The majority of the AAC isn’t quite sold on Memphis basketball.
Keeping up with tradition, the league’s coaches picked the Tigers to finish second for the fifth straight year − this time behind UAB − according to the preseason poll that was released Friday. UAB, which won the AAC Tournament last season, received nine first-place votes, while Memphis got the other four. South Florida, Wichita State and FAU round out the top five.
The AAC also released its preseason all-conference first and second teams, as well as its individual awards, and the Tigers were featured prominently. Tyrese Hunter and PJ Haggerty, the reigning AAC Freshman of the Year, made the first team, while Colby Rogers landed on the second team. Jared Harris was named preseason Freshman of the Year.
Here are some reactions to the coaches’ predictions.
UAB the AAC favorite? No surprise
Whether anyone agrees with UAB being picked to win the league, this is pretty much how these things work.
The Blazers bring back big man Yaxel Lendeborg − their leading scorer and rebounder, as well as the defending AAC Defensive Player of the Year − alongside double-digit scorers Efrem “Butta” Johnson and Alejandro Vasquez, and second-leading rebounder Christian Coleman. And coach Andy Kennedy brought in Greg Gordon (Iona), Bradley Ezewiro (Saint Louis) and Tyren Moore (Georgia Southern) and junior college star Ja’Borri McGhee.
Coach Penny Hardaway said recently his goal is for his Tigers to win the regular-season conference championship. UAB is actually a legitimate threat to those aspirations.
But, bear in mind: only twice has the AAC’s preseason favorite actually won the league title (Houston both times).
No Dain Dainja on preseason All-AAC team is a miss
Like UAB being picked to win the AAC, I understand why Memphis big man Dain Dainja is not on the preseason all-conference team.
But that will be one that comes back to haunt the voters.
Dainja has generated a considerable amount of buzz within the program, and has put his potential on display. Beyond that, metrics gurus like Evan Miyakawa are projecting big things for the former Illinois center. Miyakawa assigned Dainja a 4.73 projected Bayesian Performance Rating (BPR) − meaning the Tigers are projected to score 4.73 more points per 100 possessions when Dainja is on the floor.
In two seasons at Illinois, Dainja also shot 65.5% from the field and was arguably the Illini’s most important defensive player.
AAC doing the best it can for Memphis’ schedule
Barring something completely unforeseen, the AAC could find itself in one-bid league territory.
UAB’s non-conference schedule is highlighted by Arkansas State. Let that sink in.
But what little the AAC can do for Memphis, in terms of strength of schedule, it seems to have tried to do it. The Tigers will get two games apiece with UAB, South Florida, Wichita State, FAU and Temple − the other five teams in the top six of the preseason poll. The only team outside the top six that Memphis has to play twice this season is Rice, which is last in the preseason poll.
Memphis only has to face teams 7-12 once each.
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2024-25 All-AAC basketball preseason teams
Player of the Year: Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB
Freshman of the Year: Jared Harris, Memphis
First Team
- Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB (the only unanimous selection)
- RJ Felton, ECU
- Tyrese Hunter, Memphis
- PJ Haggerty, Memphis
- Jamal Mashburn Jr., Temple
Second Team
- Efrem “Butta” Johnson, UAB
- Alejandro Vasquez, UAB
- KyKy Tandy, FAU
- Colby Rogers, Memphis
- Jayden Reid, USF
2024-25 AAC coaches’ poll
Vote totals in parentheses
- UAB (141 points)
- Memphis (136)
- South Florida (108)
- Wichita State (102)
- FAU (97)
- Temple (86)
- North Texas (83)
- Charlotte (65)
- ECU (63)
- Tulsa (44)
- UTSA (35)
- Tulane (35)
- Rice (18)
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
