IRVING, Texas – Defending American Conference regular season and tournament champion Memphis has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2025-26 American men’s basketball title in voting done by the league’s head coaches, the conference announced Thursday, October 9.
Memphis received 11 first-place votes and total of 143 points to be named first, while South Florida, which earned the final two first-place votes, was selected second with 128 points. Tulane was picked third with 122 points, while UAB (98 points) and Wichita State (93) rounded out the top five. Florida Atlantic was selected sixth with 80 points, followed by North Texas (77), Tulsa (74), Temple (65), East Carolina (53), UTSA (32), Rice (27) and Charlotte (22).
Tulane redshirt junior guard Rowan Brumbaugh, the lone returning all-conference first-team member, was named the American Preseason Player of the Year and was unanimously selected to the Preseason All-Conference First Team. Brumbaugh averaged 15.7 points and 4.8 assists for the Green Wave in 2024-25. Florida Atlantic guard Josiah Parker was named the American’s Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Brumbaugh was joined on the Preseason All-Conference First Team by East Carolina senior guard Jordan Riley (14.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg), a Memphis duo of junior forward Aaron Bradshaw (6.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg for Ohio State) and senior guard Dug McDaniel (11.4 ppg, 4.9 apg for Kansas State) and Wichita State senior guard Kenyon Giles (15.3 ppg for UNCG).
The South Florida pair of senior forward Izaiyah Nelson (10.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg for Arkansas State) and redshirt senior forward Daimion Collins (8.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg for LSU) were named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team, and were joined by UTSA junior guard Vasean Allette (11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg at TCU), Tulane senior guard Asher Woods (11.5 ppg) and Tulsa graduate student guard David Green (14.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg at Rhode Island).
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes.
Beginning this season, the 2026 American Men’s Basketball Championship will feature the top 10 teams in a new five-day bracket format. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will advance directly to the semifinals, while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will maintain byes to the quarterfinals. The No. 5 and No. 6 seeds will receive byes to the second round. The 2026 Championship will run Wednesday through Sunday, March 11-15 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.
Memphis represented the American in the NCAA Championship for a third time in four seasons, while UAB, Florida Atlantic, North Texas and Wichita State competed in the NIT, with North Texas advancing to the semifinals. Tulane competed in the inaugural College Basketball Crown.
2025-26 American Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| 1 |
Memphis (11) |
143 |
| 2 |
South Florida (2) |
128 |
| 3 |
Tulane |
122 |
| 4 |
UAB |
98 |
| 5 |
Wichita State |
93 |
| 6 |
Florida Atlantic |
80 |
| 7 |
North Texas |
77 |
| 8 |
Tulsa |
74 |
| 9 |
Temple |
65 |
| 10 |
East Carolina |
53 |
| 11 |
UTSA |
32 |
| 12 |
Rice |
27 |
| 13 |
Charlotte |
22 |
First-place votes in parenthesis
Preseason Player of the Year
Rowan Brumbaugh, R-Jr., G, Tulane
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Josiah Parker, G, Florida Atlantic
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Jordan Riley, Sr., G, East Carolina
Aaron Bradshaw, Jr., F, Memphis
Dug McDaniel, Sr., G, Memphis
Rowan Brumbaugh, R-Jr., G, Tulane*
Kenyon Giles, Sr., G, Wichita State
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Izaiyah Nelson, Sr., F, South Florida
Daimion Collins, R-Sr., F, South Florida
Vasean Allette, Jr., G, UTSA
Asher Woods, Sr., G, Tulane
David Green, Gr., F, Tulsa
* denotes unanimous selection