SEC Player of the Year

[MadduxFanII]

Listening to Jimmy Dykes talk up Rosario as a possible SEC Player of the Year candidate, I started thinking, which is always dangerous. Who on Earth is the Player of the Year in this conference?

It usually comes from the best team, but we're a balanced squad with no real superstar. We don't have a player in the top 10 in the conference in scoring (Rosario is 14th). Now, that was also true two years ago and the folks who voted on this tabbed Parsons, so a balanced team without a superstar can still have a POY. Of course, we don't really have a stat stuffer this year like Parsons.

Our best candidate might be Murphy.

So does the Player of the Year come from a middling team? The obvious choice would probably be Marshall Henderson, the conference's leading scorer by about two points a game, and he's shooting a respectable percentage from deep.

Georgia's Caldwell-Pope is second in the conference in scoring, and he's also ninth in rebounding.

Elston Turner is third in scoring and Trevor Releford is fourth, but neither appear on the leader boards in any other category.

Maybe Jarnell Stokes, who is only 15th in scoring but is also top three in rebounding?

Any other ideas? Seems like a difficult decision, and not because there are so many incredible candidates.

[Noahtogo24]

This is tough, but I would go with Pope. Average SEC team but in my opinion he has been the most impressive player in SEC play.

[gatorfansrule]

I think you summarized it pretty well. I don't think the Gators have an MVP, but we are by far the best team in the conference, so I don't know who you could pick.

[g8rboy]

If Mike Rosario is a POY, then I am winning next year

[akaGatorhoops]

KCP is the best player in the conference, and most deserving IMO.

[oneatatime]

This is tough, but I would go with Pope. Average SEC team but in my opinion he has been the most impressive player in SEC play.

Georgia would be winless in the SEC without him

[xenythx]

Up until today where it looked like he was playing drunk, Mike had been pretty consistent for us all season.

I think Caldwell-Pope is the most important player to his team in the SEC.

[MadduxFanII]

If Nerlens Noel was still healthy and had continued improving you would probably be able to make a case for him.

[InstiGATOR1]

I think both the ALL SEC and player of the year selections are up in the air. My All SEC team might be:

PG: Pressey, UMo
SG: Henderson, UMs
SF: Caldwell-Pope, UGa
PF: Stokes, UTn
C: Young, UF

I am not sure who is player of the year. I think the real player of the year is Wilbekin, but he won't get it. Pressey is really terrible so I hope he does not get it. Heck of that group, I would go with Young. If Murphy rebounded more, he indeed would be a serious candidate.

[dailydoublecat]

Why not this year just make it a TEAM reward and give it to UF? If there was ever a year for this, its this one.

Jeff

[akaGatorhoops]

If Nerlens Noel was still healthy and had continued improving you would probably be able to make a case for him.

For sure. He impacted the game ore than any player. He would have won.

[MadduxFanII]

For what it's worth, my prediction right now is that they'll give it to Henderson. In a year with no standout candidate defaulting to the conference's leading scorer is probably the easiest thing to do.

[gatordavisl]

Why not this year just make it a TEAM reward and give it to UF? If there was ever a year for this, its this one.

JeffAhh, Jeff you're a good egg. But the '06-07 Gator teams disagree with you.

[InstiGATOR1]

If Nerlens Noel was still healthy and had continued improving you would probably be able to make a case for him.

Why Noel been shown to have zero impact. If he did not get hurt, UK still loses to UF and at UTn. They beat UMo and MSU without him. I doubt they win at UAr today. So I don't see Noel as having much an impact on the SEC and certainly not player of the year had he stayed heathy.

[1bobcat]

KCP

[akaGatorhoops]

Why Noel been shown to have zero impact. If he did not get hurt, UK still loses to UF and at UTn. They beat UMo and MSU without him. I doubt they win at UAr today. So I don't see Noel as having much an impact on the SEC and certainly not player of the year had he stayed heathy.

They got blown out by 30+ against ut in the game following his injury. That never would have happened with him inside. The kid makes a HUGE difference for uk. And I do think they would have beaten army with him healthy.

[GatorPlanet]

Since no one really deserves it, it should probably just go to the leading scorer.

[RD_gator]

I may be prejudiced but I would give the SEC poy to Kenny Boynton!
Since the poy should be on the team that wins the SEC title and that there doesn't seem to be a dominant candidate in the conference, I would give it to a 4-year player that has had a great college career. When was the last time that an SEC team had a 2000+ point scorer in this day & age where most talented players leave early?

Boynton will soon be a 2000+ point scorer at UF with nearly 400 assists - think about that; it's an additional 800+ points for other teammates. Additionally, KB will be on a Florida team that will win two-SEC titles, reach two Elite-8's and who knows what else will soon be possible!

Florida has such a good balanced team where it's hard to have one stand out player excel at such a high level when compared to others in the league. Any one of the starting five (Murphy, Rosario, Wilbekin, Young, etc.) could be Florida's candidate to be sec poy but I would give it to the player with the best overall career at UF!

