UAB Basketball PICKED FIRST IN AAC, LENDEBORG NAMED PRESEASON PLAYER OF YEAR

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - October 11, 2024

UAB was picked as the preseason favorite to win the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball title in a vote among the conference coaches. Senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg was also chosen as the AAC Preseason Player of the Year while senior guard Alejandro Vasquez and junior guard Efrem “Butta” Johnson were chosen to the All-AAC preseason team as second team selections.

The Blazers return a strong core from a team that finished 23-12, won the AAC Tournament and lost to San Diego State in a NCAA Tournament first round game. Four returnees - Lendeborg, Vasquez, Johnson and Christian Coleman – started during the Blazers run to the NCAA Tournament. That core of players, mixed with a strong group of newcomers, was enough to convince the voters that UAB enters the season as the team to beat in conference play.

UAB received nine of the 13 first place votes and 141 points overall. Memphis garnered the other four first place votes and received 136 points overall. The remainder of the top five consisted of defending regular season champion South Florida (108), Wichita State (102) and Florida Atlantic (97).

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Lendeborg was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection last season. He averaged 13.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game and set a school single season record with 19 double-doubles. Johnson averaged 11.2 points per game with a team-best 56 3-pointers. Vasquez averaged 11.1 points per game and shot a team-best 39.4 percent from the field. Vasquez scored 29 points and hit 5 of 6 3-pointers during UAB’s victory over Temple in the AAC Tournament championship game.

AAC PRESEASON POLL

1.         UAB (9 first place votes) 141 total points

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.   (tie) UTSA and Tulane 35

13.   Rice 18

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB, Sr.*

RJ Felton, ECU, Sr.

PJ Haggerty, Memphis, R-Soph.

Tyrese Hunter, Memphis, Sr.

Jamal Mashburn Jr., Temple, Grad

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM

Efrem “Butta” Johnson, UAB, Jr.

Alejandro Vasquez, UAB, Sr.

KyKy Tandy, FAU, Grad

Colby Rogers, Memphis, R-Sr.

Jayden Reid, USF, Soph.