Official Site of the Southeastern Conference

Birmingham, Ala. -- Kentucky was predicted to win the 2010 Southeastern Conference men’s basketball championship in a voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members. Each SEC school selected media members that cover their team and additional writers from across the nation were selected by the conference office to form the 25-member voting panel.

The Wildcats are coming off a 22-14 season and an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. They earned 20 first-place votes, topping Mississippi State which earned three votes and Tennessee which had two votes as SEC Champion. Kentucky returns three starters, including Patrick Patterson, Perry Stevenson and Ramon Harris while adding one of the top recruiting classes in the nation.

Kentucky was the media’s favorite to win the East with 148 total points (23 first-place votes), ahead of second-place Tennessee’s 117 points (two first-place votes). Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia round out the top six.

In the West, Mississippi State’s 144 total points (22 first-place votes) were ahead of Ole Miss’ 120 points (two first-place votes). Alabama was picked third with 84 points. LSU, Arkansas and Auburn round out the top six in the West.

Kentucky junior Patrick Patterson was the choice of the media for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year with 11 votes. Kentucky freshman John Wall (six votes), Mississippi State senior Jarvis Varnado (three votes), South Carolina senior Devan Downey (three votes) and Tennessee senior Tyler Smith (two votes) also received votes in the Player of the Year voting.

Patterson, Downey, Varnado and Smith were joined on the All-SEC First Team by Ole Miss sophomore Terrico White.

Wall led All-SEC Second Team honors and was joined by LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell, Vanderbilt’s A.J. Ogilvy, Ole Miss’ Chris Warren and Auburn’s DeWayne Reed.

Points were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Each media member also voted for one team as an overall conference champion and a five-player All-SEC Team.

The 2009-10 SEC Media Preseason Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Day, October 22 at the Birmingham Marriott in Alabama. The 2009-10 season begins November 13, with conference play set to begin January 9. The 2010 SEC Tournament will be held March 11-14 at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Preseason Media Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses; *-unanimous selection)

SEC Champion: Kentucky (20); Mississippi State (3); Tennessee (2)


Eastern Division                Points   
Kentucky (23)    148         
Tennessee (2)   117         
Vanderbilt           90           
South Carolina   77           
Florida  68           
Georgia                25           

Western Division              Points
Mississippi State (22)      144
Ole Miss (2)        120
Alabama              84
LSU (1)  70
Arkansas              63
Auburn 44


FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC       Pos.       Ht.          Wt.         Cl.           Hometown
Devan Downey, South Carolina G             5-9          175         Sr.           Chester, S.C.
*Patrick Patterson, Kentucky     F              6-9          235         Jr.           Huntington, W.Va.
Tyler Smith, Tennessee G/F        6-7          215         Sr.           Pulaski, Tenn.
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State               F              6-9          230         Sr.           Brownsville, Tenn.
Terrico White, Ole Miss G             6-5          211         So.          Memphis, Tenn.


SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC Pos.       Ht.          Wt.         Cl.           Hometown
Tasmin Mitchell, LSU      F              6-7          235         Sr.           Denham Springs, La.
A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt    C             6-11       250         Jr.           Sydney, Australia
DeWayne Reed, Auburn               G             6-1          175         Sr.           Houston, Texas
John Wall, Kentucky       G             6-4          195         Fr.           Raleigh, N.C.
Chris Warren, Ole Miss  G             5-10       165         Jr.           Orlando, Fla.


SEC Player of the Year: Patrick Patterson, Kentucky