Hogs picked 11th, Joe named to Preseason All-SEC 2nd team

The media does not have much confidence in Arkansas for this upcoming basketball season.

A select panel of SEC and national media members picked the Razorbacks to finish 11th out of 14 teams in the conference in head coach Eric Musselman’s first season at the helm.

Only Texas A&M, Missouri and Vanderbilt were picked behind Arkansas, with Kentucky predicted to win the conference. It’s the ninth straight year and 15th time in the last 22 years that the Wildcats have been the SEC’s preseason favorite.

Last season, seven SEC teams made the NCAA Tournament. That came a year after a record-setting eight teams made the big dance in 2018.

The panel also voted for a five-player All-SEC Team and Arkansas guard Isaiah Joe was a second-team selection. He averaged 13.9 points while breaking the UA’s single-season record with 113 three-points last season. That was also tied for the SEC freshman record and tied for fourth in NCAA history for a freshman.

Florida’s Kerry Blackshear - a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech who also considered the Razorbacks - was named the Preseason Player of the Year. He was joined on the All-SEC first team by Mississippi State’s Reggie Perry, a one-time Arkansas commitment.

Here is the full SEC predicted order of finish and both complete All-SEC teams…

Predicted Order Of Finish

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

First Team All-SEC

Kerry Blackshear – Florida

Anthony Edwards – Georgia

Ashton Hagans – Kentucky

Breein Tyree – Ole Miss

Reggie Perry – Mississippi State

Second Team All-SEC

Kira Lewis Jr. – Alabama

Isaiah Joe – Arkansas

Andrew Nembhard – Florida

Tyrese Maxey – Kentucky

EJ Montgomery – Kentucky

Skylar Mays – LSU

Lamonté Turner – Tennessee

SEC Player of the Year

Kerry Blackshear – Florida