Chris Livingston named SEC Freshman of the Week

Have a week, Chris Livingston.

One of the most impactful players on the floor for Kentucky in back-to-back wins at Mississippi State and vs. No. 10 Tennessee, the 6-foot-6 forward has claimed Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honors, the league announced Monday. Livingston averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest, highlighted by his first career double-double against the Volunteers on Saturday.

It’s the fifth weekly SEC honor for a Kentucky Wildcat this season, joining Oscar Tshiebwe (SEC Player of the Week, Jan. 23) and Cason Wallace (three-time SEC Freshman of the Week) on the year.

Livingston scored 13 second-half points to go with five rebounds, a career-high three assists and two steals in a crucial 71-68 win in Starkville. And then in a 66-54 win vs. Tennessee, the five-star freshman scored 12 points while pulling down a career-high 10 rebounds to help the Wildcats earn their first regular-season sweep of the Volunteers since 2011-12.

On the year, the Akron native is averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest, including five double-figure scoring contests — three in his last four outings. He’s also reeled in five or more rebounds six times. He currently sits second on the team in 3-point percentage at 38.1% (16-42) overall.

Kentucky has won 124 weekly SEC honors under John Calipari during his time in Lexington, the most of any school in the conference. There have been 94 SEC Freshman of the Week awards and 30 SEC Player of the Week honors distributed to Wildcats during that span.

Kentucky will travel to Gainesville to take on Florida on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.