The American Conference has a new name! The group decided to drop the "Athletic" from the conference's name, but does that mean we will see fewer dunks and more bounce passes? Probably not. This will be the conference's third year with the current 13 members, so rivalries are starting to build.
The good news for the conference is that it did not get on the coaching carousel for the most part. Only two of the coaches are new. Daniyal Robinson came from Cleveland State to replace Ross Hodge (who moved up to West Virginia) at North Texas. Robinson brought four players with him from the Vikings. Bryan Hodgson takes over at South Florida after a successful two-year run at Arkansas State. His teams won 45 games and made postseason tournament appearances in both seasons.
While the coaching in the conference was largely stable, there was little maintenance of rosters. No team brings back more than two starters and nearly half of the teams (six of 13) return no starters. That list includes the top two finishers from last season: the aforementioned Mean Green and the reigning conference champion Memphis Tigers. Coach Anfernee Hardaway restocked the talent pool, but will he be able to find enough cohesiveness to repeat as American champion?
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
Top American Conference Players
Overall: Rowan Brumbaugh, G, Tulane 
With so much roster upheaval in
The American Conference has a new name! The group decided to drop the "Athletic" from the conference's name, but does that mean we will see fewer dunks and more bounce passes? Probably not. This will be the conference's third year with the current 13 members, so rivalries are starting to build.
The good news for the conference is that it did not get on the coaching carousel for the most part. Only two of the coaches are new. Daniyal Robinson came from Cleveland State to replace Ross Hodge (who moved up to West Virginia) at North Texas. Robinson brought four players with him from the Vikings. Bryan Hodgson takes over at South Florida after a successful two-year run at Arkansas State. His teams won 45 games and made postseason tournament appearances in both seasons.
While the coaching in the conference was largely stable, there was little maintenance of rosters. No team brings back more than two starters and nearly half of the teams (six of 13) return no starters. That list includes the top two finishers from last season: the aforementioned Mean Green and the reigning conference champion Memphis Tigers. Coach Anfernee Hardaway restocked the talent pool, but will he be able to find enough cohesiveness to repeat as American champion?
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
Top American Conference Players
Overall: Rowan Brumbaugh, G, Tulane
With so much roster upheaval in conference, fantasy players need to find someone consistent and true. The American's best bet is the 6-4 Brumbaugh, who earned first team all-conference honors as a sophomore. The Georgetown transfer struggled out of the gate with three single-digit scoring games in his first four, then settled into double-digit scoring production for the rest of the season. He averaged 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals. Brumbaugh scored 20 points or more nine times, including 22 points in an American Tournament loss to Memphis. With a modest improvement in shooting efficiency (41.3 percent from the field), Brumbaugh could close in on 20 points per game.
Also considered: Trae Broadnax, G, Rice; Kenyon Giles, G, Wichita State; Jordan Riley, G, East Carolina
Scoring: Jordan Riley, G, East Carolina 
Like Brumbaugh, Riley started his collegiate career at Georgetown (although the two were not teammates). The 6-4 guard spent two years coming off the bench as a Hoya, then made his way to Temple, where he blossomed into a double-digit scorer. Riley spent last season with the Pirates and continued his ascension to 14.5 points to go along with 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals. He had a pair of double-doubles in March and had three on the season. The native New Yorker put up 22 points and 12 rebounds in a win over UTSA in the conference tournament. Riley did most of his damage within the arc and hit just 24.0 percent of his 3-pointers in modest attempts (2.3 per game). He was just third on the team in scoring last season, so Riley should have plenty more opportunities to score as a senior.
Also considered: Miles Barnstable, G, Tulsa; Kenyon Giles, G, Wichita State; CJ Hines, G, Temple; Joseph Pinion, G, South Florida; Dayjaun Anderson, G, UAB
Rebounding: Ian Smikle, F, Tulsa 
Smikle was a success story for the Golden Hurricane as a freshman. Injuries to upperclassmen opened opportunities for the 6-8 sophomore, and he took advantage by being a pest on the boards. The Florida native led the team in rebounding 12 times and snatched at least 10 boards three times. He averaged 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20.4 minutes. He was mostly a garbage man on offense, but scored in double digits in five games with a season high of 17 points in a loss to UAB. Even a modest improvement in offense could lead the way to many Smikle double-doubles.
