Men's basketball picked sixth by media

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas men’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Southeastern Conference by the media in the SEC’s annual media poll it was announced by the league office on Monday.

Arkansas, who is entering its first season with head coach Mike Anderson, returns seven players to the floor with another seven newcomers for 2011-12.  The Razorbacks finished 18-13 a year ago and tied for third in the SEC Western Division.

“To me, the preseason polls are a report card of the previous season,” Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said. “My attitude is that we need to get better every day in practice and the wins and losses will take care of themselves.  It isn’t where you start the year, it’s where you finish.”

This summer the SEC coaches chose to go away from the divisional format that it had kept since Arkansas joined the league in 1992 and the media poll followed the new format.  Arkansas tallied 154 points for its sixth-place prediction.  Kentucky was chosen to win the league with 18 first-place votes and 282 points.  Vanderbilt was picked second with four first-place votes and 265 points with Florida, one first-place vote and 235 points ranking third.  Alabama, last year’s western division champion ranked fourth with 219 points with Mississippi State fifth with 191 points.  The rest of the league followed as such: Ole Miss, 119 points; Georgia, 108 points; LSU, 91 points; Auburn, 80 points; Tennessee, 71 points; and South Carolina, 57 points.

Media were asked to rank the 12 SEC schools in their order of finish and points were compiled on a 12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

The Razorbacks host a Red-White scrimmage on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena, before opening the exhibition schedule with Texas A&M-Commerce on Friday, Nov. 4.

Season tickets for Razorback basketball games are on sale at the Razorback Ticket Center by calling 1-800-982-HOGS or by going on-line at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.  Ticket packages are $500 and include admission to all 20 regular season games at Bud Walton Arena as well as both exhibition contests.