The Tennessee Volunteers were picked as the preseason favorites to defend their 2008 Southeastern Conference men's basketball title.
The Volunteers, which won 31 games last year and reached the Sweet 16, return two starters in Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism. Six letterwinners also return.
Tennessee was picked ahead of Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt in the SEC East, while Alabama was predicted to win the SEC West. Here's the preseason all-conference teams:
FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC: Patrick Patterson (6-9, 235), Soph., Kentucky; F Tyler Smith (6-7, 215), Jr., Tennessee; G/F Nick Calathes (6-6, 194), Soph., Florida; G Devan Downey (5-9, 175), Jr., South Carolina; C A.J. Ogilvy (6-11, 250), Soph., Vanderbilt.
SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC: G Marcus Thornton (6-4, 205), Sr., LSU; F/C Jarvis Varnado (6-9, 210), Jr., Miss. State; G Ronald Steele (6-1, 191), Sr., Alabama; F Tasmin Mitchell (6-7, 240), Jr., LSU; G Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219), Sr., Alabama.
-Trae Thompson
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