USA TODAY Sports Network 2026 All-SEC men's basketball awards, player of the year – The Tennessean

A freshman point guard under the tutelage of John Calipari, and the defending national champions, defined the regular season for SEC basketball.
A poll of 15 experts who cover the conference for the USA TODAY Sports Network selected Darius Acuff Jr. as the SEC Player of the Year. He became the first player since Pete Maravich to lead the league in both points and assists. He averaged 22.2 points and 6.4 assists per game, lifting the Razorbacks to their highest finish in the SEC standings since 2021.
Acuff also was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year by our panel of experts.
There was a Florida theme across the other two individual awards. Todd Golden was voted Coach of the Year and Rueben Chinyelu selected the Defensive Player of the Year.
Golden guided Florida to the SEC title. He integrated an entirely new backcourt in the early months after less than stellar nonconference stretch and eventually found the right formula as the Gators closed the regular season on an 11-game winning streak.
Chinyelu was the anchor of the league’s best defense. He was a walking double-double, averaging 11.4 points and 11.7 rebounds while also posting 1.1 blocks per game.
Here are the complete selections from the 15 writers who cover SEC basketball for the USA TODAY Sports Network:
G Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
G Labaron Philon, Alabama
G Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
F Thomas Haugh, Florida
C Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
G Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
G Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
G Otega Oweh, Kentucky
F Nate Ament, Tennessee
F Keyshawn Hall, Auburn
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Also receiving votes: Thomas Haugh, Florida; Labaron Philon, Alabama
Todd Golden, Florida
Also receiving votes: Mark Byington, Vanderbilt; Bucky McMillan, Texas A&M
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Also receiving votes: Jeremiah Wilkinson, Georgia; Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee; Keyshawn Hall, Auburn; Dailyn Swain, Texas
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
Also receiving votes: Trevon Brazile, Arkansas; Somto Cyril, Georgia; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt; Bishop Boswell, Tennessee; Amari Evans, Tennessee; Keyshawn Hall, Auburn
Poll participants: Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun; John Adams, Knoxville News Sentinel; Ryan Black, Courier-Journal; CL Brown, Courier-Journal; Adam Cole, Motgomery Advertiser; Gentry Estes, The Tennessean; Jackson Fuller, Southwest Times Record; Aria Gerson, The Tennessean; Charles Goodbread, Tuscaloosa News; Sam Hutchens, Clarion Ledger; Wynton Jackson, Knoxville News Sentinel; Callum McAndrew, Columbia Daily Tribune; Sam Sklar, Clarion Ledger; Colton Sulley, The Oklahoman; Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald.

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