SEC men’s basketball awards: Full list of 2023-24 top perfomers and achievers ft. Dalton Knecht, Reed Sheppard and more

Auburn v Tennessee — Dalton Knecht: The 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year

As the SEC Tournament approaches, the conference has revealed the recipients of the men’s basketball awards, highlighting the season’s standout performers. Here’s a detailed list of the award winners and the SEC teams to which the players have been named.

SEC men's basketball awards for 2023-24 season

SEC Player of the Year Award

The SEC Player of the Year recognizes the best overall player throughout the season. It should be no surprise that senior guard Dalton Knecht of the Tennessee Volunteers wins the award. He averages 21.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.

SEC Freshman of the Year Award

The SEC Freshman of the Year is awarded to the top incoming player in college basketball and makes that impact right away. This year's recipient is Kentucky's Reed Sheppard. Sheppard averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 25 steals with a 54.0/52.6/84.1 shooting split.

SEC Defensive Player of the Year

The SEC Defensive Player of the Year award is presented to the player whose defensive contributions are most vital to their team’s success. While their statistics may not always be eye-catching, their role is crucial in securing victories.

This year, the honor goes to junior guard Zakai Zeigler of the Vols, who concluded the regular season with averages of 11.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.

SEC Sixth Man of the Year

Just because you are not in the starting lineup does not mean they are not impacting how the game goes. Leading the bench group is critical, and Kentucky's freshman guard Rob Dillingham wins the SEC Sixth Man of the Year. He finishes the regular season with 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.1 steals.

SEC Coach of the Year

The SEC Coach of the Year does not always mean the coach that has the best record but the coach that has contributed the most to the team's success. South Carolina coach Lamont Paris won the award after going 11-21 last season to now being 25-6 in year two.

SEC Scholar-Athlete Player of the Year

The SEC Scholar-Athlete Player of the Year is an award given to a player who excels on the court and in their classes, embodying what a student-athlete truly is. Senior guard Sean East II from Missouri is the recipient of this season's award after shooting 53.0% from the floor and 46.2% from three while averaging 17.9 points per game.

SEC men's basketball All-Teams for 2023-24 season

All-SEC First Team

The first team is the creme of the crop for the Southeastern Conference as the eight top players. While there will always be some debate surrounding "snubs," here is what the voters decided as the All-SEC First Team.

Mark Sears, Alabama
Johni Broome, Auburn
Zyon Pullin, Florida
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky
Tolu Smith III, Mississippi State
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Zakai Ziegler, Tennessee
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M

All-SEC Second Team

The second team always has some people that one could argue should be on the first team, but there were a lot of talented players this season. Just because they are the second team does not detract from their abilities. Below are the nine players who were named to the All-SEC Second Team.

Jaylin Williams, Auburn
Walter Clayton, Florida
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Matthew Murrell, Ole Miss
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Ta'Lon Cooper, South Carolina
Meechie Johnson, South Carolina
Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee

All-SEC Defensive Team

These five players are considered the top defensive players in the conference and are being recognized as such.

Johni Broome, Auburn
Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State
Jonas Aido, Tennessee
Zakai Ziegler, Tennessee
Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M

All-Freshman Team

In an one-and-done era, it is difficult to appreciate some freshmen as they are in and out of the college basketball scene after one season. Eight freshmen were recognized in the All-Freshman team.

Aden Holloway, Auburn
Alex Condon, Florida
Silas Demary Jr., Georgia
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
D.J. Wagner, Kentucky
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

Also Read: SEC Tournament bracket 2024: Dates, schedule, how to watch, tickets and more