Powell, Young Named Second-Team All-SEC

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas junior Marshawn Powell and sophomore BJ Young were each named second-team All-Southeastern Conference players by the league’s coaches it was announced on Tuesday.

The inclusion of Powell and Young marks the first time since the 2005-06 season that the Razorbacks have placed multiple players on the All-SEC teams and just the ninth time ever. Powell picks up his first all-league accolade while Young takes his second in two years.  Both players also earned SEC All-Freshman team awards, Powell in 2010 and Young in 2012, making them the eighth and ninth players in Razorback history to accomplish the task.

Powell ranks No. 2 on the Razorback roster in scoring at 14.5 points per game, leads the team in rebounding at 5.3 per contest and ranks among the SEC leaders in field goal percentage, fourth, and scoring, ninth.  The Newport News, Va., native returned to the court for the 2012-13 season after suffering a knee injury that ended his 2011-12 campaign just two games into the season and has shown steady improvement since the start of the year.  He recorded a career high 33 points against Oklahoma and became the 35th member of the 1,000-point club at Arkansas in late December.  Powell is just the fifth Arkansas player in school history to have 1,000 points, 450 rebounds, 75 blocks and 100 assists in his career.

Young’s season has also been very good and he is leading the Razorbacks in scoring at 15.1 points per game and assists with 102.  Young is the first Razorback since 2010 to have a 100 assist season and ranks sixth in the SEC in both scoring and field-goal percentage, eighth in assist-turnover ratio and ninth in assists per game.  The St. Louis, Mo., native has nine 20-point games this year with a season high 29 against Arizona State in late November.  In just two seasons Young has racked up 942 career points and his 47.5 shooting percentage in SEC games ranks 10th all-time.

Powell and Young have led the Razorbacks to 19 wins this season, the most by an Arkansas team since the 2007-08 squad won 23 and 10 wins in SEC play which is the first time since the 2005-06 Razorbacks picked up 10.  The Razorbacks matched the school record for wins at Bud Walton Arena in a season with 17 and went an astounding 17-1 at home including 9-0 in SEC play which was the first undefeated home slate in league play by a Razorback squad since the 1997-98 season.

Arkansas returns to the court on Thursday, March 14, when it takes on Vanderbilt in the second round of the 2013 Southeastern Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.  The Razorbacks and Commodores tip of at 6:30 p.m. in a game that will be televised by the SEC Network.