Five Kentucky players were honored with preseason All-Southeastern Conference honors by the league’s coaches it was announced by the league office on Friday. Freshman Julius Randle was tabbed to the league’s first team, while sophomores Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress along with freshmen Andrew Harrison and James Young claimed second team accolades.
Seven different schools are represented on the two teams with Kentucky having five selections while Tennessee had three and Florida, LSU and Missouri each have two selections. In all, 37 different players received votes for the coaches’ teams.
The coaches’ preseason All-SEC first and second teams consist of a minimum of eight players on each squad, voted on by the SEC Head Men’s Basketball Coaches. No ties were broken and no predicted order of finish was made.
Randle averaged 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in UK‘s two exhibition contests. He notched a double-double in both victories. The Dallas native previously earned All-SEC preseason first team honors by the league’s media voting panel and was tabbed the early season favorite to win SEC Player of the Year accolades.
Cauley-Stein and Poythress are UK’s top-two returning scorers from the 2012-13 squad. Both players earned distinction on the All-SEC Freshman team a season ago. Cauley-Stein logged 9.5 points and seven blocked shots in Kentucky’s two preseason victories. Poythress averaged 8.5 points in the two outings.
Andrew Harrison who is a Bob Cousy award watch list candidate earned preseason All-SEC second team honors by the media as well. Harrison did not suit up during exhibition play. Young was UK’s second-leading scorer in exhibition contests averaged 12.5 points per outing. He also dished out seven total assists and accounted for four steals.
The Wildcats open the 2013-14 campaign with a home contest Friday against UNC Asheville. Tip off is slated for a 7 p.m. ET start.
First Team All-SEC
Trevor Releford – Alabama, G, 6-0, 190, Sr., Kansas City, Mo.
Patric Young – Florida, C, 6-9, 240, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Julius Randle – Kentucky, F, 6-9, 250, Fr., Dallas, Texas
Johnny O’Bryant III – LSU, F, 6-9, 256 , Jr. , Cleveland, Miss.
Marshall Henderson – Ole Miss, G, 6-2, 177, Sr., Hurst, Texas
Jabari Brown – Missouri, G, 6-5, 214, Jr., Oakland, Calif.
Jordan McRae – Tennessee, G, 6-6, 185, Sr., Midway, Ga.
Jarnell Stokes – Tennessee, F, 6-8, 260, Jr., Memphis, Tenn.
Second Team All-SEC
Scottie Wilbekin – Florida, G, 6-2, 176, Sr., Gainesville, Fla.
Willie Cauley-Stein – Kentucky, F, 7-0, 244, So., Olathe, Kan.
Andrew Harrison – Kentucky, G, 6-6, 215, Fr., Richmond, Texas
Alex Poythress – Kentucky, F, 6-8, 239, So., Clarksville, Tenn.
James Young – Kentucky, G, 6-6, 215, Fr., Rochester Hills, Mich.
Anthony Hickey – LSU, G, 5-11, 182, Jr., Hopkinsville, Ky.
Earnest Ross – Missouri, G, 6-5, 228, Sr., Cary, N.C.
Jeronne Maymon – Tennessee, F, 6-8, 260, Sr., Madison, Wis.
