Bass selected to preseason All-SEC team

LSU sophomore forward Brandon Bass, last season's Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year, was named to one of the eight spots on the first men's basketball preseason All-SEC squad announced Thursday by the league office.

The teams, selected by the 12 league coaches, who could not vote for their own players, is a prelude to the Southeastern Conference Media Days, scheduled in Birmingham next week (Oct. 27-28). LSU will appear in the final session of the event on Oct. 28.

Bass had a stellar freshman season, earning the coaches accolades as freshman of the year after averaging 12.8 points per game and 7.4 rebounds a contest. He hit over 50 percent of his field goal attempts (121-of-240) and a very strong 78.3 percent at the free throw stripe (123-of-157).

Bass was the only sophomore chosen on the eight play first team and one of just two sophomores chosen in the 17-players honored with either first-or-second team pre-season accolades. The Baton Rouge native has yet to practice with the team through the first five days of practice as he continues to rehab from minor arthroscopic surgery prior to the season. His return to the team practice is expected sometime early in November.

Joining Bass on the first team are Kennedy Winston (Jr.), Alabama; David Lee (Sr.), Florida; Anthony Robertson (Jr.), Florida; Matt Walsh (Jr.), Florida; Chuck Hayes (Sr.), Kentucky; Lawrence Roberts (Sr.), Mississippi State; and, Scooter McFadgon (Sr.), Tennessee. Roberts and Roberts were unanimous selections of the coaches.

On the second team were Chuck Davis (Jr.), Alabama; Earnest Shelton (Sr.), Alabama; Ronnie Brewer (So.), Arkansas; Jonathan Modica (Jr.), Arkansas; Kelenna Azubuike (Jr.), Kentucky; Carlos Powell (Sr.), South Carolina; Brandon Crump (Sr.), Tennessee; C. J. Watson (Jr.), Tennessee; and, Mario Moore (Jr.), Vanderbilt.

Alabama, Florida and Tennessee led all schools with three selections each.