City of Basketball Love

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of CoBL's 2015-16 College Season Preview, which will run from October 2-November 13, the first day of games. For the complete rundown, click here)

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Though the American Athletic Conference might not be the most conventional league in the country, with schools spread from Connecticut to Florida and Texas, it's proven itself as a force to be reckoned with in its first few years.

It certainly helped having Connecticut win the national championship in 2014, the league's inaugural season.

This could be shaping up to be another good year for the AAC--already, on the football field, three of its programs are undefeated and ranked (Temple, Houston, Memphis). On the hardwood, there are no fewer than six teams with legitimate NCAA hopes, and that number would be higher if not for SMU's postseason ban.

Here’s a look at the American Athletic Conference’s third season of existence:

Preseason All-AAC First Team
Quenton DeCosey (12.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)--Sr., Temple
Shaq Goodwin (9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg)--Sr., Memphis
Shaquille Harrison (13.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 apg)--Sr., Tulsa
Nic Moore (14.5 ppg, 5.1 apg)--Sr., Southern Methodist
James Woodard (14.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg)--Sr., Tulsa

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1. Southern Methodist Mustangs
Head Coach: Larry Brown, 4th season (69-34, .670)
Last Year: 27-7 (15-3 AAC), Won AAC Championship; Lost in NCAA Second Round (UCLA, 60-59)
Key Returnees: Nic Moore (14.5 ppg, 5.1 apg), Markus Kennedy (11.9 ppg, 6.3 apg)
Key Departures: Yanick Moreira (11.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Ryan Manuel (6.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg), Cannen Cunningham (6.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
Key Newcomers: Semi Ojeleye (Duke transfer, eligible in January), Shake Milton (Freshman)

Outlook: Despite the sanctions levied on coach Larry Brown--he'll miss the first nine games of the year--the Mustangs look poised to remain near the top of a deep AAC. Brown will miss the first nine games, all of which are non-conference against lesser opponents, with the exception of Michigan. Led by a plethora of senior talent, the team will certainly play with something to prove, especially after being banned from postseason play for this season; a regular-season championship is all they have to play for, and behind the senior inside-out duo of Moore and Kennedy, they’re the favorites to repeat.

2. Cincinnati Bearcats
Head Coach: Mick Cronin, 10th season (185-117, .613)
Last Year: 23-11 (13-5 AAC), lost in AAC quarterfinal (UConn, 57-54), lost in NCAA third round (Kentucky, 64-51)
Key Returnees: Octavius Ellis (9.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Troy Caupain (9.6 ppg, 3.6 apg)
Key Departures: Jermaine Sanders (4.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Key Newcomers: Justin Jenifer (Freshman), Tre Scott (Freshman), Jacob Evans (Freshman)

Outlook: Coming off of a season in which they advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, the Bearcats once again look like they will be among the top teams in the AAC. The team has a number of returning starters, including forwards Octavius Ellis and Shaq Thomas, and guard Troy Caupain. Coach Mick Cronin will return to the sidelines

3. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Head Coach: Frank Haith, 2nd season (23-11, .676)
Last Year: 23-11 (14-4 AAC), Lost in AAC semifinals (UConn, 47-42); lost in NIT Second Round (Murray State, 83-62)
Key Returnees: James Woodard (14.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Shaquille Harrison (13.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 apg), Rashad Smith (8.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
Key Departures: None
Key Newcomers: None

Outlook: This has to be the year for Tulsa. Woodard, Harrison and Smith are three of just seven seniors in the lineup and rotation, and after the Golden Hurricane took the AAC by storm in their first year in the league they ultimately did not make the NCAA Tournament. That's going to be a strong motivating force for Tulsa, who was one of the toughest defensive teams in the country last year; if they can keep that up and become just a little better offensively, they'll be in good shape come March.

4. Connecticut Huskies
Head Coach: Kevin Ollie, 4th season (72-33, .686)
Last Year: 20-15 (10-8 AAC), lost in AAC final (SMU, 62-54); lost in NIT first round (Arizona St., 68-61)
Key Returnees: Rodney Purvis (11.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg), Daniel Hamilton (10.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg), Amida Brimah (9.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
Key Departures: Ryan Boatright (17.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Terrence Samuel (3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
Key Newcomers: Jalen Adams (Freshman), Steven Enoch (Freshman)

Outlook: Despite missing the tournament after winning the national championship and losing its best player in Boatright, Connecticut could be making some noise this year in the American. Ollie’s team returns every top contributor other than Boatright and freshmen Adams and Enoch were both ranked in the top 60 by Rivals in the 2015 class.

5. Temple Owls
Head Coach: Fran Dunphy, 10th season (193-108, .641)
Last Year: 26-11, lost in AAC semifinal (SMU, 69-56), lost in NIT semifinal (Miami, 60-57)
Key Returnees: Jaylen Bond (7.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Quenton DeCosey (12.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Key Departures: Will Cummings (14.8 ppg, 4.1 apg), Jesse Morgan (11.9 ppg)
Key Newcomers: Levan Alston (Freshman), Trey Lowe (Freshman), Ernest Aflakpui (Freshman)

Outlook: With the losses of key seniors Will Cummings and Jesse Morgan, the Owls will now have to rely on fresher faces in the backcourt. Seniors Quenton DeCosey and Jaylen Bond are also vital pieces to a team that is trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. While the maturation of point guard Josh Brown is a big storyline, the key might be sophomore Obi Enechionyia, an athletic combo forward who can score inside and out and is also becoming the team's best defender to boot.

