American Athletic Conference preview: All eyes on UConn, SMU
Yahoo Sports will break down the top 10 leagues for the upcoming college basketball season working backward from No. 10 to No. 1. Here's a look at our No. 6 league, the American Athletic Conference.
The title race in the American Athletic Conference this winter isn't likely to inspire much nostalgia or dredge up lingering hostilities.
Not once in the previous 48 years had the two clear-cut favorites even played one-another before they renewed acquaintances in the AAC's debut season last year.
In one corner is tradition-rich defending national champion UConn, which landed in the AAC last year when the old Big East split up and it couldn't find a power conference home for its fledgling football program. In the other corner is onetime afterthought SMU, a program that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament in more than two decades but has rocketed to national prominence in the three years since bringing in hall of fame coach Larry Brown to spark a resurgence.
What the AAC race lacks in history it could make up for in drama because both the Huskies and Mustangs have the potential to be factors deep into March this season. The return of Ryan Boatright and the arrival of some fresh faces at wing give UConn a chance to absorb the graduation of All-American Shabazz Napier, while a slew of returning talent ensures SMU will be able to withstand top recruit Emmanuel Mudiay's decision to skip college and play professionally overseas.
UConn is probably a slight favorite based on both talent and pedigree.
Few teams will be able to match the Huskies' depth and talent in the backcourt even without Napier. Ryan Boatright will shift from complementary scorer to point guard, catalyst and unquestioned team leader. Promising freshman Daniel Hamilton and NC State transfer Rodney Purvis will provide scoring from the wing spots. And between junior college transfer Sam Cassell Jr., returning sophomore Terrence Samuel and last year's forgotten man Omar Calhoun, there are no shortage of options off the bench either.
Frontcourt scoring may once again be an issue for UConn, but the Huskies should be outstanding defensively in the paint. Athletic 7-footer Amida Brimah averaged 2.3 blocks per game in just 16 minutes a night last season, showcasing the potential to be one of the nation's elite rim protectors in a bigger role this season. Forward Phillip Nolan added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason and should be a force on the glass, while Kentan Facey and freshman Rakim Lubin are capable of contributing off the bench.
SMU certainly won't fear UConn after sweeping a pair of games from the Huskies last season. Nor will the Mustangs lack for motivation after they were maybe the final team left out of the NCAA tournament last season despite a solid 23-9 record and a 12-6 mark in league play.
What gives the Mustangs a great chance to leave no doubt about their NCAA tournament candidacy this winter is the return of every key player besides guard Nick Russell and forward Shawn Williams from a team that finished as the NIT runner-up. All-conference point guard Nic Moore is an outstanding shooter and distributor, forward Markus Kennedy is a double-double threat and wing Keith Frazier and big man Yanick Moreira both have breakout potential. The arrival of battle-tested Xavier transfer Justin Martin also provides another double-digit scorer who improved every season with the Musketeers.
One concern for SMU is the eligibility of Kennedy, whose academics are apparently an issue. Brown released a statement last week acknowledging Kennedy "still has some work to do to meet eligibility standards for competition this season" but also insisting he expected the forward "to regain his eligibility and get back on track to earn his degree."
Should either SMU or UConn falter, Memphis and Cincinnati are the best positioned to take advantage.
The Tigers may have the league's two best frontcourt players in Shaq Goodwin and Austin Nichols, but they'll need Vanderbilt transfer Kedren Johnson to solidify a backcourt that lost every key player from last season. Cincinnati once again should be formidable defensively and on the glass, but the Bearcats may be even more of a mess than usual offensively with Sean Kilpatrick graduating and not a single player back who averaged more than 6.8 points.
Of the rest of the league, the team most capable of making a surprise NCAA tournament run is Tulsa. Guard James Harrison, the MVP of last year's Conference USA tournament, is back to lead the Golden Hurricane, which hope to carry over momentum from last year's NCAA tournament appearance despite coach Danny Manning bolting for Wake Forest.
MAKING A LIST
More from Yahoo Sports' 2014-15 Season Preview:
• Oct. 3: Eight key questions as practice begins
• Oct. 6: Preseason Top 25 with best-case and worst-case scenarios
• Oct. 7: WCC Preview: Newcomers may tighten Gonzaga's grip on the league
• Oct. 8: To become a more well-rounded player, Kyle Wiltjer changed his body and his game
• Oct. 9: Ranking the 15 transfers who can make the biggest impact
• Oct. 10: A-10 Preview: As VCU ascends, much of the league rebuilds
• Oct. 13: Atoning for last March's costly gaffe drives VCU's JeQuan Lewis.
• Oct. 14: Ten freshmen who will make the biggest impact
• Oct. 15: Mountain West Preview: Who will emerge to challenge San Diego State?
