SEC BASKETBALL: Tennessee preseason favorite to win title; Bama fifth, Auburn sixth

Nate Oats and defending SEC regular season and tournament champ Alabama were picked to finish fifth in 2023-24 by members of the media. (File Photo)

STAFF REPORT

Tennessee has been chosen to win the 2024 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 2020-21 season and the fifth time overall (preseason media poll began in 1989-90).

Last year’s champion, Alabama, was picked to finish fifth behind Texas A&M, Arkansas and Kentucky. In 2022-23, the Tide was picked fifth in the preseason before winning the SEC title and tournament title for the second time in three years. Kentucky was the selection to win it last season.

Auburn was picked to finish sixth in the conference this year.

Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV was the choice of the media for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson, now at Alabama, was selected to the SEC First team along with Arkansas’s Trevon Brazile, Auburn’s Johni Broome, Mississippi State’s Tolu Smith. Tennessee’s Santiago Vescovi, Kentucky’s Justin Edwards.

Alabama’s Mark Sears, Florida’s Riley Kugel, Arkansas’s Davonte Davis, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves and Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler were second team picks.

The 2023-24 campaign begins Monday, Nov. 6, with conference play set to begin Saturday, Jan. 6. The 2024 SEC Tournament will be March 13-17 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

First Team All-SEC

Grant Nelson                  Alabama                        F            Sr.           6-11      230    Devils Lake, N.D.

Trevon Brazile                Arkansas                        F            So.          6-10      220    Springfield, Mo.

Johni Broome                Auburn                           F            Jr.            6-10      240    Plant City, Fla.

Justin Edwards              Kentucky                       G           Fr.           6-8         203    Philadelphia, Pa.

Tolu Smith                       Mississippi State         F            Gr.          6-11      245    Bay St. Louis, Miss.

Santiago Vescovi           Tennessee                     G           5th Yr.   6-3         192    Montevideo, Uruguay

Wade Taylor IV              Texas A&M                    G           Jr.            6-0         175    Dallas, Texas

Second Team All-SEC

Mark Sears                      Alabama                        G           Sr.           6-1         185    Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Davonte Davis                Arkansas                        G           Sr.           6-4         185    Jacksonville, Ark.

Riley Kugel                      Florida                            G           So.          6-5         207    Orlando, Fla.

Antonio Reeves             Kentucky                       G           5th Yr.   6-5         205    Chicago, Ill.

Zakai Zeigler                    Tennessee                     G           Jr.            5-9         171    Long Island, N.Y.

SEC Player of the Year

Wade Taylor IV              Texas A&M                    G           Jr.            6-0         175    Dallas, Texas

Predicted Order Of Finish

1.    Tennessee

2.    Texas A&M

3.    Arkansas

4.    Kentucky

5.    Alabama

6.    Auburn

7.    Mississippi State

8.    Florida

9.    Missouri

10. Ole Miss

11. Vanderbilt

12. Georgia

13. LSU

14. South Carolina