Acuff, Florida Dominate SEC Awards

0:00On March 9th, a poll of experts from the USA Today Sports Network just named Arkansas freshman Darius Akuf Jr. as the SEC player of the year. He's also the newcomer of the year, the first player since Pete Marevich to lead the conference in both scoring and assists. Akuf averaged 22.2 points and 6.4 assists per game, helping the Razabak secure their best SEC finish since 20. 21. Meanwhile, Florida cleaned up in two other big awards. Coach Todd Golden earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Gators to the regular season title, including an 11-game winning streak, two. Close things out. Florida's Rubin Shinielu took defensive player of the year. The big man anchored the league's top defense, posting double doubles with 11.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, plus one, 0.1 blocks. The first team featured standouts like Akuf, Alabama's Labyrinth Philan, Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner, and Florida duo Thomas Hall and Shinielu, setting.

1:03The stage for a heated tournament run ahead.