Although awards come at the end of the season, SEC basketball midseason awards are in order. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is the best in college basketball this year and it is not even close. But what separates this conference from the rest? Generous athletic budgets and donors certainly help. Fantastic coaching is critical. But, it is the players that make the conference special, and give us fans the weekly blockbuster matchups we crave. The SEC showcases All-American athletes, noteworthy newcomers, and first-year phenoms every game, but here is who has stood out so far this season.
SEC basketball midseason Players to Watch
Star players
From top to bottom, the SEC is flooded with talent. Here are some established stars that are, yet again, performing at a high level. Auburn’s Johni Broome tops the list of SEC studs. Fresh of a third-team All-America selection last season, he was the frontrunner for player of the year before a recent injury forced him out for a few games. Luckily for Auburn, he is back, and is currently eighth in the country at 10.7 rebounds per game, fifth in blocks per game (2.76), and pours in 17.8 points every contest.
Alabama’s lead guard, Mark Sears, is a scoring machine. He earned a second-team All-America nod last year, and rightfully so, as he led the Crimson Tide to their first ever Final Four. He currently averages 18.0 PPG, which remains especially impressive given the plethora of offensive weapons that Alabama deploys.
Arkansas’s Adou Thiero deviates from the rest of this list, as he is the one player that has blossomed into a star this year. In his previous two seasons at Kentucky, he showcased his elite athleticism and work ethic, but his production on the court was lackluster. In his first season as a Razorback, he has taken his game to the next level, and has been a bright spot for a struggling team.
Finally, Texas A&M’s hard-nosed Wade Taylor IV has been lighting up SEC opponents for years. The two-time first-team All-SEC guard very well may break the Aggies career scoring record this season. Although sometimes his shot selection is a bit questionable, he is the country’s most dangerous scorer when hot; just ask Arkansas, when he exploded for 41 points against them last season.
Impact transfers
No transfer has had more of an impact so far than Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier. The former University of North Florida guard has turned heads this season as his scoring helped propel the Vols to a spectacular start to the season, winning their first 14 games. Although he has cooled off a bit as of late, his 18.0 PPG lead the Vols. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of last year’s SEC player of the year, Dalton Knecht, and earn some hardware as an impact transfer.
Next, Florida’s Alijah Martin decided to stay in the Sunshine State after leaving Florida Atlantic University. Martin was named to the All-NCAA Tournament Team for an FAU team that surprised everyone with their run to the Final Four in 2023. He brings toughness, defensive prowess, and scoring, and fits perfectly on a Florida team that nobody wants to play right now.
Lastly, Zhuric Phelps has been a splendid addition for Texas A&M. The tough guard came over from Southern Methodist University, and has fit right in. Phelps picked up the slack after an injury to teammate Wade Taylor IV, and the transfer averaged 24.3 PPG over the first four SEC games. Phelps provides a scoring option for a team that prides itself on physicality and effort.
Freshmen sensations
The Texas Longhorns landed the SEC’s highest rated recruit of the 2024 high school class: Tre Johnson. Coming in at fifth overall, he started his collegiate career with a bang, scoring 29 and 28 points respectively in his first two games and earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors. He leads his team in scoring, and is quite gifted in that department, but he is still learning how to impact the game in other ways for a Texas team hoping to make more of a splash in SEC play.
Another highly ranked freshman for a team not yet discussed, is Georgia’s Asa Newell. According to ESPN, Newell is the second highest recruit landed by the Bulldogs, following only Anthony Edwards, who went on to be the first selection in the 2020 NBA draft and is now terrorizing the other 29 NBA franchises. Newell is a 6’11” forward that displays a terrific blend of size and skill. While he may not stuff the stat sheet every night, he has proven that he is physically capable of playing at this level, as he has taken home SEC Freshman of the Week three times already.
The rest of the list of sensational SEC freshmen is all guards. Likely the highest draft prospect out of this bunch is Boogie Fland. Before a likely season-ending hand injury, he averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds, while shooting 36.5% from 3-point range, and winning SEC Freshman of the Week once. Some of the NBA’s best guards passed through Kentucky under coach John Calipari, and Fland hopes to be the first great of Coach Cal’s Arkansas days.
Arguably the toughest player of the SEC freshmen stars is Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears. A downhill driving point guard, Fears seems to play his best when the lights are the brightest, as he led the Sooners to huge early season wins over Arizona and Michigan. Oklahoma has stumbled a bit as of late, but Fears has already collected SEC Freshman of the Week honors twice this season and hopes to help the team find their winning ways again.
Alabama boasts a trio of top freshmen on their loaded roster, but Labaron Philon has stood out the most. It is easy to hide in the shadow of All-American Mark Sears, but Philon has held his own this season. The 6’4” guard has displayed an uncanny ability to get to the hoop and finish in traffic, while he continues to improve his outside shooting. His sensational play thus far has been rewarded with an SEC Freshman of the Week selection three times, and he has likely played his way into a first-round NBA draft pick, even though few scouts had him that high a year ago.
Although the first five freshmen in this list collectively won the first 10 SEC Freshman of the Week awards, Tahaad Pettiford was selected as the newest member of this group in week 11. The Auburn freshman is a flashy and explosive player, frequently knocking down step back threes, as well as showcasing a jaw-dropping windmill dunk on a fast break against Mississippi State earlier this year. He will continue to improve and become more efficient as he learns to play within a team, but he is still finding ways to help Auburn win with his sheer talent and athleticism.
Down the Stretch
Continue to keep an eye on these players down the stretch of the SEC season, but do not be surprised if some new names step up. The season stretches on for awhile, and it rewards those who have the stamina to withstand the ups and downs of a lengthy season.
Main Image: © Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
