LSU Basketball Predicted to Finish Third in SEC, Mays makes Preseason All-SEC Second-Team

Mays averaged career-high 13.4 points per game in junior season with program

LSU basketball was picked to finish third in the SEC by select conference and national media on Tuesday. The Tigers are predicted to finish third by SEC powerhouses Kentucky and Florida.

The Tigers are coming off a 16-2 SEC record that left them conference champs during the 2018-19 season and finished 28-7 overall with a berth to the "Sweet Sixteen" in the NCAA tournament.

Senior guard Skylar Mays was also selected as a preseason All-SEC second-team member, alongside Alabama's Kira Lewis, Kentucky's EJ Montgomery and Tennessee's Lamonte Turner.

Mays averaged a career-high 13.4 points per game in 2018 while starting all 35 games for the Tigers. 

LSU enters 2019 with plenty of expectations following last year's finish and seemingly reloading on talent, starting with five-star forward Trendon Watford and JUCO transfer Charles Manning. The Tigers also return key members of last year's squad in Javonte Smart, Emmitt Williams, Darius Days and Marlon Taylor.

The full list of predicted SEC standings is below:

1. Kentucky

2. Florida

3. LSU

4. Auburn

5. Tennessee

6. Alabama

7. Mississippi State

8. Ole Miss

9. Georgia

10. South Carolina

11. Arkansas

12. Texas A&M

13. Missouri

14. Vanderbilt