STARKVILLE — Gavin Ware’s senior season almost went unnoticed.
After the league’s coaches didn’t name him to All-Southeastern Conference team last week, the Mississippi State senior was named Monday honorable mention All-SEC by The Associated Press.
The Starkville native had the best season of his career and led the Bulldogs in scoring (15.4 points per game) and rebounding (7.8 per game). He had nine double-doubles, and finished his career with 21.
“I was very disappointed because I thought he was definitely deserving of it,” MSU coach Ben Howland said last week. “You look at his numbers and his improvement and what he’s meant to our team. I was very disappointed about it. But I think this league is better than it was last year and you look, who do you take of that list of those 16 guys?”
The 6-foot-9 center finished first in the league in field goal percentage (62.5 percent), seventh in rebounds (224), 11th in blocks (32), and 12th in scoring (15.8). He finished fifth in rebounds (888), eighth in blocks (100), and 17th in scoring (1,362) in the MSU history.
In Howland’s first season, the Bulldogs finished 14-17 and 7-11 in conference play. MSU lost 79-69 to Georgia in the first round of the SEC tournament last week.
“It’s tough to know my career at Mississippi State is over, but I’m thankful to end it on a high note with this honor,” Ware said in a statement released by the school. “I could not have accomplished anything without the help of my coaches and teammates throughout my four years here. I know the foundation we set this year will lead to a lot of success in the future.”
Ole Miss’ Stefan Moody was named to the first team and Alabama’s Retin Obasohan was named to the second team. Both were named to the first team by the league’s coaches. It is the second-straight season Moody has earned first-team honors from the league’s media.
Moody, who was also named to the All-SEC first team by the league’s coaches last week, is the first player since Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins in 2011 and 2012 to earn consensus (Associated Press and coaches) first-team All-SEC honors in consecutive seasons.
The Kissimmee, Florida native is the first Rebel since Ansu Sesay in 1997 and 1998 to earn back-to-back first-team honors. The 2016 C Spire Howell Trophy winner, as the best men’s collegiate player in the state of Mississippi, is the 15th All-SEC honoree under coach Andy Kennedy, which is the third most in the league over the last 10 years trailing only Kentucky and Florida.
The fifth-fastest player in reach 1,000 career points in Ole Miss history, Moody led the SEC, and ranks sixth nationally, in scoring (23.6 ppg.). This season, he became only the fifth player in Ole Miss history, and the 26th player in SEC history, to top 700 points in a season.
The AP named Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis Player of the Year, Texas A&M’s Billy Kennedy Coach of the Year, and LSU’s Ben Simmons Freshman of the Year, which was the same as the league’s coaches.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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