Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of Georgia has been named the SEC Player of the Year, while Kentucky's Nerlens Noel won both Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Joining Caldwell-Pope and Noel on the First Team All-SEC are Alabama's Trevor Releford, Florida's Erik Murphy, LSU's Johnny O'Bryant, Missouri's Phil Pressey, Tennessee's Jordan McRae and Texas A&M's Elston Turner.

Billy Donovan was named Coach of the Year.

The SEC has become one college basketball's strongest conferences over the past decade as Kentucky has become a powerhouse again under John Calipari, while Billy Donovan has built a consistent winner at Florida with championships in 2006 and 2007.

But there has also been a trickle down effect.

Seven of the top 15 overall prospects in the Class of 2013 are SEC-bound: Andrew and Aaron Harrison and James Young to Kentucky, Kasey Hill and Chris Walker to Florida, Bobby Portis to Arkansas and Jarrell Martin to LSU.

Each of the five remaining top-15 prospects are considering at least one SEC school.

The SEC has 13 top-50 commits, which is more than double the amount from the ACC (6) and Big 12 (6).

Sindarius Thornwell committed to South Carolina over N.C. State.

“I feel comfortable with Coach Frank (Martin) and I believe in him,” Thornwell said. “I feel closer to them than I do to North Carolina State.”

The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Thornwell, a top-50 player in the class of 2013, announced his decision on Twitter.

Troy Williams will play his senior season at Oak Hill Academy, a small preparatory school located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia.

"Everybody talks about all the players who went there," Williams said. "I'm mainly focusing on the maturity process. You play basketball and go to school. There's no outside distractions there. Everything you need is right there.

"Really, that's all I've been doing all summer, anyway. It won't be that much different. There will be video games there. I don't go out and party and all that, anyway. It won't be that much of a change."

Williams, a top-50 recruit in the 2013 class, expects to commit on or shortly after Nov. 14, when the early signing period begins.

The 6-foot-6 forward has offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgetown, Louisville, Florida and South Carolina.