Trevor Releford Earns First Team All-SEC Accolades

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama junior guard Trevor Releford was one of eight players named to the Southeastern Conference First Team according to a vote of the league's 14 head coaches, it was announced on Tuesday. In addition, the Kansas City, Mo., native earned a spot on the league's All-Defensive team.

Releford, the only Alabama player to be represented as an all-conference performer, is one of two SEC players to earn both first team and all-defensive team accolades, joining Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel.

This year's selection, marks the third consecutive season that Releford has earned all-conference honors. He was named to the league's all-freshman team in 2011 and was a second-team honoree in 2012. He becomes the first Alabama player to earn all-league honors in each of his first three seasons since Kennedy Winston achieved the feat during the 1992 (All-Freshman), 1993 (First Team) and 1994 (First Team) seasons.

In addition, he is the fourth Alabama player to earn a spot on the SEC's All-Defensive team in the eight years of its existence (the all-defensive team was chosen in 1991 and 1992, then discontinued until it was restarted in 2008).  Releford joins Gary Waites (1991), Latrell Sprewell (1992) and Robert Horry (1992) as the only Crimson Tide players to be recognized by the league for their defensive prowess.

Releford enters the SEC Tournament ranked second in the league in steals per game (2.1) and is fifth in scoring (15.6 ppg), field goal percentage (.490), free throw percentage (.820) and minutes per game (33.2). Additionally, he leads the team in three-point field goal percentage (.436, 44-of-101) and is second in assists per game (2.7).

Releford has had some big games this season, but none were bigger than his 36-point outburst at LSU on Feb. 23. In that contest, he connected on 14-of-18 shots from the floor and hit all four of his three pointers. It was the most points scored in a game by an Alabama player since Alonzo Gee scored 32 vs. Florida on Jan. 8, 2008.

In addition to his scoring outburst against the Tigers, Releford also had three steals and became the program's all-time steals leader. He currently has 185 career steals and is the only player in UA lore to record over 180 steals while wearing the Alabama uniform.

The Crimson Tide earned the No. 4 seed in this week's SEC Tournament and will play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT) on ESPNU. Alabama will face the winner of fifth-seeded Tennessee and No. 12 seed South Carolina or No. 13 seed Mississippi State. The Gamecocks and Bulldogs will open the tournament on Wednesday night with the winner advancing to play the Volunteers on Thursday.

First Team All-SEC                                                                          

Trevor Releford, Alabama - G, 6-1, 195, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.

Erik Murphy, Florida - F/C, 6-10, 238, Sr., South Kingstown, R.I.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia - G, 6-5, 205, So., Greenville, Ga.

Nerlens Noel, Kentucky - F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.

Johnny O'Bryant III, LSU - F, 6-9, 256, So., Cleveland, Miss.

Phil Pressey, Missouri - G, 5-11, 175, Jr., Dallas, Texas

Jordan McRae, Tennessee - G, 6-5, 178, Jr., Midway, Ga.

Elston Turner, Texas A&M - G, 6-5, 209, Sr., Sacramento, Calif.

Second Team All-SEC                                                                    

Marshawn Powell, Arkansas - F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Newport News, Va.

BJ Young, Arkansas - G, 6-3, 180, So, St. Louis, Mo.

Kenny Boynton, Florida - G, 6-2, 190, Sr., Pompano Beach, Fla.

^Mike Rosario, Florida - G, 6-3, 183, Sr., Jersey City, N.J.

^Patric Young, Florida - C, 6-9, 249, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.

Marshall Henderson, Ole Miss - G, 6-2, 175, Jr., Hurst, Texas

Murphy Holloway, Ole Miss - F, 6-7, 240, Sr., Irmo, S.C.

Laurence Bowers, Missouri - F, 6-8, 227, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.

Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee - F, 6-8, 270, So., Memphis, Tenn.

SEC All-Freshman Team                                                               

Michael Frazier II, Florida - G, 6-4, 200, Fr., Tampa, Fla.

Charles Mann, Georgia - G, 6-4, 205, Fr., Alpharetta, Ga.

^Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky - F, 7-0, 244, Fr., Olathe, Kan.

Archie Goodwin, Kentucky - G, 6-4.5, 198, Fr., Little Rock, Ark.

Nerlens Noel, Kentucky - F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.

^Alex Poythress, Kentucky - F, 6-7, 239, Fr., Clarksville, Tenn.

Craig Sword, Mississippi State - G, 6-3, 189, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.

^Gavin Ware, Mississippi State - F, 6-9, 270, Fr., Starkville, Miss.

Michael Carrera, South Carolina - F, 6-5, 212, Fr., Anzotegui, Venezuela

SEC All-Defensive Team                                                              

^Trevor Releford, Alabama - G, 6-1, 185, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.

Scottie Wilbekin, Florida - G, 6-2, 176, Jr., Gainesville, Fla.

^Patric Young, Florida - C, 6-9, 249, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.

Nerlens Noel, Kentucky - F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.

Anthony Hickey, LSU - G, 5-11, 178, So., Hopkinsville, Ky.

Reginald Buckner, Ole Miss - F, 6-9, 235, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.

^-Ties are not broken

SECCoach of the Year:Billy Donovan, Florida

SECPlayer of the Year:Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia

SECScholar-Athlete of the Year:Patric Young, Florida

SECFreshman of the Year:Nerlens Noel, Kentucky

SECSixth-Man of the Year: Kyle Wiltjer, Kentucky

SECDefensive Player of the Year:Nerlens Noel, Kentucky