SEC releases preseason basketball poll. Here’s where the Gamecocks stand
South Carolina men’s basketball has been picked to finish 10th in the SEC.
The media-voted preseason poll was released Tuesday, ahead of SEC media days in Birmingham. Kentucky was picked to win the league. No USC players were named to the media’s preseason All-SEC teams.
Frank Martin’s Gamecocks have a history of exceeding expectations. They’ve finished higher than where they were placed in the preseason SEC poll four of the last five years. USC finished fourth in 2018-19 after being picked to finish 11th.
While buzz has been generated around Columbia about the 2019-20 Gamecocks — Martin has called it his most athletic roster since arriving in 2012 — outside perception has been different.
“The underdog I guess,” USC guard A.J. Lawson said last week during Carolina’s on-campus media day, “they don’t expect much.”
Does that bother the Gamecocks?
“Definitely bothers me,” Lawson continued, “because I know we have a great team, great coaching staff, we can do a lot. So we just got to show them, everyday we got to practice, we just got to go hard and just compete with each other so we can be the best.”
Lawson, a reigning All-SEC freshman team member, is one of five returning USC players who averaged more than 20 minutes a game last season. Touted newcomers include transfers Jair Bolden and Micaiah Henry, plus freshmen Jermaine Couisnard, Wildens Leveque and Trae Hannibal.
South Carolina, which hasn’t made the Big Dance since the 2017 Final Four run, opens its season Nov. 6 at home against North Alabama.
Predicted Order Of Finish
1. Kentucky
2. Florida
3. LSU
4. Auburn
5. Tennessee
6. Alabama
7. Mississippi State
8. Ole Miss
9. Georgia
10. South Carolina
11. Arkansas
12. Texas A&M
13. Missouri
14. Vanderbilt
First Team All-SEC
Kerry Blackshear – Florida
Anthony Edwards – Georgia
Ashton Hagans – Kentucky
Breein Tyree – Ole Miss
Reggie Perry – Mississippi State
Second Team All-SEC
Kira Lewis Jr. – Alabama
Isaiah Joe – Arkansas
Andrew Nembhard – Florida
Tyrese Maxey – Kentucky
EJ Montgomery – Kentucky
Skylar Mays – LSU
Lamonté Turner – Tennessee
SEC Player of the Year
Kerry Blackshear – Florida
This story was originally published October 15, 2019 at 12:02 PM.
