Steele, Davidson named first-team All-SEC

TUSCALOOSA – Four University of Alabama players were among those honored by the Southeastern Conference's basketball head coaches earlier today.

When the SEC released its 2006 Coaches Awards Wednesday morning, Alabama sophomore point guard Ronald Steele and junior center Jermareo Davidson were members of the coaches All-SEC first team. Steele was a unanimous selection by the coaches. The Birmingham native, led the league in free throw percentages (.914)and minutes played (40.3) and finished 8th in the league in scoring (15.9 ppg), T-4th in assists (4.44), T-10th in steals (1.56) and T-9th in assist/turnover ratio (1.39). Davidson, who is from Atlanta, finished T-8th in scoring (15.6), 4th in rebounding (8.5), 9th in field goal percentages (.453), 9th in free throw percentages (.753), 5th in blocks (1.69), 6th in offensive rebounds (2.69), 4th in defensive rebounds (5.81) and 7th in minutes played (36.00).

Two Crimson Tide freshmen were voted to the eight-man SEC All-Freshman Team by the coaches. Athens native and forward Richard Hendrix was a unanimous selection and was joined on the honor team by Alonzo Gee, a forward from Palm Beach, Fla. Hendrix averaged 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds against the league, starting in all 16 SEC games. Gee came off the bench and averaged 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in SEC play. Hendrix finished second in the league in rebounding and 7th in blocks (1.50). He had five double-doubles in points and rebounds in SEC play. Gee also had a double-double in league play.

The inclusion of Hendrix and Gee on the All-Freshman team marked the sixth consecutive year Mark Gottfried's teams have produced at least one Freshman All-SEC team member. The streak began in 2001 with Gerald Wallace who now plays in the NBA for the Charlotte Bobcats, and includes Mo Williams who is now playing for the Milwaukee Bucks (2002), Kennedy Winston (2003), Jermareo Davidson (2004) and Ronald Steele (2005). Williams was the 2002 SEC Freshman of the Year.

The All-SEC 1st Team consists of Davidson, Steele, Ronnie Brewer of Arkansas, Joakim Noah of Florida, Glen Davis and Darrel Mitchell of LSU, Chris Lofton of Tennessee and Shan Foster of Vanderbilt.

The Freshman All-SEC team includes Gee, Hendrix, Auburn's Quantez Robertson and Rasheem Barrett, Mike Mercer of Georgia, LSU's Tasmin Mitchell and Tyrus Thomas and Mississippi State's Jamont Gordon.

LSU's John Brady was voted SEC Coach of the Year by his peers after coaching the Tigers to the league's regular season title. LSU's Glen Davis is SEC Player of the Year and LSU's Tyrus is SEC Freshman of the Year. Florida's Lee Humphrey is the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.