University of Georgia

SEC media expects big things from Anthony Edwards, not Georgia

SEC and national media members have made their predictions for the 2019-20 college basketball season ahead of SEC Basketball Media Days this week in Birmingham, Ala.

Kentucky was predicted to win the conference by a selected panel.

The Wildcats are the overall preseason favorite for a ninth straight year.

Tom Crean’s Georgia squad was predicted to finish a middle-of-the pack ninth in the conference.

The Bulldogs will return five starters, including Rayshaun Hammonds and Jordan Harris. Crean’s recruiting class features five top-100 prospects, including the nation’s top prospect Anthony Edwards.

Edwards, a 6-foot-5 guard from Atlanta's Holy Spirit Prep who's known as Ant-Man, chose the Bulldogs over Florida State, Kentucky and North Carolina.

The freshman joins Florida’s Kerry Blackshear, Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans, Ole Miss’ Breein Tyree and Mississippi State’s Reggie Perry as All-SEC First Team selections.

Edwards also received votes in the Player of the Year voting. Gator forward Blackshear was the media’s pick.

Georgia opens the season Nov. 5 against Western Carolina and plays Georgia Tech Nov. 20 at Stegeman Coliseum before traveling to Hawaii to participate in the Maui Invitational.

The Bulldogs open their SEC slate against Kentucky Jan. 7 in Athens. The SEC Tournament will be March 11-15, 2020, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

This is how the media voted:

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
Lamonte Turner – Tennessee

SEC Player of the Year

Kerry Blackshear – Florida

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