Temple University Athletics
Griffiths, Ford Earn American Preseason All-Conference Honors
10.9.26 | Men's Basketball
IRVING, Texas – Temple University men's basketball guards Derrian Ford and Gavin Griffiths have been named to the 2026-27 American Preseason All-Conference Second Team, the conference announced on Friday.
Temple was one of five teams to have multiple preseason all-conference selections.
Ford returns for his fifth collegiate season after earning American Conference third-team honors in 2025-26. The Magnolia, Arkansas, native led Temple and ranked fourth in the conference with 18.1 points per game while averaging 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He started all 31 games in which he appeared and paced the Owls in 3-point percentage (37.9%) and free throw percentage (85.2%).
Ford scored at least 20 points in 14 games, including a career-high 27 against Saint Joseph's in the Toyota Big 5 Classic. His 167 made free throws ranked ninth in Temple single-season history and were the most by an Owl since 2012-13. He also earned first-team All-Big 5 honors and received the Palumbo Award as the Big 5's leading scorer.
Griffiths enters his senior season after averaging 10.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks in his first year at Temple. The Simsbury, Connecticut, native appeared in 30 games with 29 starts and led the Owls in rebounding, made 3-pointers and blocked shots.
Griffiths was the only NCAA Division I player to record at least 60 made 3-pointers and 50 blocks in 2025-26. Against UTSA on Jan. 3, he became the first Division I player in at least 30 seasons to make six 3-pointers and block seven shots in a game, tying the Liacouras Center record for blocks. He earned American Conference and Big 5 Player of the Week honors following that performance.
In the preseason coaches' poll, Temple was selected ninth with 61 points. Wichita State was picked first with nine first-place votes and 140 points, followed by Memphis with four first-place votes and 131 points. South Florida, Tulsa and Charlotte rounded out the top five.
North Texas guard Je'Shawn Stevenson was selected as the American Conference Preseason Player of the Year, while Florida Atlantic guard Felipe Quinones earned preseason freshman of the year honors.
Temple opens the 2026-27 season Nov. 2 against Central Connecticut State at the Liacouras Center.
2026-27 American Conference Preseason Honors
- Preseason Player of the Year: Je'Shawn Stevenson, Jr., G, North Texas
- Preseason Freshman of the Year: Felipe Quinones, Fr., G, Florida Atlantic
American Preseason All-Conference First Team
- Kanaan Carlyle, Sr., G, Florida Atlantic
- Jayden Reid, Sr., G, Memphis
- Je'Shawn Stevenson, Jr., G, North Texas
- Sonny Wilson, Sr., G, South Florida
- Will Berg, R-Sr., C, Wichita State
- Justyn Fernandez, Sr., G, UAB
- Deuce Jones, Jr., G, UAB
- Tylik Weeks, Sr., F, Memphis
- Derrian Ford, 5th, G, Temple
- Gavin Griffiths, Sr., G, Temple
- Dillon Battie, Jr., F, Wichita State
- Jordan Frison, Sr., G, Wichita State
2026-27 American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Wichita State (9) | 140 |
| 2 | Memphis (4) | 131 |
| 3 | South Florida | 118 |
| 4 | Tulsa | 99 |
| 5 | Charlotte | 95 |
| 6 | UAB | 89 |
| 7 | North Texas | 84 |
| 8 | Florida Atlantic | 75 |
| 9 | Temple | 61 |
| 10 | Tulane | 52 |
| 11 | East Carolina | 34 |
| 12 | Rice | 22 |
| 13 | UTSA | 14 |
First-place votes in parentheses.