[GatorsGators]

KCP should win it. It would have been Noel had he not gotten injured.

[gtr2x]

Don't know, but it sure isn't Pressey who was the preseason pick of many. Not even sure who most deserves it for UF, could be any one of 4 or 5 guys. KB deserves the career achievement award for sure.

[InstiGATOR1]

They got blown out by 30+ against ut in the game following his injury. That never would have happened with him inside. The kid makes a HUGE difference for uk. And I do think they would have beaten army with him healthy.

Just because you assert this like someone on catspause and put hugh in all caps does not make it true. Whether they would have lost by 30 at UTn is a matter of conjecture.

However, even you with your HUGE difference only claim one game would be different. They were a crappy team with him and they are about the same without him. That is not evidence of SEC player of the year to me.

[madgator]

Scottie is our most deserving candidate IMO. 3 weeks ago, the way he was playing would've made him a shoe in. The last two weeks though his production has been spotty.

Still should be 1st team PG though and get some votes for POY.....tough this year as no one has really stood out.

[GatorPlanet]

Scottie is our most deserving candidate IMO. 3 weeks ago, the way he was playing would've made him a shoe in. The last two weeks though his production has been spotty.

.

It's not that Scottie has become a worse player after that brilliant stretch. This is fairly common in conference basketball. As he began to emerge as the key to the Gators' success, coaches began to draft up their game plans to slow him down. Now it's up to him to overcome the adjustments made against him.

[GatorPlanet]

I guess SEC POY should not be based on who will be the best pro, but who had the biggest season in SEC play. Right now, you might say Releford of Alabama, or Caldwell-Pope of UGA.

On the other hand, if you polled SEC coaches on who is the guy that's the most difficult challenge on the best team, I believe (based on what I've heard SEC coaches say), the POY is Erik Murphy.

[REM08]

Just because you assert this like someone on catspause and put hugh in all caps does not make it true. Whether they would have lost by 30 at UTn is a matter of conjecture.

However, even you with your HUGE difference only claim one game would be different. They were a crappy team with him and they are about the same without him. That is not evidence of SEC player of the year to me.

I think Noel would have been the best choice. UK would have been the 2nd best team in a 14 team conference (would have finished 2nd at least) and no player on any team would have been more responsible for more of his teams' wins. I'm under no illusion that UK is some great, or even good, team this year, but referring to the team that would have finished 2nd as "crappy" shows a lack of understanding - or a surplus of bias.

My rule of thumb is to go with the best player on the best team unless there is someone from another team (hopefully not the worst team in the league - the better the other team the more worthy of consideration the other player gets). I think Noel would have fit this description well this year considering how no single player stands out on Florida. Thats not a slight and is actually a complement by the way.

[1gatorbear]

The SEC is one of the worst basketball conf in the country this year.

[bakaduin]

KCP without a doubt. IMO even with Noel it is KCP.

[99gator]

the mcrae kid has been on fire for tennessee lately and has averaged just under 20 points a game in sec play.

he should be in consideration

[Brewski]

Scottie is our most deserving candidate IMO. 3 weeks ago, the way he was playing would've made him a shoe in. The last two weeks though his production has been spotty.

Still should be 1st team PG though and get some votes for POY.....tough this year as no one has really stood out.

As much as I'd love to think so, I imagine he isn't even in the discussion. They would probably look to Patrick or Murph first.

[VolsFan07]

Jordan McRae?

[NorthCaptivaGator]

It's not that Scottie has become a worse player after that brilliant stretch. This is fairly common in conference basketball. As he began to emerge as the key to the Gators' success, coaches began to draft up their game plans to slow him down. Now it's up to him to overcome the adjustments made against him.

Exactly, we all knew Scotty would struggle with tough on the ball pressure and once the rest of the coaches in the SEC figured it out that's what they've been doing to him, that plus the fact that he is our hardest working defender and I think has gotten a bit worn down as the season has progressed has made it a tough second half of the SEC slate for him.

I think an argument can be made for Pat Young, his defense is really underrated and his hustle plays lately have been exciting to watch. I just hope Henderson doesn't win it, don't like that kid.

[themistocles]

Usually I avoid such threads, because calling players "Best" or "Most Valuable" in team sports appears quite foolish to me. It has to do with the human emotional need to have a "LEADER" who one can blindly follow to one's death. It makes a certain amount of sense in sports like Chess, or Wrestling, or Track & Field, or weightlifting, or even perhaps tennis, but almost no sense whatsoever in sports like soccer, or basketball or American football, or lacrosse, or baseball, etc..

So, I agree with Jeff - give a team award, however, that appears a bit redundant, since they are likely to win the regular season championship anyway.

Now, an all-SEC team makes more sense than a Player of the Year.

But Maddox - this is a very interesting and well-stated observation, and as you and others note, it certainly appears to be a difficult task this year.

It may be easiest to select the leading scorer, but I think that Georgia's Pope is likely the "best" choice for such an award.

[madgator]

The SEC is one of the worst basketball conf in the country this year.


An overstated sentiment.....

