AAC basketball preseason poll: Coaches predict bounce-back season for Wichita State

A rebound season is in store for Paul Mills’ second season with the Wichita State men’s basketball team, at least in the eyes of coaches around the American Athletic Conference.

After finishing tied for last place last season, the Shockers were picked to finish fourth place in the 13-team conference by league coaches in the 2024-25 season. It is the third time WSU has been pegged fourth in the AAC preseason poll and the highest in three years.

UAB (141 points) barely edged out Memphis (136) for the top spot in the preseason poll, garnering nine first-place votes to Memphis’ four. South Florida (108) was right in front of WSU (102) and followed by Florida Atlantic (97) to round out the top-five teams.

UAB senior Yaxel Lendeborg was voted the preseason Player of the Year and was joined on the preseason all-conference first team by East Carolina guard R.J. Felton, Temple guard Jamal Mashburn Jr., Memphis guard P.J. Haggerty and Memphis guard Tyrese Hunter.

No WSU player was included in the first or second team, as the Shockers were the only team picked in the top-six to not have representation on the league’s top 10 players in the preseason vote. Only three WSU players have garnered preseason all-conference honors in WSU’s eight seasons in the AAC. Former Shocker Colby Rogers, who transferred to Memphis, was selected on the second team.

In the AAC women’s basketball poll, the Shockers were picked to finish 12th in coach Terry Nooner’s second season on the sidelines. No WSU player was selected on either preseason all-conference team.

South Florida received eight of the 11 first-place votes and was picked as the favorite entering the season, while North Texas forward Tommisha Lampkin and South Florida senior Romi Levy shared honors for the preseason Player of the Year.

The preseason poll comes on the heel of AAC basketball media day, which is being hosted in Irving, Texas on Sunday and Monday and being streamed on ESPN+. WSU’s time on the stage will begin at 10:40 a.m. Monday with the men’s team represented by Mills, Harlond Beverly and Xavier Bell and the women’s team represented by Nooner, Taylor Jameson and Salese Blow.

AAC men’s basketball preseason coaches poll

1. UAB, 141 (9)

2. Memphis , 136 (4)

3. South Florida, 108

4. Wichita State, 102

5. Florida Atlantic, 97

6. Temple, 86

7. North Texas, 83

8. Charlotte, 65

9. East Carolina, 63

10. Tulsa, 44

11. UTSA, 35

11. Tulane, 35

13. Rice, 18

Preseason Player of the Year

Yaxel Lendeborg, sr., UAB

Preseason Freshman of the Year

Jared Harris, Memphis

Preseason all-conference first team

R.J. Felton, sr., East Carolina

P.J. Haggerty, so., Memphis

Tyrese Hunter, sr., Memphis

Yaxel Lendeborg, sr., UAB

Jamal Mashburn Jr., sr., Temple

Preseason all-conference second team

Butta Johnson, jr., UAB

Jayden Reid, so., South Florida

Colby Rogers, sr., Memphis

KyKy Tandy, sr., Florida Atlantic

Alejandro Vasquez, sr., UAB

AAC women’s basketball preseason coaches poll

1. South Florida, 135 (8)

2. North Texas, 124 (3)

2. Rice, 124 (2)

4. Tulsa, 98

5. UTSA, 96

6. East Carolina, 91

7. Memphis, 84

8. Temple, 78

9. UAB, 55

10. Tulane, 40

11. Charlotte, 38

12. Wichita State, 32

13. Florida Atlantic, 19

Preseason Co-Players of the Year

Tommisha Lampkin, sr., North Texas

Romi Levy, sr., South Florida

Preseason all-conference first team

Delanie Crawford, sr., Tulsa

Malia Fisher, sr., Rice

Jordyn Jenkins, sr., UTSA

Tommisha Lampkin, sr., North Texas

Romi Levy, sr., South Florida

Preseason all-conference second team

Vittoria Blasigh, so., South Florida

Mama Dembele, sr., South Florida

Tiarra East, sr., Temple

Amiya Joyner, jr., East Carolina

Kyren Whittington, sr., Tulane