Thread: Around the AAC
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Old 08-13-2017, 12:17 PM   #25
justinhub2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Queens_NYC View Post
Here are my August AAC Power Rankings...

1. UC... A few question marks at the 1 spot but other than that this team can be scary good. Could easily be Cronin's best team yet.

2. WSU... The only team in the league that returns more than UC and I agree with justin that they can be interchangable with UC at the top spot. Hopefully Chamet's absence early on does not lead to any bad OOC performances.

3. UCF... Ended last season on a high note with a NIT Final 4 appearance and should have more scoring options this season with their transfers in the backcourt and on the wings. Should still be the best defensive team in the league.

4. Temple... I almost put this team at #3. They are going to be VERY good. They return young skill (Alston, Rose, and Alani Moore), size (Obi, Aflakpui, and Damian Moore) and will be getting two 15-16 contributors back (Trey Lowe and Josh Brown). Coupled with a strong recruiting class this team should be very well balanced. The only question is who is going to emerge as "the man" in the clutch.

5. SMU... They're going to be a lot weaker in the front court but arguably better at the 1-3 positions. I think they take some lumps OOC but should be a solid team with McMurray in the rotation.

6. UConn... Like SMU, they're going to go as far as their guards take them. Less experience puts them in this spot.

7. Houston... The story of losing a lot in the front court, returning a lot in the back court continues here. I don't think Gray gets enough help for them to contend for a Top 5 spot.

8. Tulsa... This team finishes no lower than 8th. They return A LOT and will get some more help on the wings with Curran Scott eligible along with one of the better JUCO transfers in DaQuan Jeffries.

9. East Carolina... This is where my picks might turn a few heads. ECU actually finished last season on a decent note beating Temple in the AAC tournament and only losing to SMU by 4 in the quarterfinals. They return some pretty good guards but will be very weak in the front court with a lot of attrition.

10. Tulane... They return two good players in Frazier and and Reynolds along with an under the radar guard in Ray Ona Embo who helped France take bronze at the Euro U20 championships. Like others, they'll be weak in the front court but I think they definitely improve on last year's struggles.

11. Memphis... This team returns TWO contributors from last year's squad and while there may be some pleasant surprises from their newcomers this season I think they struggle like we did during Cronin's first season.

12. USF... They have some grad transfers who should help them compete and a few other players who would probably make decent role players on other teams but collectively they will struggle. Still think they could upset a team or two at home.

Unless your putting ECU or Tulane at the top of the conference, its hard to argue with anyones order or logic around their predictions. This league is wide open after the 1 and 2 spots.

Its not happening fast But I do think ECU and Tulane are on the rise. They are at least adding 3 star talent to the fold.
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