Cougars near top of AAC as conference play begins
The American Athletic Conference begins league basketball play this week with two familiar schools ranked, another set to begin defense of its title and a handful others lurking in the shadows.
Just the type of deep conference that could beat up on one another on a weekly basis.
“I don’t think anybody thought anybody could go 16-2 last year. I sure didn’t,” University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said of his team’s AAC regular-season record, which produced the school’s first outright conference title since 1984. “We did because we got good. If anybody can go 16-2 this year it would be either Memphis or Wichita State. I don’t think anybody else can.”
Through nonconference play, Memphis (11-1) and Wichita State (11-1) have been the top teams in the league. The Tigers, who start four freshmen, are ranked No. 9, and the Shockers entered the Associated Press poll for the first time in nearly two years at No. 24 on Monday.
Every AAC team has a winning record except 6-7 East Carolina. Memphis, Wichita State and Houston (10-3) all have double-digit win totals, while SMU, Connecticut and Central Florida each has nine. In nonconference games, AAC teams compiled a .705 winning percentage.
In the latest NET rankings, a metric used to help determine the NCAA Tournament field, the AAC has four teams among the top 50: Wichita State (No. 10), Memphis (No. 13), Houston (No. 40) and Temple (No. 42).
Sampson believes the AAC, after sending four schools to the NCAA Tournament last season, could receive more bids this March.
“I think we’ll get more this year,” Sampson said. “I don’t think the league records are going to be as good, but that’s because all the teams have gotten better.”
ESPN’s latest bracket projections have the AAC receiving three bids: Memphis, Wichita State and Houston.
After playing in the NIT in coach Penny Hardaway’s first season, Memphis signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and already beat Mississippi, North Carolina State and No. 19 Tennessee. Memphis has not skipped a beat despite the off-court saga of James Wiseman, a 7-1 freshman who was a preseason All-American and a potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Wiseman, who averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in three games, formally withdrew from school in mid-December to prepare for the draft.
Without Wiseman, the Tigers rely on one of the nation’s toughest defenses and a deep, talented roster. Much of the scoring load has fallen on freshman forwards Precious Achiuwa, who entered Monday night averaging just below a double-double (14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds per game), and D.J. Jeffries (11.8 points per game).
“When you lose a guy like Wiseman, you think you’d take a step back, but they haven’t,” Sampson said. “That’s a credit to Penny, his staff and those kids they recruited. They are really, really good.”
After making seven straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, Wichita State was in rebuild mode last season. The Shockers began AAC play 1-6 but went 9-2 to end the regular season and advanced to the NIT semifinals. Wichita State returns three starters, led by 6-11 senior center Jaime Echenique.
“If we don’t allow good to become the enemy of great, we can make a statement this year,” Shockers coach Gregg Marshall told the Wichita Eagle after Sunday’s 84-66 win over Abilene
Christian.
Sampson can see some similarities between last year’s Wichita State squad and the Cougars, who were picked as co-favorites with Memphis in the preseason AAC poll despite having to replace four starters.
The Cougars have gone with a committee when it comes to scoring, with sophomore Quentin Grimes (14.3), a Kansas transfer, redshirt freshman Caleb Mills (11.7) and sophomore Nate Hinton, who is averaging nearly a double-double with 13.3 points and 9.4 rebounds, leading the way. The Cougars have won eight of their last nine, including a 75-71 victory over No. 21 Washington in the Diamond Head Classic title game.
“We’re a lot better than we were a month ago,” Sampson said.
UCF is off to a strong start even with the loss of all-conference players B.J. Taylor, Aubrey Dawkins and Tacko Fall.
The biggest early-season mystery is Cincinnati. Mick Cronin, who led the Bearcats to nine straight NCAA Tournaments, left for UCLA in the offseason and was replaced by John Brannen. With Jarron Cumberland, the reigning AAC player of the year, hobbled with injuries, the Bearcats are off to a 7-5 start.