SEC media panel picks No. 9 Tennessee to win league, Gamecocks picked at No. 14

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Tennessee is the favorite to win the Southeastern Conference men’s basketball title and Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV is preseason player of the year, according to votes compiled by the league.

The Volunteers, who enter the season ranked No. 9, are favored for the first time since the 2020-21 season and fifth time overall in voting by a panel of SEC and national media members. The league released the preseason predictions on Tuesday.

The seven preseason first-team All-SEC picks: Taylor, Alabama’s Grant Nelson, Mississippi State’s Tolu Smith, Tennessee’s Santiago Vescovi, Kentucky freshman Justin Edwards, Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile and Auburn’s Johni Broome.

No. 15 Texas A&M was picked to finish second, followed by No. 14 Arkansas, No. 16 Kentucky and No. 24 Alabama, the defending champion.

Meanwhile, second-year head coach Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks were picked to finish last in the league at number 14.