds against Florida State. The pre-season POY came close to living up to the early billing, but was not as dominant as some of the other players on this list. He did score in double figures in 17 out of 18 games and is usually a match-up mis-match for opponents. 

Freshman of the Year:

Jabari Parker (Duke)

PAC-12:

Player of the Year:

Kyle Anderson (UCLA) – 15.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 6.6 apg

Nick Johnson has a very strong case for Player of the Year, but I am going with Slo-Mo. Throughout the year, Anderson has put up ridiculous stats while leading UCLA to a second place finish. While he never put up a triple double he had seven double-digit rebounding performances and three double-digit assist performances. He also scored in double figures in all but three games. Why does Anderson get the nod over Johnson? During the year, Johnson averaged 16.2 points per game, but only shot 40% from the floor and he had only six games where he shot 50% or better. Johnson’s team won the regular season and is one of the top teams in the country, but the talent level of Arizona’s starting five is more talented than that of UCLA’s. 

All Conference Team:

Nick Johnson (Arizona) – 16.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Johnson went for 25 points in a close win over Oregon State, but came back down to earth with just 11 points in a loss to Oregon. Earlier in the year Johnson was a lock for first team All-American but then went through a shooting slump in the middle of conference play highlighted by a 1-14 performance in a loss to Cal. When Brandon Ashley went out, it took awhile for Johnson to get going again, but he came up big in a road win at Colorado.

Delon Wright (Utah) – 16.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.9 apg

The Utah stat-stuffer was busy again this past week on the road in Northern California. Wright went for 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in a win over Cal and then put up 12 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in a one point loss to Stanford. Besides for Anderson, Wright is the most versatile threat in the PAC-12 and one of the more underrated players in the country. Utah went 9-9 in the PAC 12 this year with seven of their nine losses coming under four points. Wright will need a strong showing in the PAC-12 tournament in order to make a long awaited tournament appearance.

Jahii Carson (Arizona State) – 18.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.9 apg

The Sun Devils ended their season with two losses in Oregon, but Carson put up two strong performances going for an average of 26 in the two games. In his last year of play, Carson was one of the hardest covers in the conference and turned Herb Sendek’s fortunes around with their first tournament appearance since the James Harden era.

Chasson Randle (Stanford) – 18.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.4 apg

Chasson Randle replaces Justin Cobbs as the two California guards have gone in opposite directions over the past few weeks. Randle went for 24 points against Colorado and followed that up with 22 points in a one point win over Utah on Saturday. For the season, Randle averaged 18.9 points per game and led Stanford to a 10-8 record. 

Freshman of the Year:

Aaron Gordon (Arizona) – 12.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg

In a loss to Oregon, Gordon was the only Wildcat to put up a fight with 21 points and eight rebounds. The best freshmen in the PAC-12 ended the season with 12.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Gordon picked up his scoring over the past few weeks and was one of the main reasons the Wildcats were able to overcome the loss of power forward Brandon Ashley. Gordon was the front runner for this award all year; however Nigel Williams-Goss was not too far behind. The Washington freshman averaged 13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 4.4 apg while shooting 47%from the field.

AAC:

I don’ think anyone thought the AAC conference championship was going to be split between Louisville and Cincinnati and a coin flip had to be used to determine who is going to be the #1 seed in the AAC conference tourney. The Bearcats knocked off Memphis earlier in the week on Sean Kilpatrick’s senior day and held off lowly Rutgers.  The Cardinals had two impressive wins with a road victory at SMU and a senior day demolishing of UCONN.    

Player of the Year:

Shabazz Napier (UCONN) – 19.3 ppg, 4.7 apg, 5.7 rpg 1.7, spg

In maybe the closest conference POY race in college basketball, Shabazz Napier edges out Russ Smith of Louisville and Sean Kilpatrick of Cincinnati for AAC player of the year. Without Napier, UCONN isn’t a ranked team, nor a contender in the top heavy AAC.  Napier is one of five players in the country and certainly the only player in the AAC to lead his team in points, assists rebounds and steals. UCONN hasn’t seen a player of this caliber since Kemba Walker and the AAC may never see a more complete player in quite some time. 

