Kentucky freshman James Young won SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Monday.
Young led the Wildcats with 26 points in a 105-76 win over UT Arlington last week. En route to the 26 points, Young knocked down five 3-pointers and made eight of his 14 (.571) field goal attempts. Young also dished out a career-high three assists and had two rebounds and two steals.
His teammate Julius Randle took SEC Player of the Week honors last week.
Here’s a legitimate question, or two actually: How many SEC Freshman of the Week honors will Kentucky players take home this season? And can they win all of them?
Last season, Kentucky’s freshmen won the award 8-of-18 times, with Nerlens Noel winning four, Willie Cauley-Stein two, Alex Poythress and Archie Goodwin one apiece.
This year, Kentucky figures to win more than eight, with the smart money being on Randle, a projected top-4 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, and Young to win a bunch each.
Andrew and Aaron Harrison and Dakari Johnson might also account for a couple.
As far as other SEC teams, Florida’s Kasey Hill, Tennessee’s Robert Hubbs, LSU’s Jarell Martin, Arkansas’ Bobby Portis and South Carolina’s Sindarius Thornwell are all threats to win the award at least once, although Hill is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
How much Kentucky can dominate this award will be a fun stat to keep an eye on as the season moves forward.