Gator Country

Florida coach Billy Donovan was announced as the SEC coach of the year tuesday. \Gator Country photo by Curtiss Bryant.

After collecting his fifth SEC title as Florida’s coach, Billy Donovan was named the SEC coach of the Year on Tuesday, in a vote by the league’s head coaches.

It is the second time in the last three years Donovan has been named coach of the year. The honors didn’t stop at Florida’s coach however.

The Gators saw several players named to the All-SEC team, as forward Erik Murphy garnered a selection to the first-team, while guards Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario along with center Patric Young earned second-team nods.

Proving that he is just as impressive off the court as he is on, Young was also named the SEC’s Scholar Athlete of the Year. It’s the second year in a row Young has collected the honor, and perhaps even more impressively, he marks the fifth Florida player in eight years to win the award.

Adding to an impressive Tuesday for Young was a selection to the All-SEC Defensive Team, an honor he shared with guard Scottie Wilbekin.

After shooting nearly 50 percent from three-point range, freshman Michael Frazier II was selected to the All-Freshman team for Florida.

Georgia’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was named the SEC Player of the Year. Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel — who suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a game at Florida in February — was not forgotten by the league’s coaches in his absence. Noel was named the SEC’s Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year.

The No. 13 Gators will travel to Nashville, Tenn. this week, as they prepare for a Friday game against the winner of the Georgia-LSU game played on Thursday. Tip-off for Friday’s game is set for 1 p.m. EDT at the Bridgestone Arena.

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