SEC coaches name Mississippi State’s McCowan player of year

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Mississippi State’s Teaira McCowan has been selected by Southeastern Conference coaches as the league’s overall player of the year and defensive player of the year.

Coaches chose McCowan, Mississippi State’s Anriel Howard, Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and Maci Morris, Georgia’s Caliya Robinson, LSU’s Ayana Mitchell, Missouri’s Sophie Cunningham and Texas A&M’s Chennedy Carter as first-team all-SEC players.

The coaches’ second team included South Carolina’s Te’a Cooper, Tyasha Harris and Alexis Jennings, Arkansas’ Chelsea Dungee, Auburn’s Janiah McKay, Mississippi’s Crystal Allen, Tennessee’s Rennia Davis and Vanderbilt’s Mariella Fasoula.

Kentucky’s Matthew Mitchell and Mississippi State’s Vic Schaefer were named SEC coaches of the year. SEC coaches chose Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard as freshman of the year, Missouri’s Cierra Porter as sixth woman of the year and Kentucky’s Maci Morris as student-athlete of the year.