SEC awards: Do Horn, Downey have a chance?
posted by David Cloninger, 3/09/2009 05:15:00 PM
-------------- FEIST
In my last job, I got to cover a lot of ACC basketball. It was terrific – other than having to write favorably about Terrence Oglesby.
I knew I’d miss it when I took over this beat, but I was fine with it. I have a winning team to cover and I’ve gotten much closer to the players and coaches with which I correspond.
One problem – the SEC is still completely lost when it comes to postseason awards.
In the ACC, we had the option of joining a writer’s association. If you joined, you got to vote for all-conference teams, and it was your vote that decided player of the year and so forth.
In the SEC, there are two sets of awards – coaches and The Associated Press. The league’s 12 coaches vote for one set and a small group of writers around the Southeast vote for the other.
The problem is, it’s not accurate. The coaches’ first and second teams often feature eight or nine players on the first or second teams. The AP team, because sometimes one voter covers one team more than any other, hasn’t seen a lot of the other players around the league and might not be able to know the talent outside of the stat sheets.
The coaches awards will be announced on Tuesday. I invite you to compare and contrast the following list with the official tallies, and weigh in on my predictions.
SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: The way I see it, there are five main candidates. Marcus Thornton and Tasmin Mitchell from LSU, Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks, Florida’s Nick Calathes and South Carolina’s Devan Downey.
Each is in the top 13 of the scoring chart, with Meeks, Thornton and Downey Nos. 1-2-3. Mitchell is eighth in scoring, but he’s tied for 10th in rebounding. Calathes is 25th in rebounding, leads the league in assists and is second in steals. Downey is tops in steals and third in assists.
In years past, this probably would have been Meeks, no question. Kentucky players get the votes, and it’s hard to ignore a guy who averages just under 25 points per game.
But in what I think is a great trend, voters are beginning to look more and more at what a player does for his team. Not to say Meeks didn’t bust his butt every night, but the Wildcats finished 8-8.
Thornton and Mitchell leap to the top in that discussion, because LSU was far and away the league’s winningest team. Those two worked so well together and with their teammates that it’d be easy to see why they should be considered.
Calathes seems to be in the same boat as Meeks. While certainly the most versatile player in the league, he’s not getting a lot of help around him. The Gators finished third in the SEC East despite Calathes doing everything he could.
Downey is the best player the Gamecocks have and is at the front of their offense and defense. He would never be like Tyler Hansbrough and lead his conference in scoring and rebounding, but he’s clearly the engine of USC’s vehicle.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Downey. Put it this way – if Thornton has an off night, there’s always Mitchell. Same with Meeks (Patrick Patterson) and to some extent, Calathes (Alex Tyus, Dan Werner). If Downey is off, the Gamecocks are too. They can replace his points, but they can’t replace the way he gets them and those three steals per game.
WHO WILL WIN: Thornton.
SEC COACH OF THE YEAR: Although Auburn’s Jeff Lebo has shot into the picture during the last month, it should be a race between two main candidates – LSU’s Trent Johnson and USC’s Darrin Horn.
Johnson inherited a team that was tremendously talented but plagued by injuries last year and turned it from a 13-18 team into one bound for the NCAA tournament. At 25-6, the Tigers are in, and they easily won the SEC regular season by three games.
Horn returned a lot of talent as well and took over a team predicted fifth in the SEC East. He guided the Gamecocks to a piece of the SEC East title and a renewed confidence.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Horn. Johnson has said it himself – if all of the Tigers were healthy last year, he’d still be at Stanford. While he’s done a fantastic job, he got to play 10 of his 16 league games against the SEC West and he got to do it with a returning starting five. Horn had a harder schedule against the SEC East and won with less – while the Gamecocks’ best players, including four starters, returned, they only had an 11-man team for the season.
WHO WILL WIN: Johnson. The coaches had a tie for coach of the year last year with Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl and Kentucky’s Billy Gillispie, so maybe Horn will get the same favor.
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Really, a wide-open race. Arkansas’ Courtney Fortson led all freshmen in scoring, but the Razorbacks were 2-14. Ole Miss’ Terrico White scored around 14 per game, but the Rebels were 7-9. Alabama’s JaMychal Green, Mississippi State’s Dee Bost and Georgia’s Trey Thompkins all had solid years but their teams weren’t that strong.
I really like Vanderbilt’s Jeffery Taylor, but his numbers (around 12 points and six boards) won’t win the award by themselves. He fit right in with the two main men of Vandy’s team and played all year, never needing a severe learning curve.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Fortson. I think the points plus his assists (around six per game) show his unselfishness. He could be a lot greedier but still works the game plan, trying for the best team aspect.
