Washington Fortson earn All-SEC honors
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –- Arkansas junior forward Michael Washington and freshman guard Courtney Fortson have each been recognized by the Southeastern Conference coaches on the all-conference teams, which were released by the league office on Tuesday.
Washington, a 6-9, 229-pounder from McGehee, Ark., has been named second-team All-SEC while Fortson, a true freshman from Montgomery, Ala., has been named to the all-freshman team.
Washington entered the year with career averages of 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds after averaging 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in just over 13 minutes a game last season as a sophomore. He’s had a breakout year this season, leading the team with 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds a game. He is 10th in the SEC in scoring, second in rebounding, third with a .553 field goal percentage and eighth with 1.3 blocked shots.
He has 11 double-doubles this year, the most for a Razorback since Derek Hood set the school record with 18 in 1999. He also has two 30-point games this year with 30 points against Southeastern Louisiana and 34 against North Texas. He is the first Hog to record multiple 30-point games in the same season since Jannero Pargo had five in 2002 and the first post player since Joe Kleine had seven in 1985.
Washington has led the team in scoring 12 times and in rebounding 20 times. He’s scored in double figures 21 times, had nine 20-point games and been in double figures rebounding 13 times.
This is the second honor for Washington in two weeks. Last week, he was named second-team All-District 21 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Fortson is second on the team in scoring with 15.0 points a game, second in rebounding with 5.6, first in assists with 6.0 and first in steals with 1.1. He is 12th in the SEC in scoring and the highest-ranked freshman, 22nd in rebounding, 14th in field goal percentage (.429) and the highest-rated freshman, and second in assists and the top-ranked freshman.
The 5-11 point guard has four double-doubles this year, including just the second triple-double in school history. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against North Carolina Central on Dec. 10 for Arkansas’ first triple-double since Alvin Robertson had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists at Texas on Jan. 19, 1984.
Fortson has led the team in scoring eight times, in assists 26 times and in rebounding three times. He’s scored in double figures a team-high 25 times and had five 20-point games.
Washington and Fortson each earned SEC Player of the Week honors once while Fortson also earned the Freshman Player of the Week award once.
Coaches All-SEC Teams
First Team All-SEC
*Nick Calathes, Florida – G, 6-6, 194, So., Casselberry, Fla.
*Jodie Meeks, Kentucky – 6-4, 208, Jr., Norcross, Ga.
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky – 6-9, 235, So., Huntington, W.Va.
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU – F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Denham Springs, La.
*Marcus Thornton, LSU – G, 6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville, Tenn.
*Devan Downey, South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester, S.C.
*Tyler Smith, Tennessee – F, 6-7, 215, Jr., Pulaski, Tenn.
Second Team All-SEC
Alonzo Gee, Alabama – G, 6-6, 219, Sr., Riviera Beach, Fla.
Michael Washington, Arkansas – F, 6-9, 239, Jr., McGehee, Ark.
Korvotney Barber, Auburn – F, 6-7, 225, Sr., Manchester, Ga.
^Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
David Huertas, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 200, Jr., Humacao, Puerto Rico
Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr., Memphis, Tenn.
^Dominique Archie, South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta, Ga.
^Zam Fredrick, South Carolina – G, 6-0, 203, Sr., St. Matthews, S.C.
Wayne Chism, Tennessee – F, 609, 242, Jr., Jackson, Tenn.
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt – C, 6-11, 250, So., Sydney, Australia
SEC All-Freshman Team
*JaMychal Green, Alabama – F, 6-9, 220, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.
Courtney Fortson, Arkansas – G, 5-11, 180, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.
Erving Walker, Florida – 5-8, 161, Fr., New York, N.Y.
Trey Thompkins, Georgia – F, 6-8, 245, Fr., Lithonia, Ga.
*Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr., Memphis, Tenn.
*Dee Bost, Mississippi State – G, 6-2, 170, Fr., Concord, N.C.
Scotty Hopson, Tennessee – G, 6-7, 185, Fr., Hopkinsville, Ky.
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – G/F, 6-7, 210, Fr., Norrkoping, Sweden
SEC All-Defensive Team
^Quantez Robertson, Auburn – G, 6-3, 200, Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio
Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
Chris Johnson, LSU – C, 6-11, 210, Sr., Montross, Va.
*Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville, Tenn.
^Dominique Archie, South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta, Ga.
Devan Downey, South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester, S.C.
SEC Coach of the Year: Trent Johnson, LSU
SEC Player of the Year: Marcus Thornton, LSU
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Justin Knox, Alabama
SEC Freshman of the Year: Terrico White, Ole Miss
SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Brandis Raley-Ross, South Carolina
SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
*-Unanimous selection
^-Ties are not broken
