Mississippi State's Thomas named SEC Player of Year

ATLANTA - LaToya Thomas has done it all during her career at Mississippi State. <br> <br> Thomas was named player of the year on The Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference team Monday, a fitting bookend to the newcomer of the year award she received two seasons ago. <br> <br> Thomas, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, also was a unanimous choice for the AP&#39;s first team, the third straight year she has received that honor. <br> <br> Susan Walvius of South Carolina was chosen as coach of the year, while another Mississippi State player, freshman guard Tan White, was named newcomer of the year. <br> <br> Thomas led the SEC in scoring at 24.9 points per game. She also ranked second in rebounding (9-7), fourth in field goal percentage (.577) and seventh in free throw percentage (.775). <br> <br> The remainder of the first team included Chantelle Anderson and Zuzana Klimesova of Vanderbilt, Kara Lawson of Tennessee and Shaunzinski Gortman of South Carolina. <br> <br> The second team was White, Florida&#39;s Brandi McCain and Vanessa Hayden, Georgia&#39;s Kara Braxton, Tennessee&#39;s Michelle Snow, South Carolina&#39;s Jocelyn Penn and Vanderbilt&#39;s Ashley McElhiney. <br> <br> Walvius, the youngest coach in the SEC at 37, guided the Lady Gamecocks (22-6) to their best season in at least two decades.

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