The SEC wasn’t as heated a race as last season was. In the team battle, Kentucky was able to clinch the regular-season title with two games in the season to go. They lost one game to Tennessee and won a thriller over Florida to end the season. With Florida losing to the Cats, they went from a potential 2-seed with a win over UK to the 5-seed with only a one-game buy at the SEC Tournament. Here are the 2020 SEC Regular Season Awards from the Southeastern Conference.
SEC Player of the Year: Immanuel Quickley – Kentucky
If anyone had picked Immanuel Quickley as their preseason SEC Player of the Year back in 2019, they would have been the only ones. Quickley was a late addition to the POY conversation. Between the insane increase in production for Nick Richards and a truly dominant player in Mason Jones, Quickley was never in the race until he all of a sudden was.
Averaging 16.1 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and shooting efficient from everywhere on the court, including an astounding 92.3% from the free-throw line. He actually shot 1.2% better from beyond the arc than he did from the field: 41.6% versus 42.8%. Very deserving of the league’s top individual honor.
SEC Coach of the Year: John Calipari – Kentucky
John Calipari was awarded his fourth SEC Coach of the Year award since he’s been at Kentucky. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 25-6 record and a league-best 15-3 in conference games. The success of not only his young freshmen, but from experienced players such as Quickley, Richards, and Ashton Hagans. This is Calipari’s 10th conference coach of the year award in his 28-year career as a college head coach.
Calipari’s team was awarded the most honors in the 2020 SEC Regular Season Awards
Other Awards and Honors:
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Skylar Mays, LSU
Freshman of the Year: Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Sixth-Man of the Year: Tyson Carter, Mississippi State
Defensive Player of the Year: Yves Pons, Tennessee
First Team All-SEC
Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama
Mason Jones, Arkansas
Samir Doughty, Auburn
Keyontae Johnson, Florida
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Skylar Mays, LSU
Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
Reggie Perry, Mississippi State
All-Defensive Team
Herbert Jones, Alabama
Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Yves Pons, Tennessee
