March 15, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior guard Devan Downey has been named a unanimous selection to the 2010 Associated Press All-SEC First Team, as announced by the organization on Monday. The honor marks the third-straight season Downey has been a first-team choice by both the coaches and media. His selection marks just the second time a South Carolina player has been named to the AP first team in three seasons (BJ McKie).

Joining Downey on the first team were DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall from Kentucky, both unanimous selections, Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado and Georgia’s Trey Thompkins.

Downey concluded his career in the Garnet and Black with 1,901 points, including 699 during the 2009-10 campaign. He became South Carolina’s first-ever SEC scoring champion this season, posting an impressive 26.2 points per game in league play. Downey scored 20 or more points 19 times this season, and tallied 30 or more six times, including in five SEC contests. Downey concludes his career in the Garnet and Black No. 4 on the all-time scoring list (1,901), first in field goals attempted (1,634), in steals (277) and steals per game (3.0)

Wall was named the league’s Freshman and Newcomer of the Year, while Kentucky head coach John Calipari was named the SEC Coach of the Year.

The complete list of AP All-SEC teams is below:

FIRST TEAM
u-DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky, F, 6-11, Fr.
u-Devan Downey, South Carolina, G, 5-9, Sr.
u-John Wall, Kentucky, G, 6-4, Fr.
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State, F-C, 6-9, Sr.
Trey Thompkins, Georgia, F, 6-10, So.
u-unanimous choice to first team

SECOND TEAM
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky, F, 6-9, Jr.
Chris Warren, Mississippi, G, 5-10, Jr.
Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt, G, 6-3, Sr.
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU, F, 6-7, Sr.
Wayne Chism, Tennessee, F-C, 6-9, Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt, G-F, 6-7, So.; A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt, C, 6-11, Jr.; Courtney Fortson, Arkansas, G, 5-11, So.; Dee Bost, Mississippi St., G, 6-2, So.; Mikhail Torrance, Alabama, G, 6-5, Sr.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: John Wall, Kentucky
COACH OF THE YEAR: John Calipari, Kentucky
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: John Wall, Kentucky