Vols picked 13th in SEC preseason media poll
At SEC Media Day, it was revealed that the Tennessee Volunteers were slotted as the 13th best team in the entire conference.
KNOXVILLE,TN - FEBRUARY 02, 2016 - Forward Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Craig Bisacre/Tennessee Athletics
On SEC Media Day in Nashville, the men’s basketball preseason poll has Tennessee slotted to finish 13th in the SEC after being predicted to finish 12th a season ago.
Only picked above Missouri, the Volunteers finished 12th in the conference (15-19, 6-12 SEC) in coach Rick Barnes’ first season. In the SEC Tournament, Tennessee completed an upset win over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt for a spot in the conference quarterfinals, where they fell to No. 4 seed LSU.
The Kentucky Wildcats were picked to win the conference, with Florida, Texas A&M, Georgia and Arkansas rounding out the top five.
Along with the poll, the media selected two All-SEC teams. The Vols failed to have a player represented on the all-conference teams for the third season in a row.
In Barnes’ second season, after the departure of seniors Kevin Punter Jr. and Armani Moore, Robert Hubbs III and Lew Evans —a graduate transfer— are the only two seniors on the roster. With a young, revamped roster, Barnes and the Vols look to make strides in conference play and in a tough non-conference schedule.
Tennessee opens exhibition play on Nov. 3, against Slippery Rock, and tips off the season with Chattanooga on Nov. 11, at Thompson Bowling Arena.
Edited by David Bradford
Featured image by Craig Bisacre, courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
Dalton, a firm believer that sporting events are best spent on Twitter, is an Assistant Sports Editor for TNJN and a sophomore studying Journalism at the University of Tennessee. Two of his favorite pastimes include beating his roommates at 2k and remaining in awe of the amount of stories fellow editor David Bradford writes. Twitter: @dk_writes
