SEC announces 2024 Men’s Legends presented by Allstate

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (February 28, 2024) – Featuring former greats from all 14 Southeastern Conference member institutions, the SEC Men’s Legends Presented by Allstate® will be honored at the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament March 13-17 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Each legend will be recognized during halftime of their team’s first game of the tournament, as well as a group introduction at halftime of the first semifinal game on Saturday.

Below is the list and biographies of the 2024 SEC Men’s Legends presented by Allstate®:

• Alabama – Richard Hendrix, Basketball

• Arkansas – Derek Hood, Basketball

• Auburn – Cliff Ellis, Basketball

• Florida – Taurean Green, Basketball

• Georgia – Rashad Wright, Basketball

• Kentucky – Orlando “Tubby” Smith, Basketball

• LSU – Darrel Mitchell, Basketball

• Ole Miss – Dwayne Curtis, Basketball

• Mississippi State – Timmy Bowers, Basketball

• Missouri – Willie Smith, Basketball

• South Carolina – Joe Rhett, Basketball

• Tennessee – Chris Lofton, Basketball

• Texas A&M – Elston Turner, Basketball

• Vanderbilt – Frank Seckar, Basketball

Richard Hendrix, Alabama

A First Team All-SEC in 2008 selection and a Second Team All-SEC selection in 2007… In 2008 Hendrix was a John Wooden Preseason Candidate, SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC, SEC Media Preseason All-SEC and was named to the Academic All-SEC Team in 2007-08 … Named to the SEC Good Works Team Member for his community service work in 2007-08 … SEC Player of the Week for November 11, 2007 for his performance in the Troy game … Drafted in in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors with the 49th pick in the 2nd round… Had a 13-year career both in the NBA and overseas… Graduated in May 2008 with a degree in communications, completing his degree in only three years… Named 5A Player of the Year and selected as Alabama Mr. Basketball in 2005… Selected as a two-time Parade All-American and as a participant in the 2005 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game

Derek Hood, Arkansas

A two-time All-SEC selection (third team in 1997 and second team in 1999) and tabbed second team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches … Helped Arkansas reach the 1999 SEC championship game and was named All-Tournament … Holds the distinction of being 1-of-2 Razorbacks to record at least 1,000 points and have at least 1,000 rebounds … He finished his career with 1,247 points (24th on the school’s all-time list) and 1,002 (2nd in school history) … Sidney Moncrief also accomplished the feat with 2,066 career points (2nd all-time) and 1,015 career rebounds (school record). Owns the school record for rebounds in a season (349) and he led the SEC in field goal percentage (.565) during the 1998-99 season … Also led the SEC in rebounding twice, averaging 8.0 boards in 1996-97 and 10.3 in 1998-99 … The Razorbacks reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in Hood’s freshman season (1995-96) and finished 18th in the final polls … Arkansas also went to the NCAA Tournament in Hood’s junior and senior years while finishing 17th in the final AP poll both seasons.

Cliff Ellis, Auburn

Coached the Tigers for 10 seasons from 1994-2004 … Third all-time in career coaching wins at Auburn (186-125) … Led the Tigers to a 14-2 record in league play enroute to the1999 SEC Regular-Season Championship title … Guided Auburn to three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2000 and 2003) including two Sweet 16 appearances in 1999 and 2003 (lost to eventual champion Syracuse) … The 1998-99 team finished ranked No. 4 in the country by The Associated Press with a 29-4 overall record … Honored as the 1999 National Coach of the Year by The Associated Press, John & Nellie Wooden Award, USBWA, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and Basketball News) … The only Auburn men’s basketball coach in program history to be named National Coach of the Year … Two-Time SEC Coach of the Year in 1995 (Anniston Star) and 1999 (Associated Press, SEC Coaches and The Birmingham News) … Eighteen Auburn players selected to the All-SEC Teams and two named All-Americans (Chris Porter and Doc Robinson in 1999) … Announced his retirement from coaching in December of 2023. Finished his illustrious career as the ninth all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I history with 831 wins combined at South Alabama (1975-1984), Clemson (1984-1994), Auburn (1994-2004) and Coastal Carolina (2007-2023).

Taurean Green, Florida

The starting point guard on Florida’s 2006 and 2007 national championship teams … Led the 2007 team with 13.3 points per game and earned AP All-American honors … Named to the 2006 All-Final Four Team and earned Regional All-Tournament team recognition in 2006 and 2007 … His 52 assists and 476 minutes played in the NCAA Tournament are both the most by a Gator, and his 164 points are fourth in UF history … Helped the Gators to the 2007 SEC Championship and the 2005, 2006 and 2007 SEC Tournament titles … Earned All-SEC honors in 2006 and 2007 and was the 2006 SEC Tournament MVP and earned 2007 All-SEC Tournament Team honors … The SEC’s free throw percentage leader in 2006-07, hitting at an .849 clip from the line … Scored 1,174 points as a Gator and dished 397 assists, while shooting .389 from the 3-point line … Owns the two highest minutes-played seasons in school history, logging 1,328 in 2006-07 and 1,302 in 2005-06 … Also owns UF top-10 single seasons in assists (184, 6th, 2005-06), free throws made (171, 4th, 2005-06), free throw percentage (.886, 6th, 2005-06) and 3-pointers made (88, 9th, 2005-06; 82, 10th, 2006-07), while his 37 consecutive free throws made in 2005-06 were a school record at the time and are still the second-longest streak by a Gator on record. Green was a 2007 NBA Draft pick by the Portland Trail Blazers and played with Portland and the Denver Nuggets before embarking on a decorated overseas career that included league championships in France and Poland and an All-Star honor in Greece.

