Vols picked to win SEC men’s basketball title

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – 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 200809 season.

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. and 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, Tennessee.

First Team ALL-SEC

John Petty Jr. – Alabama

Keyontae Johnson – Fla.

Brandon Boston Jr. – Ken.

Trendon Watford – LSU

John Fulkerson – Tenn.

Second Team ALL-SEC

Olivier Sarr – Kentucky

Javonte Smart – LSU

Dru Smith – Missouri

AJ Lawson – South Car.

Yves Pons – Tennessee

Savion Flagg – Tex. A&M

SEC Player of the Year Keyontae Johnson – Fla.

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