The University of Mississippi Athletics
Warren, Buckner Grab SEC Postseason Awards
3/8/2011 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ole Miss senior guard Chris Warren was voted to the All-SEC first team by the Southeastern Conference coaches, and sophomore forward Reginald Buckner was chosen to the SEC All-Defensive team, the league office announced Tuesday.
Warren, in the midst of a remarkable final campaign, is the first Ole Miss player to receive first-team honors since Justin Reed in 2004. Warren was a second-team selection a year ago.
The Rebels' 5-foot-10 point guard by way of Orlando, Fla., ranks second among league players this year with his 18.9 scoring average - the highest by a Rebel since Joe Harvell averaged 25.0 in 1991-92. He leads the nation in free throw percentage (93.5) and is on pace to set the school and conference records for a season. He ranks fifth in the SEC in assists (3.8/game), fourth in 3-pointers made (2.7/game), third in assist-turnover ratio (1.9) and fourth in minutes (34.4/game). He also gave Ole Miss fans a performance to remember with his game-winning 3-pointer to upset No. 10 Kentucky earlier this season.
Warren ranks third in school history with 1,958 career points and has a chance to become just the fourth player in SEC history to reach 2,000 points and 400 assists. He is the school's all-time leader with 322 3-pointers made, which ranks fifth in SEC history. He is the league's active leader in career points, assists, 3-pointers and 20-point games.
With another record-breaking season of blocked shots, Buckner earned a spot on the five-man All-Defensive team. He shattered his only school record for swats in a season with 92 so far this year. He set the record as a freshman with 64 last season. The Memphis, Tenn., native ranks second in the SEC and ninth in the country with 3.1 blocks per game. He is key to the Rebels' success, as Ole Miss is 12-5 when he records at least three blocks in a game and 7-7 when he has less than three or doesn't play.
In just his second year, Buckner already ranks second in school history with 156 blocks in his career. He is 24 swats shy of the career record, set by Sean Murphy, who had 180 blocks in 117 games from 1988-91. Buckner also tied Ansu Sesay's school record for blocks in a game with eight at Arkansas and has recorded five or more swats in nine games this year.
Buckner is the Rebels' first representative on the All-Defensive team since it began in 2008.
