Florida picked to finish second in SEC basketball poll

Published: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 4:42 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, October 22, 2012 at 4:42 p.m.

Florida received more significant preseason accolades heading into the 2012-13 men's basketball season.

The Gators were picked to finish second in Southeastern Conference's annual preseason men's basketball poll. Senior guard Kenny Boynton was named to the All-SEC first team, while junior center Patric Young earned second-team All-SEC honors.

Florida returns three starters from a team that finished 26-11 and reached the Elite Eight last season.

No surprise, Kentucky was tabbed to finish first in the SEC. The Wildcats lost all five starters from its national championship team but will replace them with an incoming freshman class that is rated the best in the nation.

Kentucky received 17 of 24 first-place votes in the poll. Florida received five first-place votes, while Missouri and Tennessee each received one first-place vote.

Boynton averaged a team-high 15.9 points per game last season. At 1,589 career points, Boynton is 501 points shy of breaking Ronnie Williams' UF scoring record.

Young started 32 of 37 games at center for the Gators last season, averaging 10.2 points and 6.4 rebounds with 30 blocked shots. He had four double-doubles last season.

Florida, ranked 10th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, opens the season on Nov. 9 against Georgetown in the Navy/Marine Corps Classic on the deck of the USS Bataan in Jacksonville. After a game against Alabama State, the Gators play their third game of the season Nov. 14 at the O'Connell Center against No. 21 Wisconsin.

?The intensity has been there in practice,? Florida senior forward Erik Murphy said. ?Not just the coaches but in us, too, knowing the first couple of games are against somebody we're going to need to turn it up against. We've got to be ready.?

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

Kentucky (17): 328 pts.

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

Source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121022/article/121029900

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