The Georgia men's basketball program is moving up in the eyes of the media.
The Bulldogs were picked to finish third in the SEC's Eastern Division this season, according to a media vote announced by the SEC office Monday. That would be a marked improvement for the Dogs after three consecutive seasons of finishing last in the division.
More impressively, Georgia junior forward Trey Thompkins is the media's overwhelming preseason pick to be the league's player of the year.
Georgia junior guard Travis Leslie joined Thompkins on the preseason All-SEC first team, making UGA the only school with two players on the first team.
The new respect for Georgia basketball surfaced in a vote by a panel of 20 regional and national media members.
Thompkins, who averaged 17.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season, drew 18 of the 20 votes for preseason player of the year. Ole Miss senior guard Chris Warren and Kentucky freshman guard Brandon Knight each received one of the remaining two votes.
Thompkins, Leslie, Warren, Knight and Vanderbilt forward Jeffery Taylor formed the first team.
Florida, with all five starters back from an NCAA tournament team, plus a highly ranked recruiting class, got the nod over Mississippi State to win the overall SEC title. One voter picked Georgia as SEC champion.
Georgia opens its second season under coach Mark Fox in Athens on Nov. 12 against Mississippi Valley State.
Preseason All-SEC
First team
Brandon Knight, G, Kentucky
Travis Leslie, G, Georgia
Jeffery Taylor, F, Vanderbilt
Trey Thompkins, F, Georgia
Chris Warren, G, Mississippi
Second team
Kenny Boynton, G, Florida
JaMychal Green, F, Alabama
Scotty Hopson, G, Tennessee
Chandler Parsons, F, Florida
Marshawn Powell, F, Arkansas
Player of the Year
Trey Thompkins, Georgia
Team predictions
East
Florida (13) 110
Kentucky (3) 95
Georgia (2) 72
Tennessee (2) 71
Vanderbilt 52
South Carolina 20
West
Mississippi State (18) 118
Ole Miss (2) 84
Alabama 82
Arkansas 72
LSU 41
Auburn 23
Champion
Florida (8), Mississippi State (3), Kentucky (2), Tennessee (2), Georgia (1)
