COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina's Lamont Paris was named the Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year in voting by 14 reporters covering the SEC released on Tuesday.
Paris led a remarkable turnaround in his second season with the 15th-ranked Gamecocks, who went 25-6 after an 11-win debut season. South Carolina was picked to finish last in the SEC but wound up as the No. 5 seed in this week's SEC Tournament.
A day earlier, Paris was named SEC Coach of the Year by the league coaches.
The Gamecocks went 25-6 overall and 13-5 in SEC play this season. The finished second in the SEC and their 25 wins are the most in program history. The 13 league wins are the second most in USC men's history, behind only the 1996-97 team that won the SEC title that year.
Meanwhile Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht, a transfer who helped lead the fifth-ranked Volunteers to a Southeastern Conference regular-season championship, is the league's Associated Press player of the year and newcomer of the year. Knecht and Auburn forward Johni Broome were both unanimous first-team picks.
Knecht led the league in scoring at 21.4 points a game, shot 40.5% from 3-point range and averaged 4.8 rebounds. The fifth-year Northern Colorado transfer didn't miss a beat after leading the Big Sky Conference in scoring last season. In fact, he raised his average from 20.2 points and helped Tennessee emerge from a pack of contenders late in the season.
“It is crazy. I mean that is wild to think about that," Knecht said of actually scoring more upon entering the SEC. "You play with one of the best point guards in the nation and center in Jonas (Aidoo) and Z (Zakei Zeigler) so they make it a lot easier for me to just go out and just go hoop.”
The Vols won their first outright SEC championship since 2008.
The 6-foot-6 Knecht led the nation with five 35-points-plus performances. His 25.5-point scoring average in SEC games is the most since South Carolina's Devan Downey averaged 26.2 in 2009-10. He has five of the league's top nine scoring performances this season.
The Vols' Rick Barnes also got a nod as coach of the year. Kentucky's Reed Sheppard, Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard and Florida's Tyrese Samuel each got votes as top newcomer, for either a freshman or transfer. Alabama guard Mark Sears, who battled Knecht for the league scoring title, received a vote as player of the year.
FIRST TEAM
Guard — Antonio Reeves, Kentucky, 5th year, 6-6, 195, Chicago.
Guard — Mark Sears, Alabama, Sr., 6-1, 185, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
u-Guard — Dalton Knecht, Tennessee, 5th year, 6-6, 213, Thornton, Colorado.
Forward — Johni Broome, Auburn, Jr., 6-10, 240, Plant City, Florida.
t-Forward — Tolu Smith, Mississippi State, grad, 6-11, 245, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
t-Forward — Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee, Jr., 6-11, 240, Durham, North Carolina.
t-tied for first team.
SECOND TEAM
Guard — Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M, Jr. 6-0, 175, Dallas.
Guard — Reed Sheppard, Kentucky, Fr., 6-3, 187, London, Kentucky.
Guard — Zakai Ziegler, Tennessee, Jr., 5-9, 171, Long Island, New York.
Forward — Jaylin Williams, Auburn, grad, 6-8, 245, Nahunta, Georgia.
Forward — Tyrese Samuel, Florida, grad, 6-10, 239, Montreal.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Coach of the year — Lamont Paris, South Carolina.
u-Player of the year — Dalton Knecht, Tennessee.
Newcomer of the year — Dalton Knecht, Tennessee.
u-denotes unanimous pick.
