Bradley, Patterson earn SEC honors

For the first time in school history, the UK men’s basketball team swept both the Southeastern Conference Player and Freshman of the Week honors. Senior guard Ramel Bradley was named SEC Player of the Week and forward Patrick Patterson was named SEC Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

Bradley, who was awarded SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career, averaged 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists to lead the Cats to wins over No. 3 Tennessee and South Carolina. Bradley saw his streak of six straight games with 20 or more points come to an end Tuesday as the senior guard scored 16 points against the Volunteers. But Bradley was 8-for-8 from the free throw line over the game’s final 1:30 helping nail down the 72-66 win. The New York City native led all scorers with 26 points in the 78-70 win over South Carolina, and added 10 rebounds for his second career double-double.

Patterson was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. The forward averaged 21.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks last week to help lead UK to its first back-to-back wins since Nov. 27.

The announcement marked only the third time a school has earned both SEC Player and Freshman of the Week honors, and the first time since Tennessee did so on Dec. 25, 2006.