March 6, 2018
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Fresh off a run to the 2017-18 Southeastern Conference title, players from the Auburn basketball team were awarded for their play throughout the season, announced Tuesday.
Guards Bryce Brown and Jared Harper were named to the All-SEC second team, while forward Anfernee McLemore earned a spot on the All-SEC defensive team through voting from the league's coaches.
The Tigers, who led the SEC wire-to-wire during the conference slate, tied for fifth in the conference with three honors in the annual coaches ballot. Tennessee collected the most (five), while Alabama, Kentucky and Texas A&M racked up four apiece.
In the Associated Press ballot, Brown earned first-team accolades, while Mustapha Heron and Harper collected second-team laurels.
Brown ranked second on the team and eighth in the league with 16.4 points per game, including 16.8 in conference play. The junior led the SEC with 3.3 3-pointers per game and 3.6 in league-only contests.
He racked up eight games with 20 or more points with half of them coming in SEC play. The Stone Mountain, Ga. native scored in double figures in 15 of 17 games played during the conference slate and 25 times overall.
The marksman became the 36th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points and is the 18th player in the Auburn record books to tally 1,000 points prior to the end of their third season.
Brown also got it done on the defensive end as he held his matchup to shoot 35.6 percent from the floor with 86 turnovers through 30 games this season.
Harper was also a top-20 scorer in the SEC as he contributed 13.9 points per tilt, including 15.2 in league play alone.
He was the only player in the SEC to rank in the top 10 in scoring, assists, free throw percentage, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio in league games this season.
Harper also led the conference with 15 games of seven or more assists this season. Through 31 regular-season games, Auburn scored 462 points off assists from Harper. His total of 178 dimes ranks fifth in the program's single-season list.
The Mableton, Ga. native scored in double figures 27 times this season, including 22 of his last 23 games. Harper is also fifth in single-season program history with 161 made free throws this year. He is one of just two players in program history (KT Harrell) to rank in the top 10 for single-season free throws and make at least 50 3-pointers in the same season.
McLemore, despite not playing since Feb. 17 due to a season-ending injury, still topped the SEC in total blocks with 73. That mark sits in the top 20 in the nation and is tied for fifth in the single-season Auburn record books.
He moved into eighth place on the Tigers' all-time block list with 110 career rejections through just two seasons on The Plains.
The Warwick, Ga. native has been instrumental on one of the top blocking teams in Auburn history. The Tigers finished the regular season with 169 denials, which is second all-time and just nine off the record of 178 set by the 2002-03 team.
Heron led the Tigers and was sixth in the SEC with 16.6 points per game, including 17.1 in league play. He was also a top-25 rebounder in the conference after pulling down 5.5 boards per contest.
The sophomore finished the regular season tied for fourth in the SEC with 16 games in double figures in league action.
The Waterbury, Conn. native has produced eight 20-point scoring showings so far this season, including four in conference play.
Brown and Harper are the seventh and eighth guards to collect all-conference accolades since 2000 and are the first guard duo to earn All-SEC awards since 2001.
Auburn begins postseason play at the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed in St. Louis, Mo. this weekend. The Tigers await the winner of No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 9 Alabama in the quarterfinals, which is set to tip off Friday, March 9 at 12 p.m. CT. Coverage includes the Auburn Sports Network and ESPN.
First Team All-SEC
Jaylen Barford, Arkansas
Chris Chiozza, Florida
Yante Maten, Georgia
Kevin Knox, Kentucky
Kassius Robertson, Missouri
Chris Silva, South Carolina
Grant Williams, Tennessee
Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
Second Team All-SEC
Collin Sexton, Alabama
Daryl Macon, Arkansas
Bryce Brown, Auburn
Jared Harper, Auburn
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kentucky
Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State
Admiral Schofield, Tennessee
Jeff Roberson, Vanderbilt
SEC All-Defensive Team
Donta Hall, Alabama
Anfernee McLemore, Auburn
Chris Chiozza, Florida
Chris Silva, South Carolina
Robert Williams, Texas A&M
SEC All-Freshman Team
Collin Sexton, Alabama
Daniel Gafford, Arkansas
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kentucky
Kevin Knox, Kentucky
Tremont Waters, LSU
Nick Weatherspoon, Mississippi State
Jontay Porter, Missouri
TJ Starks, Texas A&M
SEC Coach of the Year
Rick Barnes, Tennessee
SEC Player of the Year
Grant Williams, Tennessee
SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Juwan Parker, Georgia
SEC Co-Sixth-Man of the Year
Jontay Porter, Missouri
LamontÃÆ'Æ'© Turner, Tennessee
SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year
Chris Silva, South Carolina
Robert Williams, Texas A&M
SEC Co-Freshman of the Year
Collin Sexton, Alabama
Kevin Knox, Kentucky