Nov. 12, 2015

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference unveiled its 12th annual men’s basketball coaches preseason All-SEC teams on Thursday, where it was announced that South Carolina junior guard Sindarius Thornwell was named to the second team. It marks the second-straight season that Thornwell has garnered second-team preseason honors from the coaches.

Thornwell scored 11.1 points per game last season, while he also pulled down a career high 4.9 rebounds and collected 1.3 steals per game. Thornwell posted a team-high 23 double-figure scoring games as a sophomore, while also leading the team in scoring 10 times. He was named the Jan. 5 SEC Player of the Week following an outstanding performance in the Gamecocks’ upset victory over No. 9 Iowa State, and earned SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades last spring.

Nine different schools are represented on the two teams and in all, 37 different players received votes for the coaches’ teams. The coaches’ preseason All-SEC first and second teams consist of a minimum of eight players on each squad, voted on by the SEC Head Men’s Basketball Coaches. No ties were broken and no predicted order of finish was made.

Thornwell and the Gamecocks officially tip off the 2015-16 campaign on Saturday when they host Norfolk State at Colonial Life Arena. Game time for the matchup, which is part of the Paradise Jam, is set for 7 p.m. ET. Fans who bring their game ticket from the Carolina football game versus Florida earlier in the day on Saturday will receive free admission to the Carolina basketball game that evening.

A list of the 2016 SEC Men’s Basketball Coaches Preseason All-SEC team follows:

First Team All-SEC
Dorian Finney-Smith ââ’¬” Florida, F, 6-8, 220, Sr., Portsmouth, Va.
Kenny Gaines ââ’¬” Georgia, G, 6-3, 205, Sr., Atlanta, Ga.
Charles Mann ââ’¬” Georgia, G, 6-5, 215, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga.
Skal Labissiere ââ’¬” Kentucky, F, 6-11, 225, Fr., Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tyler Ulis ââ’¬” Kentucky, G, 5-9, 160, So., Chicago, Ill.
Ben Simmons ââ’¬” LSU, F, 6-10, 225, Fr., Melbourne, Australia,
Stefan Moody ââ’¬” Ole Miss, G, 5-10, 179, Sr., Kissimmee, Fla.
Danuel House ââ’¬” Texas A&M, G, 6-7, 212, Sr., Fresno, Texas,
Damian Jones ââ’¬” Vanderbilt, C, 7-0, 245, Jr., Baton Rouge, La.

Second Team All-SEC
Jamal Murray ââ’¬” Kentucky, G, 6-4, 207, Fr., Kitchener, Ontario
Alex Poythress ââ’¬” Kentucky, F, 6-8, 230, Sr., Clarksville, Tenn.
Tim Quarterman ââ’¬” LSU, G, 6-6, 190, Jr., Savannah, Ga.
Malik Newman ââ’¬” Mississippi State, G, 6-3, 178, Fr., Jackson, Miss.
Craig Sword ââ’¬” Mississippi State, G, 6-3, 196, Sr., Montgomery, Ala.
Sindarius Thornwell ââ’¬” South Carolina, G, 6-5, 215, Jr., Lancaster, S.C.
Alex Caruso ââ’¬” Texas A&M, G, 6-5, 186, Sr., College Station, Texas
Riley LaChance ââ’¬” Vanderbilt, G, 6-2, 182, So., Brookfield, Wis.