College Basketball Conference Preview #24 - American Athletic Conference
Memphis will be the team to beat in the AAC this season. Can the Tigers return to the Final Four for the first time since 2008? That will depend on how quickly the newcomers can jell with the veterans. Head Coach Penny Hardaway has brought in the nation's top recruiting class. Could the Tigers start five freshman? Possibly. Memphis returns sophomore guard Tyler Harris who will most likely be joined in the starting lineup by four freshmen including center James Wiseman and forward Precious Achiuwa. The sky is the limit for Memphis basketball this season. Cincinnati welcomes new Head Coach John Brannen. The Bearcats will be looking to make it three straight AAC Tournament Titles and 10 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati will be led by three returning starters including senior guard Jarron Cumberland. The Bearcats other returning starters are senior Tre Scott and junior Keith Williams. Several graduate transfers will look to put the Bearcats over the top in Jaevin Cumberland (Oakland University), Chris McNeal (Tennessee Tech), and Jay Sorolla (Valparaiso). The Bearcats will be as tough as ever under John Brannen. Houston returns two starters from last year's team and will try to hold serve at the top of the AAC. Junior forward Fabian White Jr. and sophomore forward Cedric Alley Jr. will be aided by junior guard DeJon Jarreau, junior forward Brison Gresham, and senior center Chris Harris Jr. Two big time transfers may carry Houston to another AAC Regular Season Title in Quentin Grimes (Kansas) and Justin Gorham (Towson). Kelvin Sampson has Houston rolling and it will only get better this season. South Florida returns all five starters after winning the CBI Tournament last season. Head Coach Brian Gregory has worked wonders in two seasons. The Bulls will be led by junior guard David Collins, senior guard Laquincy Rideau, and sophomore forward Alexis Yetna. Junior guard Justin Brown, sophomore center Michael Durr, and transfer Zach Dawson (Oklahoma State) will also contribute. South Florida is a dark horse in the AAC this season. Wichita State finished 22-15 last season after winning 14 of their final 18 games. The Shockers will push the top teams in the AAC this season. The backcourt will be led by a trio of sophomore guards in Dexter Dennis, Jamarius Burton, and Erik Stevenson. Senior center Jamie Echenique is the team's leading returning scorer. Transfer Trey Wade will make an impact as well. Wichita State will push for a Top four finish in the AAC this season. Connecticut returns four starters in what will be their final season in the AAC. The Huskies will be led by senior guard Christian Vital and junior center Josh Carlton. Junior guard Alterique Gilbert and junior forward Tyler Polley will contribute as well. The Huskies X-factor will be Akok Akok. If he plays to his potential Connecticut could finish as high as 3rd in the AAC.
Temple welcomes new Head Coach Aaron McKie who takes over for the retired Fran Dunphy. McKie served as Dunphy’s Assistant Coach for the last five seasons. The Owls will go as far as senior guard Quinton Rose can take them. Rose will get assistance from two brothers in guards Nate Pierre-Louis and Josh Pierre-Louis. Junior forwards Justyn Hamilton, J.P. Moorman II, and De’Vondre Perry will also be in the mix. Newcomers to watch out for include transfer guard Monty Scott (Kennesaw State) and redshirt freshman Arashma Parks. Tulsa welcomes back their top two returning scorers in forwards Martins Igbanu and Jeriah Horne. Guards Lawson Korita and Elijah Joiner will contribute as well. A pair of transfers in Reggie Jones (Western Michigan) and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson (Arkansas) could help the Golden Hurricane finish in the upper half of the AAC Standings if they are both eligible this season. Head Coach Frank Haith will need to work his magic to get this team back to the NCAA Tournament. SMU will have a strong one-two punch this season in junior forwards Ethan Chargois and Isiaha Mike. They will receive help from sophomore forward Feron Hunt and junior guard William Douglas. Transfer guards Grant Youngkin (Rice) and Tyson Jolly (Baylor) will provide additional scoring for the Mustangs. Can SMU improve on last season’s 6-12 Conference mark? That remains to be seen. UCF had a remarkable season in 2018-19 with a heartbreaking finish. Can the Knights rebound and have a strong campaign in 2019-20? They will be led by junior forward Collin Smith, junior guard Ceasar DeJesus, and senior guard Frank Bertz. A pair of transfers may make all the difference in how well UCF will do in the AAC this season. Matt Milon (William & Mary) and Dazon Ingram (Alabama) should be able to carry the Knights to a 7th or 8th place finish in the Conference. Head Coach Johnny Dawkins has his work cut out for him this season. East Carolina welcomes an 11-man recruiting class to Greenville, NC. The Pirates will build around sophomore forward Jayden Gardner. East Carolina will lean on guards Tremont Robinson-White and Tyrie Jackson in the backcourt and center Charles Coleman and forward Seth LeDay in the frontcourt. The Pirates may have a tough time matching last season’s 3-15 AAC finish but will be a tough team to play on a nightly basis. Tulane has nowhere to go but up after last season’s 0-18 League record. New Head Coach Ron Hunter has his work cut out for him. The Green Wave will rely on sophomore forward Kevin Zhang and junior guard Ray Ona Embo to carry them in the early part of the season. Tulane got three graduate transfers that could help them this season as well. Guard Nic Thomas (Norfolk State), guard Christion Thompson (Rhode Island), and forward K.J. Lawson (Kansas) all will assist the Green Wave in grinding out a few Conference wins this season.
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