LSU Basketball Projected to Finish No. 3 in SEC Preseason Media Poll

LSU basketball is projected to finish No. 3 in the SEC while sophomore Trendon Watford and junior Javonte Smart were picked to preseason All-SEC teams the conference announced Thursday.

The Tigers are projected to finish behind Tennessee and Kentucky in the SEC while Watford was named to the preseason All-SEC first-team and Smart the second-team. Florida's Keyontae Johnson was named the preseason SEC Player of the Year.

Watford returns as one of the more exciting players in the SEC after an All-Freshman season in the SEC that saw him average 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field. He could have easily elected to keep his name in the 2020 NBA Draft and nobody would've batted an eye but elected to return for his sophomore season.

"Trendon's done a phenomenal job, the first thing is just leadership. He's more vocal leading, he's talking to guys and has a great way about him," Wade said. "He's playing a lot more physical, whether it be posting up or rebounding and the area that fans will be excited about is he's shooting the ball really well."

Smart returns as one of the elite guards not just in the SEC but in the country as he was one of 20 point guards named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list earlier this month. In 48 career games with the Tigers, Smart is averaging 11.7 points per game on 39% shooting as well as 3.2 assists.

Here's a full rundown of the All-SEC teams and projected conference standings for the 2020-21 season:

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

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