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Coaches split voting: Pearl, Gillispie share SEC award

Vanderbilt's Foster is Player of the Year

STORY TOOLS

Kentucky's Billy Gillispie and Tennessee's Bruce Pearl shared SEC Coach of the Year honors and Vanderbilt senior guard/forward Shan Foster was selected SEC Player of the Year by the league's coaches.

Florida's Nick Calathes and Kentucky's Patrick Patterson shared the SEC Freshman of the Year award and Georgia's Dave Bliss earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State was a unanimous pick as SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Tennessee's J.P. Prince earned SEC's Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Gillispie led Kentucky to a second place finish in the SEC East Division and a first-round bye at the SEC Tournament after starting the season 6-7. Pearl led Tennessee to their first No. 1 ranking in school history and UT's first outright SEC Championship since 1967.

Foster garnered SEC Player of the Year honors in leading Vanderbilt to a 25 win season and a 10-6 mark in SEC play. Foster was also a unanimous All-SEC First Team selection. He led the league in scoring with 20.6 ppg.

Calathes leads the SEC in assists. Among SEC Freshmen, he ranks first in steals, third in scoring and fifth in rebounding. Patterson ranks in the Top 10 in both scoring (ninth) and rebounding (seventh).

Among SEC Freshmen, he ranks second in scoring and rebounding. Calathes and Patterson were among six unanimous All-Freshman team members.

Bliss earned the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, sporting a 3.45 grade-point average in Political Science and Real Estate.

Varnado leads the nation in blocked shots (4.8) and is 13 blocks shy of the SEC record held by Shaquille O'Neal.

Prince won the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year award. Part of UT's deep bench, Prince chimes in with 8.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game..

A complete list of the 2008 SEC Men's Basketball postseason awards follows.

FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown

Richard Hendrix, Alabama* F 6-8 265 JR Athens,

Ala.

Sonny Weems, Arkansas F 6-6 203 SR West Memphis,

Ark.

Ramel Bradley, Kentucky -- 6-2 191 SR New York, N.Y.

Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State# G/F 6-4 230 JR

Nashville, Tenn.

Charles Rhodes, Mississippi State F/C 6-8 245 SR

Jackson, Miss.

Devan Downey, South Carolina G 5-9 175 SO Chester,

S.C.

Chris Lofton, Tennessee* G 6-2 200 SR

Maysville, Ky.

Tyler Smith, Tennessee F 6-7 215 SO Pulaski, Tenn.

Shan Foster, Vanderbilt# G/F 6-6 205 SR Kenner,

La.

SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown

Nick Calathes, Florida G/F 6-6 185 FR Casselberry,

Fla.

Sundiata Gaines, Georgia G 6-1 210 SR Jamaica,

N.Y.

Joe Crawford, Kentucky -- 6-5 207 SR Detroit, Mich.

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky -- 6-8 232 FR

Huntington, W.Va.

Marcus Thornton, LSU G 6-4 190 JR Baton Rouge, La.

Dwayne Curtis, Ole Miss C 6-8 262 SR Chicago, Ill.

JaJuan Smith, Tennessee G 6-2 195 SR Cleveland, Tenn.

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt C 6-11 250 FR Sydney,

Australia

SEC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown

Nick Calathes, Florida# G/F 6-6 185 Casselberry, Fla.

Jai Lucas, Florida# G 5-11 150 Bellaire, Texas

Chandler Parsons, Florida* F 6-9 200 Casselberry,

Fla.

Jeremy Price, Georgia F 6-8 270 Decatur, Ga.

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky# -- 6-8 232 Huntington,

W.Va.

Anthony Randolph, LSU# F 6-10 190 Dallas, Texas

Trevor Gaskins, Ole Miss* G 6-2 203 Alpharetta, Ga.

Chris Warren, Ole Miss# G 5-10 170 Orlando, Fla.

Mike Holmes, South Carolina* F 6-7 230 Bishopville,

S.C.

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt# C 6-11 250 Sydney,

Australia

SEC ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown

Steven Hill, Arkansas F/C 7-0, 245, SR, Branson, Mo.

Sundiata Gaines, Georgia G 6-1, 210, SR, Jamaica, N.Y.

Ramel Bradley, Kentucky -- 6-2, 191, SR, New York, N.Y.

Garrett Temple, LSU G 6-6, 185, JR, Baton Rouge, La.

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State F/C 6-9, 210, SO,

Brownsville, Tenn.

JaJuan Smith, Tennessee G 6-2, 195, SR, Cleveland, Tenn.

SEC CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR

Billy Gillispie, Kentucky

Bruce Pearl, Tennessee

SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Dave Bliss, Georgia

SEC CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR

Nick Calathes, Florida

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky

SEC SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR

J.P. Prince, Tennessee

SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State#

#-Unanimous Selection; *-Ties are not broken

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