A.J. Lawson garners All-SEC recognition

South Carolina guard A.J. Lawson earned a spot on the All-SEC second team from the league’s coaches on Tuesday, capping a strong season for the junior and adding to his selection to the all-freshman team in 2019.

Lawson, who scored his 1,000th career point this year, averaged 16.9 points per game — a team high — to go with 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.5 steals. He also put up 17 double-figure scoring performances, 10 of which were 20 or more points, and hit his career high (30) against Texas A&M.

The only Gamecock to earn postseason honors, Lawson tested the NBA waters last offseason, and will now almost certainly go pro after boosting his stock following a bit of a sophomore slump. He’s currently projected by most sites as a second-round pick.

Lawson will lead 11th-seeded South Carolina into SEC Tournament play on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. against six-seed Ole Miss.