IRVING, Texas – Wichita State has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2026–27 American Conference men’s basketball title, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches announced Friday, October 9.
Wichita State received nine of the 13 first-place votes and 140 total points in the poll. Memphis earned the remaining four first-place votes and 131 points to take second. Defending American champion South Florida was picked third with 118 points, followed by Tulsa in fourth with 99 points and Charlotte rounding out the top five with 95 points. UAB came in sixth with 89 points, followed by UNT (84), Florida Atlantic (75), Temple (61), Tulane (52), East Carolina (34), Rice (22), and UTSA (14).
UNT junior guard Je’Shawn Stevenson was named Preseason Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Preseason All-Conference First Team. Stevenson, a second-team all-conference selection a season ago, averaged 17.4 points per game while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor. He also added 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Florida Atlantic guard Felipe Quinones was selected as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Stevenson was joined on the Preseason All-Conference First Team by Florida Atlantic senior guard Kanaan Carlyle (14.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Memphis senior guard Jayden Reid (10.1 ppg, 5.0 apg at Northwestern), South Florida senior guard Sonny Wilson (17.0 ppg, 4.6 apg at Toledo), and Wichita State redshirt senior center Will Berg (8.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg).
A pair of UAB guards earned Preseason All-Conference Second Team honors, senior Justyn Fernandez (16.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg at Delaware) and junior Deuce Jones (15.8 ppg, 4.3 apg at Saint Joseph’s). Memphis senior forward Tylik Weeks (19.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg at Southern Miss) also joined the second team, along with two other pairs of teammates - Temple 5th-year guard Derrian Ford (18.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and senior guard Gavin Griffiths (9.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and Wichita State junior forward Dillon Battie (7.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and senior guard Jordan Frison (16.4 ppg, 4.0 apg at Chattanooga).
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes.
South Florida represented the American in the NCAA Tournament a season ago, while Wichita State and Tulsa competed in the NIT, where the Golden Hurricane reached the championship game.
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
- Wichita State (9) 140
- Memphis (4) 131
- South Florida 118
- Tulsa 99
- Charlotte 95
- UAB 89
- UNT 84
- Florida Atlantic 75
- Temple 61
- Tulane 52
- East Carolina 34
- Rice 22
- UTSA 14
(#) first place votes
Preseason Player of the Year
Je’Shawn Stevenson, Jr., G, UNT
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Felipe Quinones, Fr., G, Florida Atlantic
Preseason First Team All-Conference
Kanaan Carlyle, Sr., G, Florida Atlantic
Jayden Reid, Sr., G, Memphis
Je’Shawn Stevenson, Jr., G, UNT
Sonny Wilson, Sr., G, South Florida
Will Berg, R-Sr., C, Wichita State
Preseason Second Team All-Conference
Justyn Fernandez, Sr., G, UAB
Deuce Jones, Jr., G, UAB
Tylik Weeks, Sr., F, Memphis
Derrian Ford, 5
th, G, Temple
Gavin Griffiths, Sr., G, Temple
Dillon Battie, Jr., F, Wichita State
Jordan Frison, Sr., G, Wichita State