BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A select panel of both SEC and national media members have voted Kentucky will win the 2016 Southeastern Conference men’s basketball championship.

Always a heavy favorite in the days leading up to hoops season, this result makes it the 11th time the Wildcats have been the overall preseason favorite since the 1998-99 season.

In other media picks, LSU’s own freshman Ben Simmons was selected for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, becoming only the second freshman given the distinction of being chosen as preseason player of the year by the media. Simmons is in good company with Kentucky’s Julius Randle (2013-14).

Simmons was also an All-SEC First Team selection along with Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere and Ole Miss’s Stefan Moody.

According to conference officials, points were compiled on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each media member voted for a five-player All-SEC Team.

The SEC says the 2015-16 season kicks off on November 13 with conference play scheduled to begin on Jan. 2. The 2016 SEC Tournament will run from Mar. 9-13 and be held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The rest of the preseason media polls shook out as follows:

Preseason Media Poll/Pts

1. Kentucky/406

2. Vanderbilt/357

3. Texas A&M/344

4. LSU/333

5. Georgia/266

6. Florida/258

7. South Carolina/204

8. Mississippi State/203

9. Ole Miss/184

10. Auburn/168

11. Arkansas/118

12. Tennessee/86

13. Alabama/85

14. Missouri/33

First Team All?SEC

Danuel House – Texas A&M, G, 6?7, 212, Sr., Fresno, Texas

Damian Jones – Vanderbilt, C, 7?0, 245, Jr., Baton Rouge, La.

Skal Labissiere – Kentucky, F, 6?11, 225, Fr., Port?au?Prince, Haiti

Stefan Moody – Ole Miss, G, 5?10, 179, Sr., Kissimmee, Fla.

Ben Simmons – LSU, F, 6?10, 225, Fr., Melbourne, Australia

Tyler Ulis – Kentucky, G, 5?9, 160, So., Lima, Ohio

Second Team All?SEC

Dorian Finney?Smith – Florida, F, 6?8, 220, Sr., Portsmouth, Va.

Malik Newman – Mississippi State, G, 6?3, 178, Fr., Jackson, Miss.

Charles Mann – Georgia, G, 6?5, 215, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga.

Alex Poythress – Kentucky, F, 6?8, 230, Sr., Clarksville, Tenn.

Tim Quarterman – LSU, G, 6?6, 190, Jr., Savannah, Ga.

Alex Caruso – Texas A&M, G, 6?5, 186, Sr., College Station, Texas

SEC Player of the Year: Ben Simmons, LSU