Tag: all-sec

Georgia Amoore was voted to the preseason All-SEC team

Kentucky women’s basketball landed guard Georgia Amoore on the preseason All-SEC team.

The Kentucky women’s basketball team has gotten some positive attention from the media in recent days. Earlier in the week, they were ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, coming in at number 22. Now, one of coach Kenny Brooks’ players, Georgia Amoore, received an individual honor.

Amoore was voted to the All-SEC team by the media, and received a first-team nod. She is expected to be one of the leaders of the Wildcats, and one of the SEC’s better players.

Related: Kentucky in the final three for 2025 guard ZaKiyah Johnson

Amoore came over to Kentucky this offseason from Virginia Tech, following her coach. Last season, with the Hokies, she averaged 18.8 points and 6.8 assists per game on her way to be coming their all-time assists leader.

Bringing Amoore over with him was a big win for Brooks and Kentucky. She brings leadership and plenty of experience, but she also brings a ton of talent. The season is just around the corner, and fans will soon get to see just how good she is.

Broome and Baker-Mazara earn preseason All-SEC honors

Expect Broome and Baker-Mazara to have big seasons in 2024-25!

The 2024-2025 college basketball season is quickly approaching as media days get underway for many conferences and preseason polls make their debut. The nation is also getting a look at what players will be worth keeping an eye on this season, which Auburn has a couple of.

[autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] both earned preseason All-SEC honors this year, with Broome being named to the First Team and Baker-Mazara to the Third Team. Broome was also nearly tabbed as the preseason SEC Player of the Year, but was edged out by Mark Sears of Alabama.

Both players had tremendous seasons last year and look to do more of the same on the court in just a matter of weeks.

Broome was far and away the Tigers’ leading scorer last year with 576 points, averaging 24.8 points per game. He also was one of the team’s most reliable shooters, converting 54.8% of his shots from the field. He shot 35.4% from distance, but also had his struggles from the free throw line, where he posted a 61.5% success rate.

Broome was also electric on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game to go with his 31 steals and 78 blocks.

To compliment his SEC Tournament MVP trophy from last year, Broome was also named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team for his stellar performance.

Baker-Mazara also completed his first year on the Plains with some big production numbers. He was third on the team in scoring, posting 350 points on the year while shooting 45.2% from the field. He excelled behind the arc though, shooting 41.8% on the year, which tied as the team’s best percentage with [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag].

Baker-Mazara also made plays all over the floor, racking up 77 assists on the year, while forcing 36 steals and 17 blocks on defense to cause disruption.

His play in the SEC Tournament earned him a spot on the SEC-All Tournament Team, something he looks to improve on and earn again in his senior season.

Auburn takes the court for the very first time this season on Nov. 1 when it plays FAU in a charity exhibition game at Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST.

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Florida projected to finish 6th by media, two named to Preseason All-SEC teams

The college basketball season is here, and expectations are high for the Florida Gators, which boasts two Preseason All-SEC players.

The SEC media members have voted and Florida is projected to finish sixth overall in the conference ahead of the 2024-25 season.

In addition to the projected order of finish, media members voted for the SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and for All-Conference teams. Alabama was picked to win the SEC, led by Preseason Player of the Year Mark Sears.

Florida guard [autotag]Walter Clayton Jr[/autotag] earned a First Team nod and second-year forward [autotag]Alex Condon[/autotag] made the Third Team.

As a junior, Clayton averaged 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in his first year with the Gators. He’s expected to take over the point guard role this year, but he’s still viewed as a score-first guard.

Condon played 20.3 minutes per game as a freshman a season ago, averaging 7.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. With several of last year’s big men hurt or no longer on the roster, Condon should see an increased role.

Sixth place is the highest preseason projection earned by Florida since the start of the Golden era in Gainesville. Following a 24-win season and return to the NCAA Tournament, expectations are sky high for the Orange and Blue heading into the season.

The season begins Nov. 4 when Florida faces South Florida in a neutral-site matchup in Jacksonville.

The complete order of finish projection and the three Preseason All-SEC teams can be found below.

