Chris Livingston Named SEC Freshman of the Week

The forward averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds across Kentucky's pair of Quad 1 wins last week.

Kentucky forward Chris Livingston has been named the latest SEC Freshman of the Week after putting on back-to-back important performances, helping the Wildcats earn a pair of Quadrant 1 victories. 

The Akron, Ohio native began his breakthrough in the second half of Kentucky's 71-68 win over Mississippi State last Wednesday. After going scoreless in the first half and receiving an earful from coach John Calipari, Livingston scored 13 points in the final 20 minutes, becoming the driving force to help the Cats stave off a late comeback bid from the Bulldogs. 

"In the second half I just knew I had to play harder and make some plays to make up for how I played in the first half," Livingston said after the win. "Refusing to lose, when it hit four minutes, we said to each other 'it's winning time.' It's that time of the season."

That wouldn't be a one-off outing for the 6-foot-6, 220-pounder, though. Playing 36 minutes over the weekend against Tennessee, Livingston notched 12 points and 10 rebounds, the first double-double of his career. 

It was a showing that paid off all of the waiting Livingston had to do to get his true chance as a starter for the Cats:

“I would be lying if I said I was just happy-go-lucky the whole time, and honestly you must be tough to go through what I went through and what a lot of players go through being at Kentucky," he said after the 66-54 win over the Volunteers. "So, I was just waiting for my turn. I just stayed with the process and trusted the process and look where we are now.”

Across the two games, Livingston averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. The honor is the fifth weekly SEC award given to a Wildcat this season. Oscar Tshiebwe earned SEC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 23, while Cason Wallace has been tabbed as the SEC Freshman of the Week three different times during the 2022-23 campaign. 

Kentucky returns to the hardwood on Wednesday, Feb. 22, as it travels down to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. Tipoff from the O'Connell Center is set for 7 p.m. EST and will air on ESPN. 

More on Kentucky's win over Tennessee HERE.

COLUMN: Calipari's "refuse to lose" mantra becoming Kentucky's golden gimmick

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.