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First Coaches Poll and preseason SEC honors announced

Kentucky is the highest-ranked SEC team but was not picked to win the league.

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UK

The 2020-21 college basketball season begins in less than two weeks, and the first Coaches Top 25 Poll has been unveiled.

The Kentucky Wildcats, ranked No. 10 in the first AP Poll, checked in at No. 9 in the Coaches Poll. They are the highest-ranked SEC team, followed by Tennessee (14) and Alabama (25).

Baylor is the No. 1 team, followed by Gonzaga, Villanova, Virginia and Kansas.

Other teams on Kentucky’s schedule in this poll include UCLA (21) and Texas (22). Louisville and Florida received the most votes of teams outside of the top 25. LSU got the fourth-most votes.

Coaches Top 25 Poll

  1. Baylor Bears
  2. Gonzaga Bulldogs
  3. Villanova Wildcats
  4. Virginia Cavaliers
  5. Kansas Jayhawks
  6. Iowa Hawkeyes
  7. Wisconsin Badgers
  8. Duke blue Devils
  9. Kentucky Wildcats
  10. Illinois Fighting Illini
  11. Creighton Bluejays
  12. Michigan State Spartans
  13. Texas Tech Red Raiders
  14. Tennessee Volunteers
  15. West Virginia Mountaineers
  16. North Carolina Tar Heels
  17. Arizona State Sun Devils
  18. Houston Cougars
  19. Florida State Seminoles
  20. Oregon Ducks
  21. UCLA Bruins
  22. Texas Longhorns
  23. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
  24. Ohio State Buckeyes
  25. Alabama Crimson Tide

Others receiving votes: Louisville 55; Florida 52; Michigan 38; Louisiana State 27; San Diego St. 23; Dayton 23; Richmond 21; Maryland 15; Indiana 14; Seton Hall 12; Memphis 12; Connecticut 11; Stanford 10; Oklahoma State 9; Northern Iowa 8; Brigham Young 8; Syracuse 4; Providence 4; Purdue 3; Arkansas 2; Western Kentucky 1; Stephen F. Austin 1; Saint Mary’s 1; Loyola-Chicago 1; Georgia Tech 1.


But that’s not all.

The SEC has announced its preseason media picks, which include Tennessee being picked to win the league this season. Kentucky was picked to finish second.

In addition, freshman forward Brandon Boston is a First-Team All-SEC pick, while senior center Olivier Sarr was named to the Second Team.

Florida junior forward Keyontae Johnson was selected as the Preseason SEC Player of the Year.

First Team All-SEC

  • John Petty Jr. – Alabama
  • Keyontae Johnson – Florida
  • Brandon Boston Jr. – Kentucky
  • Trendon WatfordLSU
  • 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

Preseason Media Poll

1. Tennessee Volunteers

2. Kentucky Wildcats

3. LSU Tigers

4. Florida Gators

5. Alabama Crimson Tide

6. Arkansas Razorbacks

7. Auburn Tigers

8. South Carolina Gamecocks

9. Ole Miss Rebels

10. Missouri Tigers

11. Texas A&M Aggies

12. Mississippi State Bulldogs

13. Georgia Bulldogs

14. Vanderbilt Commodores