Birmingham, Ala. – Tennessee was predicted to win the 2021 Southeastern Conference men’s basketball championship in voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members.

The Volunteers are the overall preseason favorite for the first time since the 2008-09 season.

Florida junior forward Keyontae Johnson was the choice of the media for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Alabama’s John Petty Jr., Kentucky’s Brandon Boston Jr. & Olivier Sarr, LSU’s Trendon Watford and Tennessee’s John Fulkerson & Yves Pons also received votes in the Player of the Year voting.

Petty, Johnson, Boston, Watford and Fulkerson were each All-SEC First Team selections. Sarr and Pons were second team picks along with LSU’s Javonte Smart, Missouri’s Dru Smith, South Carolina’s AJ Lawson and Texas A&M’s Savion Flagg were second team picks.

Points were compiled on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each media member also voted for a five-player All-SEC Team. Ties were not broken.

The 2020-21 campaign begins November 25, with conference play set to begin December 29. The 2021 SEC Tournament will be March 10-14 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

First Team All-SEC

John Petty Jr. – Alabama

Keyontae Johnson – Florida

Brandon Boston Jr. – Kentucky

Trendon Watford – LSU

John Fulkerson – Tennessee

Second Team All-SEC

Olivier Sarr – Kentucky

Javonte Smart – LSU

Dru Smith – Missouri

AJ Lawson – South Carolina

Yves Pons – Tennessee

Savion Flagg – Texas A&M

SEC Player of the Year

Keyontae Johnson – Florida

Preseason Media Poll

1. Tennessee

2. Kentucky

3. LSU

4. Florida

5. Alabama

6. Arkansas

7. Auburn

8. South Carolina

9. Ole Miss

10. Missouri

11. Texas A&M

12. Mississippi State

13. Georgia

14. Vanderbilt