UConn has been picked to finish second in the inaugural American Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll, while Shabazz Napier is a first-team all-conference selection.

The Huskies are picked to finish second behind defending national champion Louisville, which garnered nine of the 10 first-place votes. Coaches can’t pick their own team, so it’s obvious Rick Pitino picked the Huskies for first.

Napier earns preseason first-team honors while Ryan Boatright earned second-team status. DeAndre Daniels did not receive any preseason recognition.

Louisville’s Russ Smith is preseason player of the year, while SMU’s Keith Frazier was tabbed the new league’s top rookie.

The coaches poll looked like this:

 

1. Louisville (9)

2. UConn (2)

3. Memphis

4. Cincinnati

5. Temple

6. SMU

7. Houston

8. South Florida

9. Central Florida

10. Rutgers

 

First team all-conference is:

 

Russ Smith, Louisville

Shabazz Napier, UConn

Chane Behanan, Louisville

Joe Jackson, Memphis

Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati

 

 Second team is:

 

Ryan Boatright, UConn

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

TaShawn Thomas, Houston

Isaiah Sykes, Central Florida

Anthony Collins, South Florida

Victor Rudd, South Florida

 

Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, Houston’s TaShawn Thomas, UCF’s Isaiah Sykes and USF’s Anthony Collins and Victor Rudd.