Also considered: Daniel Akitoby, F, UTSA; Dylan Arnett, F, North Texas; Karon Boyd, F, Wichita State; Izaiyah Nelson, F, South Florida, Daniel Rivera, F, UAB
Assists: Trae Broadnax, G, Rice 
Like many players in the American, Broadnax is well-traveled. He began his playing days at Navy, but transferred to South Carolina-Upstate for two seasons. In 2023-24, he averaged 14.1 points for the Spartans. The 6-4 graduate student arrived in Rice last season and paced the Owls with 4.2 assists to go along with 12.1 points and 5.1 rebounds. He had his best games early in the season, including 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a win over Louisiana. Broadnax faltered down the stretch and was limited to 6.0 points in his last four games. Look for him to bounce back for Coach Rob Lanier in his final season of eligibility.
Also considered: Vasean Allette, G, UTSA; Rowan Brambaugh, G, Tulane; Xavier Brown, G, South Florida; Jordan Mason, G, Temple; Dug McDaniel, G, Memphis; Ahmad Robinson, G, UAB; David Terrell Jr., G, North Texas
Center: Aaron Bradshaw, F/C, Memphis 
For your specialty players like centers and freshmen, the American may not be the best place to look. Bradshaw has pedigree if not production. He was a five-star recruit out of New Jersey and began his career with Kentucky. The 7-1 forward had 17 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in a win over Penn as a freshman. When Coach John Calipari left Kentucky, Bradshaw moved to Ohio State, where he averaged 6.0 points in 16.9 minutes mostly off the Buckeye bench in 2024-25. Bradshaw could use his size to be a focal point for Coach Hardaway's offense and is a sleeper candidate for American Conference Player of the Year.
Also considered: Will Berg, C, Wichita State; Maxim Logue, C, Florida Atlantic; Doryan Onwuchekwa, C, Tulsa;
Freshman: Simon Majok, C, Memphis
It could be that the Tigers have a burgeoning Twin Tower situation with Bradshaw and the 7-1 Majok. The center played three years for KK Real Beograd of the Serbian League and put up some tantalizing numbers last season in a limited sample. Because of age restrictions of the league, Majok played in just seven games but up 17.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in 30.7 minutes. The team went 6-1 with him in the lineup and just 5-7 without Majok. The South Sudan native could lead the conference in blocks even is his minutes are limited behind Bradshaw.
Also considered: Ayuba Bryant, Jr, F, Temple; Jaylen Lawal, G, Tulsa; TJ Williams, G, Wichita State
Top American Conference Transfers
Kenyon Giles, G, Wichita State
While freshmen and centers may be hard to find in the American, the transfer cup floweth over. The well-travelled Giles debuted in college ball at Radford, then spent last season with UNC-Greensboro. He was an All-Conference performer in the Southern Conference last season and knocked down 80 3-pointers on 40.4 percent from long range. The 5-10 guard put up at least 20 points in nine games and topped out at 26 in a win over Chattanooga. He should be a main performer for a team that was the worst 3-point shooting team in the conference last season.
Daniel Rivera, F, UAB
Rivera's many travels in college hoops will hopefully find a good landing place in Birmingham. The 6-7 forward made stops in Saint Louis, Bryant and spent last year with the Massachusetts Minutemen. He started 29 games and provided 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks. Rivera had eight double-doubles and concluded the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds in an A10 Conference loss to La Salle. The Blazers are one of the six teams without a returning starter, so the hard-charging Rivera could be a great get.
Vasean Allette, G, UTSA
Allette burst onto the college basketball scene in 2023-24 with Old Dominion, where he provided 17.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a freshman with the mighty Monarchs. He was dismissed from the team for "unbecoming conduct," but found a home last year with TCU. He started 25 games and averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The transfer to the Roadrunners should bounce back in coach Austin Claunch's second season with the team. Last season UTSA played at the second-fastest pace in the American (behind only Memphis).
