A panel of both SEC and national media members voted on the predicted order of finish for the regular season in the Southeastern Conference and preseason awards on Tuesday. Kentucky was selected to win the regular season crown once again.
The Wildcats have won more regular season championships than every other school in the conference combined, totaling 49 titles with the last coming during the 2019-20 season, which saw the postseason canceled due to COVID-19. The schools closest to Kentucky in this category are LSU and Tennessee, who both finished with the best conference record 11 times.
Following No. 1 Kentucky is No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Auburn. The Crimson Tide finished with the top regular season record last season for the first time since 2002 and will be competitive in the race to do so once again.
No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Florida, No. 8 Mississppi State, No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 10 Missouri, No. 11 South Carolina, No. 12 Texas A&M, No. 13 Vanderbilt and No. 14 Georgia round out the rest of the projections. Every school in the conference is ranked in the top-100 in KenPom’s current rankings, aside from Georgia who is listed as the No. 159 team in the country based on his metics.
Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr. was awarded the Preseason SEC Player of the Year Award. The junior, who is the son of Hall of Famer and NBA Champion Scottie Pippen, was the lone bright spot on a Commodores squad that finished 9-16 last season, including a 3-13 record in conference play.
Pippen entered the NBA Draft to test the waters and see what his stock looked like but opted to return to Nashville for his third season in July. The Sierra Canyon standout was selected to the All-SEC First Team last season after ranking second in points per game in the SEC, averaging 20.8 each contest.
Pippen leads the All-SEC First Team and he is joined by guard Jaden Shackelford and guard Jahvon Quinerly of Alabama, forward Colin Castleton of Florida, Kentucky guard Shavir Wheeler and Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar.
The All-SEC Second Team is comprised of Arkansas guard Davonte Davis, forward Jabari Smith of Auburn, Kentucky forwards Keion Brooks Jr., Oscar Tshiebwe and guard Kellan Grady and LSU forward Darius Days.
The two All-SEC teams are made up of four transfers, three of which joined Kentucky in Grady, Tshiebwe and Wheeler. Castleton is the other, who enrolled in Gainesville last school year from Michigan.
The 2021-22 season will begin on November 9, with conference play slated to tip off on December 29. The 2022 SEC Tournament will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla., which will mark the last time it will be played in a site that is not Bridgestone Arena. The postseason conference tournament will be played in Nashville, TN. from 2023 until 2030, with an option to continue the partnership until 2035.
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