Varnado, Bost recognized by SEC

STARKVILLE, Miss. - The accolades continue to pour in for Mississippi State senior forward Jarvis Varnado, who was recognized on three different levels Tuesday by the Southeastern Conference coaches, as well as being named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District IV team.

For the third-consecutive season, the 6-foot-9 Brownsville, Tenn., native was the unanimous selection for SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors, while also being tabbed first-team All-SEC in addition to making the league's All-Defensive team.

Also recognized was sophomore point guard Dee Bost, who was voted second-team All-SEC.

"It's a great honor," said Varnado, also a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith awards who stands at 13th all-time at MSU with 1,324 points. "The SEC is full of great players, and to be mentioned with those guys is humbling."

Varnado leads MSU with a 13.5 scoring clip, while his 10.6 rebounds and 148 blocked shots are tops in the SEC. He's also posted a team- and career-high 17 double-doubles, the second most in the league.

Nationally, he's second in blocks and 13th in rebounding, while his total number of double-doubles rank 11th.

On Feb. 24 in a 74-66 win against Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum, he became the NCAA career leader in blocks and currently has 542 as the Bulldogs prepare for this week's SEC Tournament in Nashville .

He's also the only player in the history of the NCAA to have 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 blocks for a career.

"To be able to do something that's never been done before is special," 12th-year coach Rick Stansbury said. "That's something that can't ever be taken away from you."

Bost, who set a MSU freshman record a year ago with 156 assists, is averaging 12.9 points, the third-highest output on the team. In SEC play, however, he's tops at 14.9. In addition, he's scored in double-digits 21 times, including the last four and seven out of the last eight.

He's also dished out 166 assists, the second-most in the SEC, and has scored 20-plus points seven times and is the only Bulldog player to reach 30 points this season, as he totaled a career-high 32 against Auburn on Feb. 13 in an 85-75 victory. And with 322 career assists, he ranks 10th all-time in the MSU record books and is on pace to shatter the record of 514 set by Derrick Zimmerman from 2000-03

Last year, the Concord , N.C. , native made the SEC All-Freshman team.

Coaches All-SEC Teams

First Team All-SEC

*Trey Thompkins , Georgia - F, 6-10, 247, So., Lithonia , Ga.

* DeMarcus Cousins , Kentucky - F 6-11, 270, Fr., Mobile , Ala.

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky - F 6-9, 235, Jr., Huntington , W.Va.

* John Wall , Kentucky - G 6-4, 195, Fr., Raleigh , N.C.

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State - F, 6-9, 230, Sr., Brownsville , Tenn.

*Devan Downey , South Carolina - G, 5-9, 170, Sr., Chester , S.C.

Wayne Chism, Tennessee - C, 6-9, 246, Sr., Jackson , Tenn.

*Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt - G, 6-3, Sr., 205, DeSoto , Texas

Second Team All-SEC

Mikhail Torrance, Alabama - G, 6-5, 210, Sr., Eight Mile , Ala.

Courtney Fortson, Arkansas - G, 5-11, 180, So., Montgomery , Ala.

Erving Walker, Florida - G, 5-10, 171, So., Brooklyn , N.Y.

Tasmin Mitchell, LSU - F, 6-7, 238, Sr., Denham Springs , La.

Chris Warren, Ole Miss - G, 5-10, 168, Jr., Orlando , Fla.

Dee Bost, Mississippi State - G, 6-2, 170, So., Concord , N.C.

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt - C, 6-11, Jr., 255, Sydney , Australia

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt - F, 6-7, So., 210, Norrkoping , Sweden

SEC All-Freshman Team

Tony Mitchell, Alabama - F, 6-6, 185, Fr., Swainsboro , Ga.

*Marshawn Powell, Arkansas - F, 6-7, 220, Fr., Newport News, Va.

Kenny Boynton, Florida - G, 6-2, 183, Fr., Pompano Beach , Fla.

* Eric Bledsoe , Kentucky - G, 6-1, 190, Fr., Birmingham , Ala.

* DeMarcus Cousins , Kentucky - F 6-11, 270, Fr., Mobile , Ala.

* John Wall , Kentucky - G 6-4, 195, Fr., Raleigh , N.C.

Reginald Buckner, Ole Miss - F, 6-8, 233, Fr., Memphis , Tenn.

*John Jenkins, Vanderbilt - G, 6-4, 215, Hendersonville , Tenn.

SEC All-Defensive Team

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky - F 6-9, 235, Jr., Huntington , W.Va.

* Jarvis Varnado , Mississippi State - F, 6-9, 230, Sr., Brownsville , Tenn.

Devan Downey , South Carolina - G, 5-9, 170, Sr., Chester , S.C.

Sam Muldrow, South Carolina - F, 6-9, 220, Jr., Florence , S.C.

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt - F, 6-7, So., 210, Norrkoping , Sweden

SEC Coach of the Year: Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt

SEC Player of the Year: John Wall, Kentucky

SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ray Shipman, Florida

SEC Freshman of the Year: DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky

SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

SEC Defensive Player of the Year: * Jarvis Varnado , Mississippi State