UAB Named 2024-25 American Men’s Basketball Preseason Favorite

IRVING, Texas –Defending American Athletic Conference champion UAB has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2024-25 American men’s basketball title in voting done by the league’s head coaches, the conference announced Friday, October 11.

UAB received nine first-place votes and a total of 141 points to be named first, while Memphis, which earned four first-place votes, was selected second with 136 points. South Florida, the 2023-24 American regular season champion, was picked third with 108 points, followed by Wichita State in fourth place with 102 points. Florida Atlantic was picked fifth with 97 points, followed by Temple (86), North Texas (83), Charlotte (65), East Carolina (63), Tulsa (44), UTSA (35), Tulane (35) and Rice (18).

UAB senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who was the 2024 American Men’s Basketball Championship Most Outstanding Player, was voted as The American’s Preseason Player of the Year and was the lone unanimously selected member of the Preseason All-Conference First Team. Memphis guard Jared Harris was selected as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.

Lendeborg was selected to the first-team All-AAC team in 2023-24 and was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year. He broke the UAB and AAC record for rebounds in a single season with 370 and the school record for double-doubles with 19. He averaged a double-double with 13.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest in his first year with the Blazers.

Lendeborg was joined on the Preseason All-Conference First Team by East Carolina senior guard RJ Felton, a 2023-24 All-AAC Third-Team member, and Memphis redshirt sophomore guard PJ Haggerty, the 2023-24 AAC Freshman of the Year while playing for Tulsa. Two transfers into the conference rounded out the First Team, including Memphis senior guard Tyrese Hunter (11.1 ppg and 4.1 apg at Texas) and Temple graduate student guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. (14.1 ppg at New Mexico).

Senior guard Alejandro Vasquez and junior guard Efrem ‘Butta’ Johnson return for the defending champion Blazers and were named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team, alongside Florida Atlantic graduate student guard KyKy Tandy, Memphis redshirt senior guard Colby Rogers and South Florida sophomore guard Jayden Reid.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or student-athletes.

The 2024 American Men’s Basketball Championship will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, March 12-16.

American Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll and Honors

		Points
1	UAB (9)	141
2	Memphis (4)	136
3	South Florida	108
4	Wichita State	102
5	Florida Atlantic	97
6	Temple	86
7	North Texas	83
8	Charlotte	65
9	East Carolina	63
10	Tulsa	44
11	UTSA	35
	Tulane	35
13	Rice	18