Vivians, William Earn AP All-SEC Honors
March 08, 2017 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State juniors Victoria Vivians and Morgan William added more honors to their resumes Wednesday as both earned All-SEC honors from the Associated Press.
Vivians was named to the first team for the second-straight year, while William was selected to the second team.
The latest honors come after Vivians and William were named first and second team All-SEC, respectively, by the league coaches last week.
Both were also named finalists for the Gillom Trophy, which is presented to Mississippi's top female basketball player. Vivians became the first three-time winner of the award.
The Carthage, Miss., native was also tabbed one of the Top 15 finalists for the Wooden Award and a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.
William was named to the Top 50 watch list for the Naismith, and she earned a spot on the watch list for the Dawn Staley Award.
The Birmingham, Ala., native was named to the SEC All-Tournament team after scoring 15.7 ppg on 59.3 percent shooting and dishing 4.3 apg in leading MSU to the tournament championship game for the second-straight year.
The duo has been the top scorers for a Mississippi State squad that set school records with 29 overall wins and 13 SEC victories and finished second in the conference.
Vivians, who reached 1,600-career points this season, paced the Bulldogs in scoring with an SEC seventh-best 16.4 ppg. She had her best SEC campaign in 2016-17, finishing fifth in the league with a personal-best 18.1 ppg.
She led the Bulldogs in scoring in 16 games and scored double figures in 29 of the team's 33 games.
Vivians recorded 10 20-point games on the year, with seven coming against SEC competition. She also shined against ranked foes, tallying an 18.4 scoring average in games against Top 25 foes.
William's stellar showing in Greenville, S.C., last week put her at 10.6 ppg for the season. She has shot a personal-best 47.8 percent from the field, and she enters the NCAA Tournament fifth in the SEC in free throw percentage (83.7 percent).
In conference games, William tallied 9.5 ppg and shot 41.7 percent from the floor and 83.6 percent from the charity stripe.
William, who scored her 1,000th-career point in Sunday's SEC Tournament title game, also shined against ranked foes this season, averaging 13.0 ppg and 3.4 apg.
She dished an SEC third-most 4.6 apg while ranking fourth in assist/turnover ratio with a 2.1 mark. Against SEC foes she was second in the league in assists (5.4 apg) and first in assist/turnover ratio (2.9).
Vivians, William and their Bulldog teammates find out their NCAA Tournament journey Monday, March 13, during an NCAA Tournament selection show watch party at Humphrey Coliseum.
The team will sign autographs on the concourse from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The program in the arena begins at 5:45, while the selection show kicks off at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Associated Press All-SEC Teams
First Team
Makayla Epps, Kentucky, G, 5-10, Sr. , Lebanon, Kentucky
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina, F, 6-5, Jr., Hopkins, South Carolina
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri, G, 6-1, So., Columbia, Missouri
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State, F, 6-1, Jr., Carthage, Mississippi
Ronni Williams, Florida, F, 6-0, Sr., Daytona Beach, Florida
Second Team
Alaina Coates, South Carolina, C, 6-4, Sr., Irmo, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee, G, 6-1, Jr., Norcross, Georgia
Curtyce Knox, Texas A&M, G, 5-7, Sr., Humble, Texas
Evelyn Akhator, Kentucky, F, 6-3, Sr., Lagos, Nigeria
Mercedes Russell, Tennessee, C, 6-6, Jr., Springfield, Oregon
Morgan William, Mississippi State, G, 5-5, Jr., Birmingham, Alabama
Player of the Year — A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Coach of the Year — Robin Pingeton, Missouri
Newcomer of the Year — Jordan Lewis, Alabama
Vivians was named to the first team for the second-straight year, while William was selected to the second team.
The latest honors come after Vivians and William were named first and second team All-SEC, respectively, by the league coaches last week.
Both were also named finalists for the Gillom Trophy, which is presented to Mississippi's top female basketball player. Vivians became the first three-time winner of the award.
The Carthage, Miss., native was also tabbed one of the Top 15 finalists for the Wooden Award and a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.
William was named to the Top 50 watch list for the Naismith, and she earned a spot on the watch list for the Dawn Staley Award.
The Birmingham, Ala., native was named to the SEC All-Tournament team after scoring 15.7 ppg on 59.3 percent shooting and dishing 4.3 apg in leading MSU to the tournament championship game for the second-straight year.
The duo has been the top scorers for a Mississippi State squad that set school records with 29 overall wins and 13 SEC victories and finished second in the conference.
Vivians, who reached 1,600-career points this season, paced the Bulldogs in scoring with an SEC seventh-best 16.4 ppg. She had her best SEC campaign in 2016-17, finishing fifth in the league with a personal-best 18.1 ppg.
She led the Bulldogs in scoring in 16 games and scored double figures in 29 of the team's 33 games.
Vivians recorded 10 20-point games on the year, with seven coming against SEC competition. She also shined against ranked foes, tallying an 18.4 scoring average in games against Top 25 foes.
William's stellar showing in Greenville, S.C., last week put her at 10.6 ppg for the season. She has shot a personal-best 47.8 percent from the field, and she enters the NCAA Tournament fifth in the SEC in free throw percentage (83.7 percent).
In conference games, William tallied 9.5 ppg and shot 41.7 percent from the floor and 83.6 percent from the charity stripe.
William, who scored her 1,000th-career point in Sunday's SEC Tournament title game, also shined against ranked foes this season, averaging 13.0 ppg and 3.4 apg.
She dished an SEC third-most 4.6 apg while ranking fourth in assist/turnover ratio with a 2.1 mark. Against SEC foes she was second in the league in assists (5.4 apg) and first in assist/turnover ratio (2.9).
Vivians, William and their Bulldog teammates find out their NCAA Tournament journey Monday, March 13, during an NCAA Tournament selection show watch party at Humphrey Coliseum.
The team will sign autographs on the concourse from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The program in the arena begins at 5:45, while the selection show kicks off at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Associated Press All-SEC Teams
First Team
Makayla Epps, Kentucky, G, 5-10, Sr. , Lebanon, Kentucky
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina, F, 6-5, Jr., Hopkins, South Carolina
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri, G, 6-1, So., Columbia, Missouri
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State, F, 6-1, Jr., Carthage, Mississippi
Ronni Williams, Florida, F, 6-0, Sr., Daytona Beach, Florida
Second Team
Alaina Coates, South Carolina, C, 6-4, Sr., Irmo, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee, G, 6-1, Jr., Norcross, Georgia
Curtyce Knox, Texas A&M, G, 5-7, Sr., Humble, Texas
Evelyn Akhator, Kentucky, F, 6-3, Sr., Lagos, Nigeria
Mercedes Russell, Tennessee, C, 6-6, Jr., Springfield, Oregon
Morgan William, Mississippi State, G, 5-5, Jr., Birmingham, Alabama
Player of the Year — A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Coach of the Year — Robin Pingeton, Missouri
Newcomer of the Year — Jordan Lewis, Alabama
Players Mentioned
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