Tuesday it was announced Alabama junior guard Trevor Releford was one of eight players named to the Southeastern Conference First Team according to a vote of the league’s 14 head coaches. In addition, the Kansas City, Mo., native earned a spot on the league’s All-Defensive team.

Releford, the only Alabama player to be represented as an all-conference performer, is one of two SEC players to earn both first team and all-defensive team accolades, joining Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel.

This year’s selection marks the third consecutive season Releford has earned all-conference honors. He was named to the league’s all-freshman team in 2011 and was a second-team honoree in 2012. He becomes the first Alabama player to earn all-league honors in each of his first three seasons since Kennedy Winston achieved the feat during the 1992 (All-Freshman), 1993 (First Team) and 1994 (First Team) seasons.

Releford has been selected to the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District IV team, based on voting from its national membership of 900-plus.

The district is chosen from the rosters of NCAA D-I teams from Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Releford is joined on the 10-member squad by Kenny Boynton (Florida), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia), Isaiah Canon (Murray State), Marshall Henderson (Ole Miss), Joe Jackson (Memphis), Shane Larkin (Miami, Fla.), Jordan McRae (Tennessee), Nerlens Noel (Kentucky) and Russ Smith (Louisville).

Earlier this season, Releford was named to the watch list for the 2013 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award and was also selected to the Preseason First Team All-SEC.

Releford becomes the first Alabama player to earn the recognition since JaMychal Green was named as an all-district performer in 2011.

Releford will lead the Crimson Tide into the 2013 SEC Tournament this weekend. Alabama earned the No. 4 seed and will play on Friday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU against the winner of fifth-seeded Tennessee and either No. 12 seed South Carolina or No. 13 seed Mississippi State. The Gamecocks and Bulldogs will open the tournament on Wednesday night with the winner advancing to play the Volunteers Thursday.