SEC names Men's Basketball Players of the Week as conference play starts

With nine teams in the AP Top 25, the SEC is the most competitive conference in the country this season. This reality makes the SEC’s weekly awards all the more impressive. On Monday, the prestigious conference released its Men’s Basketball Players of the Week.

The SEC had no shortage of standout performances to choose from this week. With conference play officially kicking off, teams and players were officially put to the test. While some failed to answer the call, others thrived.

Here are a few of the players who particularly stood out this past week.

Co-Players of the Week

Koby Brea, Kentucky
Koby Brea was a human flamethrower in Kentucky’s 106-100 win over Florida on Saturday. In the victory, Brea led all scorers with 23 points while shooting 7-9 from beyond the arc. Brea is now shooting 52.3% from 3-point range this season, the best percentage in the country.

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Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Brea wasn’t the only player who was hot in their conference play debut. Chaz Lanier, who transferred in from North Florida this offseason, tallied 29 points in the Volunteers’ 76-52 blowout win over Arkansas on Saturday. Lanier is leading the conference in scoring with 20.3 points per game.

Freshman of the Week

Labaron Philon, Alabama
Freshman starter Labaron Philon was instrumental in Alabama’s dominant 107-79 win over Oklahoma on Saturday. Philon not only notched 16 points and five assists, but also took on the challenge of defending Oklahoma star Jeremiah Fears. Philon was mostly successful, holding Fears to one point in the first half.

Mark Pope calls Koby Brea the “best shooter in the country”

When Koby Brea puts up a shot, Kentucky fans collectively hold their breath, confidently waiting to watch the ball sink through the net. They aren’t alone. After Kentucky’s hard-fought 106-100 win over Florida on Saturday, Wildcats head coach Mark Pope raved about the standout shooting guard.

“He was magical tonight, wasn’t he?” Pope said. “I don’t know, you are hard-pressed to make a real cogent argument that he’s not the best shooter in the country, it’s just ridiculous. The way he shoots it, how he gets it off, where he shoots it, how high he shoots it.”

Brea is more than just a spot-up shooter. The Dayton transfer mixes in an endless cycle of pump fakes, stepbacks and cuts to keep his defenders constantly guessing when he’s going to shoot. Brea’s ability to score at all three levels forces his defenders to give him enough breathing room to get off his quick release.

While Brea is often the star of the show for Kentucky, he’s also a sparkplug. Brea is Kentucky’s sixth man this season and fire-starter for the days the Wildcats are having a cold start.