WHO WILL WIN: Fortson.
SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: The obvious choice is Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado, who won it last year and is again leading the league in blocks. He’s fourth in rebounding as well.
Some other candidates – Auburn’s Korvotney Barber, who leads the SEC in rebounding; Arkansas’ Michael Washington, who’s second; Calathes, who can get two steals per game along with his boards; and LSU’s Chris Johnson, who is in the Top 10 of rebounding and second in blocks.
I’d love to put Downey on the list, because of his steals and his game-changing abilities, but at 5-foot-9, he doesn’t get any rebounds (not that he has a choice). He may make the all-defensive team, but won’t be the top dog.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Calathes. When a point guard as tall as he is can run the offense, score, shoot from long range, dish, rebound and steal, you’re getting 60 minutes worth of work in a 40-minute game. I think rebounding and stealing is a lot more important than blocking shots.
WHO WILL WIN: Varnado. Not to discount blocking shots, but this guy BLOCKS SHOTS.
SEC SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Always an interesting category. Got to look at guys who don’t usually start (or never start), but still impact the game.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Arkansas’ Jason Henry. The guy is an athletic freak and he averages eight points per game. If he can stay healthy and keep his off-the-court life together, he’ll be something special.
WHO WILL WIN: Erving Walker, Florida. He averages 9.8 points and is another one of those cloned players the Gators have every year.
ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM: Jodie Meeks, Kentucky; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Nick Calathes, Florida; Marcus Thornton, LSU; Tasmin Mitchell, LSU.
ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM: Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt; David Huertas, Ole Miss; Korvotney Barber, Auburn.
ALL-SEC THIRD TEAM: DeWayne Reed, Auburn; Courtney Fortson, Arkansas; Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt; Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State; Wayne Chism, Tennessee.
ALL-SEC DEFENSIVE TEAM: Nick Calathes, Florida; Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Garrett Temple, LSU; Korvotney Barber, Auburn.
ALL-SEC FRESHMAN TEAM: Courtney Fortson, Arkansas; Trey Thompkins, Georgia; Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt; Terrico White, Ole Miss; JaMychal Green, Alabama.
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“One, two, three, four.”
-------------- FEIST
In my last job, I got to cover a lot of ACC basketball. It was terrific – other than having to write favorably about Terrence Oglesby.
I knew I’d miss it when I took over this beat, but I was fine with it. I have a winning team to cover and I’ve gotten much closer to the players and coaches with which I correspond.
One problem – the SEC is still completely lost when it comes to postseason awards.
In the ACC, we had the option of joining a writer’s association. If you joined, you got to vote for all-conference teams, and it was your vote that decided player of the year and so forth.
In the SEC, there are two sets of awards – coaches and The Associated Press. The league’s 12 coaches vote for one set and a small group of writers around the Southeast vote for the other.
The problem is, it’s not accurate. The coaches’ first and second teams often feature eight or nine players on the first or second teams. The AP team, because sometimes one voter covers one team more than any other, hasn’t seen a lot of the other players around the league and might not be able to know the talent outside of the stat sheets.
The coaches awards will be announced on Tuesday. I invite you to compare and contrast the following list with the official tallies, and weigh in on my predictions.
SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: The way I see it, there are five main candidates. Marcus Thornton and Tasmin Mitchell from LSU, Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks, Florida’s Nick Calathes and South Carolina’s Devan Downey.
Each is in the top 13 of the scoring chart, with Meeks, Thornton and Downey Nos. 1-2-3. Mitchell is eighth in scoring, but he’s tied for 10th in rebounding. Calathes is 25th in rebounding, leads the league in assists and is second in steals. Downey is tops in steals and third in assists.
In years past, this probably would have been Meeks, no question. Kentucky players get the votes, and it’s hard to ignore a guy who averages just under 25 points per game.
But in what I think is a great trend, voters are beginning to look more and more at what a player does for his team. Not to say Meeks didn’t bust his butt every night, but the Wildcats finished 8-8.
Thornton and Mitchell leap to the top in that discussion, because LSU was far and away the league’s winningest team. Those two worked so well together and with their teammates that it’d be easy to see why they should be considered.
Calathes seems to be in the same boat as Meeks. While certainly the most versatile player in the league, he’s not getting a lot of help around him. The Gators finished third in the SEC East despite Calathes doing everything he could.