6. Memphis Tigers
Head Coach: Josh Pastner, 7th season (148-58, .718)
Last Year: 18-14 (10-8 AAC), lost in AAC quarterfinal (Temple, 80-75)
Key Returnees: Shaq Goodwin (9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg), Trahson Burrell (9.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Avery Woodson (7.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg),
Key Departures: Austin Nichols (13.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg), Nick King (7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Key Newcomers: Ricky Tarrant Jr. (Transfer from Alabama), Nick Marshall (Freshman), K.J. Lawson (Freshman), Dedric Lawson (Freshman)

Outlook: The Tigers were one of the youngest teams in the country last season, and were poised to return every major piece of last year’s team, but then King and Nichols opted to transfer in the offseason. Nichols was the team’s leading scorer last season, but Pastner did bring in three freshman forwards who were all four-star recruits. Nichols’ departure will hurt, but it gives Goodwin the chance to develop as one of the top big men in the league.

7. Tulane Green Wave
Head Coach: Ed Conroy, 6th season (80-81, .497)
Last Year: 15-16 (6-12 AAC), Lost in AAC tournament first round (Houston, 66-60)
Key Returners: Louis Dabney (13.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg), Dylan Osetkowski (6.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Key Departures: Jonathan Stark (10.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Payton Henson (6.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Jay Hook (11.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
Key Newcomers: Jernard Jarreau (Transfer from Washington), Malik Morgan (Transfer from LSU), Melvin Frazier (Freshman)

Outlook: Tulane lost three of its top five scorers from last season, two of whom (Stark and Henson) due to transfers. Conroy will need production from the two transfers he brought in (Jarreau and Morgan) in hopes of filling that void.

8. East Carolina Pirates
Head Coach: Jeff Lebo, 6th season (87-80, .521)
Last Year: 14-19 (6-12 AAC), lost in AAC quarterfinals (SMU, 74-68)
Key Returnees: B.J. Tyson (12.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Caleb White (12.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
Key Departures: Terry Whisnant (12.3 ppg)
Key Newcomers: Deng Riak (Freshman), Kentrell Barkley (Freshman), Charles Foster (Transfer), Clarence Williams (Transfer)

Outlook: Coming off of their first season in the AAC, in which they ended the year with a 14-19 record, the Pirates are still expected to finish towards the cellar of the conference in 2015-16. Jeff Lebo, who enters his sixth year as head coach, does have two of his leading scorers from last year, guards Caleb White and B.J. Tyson, returning for this coming season.

9. Central Florida Knights
Head Coach: Donnie Jones, 6th season (67-70, .489)
Last Year: 12-18 (5-13 AAC), Lost in AAC tournament first round (East Carolina, 81-80 OT)
Key Returnees: B.J. Taylor (12.8 ppg), Adonys Henriquez (10.8 ppg)
Key Departures: Brandon Goodwin (10.2 ppg), Kasey Wilson (7.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
Key Newcomers: Tacko Fall (Freshman), Chance McSpadden (Freshman), Chad Brown (Freshman)

Outlook: Despite the poor record, the team did have two guards, Adonys Henriquez and B.J. Taylor, named to the AAC’s All-Rookie Team. Those two bright spots will look to help the Knights climb towards the middle of this year’s conference standings. And there will be a lot of intrigue surrounding Fall, the 7-foot-5 center who will become one of the tallest players in Division I basketball when he takes the court.

10. Houston Cougars
Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson, 2nd season (13-19, .406)
Last Year: 13-19, Lost in AAC tournament quarterfinal (Tulsa, 59-51)
Key Returnees: Devonta Pollard (11.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Danrad Knowles (9.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), L.J. Rose (9.8 ppg, 5.3 apg)
Key Departures: Jherrod Stiggers (14.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg),
Key Newcomers: Chris Harris (Freshman), Galen Robinson (Freshman)

Outlook: The Cougars finished second-to-last in the AAC in Sampson’s first year. Sampson has a proven track record of winning, piling up 400 wins before recruiting violations in 2008 ended a 20-year run at Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can bring that same success in the re-start of his coaching career. After Stiggers, the next four scorers all return for the Cougars, but they’ll need to be much more efficient offensively to start moving up in the standings, and there’s still a talent gap between them and the top half of the league.

11. South Florida Bulls
Head Coach: Orlando Antigua, 2nd season (9-23, .281)
Last Year: 9-23 (3-15 AAC), lost in AAC Tournament first round (UConn, 69-43)
Key Returnees: Chris Perry (10.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg), Nehemias Morillo (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Key Departures: Corey Allen Jr. (15.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.5 apg)
Key Newcomers: Angel Nunez (Graduate-Transfer from Gonzaga), Shawn Smith (JUCO-Transfer), Tulio Da Silva (Freshman), Luis Santos (Freshman)

Outlook: Statistically one of the worst teams in the country last season, a far-cry from the competitive team that they fielded in 2012 that made it to the Round of 32 after defeating a fifth seeded Temple team in the second round of the tournament. Second-year coach Orlando Antigua is starting to shape the team to his liking, he previously served as an associate head coach to Jamie Dixon at Pitt and John Calipari at Kentucky.