Projected Order of Finish

  1. Alabama Crimson Tide
  2. Auburn Tigers
  3. Tennessee Volunteers
  4. Arkansas Razorbacks
  5. Texas A&M Aggies
  6. Florida Gators
  7. Texas Longhorns
  8. Kentucky Wildcats
  9. Ole Miss Rebels
  10. Mississippi State Bulldogs
  11. South Carolina Gamecocks
  12. Georgia Bulldogs
  13. Missouri Tigers
  14. LSU Tigers
  15. Oklahoma Sooners
  16. Vanderbilt Commodores

First Team All-SEC

Position Player Team
G Mark Sears (POTY) Alabama
G Walter Clayton Jr. Florida
G Zakai Zeigler Tennessee
G Wade Taylor IV Texas A&M
F Johni Broome Auburn

Second Team All-SEC

Position Player Team
G Johnell Davis Arkansas
G Josh Hubbard Miss. St.
G Matthew Murrell Ole Miss
F Jonas Aidoo Arkansas
F Grant Nelson Alabama

Third Team All-SEC

Position Player Team
G Tramon Mark Arkansas
G Chad Baker-Mazara Auburn
G Jaxson Robinson Kentucky
F Collin Murray-Boyles South Carolina
F Alex Condon Florida

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Two Kentucky Wildcats make USA Today Sports All-SEC football teams

Kentucky football had two players make the USA Today Sports preseason All-SEC team.

The SEC is tougher than ever heading into the 2024 season, and Kentucky plays one of the toughest schedules in all of college football.

The Wildcats have a talented team, with an offense full of weapons, particularly at wide receiver. The defense, meanwhile, is experienced, and has the potential to be elite.

Even on a team with lots of talent, certain players tend to stand out. Kentucky is no different. A few players are viewed as among the best in the conference and are being recognized leading up to the season.

Related: Kentucky football unranked in first AP Top 25

On Monday, USA Today Sports released their preseason All-SEC first and second teams. A couple of Wildcats were honored, and were on the list.

Defensive tackle Deone Walker was named to the second team. He had a tremendous season, with 12.5 tackles for a loss, and 7.5 sacks. He’s a potential first round pick in 2025.

The other Wildcat to make the team was Barion Brown, who is their second team all-purpose player. Brown is half of one of the best receiving duos in the SEC, and also a dynamic return man.

The season is set to begin soon, and both Walker and Brown, along with others, should be big contributors. Time will tell if they can lead the Wildcats to another bowl game.

Five Georgia Bulldogs named to All-SEC preseason defense

Five Georgia players as well as two former Bulldogs were selected as preseason all-SEC players, including three on the first team.

With the conclusion of SEC Media Days, the official All-SEC preseason teams as voted on by members of the media were released on Friday morning. Among the players selected to the defensive team are five Georgia Bulldogs’ players, down from eight a season ago.

Three Bulldogs were selected for the first-team, giving Georgia a total of six first team selections, which is the highest among SEC teams. Defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse was one of four defensive linemen chosen, alongside Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen, and Kentucky’s Deone Walker. At linebacker, Mykel Williams joined LSU’s Harold Perkins, Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman, and Alabama’s Deontae Lawson. Rounding out the Bulldogs’ first team selections was superstar safety Malaki Starks, joining Alabama’s Malachi Moore at the position.

Linebacker Smael Mondon was the lone Bulldog defender on the second team, while cornerback Daylen Everette was selected for the third team. Two former Bulldog players were also included, with LSU safety Major Burns and Kentucky linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson making the second and third team, respectively. Punter Brett Thorson was also selected to the second team on special teams.

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Overall, the Bulldogs had 15 players across the all-conference selections, coming in second only to Alabama with 16.

Eight Bulldogs named to All-SEC preseason offensive teams

Eight players on the Georgia offense were selected as preseason All-SEC, including three on the first team.

With the conclusion of SEC Media Days, the media’s official All-SEC preseason teams were released on Friday morning. Among the selections on the offensive side of the football are eight Georgia Bulldogs players, up from seven a year ago.

Three Bulldogs were selected to the first team, including at the quarterback position, where Carson Beck was given the nod over Texas‘ Quinn Ewers and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Florida Gators transfer Trevor Etienne was selected as the first team running back alongside Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter, while guard Tate Ratledge was selected as a first team offensive lineman.

Two more Georgia offensive linemen were chosen for the second team, with guard Dylan Fairchild and tackle Xavier Truss getting the nod. On the third team roster, tackle Earnest Greene was the fourth Bulldog lineman selected, while wide receiver Dominic Lovett and tight end Oscar Delp rounded out the list. Wide receiver Dillon Bell also made the second team special teams’ roster as an all-purpose player.

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Georgia was also selected as the heavy favorite to win the conference, receiving 165 first-place votes compared to 27 for the next closest team, that being the Texas Longhorns.

Eight Gators on Phil Steele’s 2024 Preseason All-SEC Teams

Florida returns several of the conference’s best players, including these eight who made the Phil Steele Preseason All-SEC Teams.

The Florida Gators regularly produce some of the best talent in the SEC, so it isn’t surprising to see eight UF players named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-American Teams

A pair of seniors — running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] — made the first team.

Johnson transferred from Lousiana, following head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and has been the main man in Florida’s backfield since. He’s passed the 800-yard mark on the ground in both of his seasons in Gainesville and scored 15 rushing touchdowns as a Gator. Crawshaw is one of the nation’s premier legs and is among the punters Florida has ever rostered.

