FAYETTEVILLE — Mike Anderson's seventh team at Arkansas is predicted to finish sixth in the SEC by league media.
Kentucky was tabbed the preseason favorite in the poll, released Wednesday in conjunction with SEC Media Days. The Wildcats return just one contributor from last year's Elite Eight team, but boast the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, featuring six five-star prospects and seven top-100 signees.
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Florida, Texas A&M, Alabama and Missouri also were picked to finish higher than Arkansas. South Carolina, which went to the Final Four last season, was picked 11th.
Arkansas went 12-6 to finish tied for third in the conference last year en route to a 26-10 season punctuated with a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance. The Razorbacks return at least five seniors, headlined by guards Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon.
Arkansas was the highest-rated team without any players on the preseason All-SEC team. Texas A&M's Robert Williams, Georgia's Yante Maten and Missouri's Michael Porter Jr. tied in the vote for the conference's preseason player of the year.
Here is the complete preseason poll:
1 Kentucky
2 Florida
3 Texas A&M
4 Alabama
5 Missouri
6 Arkansas
7 Vanderbilt
8 Georgia
9 Auburn
10 Ole Miss
11 South Carolina
12 Mississippi State
13 Tennessee
14 LSU
First Team All-SEC
KeVaughn Allen – Florida, G, 6-2, 193, Jr., Little Rock, Ark.
Yante Maten – Georgia, F, 6-8, 243, Sr., Pontiac, Mich.
Hamidou Diallo – Kentucky, G, 6-5, 198, R-Fr., Queens, N.Y.
Michael Porter, Jr. – Missouri, F, 6-10, 215, Fr., Columbia, Mo.
Robert Williams – Texas A&M, F, 6-10, 241, So., Oil City, La.
Second Team All-SEC
Collin Sexton – Alabama, G, 6-3, 190, Fr., Mableton, Ga.
Kevin Knox – Kentucky, F, 6-9, 215, Fr., Tampa, Fla.
Terence Davis – Ole Miss, G, 6-4, 201, Jr., Southaven, Miss.
Deandre Burnett – Ole Miss, G, 6-2, 192, Sr., Miami Gardens, Fla.
Quinndary Weatherspoon – Mississippi St., G, 6-4, 205, Jr., Canton, Miss.
Tyler Davis – Texas A&M, C, 6-10, 266, Jr., Plano, Texas
Matthew Fisher-Davis – Vanderbilt, G/F, 6-5, 186, Sr., Charlotte, N.C.
SEC Player of the Year (tie)
Yante Maten – Georgia
Michael Porter, Jr. – Missouri
Robert Williams – Texas A&M