Rashad Wright, Georgia

A standout guard for Georgia from 2000-04, leading the Bulldogs to three postseason appearances … A four-year starter, Career was capped by earning 2004 SEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades in balloting of league coaches … Owns Georgia’s career record for assists and produced two of the Bulldogs’ top-10 single-season assist tallies … Ranks among UGA’s career leaders in six additional categories … Georgia played in two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT during his career … After graduating from UGA with his degree in Education/Sports Management, was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft before embarking on a decade-long professional career in Europe … Played for teams in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Serbia and Turkey … Teams competed in Euro level leagues during seven seasons, and he helped teams in Belgium and Germany capture championship trophies.

Orlando “Tubby” Smith, Kentucky

Head coach at Kentucky for 10 seasons, from 1997-98 through 2006-07, guiding the Wildcats to one national championship, five Southeastern Conference crowns and five SEC Tournament titles … Compiled a record of 263-83 at UK, winning 76 percent of his games while taking on a schedule annually ranked among the nation’s toughest … Named National Coach of the Year three seasons and SEC Coach of the Year three seasons during his term in Lexington … Led the “Comeback Cats” to the 1998 NCAA Championship after falling behind by 17, 10 and 12 points, respectively, in the second half of the Final Eight, Final Four and Championship games of the tournament … Took UK to the NCAA Tournament in all 10 seasons in Lexington, fashioning a 23-9 record in the event, and was 20-5 in the SEC tourney.

Darrel Mitchell, LSU

2006 All-SEC First Team selection and part of NCAA Final Four team for LSU that season as starting point guard … In 2006, three times made game-winning shots in the final seconds for the Tigers – vs. West Virginia (11/26), Arkansas (2/8) and in the NCAA Tournament second round game against Texas A&M, when he stepped back and hit a trey with 3.9 seconds remaining in 58-57 victory … Finished career as all-time leader in three-point field goals at LSU with 258 … Six 20-point games vs. SEC teams – Georgia (1/25), 24 points; At Ole Miss (1/28), 28 points; Auburn (2/1), 27 points; Arkansas (2/8), 27 points; Vandy (2/22), 21 points; Florida (3/11, SECTSF), 21 points … Mitchell’s three consecutive 20-point games in SEC play against Georgia, Ole Miss and Auburn was the first time a Tiger has done that since Maurice Carter in January 1997 … Mitchell had 33 double figure scoring games and 84 in his LSU career … He started in his last 83 games at LSU … He finished with 1,569 points, 10th best all-time … Averaged 16.8 points per game (4th in the SEC), 4.44 assists (5th in the SEC), 1.94 steals (6th in SEC), posted a free throw percentage of 75.8 percent (122-of-161, 6th in the SEC) and a three-point percentage of 39.4 percent (82-of-208, 6th in the SEC) … He started his last 83 games at LSU … Part of Final Four team in 2006 for LSU that featured a starting five all from the South Louisiana area.

Dwayne Curtis, Ole Miss

Ranks 28th in school history with 1,232 career points … Highest career FG% in school history (min. 600 attempts) at 58.4% … 9th in career rebounding at Ole Miss with 774 … 8th in career RPG at 8.6 … 4th in career double-doubles with 34 … Transferred to Ole Miss after one season at Auburn and led the team in scoring his first season (2005-06, 13.6 PPG) and rebounding (7.6) … Went on to lead the Rebels in rebounding all three of his seasons in Oxford … Member of the 2007 SEC West Champion team … 2008 Coaches’ All-SEC second team in 2008 … AP All-SEC second team in 2008 and honorable mention in 2006 … Second team NABC All-District in 2006 and 2008 … 2008 SEC Community Service Team selection.

Timmy Bowers, Mississippi State

A two-year captain and co-captain on State’s 2003-04 SEC Championship squad, he is one of the prolific guards to wear the Maroon and White … His teams posted 92 victories, an average of 23.0 wins per season, highlighted by three NCAA Tournament appearances … The 2001-02 SEC Tournament champion squad set a program single-season record with 27 victories … A 2002-03 All-SEC Third-Team and 2003-04 All-SEC First-Team honoree, finished his career as one of only two players in program history to rack up at least 1,300 points, 300 assists and 150 steals (Ray White) … Spot in State’s record book has stood the test of time for two decades after his playing career has ended. His 1,300 points (12th when career ended; 22nd currently, 301 assists (10th when career ended; 16th currently) and 161 steals (4th when career ended; 8th currently) are all still prominently featured … Played well on the biggest stages for the Maroon and White … Facing an 18-point second half deficit and five-point hole in the game’s final 15 seconds at Alabama in 2003-04, Bowers buried home a three-pointer and a contested runner in the lane to force overtime … Then, in the extra session, he hit a driving layup for the game-winner with 1 second left that clinched the SEC regular season crown.