Senior cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and junior inside linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] join long-snapper [autotag]Rocco Underwood[/autotag] on Steel’s All-SEC Second Team.

A former five-star recruit, Marshall has yet to live up to expectations at the college level, but he’s considered a top draft prospect and will be tested as such. James is a bit more proven, but he’s coming off a serious knee injury that could change how he plays.

Left tackle and leader of Florida offensive line [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] joins kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] on the Third Team.

Barber also missed time with an injury last season, but he’s the anchor in the trenches for the Gators. He’ll have some help from the transfer portal this season, but look for him to play the same role up front for UF. Smack took over the starting kicker role for [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] in 2023. He made all 29 extra points he attempted and made 17 of 21 field goals, including a pair of 50-plus-yarders.

Rounding out the list is sophomore safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] on the Fourth Team. Pro Football Focus ranked him fifth among freshman safeties who played at least 20% of his team’s snaps.

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Gators two-way standout Jac Caglianone earns All-SEC honor

Jac Caglianone is an All-SEC First Team first baseman!

Florida baseball’s star two-way player [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] earned some much-deserved recognition on Monday when the Southeastern Conference included him on its All-SEC First Team. The junior slugger earned the honor as a first baseman.

Caglianone has been one of the best players to ever pass through Gainesville, following his enormously successful 2023 campaign with another fabulous performance this past spring. He led the Gators with a videogame numbers slash line of .413/.525/.851 with 29 home runs, 66 runs scored and 58 RBI while also playing great defense at first.

The Tampa (Florida) Plant product ranked third nationally in home runs (second in SEC), fifth in slugging (second in SEC), eighth in batting average (second in SEC) and 11th in on-base percentage (third in SEC) at the end of regular season play. He also drew 20 more walks (41) than strikeouts (21), ranking as the 59th-most-difficult hitter to strikeout in the nation with 9.9 at-bats per strikeout while wielding a minuscule 8.2% punchout rate.

Cags put together some brilliant stretches in 2024. First, he homered in an NCAA-record nine-straight games from April 6-19, followed by 66 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout from April 7-27. The future first-round pick then proceeded to post a 30-game hitting streak from March 23 through May 12 to tie the all-time program mark.

While his All-SEC selection was not based on his efforts on the mound, it is worth mentioning that Caglianone also put up a 5-1 record, 4.35 ERA and 9.9 strikeouts per nine as a southpaw hurler.

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Multiple Kentucky baseball players honored as All-SEC for 2024

Kentucky baseball had multiple players recognized as All-SEC for the 2024 season.

The 2024 Kentucky Wildcats baseball season has been hugely successful, resulting in a top five ranking at the end of the season. They enter the post-season as one of the favorites to make a deep run and are legitimate championship threats.

In order to be a great team, great players are required, and Kentucky had several players who had fantastic seasons. On Monday, more than one received All-SEC honors for their play this year.

Related: Kentucky baseball lands transfer Scott Rouse

Nick Lopez transferred to Kentucky before the season, and has been key to their success. He posted a .380 batting average with a 1.053 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He was named first-team All-SEC.

Outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt also had a big season. He hit .368 and had a 1.149 OPS. His 11 homeruns was second on the team. It was a second-team All-SEC nod for him.

The defense for the Cats was honored as well. Third baseman Mitchell Daly, second baseman Emilien Pitre, and pitcher Mason Moore were all recognized as All-SEC defenders.

 

Florida’s two-way standout earns All-SEC, Golden Spikes Semifinalist honors

Jac Caglianone added some hardware to his mantle on Monday.

Florida baseball’s two-way first baseman-pitcher superstar [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] received some much-earned recognition on Monday.

The Southeastern Conference announced its All-SEC lineup for the 2024 season, with Caglianone earning first-team recognition for the second straight season. The junior slugger also headlined the list of semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award making him one of nine included from the SEC.

Cags put up videogame numbers at the plate this spring, slashing .413/.525/.851 with 29 home runs, 66 runs scored and 58 RBI over 54 games played. That ranks him third overall in home runs (second in the SEC), fifth in slugging (second SEC), eighth in batting average (second SEC) and 11th in on-base percentage (third SEC).

He also drew more walks (41) than strikeouts (21) and posted a sparkling 8.2% strikeout rate.

The 6-foot-5-inch future first-round draft pick was no slouch on the mound either, posting a 4.35 ERA (vs. his 4.34 ERA last season) over 13 starts that stretched across 62 frames. Caglianone posted a .217 batting average against and struck out 68 batters against 44 walks over the course of those innings.

USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 5, and fan voting will once again open at GoldenSpikesAward.com before closing on June 21. The 46th Golden Spikes Award will be presented on June 22 on ESPN.

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