Rhyne Howard named SEC Preseason Player of the Year

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Kentucky junior Rhyne Howard has been named the SEC Preseason Player of the Year. This was voted on by league coaches.

Howard was also named to the preseason All-SEC team. Kentucky was picked to finish 2nd in the SEC.

Last season, Howard was named the 2020 SEC Player of the Year, and to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team after her impressive sophomore season. The guard was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team and helped lead the Wildcats to the semifinals of the 2020 SEC Tournament.

SEC coaches followed suit in their preseason recognition of the Wildcats overall after the AP ranked Kentucky 11th in its preseason top 25 last week. The ranking for Kentucky is its highest since also being ranked No. 11 in the organization’s 2014-15 preseason listing.

Howard is the leading returner after a sensational sophomore season for Kentucky, leading the Wildcats and ranking second nationally with 23.4 points per game. The guard also led UK with 6.5 rebounds per game and 62 steals, while she was second on the team with 29 blocks and third on the team with 68 assists.

SEC Preseason Coaches' Predictions

Order of Finish

1. South Carolina

2. Kentucky

3. Texas A&M

4. Arkansas

5. Mississippi State

6. Tennessee

7. LSU

8. Alabama

9. Georgia

10. Missouri

11. Ole Miss

12. Florida

13. Vanderbilt

14. Auburn

Player of the Year

Rhyne Howard, Kentucky

First Team All-SEC

Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas

Unique Thompson, Auburn

Rhyne Howard, Kentucky

Khayla Pointer, LSU

Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

Rennia Davis, Tennessee

N’dea Jones, Texas A&M

Second Team All-SEC

Jasmine Walker, Alabama

Destiny Slocum, Arkansas

Lavender Briggs, Florida

Shakira Austin, Ole Miss

Jessika Carter, Mississippi State

Aijha Blackwell, Missouri

Zia Cooke, South Carolina

Kayla Wells, Texas A&M

As you can see below, Howard has also been named to a number of other preseason watch lists.

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