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Downey's third time still a charm
Senior named to coaches' All-SEC team, beat out by Wall for player of the year
Written by SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com
Posted on 03.10.10
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Devan Downey added yet another honor to his long list of accolades at South Carolina.
The senior point guard was a unanimous pick to the All-SEC first team by the league's coaches. The senior became the first Gamecock to make the coaches' first team in three consecutive seasons.
However, Downey lost out on player of the year, which went to Kentucky freshman John Wall.
Surprisingly, Wall was not named freshman of the year; that honor went to his teammate DeMarcus Cousins.
And in another surprise, Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings was named coach of the year. Kentucky's John Calipari was considered the favorite after leading the Wildcats to a 28-2 record, and Tennessee's Bruce Pearl held together a team racked by suspensions and the loss of its top player, Tyler Smith.
Downey probably would have had a better shot at being named player of the year if the injury-riddled Gamecocks (15-15, 6-10 SEC) had fared better. Still, Downey finished the season as the league's leading scorer, at 22.7 points per game. In SEC games, he averaged 26.2, the most since LSU's Shaquille O'Neal in 1991. Wall averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds.
Downey was also named to the five-member All-Defensive team, where he was joined by teammate Sam Muldrow. Muldrow, a junior center, is second in the league in blocks, averaging 3.07 per game. Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado, who this season set the NCAA's career blocks record, was the league's defensive player of the year.
Downey has received several other honors:
- Fourth-team All-American by The Sporting News and an honorable mention All-American by Yahoo.com
- U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District III team (South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland)
The Associated Press awards for the SEC are to be announced Monday. If Downey makes the first team, he would be the first Gamecock since BJ McKie to be honored by the AP three times.
ALL-SEC TEAM
As voted by league coaches
FIRST TEAM
Trey Thompkins, F, Georgia*
DeMarcus Cousins, F, Kentucky*
Patrick Patterson, F, Kentucky
John Wall, G, Kentucky*
Jarvis Varnado, F, Mississippi St.
Devan Downey, G, South Carolina*
Wayne Chism, C, Tennessee
Jermaine Beal, G, Vanderbilt*
SECOND TEAM
Mikhail Torrance, G, Alabama
Courtney Fortson, G, Arkansas
Erving Walker, G, Florida
Tasmin Mitchell, F, LSU
Chris Warren, G, Ole Miss
Dee Bost, G, Mississippi St.
A.J. Ogilvy, C, Vanderbilt
Jeffery Taylor, F, Vanderbilt
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Tony Mitchell, F, Alabama
Marshawn Powell, F, Arkansas*
Kenny Boynton, G, Florida
Eric Bledsoe, G, Kentucky*
DeMarcus Cousins, F, Kentucky*
John Wall, G, Kentucky*
Reginald Buckner, F, Ole Miss
John Jenkins, G, Vanderbilt*
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Patrick Patterson, F, Kentucky
Jarvis Varnado, F, Mississippi St.*
Devan Downey, G, South Carolina
Sam Muldrow, F, South Carolina
Jeffery Taylor, F, Vanderbilt
Coach of the Year: Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt
Player of the Year: John Wall, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ray Shipman, Florida
Freshman of the Year: DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
Sixth Man of the Year: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
Defensive Player of the Year: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi St.
* - Unanimous selection
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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