Coaches Tab MSU's Varnado Preseason All-SEC

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Two weeks ago, media members named Mississippi State senior forward Jarvis Varnado preseason first-team All-SEC. On Monday afternoon, the 12 league coaches followed suit.

The 6-foot-9 standout from Brownsville, Tenn., was one of six unanimous picks, joining South Carolina's Deven Downey, LSU's Tasmin Mitchell, Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, Tennessee's Tyler Smith and Ole Miss' Terrico White. In all, a total of 27 different players received votes, and coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

"It's an honor that all the coaches voted for me," he said. "To be on that list means a lot, because there are a lot of great players. It's a privilege."

The latest recognition is just one of many honors for Varnado. Last week, he was one of 50 players named to the Naismith preseason watch list after being tabbed to the John R. Wooden Award watch list in early October.

"It makes you want to go out and play hard, because you don't want to letdown all the people who voted for you," he said.

In the Bulldogs' exhibition opener against Oklahoma City this past weekend, Varnado scored 8 points, collected 11 rebounds and blocked 4 shots in leading MSU to a convincing 82-54 victory.

Varnado and the rest of his teammates return to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday against Georgetown (Ky.) in the final tune-up before the Nov. 13 season opener against Rider (8 p.m.) at Humphrey Coliseum.

Admission to Saturday's tilt is free.

FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC                                      Pos         Ht           Wt          Cl            Hometown
Devan Downey, South Carolina#               G             5-9          175         Sr.           Chester, S.C.
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU#                              F              6-7          235         Sr.           Denham Springs, La.
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt                              C             6-11       250         Jr.           Sydney, Australia
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky#                    F              6-9          235         Jr.           Huntington, W.Va.
Tyler Smith, Tennessee#                         G/F        6-7          215         Sr.           Pulaski, Tenn.
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State#            F              6-9          230         Sr.           Brownsville, Tenn.
Michael Washington, Arkansas                 F              6-9          239         Sr.           McGehee, Ark.
Terrico White, Ole Miss#                          G             6-5          211         So.          Memphis, Tenn.
 
SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC                                  Pos         Ht           Wt          Cl            Hometown
Dominique Archie, South Carolina            F              6-7          200         Sr.           Augusta, Ga.
Wayne Chism, Tennessee                       F/C         6-9          246         Sr.           Jackson, Tenn.
JaMychal Green, Alabama                       F              6-9          220         So.          Montgomery, Ala.
DeWayne Reed, Auburn                         G             6-1          175         Sr.           Houston, Texas
Trey Thompkins, Georgia                       F              6-10       247         So.          Lithonia, Ga.
Alex Tyus, Florida                                  F              6-8          220         Jr.           St. Louis, Mo.
John Wall, Kentucky                              G             6-4          195         Fr.           Raleigh, N.C.
Chris Warren, Ole Miss                          G             5-10       165         Jr.           Orlando, Fla.

#-Unanimous Selection
Ties are not broken