Devin Haid, G, South Florida
With Central Connecticut State last season, the 6-5 Haid was a second-team All-NEC performer. He provided 14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and a team-leading 1.6 steals. Haid had a season-high 29 points, including four 3-pointers, to go along with four steals in a NEC tournament win over Farleigh Dickinson. He led the NEC in field-goal percentage at 49.3 and could be a mismatch against American opponents because he will be too strong for smaller defenders and too quick for forwards.
Also considered: Dayjaun Anderson, G, UAB, Nick Anderson Jr., G, Rice; Quante Berry, G, Memphis; Quaran McPherson, G, UAB; Jacob Meyer, G, UAB; Scotty Middleton, F, Tulane; Ahmad Robinson, G, UAB
For under-the-radar breakout candidates in other conferences that could be difference-makers on your fantasy team, check out RotoWire's 2025-26 college basketball sleepers.
Top American Conference Sleepers
Anton Bonke, C, Charlotte
In some respects, everyone in the American is a sleeper. We are going to dig deep for our sleepers in boom-or-bust style. Bonke is a 7-2, 265 lb center who appeared in 16 games with Providence last season. The native of Vanuatu, an island in the south Pacific 1000 miles east of Australia, competed internationally as a rower before dedicating himself to basketball. If he can translate his size into production for the 49ers, coach Austin Fearne may have a giant building block to build his team around.
Stanley Borden, C, UTSA
Any player who has a connection to Duke should be mentioned. Would you be impressed if you knew that Borden spent the last three seasons with the Blue Devils and is the last player in college hoops to have played for coach Mike Krzyzewski? We can wave away the fact that the native of Turkey almost never got off the bench. He was recruited by Duke! Now he has a chance to produce as a Roadrunner. The 7-0 center has some shooting and passing touch. If he can get on the court, he could be a nice producer.
Wes Enis, G, South Florida
If the name Enis looks familiar, it should. Enis is the son of former Penn State running back Curtis Enis (who scored 36 touchdowns in three seasons with the Nittany Lions). Wes was a Division II All-American last season after putting up 20.3 points and 4.6 rebounds for Lincoln Memorial. He hit 99 3-pointers for the Railsplitters on 41.3 percent from long range. Enis has excellent two-way potential after being named both South Atlantic Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Top-10 American Conference Players
1. Rowan Brumbaugh, G, Tulane
2. Jordan Riley, G, East Carolina
3. Kenyon Giles, G, Wichita State
4. Trae Broadnax, G, Rice
5. Aaron Bradshaw, F, Memphis
6. Daniel Rivera, F, UAB
7. Dug McDaniel, G, Memphis
8. Dylan Arnett, F, North Texas 
9. Izaiyah Nelson, F, South Florida
10. Miles Barnstable, G, Tulsa
*Note: These rankings are at the discretion of the article author, and may not necessarily correspond with RotoWire's official 2025-26 college basketball player rankings.
Projected Team Standings
1. Memphis
2. Tulane
3. North Texas
4. Wichita State
5. USF
6. UAB
7. FAU
8. Temple 
9. Tulsa
10. East Carolina
11. Rice
12. UTSA
13. Charlotte
Coach Hardaway is used to having an essentially new roster each season. Because the talent base on Memphis is greater than any of the other teams in the American, it is difficult to predict that the Tigers won't be the presumptive favorite. If either Bradshaw or Majok hit, Memphis could undefeated in conference.
Tulane has a solid backcourt in Brumbaugh and Asher Woods, so they should offer Memphis some competition. With a new coach and roster, you might expect the Mean Green to slide down standings. However, Coach Robinson brings enough success and players from Cleveland State, that North Texas should remain among the top three or four teams in conference. Neither Tulane nor North Texas are likely to be good enough to steal an NCAA Tournament bid without winning the conference tournament.
Wichita State and South Florida could be sleepers. The Shockers will be led by Giles, but will need one of their bigs such as 7-2 Will Berg or 6-10 Emmanuel Okorafor to produce. The team has won at least 15 games in each of the last five seasons. Coach Hodgson could bring a new energy to the Bulls. He will likely push the pace like his teams at Arkansas State, and opponents will need to adjust.
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