Mitchell, teammate
Garrett Temple and Coach John Brady along with members of the LSU Lady Tigers
will take part in the opening session of the annual SEC Tipoff Media Days. The
Tigers will be joined by Arkansas and two-time defending national champion,
Florida, in the first set of three teams to appear at the Birmingham Marriott
beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Tennessee was predicted to win its
ninth Southeastern Conference men’s basketball championship in a voting of a
select panel of both SEC and national media members. Each SEC school selected
two media members that cover their team and six additional writers from across
the nation were selected by the conference office to form the 30-member voting
panel.
Tennessee was a unanimous selection
to win the East with 180 total points (30 first-place votes), ahead of
second-place Kentucky’s 142 points. Kentucky returns nine letterwinners
and three starters from last year’s 22-win team for new coach Billy Gillispie.
Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia and South Carolina round out the top
six.
In the West, Arkansas was first
with 168 total points (18 first-place votes) compared to Mississippi State’s 148
points (10 first-place votes). Alabama and Auburn each received a first-place
vote. Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss round out the top six in the
West.
Tennessee senior guard Chris Lofton
was the overwhelming choice of the media for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the
Year with 27 votes, followed by two votes for Mississippi State junior
guard/forward Jamont Gordon. Joining Lofton and Gordon on the All-SEC First Team
were Alabama junior forward Richard Hendrix, Arkansas sophomore guard Patrick Beverley and Vanderbilt senior guard/forward Shan Foster.
Arkansas senior center Steven Hill,
LSU's Mitchell, Ole Miss senior center Dwayne Curtis, Mississippi State senior
forward/center Charles Rhodes and Tennessee sophomore forward Tyler Smith are on
the second team.
Points were compiled on a
6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Each media member also voted for one
team as an overall conference champion and a five-player All-SEC
Team.
The 2007-08 SEC Media Preseason
Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Days, October 24-25 at the Birmingham
Marriott in Alabama. The 2007-08 season begins November 6, with conference play
set to begin January 8. The 2008 SEC Tournament will be held March 13-16
at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga.
Preseason
Media Poll (First-Place Votes in
Parentheses; *-unanimous selection)
SEC Champion: Tennessee (28);
Mississippi State (2)
Eastern
Division 2006-07
Results
Poll SEC Overall
Tennessee* (30)
180 10-6 24-11
Kentucky
142 9-7 22-12
Florida
103 13-3 35-5
Vanderbilt
98 10-6 22-12
Georgia
69 8-8 19-14
South Carolina
38 4-12 14-16
Western Division
2006-07 Results
Poll SEC Overall
Arkansas
(18) 168 7-9
21-14
Miss. State (10)
148 8-8 21-14
Alabama (1) 111
7-9 20-12
Auburn (1)
94 7-9 17-15
LSU
63 5-11 17-15
Ole Miss
46 8-8 21-13
FIRST TEAM
ALL-SEC
Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl.
Hometown
Richard Hendrix,
Alabama
F 6-8 265 So.
Athens, Ala.
Patrick Beverley,
Arkansas
G 6-1 180 So.
Chicago, Ill.
Jamont Gordon, Mississippi
State G/F 6-4 230
Jr. Nashville, Tenn.
Chris Lofton,
Tennessee*
G 6-2 200 Sr.
Maysville, Ky.
Shan Foster,
Vanderbilt
G/F 6-6 205 Sr. Kenner,
La.
SECOND TEAM
ALL-SEC Pos.
Ht. Wt. Cl.
Hometown
Steven Hill,
Arkansas
C 7-0 245 Sr.
Bronson, Mo.
Charles Rhodes, Mississippi
State F/C 6-8 245
Sr. Jackson, Miss.
Tasmin Mitchell,
LSU
F 6-7 230 Jr. Denham
Springs, La.
Dwayne Curtis, Ole
Miss C
6-8 262 Sr. Chicago,
Ill.
Tyler Smith,
Tennessee
F 6-7 215 So.
Pulaski, Tenn.