Philadelphia — Judging from American Athletic Conference basketball media day on Monday, it has potential to be another successful and entertaining season for the Huskies.

The UConn women's program, winners of four straight national championships, was selected to defend its conference crown, receiving 10 of 11 first place votes in the AAC preseason coaches poll. Temple was second and South Florida, which had one first place vote, resided in third.

Junior guard Kia Nurse, the only UConn player to start every game last season, earned preseason player of the year honors. Nurse also joined teammate Katie Lou Samuelson on the All-AAC first team while fellow Huskies Napheesa Collier and Gabby Williams made second team. The Huskies lost three All-Americans and return two starters from a team that went 38-0 last season.

"It's great, but we don't worry about all the outside stuff and just focus on ourselves," Nurse said. "There are clearly a lot of fun numbers around the program with win streaks and championships, but honestly we don't really talk about them.

"To have accolades like that is awesome. You still have to prove yourself. Definitely it's an honor and there's a long way to go. It might be a preview of what's to come in the season."

On the men's side, UConn was picked to place second in the preseason coaches poll, only trailing Cincinnati which had just one more first place vote with six. It was the closest poll in conference history, as the Bearcats had 95 points and Huskies 94. SMU, Houston and Memphis rounded out the top five. Defending regular season champion Temple checked in at sixth.

For the third straight season, the Huskies had the preseason rookie of the year, with guard Alterique Gilbert, a McDonald's All-American out of Miller Grove High School in Lithonia, Ga., receiving the honor. Sophomore Jalen Adams, last year's preseason rookie pick, made All-AAC second team. Daniel Hamilton was the 2014 preseason rookie selection.

The Huskies are coming off a 25-win season during which they captured their first AAC championship tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The AAC announced its preseason poll and all-conference teams during its media day in Philadelphia. Cincinnati senior Troy Caupain and Dedric Lawson of Memphis shared the men's preseason player of the year. SMU's Ben Moore, Cincinnati's Gary Clark and Houston's Damyean Dotson also made the All-AAC first team.

The men's program plays its exhibition opener at 1 p.m. Sunday, hosting New Haven at the XL Center in Hartford.

The UConn women will host Indiana (Pa.) University on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.