Varnado, Bost recognized by SEC coaches

STARKVILLE , Miss. – When the Southeastern Conference unveiled its men's basketball honors on Tuesday, Mississippi State was well represented.

For the second year in a row, the league coaches tabbed Jarvis Varnado the Defensive Player of the Year. The Brownsville , Tenn. , native was also named to the All-Defensive and All-SEC teams and enters Thursday's showdown against Georgia in the SEC Tournament in Tampa , Fla. , with a nation-best 143 blocked shots.

Point guard Dee Bost, who has started all 31 games for the Bulldogs, was one of eight players named to the All-Freshman team. Earlier this year, the Concord , N.C. , native set a school freshman record for assists, breaking Jamont Gordon's mark of 129 set in 2006. He's also currently second in 3-pointers attempted (147) and free throws made (106) and third in 3-pointers made (52) and free throws attempted (146). He heads to Tampa having already dished out 135 assists and is averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 boards.

Varnado, who tied the SEC record with 157 blocks last year, is 19th in the league in scoring (13.0), third in rebounds (9.0) and fifth field-goal percentage (.554).

Coaches voted on eight member teams for First Team All-SEC, Second Team All-SEC and for the SEC All-Freshman Team. They voted on a five-player squad for the SEC All-Defensive Team. They were not permitted to vote for their own players and ties were not broken.

A complete list of the 2009 SEC Men's Basketball postseason awards follows.

First Team All-SEC

* Nick Calathes , Florida – G, 6-6, 194, So., Casselberry , Fla.

* Jodie Meeks , Kentucky – 6-4, 208, Jr., Norcross , Ga.

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky – 6-9, 235, So., Huntington , W.Va.

Tasmin Mitchell, LSU – F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Denham Springs , La.

*Marcus Thornton, LSU – G, 6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge , La.

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville , Tenn.

*Devan Downey , South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester , S.C.

* Tyler Smith , Tennessee – F, 6-7, 215, Jr., Pulaski , Tenn.

Second Team All-SEC

Alonzo Gee, Alabama – G, 6-6, 219, Sr., Riviera Beach , Fla.

Michael Washington, Arkansas – F, 6-9, 239, Jr., McGehee , Ark.

Korvotney Barber, Auburn – F, 6-7, 225, Sr., Manchester , Ga.

^Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge , La.

David Huertas, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 200, Jr., Humacao, Puerto Rico

Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr,. Memphis , Tenn.

^ Dominique Archie , South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta , Ga.

^ Zam Fredrick , South Carolina – G, 6-0, 203, Sr., St. Matthews , S.C.

Wayne Chism, Tennessee – F, 609, 242, Jr., Jackson , Tenn.

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt – C, 6-11, 250, So., Sydney , Australia

SEC All-Freshman Team

* JaMychal Green , Alabama – F, 6-9, 220, Fr., Montgomery , Ala.

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

Erving Walker, Florida – 5-8, 161, Fr., New York , N.Y.

Trey Thompkins , Georgia – F, 6-8, 245, Fr., Lithonia , Ga.

*Terrico White, Ole Miss – G, 6-5, 211, Fr,. Memphis , Tenn.

* Dee Bost, Mississippi State – G, 6-2, 170, Fr., Concord , N.C.

Scotty Hopson, Tennessee – G, 6-7, 185, Fr., Hopkinsville , Ky.

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt – G/F, 6-7, 210, Fr., Norrkoping , Sweden

SEC All-Defensive Team

^Quantez Robertson, Auburn – G, 6-3, 200, Sr., Cincinnati , Ohio

Garrett Temple, LSU – G, 6-6, 190, Sr., Baton Rouge , La.

Chris Johnson, LSU – C, 6-11, 210, Sr., Montross , Va.

* Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State – F/C, 6-9, 210, Jr., Brownsville , Tenn.

^ Dominique Archie , South Carolina – F, 6-7, 200, Jr., Augusta , Ga.

Devan Downey , South Carolina – G, 5-9, 175, Jr., Chester , S.C.

Individual Honors

SEC Coach of the Year: Trent Johnson, LSU

SEC Player of the Year: Marcus Thornton, LSU

SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Justin Knox, Alabama

SEC Freshman of the Year: Terrico White, Ole Miss

SEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Brandis Raley-Ross, South Carolina

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

*-Unanimous selection

^-Ties are not broken