As should be the case, post season honors are rolling in for the Kentucky Wildcats and coaches, with the Sporting News and the SEC honoring several Wildcats, along with their head coach. It's a long list, so here goes:
Anthony Davis was named National Player of the Year, First Team All-America, and First Team Freshman All-America by the Sporting News, as he set a freshman school and league record for most blocks in a season with 146. Spider-man currently leads the nation in blocks per game with 4.6. Davis also recorded 14 double-doubles while averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game an 9.8 rebounds per contest. He made 66.1% of his shots and 71.3% of his free throws.
Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was named a member of the Sporting News Second Team All-America squad, and a Freshman All-America, as the defensive dynamo averaged 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. MKG also blocked 33 shots and recorded six double-doubles.
The SEC has also issued its all-league selections and several Wildcats have been tabbed. For the list of super 'Cats, follow me after the jump.
In as big of a no-brainer as there has ever been, Davis was named SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year by a vote of the league's coaches. He becomes just the fourth UK player to win Freshman of the Year honors, but the third in a row, joining Terrence Jones (2011), DeMarcus Cousins (2010), and Patrick Patterson (2008). Davis is also just the third freshman to win the league's top player award, following in the footsteps of LSU's Chris Jackson (1989), and Kentucky's John Wall (2010).
Davis is the first Wildcat to be tabbed the conferences top defensive player since Chuck Hayes in 2005.
MKG joins Davis as a First Team All-SEC selection. He was also named to the All-Freshman team, as well as the SEC All-Defensive team.
Other members of the All-SEC First Team:
Bradley Beal (Fla.)
Kenny Boynton (Fla).
Dee Bost (MSU)
Arnett Moultrie (MSU)
John Jenkins (VU)
Jeffery Taylor (VU)
Included on the Second Team All-SEC squad is UK's Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb. Jones averaged 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while Lamb averaged 13.3 points per game, and connected on 48.0% of his 3-point shots.
Other Second Team All-SEC members:
JaMychal Green (Ala.)
Trevor Releford (Ala.)
B.J. Young (Ark.)
Erving Walker (Fla.)
Justin Hamilton (LSU)
Terrance Henry (UM)
Jeronne Maymon (UT)
Darius Miller was honored with the SEC's Sixth Man award, as the UK senior averaged 10.0 points per game, to go along with 2.1 assists per contest. In his UK career, Miller has scored 1,162 points, good for forty-third best in Wildcat history.
And finally, Kentucky head coach John Calipari was named SEC Coach of the Year after leading his squad of neophytes to a 16-0 SEC record, the first perfect league mark since the 2003 Wildcats. His team finds itself at the top of 11 SEC statistical categories. His development of already talented freshman led to the 'Cats posting a 30-1 record and the No. 1 ranking in the nation.
For those interested, Kansas Jayhawk head coach Bill Self was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year.
Congratulations to all the Wildcats for their richly deserved accolades! Now, the championship chase begins.
Thanks for reading and Go 'Cats!