AAC basketball: Five teams that can win the 2017 title

Feb 1, 2017; Tulsa, OK, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Kyle Washington (24) pulls down a rebound as Tulsa Golden Hurricane guard Sterling Taplin (4) defends during the second half at Donald Reynolds Center. Cincinnati won 57-55. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights guard B.J. Taylor (1) drives around Connecticut Huskies guard Rodney Purvis (15) during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at CFE Federal Credit Union Arena. The Huskies won 66-63. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

3. UCF Knights

The Knights are hugely improved from last season and have found their stride at the right time. They have won five straight to end the season, and head coach Johnny Dawkins led the Knights to 20 wins for the first time since 2011-12. He’s in his first season as coach and will try to get an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

The Knights have shown that they can compete with the elite teams in the league. They beat Cincinnati in one of the two meetings and lost to SMU by five in their lone meeting. While they struggle away from home and can lose badly, their losses at home are typically by a few points.

Tacko Fall was able to grow offensively after six older players departed from last season’s squad. Not only does Fall nearly average a double-double, but he shoots .728 percent from the field, which is the third-best in the nation. He scores 11.5 points per game and knows how to find high percentage looks.

The team nearly averages 42 rebounds per game and only allows 60.5 points per game. Both are in the top five in the nation and they can shut down teams offensively when they play well. They’ll open against Memphis who they split the season series with.