Houston Cougars Men's Hoops Picked as The American Preseason Favorite

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UPDATED: October 13, 2021 -- 10:57 a.m. CT

For the third consecutive season, the Houston Men's Basketball program was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the American Athletic Conference Coaches' Preseason Poll, released Wednesday morning during the league's annual Media Day.

Junior guard Marcus Sasser earned a place on the AAC's Preseason All-Conference First Team.

The Coogs received eight first-place votes from the league's head coaches, totaling 98 points. Houston finished six points ahead of Memphis, which received the remaining three first-place votes.

Following Memphis, SMU (77), Wichita State (76), UCF (66), Cincinnati (52), Tulsa (43), Temple (37), South Florida (25), Tulane (25) and East Carolina (14) rounded out the rest of the poll.

Sasser was joined on the Preseason First Team by Jalen Duren (Memphis), Landers Nolley II (Memphis ), Kendric Davis (SMU) and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

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Brandon Mahan (UCF), Emoni Bates (Memphis), Deandre Williams (Memphis), Jeremiah Davenport (Cincinnati) and Jaylen Forbes (Tulane) made up the Preseason Second Team.

Etienne was named the Preseason Player of the Year, while Memphis freshman Jalen Duren was selected as the league's Rookie of the Year.

His 2008 squad won the NCAA Division II South Regional championship and the Gulf South Conference Tournament as he was recognized as the South Region Coach of the Year by the NCAA.

Houston tied with Memphis as the No. 1 team in Preseason Poll a year ago. With a 23-8 overall record and 13-5 mark in American Athletic Conference play, the Cougars captured their second straight regular-season title for only the second time in school history.

2021-22 American Athletic Conference Preseason Men's Basketball Poll

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