Downey is the best player the Gamecocks have and is at the front of their offense and defense. He would never be like Tyler Hansbrough and lead his conference in scoring and rebounding, but he’s clearly the engine of USC’s vehicle.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Downey. Put it this way – if Thornton has an off night, there’s always Mitchell. Same with Meeks (Patrick Patterson) and to some extent, Calathes (Alex Tyus, Dan Werner). If Downey is off, the Gamecocks are too. They can replace his points, but they can’t replace the way he gets them and those three steals per game.
WHO WILL WIN: Thornton.
SEC COACH OF THE YEAR: Although Auburn’s Jeff Lebo has shot into the picture during the last month, it should be a race between two main candidates – LSU’s Trent Johnson and USC’s Darrin Horn.
Johnson inherited a team that was tremendously talented but plagued by injuries last year and turned it from a 13-18 team into one bound for the NCAA tournament. At 25-6, the Tigers are in, and they easily won the SEC regular season by three games.
Horn returned a lot of talent as well and took over a team predicted fifth in the SEC East. He guided the Gamecocks to a piece of the SEC East title and a renewed confidence.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Horn. Johnson has said it himself – if all of the Tigers were healthy last year, he’d still be at Stanford. While he’s done a fantastic job, he got to play 10 of his 16 league games against the SEC West and he got to do it with a returning starting five. Horn had a harder schedule against the SEC East and won with less – while the Gamecocks’ best players, including four starters, returned, they only had an 11-man team for the season.
WHO WILL WIN: Johnson. The coaches had a tie for coach of the year last year with Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl and Kentucky’s Billy Gillispie, so maybe Horn will get the same favor.
SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Really, a wide-open race. Arkansas’ Courtney Fortson led all freshmen in scoring, but the Razorbacks were 2-14. Ole Miss’ Terrico White scored around 14 per game, but the Rebels were 7-9. Alabama’s JaMychal Green, Mississippi State’s Dee Bost and Georgia’s Trey Thompkins all had solid years but their teams weren’t that strong.
I really like Vanderbilt’s Jeffery Taylor, but his numbers (around 12 points and six boards) won’t win the award by themselves. He fit right in with the two main men of Vandy’s team and played all year, never needing a severe learning curve.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Fortson. I think the points plus his assists (around six per game) show his unselfishness. He could be a lot greedier but still works the game plan, trying for the best team aspect.
WHO WILL WIN: Fortson.
SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: The obvious choice is Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado, who won it last year and is again leading the league in blocks. He’s fourth in rebounding as well.
Some other candidates – Auburn’s Korvotney Barber, who leads the SEC in rebounding; Arkansas’ Michael Washington, who’s second; Calathes, who can get two steals per game along with his boards; and LSU’s Chris Johnson, who is in the Top 10 of rebounding and second in blocks.
I’d love to put Downey on the list, because of his steals and his game-changing abilities, but at 5-foot-9, he doesn’t get any rebounds (not that he has a choice). He may make the all-defensive team, but won’t be the top dog.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Calathes. When a point guard as tall as he is can run the offense, score, shoot from long range, dish, rebound and steal, you’re getting 60 minutes worth of work in a 40-minute game. I think rebounding and stealing is a lot more important than blocking shots.
WHO WILL WIN: Varnado. Not to discount blocking shots, but this guy BLOCKS SHOTS.
SEC SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Always an interesting category. Got to look at guys who don’t usually start (or never start), but still impact the game.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Arkansas’ Jason Henry. The guy is an athletic freak and he averages eight points per game. If he can stay healthy and keep his off-the-court life together, he’ll be something special.
WHO WILL WIN: Erving Walker, Florida. He averages 9.8 points and is another one of those cloned players the Gators have every year.
ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM: Jodie Meeks, Kentucky; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Nick Calathes, Florida; Marcus Thornton, LSU; Tasmin Mitchell, LSU.
ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM: Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt; David Huertas, Ole Miss; Korvotney Barber, Auburn.
ALL-SEC THIRD TEAM: DeWayne Reed, Auburn; Courtney Fortson, Arkansas; Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt; Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State; Wayne Chism, Tennessee.
ALL-SEC DEFENSIVE TEAM: Nick Calathes, Florida; Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Garrett Temple, LSU; Korvotney Barber, Auburn.
ALL-SEC FRESHMAN TEAM: Courtney Fortson, Arkansas; Trey Thompkins, Georgia; Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt; Terrico White, Ole Miss; JaMychal Green, Alabama.
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David Cloninger. David is a full-time staff writer for GamecockCentral, and covers Gamecock football, men's basketball, baseball and recruiting. He may be reached by email at david(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.