Lovell’s Preseason Awards: Freshman of the Year

My preseason SEC basketball awards roll on with a look at my pick for Freshman of the Year.

With so many talented freshmen in the conference, there are definitely a lot of players to choose from when considering who may hoist the award at season’s end.

But as always, it feels like there are a few players that could stand out above the competition.

Let’s run through my contenders and winner for SEC Freshman of the Year.

The Contenders

Kevin Knox (Kentucky)

Knox has impressed in Kentucky’s exhibition games thus far and appears to be the best bet for the team’s leading scorer this season.

His smooth game will allow him to score in a variety of ways, and knocking down jump shots at a consistent rate will make him very difficult to guard.

With that type of size and scoring ability, Knox is going to be really fun to watch.

Collin Sexton (Alabama)

Alabama’s offense should take a significant step forward with Sexton manning the point guard position.

His speed and court vision will allow the Crimson Tide to play at a faster pace and get easier buckets, which will put this team in position to challenge for an SEC title.

Sexton on the fast break will be a sight to behold this year.

Hamidou Diallo (Kentucky)

It seems likely that Knox or Diallo will lead the Wildcats in scoring, so they’re probably solid choices for all-SEC honors in some form or fashion.

Diallo’s tremendous athleticism has been well-documented, and his prowess for attacking the rim will allow him to make a huge impact in Lexington.

If his 3-point shot continues to develop, he’ll be even more dangerous on the offensive end of the floor.

J.J. Caldwell (Texas A&M)

There is a lot of pressure on Caldwell to fix Texas A&M’s point guard problems.

The good news is that he’s more than capable of doing that due to his playmaking ability. The bad news is that he’s been suspended for the first five games of the season after having to sit out all of last year.

Once he’s on the floor, he could be the most important piece of the puzzle for the Aggies.

P.J. Washington (Kentucky)

I wouldn’t sleep on Washington as being something more than just a Freshman of the Year candidate.

He has all-SEC potential due to his versatility, and it’ll be hard for John Calipari to keep him off the court in close games.

Kentucky fans are already wowed by what he’s shown in exhibition games, and it’ll only get better from here for the 6-8 forward.

And the winner is…..

Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri)

All the above players could have fine seasons, but few may have the type of impact that Porter will have on Missouri.

We all know how quickly the landscape has changed for this program, and Porter will be the driving force for a team looking to win more than 10 games for the first time since 2014.

It’s safe to say that’ll happen with Porter on the roster.

It’ll be difficult for anyone to guard him one-on-one due to all the different ways that he can score, and that aspect of his game puts him in prime position to win Freshman of the Year honors.

Missouri has solid complimentary pieces around him, and as long as there is consistent scoring elsewhere, it’ll be hard for the opposition to focus solely on stopping Porter night in and night out.

And if he puts the Tigers in regular season title contention a year removed from the program’s third straight 20-plus loss season, SEC Player of the Year certainly isn’t out of the question for the future Top 5 draft pick.

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