Senior Wayne Chism was named first-team All-SEC, the only Tennessee player recognized in the various honors the league's coaches announced Tuesday.

The major honors went to Kevin Stallings of Vanderbilt as coach of the year, Kentucky's John Wall as player of the year and his teammate DeMarcus Cousins as freshman of the year.

This is Chism's initial postseason first-team All-SEC honor. He was on the second team last season.

"I'm really happy that Wayne was first-team,'' coach Bruce Pearl said Tuesday. "That was really deserving.

"Look at his career, All-Freshman team, second-team a year ago, first-team this year. That's great progress.''

Joining Chism on the first team were Cousins, Wall and Kentucky's Patrick Patterson, South Carolina's Devin Downey, Georgia's Trey Thompkins and Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnardo.

Varnado also was named defensive player of the year.

Vanderbilt's John Jenkins is the sixth man of the year.

Making the second team were Alabama's Mikhail Torrance, Arkansas' Courtney Fortson, Florida's Erving Walker, LSU's Tasmin Mitchell, Chris Warren of Ole Miss, Mississippi State's Dee Bost and Vanderbilt teammates A.J. Ogilvy and Jeffrey Taylor.

The all-freshman team included Cousins, Wall, Jenkins, Alabama's Tony Mitchell, Marshawn Powell of Arkansas, Reginald Bucker of Ole Miss and Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe.

The all-defensive team is Patterson, Varnado, Downey, Taylor and Sam Muldrow of South Carolina.

Pearl was disappointed Chism was the only Vol mentioned for any of the honors.

"I understand why Bobby (Maze) or J.P. (Prince) or Scotty (Hopson) may not have been second-team,'' Pearl said, "but they've got to be right there. I would love to see them singled out as worthy of consideration.

"Vanderbilt had three guys on those first two teams who were deserving. Kentucky had three guys on the first team who were deserving.

"But we only had one guy. Maybe that speaks to the fact that the key to our season has been a real team effort.''

More Chism: Chism also was named All-District IV by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Kentucky's John Calipari is district coach of the year.

DeVoe A Legend: Don DeVoe will represent UT at this year's "Legends of SEC Basketball" at the tournament in Nashville this week.

DeVoe was 204-137 as head coach 1978-89. His teams won the 1979 SEC tournament, the 1982 SEC regular-season title and five consecutive first-round NCAA tournament games 1979-83.