     

All Conference Team: 

Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) – 22.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg

The AAC’s leading scorer had a stellar season in leading UC to a share of the conference championship.  The fifth year senior finished his career in style with going for 34 points against Memphis and 24 points against Rutgers. Kilpatrick never scored less than 13 points and scored 20+ points more than 10 times in AAC contests. In most years, this would be more than enough to be POY.    

Russ Smith (Louisville) – 18.0 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.33 spg

Russdiculous ended his senior year with big time wins over SMU and UCONN for the streaking Cardinals. Smith had 26 point and five assists in a road win versus SMU. Against UCONN, Russ only attempted two shots and ended up with only 3 points but he had a career high 13 assists in the blowout victory.

 

Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) – 15.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg

Harrell might have played his last regular season games in college hoops after going beast mode against SMU and UCONN.  The AAC’s leading rebounder had 19 points and 8 rebounds against SMU and owned his individual matchup with Markus Kennedy.  Against an overmatched UCONN frontcourt, he had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Harrell has established himself as the best big man in the AAC and one of the best in the country with his aggressive play, rebounding, defensive prowess and uncanny dunking ability.

   

Nic Moore (SMU) – 14.2 ppg, 4.7 apg

To round out the AAC all conference team, Nic Moore has been the catalyst for SMU’s emergence in the AAC. The sophomore has been the leading scorer and assist man for the Mustangs, who will be making their first NCAA tourney appearance since 1983.  

Freshman of the Year:

Austin Nichols (Memphis) – 9.5 ppg and 4.1 rpg

Freshman forward Austin Nichols edges out Terry Rozier of Louisville for the AAC freshman of the year.  Nichols has been a starter for Memphis all season and become an integral part of the offense and a strong defensive player.  He’s the fourth leading rebounder and leading scorer amongst AAC freshman.  He came on strong late in AAC play ended the regular season with a 14 point, three block and nine rebound performance against SMU.

SEC:

Top ranked Florida steamrolled the competition and completed an undefeated SEC season and first undefeated season since UK two years ago.  UK finished second in the conference but was a distant six games back of the Gators.

Player of the Year:

Scotty Wilbekin (Florida) – 13.4 ppg, 3.8 apg

The Gator’s point guard has been the most important player for the best team in the country. He’s been the player that orchestrates all the pieces of the Florida team and makes them the best in the land. Time and time again in SEC play, he has hit clutch shots, made the right pass and played superior defense for the Gators. This past week, Scottie tallied 13 points, four assists and three rebounds againstKentucky in a convincing win.   

All Conference Team:

Julius Randle (Kentucky) – 13.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg (Freshman of the Year)

The SEC freshman of the year had an outstanding season for the Wildcats.  He averaged a double double in SEC play and was easily the best power forward and might have been the freshman in SEC since fellow Wildcat, Anthony Davis.  The Cats went 1-1 this week but Randle was one of the bright spots.  In a loss to Florida, Randle had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and shot 7-11 from the field against a very experienced and talented Florida frontline.    

Jabari Brown (Missouri) – 20.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.4 apg

The SEC’s leading scorer was one of the most consistent players all season in conference play. Brown only had one game in single digits for the entire season.  As the season progressed his assist totals improved and he carried Missouri on his back. The Tigers are going to have to win the SEC tourney to get in the big dance, and with Brown, they’ll have a shot due to his leadership and knack to make clutch plays. 

Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee) – 15.0 ppg, 11.1 rpg

The double double machine has lead Tenneessee to win five of their last six games and seems to have helped them lock up an NCAA tourney birth.  The SEC’s leading rebounder has lived up to his preseason billing as one of the premier bigs in the SEC. 

 

Trevor Releford (Alabama) -18.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.0 spg

The senior has been a stalwart in his tenure with the Crimson Tide. He’s the SEC leader in steals, and finished up as one of the leading scorers in the SEC. Despite Bama not making any waves in the conference, Releford has been an elite player and kept Bama a threat in most of their games.

Big 10:

POY:

Nick Stauskas (Michigan) – 17 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.5 apg

All Conference Team:

Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa) – 18.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.4 apg

Terran Petteway (Nebraska) – 18.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg

Gary Harris (Michigan State) – 17.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.6 apg

Ben Brust (Wisconsin) – 12.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg

Freshman of the Year:

Noah Vonleh (Indiana) – 11.5 ppg, 9 rpg

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.