PHILADELPHIA – American Athletic Conference men's basketball coaches expect a close race between newcomer Wichita State and Cincinnati and big things from Shocker point guard
Landry Shamet.
The American released its coaches poll and preseason all-conference teams prior to Monday's media day festivities at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott.
Shamet – a first-team pick – is the only Shocker and lone underclassmen among the 10 first and second team selections. Each of the five first-teamers are listed as guards.
WSU (31-5, 17-1 MVC last year) lost out to Cincinnati (30-6, 16-2 AAC) by a single point in the team tally. Five of the league's 12 head coaches picked the Shockers (115 total points), while seven sided with the Bearcats (the preseason favorite with 116).
The teams won't have a chance to settle that argument on the court until late February. They meet twice in the final 15 days of the regular season: Feb. 18 at Cincinnati (ESPN) and March 4 in Wichita (CBS).
It's the first time since 2012 that a WSU squad has opened as anything other than preseason favorite. Over it's the final four years of its MVC tenure, the Shockers pulled 164 of a possible 171 first-place votes, and held serve each time with regular season crowns.
Last spring, Shamet -- the 2017 MVC Freshman of the Year -- became just the second rookie in the four-plus decades of freshman eligibility to earn first team All-Valley status. He averaged 11.4 points and 3.3 assists last year while ranking 14
th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.00).
Cincinnati topped the honor roll with three selections, all to the second squad. The Bearcats are in familiar territory, having also topped the 2016-17 preseason poll by a single-vote, 95-94 over UConn. Notably, neither school won the title.
Defending regular season and tournament champion Southern Methodist (91 points) begins the year on the fourth-rung behind third-place Central Florida (93). UCF landed multiple players on the honor roll, with B.J. Taylor (first team) and reigning defensive player of the year, Tacko Fall (second team). SMU's Shake Milton was tabbed preseason player of the year.
Spots 5-7 were decided by less than 10 votes, between UConn (79), Houston (72) and Temple (68). UConn redshirt freshman guard, Alterique Gilbert was singled out for preseason rookie of the year, and will pair with junior guard Jalen Adams (preseason first team). Houston senior guard, Rob Gray also made the first-five.
Tulsa (52; 8
th), Memphis (36; 9
th), Tulane (30; 10
th), East Carolina (24; 11
th) and South Florida (16; 12
th) round out the list.
2017-18 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Cincinnati (7) -- 116
2. Wichita State -- 115
3. UCF -- 93
4. SMU -- 91
5. UConn -- 79
6. Houston -- 72
7. Temple -- 68
8. Tulsa -- 52
9. Memphis -- 36
10. Tulane -- 30
11. ECU -- 24
12. USF – 16
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Preseason Player of the Year
Shake Milton, G, Jr., SMU
Preseason Rookie of the Year
Alterique Gilbert, G, r-Fr., UConn
Preseason First Team All-Conference
Shake Milton, G, SMU
Jalen Adams, G, UConn
Rob Gray, G, Houston
Landry Shamet, G, Wichita State
B.J. Taylor, G, UCF
Preseason Second Team All-Conference
Gary Clark, F, Cincinnati
Junior Etou, F, Tulsa
Jacob Evans, G/F, Cincinnati
Tacko Fall, C, UCF
Kyle Washington, F, Cincinnati
