Blakes and Galvan Earn SEC Weekly Honors for Fourth Time This Season, Blakes Earn National Nods as Well
Blakes and Galvan Duo Impresses
The backcourt duo of Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan are solidifying themselves as one of the best in the SEC and the country. Today, the Southeastern Conference announced that both have claimed SEC weekly honors for the fourth time this season and the third time they’ve accomplished them at the same time.
Aubrey Galvan was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Galvan has come in as a true freshman and taken the task very well in Nashville. Over the last week, she’s proved herself even more, and people should take notice.
Aside from her season high of 30 points in the 102-86 win over Oklahoma, Aubrey’s efforts were monumental in the road win at Kentucky on Thursday, February 6. With 20 seconds or less left in the game, she knocked down four crucial free throws that were the difference maker in holding onto a one point win.
Teammate Mikayla Blakes said it best after the Oklahoma win when asked why Galvan is an SEC Freshman of the Year contender.
“Simple. She does everything. She makes everybody’s life easier and she’s like one of the, probably the most valuable person on our team, I would say. Like she just makes all of us better,” said Blakes. “Like she puts us in positions where we’re gonna thrive, and that’s really hard to do as a freshman, but she’s doing it with ease. And I haven’t seen any other freshman doing it like her.”
Now to the engine that makes it all go. Blakes earned SEC Co-Player of the Week honors, sharing the award with South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards. She didn’t stop there, either. Blakes was also named the AP National Player of the Week, the National Player of the Week by World Exposure Report, and the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week.
Blakes, as you know, is the unstoppable force that leads this Commodores squad. She averaged 35.5 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals in the last couple of games, and has scored 30 or more in three straight. During the Kentucky game, Blakes finished with 37 points after a 19 point fourth quarter. 19 points in 10 minutes is impressive, and to witness it in person just made me shake my head in amazement.
Blakes is not only one of the best in the SEC but the country also. Regardless of biases and fandom, you have to give credit where it’s due. Even Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk, spoke to the player Mikayla Blakes is.
“I coached her, obviously, and she’s just really special. I mean, she just can really make it go for everybody. And when you have a player like that that just can open the rim for, you know, everybody else, and not that everybody else isn’t talented, they are, but she’s really, really special and you got to key on her and we just, we really struggled, obviously,” said Baranczyk.
Stats and everything are all well and good. That is what these weekly awards are mostly based on, but one thing that must be talked about even more with Blakes is the difference she makes to this Vanderbilt Commodores program. Whether you believe she is the most valuable player in the country or not, just ask yourself where would Vanderbilt be if she were not in Nashville. Blakes is a program changer and a heck of a leader. That in itself speaks volumes.
“I mean, nobody can guard her and nobody can get by her. I mean, she’s everything that you want in a teammate and a leader in everything,” said Aubrey Galvan. “And I mean, she leads our team really well, and she’s also just a great person to have next to. Either telling me what I can do better or just supporting me. So couldn’t ask for a better teammate.”
Coach Shea Ralph has been vocal in supporting both of her players, as well as the team. When she speaks of Mikayla Blakes in particular, you can just feel the genuine love and gratitude towards Blakes and what she brings. When she calls her the best in the country, she wholeheartedly means it. Some fans on TikTok from another school blew up my mentions after the Kentucky game, but they will be ok.
Last night, Ralph took another opportunity to speak on Blakes again, as she always will.
“I’m sure everybody has an opinion, you know, everybody has an opinion. There’s lots of really good players in the country. I just know that she’s the best one. I’ve coached a lot of really good players. I’ve played with a lot of really good players, and that’s no disrespect to any of the other great ones in the country ’cause there’s really, really good ones on really great teams,” Ralph expressed.
“But this kid is the best player in the country, just based on what she does for our team and where she has taken us to this point, period. And so, and I say that respectfully, but I don’t control what the media writes or how they write or how often they write. I don’t control how many people come to watch her, but I’m just telling you, the kid is special. So as many times as you can come watch her, come watch her, come witness it, because she’s generational.”
“She makes things that are really, really hard to do look really easy. She’s elevated everything about our program. Literally everything. Everything. She’s a great student. She’s a great kid. She’s a great teammate. On top of the fact that she’s the best player in the country, that’s special. That doesn’t come around very often, believe me.”
Catch this duo in action this Thursday night as No. 5 Vanderbilt hosts the No. 4 Texas Longhorns at Memorial Gymnasium. Tip is set for 6:30 PM CT and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
