Weems Named First-Team All-SEC; Hill On Defensive Team
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –A pair of Arkansas seniors have earned All-Southeastern Conference recognition by the league’s coaches with guard Sonny Weems claiming a spot on the first-team all-conference squad and center Steven Hill voted to a spot on the all-defensive team.
Weems, a 6-6 West Memphis, Ark., native, is joined on the first team by Mississippi State’s Jamont Gordon and Charles Rhodes, Tennessee’s Chris Lofton and Tyler Smith, Alabama’s Richard Hendrix, Kentucky’s Ramel Bradley, South Carolina’s Devan Downey and Vanderbilt’s Shan Foster.
Weems leads the Razorbacks in scoring (14.9), is third in rebounding (4.7), second in assists (2.8), first in steals (1.4), first in free-throw percentage (.803), and second in three-point goals (49) and three-point percentage (.383).
He is 16th in the conference in scoring, 11th in field goal percentage (.461) and 14th in steals. In SEC play, he was eighth in scoring (17.3), 26th in rebounding (5.1), 15th in field goal percentage (.445), fourth in three-point percentage (.426) and sixth in three-point goals per game (2.50).
Weems, who was earlier named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 9 second team, has led the team in scoring 14 times, been in double figures 23 times and had 20 or more points nine times. He’s also led the team in assists nine times and in rebounding three times.
He had 21 points in the win over Baylor, 22 in the win over No. 25 Mississippi State, 17 in the win over No. 20 Florida and 20 in the win over No. 14 Vanderbilt.
Hill, a 7-0 Branson, Mo., native, is averaging 4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots. He’s shooting 68.3 percent from the field (56-82) and 60 percent at the free-throw line (30-50). Just the fourth player in SEC history to record 300 or more blocked shots, he has 311 for his career. Last year’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year, he’s had two or more blocked shots in a game 22 times this year and has made 50 percent of his shots or better 23 times.
The SEC recognized an all-defensive team this year for the first time since 1992. The rest of the team includes Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado, Georgia’s Sundiata Gaines, Kentucky’s Ramel Bradley, LSU’s Garrett Temple and Tennessee’s JaJuan Smith.
Weems and Hill helped the Razorbacks finish the regular season 20-10 overall and second in the Western Division at 9-7. Arkansas faces the Vanderbilt-Auburn winner on Friday at 2:15 p.m. (central) in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
Richard Hendrix, Alabama* F 6-8 265 JR Athens, Ala.
Sonny Weems, ArkansasF 6-6 203 SR West Memphis, Ark.
Ramel Bradley, Kentucky — 6-2 191 SR New York, N.Y.
Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State#G/F 6-4 230 JR Nashville, Tenn.
Charles Rhodes, Mississippi State F/C6-8 245 SR Jackson, Miss.
Devan Downey, South Carolina G 5-9 175 SO Chester, S.C.
Chris Lofton, Tennessee* G 6-2 200 SR Maysville, Ky.
Tyler Smith, Tennessee F 6-7 215 SO Pulaski, Tenn.
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt# G/F 6-6 205 SR Kenner, La.
SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
Nick Calathes, Florida G/F 6-6 185 FR Casselberry, Fla.
Sundiata Gaines, Georgia G 6-1 210 SR Jamaica, N.Y.
Joe Crawford, Kentucky — 6-5 207 SR Detroit, Mich.
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky — 6-8 232 FR Huntington, W.Va.
Marcus Thornton, LSU G 6-4 190 JR Baton Rouge, La.
Dwayne Curtis, Ole Miss C 6-8 262 SR Chicago, Ill.
JaJuan Smith, Tennessee G 6-2 195 SR Cleveland, Tenn.
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt C 6-11 250 FR Sydney, Australia
SEC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown
Nick Calathes, Florida# G/F 6-6 185 Casselberry, Fla.
Jai Lucas, Florida# G 5-11 150 Bellaire, Texas
Chandler Parsons, Florida* F 6-9 200 Casselberry, Fla.
Jeremy Price, Georgia F 6-8 270 Decatur, Ga.
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky# — 6-8 232 Huntington, W.Va.
Anthony Randolph, LSU# F 6-10 190 Dallas, Texas
Trevor Gaskins, Ole Miss* G 6-2 203 Alpharetta, Ga.
Chris Warren, Ole Miss# G 5-10 170 Orlando, Fla.
Mike Holmes, South Carolina* F 6-7 230 Bishopville, S.C.
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt# C 6-11 250 Sydney, Australia
SEC ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Pos. Ht. Wt. CL. Hometown
Steven Hill, Arkansas F/C 7-0 245 SR Branson, Mo.
Sundiata Gaines, GeorgiaG 6-1 210 SR Jamaica, N.Y.
Ramel Bradley, Kentucky — 6-2 191 SR New York, N.Y.
Garrett Temple, LSU G 6-6 185 JR Baton Rouge, La.
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State F/C 6-9 210 SO Brownsville, Tenn.
JaJuan Smith, TennesseeG 6-2 195 SR Cleveland, Tenn.
SEC CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR
Billy Gillispie, Kentucky
Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt
SEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Dave Bliss, Georgia
SEC CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
Nick Calathes, Florida
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
SEC SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
J.P. Prince, Tennessee
SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State#
#-Unanimous Selection; *-Ties are not broken
