Tag: all-sec

Quartet of Lady Gators tennis players earn SEC post-season awards

Here are the four Florida standouts on the women’s circuit this postseason.

The Florida women’s tennis program got some good news on Wednesday when the Southeastern Conference announced the 2024 postseason awards, which included a quartet of Gators: [autotag]Rachel Gailis[/autotag], [autotag]Carly Briggs[/autotag], [autotag]Qavia Lopez[/autotag] and [autotag]Malwina Rowinska[/autotag].

Seventh-ranked sophomore Gailis was named to the First Team All-SEC Team after posting a 21-6, 9-2 SEC record while tallying seven wins over nationally ranked opponents. Briggs, who is ranked No. 57 in the country,  was selected to the All-SEC Second Team holding an 8-2 conference record, including an undefeated run at the SEC Tournament.

Lopez was selected to the All-Freshman team after an impressive first season in Gainesville, becoming the ninth in program history to be named SEC Freshman of the Week twice and the first Gator to earn the honor three times. Rowinska was also named to the All-Freshman team after an impressive campaign on the doubles side with partner Alicia Dudeney.

First-team and second-team All-SEC honorees, All-Freshman team, along with Player, Coach and Freshman of the Year were chosen by the league’s 14 coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their team or players, and ties are not broken.

First Team All-SEC:
Carolyn Ansari, Auburn
Ariana Arseneault, Auburn
Carolina Gomez Alonso, Arkansas
Rachel Gailis, Florida
Dasha Vidmanova, Georgia
Ayana Akli, South Carolina
Sarah Hamner, South Carolina
Sofia Cabezas, Tennessee
Nicole Khirin, Texas A&M
Mary Stoiana, Texas A&M
Mia Kupres, Texas A&M
Celia-Belle Mohr, Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC:
Anne Marie Hiser, Alabama
Petra Sedlackova, Alabama
DJ Bennett, Auburn
Angella Okutoyi, Auburn
Carly Briggs, Florida
Anastasiia Lopata, Georgia
Alexandra Vecic, Georgia
Mell Reasco, Georgia
Guillermina Grant, Georgia
Aran Teixidó Garcia, LSU
Catherine Aulia, Tennessee
Elza Tomase, Tennessee
Lucciana Perez, Texas A&M

All-Freshman Team:
Malwina Rowinska, Florida
Qavia Lopez, Florida
Aysegul Mert, Georgia
Julia Zhu, Kentucky
Kenna Erickson, LSU
Lucciana Perez, Texas A&M
Valeria Ray, Vanderbilt

Player of the Year:
Mary Stoiana, Texas A&M

Freshmen of the Year:
Lucciana Perez, Texas A&M

Coach of the Year:
Drake Bernstein, Georgia

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Graduate transfer Tyrese Samuel named to AP All-SEC team

Samuel is the only Gator among the AP’s two team tiers.

The regular-season accolades are beginning to pile up now that the 2023-24 campaign is in the books, though there is plenty of basketball remaining with the March Madness currently kicking in.

On Tuesday, Florida’s graduate transfer frontcourt player [autotag]Tyrese Samuel[/autotag] was named to the Associated Press All-SEC Second Team, representing the only Gator among the two team tiers; he also received votes as the top newcomer.

Tennessee Volunteers guard Dalton Knecht took home both the AP SEC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards — the former a unanimous decision — in addition to a first-team mention.

Samuel averaged 13.8 points while starting in all 31 games, leading the team with 7.5 rebounds per game and 36 steals. He recorded 10 double-doubles this season, a mark that only Gators greats Al Horford, David Lee and Udonis Haslem surpassed back in the 2000s.

The graduate transfer earned SEC Player of the Week honors and NIT Tip-Off All-Tournament Team honors back in November, thanks in large part to 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots effort against the Pitt Panthers.

The Gators starter leads the SEC in field goal percentage (.573) and ranks third in offensive rebounds (2.97), fourth in rebounds (7.52), ninth in defensive rebounds (4.55) and 11th in blocked shots (1.06) as the regular-season comes to a close.

Samuel joins Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr. as All-SEC honorees who got their call from the coaches on Monday. Alex Condon — part of UF’s frontcourt rotation alongside Samuel — also earned SEC All-Freshman honors Monday.

Florida is a No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament, giving it a first-round bye and matching the Gators up with the winner of Game 2 on Thursday, March 14, inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Tipoff is slated for a late 9:30 p.m. ET start on the SEC Network.

