University of Tennessee Athletics
LOFTON AND WATSON NAMED ALL-SEC BY LEAGUE COACHES
March 08, 2006 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference unveiled its men's basketball postseason awards Wednesday to cap off another exciting season in league history.
Southeastern Conference Champion LSU earned four 2006 SEC coaches' postseason awards as John Brady was chosen SEC Coach of the Year by his peers and sophomore forward Glen Davis was selected SEC Player of the Year by the league's coaches. Tyrus Thomas earned both the SEC Freshman of the Year award and shared Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Thomas made it three straight SEC Freshman of the Year honors for the Fighting Tigers (Brandon Bass, 2004 and Glen Davis, 2005). Florida's Lee Humphrey won the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and Arkansas' Eric Ferguson earned SEC's Sixth Man of the Year honors.
Brady led LSU to their ninth SEC Championship. The Tigers has won 26 SEC games over the last two seasons (12 in 2005, 14 in 2006), three more than any other team during that span. He also won the award in 2000 which was the last time LSU won the league title. This season, he guided his squad to a 22-7 record (14-2 in SEC play) and what will be their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Davis garnered SEC Player of the Year honors in leading LSU to an SEC title and Eastern Division Championship. Davis and LSU's Seimone Augustus, the SEC Women's Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006, made it back-to-back years that a duo from the same school was voted by the league coaches as SEC Player of the Year. Davis was also a unanimous All-SEC First Team selection. Brandon Bass from LSU was the SEC Men's Player of the Year in 2005.
Humphrey earned the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, sporting a 3.74 grade-point average as a junior. He is a 2005-06 Second Team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America selection. Humphrey helped Florida to a 17-0 start and a No. 2 national ranking. It was UF's best start in school history and the longest winning streak in school history.
Thomas was awarded the SEC Freshman of the Year award. Thomas leads all SEC freshmen and is second in the league with 9.3 rebounds per game. He ranks second among freshmen in scoring at 12.7 points per game. Thomas was one of four unanimous picks for the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Brewer shared the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award with Thomas. Brewer, consistently matched against the opposing teams top scorer, helped anchor the Gator defense that was third in the SEC in field goal pct. defense and fourth in scoring defense. Thomas leads all players with 3.04 blocks per contest.
Arkansas' Eric Ferguson won the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year award. Ferguson ranks third on the team in minutes played despite starting only six games this season and is its fifth leading scorer (8.0 ppg).
A complete list of the 2006 SEC Men's Basketball postseason awards follows.
| FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown |
| Jermareo Davidson, Alabama | F | 6-10 | 220 | Jr. | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Ronald Steele, Alabama# | G | 6-3 | 185 | So. | Birmingham, Ala. |
| Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas# | G | 6-7 | 217 | Jr. | Fayetteville, Ark. |
| Joakim Noah, Florida | F/C | 6-11 | 227 | So. | New York, N.Y. |
| Glen Davis, LSU# | F | 6-9 | 310 | So. | Baton Rouge, La. |
| Darrel Mitchell, LSU | G | 5-11 | 178 | Sr. | St. Martinville, La. |
| Chris Lofton, Tennessee# | G | 6-2 | 197 | So. | Maysville, Ky. |
| Shan Foster, Vanderbilt | G/F | 6-6 | 190 | So. | Kenner, La. |
| SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown |
| Jonathon Modica, Arkansas | G/F | 6-5 | 208 | Sr. | Smackover, Ark. |
| Taurean Green, Florida | G | 6-0 | 177 | So. | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Al Horford, Florida | F | 6-8 | 235 | So. | Puerto Plata, D.R. |
| Rajon Rondo, Kentucky | G | 6-1 | 155 | So. | Louisville, Ky. |
| Tyrus Thomas, LSU | F | 6-9 | 215 | Fr. | Baton Rouge, La. |
| Charles Rhodes, Miss. State | F | 6-8 | 240 | So. | Jackson, Miss. |
| Tarence Kinsey, S. Carolina | G | 6-6 | 190 | Sr. | Tampa, Fla. |
| C.J. Watson, Tennessee | G | 6-2 | 176 | Sr. | Las Vegas, Nev. |
| SEC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown | |
| Alonzo Gee, Alabama | F | 6-6 | 215 | Palm Beach, Fla. | |
| Richard Hendrix, Alabama# | F | 6-8 | 265 | Athens, Ala. | |
| Quantez Robertson, Auburn | G | 6-3 | 190 | Cincinnati, Ohio | |
| Rasheem Barrett, Auburn | G | 6-5 | 220 | Atlanta, Ga. | |
| Mike Mercer, Georgia | G | 6-4 | 185 | Snellville, Ga. | |
| Tasmin Mitchell, LSU# | F | 6-7 | 230 | Denham Springs, La. | |
| Tyrus Thomas, LSU# | F | 6-9 | 215 | Baton Rouge, La. | |
| Jamont Gordon, Miss. State# | G/F | 6-4 | 225 | Nashville, Tenn. | |
| SEC COACH OF THE YEAR | |||||
| John Brady, LSU | |||||
| SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR | |||||
| Glen Davis, LSU | |||||
| SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR | |||||
| Lee Humphrey, Florida | |||||
| SEC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR | |||||
| Tyrus Thomas, LSU | |||||
| SEC SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR | |||||
| Eric Ferguson, Arkansas | |||||
| Co-SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR | |||||
| Corey Brewer, Florida and Tyrus Thomas, LSU | |||||
| #-Unanimous Selection; Ties are not broken | |||||
