SEC Announces Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll, Player Of The Year

Birmingham, Ala. - Tennessee was predicted 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).

Texas A&M's Wade Taylor IV was the choice of the media for SEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year. Alabama's Grant Nelson, Arkansas's Trevon Brazile, Auburn's Johni Broome, Mississippi State's Tolu Smith and Tennessee's Santiago Vescovi also received votes in the Player of the Year voting.

Nelson, Brazile, Broome, Smith, Vescovi and Taylor were each All-SEC First Team selections along with 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.

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

2023-2024 SEC Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
ORDER OF FINISH - SCHOOL
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

SEC Player of the Year
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M
G | Jr. | 6-0 | 175 | Dallas, Texas


Preseason All-SEC First-Team
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


Preseason All-SEC Second-Team
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.

(Release via SEC Sports)