BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UK’s Malik Monk (pictured) has been named the SEC Player of the Week after the 6-3, 200-pound guard from Lepanto, Ark., scored a Kentucky freshman record 47 points in the win over North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic last Saturday, it was announced by the SEC office on Monday, Dec. 19.

Monk's 47 points are the most points scored in a game by an SEC freshman since LSU's Chris Jackson scored 55 points against Ole Miss on March 4, 1989. With North Carolina taking a 98-95 lead, Monk hit a 3-pointer to tie things with a little more than a minute to play. Carolina again took a two-point lead, but Monk hit his eighth 3-pointer of the game to give UK a 101-100 lead to claim the victory in Las Vegas.

Monk finished the game going 18-of-28 (.642) from the field and 8-of-12 (.667) from 3-point range. He tied Dan Issel for the sixth-most points ever by a Wildcat in a single game. It is the seventh time this season he has scored 20-plus points.

Meanwhile, the SEC Freshman of the Week honors went to Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox, a 6-3, 187-pound guard from Houston, Texas, who scored a career-high 24 points and had 10 assists in the 103-100 win over North Carolina. He registered his team-best fourth double-double of the season and has led the team in assists in nine of 11 outings. Fox stole the ball off an inbound play to give UNC less than a second for a desperation heave that was missed.

Photo by Jamie H. Vaught