• Oct. 16: Cody Doolin could be the ideal antidote to what has ailed UNLV
• Oct. 20: Ten coaches under the most pressure to win this season
• Oct. 21: Big East Preview: To raise its stature, the league needs a big March
• Oct. 22: Chris Holtmann aims to guide Butler through period of uncertainty
• Oct. 23: The 25 most intriguing non-league games of the new season
• Oct. 24: American Athletic Conference preview: All eyes on UConn, SMU
Best shooter: Nic Moore, SMU. Overshadowed by Russ Smith, Shabazz Napier and Sean Kilpatrick last season in the guard-heavy American Athletic Conference, Moore figures to enjoy his time in the spotlight this year. The 5-foot-9 senior averaged 13.6 points and 4.9 assists per game last season and shot 43.6 percent from behind the arc, the highest among returning players in the league. Moore will retain his starting point guard job with top prospect Emmanuel Mudiay opting to turn pro.
Best playmaker: Ryan Boatright, UConn. The departure of Napier pushes Boatright from a complementary position into the role of point guard, offensive catalyst and team leader. Those are duties the dynamic 6-foot senior should be able to handle after averaging 12.1 points and 3.4 assists as a secondary ball handler and scorer last season.
Best defender: Amida Brimah, UConn. Brimah emerged as UConn's most pleasant surprise last season, averaging a 2.3 blocks per game despite logging only 16.2 minutes a night. Expectations will be higher for the athletic 7-footer from Ghana this season even though shoulder surgery kept him from playing much this summer. UConn needs Brimah to evolve into a fearsome rim protector and capable rebounder while also becoming a threat on offense as well.
Top NBA prospect: Take your pick between two UConn standouts. It could be Brimah because his size, athleticism and shot-blocking instincts translate well to the next level. It also could be freshman Daniel Hamilton, a 6-foot-7 wing with prototypical NBA size and a knack for pushing the tempo and putting the ball in the basket. Heck, even former McDonald's All-American and NC State transfer Rodney Purvis is certainly on the NBA's radar as well. In other words, UConn has loads of potential even with Napier, DeAndre Daniels and Niels Giffey no longer in Storrs.
Best backcourt: UConn. You know about Boatright, Hamilton and Purvis by now, but the Huskies go six deep at guard. Omar Calhoun was a double-digit scorer and a spark plug off the bench before fading from the rotation last season. Terrence Samuel was a pleasant surprise during the Huskies' NCAA tournament victories over Villanova and Iowa State. And Sam Cassell Jr. is a former Maryland signee who transferred from junior college.
Best frontcourt: Memphis. All three of Memphis' returning players from last year are frontcourt guys. Six-foot-9 double-double threat Shaq Goodwin is an all-league caliber talent and will anchor the paint this year. Highly touted 6-foot-8 Austin Nichols will try to build on an AAC rookie of the year freshman season in which he averaged 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. And don't forget sophomore swingman Nick King, who only logged 20 or more minutes in three games last season but will play a far bigger role this year.
Best recruiting class: UConn. The best recruiting class is the one with the best bloodlines. Hamilton, Rivals.com's No. 14 recruit, is the younger brother of former Texas star Jordan Hamilton and current UCLA guard Isaac Hamilton. Sam Cassell Jr., a former Maryland signee who spent last year in junior college, is the son of the former longtime NBA guard. And Rakim Lubin ... well, nobody in his family is famous, but the 6-foot-8 freshman still is capable of making an immediate impact off the bench on the glass.
Coach on the rise: Kevin Ollie, UConn When UConn promoted Ollie to interim coach in Sept. 2012 after Jim Calhoun announced his retirement, the new coach inherited a program ineligible for the postseason and a roster decimated by early departures. Four of the six best players from the previous year's underachieving team had already either turned pro or transferred and the remaining two were also considering leaving. All Ollie has done since then is stabilize the program, claim the full-time job and preside over the most unlikely national title run in school history. His understated demeanor is a good fit for the NBA as well, but it appears he'll stay at UConn for the time being.
Coach on the hot seat: Donnie Jones, Central Florida. Between the NCAA sanctions under his watch in 2012 and a 4-14 conference record in his debut season in the AAC last year, Jones has a couple strikes against him. Three previous 20-win seasons in Conference USA ought to buy him some patience, but with the team replacing its three leading scorers and nearly 50 percent of its rebounding from last year, the outlook for this season is pretty bleak. Can Jones afford another bottom-tier finish in league play? That may be the question this spring.
FACTS AND FIGURES
New coaches: Frank Haith, Tulsa; Kelvin Sampson, Houston; Orlando Antigua, South Florida
Regular-season winner last season: Louisville/Cincinnati
Tourney winner last season: Louisville
League RPI rank in each of past 3 seasons: 2013-14: 8th, 2012-13: NA 1st, 2011-12: NA
NCAA bids last season: 4 (Louisville, Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis)
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
