Here’s where UCF men’s and women’s hoops landed in AAC preseason polls

The basketball coaches of the American Athletic Conference don’t have high expectations for the UCF men’s and women’s programs entering the upcoming season.

Guided by Johnny Dawkins, who’s in his seventh year coaching the men’s team, the Knights were selected to finish sixth out of 11 in the preseason coaches poll released Wednesday.

After winning the conference regular season and tournament championships last season, the women’s team, led by first-year coach Sytia Messer, was chosen to finish eighth.

Neither squad had a member on the preseason first and second conference teams.

Dawkins and Messer have had to rely on the NCAA transfer portal to rebuild their rosters.

Dawkins added six transfers, including Utah forward Lahat Thioune, ECU swingman Brandon Suggs and Indiana forward Michael Durr among others.

Messer, who replaces Katie Abrahamson-Henderson (Georgia), landed six transfers, including guards Rachel Ranke from Kansas State and Mya Burns from Georgia Southern.

Houston was picked as the AAC men’s basketball favorite while South Florida was chosen as the women’s basketball favorite.

First-place votes are in parenthesis.

Men’s

1. Houston (10) 100

2. Memphis (1) 87

3. Cincinnati 82

4. Tulane 74

5. Temple 66

6. UCF 51

7. SMU 43

8. Wichita State 35

9. South Florida 33

10. Tulsa 21

11. East Carolina 13

Women’s

1. South Florida (9) 99

2. Houston (2) 89

3. SMU 73

4. Tulsa 66

5. Tulane 56

5. Memphis 56

7. Temple 43

8. UCF 38

9. Cincinnati 34

10. Wichita State 32

11. East Carolina 19

Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.