UK Hoops sweeps the SEC awards

The UK women’s basketball team completed the Southeastern Conference trifecta on Tuesday: Matthew Mitchell won SEC Coach of the Year, junior forward Victoria Dunlap won SEC Player of the Year and freshman guard A’dia Mathies won SEC Freshman of the Year.

This marks only the second time in SEC history that a team has won all three awards in the same year. Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings managed the feat before going on to win the 1998 national title.

“I think the way that all of those awards turned out is the ultimate testament to how this team came together,” Mitchell said. “I think most of it is born out of lack expectation, and people didn’t think we were going to be very good.

“You can’t get anything done in this league if you don’t have a really good team.”

As individuals, none of the award winners may have stood out at the beginning of the year. However, the performances of Dunlap and Mathies, the first players in UK’s history to win SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, respectively, have put up unquestionable statistics and performances.

Dunlap was ranked in the top 10 of seven different SEC statistical categories, and in addition to her POY honor, she was named a first-team All-SEC selection and was also selected for the SEC All-Defensive team.

While Mathies continued to get better as the year progressed, setting a freshman steals record (72), and recording all four of her 20-point games against SEC competition. In addition to her SEC FOY honor, Mathies was named a second-team All-SEC selection and an All-SEC Freshman.

“I’m blessed to win such an award like his and to share it with my coach…and Victoria Dunlap,” said Mathies, who never envisioned such a phenomenal freshman campaign.

Both Dunlap and Mathies didn’t even find out about their awards until they were on their way to the news conference at Memorial Coliseum. Oddly enough, both players found out through their former high school coaches breaking the good news.

Although Mitchell joked he didn’t get a call from his high school coach, he was proud of his team’s effort this season, which he believed to be the reason for the award winners’ individual recognition.

Mitchell’s 23 coaching victories this season are the highest total for a season in his coaching career.

“It shows how much hard work he puts in to make us get better to help us get through the season, and he talks about us just listening to him and becoming better people,” Dunlap said of her coach’s recognition.

More amazing than anything else, is that no one predicted these three to be the ones racking up the hardware at the start of the season.

“I think we surprised other people, not ourselves,” Dunlap said.