TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama junior guard Trevor Releford
was one of eight players named to the Southeastern Conference First
Team according to a vote of the league's 14 head coaches, it was
announced on Tuesday. In addition, the Kansas City, Mo., native earned a
spot on the league's All-Defensive team.
Releford, the only Alabama player to be
represented as an all-conference performer, is one of two SEC players to
earn both first team and all-defensive team accolades, joining Kentucky
freshman Nerlens Noel.
This year's selection, marks the third
consecutive season that Releford has earned all-conference honors. He
was named to the league's all-freshman team in 2011 and was a
second-team honoree in 2012. He becomes the first Alabama player to earn
all-league honors in each of his first three seasons since Kennedy
Winston achieved the feat during the 1992 (All-Freshman), 1993 (First
Team) and 1994 (First Team) seasons.
In addition, he is the fourth Alabama player
to earn a spot on the SEC's All-Defensive team in the eight years of
its existence (the all-defensive team was chosen in 1991 and 1992, then
discontinued until it was restarted in 2008). Releford joins Gary
Waites (1991), Latrell Sprewell (1992) and Robert Horry (1992) as the
only Crimson Tide players to be recognized by the league for their
defensive prowess.
Releford enters the SEC Tournament ranked
second in the league in steals per game (2.1) and is fifth in scoring
(15.6 ppg), field goal percentage (.490), free throw percentage (.820)
and minutes per game (33.2). Additionally, he leads the team in
three-point field goal percentage (.436, 44-of-101) and is second in
assists per game (2.7).
Releford has had some big games this season,
but none were bigger than his 36-point outburst at LSU on Feb. 23. In
that contest, he connected on 14-of-18 shots from the floor and hit all
four of his three pointers. It was the most points scored in a game by
an Alabama player since Alonzo Gee scored 32 vs. Florida on Jan. 8, 2008.
In addition to his scoring outburst against
the Tigers, Releford also had three steals and became the program's
all-time steals leader. He currently has 185 career steals and is the
only player in UA lore to record over 180 steals while wearing the
Alabama uniform.
The Crimson Tide earned the No. 4 seed in
this week's SEC Tournament and will play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30
p.m. CT) on ESPNU. Alabama will face the winner of fifth-seeded
Tennessee and No. 12 seed South Carolina or No. 13 seed Mississippi
State. The Gamecocks and Bulldogs will open the tournament on Wednesday
night with the winner advancing to play the Volunteers on Thursday.
Source: www.rolltide.com
First Team All-SEC
Trevor Releford, Alabama – G, 6-1, 195, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.
Erik Murphy, Florida – F/C, 6-10, 238, Sr., South Kingstown, R.I.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia – G, 6-5, 205, So., Greenville, Ga.
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky – F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.
Johnny O'Bryant III, LSU – F, 6-9, 256, So., Cleveland, Miss.
Phil Pressey, Missouri – G, 5-11, 175, Jr., Dallas, Texas
Jordan McRae, Tennessee – G, 6-5, 178, Jr., Midway, Ga.
Elston Turner, Texas A&M – G, 6-5, 209, Sr., Sacramento, Calif.
Second Team All-SEC
Marshawn Powell, Arkansas – F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Newport News, Va.
BJ Young, Arkansas – G, 6-3, 180, So, St. Louis, Mo.
Kenny Boynton, Florida – G, 6-2, 190, Sr., Pompano Beach, Fla.
^Mike Rosario, Florida – G, 6-3, 183, Sr., Jersey City, N.J.
^Patric Young, Florida – C, 6-9, 249, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Marshall Henderson, Ole Miss – G, 6-2, 175, Jr., Hurst, Texas
Murphy Holloway, Ole Miss – F, 6-7, 240, Sr., Irmo, S.C.
Laurence Bowers, Missouri – F, 6-8, 227, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee – F, 6-8, 270, So., Memphis, Tenn.
SEC All-Freshman Team
Michael Frazier II, Florida – G, 6-4, 200, Fr., Tampa, Fla.
Charles Mann, Georgia – G, 6-4, 205, Fr., Alpharetta, Ga.
^Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky – F, 7-0, 244, Fr., Olathe, Kan.
Archie Goodwin, Kentucky – G, 6-4.5, 198, Fr., Little Rock, Ark.
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky – F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.
^Alex Poythress, Kentucky – F, 6-7, 239, Fr., Clarksville, Tenn.
Craig Sword, Mississippi State – G, 6-3, 189, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.
^Gavin Ware, Mississippi State – F, 6-9, 270, Fr., Starkville, Miss.
Michael Carrera, South Carolina – F, 6-5, 212, Fr., Anzoátegui, Venezuela
SEC All-Defensive Team
^Trevor Releford, Alabama – G, 6-1, 185, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.
Scottie Wilbekin, Florida – G, 6-2, 176, Jr., Gainesville, Fla.
^Patric Young, Florida – C, 6-9, 249, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky – F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.
Anthony Hickey, LSU – G, 5-11, 178, So., Hopkinsville, Ky.
Reginald Buckner, Ole Miss – F, 6-9, 235, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
^-Ties are not broken
SEC Coach of the Year: Billy Donovan, Florida
SEC Player of the Year: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Patric Young, Florida
SEC Freshman of the Year: Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Kyle Wiltjer, Kentucky
SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
Alabama point guard Trevor Releford was named a First-Team All-SEC selection on Tuesday. (abc3340.com)
