SEC names Player, Freshman of the Week for final week of February

The SEC has one week left before its regular season wraps up. As the postseason comes closer, several teams and their stars are kicking it up a notch down the stretch. Now, the league has rewarded two of those players with its weekly awards.

For the second-to-last naming of the awards this season, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe took home Player of the Week. Meanwhile, over in Fayetteville, Arkansas’ Nick Smith Jr. finally showed off his potential with a pair of performances that earned him Freshman of the Week honors.

Tshiebwe had an incredibly efficient return to form during a pair of wins over Florida and Auburn. In those victories, he averaged his usual double-double of 23.5 points and 10.5 rebounds. However, of his 23 shot attempts this week, he made 20 of them for a field-goal percentage of 87%. In Gainesville alone, Tshiebwe shot 12-13 from the floor on his way to 25 points. That mark of 92.3% was the fourth-best in UK history with a minimum of eight attempts. It was also their best percentage ever in a performance that featured that many shot attempts.

As for Smith, he exploded onto the SEC scene with 25 points per game in a week that Arkansas split against Georgia and Alabama. He hung 26 on the Bulldogs with percentages of 64.3% from the field and 62.5% from three. That mark from deep included five makes from distance. Then, on Saturday, he was a big piece of the Razorbacks near upset in Tuscaloosa. Smith scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Overall, it was the kind of week that reminded the ‘Hogs how good they can still be with him back in the lineup and healthy.

However, many were surprised to see that recognition not go to Brandon Miller at Alabama instead. Even in a week clouded in controversy, the Crimson Tide freshman averaged 32.5 points, including a 41-point performance at South Carolina, with seven rebounds on 54.7% shooting during an undefeated week.

With that said, Tshiebwe and Smith will be major names to follow this final week, especially since Kentucky and Arkansas will square off in Bud Walton Arena this weekend. From there, both will play big roles in what their teams can accomplish both in Nashville and the NCAA Tournament.