ATHENS — Tom Crean has improved the Georgia men’s basketball SEC win total each of his first three seasons at the helm but the outside perception remains modest.

The Bulldogs, coming off a 14-12 season that saw them go 7-11 in the SEC, have a reloaded roster that includes 10 new players. Seven of the players are transfers, giving Georgia the largest influx of points (4,782) in the Division I ranks.

Crean, a former two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year at Indiana, said he understands how unfamiliarity might translate to uncertainty where prognostications are concerned.

“We have a lot of new people, so people don’t know what to expect,” Crean said. “I get it, but at the same time, it means nothing.

“We’ve been going through some very hard days and weeks of practice, and I love this team’s effort and determination,” he said. “The togetherness and efficiency will come.”

The Bulldogs will play an exhibition at 3 p.m. on Sunday against Charlotte in Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C.

Crean can only hope starting out the season in Charlotte will work out as well for his team as it did the football team, which sits at No. 1 and casts a large shadow over all other UGA sports.

Georgia will play a home exhibition on Friday, Nov. 5, against Morehouse in Stegeman Coliseum leading up to the season-opening game against Florida International on 7 p.m. on Nov. 9.

“This is a team that definitely has to grow together and learn how to make each other better,” Crean said. “But the collective work ethic of this team is the best we’ve had in my time at Georgia. They really want to work and get better.”

The Bulldogs didn’t have any current players make the preseason All-SEC team, as voted on by the media. Former Georgia point guard Sahvir Wheeler, who transferred to Kentucky and testing the NBA waters, was a first-team preseason pick.

First Team All-SEC

Jaden Shackelford – Alabama Jahvon Quinerly – Alabama Colin Castleton – Florida Sahvir Wheeler – Kentucky Iverson Molinar – Mississippi State Scotty Pippen Jr. – Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC

Davonte Davis – Arkansas Jabari Smith – Auburn Keion Brooks Jr. – Kentucky Kellan Grady – Kentucky Oscar Tshiebwe – Kentucky Darius Days – LSU

SEC Player of the Year: Scotty Pippen Jr. – Vanderbilt

1. Kentucky

2. Alabama

3. Arkansas

4. Tennessee

5. Auburn

6. LSU

7. Florida

8. Mississippi State

9. Ole MIss

10. Missouri

11. South Carolina

12. Texas A&M

13. Vanderbilt

14. Georgia