Willie Smith, Missouri

Led the Missouri basketball team to its first outright basketball conference championship in 46 years during the 1975-76 campaign when the Tigers won the Big Eight crown … Also helped Mizzou advance to its first Elite Eight in 1976 since 1944 … Named the Big Eight Player of the Year in 1976 – the first-ever Tiger to do so – while receiving the league’s Newcomer of the Year award in 1975 … Earned All-America accolades as a senior … Led the Big Eight in scoring in 1975-76 with 25.3 points per game, which remains the program’s standard and his 783 total points during the campaign are the second-most in school history … Two-time first-team All-Big Eight selection in 1975 and 1976 … Scored 1,387 points in just 58 career games, ranking 18th in program history and the most-ever by a two-year player … Tallied 43 points in the 1976 Elite Eight against Michigan – the most-ever scored by a Tiger in an NCAA Tournament contest … His No. 30 jersey is retired and he was inducted into the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991 … Earned induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 … Second-round selection by the Chicago Bulls in the 1976 NBA Draft and also spent time with the Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers during his NBA career

Joe Rhett, South Carolina

Joe Rhett played four seasons for the Gamecocks from 1988-92, scoring 1,142 points in 101 games played. A four-year starter, he averaged double-figures his final three seasons in Garnet & Black. Rhett averaged 16.9 points per game as a senior in 1991-92, South Carolina’s inaugural season in the SEC. The local star from Eau Claire that played for legendary high school coach George Glymph, helped lead the Gamecocks to the 1989 NCAA Tournament. Rhett’s career 53.0 percent field goal percentage (472-of-890) is 10th all-time in program history. His playing career and NBA aspirations were cut short his senior season in 1992 due to a heart condition.

Chris Lofton, Tennessee

SEC all-time leader in 3-pointers (431) … No. 10 in SEC history in scoring (2,131) … Fourth in SEC history in single-season free-throw percentage (91.7) … Sixth in SEC history in single-season 3-pointers (118) … No. 10 in SEC history in single-season 3-pointers (114) … 2006-07 SEC scoring leader (20.8 ppg) … 2004-05 SEC 3-point percentage leader (46.5%) … Three-time SEC single-season 3-point leader – 2004-05 (3.0 pg), 2005-06 (3.8 pg), 2006-07 (3.4 pg) … 2007-08 SEC free-throw percentage leader (84.2) … 2006-07 SEC Player of the Year (AP) … Three-time All-American … Consensus Second Team All-American in both 2006-07 and 2007-08 … Also earned All-America honors in 2005-06 …Three-time First Team All-SEC – 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 (AP and Coaches each time) … 2004-05 SEC All-Freshman Team … 2006-07 SEC Community Service Team … Seven-time SEC Player of the Week … Fourth-leading scorer in Tennessee history … Led Tennessee to a 77-24 record over his final three seasons (2005-08), including three NCAA Tournament berths, two Sweet 16 appearances, three AP top-25 finishes (two in top 20), and an Associated Press No. 5 finish in 2007-08 … Led Tennessee to its first-ever AP No. 1 ranking in 2007-08 … Led Tennessee to two SEC East championships (2005-06, 2007-08) … Led Tennessee to the 2007-08 SEC regular season title … No. 5 jersey is retired at Tennessee.

Elston Turner, Texas A&M

Earned first-team All-SEC honors in Texas A&M’s first season in the SEC in 2013 … Also garnered NABC All-District honors … Scored 561 points while scoring 17.5 points per game, which was third best for the full season in the SEC … In SEC play, Turner turned it up a notch with a 19.4 scoring average, which was No. 2 in the conference … Turner poured in 40 points while hitting 14-of-19 shots, including six 3-pointers, in a memorable win over Kentucky in Rupp Arena … Also posted a 38-point game against Tennessee and a 37-point effort vs. Ole Miss … Turner had 20-plus points in eight league contests in his lone season in the SEC … In two seasons in Aggieland, Turner scored 1,003 points while averaging 15.7 points per game.

Frank Seckar, Vanderbilt

Seckar was a two-time All-SEC honoree, earning second-team honors as a senior and third-team recognition the previous year… Named second-team Academic All-America honors as a senior … Two-time team captain … Selected to the NIT All-Tournament Team in 1994 … Three-time Academic All-SEC … Still ranks among top 30 in school history with 1,317 points in his four-year career, which included leading team in scoring with 16.3 points per game as a senior … Remains tied for the career record in program history with 214 steals … Stands among the top five with 455 assists and 278 3-point field goals after connecting on 41.9 percent from beyond the arc during his career … Recorded 176 assists and 103 3-point field goals when he was a senior-totals that still rank second and third, respectively, on the Commodores’ season record list … Also led Vandy in steals each of his last two years highlight by 73 his junior campaign, a total that continues to stand second in the Dores’ record book.