BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Auburn freshman Jabari Smith was voted Preseason Second Team All-SEC by a panel of both Southeastern Conference and national media members Tuesday.
Smith, the highest-rated player to sign in the history of Auburn basketball, was the only freshman to be selected to either team. He was a Naismith First Team All-American and also became the fourth player in program history to be named a McDonald's All-American.
Smith is the first Auburn player to make one of the Preseason All-SEC teams since Bryce Brown and Jared Harper were Second Team selections prior to the 2018-19 season.
The voting panel also predicted Auburn to finish fifth in the conference this season behind Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. It's the third time in the last four years the Tigers have been picked to finish in the top five of the league.
"The state of basketball in the SEC has maybe never been better," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said on a Zoom call Tuesday. "If you're good enough to finish in the top five in our league, you're good enough to get to the Final Four. We proved that a couple years ago, and I think that's the case this year."
"I think there are legitimately nine or 10 teams in our league that are good enough to make the tournament, and I think there are legitimately seven or eight teams that are going to make the tournament. I think this has a chance to be a banner year for our league from the standpoint of the number of teams that are going to be in."
Auburn opens the regular season Nov. 9 against Morehead State. Conference play is set to begin Dec. 29, and the 2022 SEC Tournament will be March 9-13 at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
First Team All-SEC
Jaden Shackelford – Alabama
Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama
Colin Castleton – Florida
Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky
Iverson Molinar – Mississippi State
Scotty Pippen Jr. – Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Davonte Davis – Arkansas
Jabari Smith – Auburn
Keion Brooks Jr. – Kentucky
Kellan Grady – Kentucky
Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky
Darius Days – LSU
SEC Player of the Year
Scotty Pippen Jr. – Vanderbilt
Preseason Media Poll
1. Kentucky
2. Alabama
3. Arkansas
4. Tennessee
5. Auburn
6. LSU
7. Florida
8. Mississippi State
9. Ole Miss
10. Missouri
11. South Carolina
12. Texas A&M
13. Vanderbilt
14. Georgia