Feb. 1, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – South Carolina senior point guard Devan Downey has been named the SEC Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday. It is the first Player of the Week award for Downey this season.

Downey led South Carolina last week to back-to-back victories over SEC East opponents, scoring a combined 63 points in the two contests, including a 30-point effort in Carolina’s upset victory over No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday. The win, Carolina’s third straight over Kentucky, marked South Carolina’s first in eight tries versus the No. 1 ranked team in the AP poll in its history. Downey also collected five rebounds, dished three assists and swiped two steals in the win over the Wildcats. He was a stellar 10-of-11 from the free throw line in the victory.

Downey followed that performance with a 33-point, three assist, two-steal effort in a one-point Carolina win over Georgia on Saturday. It marked his third-consecutive game with 30 or more points, and his fifth in seven SEC contests this season. Downey currently leads the conference with 22.9 points per game in overall contests, and an unparalleled 31.6 points per game in league play. Downey accounts for 45.5 percent (221/485) of South Carolina’s total offense in SEC games thus far.

Downey and the Gamecocks travel to face No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday.