UT's Smith unanimous All-SEC

The Southeastern Conference announced its 2009 men’s basketball postseason awards Tuesday, and Tennessee had three players honored as All-SEC. Tyler Smith earned unanimous selection to the All-SEC first team, while Wayne Chism and Scotty Hopson garnered All-SEC second team and Freshman All-SEC, respectively.

Smith, a junior forward who became the 42nd member of Tennessee’s 1,000-point club last week, has started all 30 games for the SEC Eastern Division co-champion Volunteers this season and leads the team in scoring (17.1 ppg) and assists (3.6 apg). The Pulaski, Tenn., native has led the Vols in scoring 16 times, rebounding 16 time and assists 10 times this season.

On Dec. 3 against UNC Asheville, Smith recorded the first triple-double in the 100-year history of Tennessee basketball, posting 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the Bulldogs.

Smith is one of five league standouts to earn unanimous first-team recognition, joining Florida’s Nick Calathes, Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks, LSU’s Marcus Thornton and South Carolina’s Devan Downey. Smith also was a first-team All-SEC pick by the league coaches last season.

Chism’s second-team award was well deserved, as the junior center/forward displayed improvement in nearly every phase of his game this season. He entered the season as a 57-percent career free-throw shooter but has shot 70 percent (85-of-121) at the line this season while setting season-highs for both attempts and makes. His 8.1 rebounds per game lead the Vols, as do his 30 blocked shots. Chism also ranks among the SEC leaders with a career-best 13.3 points per game.

The Jackson, Tenn., native has recorded seven double-doubles this season and also became a member of UT’s 1,000-point club. He has led the Big Orange in scoring eight times and rebounding 15 times on the year.

This is the third season in which fourth-year UT head coach Bruce Pearl has seen multiple Vols land on the coaches’ All-SEC first and/or second teams.

Hopson has been arguably the most improved player on Tennessee’s roster from the start of the year through the conclusion of the regular season — particularly on defense. The two-time SEC Freshman of the Week is averaging 9.3 points per game this season but upped that average to 10.3 points in SEC play.

The Hopkinsville, Ky., native amped up his play during the second half of the season, showing off his scoring prowess vs. South Carolina (19 points), vs. Florida (20 points), at Kentucky (14 points) and vs. Mississippi State (21 points).

Hopson is Pearl’s fourth SEC All-Freshman Team honoree in four years.

LSU’s Trent Johnson earned SEC Coach of the Year honors and LSU senior guard Marcus Thornton was selected SEC Player of the Year by the league's coaches. Point guard Terrico White of Ole Miss was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, and Alabama’s Justin Knox earned SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi State was tabbed as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, and South Carolina’s Brandis Raley-Ross earned SEC Sixth Man of the Year acclaim.

THE TEAMS

First Team All-SEC

*Nick Calathes, Florida – G, 6-6, 194, So., Casselberry, Fla.

*Jodie Meeks, Kentucky – 6-4, 208, Jr., Norcross, Ga.

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky – 6-9, 235, So., Huntington, W.Va.

Tasmin Mitchell, LSU – F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Denham Springs, La.

*Marcus Thornton, LSU – G, 6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville, Tenn.

*Devan Downey, South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester, S.C.

*Tyler Smith, Tennessee – F, 6-7, 215, Jr., Pulaski, Tenn.

Second Team All-SEC

Alonzo Gee, Alabama – G, 6-6, 219, Sr., Riviera Beach, Fla.

Michael Washington, Arkansas – F, 6-9, 239, Jr., McGehee, Ark.

Korvotney Barber, Auburn – F, 6-7, 225, Sr., Manchester, Ga.

^Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.

David Huertas, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 200, Jr., Humacao, Puerto Rico

Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr,. Memphis, Tenn.

^Dominique Archie, South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta, Ga.

^Zam Fredrick, South Carolina – G, 6-0, 203, Sr., St. Matthews, S.C.

Wayne Chism, Tennessee – F, 609, 242, Jr., Jackson, Tenn.

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt – C, 6-11, 250, So., Sydney, Australia

SEC All-Freshman Team

*JaMychal Green, Alabama – F, 6-9, 220, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.

Courtney Fortson, Arkansas – G, 5-11, 180, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.

Erving Walker, Florida – 5-8, 161, Fr., New York, N.Y.

Trey Thompkins, Georgia – F, 6-8, 245, Fr., Lithonia, Ga.

*Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr,. Memphis, Tenn.

*Dee Bost, Mississippi State – G, 6-2, 170, Fr., Concord, N.C.

Scotty Hopson, Tennessee – G, 6-7, 185, Fr., Hopkinsville, Ky.

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – G/F, 6-7, 210, Fr., Norrkoping, Sweden

SEC All-Defensive Team

^Quantez Robertson, Auburn – G, 6-3, 200, Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio

Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.

Chris Johnson, LSU – C, 6-11, 210, Sr., Montross, Va.

*Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville, Tenn.

^Dominique Archie, South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta, Ga.

Devan Downey, South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester, S.C.

SEC Coach of the Year: Trent Johnson, LSU

SEC Player of the Year: Marcus Thornton, LSU

SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Justin Knox, Alabama

SEC Freshman of the Year: Terrico White, Ole Miss

SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Brandis Raley-Ross, South Carolina

SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State

*-Unanimous selection

^-Ties are not broken

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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