Chris Silva recognized as one of SEC’s best
South Carolina’s lone representative on the All-SEC teams is a big one.
Chris Silva, USC’s 6-foot-9, 223-pound highlight machine of a forward, was named to the league’s first team Tuesday as well as the all-defensive team. He also took co-defensive player of the year honors with Texas A&M’s Robert Williams.
Votes from the league’s coaches determined the honors.
Silva is averaging 14.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season. The junior is second nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (9.0) and is first in free throw rate. He’s fourth in the SEC in rebounding and 14th in scoring.
Silva is 13 points shy of 1,000 for his career. The No. 11 seed Gamecocks face No. 14 Ole Miss on Wednesday in the first round of the SEC tournament. Tip-off from St. Louis is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.
Silva gives USC a first-team honoree for a third straight season. He follows Sindarius Thornwell (2017) and Michael Carrera (2016).
Silva is the first Gamecock to be named SEC defensive player of the year since Sam Muldrow in 2011.
SEC awards, 2017-18 season
First Team All-SEC
Jaylen Barford, Arkansas
Chris Chiozza, Florida
Yante Maten, Georgia
Kevin Knox, Kentucky
Kassius Robertson, Missouri
Chris Silva, South Carolina
Grant Williams, Tennessee
Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
Second Team All-SEC
Collin Sexton, Alabama
Daryl Macon, Arkansas
Bryce Brown, Auburn
Jared Harper, Auburn
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kentucky
Quinndary Weatherspoon, Miss. State
Admiral Schofield, Tennessee
Jeff Roberson, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman Team
Collin Sexton, Alabama
Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kentucky
Kevin Knox, Kentucky
Tremont Waters, LSU
Nick Weatherspoon, Miss. State
Jontay Porter, Missouri
TJ Starks, Texas A&M
All-Defensive Team
Donta Hall, Alabama
Anfernee McLemore, Auburn
Chris Chiozza, Florida
Chris Silva, South Carolina
Robert Williams, Texas A&M
Individual honors
Coach of the Year: Rick Barnes, Tennessee
Player of the Year: Grant Williams, Tennessee
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Juwan Parker, Georgia
Co-Freshman of the Year: Collin Sexton, Alabama & Kevin Knox, Kentucky
Co-Sixth-Man of the Year: Jontay Porter, Missouri & Lamonté Turner, Tennessee
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Silva, South Carolina & Robert Williams, Texas A&M
This story was originally published March 6, 2018 at 12:05 PM with the headline "Chris Silva recognized as one of SEC’s best."