ORLANDO – SMU was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2015-16 American Athletic Conference men's basketball title in voting by the league’s head coaches, the conference announced on Tuesday.

The Mustangs, the overall preseason favorite for the first time in league history, tallied 98 points and eight of 11 first-place votes.



SMU redshirt senior Nic Moore was the preseason choice for American Player of the Year while UConn freshman Jalen Adams was tabbed The American’s Preseason Rookie of the Year. Moore was a preseason all-conference first team selection along with teammate Markus Kennedy, Cincinnati’s Octavius Ellis, UConn’s Daniel Hamilton and Tulsa’s James Woodard. Moore and Kennedy were unanimously chosen to the team.

The Mustangs enter the season returning seven letterwinners and three starters from last year’s squad that went 27-7 and posted a 15-3 mark in league play.



UConn garnered two first-place votes and was picked to finish second with 87 points. The Huskies return eight from last season’s squad and welcome four newcomers in 2015-16.



Cincinnati had one first place-vote and was picked third with 84 points. The Bearcats return nine student-athletes, including all five starters, from last year’s 23-win team.



Tulsa was chosen fourth in the preseason standings with 76 points. The Hurricane returns five starters and nine letterwinners from last season’s 23-win squad.



Memphis (59 pts.), Temple (54 pts.) and Houston (48 pts.) were picked fifth, sixth and seventh in the preseason poll, respectively. East Carolina (31 pts.), UCF (30 pts.), USF (20 pts.) and Tulane (11 pts.) were tabbed eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th to round out the tallies.



The 2015-16 campaign begins November 13, with conference play set to begin December 29. The 2016 American Men’s Basketball Championship is slated for March 10-13 at the Amway Center in Orlando.



Preseason Player of the Year

Nic Moore, R-Sr., G, SMU



Preseason Rookie of the Year

Jalen Adams, Fr., G, UConn



Preseason All-Conference First Team

Octavius Ellis, Sr., F, Cincinnati

Daniel Hamilton, So., G/F, UConn

*Markus Kennedy, R-Sr., F, SMU

*Nic Moore, R-Sr., G, SMU

James Woodard, Sr., G, Tulsa



Preseason All-Conference Second Team

Troy Caupain, Jr., G, Cincinnati

Amida Brimah, Jr., C, UConn

Sterling Gibbs, GS, G, UConn

Shaq Goodwin, Sr., F, Memphis

Shaquille Harrison, Sr., G, Tulsa



[*] denotes unanimous selection



2015-16 Preseason Coaches’ Poll

(First-place votes in parenthesis)