Vols Hoops Selected by Media To Win SEC Championship

Rick Barnes's teams have thrived as an underdog over the past few years, but now they are the favorites to win the SEC Championship, according to the media. The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon.

Following the announcement, the University released a press statement about the selection.

"BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee was predicted to win the 2021 Southeastern Conference men's basketball championship in preseason voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members.

The Volunteers, who return four starters and have welcomed the nation's fourth-ranked crop of newcomers, are the overall preseason favorite for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The Vols' most recent SEC championship came in 2018, a year in which the Big Orange were predicted to finish 13th.

Predicted to finish behind UT in the top five of the SEC standings were, in order, Kentucky, LSU, Florida and Alabama.

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. Ties were not broken.

Tennessee seniors John Fulkerson and Yves Pons were among seven standouts who received votes for SEC Player of the Year. Fulkerson earned a spot on the preseason All-SEC first team, while Pons—the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year—was named a second-teamer.

Tennessee is ranked 12th in the country in the Associated Press preseason poll and begins its 2020-21 campaign Nov. 25 against Charlotte, with conference play set to begin Dec. 29. The 2021 SEC Tournament takes place March 10-14 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. "