American Tipoff - Media Day Central

PHILADELPHIA (SMU/The American) – Junior guard Shake Milton was named the preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year during the league's media day on Monday.
 
As a sophomore, Milton was a member of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list and was selected All-American Athletic Conference second team. He averaged 13.0 points (16th AAC), 4.5 assists (4th AAC) and 1.3 steals (10th AAC). He also had a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd AAC) while shooting 42.3 percent on threes (4th AAC).
 
Milton helped the Mustangs sweep the 2016-17 American Athletic Conference season and tournament championships en route to the NCAA Tournament. The Mustangs won a program-record 30 games (30-5) that included going 17-1 in conference play and 18-0 in Moody Coliseum. SMU finished No. 11 in the final Associated Press Top 25.
 
A Mustang has won three straight AAC Player of the Year awards, the longest active streak nationally. Semi Ojeleye took home the 2016-17 award after Nic Moore won it back-to-back in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
 
2017-18 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Preseason Player of the Year - Shake Milton, G, Jr., SMU
Preseason Rookie of the Year - Alterique Gilbert, G, r-Fr., UConn             
 
Preseason All-Conference First Team   
Shake Milton, G, SMU  
Jalen Adams, G, UConn
Rob Gray, G, Houston   
Landry Shamet, G, Wichita State              
B.J. Taylor, G, UCF          
                               
Preseason All-Conference Second Team              
Gary Clark, F, Cincinnati
Junior Etou, F, Tulsa       
Jacob Evans, G/F, Cincinnati       
Tacko Fall, C, UCF            
Kyle Washington, F, Cincinnati  
 
2017-18 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
Team (First-Place Votes) - Pts.
1. Cincinnati (7) - 116
2. Wichita State (5) - 115
3. UCF - 93
4. SMU - 91
5. UConn - 79
6. Houston - 72
7. Temple - 68
8. Tulsa - 52
9. Memphis - 36
10. Tulane - 30
11. ECU - 24
12. USF - 16