Sorry we didn't get this posted earlier:
By Cecil Hurt
Sports Editor
The University of Alabama men's basketball team was picked to finish seventh overall in the 2016-17 Southeastern Conference basketball poll released in conjunction with this week's SEC Media Days in Nashville.
The Alabama women's team was selected No. 13, ahead of only Ole Miss, in the women's preseason poll. The UA women finished 12th in the SEC (4-12 league record) in 2015-16.
The men's selection was six spots higher than the Crimson Tide's No. 13 projection prior to the 2015-16 season. UA surpassed expectations for much of the season and finished 8-10 in league play, earning a No. 10 seed in the SEC Tournament.
"We hope to be a better, faster team," Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said in an interview session on the SEC Network. "Our starting point guard (Dazon Ingram) got injured and only played seven games. That affected our ball handling and decision making. We hope to improve our tempo and increase our possessions. We have to play faster, because I can't sleep at night with us scoring 65 points (per) game.
"We also had a major problem rebounding last year, especially offensive rebounding. We think we will be much better with (graduate transfer) Bola (Olinayan) in there, and with Jimmie (Taylor) and Donta (Hall) having improved."
Kentucky was predicted to win the SEC, the 12th time in 18 years that UK has been selected by the media. The Wildcats were the No. 1 choice last season but shared the title with Texas A&M.
Alabama, which placed senior guard Retin Obasohan on last year's postseason All-SEC team, had no preseason choices this year. Arkansas senior forward Moses Kingsley was the choice of the media for Player of the Year. Georgia’s J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten; Kentucky’s Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, Isaiah Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk; and Texas A&M’s Tyler Davis also received votes in the Player of the Year voting.
Kingsley, Frazier, Adebayo, Fox and Davis were each All-SEC First Team selections. Maten, Briscoe and Monk were second team picks along with Florida’s KeVaughn Allen, LSU’s Antonio Blakeney, Mississippi State’s Quinndary Weatherspoon and Vanderbilt’s Luke Kornet.
First Team Men's All-SEC
Moses Kingsley – Arkansas, F, 6-10, 230, Sr.
J.J. Frazier – Georgia, G, 5-10, 155, Sr.
Edrice “Bam” Adebayo – Kentucky, F, 6-10, 260, Fr.
De’Aaron Fox – Kentucky, G, 6-3, 187, Fr.
Tyler Davis – Texas A&M, C, 6-10, 270, So.
Second Team All-SEC
KeVaughn Allen – Florida, G, 6-2, 183, So.
Yante Maten – Georgia, F, 6-8, 240, Jr.
Isaiah Briscoe – Kentucky, G, 6-3, 210, So.
Malik Monk – Kentucky, G, 6-3, 200, Fr.
Antonio Blakeney – LSU, G, 6-4, 190, So.
Quinndary Weatherspoon – Mississippi State, G, 6-4, 202, So.
Luke Kornet – Vanderbilt, F, 7-1, 250, Sr.
SEC Player of the Year: Moses Kingsley, Arkansas
Men's Preseason Media Poll
1. Kentucky
2. Florida
3. Texas A&M
4. Georgia
5. Arkansas
6. Vanderbilt
7. Alabama
8. South Carolina
9. Ole Miss
10. Mississippi State
11. Auburn
12. LSU
13. Tennessee
14. Missouri
Women's Preseason Media Poll:
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Tennessee
4. Kentucky
5. Florida
6. Texas A&M
7. Auburn
8. Missouri
9. Vanderbilt
10. Georgia
11. Arkansas
12. LSU
13. Alabama
14. Ole Miss
Women's Player of the Year
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Women's Preseason All-SEC
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Alaina Coates, South Carolina
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee
By Cecil Hurt
Sports Editor
The University of Alabama men's basketball team was picked to finish seventh overall in the 2016-17 Southeastern Conference basketball poll released in conjunction with this week's SEC Media Days in Nashville.
The Alabama women's team was selected No. 13, ahead of only Ole Miss, in the women's preseason poll. The UA women finished 12th in the SEC (4-12 league record) in 2015-16.
The men's selection was six spots higher than the Crimson Tide's No. 13 projection prior to the 2015-16 season. UA surpassed expectations for much of the season and finished 8-10 in league play, earning a No. 10 seed in the SEC Tournament.
"We hope to be a better, faster team," Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said in an interview session on the SEC Network. "Our starting point guard (Dazon Ingram) got injured and only played seven games. That affected our ball handling and decision making. We hope to improve our tempo and increase our possessions. We have to play faster, because I can't sleep at night with us scoring 65 points (per) game.
"We also had a major problem rebounding last year, especially offensive rebounding. We think we will be much better with (graduate transfer) Bola (Olinayan) in there, and with Jimmie (Taylor) and Donta (Hall) having improved."
Kentucky was predicted to win the SEC, the 12th time in 18 years that UK has been selected by the media. The Wildcats were the No. 1 choice last season but shared the title with Texas A&M.
Alabama, which placed senior guard Retin Obasohan on last year's postseason All-SEC team, had no preseason choices this year. Arkansas senior forward Moses Kingsley was the choice of the media for Player of the Year. Georgia’s J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten; Kentucky’s Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, Isaiah Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk; and Texas A&M’s Tyler Davis also received votes in the Player of the Year voting.
Kingsley, Frazier, Adebayo, Fox and Davis were each All-SEC First Team selections. Maten, Briscoe and Monk were second team picks along with Florida’s KeVaughn Allen, LSU’s Antonio Blakeney, Mississippi State’s Quinndary Weatherspoon and Vanderbilt’s Luke Kornet.
First Team Men's All-SEC
Moses Kingsley – Arkansas, F, 6-10, 230, Sr.
J.J. Frazier – Georgia, G, 5-10, 155, Sr.
Edrice “Bam” Adebayo – Kentucky, F, 6-10, 260, Fr.
De’Aaron Fox – Kentucky, G, 6-3, 187, Fr.
Tyler Davis – Texas A&M, C, 6-10, 270, So.
Second Team All-SEC
KeVaughn Allen – Florida, G, 6-2, 183, So.
Yante Maten – Georgia, F, 6-8, 240, Jr.
Isaiah Briscoe – Kentucky, G, 6-3, 210, So.
Malik Monk – Kentucky, G, 6-3, 200, Fr.
Antonio Blakeney – LSU, G, 6-4, 190, So.
Quinndary Weatherspoon – Mississippi State, G, 6-4, 202, So.
Luke Kornet – Vanderbilt, F, 7-1, 250, Sr.
SEC Player of the Year: Moses Kingsley, Arkansas
Men's Preseason Media Poll
1. Kentucky
2. Florida
3. Texas A&M
4. Georgia
5. Arkansas
6. Vanderbilt
7. Alabama
8. South Carolina
9. Ole Miss
10. Mississippi State
11. Auburn
12. LSU
13. Tennessee
14. Missouri
Women's Preseason Media Poll:
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Tennessee
4. Kentucky
5. Florida
6. Texas A&M
7. Auburn
8. Missouri
9. Vanderbilt
10. Georgia
11. Arkansas
12. LSU
13. Alabama
14. Ole Miss
Women's Player of the Year
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Women's Preseason All-SEC
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Alaina Coates, South Carolina
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee
