Georgia’s basketball team was picked to finish eight in the SEC, according to a vote today by league and national media members.

Not surprisingly, Kentucky was picked to win the league for the 13th time since the 1998-99 season, followed by Florida, Texas A&M, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, followed by the Bulldogs.

Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Tennessee and LSU round out the preseason poll.

Meanwhile, senior Yante Maten was not only voted onto the preseason All-SEC team, but he finished in a three-way tie with Michael Porter Jr. of Missouri and Robert Williams of Texas A&M for the preseason co-player of the year.

Florida’s KeVaughn Allen and Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo joined the trio on the all-conference first team.

Maten comes into the season following a junior year which saw him ranked among the leaders in five categories last season - No. 4 in scoring (18.2 pig), No. 9 in rebounding (6.8 rpg), No. 2 in field goal percentage (.519), No. 9 in blocked shots (1.5 bpg) and No. 19 in minutes played (29.0 mpg).

He is the leading returning scorer in the SEC and also is the league’s active career leader in points (1,250), rebounds (606) and blocked shots (149).

Earlier this month, Maten was also named preseason SEC Player of the Year by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Maten has been tabbed preseason All-America by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook (third team), collegesportsmadness.com (fourth team) and NBCsports.com (honorable mention).

Georgia will open the season three weeks from this Friday when the Bulldogs host Bryant at the renewed Stegeman Coliseum at 7 p.m.

First Team All-SEC

KeVaughn Allen – Florida, G, 6-2, 193, Jr., Little Rock, Ark.

Yante Maten – Georgia, F, 6-8, 243, Sr., Pontiac, Mich.

Hamidou Diallo – Kentucky, G, 6-5, 198, R-Fr., Queens, N.Y.

Michael Porter, Jr. – Missouri, F, 6-10, 215, Fr., Columbia, Mo.

Robert Williams – Texas A&M, F, 6-10, 241, So., Oil City, La.

Second Team All-SEC

Collin Sexton – Alabama, G, 6-3, 190, Fr., Mableton, Ga.

Kevin Knox – Kentucky, F, 6-9, 215, Fr., Tampa, Fla.

Terence Davis – Ole Miss, G, 6-4, 201, Jr., Southaven, Miss.

Deandre Burnett – Ole Miss, G, 6-2, 192, Sr., Miami Gardens, Fla.

Quinndary Weatherspoon – Mississippi St., G, 6-4, 205, Jr., Canton, Miss.

Tyler Davis – Texas A&M, C, 6-10, 266, Jr., Plano, Texas

Matthew Fisher-Davis – Vanderbilt, G/F, 6-5, 186, Sr., Charlotte, N.C.

SEC Player of the Year (tie)

Yante Maten – Georgia

Michael Porter, Jr. – Missouri

Robert Williams – Texas A&M

Preseason Media Poll

1. Kentucky

2. Florida

3. Texas A&M

4. Alabama

5. Missouri

6. Arkansas

7. Vanderbilt

8. Georgia

9. Auburn

10. Ole Miss

11. South Carolina

12. Mississippi State

13. Tennessee

14. LSU