PHILADELPHIA – The American Athletic Conference coaches expect an improved Wichita State squad to finish near the top of the 2020 men's basketball standings.
 
The Shockers were picked fourth out of 12 teams in the preseason poll, released Monday morning ahead of the league's annual media day festivities at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott.
 
WSU did not have a player selected for preseason all-conference honors
 
Ballots were cast by each of the 12 head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their team or players.
 
Houston and Memphis are the co-favorites, according to the poll. UH garnered seven first-place votes to Memphis' four, but both teams finished with exactly 113 points. It's the first time in the league's seven-year history that two teams have tied for the top spot.
 
Only six points separated WSU (88) from third-place Cincinnati (94), which has the AAC's Preseason Player of the Year in Jarron Cumberland.
 
Memphis' James Wiseman was named Preseason Rookie of the Year.
 
Picked eighth last year, a rebuilding WSU (22-15, 10-8 AAC) started conference play 1-6 but went 9-2 the rest of the way to claim a sixth-place finish. Momentum continued in the postseason with semifinal runs in both the AAC and the National Invitation tournaments. Three starters and seven of the top-nine scorers are back, including a core of five sophomores who all played key minutes.
 
13^th year Shocker head coach Gregg Marshall joined an elite fraternity last March when he picked up his 500^th career victory. He's led WSU to at least 22 wins in each of the last 10 seasons.
 

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American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll:
t-1. Houston (7) – 113
t-1. Memphis (4) – 113
3. Cincinnati (1) – 94
4. Wichita State – 88
5. USF – 79
6. UConn – 75
7. Temple – 72
8. SMU – 47
9.  UCF – 40
10. Tulsa – 36
11. ECU – 20
12. Tulane – 15
 
Preseason Player of the Year:
Jarron Cumberland, Sr., G, Cincinnati
 
Preseason Rookie of the Year:
James Wiseman, Fr., C, Memphis *
 
Preseason First Team:
Jarron Cumberland, Sr., G, Cincinnati *
Quinton Rose, Sr., G, Temple
DeJon Jarreau, R-Jr., G, Houston
James Wiseman, Fr., C, Memphis
Laquincy Rideau, R-Sr., G, USF
 
Preseason Second Team:
Alexis Yetna, Jr., F, USF
Jayden Gardner, So., F, ECU
Nate Pierre-Louis, Jr, G, Temple
Alterique Gilbert, R-Jr., G, UConn
David Collins, Jr., G, USF
Christian Vital, Jr., G, UConn
* unanimous selection
 

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Houston won the 2018-19 American regular-season championship, reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, won a program-record 33 games and returns preseason first-team member and 2018-19 Sixth Man of the Year DeJon Jarreau. The Cougars also welcome five newcomers for 2018-19 American Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson's sixth season and will be looking to make the NCAA Championship for a third consecutive year.
 
Memphis does not return any starters from the 2018-19 squad that reached the NIT and won 22 games, but the Tigers welcome the No. 1 recruiting class in the country according to the long-running Recruiting Services Combined index. Second-year head coach Penny Hardaway's recruiting class features five top-100 prospects including Wiseman, who was rated No. 1.
 
Cincinnati welcomes a new head coach in John Brannen and will look to advance to the NCAA Championship for the 10th straight season. The Bearcats return three starters from 2018-19's tournament championship team, including Cumberland, who averaged 18.8 points per game last year.
 
Wichita State returns three starters and nine letterwinners from a 2018-19 squad that advanced to the NIT semifinals. The Shockers will look to advance to the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in nine seasons under head coach Gregg Marshall, who enters his 13th season. Amongst the returners is 2018-19 American All-Freshman Team member Dexter Dennis, who averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year.
 
USF returns all five starters from the team that captured the 2019 CBI Championship and will look to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012 under third-year head coach Brian Gregory. Laquincy Rideau was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year and Alexis Yetna was The American's 2018-19 Rookie of the Year. Those players join guard David Collins to give the Bulls a league-leading three preseason all-conference selections.
 
UConn returns four starters for head coach Dan Hurley's second season. Forward Josh Carlton returns after sharing the league's Most Improved Player award, while guards Christian Vital and Alterique Gilbert both earned preseason all-conference nods. Five newcomers look to push the Huskies back into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016.
 
Temple advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in three seasons and returns 10 letterwinners for new head coach and Owl legend Aaron McKie. Three starters are back, including guard Nate Pierre-Louis, who shared Most Improved Player honors, and second-team guard Quinton Rose.
 
SMU is ranked eighth in the poll and welcomes eight newcomers for head coach Tim Jankovich's fourth season. Forwards Ethan Chargois (12.4 ppg) and Isiaha Mike (11.7 ppg) are the leading returners for the Mustangs.
 
UCF reached the NCAA tournament second round for the first time in program history in 2019 and welcomes 10 newcomers in head coach Johnny Dawkins' fourth season. Forward Collin Smith is the Knights' leading returner in scoring at 8.0 ppg.
 
Tulsa is picked 10th, but welcomes seven newcomers for head coach Frank Haith's sixth season. The Golden Hurricane returns two of its top three scorers from 2018-19 in forwards Martins Igbanu (12.5 ppg) and Jeriah Horne (10.1 ppg).
 
ECU returns only one starter from last season, but it is American All-Freshman  forward and the Pirates' leading scorer, Jayden Gardner (16.3 ppg). Head coach Joe Dooley is in the second season of his second stint at ECU and welcomes 13 newcomers.
 
Tulane hired veteran Ron Hunter as its head coach in the offseason. Hunter brings 445 victories and four NCAA tournament appearances in 25 seasons as a head coach. The Green Wave welcomes 11 newcomers into the fold for 2019-20, including guard/forward K.J. Lawson, who was the 2017 American Rookie of the Year at Memphis before transferring to Kansas.
 
The 2019-20 season begins Nov. 5, while conference play begins with two league games on New Year's Eve. Seven of the 11 teams in The American this year played in the 2014 postseason, while the 2014-15 season will be the second straight year in which the conference has the previous season's NCAA champion in its ranks.
 
The 2020 American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship will take place March 12-15 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.