Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard becomes third Wildcat ever to be named SEC Player of the Year
Postseason honors have begun to roll in for University of Kentucky sophomore Rhyne Howard.
The 6-foot-2 guard from Cleveland, Tenn., was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in voting by the league’s coaches on Tuesday. Howard also earned All-SEC First Team and All-Defensive Team recognition after leading the Wildcats (21-7) to a third-place finish in the SEC regular season.
Junior guard Chasity Patterson, who became eligible to play for the Wildcats at midseason after transferring from Texas, was named the SEC’s Sixth Woman of the Year.
Howard is the third player in UK history to earn the league’s Player of the Year award, joining Victoria Dunlap and A’dia Mathies. Last year, Howard was named SEC Freshman of the Year and made the First Team.
Howard leads Kentucky and ranks third nationally with 23.3 points per game, despite missing time because of a broken finger and battling its effects even after her return. She also leads UK with 6.4 rebounds per game and 58 steals, while she is second on the team with 27 blocks and third with 60 assists. Howard has made 77 three-pointers this season, just three short of UK’s single-season record set by Sara Potts in 2004-05.
There could be more honors coming for Howard, who remains on the watch lists for most of the nation’s player of the year awards.
Patterson joins Keyla Snowden and Jennifer O’Neill as the only Cats to win the Sixth Woman of the Year award.
Patterson averages 11.4 points per game in 17 games and has 22 steals and 28 assists.
SEC Tournament begins
The SEC Tournament tips off Wednesday at Greenville, S.C.
No. 12 seed Vanderbilt (14-15) takes on No. 13 Auburn (10-17) at 11 a.m.
No. 11 Missouri (8-21) meets No. 14 Ole Miss (7-22) at 1 p.m.
Both games will be televised by the SEC Network.
Kentucky, the No. 3 seed, does not jump into the 14-team fray until Friday’s quarterfinal round when it takes on either No. 6 Tennessee, Missouri or Ole Miss at 8 p.m.
All-SEC
FIRST TEAM
Alexis Tolefree, Arkansas
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
N’dea Jones, Texas A&M
SECOND TEAM
Jasmine Walker, Alabama
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Ayana Mitchell, LSU
Khayla Pointer, LSU
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
Jordan Danberry, Mississippi State
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, South Carolina
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Lavender Briggs, Florida
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Aijha Blackwell, Missouri
Hayley Frank, Missouri
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Koi Love, Vanderbilt
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Que Morrison, Georgia
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Faustine Aifuwa, LSU
Jordan Danberry, Mississippi State
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Jordyn Cambridge, Vanderbilt
AWARDS
Player of the Year: Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Sixth Woman of the Year: Chasity Patterson, Kentucky
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jordan Lewis, Alabama
Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina