All-SEC Teams

[cheap seats 40]

I think 1st team will be 5 of these 7:

Jodie Meeks (Kentucky) Should be a shoo-in

Marcus Thornton (LSU) Ditto

Devan Downey (South Carolina) Another shoo-in

Tasmin Mitchell (LSU)

Nick Calathes (Florida)

Tyler Smith (Tennessee)

Korvotney Barber (Auburn) You can call me a but at 10-6 and the SEC year he had I will stand by it

I think the first five will be the All-SEC team though I would replace Mitchell and Calathes with Smith and Barber. I would pratically guarantee I have seen more SEC basketball than many of the voters.

Joining the 2 from the top that don't make 1st team for 2nd team:

Jarvis Varnado (Miss. State)

Wayne Chism (Tennessee)

Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)

Also, in the mix AJ Oglivy (Vanderbilt), Alonzo Gee (Alabama), David Huertas (Ole Miss), Michael Washington (Arkansas), Walter Hodge (Florida), Zam Frederick (South Carolina).

Florida and Kentucky being on television more than other SEC teams will certainly help their players.

[JB33 1]

I think 1st team will be 5 of these 7:

Jodie Meeks (Kentucky) Should be a shoo-in

Marcus Thornton (LSU) Ditto

Devan Downey (South Carolina) Another shoo-in

Tasmin Mitchell (LSU)

Nick Calathes (Florida)

Tyler Smith (Tennessee)

Korvotney Barber (Auburn) You can call me a but at 10-6 and the SEC year he had I will stand by it

I think the first five will be the All-SEC team though I would replace Mitchell and Calathes with Smith and Barber. I would pratically guarantee I have seen more SEC basketball than many of the voters.

Joining the 2 from the top that don't make 1st team for 2nd team:

Jarvis Varnado (Miss. State)

Wayne Chism (Tennessee)

Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)

Also, in the mix AJ Oglivy (Vanderbilt), Alonzo Gee (Alabama), David Huertas (Ole Miss), Michael Washington (Arkansas), Walter Hodge (Florida), Zam Frederick (South Carolina).

Florida and Kentucky being on television more than other SEC teams will certainly help their players.

Probably pretty accurate. Although Vot isn't as flashy as some of the other bigs on the list, given his production (last I heard, only SEC player averaging a double-double), and particularly in light of the way Auburn finished the season, I think he has to make the second team. I'd also think Dwayne Reed (sp?) would get some consideration for second team.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

It depends on whether you have to put at least 2 bigs in the group. My 1st team would be: Calathes, Downey, Meeks, Thornton, and Barber. UT is one of the two or three best teams in the conference, but they just don't have a stand out stud. They are the deepest team in the conference. Smith and Chism are both great, but neither guy put up numbers to match Barber (or Varnado for that matter). If I had to include another forward, I'd put Smith in place of Downey.

My second team (assuming I included Smith not Downey to give some positional balance): Downey, Chism, Varnado, Mitchell, and probably Patterson.

The reason Vot should be taken over those other guys is not homerism. It's impact. Patrick Patterson was, statistically, on Vot's level. But Vot was the lone tough presence for one of the top 4 teams in the conference. Without Vot, Auburn sucks; with him, we win. Without Patterson, UK sucks; with him, they are mediocre. Vot has a MUCH bigger impact on the game. The reason I'd take him over Chism is simply that Vot doesn't take nights off. Chism does. For all the love that Meeks and Patterson deserve, basketball is a game where two stars can absolutely dominate and carry a team. The fact that they were unable to win games playing together is damning for both of them.

[cheap seats 40]

I know Calathes is going to make first team. In fact a February 20 Orlando Sentinel article argues whether he or Meeks should be Player of the Year. My question is, did they watch any games? Calathes has nice statistics, but he choked down the stretch in several UF losses. Meeks, while slightly inconsistient, absoulutely took over games in some big wins. However, he did not do it enough. Marcus Thornton should be Player of the Year. Meeks is no question a First Team member, but I don't think Calathes is. I bet the objective Florida fan (if such a person exists) that watched all UF games and knows something about the rest of the conference would put Calathes on the Second Team this year.

Here is the link for that article: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_co...r-of-year-.html