March 10, 2015
Vanderbilt sophomore center Damian Jones was named to the All-SEC 1st Team and the All-Defensive Team, while freshmen Wade Baldwin IV and Riley LaChance were honored on the All-Freshman Team in an announcement made by the SEC Office Tuesday.
The trio become the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th selections, respectively, to be honored as an All-SEC team member of the Kevin Stallings’ era, while Jones’ first-team honor is the program’s 56th selection since 1949 and the first since 2012 when John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor were named to the team. Baldwin IV and LaChance become Vanderbilt’s 13th and 14th selections on the All-Freshman team.
Jones posted a stellar sophomore campaign, averaging 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season. Jones, also a preseason All-SEC First Team selection by the league’s coaches, has scored 20+ points in six games this year and is second in the SEC in field goal percentage (.548), 3rd in blocks (2.0), and 10th in scoring.
Jones becomes only the second Vanderbilt player to be named to the All-Defensive team, joining Taylor, who was a three-time selection from 2010-12.
Baldwin leads all SEC freshmen in assists, and is 5th in the SEC in assists (4.4) in all games, 4th in SEC games only (4.4) and 3rd in A/TO ratio (2.3) in all games. He is also 6th in steals in all games (1.5) and is fifth in SEC games only (1.8). Baldwin already has more steals (45) than last year’s season leader, and as of late, has been scoring the ball. In his last five games, Baldwin is averaging 13.4 ppg and Vanderbilt is 11-2 in games in which he scores in double figures.
He is also Vanderbilt’s all-time freshman single-season assist leader with 137, surpassing Atiba Prater, who had the all-time freshman single-season assist record with 103 in 1997. Baldwin is five assists away from cracking VU’s single-season top 10 list.
LaChance is the league’s leading freshman scorer in all games at 12.5 points per contest, and recently was honored with his fourth SEC Freshman of the Week honor, a new program record. He also leads all SEC freshmen in three’s made per contest at 2.0 per game, which is sixth in the conference overall, and is fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage at 39.7%. Earlier this year, he poured in two consecutive 26-point games against Purdue and Western Carolina, and has three 20+ point games this season. In all, he has scored in double figures in 22 contests.
The Commodores will take on Tennessee in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT.
First Team All-SECBobby Portis, Arkansas – F, 6-11, 242, So., Little Rock, Ark.Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky – F, 7-0, 240, Jr., Olathe, Kan.Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky – F, 6-11, 250, Fr., Piscataway, N.J.Jarell Martin, LSU – F, 6-10, 236, So., Baton Rouge, La.Jordan Mickey, LSU – F, 6-8, 235, So., Dallas, TexasStefan Moody, Ole Miss – G, 5-10, 179, Jr., Kissimmee, Fla.Josh Richardson, Tennessee – G, 6-6, 200, Sr., Edmond, Okla.Danuel House, Texas A&M – G, 6-7, 207, Jr., Fresno, TexasDamian Jones, Vanderbilt -C, 6-10, 240, So., Baton Rouge, La.Second Team All-SEC Levi Randolph, Alabama – G, 6-5, 210, Sr., Madison, Ala.Michael Qualls, Arkansas – G, 6-6, 210, Jr., Shreveport, La.KT Harrell, Auburn – G, 6-4, 212, Sr., Montgomery, Ala.Dorian Finney-Smith, Florida – F, 6-8, 218, Jr., Portsmouth, Va.Marcus Thornton, Georgia – F, 6-8, 235, Sr., Atlanta, Ga.Devin Booker, Kentucky – G, 6-6, 206, Fr., Grand Rapids, Mich.Aaron Harrison, Kentucky – G, 6-6, 212, So., Richmond, TexasCraig Sword, Mississippi State – G, 6-3, 194, Jr., Montgomery, Ala.Jalen Jones, Texas A&M – G/F, 6-7, 223, Jr., Dallas, TexasSEC All-Freshman Team Anton Beard, Arkansas – G, 6-0, 190, Fr., North Little Rock, Ark.Devin Robinson, Florida – F, 6-8, 178, Fr., Chesterfield, Va.Devin Booker, Kentucky – G, 6-6, 206, Fr., Grand Rapids, Mich.Trey Lyles, Kentucky – F, 6-10, 235, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind.Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky – F, 6-11, 250, Fr., Piscataway, N.J.Tyler Ulis, Kentucky – G, 5-9, 155, Fr., Lima, OhioWade Baldwin IV, Vanderbilt – G, 6-3, 195, Fr., Belle Mead, N.J.Riley LaChance, Vanderbilt – G, 6-2, 194, Fr., Brookfield, Wisc.SEC All-Defensive Team Marcus Thornton, Georgia – F, 6-8, 235, Sr., Atlanta, Ga.Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky – F, 7-0, 240, Jr., Olathe, Kan.Jordan Mickey, LSU – F, 6-8, 235, So., Dallas, TexasJosh Richardson, Tennessee – G, 6-6, 200, Sr., Edmond, Okla.Damian Jones, Vanderbilt -C, 6-10, 240, So., Baton Rouge, La.SEC Coach of the Year: John Calipari, KentuckySEC Player of the Year:  Bobby Portis, ArkansasSEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Levi Randolph, AlabamaSEC Freshman of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns, KentuckySEC Sixth-Man of the Year: Devin Booker, KentuckySEC Defensive Player of the Year: Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky