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  • MEDIA PICKS TENNESSEE TO WIN 2024 SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

    by
    Darrell KSR
    Published on 10-17-2023 01:05 PM
    1 Comment Comments
    Birmingham, Ala. (October 17, 2023) – 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.

    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
    1. Categories:
    2. Basketball
    Comments 19 Comments
    1. StuBleedsBlue2's Avatar
      StuBleedsBlue2 - 10-17-2023, 02:22 PM
      One thing that I’m pretty confident in is that Tennessee will not finish in first place.
    1. ukpumacat's Avatar
      ukpumacat - 10-17-2023, 03:22 PM
      If I were in the business of "predicting"....

      I would have UK 3rd in the SEC. And I would flip Edwards and Reeves.

      I think TN is the safest pick at #1. But obviously any of 4-5 teams could win it.
    1. UKFlounder's Avatar
      UKFlounder - 10-17-2023, 03:37 PM
      If Kentucky truly has “elite talent” as so many claim, then not winning the SEC would be a disappointment, and finishing 4th or 5th would be close to a disaster.

      This team needs to be better than that
    1. HerbTarlek's Avatar
      HerbTarlek - 10-17-2023, 03:43 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by UKFlounder View Post
      If Kentucky truly has “elite talent” as so many claim, then not winning the SEC would be a disappointment, and finishing 4th or 5th would be close to a disaster.

      This team needs to be better than that
      To finish 4th or 5th would mean UK would have at least 5 conference losses. That would be about a 5-6-7 seed and a difficult row to hoe.
    1. ukpumacat's Avatar
      ukpumacat - 10-17-2023, 04:43 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by UKFlounder View Post
      If Kentucky truly has “elite talent” as so many claim, then not winning the SEC would be a disappointment, and finishing 4th or 5th would be close to a disaster.

      This team needs to be better than that
      2014 had 6 Top 10 recruits on it and 7 future NBA players (one being an NBA all star). That team had loads of talent and some experience and lost 6 SEC games and 1 in the SEC Tourney. But two of those SEC losses went to OT.
      We know how they ended up.

      I think this team is closer to that team than it is to 2012 or 2017. I think 4-7 SEC losses seems accurate. Bart Torvik has us losing 7 SEC games.
    1. Bakert's Avatar
      Bakert - 10-17-2023, 05:34 PM
      If TN wins the SEC this year that will be the final straw for me. I'll quit watching college sports and begin following the England Over 60 Badminton League.

      It hurts my soul that those f****** thugs and their never won anything coach are considered the best team in our league.

      The only solace is that we know that as they and their coach have done for all but two of their combined miserable existences, they will fold when it matters in the tourney.
    1. ukpumacat's Avatar
      ukpumacat - 10-17-2023, 05:36 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Bakert View Post

      The only solace is that we know that as they and their coach have done for all but two of their combined miserable existences, they will fold when it matters in the tourney.
      They likely will because they just don't have enough offense. Their defense will be stout which is why they are the SEC favorites.

      Hopefully, we are headed the other direction around that time.
    1. UKFlounder's Avatar
      UKFlounder - 10-17-2023, 05:48 PM
      Fair point about 2014. A great postseason run could come to the rescue again.
    1. ukpumacat's Avatar
      ukpumacat - 10-18-2023, 09:05 AM
      Nice to see this from an actual talent evaluator:


      Sam Vecenie
      @Sam_Vecenie
      ·
      6h
      FWIW, I'd have Kentucky No. 2 behind Tennessee. Think people might be undervaluing UK a bit? Know the center position is a real question but Edwards, Reeves, Wagner is a great trio, plus the center position has "best in the SEC" upside if Bradshaw/Onyenso can get on the court.
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc - 10-18-2023, 09:13 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Darrell KSR View Post
      4th seems more reasonable than 6th to me.
      2nd seems even more reasonable to me, with first being expectation.
    1. ukpumacat's Avatar
      ukpumacat - 10-18-2023, 09:18 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
      2nd seems even more reasonable to me, with first being expectation.
      Cal eats up this underdog role. Heck, he had 2015 believing they were the underdogs. Haha
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc - 10-18-2023, 09:18 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by Darrell KSR View Post
      Dajuan Wagner, Jr. is no better than 9th best guard in the SEC, apparently. Not sure I'd pick 8 before him...
      I'm not sure I'd pick ANY of those before him. (of course listing Edwards as a guard is a bit of an oddity)

      Justin Edwards Kentucky G Fr. 6-8 203 Philadelphia, Pa.
      Santiago Vescovi Tennessee G 5th Yr. 6-3 192 Montevideo, Uruguay
      Wade Taylor IV Texas A&M G Jr. 6-0 175 Dallas, Texas
      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.

      And isn't Vescovi in his 8th year?
    1. kingcat's Avatar
      kingcat - 10-18-2023, 10:01 AM
      I like freshman Mickey D caliber guards and three point shooters with size. I think the UK guards will dominate at times in the SEC. Reeves, to me is a POY candidate.

      And we have a small forward some consider the top NBA draft pick and the best talent on the UK team.

      Bigger players are another matter but we have three seven footers (one considered NBA lottery level) to push each other and a seasoned veteran who can make all kinds of plays.

      Bring it on!
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR - 10-18-2023, 10:31 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by ukpumacat View Post
      Nice to see this from an actual talent evaluator:


      Sam Vecenie
      @Sam_Vecenie
      ·
      6h
      FWIW, I'd have Kentucky No. 2 behind Tennessee. Think people might be undervaluing UK a bit? Know the center position is a real question but Edwards, Reeves, Wagner is a great trio, plus the center position has "best in the SEC" upside if Bradshaw/Onyenso can get on the court.
      Like seeing this.
    1. ukpumacat's Avatar
      ukpumacat - 10-18-2023, 10:51 AM
      I think people also under-estimate how much better we will be defensively with Onyenso and AB in the middle. We were just never good defensively the last two seasons. And Cal teams are just not going to go far if that is the case.

      We have many line-ups where we will be able to switch 1-5. And when Dillingham is in the game, we can hide him more defensively becuse our other guys are so good. And guys like Onyenso and AB and clean up so many mistakes.

      I'm excited. And it will all start with our defense. (And Shooters!!)
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc - 10-18-2023, 11:44 AM
      Quote Originally Posted by ukpumacat View Post
      I think people also under-estimate how much better we will be defensively with Onyenso and AB in the middle. We were just never good defensively the last two seasons. And Cal teams are just not going to go far if that is the case.

      We have many line-ups where we will be able to switch 1-5. And when Dillingham is in the game, we can hide him more defensively becuse our other guys are so good. And guys like Onyenso and AB and clean up so many mistakes.

      I'm excited. And it will all start with our defense. (And Shooters!!)
      Shooters is the key offensively. I see this team way more advanced because of that. It all comes down to spacing, created by passing and multiple shooters. UK has both. Yes, defense will be improved but it is the other end of the court that has me stoked
    1. Harlow's Avatar
      Harlow - 10-18-2023, 12:10 PM
      We finish first or second bs article
    1. ebarbaau's Avatar
      ebarbaau - 10-18-2023, 12:14 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
      2nd seems even more reasonable to me, with first being expectation.
      always
    1. Carolinawildcats's Avatar
      Carolinawildcats - 10-18-2023, 06:42 PM
      Hopefully are bigs are back and healthy for the SEC and we make a run at the top!

      Peace

      Richard (CW)

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