Blue Ribbon's 2020 preseason SEC predictions

With the start of basketball season a mere 42 days away and practices starting this week, preseason predictions are starting to be revealed.

Chris Dortch's Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, which is regarded as the "bible" of college basketball for its voluminous information, has three SEC teams ranked in its top 15 nationally entering the season. Tennessee leads the way at No. 5 while Kentucky is 13th and Alabama 14th. Gonzaga is ranked No. 1 overall and is followed by Villanova, Baylor and Virginia.

Blue Ribbon has the Volunteers as the favorites in the SEC race. Defending SEC champion Kentucky is picked second, Alabama third, LSU fourth and Florida fifth.

Florida's Keyontae Johnson is picked to be the SEC Player of the Year and Kentucky's BJ Boston is the SEC Newcomer of the Year.

A full listing of Blue Ribbon's preseason SEC predictions follows:

1. Tennessee

2. Kentucky

3. Alabama

4. LSU

5. Florida

6. Ole Miss

7. Auburn

8. Arkansas

9. South Carolina

10. Mississippi State

11. Texas A&M

12. Georgia

13. Missouri

14. Vanderbilt

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

F-John Fulkerson, SR, Tennessee

F-Trendon Watford, SO, LSU

F-Yves Pons, SR, Tennessee

F-Keyontae Johnson, JR, Florida

G-John Petty, SR, Alabama

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Keyontae Johnson, JR, Florida

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

BJ Boston, FR, Kentucky