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How rough was Arkansas’ season? Well, one thing happened for the first time in 21 years

Tramon Mark had a shot, but was left off the 17-man All-SEC coaches’ teams.

No Tramon Mark. No Khalif Battle. No Trevon Brazile. No Devo Davis. No anybody.

The Arkansas basketball was left without a single player among the All-SEC coaches’ teams that were announced Monday. It’s the first time for such an absence since 2002-03 and it’s only the third time in school history (1995-96 was the other).

Brazile and Davis were named to the league’s preseason teams, with Brazile even earning votes for preseason Player of the Year. But both players struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness during the regular season.

That 2002-03 team won just nine games. Jonathan Modica, Eric Ferguson and Kendrick Davis all averaged double-figures scoring, but all three were also freshmen. Modica earned pub the next year.

The Razorbacks joined Missouri, LSU and Vanderbilt as the only teams without any players earn honors. Arkansas may not go wholly without an All-SEC player, though, as the Associated Press teams are set to be released Tuesday. It’s unlikely Arkansas sees anyone there, either, however, as the teams are limited to 10 total players. The coaches’ teams included 17 players.

Arkansas will seek to continue its season for at least one more game on Wednesday when the Razorbacks, the No. 12-seed in the SEC Tournament, play 13th-seeded Vanderbilt in the first round from Nashville.

Three Tigers receive All-SEC Team honors

Auburn Forwards Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams along with freshman Aden Holloway receive All-SEC honors.

Three Auburn Tigers earned spots on the SEC men’s basketball all-conference teams on Monday. Forwards [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] along with freshman [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] received honors from the league.

Broome, who was in the running for SEC Player of the Year, earned a spot on the All-SEC First Team as well as the All-SEC Defensive Team after a spectacular junior season in which he averaged 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

Broome improved in all three statistical categories during his second season on the Plains. His 2.1 dimes per contest was a career-high.

Despite playing nearly 2 fewer minutes per fixture this season, Auburn’s leader produced nearly identical defensive statistics of 2.3 blocks and 0.9 steals as he did a year ago. Most notably, Broome was able to stay out of foul trouble by cutting his 3 fouls per game down to 2.4

Front-court mate Jaylin Williams found himself on the All-SEC Second Team after assembling the best season of his career in 2023-2024. The senior put up career-highs in points per game (12.9), field goal percentage (57.7%), and 3-point percentage (39.7).

The longest-tenured Tiger also enjoyed his best free throw percentage (82.5) since his freshmen season when he only appeared in 14 games.

Five-star freshmen Aden Holloway also received honors from the league as he was named to the All-SEC Freshmen Team after an up-and-down first season in front of the Jungle.

After scoring 18 points in the first game of the year against Baylor, Holloway struggled to find his stroke from beyond the 3-point arc but still managed to command [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s offense well.

The 19-year-old from Charlotte finished the season averaging nearly 3 assists per game while committing less than a turnover per outing. Even with the shooting struggles, Holloway managed to finish fifth on the team with 7.8 points per game.

Auburn’s 3 selections to the All-SEC team are tied with Florida, Mississippi State, Tennessee and South Carolina for the second most selections in the conference.

Only Kentucky (4), had more players selected to All-SEC Teams.

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Texas A&M alumnus Alex Caruso selected for Team USA player pool ahead of 2024 Olympics

The Chicago Bulls eighth-year combo guard and Aggies alumnus was among the 41 players selected to the Team USA player pool on Tuesday.

For years, former Texas A&M men’s basketball player Alex Caruso has been making Aggies fans around the nation proud, now he has an opportunity to do it on the biggest stage in front of the world.

The Chicago Bulls eighth-year combo guard was among the 41 players selected to the Team USA player pool on Tuesday afternoon. From that pool, 12 players will be chosen to represent the United States of America in men’s basketball at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill now serves as the managing director of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team. According to Hill, having to cut down this group from 41 to 12 is a good problem to have.

“We’re in a great position,” Hill stated. “We have the chance to have a very special group. A team that has a lot of star power, but also a team that has a lot of balance, versatility and will give us an opportunity for our ultimate goal of winning a gold medal in Paris.”

Caruso was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team as a junior in 2015. He received second-team All-SEC honors following his last season in College Station. Caruso solidified himself as one of the best defenders in the world by earning an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection in 2023.

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Two Bulldogs make freshman All-SEC team

Two Georgia Bulldogs earn All-SEC freshman honors

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Raylen Wilson and left tackle Earnest Greene have made the All-SEC freshman team.

