The SEC will always be known as a football conference, but there are several great basketball players that are improving the conference's reputation on the hardwood. Here are the top five that are battling it out for Conference Player of the Year:
Karl-Anthony Towns – 7’0″, 248 lbs, PF/C – Fr., Kentucky
Stats: 8.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.5 bpg
It takes a lot for someone to stand out on Kentucky’s talented roster, but that’s what Towns does every time he steps on the floor. Towns has become one of the best shot-blockers in the country, and is starting to develop post moves he can rely on.
Willie Cauley-Stein – 7’0″, 244 lbs, C – Jr., Kentucky
Stats: 9.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.8
Cauley-Stein is rising on draft boards because he’s a sure thing. He's been able to maintain his reputation as the best defender in the country, and he’s now starting to play at a high level offensively.
Bobby Portis – 6’11″, 242 lbs, PF – So., Arkansas
Stats: 17.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg
We could go on and on and fill this list with Kentucky players, but Bobby Portis is just as good as any of them.
He's extremely effective around the rim, and has the range to stretch a defense on the perimeter. Because Portis is a dual threat, he leads the conference in scoring and looks like a surefire bet to become a first-round draft pick - especially if he can lead Arkansas to the NCAA Tournament.
Jarvis Summers - 6'3", 186 lbs, PG/SG - Ole Miss
Stats: 13.4 ppg, 3.9 apg
Summers' play has taken a step back this year, but that's because the Rebels rely so much on him to carry them. His shooting percentage is down this season since he's forced to take a lot of bad shots, but he's looked more like himself since conference play started.
K.T. Harrell - 6'4", 212 lbs, PG/SG - Auburn
Stats: 17.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Harrell has made his mark in the league as a dynamite scorer, and he's only improved in head coach Bruce Pearl's first year with the Tigers. The Virginia transfer has the range to stretch the defense (43.3 percent from long-range), and makes over 2.6 threes a game - one of the top marks in the country.
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