South Carolina Men's Basketball picked to finish seventh in SEC

Shortly before today's SEC Basketball Media Day got underway in Charlotte, NC, the results were released for this season's preseason poll.

The South Carolina Men's Basketball team has been picked to finish seventh in the SEC preseason media poll.

This year's team returns four of its five starters from a year ago as well as four of its top five scorers from last season. The team has a veteran presence as the roster includes four seniors and three juniors. This is by far the deepest, most talented team that Frank Martin has had during his time in Columbia.

The SEC stopped going by divisions in 2011 and seventh is their highest preseason ranking since that new wrinkle was introduced. The Gamecocks were picked to finish 12^th season and improved it by one spot when the year concluded, finishing 11^th in the conference.

Kentucky was picked to win the league followed by Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and LSU. Georgia and Florida were picked ahead of USC. Just behind the Gamecocks were Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Auburn and Tennessee. Little separates those seven teams so South Carolina could once again disprove its preseason finish.

LSU's Ben Simmons, a potential No. 1 pick in next year's NBA draft, was chosen as the preseason player of the year by the media.