Media Tabs Kentucky As 2013 SEC Men's Basketball Champion

Birmingham, Ala. -- Kentucky was predicted to win the 2013 Southeastern Conference men's basketball championship in voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members. Each SEC school selected media members that cover their team and additional media from across the nation were selected by the conference office to form the voting panel.

The Wildcats, who are coming off a 38-2 season that saw them post a 16-0 record in the SEC on their way to winning their eighth national championship, earned 17 first-place votes. Florida earned five first-place votes while Missouri and Tennessee each received one vote.

Last week Kentucky was ranked third nationally in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches' hoops poll while Florida was 10th and Missouri was 17th. Tennessee and Georgia were among the teams receiving votes.

Missouri junior Phil Pressey was the choice of the media for SEC Men's Basketball Player of the Year with six votes. Florida senior Kenny Boynton finished second (five votes) while Arkansas' BJ Young, Kentucky's Nerlens Noel and Tennessee's Jarnell Stokes each received three votes. Arkansas' Marshawn Powell, Missouri's Michael Dixon, Jr. and Tennessee's Jeronne Maymon received one vote each in the Player of the Year voting.

Boynton, Noel, Pressey, Stokes and Young were each All-SEC First Team selections.

Dixon and Maymon were joined on the All-SECSecond team by Arkansas' Marshawn Powell, Florida's Patric Young, Georgia's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kentucky's Alex Poythress.

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.

The 2012-13 SEC Media Preseason Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Day, October 25 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. The 2012-13 season begins November 9, with conference play set to begin January 8. The 2013 SEC Tournament will be held March 13-17 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

First Team All-SEC

BJ Young - Arkansas, G, 6-3, 180, So., St. Louis, Mo.

Kenny Boynton - Florida, G, 6-2, 190, Sr., Pompano Beach, Fla.

Nerlens Noel - Kentucky, F, 6-10, 228, Fr.,            Everett, Mass.

Phil Pressey - Missouri, G, 5-11, 175, Jr., Dallas, Texas

Jarnell Stokes - Tennessee, F, 6-8, 270, So., Memphis, Tenn.

Second Team All-SEC

Marshawn Powell - Arkansas, F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Newport News, Va.

Patric Young - Florida, C, 6-9, 249, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Georgia, G, 6-5, 205, So., Greenville, Ga.

Alex Poythress - Kentucky, F, 6-7, 239, Fr., Clarksville, Tenn.

Michael Dixon, Jr. - Missouri, G, 6-1        , 190, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.

Jeronne Maymon - Tennessee, F, 6-7, 260, Sr., Madison, Wis.

SEC Player of the Year: Phil Pressey, Missouri

Preseason Media Poll    Pts

Kentucky (17)    328

Florida (5)            310

Missouri (1)        286

Tennessee (1)   269

Arkansas              226

Alabama              222

Ole Miss               186

Georgia                149

Texas A&M         122

Vanderbilt           120

LSU        116

Auburn 95

South Carolina   54

Mississippi State               37

First-Place Votes in Parentheses