SEC Players Highlighted in Preseason Honors

Mark Sears, an Alabama basketball star, enters the 2024-25 season with high expectations, being named CBS Sports’ preseason national player of the year, as well as the preseason SEC player of the year. Previously a standout at Ohio, Sears transferred to Alabama, where he averaged 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game last season, leading the team to its first-ever Final Four. The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25 and is a favorite to win the SEC. Alongside Sears, players like Johni Broome of Auburn and Walter Clayton Jr. of Florida also received first-team All-SEC honors. Meanwhile, Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell was named to the Second Team All-SEC and is set for a standout season as the Rebels re-enter the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1998. The SEC is prominently represented in the AP Top 25, with nine teams making the list, underscoring the conference's competitive landscape this season.