Vols Kevin Punter Names Second Team All SEC by League Coaches

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southeastern Conference men’s basketball coaches’ postseason awards were announced Tuesday, and Tennessee point guard Kevin Punter Jr. was a second team All-SEC selection.
Punter made his final appearance of the season Feb. 18 at Kentucky. A stress fracture in his right foot ended his collegiate career after he averaged 22.2 points per game through 26 contests during the 2015-16 season.
In addition to shifting from shooting guard to point guard this season, Punter also underwent a complete mechanical overhaul of his jump shot this past summer. The results were extraordinary.
The senior started all 26 games in which he appeared and finished as the second-leading scorer in the SEC. He scored 20 or more points 18 times and posted three 30-point games.
His .460 field-goal percentage was the second-best among all guards in the SEC this season, and he also shot .369 from 3-point range and .817 from the free-throw line.
In five games against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, Punter was at his best, averaging 25.6 points per game. His top scoring performance of the year was a career-high 36 points in Tennessee’s win over 24th-ranked South Carolina on Jan. 23.
The Bronx, New York, native ranked second on the team in assists (3.5 apg) and steals (1.4 spg) while playing 34.1 minutes per game.
Punter did not travel with the Vols to Nashville for this week’s SEC Tournament because he is undergoing surgery on his right foot in his hometown of New York City Tuesday.
This marks the 11th consecutive season in which Tennessee has produced a first- or second-team All-SEC honoree.