Epps leads four Kentucky players on All-SEC teams
Four University of Kentucky players received All-Southeastern Conference honors in voting by the league’s basketball coaches announced Tuesday.
Junior guard Makayla Epps was named to the All-SEC First Team for the second year in a row. Senior guard Janee Thompson and junior forward Evelyn Akhator were selected to the Second Team, the first time either player has received postseason SEC honors. Guard Maci Morris, last year’s high school Miss Basketball in Kentucky, was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
Epps became the third UK player since Coach Matthew Mitchell’s arrival to earn First Team accolades twice, joining Victoria Dunlap and A’dia Mathies.
A member of the 2015-16 Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Midseason 30, Epps is leading Kentucky in scoring with 16.3 points per game. The native of Lebanon, Ky., is also averaging 4.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
This season, Epps became the 31st member of Kentucky’s 1,000-point club and currently ranks 25th all-time in points scored with 1,085.
Thompson, a Chicago native, is averaging 12.4 points and 5.0 assists. In her first year with Kentucky after transferring from Chipola Community College in Florida, Akhator is averaging 11.6 points and 9.4 rebounds. The native of Lagos, Nigeria, is the reigning SEC Player of the Week.
Morris, from Pineville, Ky., is averaging 8.6 points and has made at least one three-pointer in 21 of Kentucky’s 27 games this season.
All-SEC teams
FIRST TEAM
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Courtney Walker, Texas A&M
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Jessica Jackson, Arkansas
Shacobia Barbee, Georgia
Alaina Coates, South Carolina
SECOND TEAM
Ronni Williams, Florida
Tiaria Griffin, Georgia
Jordan Jones, Texas A&M
Janee Thompson, Kentucky
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri
Evelyn Akhator, Kentucky
Courtney Williams, Texas A&M
Jordan Frericks, Missouri
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Jordan Jones, Texas A&M
Dominique Dillingham, Mississippi State
Shacobia Barbee, Georgia
Simone Westbrook, Florida
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri
Eleanna Christinaki, Florida
Anriel Howard, Texas A&M
Cierra Porter, Missouri
Caliya Robinson, Georgia
Te’a Cooper, Tennessee
Tearia McCowan, Mississippi State
Maci Morris, Kentucky
AWARDS
Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Player of the Year: A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Sophie Cunningham, Missouri
Defensive Player of the Year: A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Sixth Woman of the Year: Chelsea Jennings, Texas A&M
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Marjorie Butler, Georgia
This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Epps leads four Kentucky players on All-SEC teams."