A voting panel of Southeastern Conference and national media members projected the SEC's 2012-13 order of finish and also selected preseason All-SEC Teams, which were announced by the league office Monday.
Tennessee was projected to finish fourth in the 14-team race, behind projected champion Kentucky, Florida and Missouri. The Volunteers - who finished second last season despite being picked 11th by the media in the preseason - received one first-place vote. Missouri also received one first-place vote, while Florida received five and Kentucky earned 17.
Junior Missouri guard Phil Pressey was tabbed as the preseason SEC Player of the Year with six votes. Tennessee forwards Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon were two of seven other players who received Player of the Year votes. Stokes tied for third in the POY projection, receiving three votes. Maymon received one vote.
Stokes made the five-man All-SEC first team, joining Pressey, B.J. Young (Arkansas), Kenny Boynton (Florida) and Nerlens Noel (Kentucky).
Maymon, meanwhile, was one of six players to make the All-SEC second team. The senior - who earned second-team All-SEC honors last year after scoring at least 12 points in all 16 regular-season SEC games - was joined by Marshawn Powell (Arkansas), Patric Young (Florida), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia), Alex Poythress (Kentucky) and Michael Dixon Jr. (Missouri).
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.
The 2012-13 SEC Media Preseason Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Day, Oct. 25, at The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala.
First-Team All-SEC
BJ Young - Arkansas, G, 6-3, 180, So., St. Louis, Mo.
Kenny Boynton - Florida, G, 6-2, 190, Sr., Pompano Beach, Fla.
Nerlens Noel - Kentucky, F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.
Phil Pressey - Missouri, G, 5-11, 175, Jr., Dallas, Texas
Jarnell Stokes - Tennessee, F, 6-8, 270, So., Memphis, Tenn.
Second-Team All-SEC
Marshawn Powell - Arkansas, F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Newport News, Va.
Patric Young - Florida, C, 6-9, 249, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Georgia, G, 6-5, 205, So., Greenville, Ga.
Alex Poythress - Kentucky, F, 6-7, 239, Fr., Clarksville, Tenn.
Michael Dixon, Jr. - Missouri, G, 6-1, 190, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.
Jeronne Maymon - Tennessee, F, 6-7, 260, Sr., Madison, Wis.
SEC Player of the Year: Phil Pressey, Missouri
Preseason Media Poll - Pts
Kentucky (17) - 328
Florida (5) - 310
Missouri (1) - 286
Tennessee (1) - 269
Arkansas - 226
Alabama - 222
Ole Miss - 186
Georgia - 149
Texas A&M - 122
Vanderbilt - 120
LSU - 116
Auburn - 95
South Carolina - 54
Mississippi State - 37
First-Place Votes in Parentheses