[gatorfansrule]

I think an argument can be made for Pat Young, his defense is really underrated and his hustle plays lately have been exciting to watch. I just hope Henderson doesn't win it, don't like that kid.

I'd have a hard time giving it to Young considering we hardly ever feed it to him in the post, he is an under-achieving rebounder, and he can only play short stretches at a time before getting winded. I would make an argument for each of the other 4 starters except for maybe Boynton before I would Pat.

[oneatatime]

no gator should be in the top 5, but the 5 starters + Yeguette should all finish in the top 20

[rserina]

Such an odd year for SEC hoops. There just aren't many good candidates. If someone has a huge final week and locks up a NCAA berth, I could see him winning. Not sure who, though, after Ole Miss defecated on themselves in Starkville.

At least we know who the coach of the year is, and that it won't even be close for second.

[GothamGator]

It's a really interesting debate this year. I haven't gotten to eyeball the players as much as many of you have.

Based on conference only stats, I like Jarnell Stokes. He's averaging a double double in conference play. Another guy is Pressey, who leads the league in assists at 7.1 per game (and by a wide margin - Wilbekin is 2nd at 5.6/game and Johnson of Vandy is 3rd at 4.5/game).

[MadduxFanII]

The thing that makes Player of the Year debates a little simpler is that the award itself is simple. This isn't Most Valuable Player, a term which causes no end of frustrating semantic bickering. This isn't Most Important Player.

This is SEC Player of the Year, which means best player. Period. It doesn't have to come from the best team, or even a good team. It usually does, because the best teams tend to have the best players, but there's nothing in the SEC Player of the Year award that says the player can't come from a mediocre or even crummy team.

[boilertiger]

Mizzou fan here. This is almost impossible to figure out this year. The two best teams in the conference are Missouri and Florida but neither team has a clear best player. Bama and Tennessee have clear best players and I suspect that either Releford or Stokes will get the award.

My top 5:

Trevor Releford
Mike Rosario
Keion Bell
Jarnell Stokes
Kenny Boyton

[SwampFox]

Well, I think we are seeing the effects of the one and done fiasco. Beal woul have been a shoe-in perhaps IF he was here or any of the temps at UK who's names elude me..

Releford is definitely an awesome guard, but his addiction to the camera yesterday came back to bite him so H no there.... :yes:

Noel was a candidate for his defense but his offense is raw and he's gone for the season plus he is from UK so no vote from me there. :laugh:

We have no go-to player so that simply won't work, unfortunately. Thanks KB :huh:

So KCP wins due to his name alone... :cry:

[BengermanV]

I say, as of right now:

Patric Young
KCP
Wilby
Murph

Why Patric Young? Because we have the best defense in the conference, and he has 1.7 blocks per game, along with 10+ points a game and 6+ rebounds a game.

[danky1313]

Just goes to show you how up and down the SEC has been this year, outside UF, is that 3-4 weeks ago Marshall Henderson probably wouldve been first or second name mentioned and yet now not one person has brought him up. I wonder if he's related to Geno Smith? :)

[GothamGator]

I almost brought up Henderson. He's averaging over 20 points/game in conference play, which is quite impressive. Plus, he lit up the conference's best defensive guard for 25 points. I watched that game, and Wilbekin played great D, but it didn't matter.

[InstiGATOR1]

Just goes to show you how up and down the SEC has been this year, outside UF, is that 3-4 weeks ago Marshall Henderson probably wouldve been first or second name mentioned and yet now not one person has brought him up. I wonder if he's related to Geno Smith? :)

I mentioned him on the front page. He was my first team All SEC SG, so he was one of my five candidates. I picked Patric Young instead, but I mentioned him.

[madgator]

I almost brought up Henderson. He's averaging over 20 points/game in conference play, which is quite impressive. Plus, he lit up the conference's best defensive guard for 25 points. I watched that game, and Wilbekin played great D, but it didn't matter.


blah.....you never win with a guy like Henderson. He'll score 25, do little else and give up 20.

not worth it.

[danky1313]

blah.....you never win with a guy like Henderson. He'll score 25, do little else and give up 20.

not worth it.

+1

[REM08]

I say, as of right now:

Patric Young
KCP
Wilby
Murph

Why Patric Young? Because we have the best defense in the conference, and he has 1.7 blocks per game, along with 10+ points a game and 6+ rebounds a game.

Can't say I agree with Young as the pick. Not that he's not formidable, but IMO he's not as responsible for the teams great defense as Wilbekin is.

To put Young in perspective, he's averaging just slightly less ppg than Noel did. But Noel has 48 more total rebounds and 60 more total blocks than Young - and Noel, obviously, hasn't been playing the last few weeks.

If its a Gator, I say Wilbekin or Rosario before Young. No disrespect to Patric though.

[danky1313]

If there were one Gator I had to pick to win the award this year I would go with Scottie. Besides him being far and away the best defender in the league I think he's the one player on our starting 5 we could ill-afford to be without.

Plus we have been the most dominate team in the conference because we have been so dominate on defense and Scottie is a HUGE reason for that.