Kentucky junior guard Patrick Sparks has been named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week after his 26-point performance on the road at Alabama. Sparks nailed a career-high seven three-pointers, the third most in school history, to help Kentucky secure a 78-71 comeback victory and clinch its 43rd SEC regular-season title.

The Central City, Ky., native totaled 20 of his season-high points in the game?s decisive second half, helping the Wildcats rebound from a 14-point first-half deficit. Sparks was 7-of-10 from three-point range, while Kentucky shot 13-of-19 from beyond the arc for a school-record .684 percentage.

This marks the second time this season that Sparks has been named the Player of the Week by the conference office. He earned the distinction on Dec. 20 after scoring 25 points against Louisville, including three free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to give Kentucky the 60-58 comeback (down 16) win. Sparks is the first Kentucky player to earn the honor twice in one season since Tayshaun Prince did so in 2002.