In the end, an undefeated conference season was pretty hard to ignore.
The SEC announced yesterday that its coaches had named Kentucky’s John Calipari Coach of the Year and his dominant, freshman protege Anthony Davis as the league’s Player of the Year. For good measure, they also awarded Davis Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.
Kentucky also had the Sixth Man of the Year in senior Darius Miller.
Florida Patric Young somehow managed to sneak away with the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award before someone in blue and white made off with that, too.
We aren’t schocked by the multiple awards for Davis or the recognition for Miller. Both are deserved.
So is the Coach of the Year award for Calipari, but that we are mildly surprised that he won it. In past years, the AP has been the group that hands its award to the guy with the best record while the SEC’s coaches have been known to — as we wrote the other day — vote for the “best story.” We expected Tennessee’s Cuonzo Martin to grab at least a share of the coaches’ award. That didn’t happen this time around.
What Calipari and UK accomplished this season was truly historic. Only three times since the 50s has a team gone unbeaten through the SEC, including this year’s run. Kentucky is also just a buzzer-beating loss to Indiana away from being undefeated overall.
For those who say, “Calipari just took the preseason favorite to the title, so what,” you miss the bigger picture. UK’s coach didn’t just win the league title, he crushed the SEC and grabbed the grown a full six games ahead of anyone else.
As for the league’s All-SEC teams, here ya go:
First Team All-SEC
Bradley Beal, Florida – G, 6-3, 207, Fr., St. Louis, Mo.
Kenny Boynton, Florida – G, 6-2, 189, Jr., Pompano Beach, Fla.
Anthony Davis, Kentucky – F, 6-10, 220, Fr., Chicago, Ill.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky – F, 6-7, 232, Fr., Somerdale, N.J.
Dee Bost, Mississippi State – G, 6-2, 176, Sr., Concord, N.C.
Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State – F, 6-11, 249, Jr., Memphis, Tenn.
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt – G, 6-4, 215, Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn.
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – F, 6-7, 225, Sr., Norkopping, Sweden
Second Team All-SEC
JaMychal Green, Alabama – F, 6-8, 228, Sr., Montgomery, Ala.
Trevor Releford, Alabama – G, 6-1, 180, So., Kansas City, Mo.
BJ Young, Arkansas – G, 6-3, 175, Fr., St. Louis, Mo.
Erving Walker, Florida – G, 5-8, 177, Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.
Terrence Jones, Kentucky – F, 6-9, 252, So., Portland, Ore.
Doron Lamb, Kentucky – G, 6-4, 210, So., Queens, N.Y.
Justin Hamilton, LSU – C, 7-0, 260, Jr., Alpine, Utah
Terrance Henry, Ole Miss – F, 6-9, 210, Sr., Monroe, La.
Jeronne Maymon, Tennessee – F, 6-7, 265, Jr., Madison, Wis.
SEC All-Freshman Team
BJ Young, Arkansas – G, 6-3, 175, Fr., St. Louis, Mo.
Bradley Beal, Florida – G, 6-3, 207, Fr., St. Louis, Mo.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia – G, 6-5, 200, Fr., Greenville, Ga.
Anthony Davis, Kentucky – F, 6-10, 220, Fr., Chicago, Ill.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky – F, 6-7, 232, Fr., Somerdale, N.J.
Anthony Hickey, LSU – G, 5-11, 182, Fr., Hopkinsville, Ky.
Rodney Hood, Mississippi State – G, 6-8, 204, Fr., Meridian, Miss.
Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee – F, 6-8, 250, Fr., Memphis, Tenn.
SEC All-Defensive Team
Anthony Davis, Kentucky – F, 6-10, 220, Fr., Chicago, Ill.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky – F, 6-7, 232, Fr., Somerdale, N.J.
Reginald Buckner, Ole Miss – F, 6-9, 225, Jr., Memphis, Tenn.
Damontre Harris, South Carolina – F, 6-9, 214, So., Fayetteville, N.C.
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – F, 6-7, Sr., 225, Norrkoping, Sweden
