2026–27 American Conference Preview: Wichita State Sets the Pace
2026-09-29
The American's 2025–26 standings give us a starting point, not a 2026–27 order. South Florida went 15–3 in league play, while Wichita State and Tulsa finished 13–5. Now South Florida has a new coach and an entirely new roster. Tulsa returns five players. Wichita State brings back much of its frontcourt and has added two experienced creators. American standings · South Florida roster announcement · Tulsa roster announcement · Wichita State roster outlook
MMH's projected order is an editorial judgment about the coming season, not the site's 2025–26 Power Index or a game-model output. The previous season's records below are historical context.
MMH projected order
| MMH | Team | 2025–26 American | EvanMiya league order | Blue Ribbon forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita State | 13–5 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Tulsa | 13–5 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | Memphis | 8–10 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | South Florida | 15–3 | 3 | 6 |
| 5 | North Texas | 9–9 | 5 | 3 |
| 6 | UAB | 11–7 | 8 | 4 |
| 7 | Florida Atlantic | 9–9 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | East Carolina | 6–12 | 11 | 12 |
| 9 | Charlotte | 9–9 | 10 | 10 |
| 10 | Temple | 8–10 | 6 | 8 |
| 11 | Tulane | 8–10 | 9 | 9 |
| 12 | Rice | 7–11 | 13 | 11 |
| 13 | UTSA | 1–17 | 12 | 13 |
EvanMiya's column is the relative order among American teams in its public 2026–27 Team Ratings view, checked September 29. The page displays a May 29 update timestamp, so its exact order may not reflect every late roster or eligibility development. The final column is the forecast in Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook 2026–27, p. 78. Both are cross-checks; the MMH column is our own projection. EvanMiya Team Ratings
The title race
1. Wichita State. The Shockers have the strongest blend of continuity and fresh creation. Will Berg, Dillon Battie, TJ Williams and Noah Hill return up front. Jordan Frison averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 assists at Chattanooga; Jahari Long averaged 12.2 and 4.0 at George Mason. That pairing should give the returning bigs better service and reduce the pressure on one scorer. The question is whether a reshaped backcourt defends and closes games as well as it creates. Wichita State roster outlook
2. Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are replacing major production from an NIT finalist, but they are not starting over. Jaylen Lawal and Myles Rigsby are among five returners. Kobi Williams scored 14.4 points per game at Missouri State, Jeremiah Johnson 15.2 at Campbell, and Macon Emory adds size and rebounding from Delaware. Tulsa has enough ways to score; the test is how quickly nine newcomers defend and share possessions together. Tulsa's roster announcement
3. Memphis. Penny Hardaway has built another transfer-heavy team. Jayden Reid returns to the American after a season at Northwestern. Tylik Weeks led the Sun Belt in scoring at 19.7 points per game, while Brandin Cummings, Luke Almodovar and Josh Holloway add perimeter choices. The ceiling is high, but roles and defensive cohesion must be earned by a largely new group. Memphis transfer class · Weeks announcement
4. South Florida. Last year's title belongs to a different roster. Chris Mack takes over with no returning players and 12 transfers. Sonny Wilson averaged 17.0 points and 4.6 assists at Toledo and can organize the offense. The program's talent gives it a title path, but the scale of the reset is why MMH starts it fourth. AJ Dancler has been ruled out for the season, a real loss to the projected rotation. USF roster · Dancler update
The crowded middle
5. North Texas. Je'Shawn Stevenson is the league's only returning 2025–26 all-conference selection. That proven scorer gives the Mean Green an anchor while the rest of the rotation settles. This order assumes enough defense and supporting offense around him for a top-five finish. North Texas announcement
6. UAB. Blue Ribbon sees a top-four team, and there is a serious case for it. Deuce Jones averaged 15.8 points at Saint Joseph's; Justyn Fernandez averaged 16.6 at Delaware; Elijah Duval added 15.3 and 3.6 assists at Southern Utah. Jeremy Elyzee and Aleks Alston give Andy Kennedy more frontcourt options. MMH moves the Blazers into the upper half on that depth, but stops short of Blue Ribbon's fourth because this is a heavily rebuilt roster with unproven chemistry. EvanMiya has UAB eighth, underscoring the range of views. UAB roster overview
7. Florida Atlantic. Kanaan Carlyle and Jelani Hamilton lead a roster with four returners and 11 newcomers. Carlyle gives the Owls a familiar perimeter option, but replacing the departed core is a substantial task. Blue Ribbon selects Carlyle for its all-conference team; the range of team outcomes is still wide because the backcourt fit and frontcourt production remain open questions. FAU roster
8. East Carolina — sleeper. The Pirates went 6–12, then added Cian Medley, Brycen Blaine, Kaden Cooper and Kaseem Watson. Medley averaged 10.5 points and 6.4 assists at Kent State; Cooper brings 7.7 rebounds per game from Louisiana Tech. MMH is more bullish than Blue Ribbon's 12th-place forecast and EvanMiya's 11th-place league order. There are no returning starters and 12 newcomers, so this is a bet on new creation and rebounding translating quickly, not an assumption of continuity. ECU's full roster release · ECU sleeper preview
9. Charlotte. New coach Wes Miller has added familiar pieces, including Jizzle James, Keyshuan Tillery and Tyler McKinley. Charlotte's upside comes from how quickly that group translates into an organized half-court offense. The new staff and rotation make this a close call. Charlotte's Tillery announcement · McKinley announcement
10. Temple. Jordan Marsh, Gavin Griffiths and Derrian Ford give the Owls multiple established perimeter names. EvanMiya places Temple sixth in the league and Blue Ribbon eighth; MMH is more cautious about how the pieces translate to a dependable offense and defense together. That difference makes Temple a team to revisit quickly once games begin. Temple roster
The teams trying to climb
11. Tulane. Ten newcomers arrive, including Krystian Lewis, TJ Nadeau and Ryan Blount. Ron Hunter has options, but a new rotation must demonstrate consistent shooting and defense before MMH moves the Wave higher. Tulane signing class
12. Rice. Jacob Dar, Eternity Eguagie and Cam Carroll are on the 2026–27 roster. Dar's late-season league production and Eguagie's shooting give Rice pieces to develop, but the Owls need more reliable two-way output to move into the middle. Rice roster
13. UTSA. Austin Claunch has added frontcourt size and a new guard in Preston Turner after a 1–17 conference season. A better finish is possible, but the Roadrunners have the most ground to make up. UTSA roster · Turner signing
MMH call
Wichita State is the most complete preseason choice, while Blue Ribbon's Memphis pick makes sense if its new backcourt gels quickly. Tulsa and Memphis have the talent to win the league; South Florida's ceiling is hard to pin down after a total roster reset. UAB's incoming scoring makes it a credible top-four challenger. ECU is our higher-variance sleeper: eighth is four spots above Blue Ribbon and three above EvanMiya's current league order, with Medley's playmaking and Cooper's rebounding at the center of that bet.
Editorial projection as of September 29, 2026. Records refer to 2025–26. Player availability and roster status should be checked again before opening night.