League Coaches Tab Mizzou’s Dru Smith Preseason Second-Team All-SEC
11/19/2020 9:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Smith was also voted Preseason All-SEC by a voting panel of media last week
COLUMBIA, MO. – Mizzou Men's Basketball redshirt senior point guard Dru Smith was named preseason second-team All-SEC by the league's coaches, announced Thursday by the SEC office. Smith was also tabbed second-team All-SEC by a voting panel of media last week.
The 17th annual 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 2020-21 campaign begins November 25, with conference play set to begin December 29. The 2021 SEC Tournament will be March 10-14 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
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
Smith took the SEC by storm in 2019-20 after transferring from Evansville, leading Mizzou in scoring (12.7 PPG), assists (3.9 APG) and steals (2.1) while shooting 41.2 percent from the field and a team-best 89.9 percent from the free throw line, which ranked 11th nationally. The Tigers' floor general was a menace defensively, leading the entire SEC in steals with 64, which ranked 20th nationally and sixth all-time at Mizzou. His 2.1 thefts per game clip ranked third in program history for a single season.
Smith became the second player in the SEC since 1992 to average at least 12.7 points, 3.9 points, 2.1 steals and 4.2 rebounds per game. He finished the campaign with 393 points, 131 rebounds, 121 assists and 64 swipes. The last two SEC players to hit all those marks in a campaign were current Washington Wizards star John Wall and Philadelphia 76ers phenom Ben Simmons.
Smith started all 31 games for Mizzou a season ago, recording an assist in every single contest. He enters the 2020-21 campaign having dished a dime in 73 consecutive games. Last season, he reached double figures 18 times and dished at least three assists 21 times.
Smith captains a loaded backcourt that also features rising junior Xavier Pinson and graduate transfer Drew Buggs. With Smith leading the charge, Mizzou boasts the oldest roster in the SEC and returns 88 percent of its scoring from a season ago, the most in the league.
The Tigers open their campaign next week Nov. 25 vs. Oral Roberts. Tip off at Mizzou Arena is set for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network Plus. For all the latest on Mizzou Men's Basketball stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MizzouHoops.
