Alexis Yetna Named The American Freshman-Of-The-Year

South Florida redshirt freshman Alexis Yetna was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman-of-the-Year, by a vote of the conference's 12 head coaches league officials announced Wednesday morning.

In helping his team surpass preseason expectations and finish eighth in the conference standings with a 8-10 record (19-12 overall), Yetna became the first Bull to ever be named the league’s Freshman-of-the-Year.

Monday Yetna was named to the AAC all-freshman team, marking the fifth time overall, and the second consecutive season, that a USF player earned a spot on The American all-freshman team.

Yetna averaged 12.1 points – scoring the seventh-most single-season points in USF history by a freshman with 350 – and a grabbing league leading 9.6 rebounds per game. He ranked first in The American, and 41st in the nation, with 11 double-doubles. Yetna finished the regular season with more doubles-doubles than six teams in The American and notched a total of 14 double-digit rebounding games during the season. His 277 rebounds thus far this season are the most by any freshman in school history and are the second-most in a single season by any freshman in AAC history. In addition, Yetna paced The American and stood 21st in the nation with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game.

ESPN College Basketball analyst Mike O’Donnell, who was assigned to multiple USF games this season, gave RunningTheBulls.com his thoughts on Yetna.

“Yetna has one of the best motors I ever have seen,” said O’Donnell. “It’s a relentless pursuit of the basketball. When his skill set catches up to his motor he could end up being one of the best power forwards in college basketball.”

USF begins its quest for the AAC tournament championship Thursday at 1 p.m. (EST) when the No. 8 seed Bulls face the No. 9 seed UConn at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.