March 7, 2011

LEXINGTON, KY – UK freshman Brandon Knight was named the SEC Freshman of the Week as announced by the league office on Monday.

Knight, a 6-3 guard from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in wins over Vanderbilt and at Tennessee. Knight scored 12 of his 17 points and grabbed four of his six rebounds in the second half against Vanderbilt to help the Cats remain perfect at home for the second straight season. He iced the game vs. Vanderbilt with two free throws with :08 left to UK an insurmountable 68-65 lead. At Tennessee, he scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the second half. Knight, who was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line on the week, hit a pair of free throws with just over a minute remaining to help put the game away.

The award is Knight’s sixth this season, tying James “Hollywood” Robinson for the most SEC Rookie/Freshman of the Week awards. It’s the 13th for Kentucky this year, tying the SEC record for weekly awards in a season which was set by Kentucky last year.

Kentucky returns to action Friday in Atlanta in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. UK will take on the winner of the Ole Miss-South Carolina game. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET tip and can be seen live on the SEC Network.