Trevor Releford and Shannon Hale Earn All-SEC Honors

Senior guard Trevor Releford was selected to the Southeastern Conference First Team, while Shannon Hale earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors according to a vote of the league’s head coaches, which was announced on Tuesday.

It marks the second consecutive season Releford has been named to the league’s first team and it is the fourth consecutive year he has been tabbed as an all-conference performer. He earned Freshman All-SEC honors in 2011 and second team recognition in 2012.

The only other players in program history to claim four straight all-league accolades were Jermareo Davidson (2004-07) and Jerry Harper (1953-56). Furthermore, Releford becomes the first Alabama player to earn back-to-back first team honors since Kennedy Winston achieved the feat in 2004 and 2005.

Meanwhile, Hale becomes the 15th player in program history to be named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and the first since Releford achieved the feat in 2011.

Releford is having a career-year in 2014, as he leads Alabama with 18.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the SEC. The Kansas City, Mo., native also leads the SEC and ranks 21^st nationally with 2.2 steals per game, ranks fifth in the SEC in field goal percentage, shooting 50.5 percent (185-of-366), and is fourth in the league in three-point percentage, shooting a team-best 39.7 percent (71-of-179). He also leads the Tide with 3.1 assists per contest.

Releford enters the SEC Tournament having reached double figures in 32 consecutive games dating back to last season. The last time the senior point guard failed to reach double figures in a game came when he scored nine points in the NIT opening round victory over Northeastern on March 19, 2013. Furthermore, he has reached double digits in 42 of UA’s last 43 contests.

Meanwhile, Hale has had a stellar first season with the Crimson Tide, averaging 8.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. During SEC play, the Johnson City, Tenn., native has reached double figures in 11 of UA’s 18 league games and ranks eighth among SEC freshmen in scoring (11.6 ppg) and is ninth in rebounding (4.1 rpg).

After seeing limited action during non-conference play during his freshman season, Hale ranks second on the team points and rebounds per game, while connecting 44 percent from the floor and 35 percent from beyond the arc in league play.

Top-ranked and SEC regular season champion Florida swept the specialty awards, with Scottie Wilbekin earning SEC Player of the Year honors, Billy Donovan tabbed as SEC Coach of the Year, Dorian Finney-Smith earning Sixth Man of the Year accolades and Patric Young was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year. Kentucky’s Julius Randle was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.

First Team All-SEC                                                  

Trevor Releford, Alabama – G, 6-1, 190, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.

Casey Prather, Florida – F, 6-6, 212, Sr., Jackson, Tenn.

Scottie Wilbekin, Florida – G, 6-2, 176, Sr., Gainesville, Fla.

Julius Randle, Kentucky – F, 6-9, 250, Fr., Dallas, Texas

Johnny O’Bryant III, LSU – F, 6-9, 256, Jr., Cleveland, Miss.

Jabari Brown, Missouri – G, 6-5, 214 Jr., Oakland, Calif.

Jordan McRae, Tennessee – G, 6-6, 185, Sr., Midway, Ga.

Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee – F, 6-8, 260, Jr., Memphis, Tenn

Second Team All-SEC

Bobby Portis, Arkansas – F, 6-10, 242, Fr., Little Rock, Ark.

Chris Denson, Auburn – G, 6-2, 181, Sr., Columbus, Ga.

Patric Young, Florida – C, 6-9, 240, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.

Charles Mann, Georgia – G, 6-5, 210, So., Alpharetta, Ga.

James Young, Kentucky – G, 6-6, 215, Fr., Rochester Hills, Mich.

Jordan Mickey, LSU – F, 6-8, 220, Fr., Dallas, Texas

Marshall Henderson, Ole Miss – G, 6-2, 177, Sr., Hurst, Texas

Jarvis Summers, Ole Miss – G, 6-3, 186, Jr., Jackson, Miss.

Jordan Clarkson, Missouri – G, 6-5, 193, Jr., San Antonio, Texas

Rod Odom, Vanderbilt – F, 6-9, 212, Sr., Central Islip, N.Y.

SEC All-Freshman Team

Shannon Hale, Alabama – F, 6-8, 220, Fr., Johnson City, Tenn.

Bobby Portis, Arkansas – F, 6-10, 242, Fr., Little Rock, Ark.

Julius Randle, Kentucky – F, 6-9, 250, Fr., Dallas, Texas

James Young, Kentucky – G, 6-6, 215, Fr., Rochester Hills, Mich.

Jarell Martin, LSU – F, 6-9, 241, Fr. Baton Rouge, La.

Jordan Mickey, LSU – F, 6-8, 220, Fr., Dallas, Texas

Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina – G, 6-5, 205, Fr., Lancaster, S.C.

Damian Jones, Vanderbilt – C, 6-10, 235, Fr., Baton Rouge, La.

All-Defensive Team

Patric Young, Florida – C, 6-9, 240, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.

Scottie Wilbekin, Florida – G, 6-2, 176, Sr., Gainesville, Fla.

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky – F, 7-0, 244, So., Olathe, Kan.

Jordan Mickey, LSU – F, 6-8, 220, Fr., Dallas, Texas

Josh Richardson, Tennessee – G, 6-6, 196, Jr., Edmond, Okla.

SEC Coach of the Year

Billy Donovan, Florida

SEC Player of the Year

Scottie Wilbekin, Florida – G, 6-2, 176, Sr., Gainesville, Fla.

SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Patric Young, Florida – C, 6-9, 240, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.

SEC Sixth Man of the Year

Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida – F, 6-8, 212, R-So., Portsmouth, Va.

SEC Defensive Player of the Year

Patric Young, Florida – C, 6-9, 240, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.

SEC Freshman of the Year

Julius Randle, Kentucky – F, 6-9, 250, Fr., Dallas, Texas