FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Southeastern Conference unveiled its 17th annual men’s basketball coaches preseason All-SEC team Thursday with Arkansas junior guard Desi Sills being named to the second team.
The coaches’ preseason All-SEC first and second teams consist of a minimum of eight players on each squad, voted on by the SEC basketball coaches. No ties were broken and no predicted order of finish was made.
The Jonesboro product is one of three Razorbacks to play all 66 Arkansas games over the last two seasons (along with former Hogs Adrio Bailey and Jalen Harris). Sills showed great improvement from his freshman to his sophomore season as nearly all his numbers virtually doubled including his scoring (5.3 avg. to 10.6 avg.), his minutes (from 16.9 avg. to 31.2 avg.), 3-pointers made (29 to 47) and rebounds (1.3 avg. to 3.0 avg.).
While Sills started 24 of 32 games last season, he came on strong over the final 14 games, six coming as a back-up to give much-needed firepower off the bench for the Razorbacks. He shot 32.9 percent from 3-pt for the season including a team-best 45.6 percent (31-of-68) from long range over the last 14 games. In coming off the bench the last six games, Sills poured in a then career-high 17 points in a win over Missouri, a career-high 21 points at Georgia and 20 points in the SEC tournament win versus Vanderbilt.
Sills opened the 2019-20 season by being named to the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow All-Tournament team. He scored 17 points in the tournament finale versus Northern Kentucky with five steals over the four games. Also, versus North Texas, he tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
A list of the 2021 SEC Men’s Basketball Coaches Preseason All-SEC team follows:
First Team All-SEC
John Petty Jr. – Alabama
Keyontae Johnson – Florida
Brandon Boston Jr. – Kentucky
Javonte Smart – LSU
Trendon Watford – LSU
AJ Lawson – South Carolina
John Fulkerson – Tennessee
Yves Pons – Tennessee
Second Team All-SEC
Herbert Jones – Alabama
Desi Sills – Arkansas
Scottie Lewis – Florida
Olivier Sarr – Kentucky
Devontae Shuler – Ole Miss
Dru Smith – Missouri
Jermaine Couisnard – South Carolina
Savion Flagg – Texas A&M
Scottie Pippen, Jr. – Vanderbilt
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