Arkansas guard Mason Jones named one of three SEC Players of the Year

After securing the SEC scoring title with 22 points per game, 5.4 boards and 3.3 assists, Mason Jones has been named to the SEC first team by the coaches and earned the co-SEC Player of the Year title by AP voters alongside Mississippi State's Reggie Perry. Perry averaged 17.4 points per game with 10.1 boards and 2.3 assists.

Jones was edged out by Kentucky's Immanuel Quickley in the coaches Player of the Year vote. Quickley scored 16.1 points per game with 4.4 rebounds per game and 1.9 assists.

It's the first time the two polls have named three different players SEC Player of the Year.

Jones, the talented junior, notched his ninth 30-point game of the season in Saturday's regular season finale against Texas A&M, which is more than any SEC player in the last 20 seasons. He was named SEC player of the week four times throughout the season and scored over 40 points twice, notching a career-high 41 points against Tulsa in mid-December.

Jones scored in double-digits in all but four games this season. He went from being the team's third leading scorer with 13.6 ppg behind Daniel Gafford and Isaiah Joe in 2018-19 to leading the team in points, rebounds, steals and assists.

"I think versatility handling the ball, versatility scoring the ball in different areas. His ability to draw fouls has been huge, and that's kind of grown and grown as the season has progressed," Musselman said. "The referees respect his ability to lift defenders and get guys off the ground to draw contact. He's had a fabulous offensively for sure, without a doubt. He's one of the best offensive players in the country."

Despite Arkansas's late-season skid with Joe out due to injury, Jones kept up his productivity in all but one game.

"When Isaiah was out for five games we really, really needed Mason to step up and have a much bigger role than any of us could have envisioned, because Isaiah is a guy that scores the ball," Eric Musselman said. "He stepped up and delivered. It's hard on a player, too, when you're the focal point of an opposing team's scouting report."

First Team

Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama, 6-3, 165, So., Meridianville, Alabama
u-Mason Jones, Arkansas, 6-5, 200, Jr., DeSoto, Texas
u-Reggie Perry, Mississippi State, 6-10, 250, So., Thomasville, Georgia
Nick Richards, Kentucky, 6-11, 247, Jr., Jamaica
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky, 6-3, 188, So., Harve de Grace, Maryland

Second Team

Samir Doughty, Auburn, 6-4, 195, Sr., Philadelphia
Anthony Edwards, Georgia, 6-5, 225, Fr., Atlanta
Keyontae Johnson, Florida, 6-5, 231, So., Norfolk, Virginia
Skylar Mays, LSU, 6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Breein Tyree, Mississippi, 6-2, 195, Sr., Somerset, New Jersey

Coach of the year — Buzz Williams, Texas A&M

Player of the year — Mason Jones, Arkansas, and Reggie Perry, Mississippi State

Newcomer of the year — Anthony Edwards, Georgia

First Team All-SEC

Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama
Mason Jones, Arkansas
Samir Doughty, Auburn
Keyontae Johnson, Florida
Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Skylar Mays, LSU
Breein Tyree, Ole Miss
Reggie Perry, Mississippi State

Second Team All-SEC

John Petty Jr., Alabama
Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida
Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Maik Kotsar, South Carolina
John Fulkerson, Tennessee
Saben Lee, Vanderbilt

All-Freshman Team

Jaden Shackelford, Alabama
Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Scottie Lewis, Florida
Anthony Edwards, Georgia
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky
Trendon Watford, LSU
Jermaine Couisnard, South Carolina
Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt

All-Defensive Team

Herbert Jones, Alabama
Isaac Okoro, Auburn
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky
Nick Richards, Kentucky
Yves Pons, Tennessee

Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Kentucky

Player of the Year: Immanuel Quickley, Kentucky

Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Skylar Mays, LSU

Freshman of the Year: Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Sixth-Man of the Year: Tyson Carter, Mississippi State

Defensive Player of the Year: Yves Pons, Tennessee