SEC BASKETBALL: Tennessee tabbed as favorite; Petty named preseason All-SEC

COMBINED REPORTS

Tennessee was predicted to win the 2021 Southeastern Conference men’s basketball championship in voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members.

The Volunteers are the overall preseason favorite for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

Alabama was picked its highest in seven years at fifth in the standings. The Crimson Tide also earned their first preseason ranking since 2006 in the USA Today Coaches Poll at No. 25.

Auburn was picked seventh.

Florida junior forward Keyontae Johnson was the choice of the media for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Alabama’s John Petty Jr., Kentucky’s Brandon Boston Jr. & Olivier Sarr, LSU’s Trendon Watford and Tennessee’s John Fulkerson & Yves Pons also received votes in the Player of the Year voting.

Petty, Johnson, Boston, Watford and Fulkerson were each All-SEC First Team selections. Sarr and Pons were second team picks along with LSU’s Javonte Smart, Missouri’s Dru Smith, South Carolina’s AJ Lawson and Texas A&M’s Savion Flagg were second team picks.

Points were compiled on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each media member also voted for a five-player All-SEC Team. Ties were not broken.

The 2020-21 campaign begins Nov. 25, with conference play set to begin Dec. 29. The 2021 SEC Tournament will be March 10-14 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Preseason Media Poll

1. Tennessee

2. Kentucky

3. LSU

4. Florida

5. Alabama

6. Arkansas

7. Auburn

8. South Carolina

9. Ole Miss

10. Missouri

11. Texas A&M

12. Mississippi State

13. Georgia

14. Vanderbilt

First Team All-SEC

John Petty Jr. – Alabama

Keyontae Johnson – Florida

Brandon Boston Jr. – Kentucky

Trendon Watford – LSU

John Fulkerson – Tennessee

Second Team All-SEC

Olivier Sarr – Kentucky

Javonte Smart – LSU

Dru Smith – Missouri

AJ Lawson – South Carolina

Yves Pons – Tennessee

Savion Flagg – Texas A&M

SEC Player of the Year

Keyontae Johnson – Florida