Wilson, a former five-star recruit, has excellent speed and helped boost the Bulldog defense after starting linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson suffered a broken forearm. Wilson recorded 13 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

Surprisingly, Raylen Wilson’s teammate CJ Allen did not earn the nod as a All-SEC freshman pick. Allen, a true freshman who played more snaps than Raylen Wilson, put up better numbers. He has 35 tackles and a sack entering the Orange Bowl. Texas A&M’s Taurean York and Ole Miss’ Suntarine Perkins were the other two All-SEC freshman linebackers.

Left tackle Earnest Greene played in all 13 Georgia games this season. Greene, who missed his true freshman season with injuries, impressed as a freshman and should hold down his left tackle spot for the 2024 college football season.

Georgia football will have another talented incoming group of freshmen next season. The Bulldogs have the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle.

Quartet of Florida football freshmen earn All-SEC honors

These four Gators represent the future of Florida football.

The Southeastern Conference announced its Freshman All-SEC team on Thursday afternoon, which included four Florida football players.

Wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson[/autotag], edge defenders [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] were among the listed names, giving the Gators a quartet of first-year standouts for the first time since 2012.

The All-SEC team was decided upon by the conference’s coaches.

Wilson, who is the most explosive athlete on the list, finished the season with 61 catches for 538 yards — both of which were second on the team to senior wideout Ricky Pearsall — along with a team-high six touchdowns through the air.

He also set the Florida single-game freshman record with 11 receptions against then-No. 1 Georgia in Jacksonville at the end of October. Wilson also earned the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week award after the Arkansas game.

Collins recorded 23 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and sacks, four quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in 12 games as a freshman in Gainesville. His presence on the defensive line was key at times for a corps that suffered a great deal of attrition.

Similarly, Searcy also added depth to the D-line making a dozen appearances himself. He finished the fall with 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Finally, Castell broke out early in his Gators tenure, emerging as starting-level talent for the team during preseason practice and providing much-needed talent in a disappointing defensive backfield.

He appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated run defender among qualified players. Castell was named SEC Freshman of the Week and Shaun Alexander award after the Gators’ Week 3 victory against then-No. 11 Tennessee.

The Gator Nation will have to wait until the Orange and Blue game to see the team back in action. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.

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LSU OL Lance Heard named to Freshman All-SEC team

Lance Heard was mostly a rotational player as a true freshman, but he was still honored by the league office on Thursday after appearing in 12 games with one start.

LSU didn’t rely much on young players in 2023, but it did have one player named to the Freshman All-SEC team.

Offensive tackle [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag] was honored by the league office after seeing a mostly rotational role in his true freshman season. A five-star signee in the 2023 class, the Monroe native from Neville High School came in with lofty expectations.

Though he found himself behind sophomore tackles [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag] on the depth chart, he still appeared as a mostly rotational player in 12 games, though he did make one start at right tackle against Auburn early in the season.

Though both Jones and Campbell are expected to return in 2024, Heard will enter his sophomore season looking to compete for a starting spot at tackle or guard.

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LSU puts six players on coaches All-SEC team

Take a look at the six LSU players that made the All-SEC coaches team.

The All-SEC teams were released this week and LSU was well represented, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Six Tigers were named to the coaches All-SEC teams. Three on the first team and three on the second team.

Most of these names won’t surprise you. These were all guys that had big years, boosting their draft stock in the process.

Six doubles the amount of Tigers on the 2022 coaches team, when LSU had just three, including no offensive first teamers. Despite identical 9-3 records, this team had much more star power.

Here are the six players who received the recognition.

4 LSU players named to Associated Press All-SEC teams

The Tigers’ offense is well represented on the All-SEC teams.

The Associated Press All-SEC teams have been announced, and it should come as no surprise that LSU’s record-setting offense was well-represented.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who was also named the AP’s SEC Offensive Player of the Year after a season that landed him an invite to the Heisman ceremony where he’s the heavy favorite to win the award, is represented as a unanimous First Team selection, as is his top wideout [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag].

Daniels is pacing the nation in practically every quarterback stat, and his 208 quarterback rating is the best in FBS history. Nabers, meanwhile, was the nation’s leading receiver with 1,546 yards and ranked second in touchdowns with 14 as he was named a Biletnikoff Award finalist.

Fellow receiver [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] appears on the Second Team, as does left tackle [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag].

Thomas also had a 1,000-yard campaign, and he beat out Nabers with 15 receiving touchdowns, which led the nation. Campbell started every game and didn’t allow a single sack as the leader of one of the country’s top offensive lines.

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