Preseason media poll not kind to South Carolina men’s basketball

South Carolina was picked to finish 11th in the SEC preseason media poll released Wednesday morning.

The Gamecocks are coming off consecutive third-place finishes and a Final Four run, but lost their top three ball handlers, two of which have signed NBA deals.

USC did not place any players on the preseason All-SEC team. Preseason SEC Player of the Year was split three ways between Georgia’s Yante Maten, Texas A&M’s Robert Williams and Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr.

Chris Silva and Hassani Gravett are representing the Gamecocks at SEC Media Days, which are Wednesday and Thursday in Nashville, Tenn.

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

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Preseason media poll not kind to South Carolina men’s basketball."