IRVING, Texas — Memphis sophomore guard PJ Haggerty was named the American Athletic Conference player of the year Tuesday, when Penny Hardaway was tabbed as the top coach in a vote by his peers after the 16th-ranked Tigers won the league’s regular-season title.
The league also recognized the late Amir Abdur-Rahim as an honorary coach of the year. Abdur-Rahim, who led South Florida to the AAC’s regular-season championship last year, died in October from complications while undergoing a medical procedure.
A vote of the league’s 13 head coaches determined the honors announced a day before the start of the postseason tournament in which Memphis (26-5, 16-2 AAC) is the top seed.
Tigers forward Dain Dainja, a transfer from Illinois, was named the league’s newcomer of the year and Florida Atlantic center Matas Vokietaitis the top freshman. FAU junior forward Tre Carroll got the league’s sportsmanship award that was renamed in honor of Abdur-Rahim.
UAB senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg was the defensive player of the year and North Texas junior forward Brenen Lorient the league’s top sixth man.
There were 10 players named to the All-AAC first team, led by unanimous picks Dainja, Haggerty, Lendeborg, North Texas senior guard Atin Wright and East Carolina senior guard RJ Felton.
Haggerty, the league’s top freshman last season, is averaging an AAC-high 21.2 points a game, which is fifth in Division I. He also averages 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
