JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) has announced its list for the Preseason Men’s Basketball Awards.
Stetson’s Collin Kuhl was voted as the Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Hatters last season. The senior forward recorded eight double-doubles while leading the ASUN in field goal percentage (.656) while ranking sixth in the country for his sharp-shooting.
Avantae Parker from Queens earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year following his Third Team All-ASUN performance last season. The senior averaged 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for the Royals while ranking second in the conference with 45 total blocks - 28 of them coming during league play.
In the coaches preseason poll, Queens was the overall favorite with five first place votes. The Royals stunned the basketball world last season, winning the ASUN Tournament as a three-seed and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in their first eligible season since moving up to Division I.
Jacksonville was picked second in the poll after the Dolphins young roster won three of the team’s final five games of the regular season to move up to the No. 9-seed in the ASUN Tournament.
Lipscomb checked in at No. 3 following a 19-13 record during the 2025-26 season. The Bisons return Mateo Esmeraldo and Titas Sargiunas while adding in Oregon transfer Takai Simpkins, all three being Preseason All-ASUN selections.
ASUN Preseason Player of the Year: Collin Kuhl, Stetson
ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Avantae Parker, Queens
2026-27 Preseason All-ASUN Team
Kenyon Goodin, Bellarmine
Jamie Phillips Jr., Jacksonville
Hayden Wood, Jacksonville
Mateo Esmeraldo, Lipscomb
Titas Sargiunas, Lipscomb
Takai Simpkins, Lipscomb
Nasir Mann, Queens
Avantae Parker, Queens
Jordan Watford, Queens
Collin Kuhl, Stetson
2026-27 ASUN Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
- Queens (5)
- Jacksonville (2)
- Lipscomb
- Bellarmine
- FGCU
- Stetson
- North Florida (1)
- West Florida
First-place votes in parentheses
General media inquiries should be directed to:
Claire Johnson, Senior Director, Strategic Communications & Content
Unisun Sports / claire.johnson@unisunsports.com
About the Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), founded in 1978, is an NCAA Division I athletic conference, composed of eight (8) destination-based institutions spread throughout the southeastern United States.
ASUN members include Bellarmine University (Louisville, Ky.), Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, Fla.), Jacksonville University (Jacksonville, Fla.), Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tenn.), the University of North Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.), Stetson University (DeLand, Fla.), and the University of West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.).