There are star players throughout AAC basketball, and each will make a major impact on the 2017-18 season. Let’s take a look at each team and their star.
Since the AAC started in 2013-14, they have been a very solid conference in college hoops. They have sent an average of three schools to the Big Dance in their four seasons and they already have a National Championship under their belt thanks to Connecticut in the conference’s inaugural season.
Since that first season, no team has reached the Sweet 16 from the conference, although several have come close. Will this be the year that a team emerges from the AAC and makes a deep run in the NCAA Tournament? Wichita State, who joined added to the conference this offseason, and Cincinnati seem like candidates to make a deep run, but could someone surprise us?
In addition to the team success of the conference, there has been a ton of top level talent in the AAC. NBA players Shabazz Napier and Sean Kilpatrick both played in the American Athletic Conference and there is a new group of stars emerging in the conference. Each team has their go-to-guy and they will rally behind them in the biggest moments of their season.
Winning in the AAC is rarely easy, and in late-game situations, star play is what matters most. Without further introduction, let’s look at each team in the conference and who their star player(s) will be in the 2017-18 season.
Cincinnati Bearcats – SR Kyle Washington
Coming back for his senior season, Kyle Washington is an impact player for Cincinnati. The Bearcats are a team that typically focuses on a balanced attack but Washington will be the main man this season. Along with teammate Troy Caupain (now graduated), Washington was an All-Conference Second Team selection last season.
Cincinnati is likely a preseason top-25 team this season, and they will rely on Washington as an all-around presence. As a scorer, Washington averaged 12.9 points per game on 51.0% from the field. This efficiency is very solid, especially considering the 6’9″ forward connected on 15 of his 42 3-point attempts a season ago. Washington is a versatile scorer and has tremendous shot selection.
In addition to his scoring, Washington is an aggressive hustle player. He always seems to be in the right place and fights for each rebound or loose ball. Washington averaged 6.6 rebounds per game last season while also racking up 1.1 blocks per game. For Cincinnati to play to their potential this season, they will need Washington to be at his best as a senior.
Connecticut Huskies – JR Jalen Adams
An All-Conference First Team selection last season, Jalen Adams is one of the frontrunners to win the conference Player of the Year award this season. While leading the conference in total assists (195), Adams was one of the best floor generals in the country. Connecticut might have finished under .500 last season, but Adams gave Connecticut fans hope that he could lead the Huskies back to the NCAA Tournament.
Just a sophomore last season, Adams averaged 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. After being the team’s leading scorer a year ago, Adams will be called on to be the primary offensive weapon for Connecticut once again this season.
Double-digit scorer Rodney Purvis has now graduated, but Alterique Gilbert (10.3 PPG) and Terry Larrier (13.5 PPG) return alongside Adams in the lineup. With the returning talent on the roster, Connecticut can hopefully make more improvements this season and get closer to the NCAA Tournament.
For Adams, he could easily average 15+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game this season. Only four players in all of college basketball averaged such numbers last season, including Markelle Fultz, the #1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
East Carolina Pirates – JR Kentrell Barkley
Although East Carolina went just 6-12 in AAC play last season, there is hope for the program moving forward. Kentrell Barkley was the team’s star a season ago and he will take on that role again this season. As a sophomore in 2016-17, Barkley averaged 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. As a 6’5″ guard, it is his rebounding ability that makes him stand out on the court.
Barkley has excellent size as a guard and he does a great job finding the ball after it caroms off the rim. On both ends of the floor, Barkley is an aggressive player. This aggressive play allows him to rebound as well as get to the free throw line quite often. With 188 total attempts, Barkley was third in the conference in free throw attempts last season.
This season, the Pirates will rely on Barkley and sophomore Jeremy Shephard as they attempt to move up the conference standings. East Carolina has not made the NCAA Tournament since 1993 and they have just two winning seasons this century.
With Barkley leading the way this season, they could possibly improve on their 15-18 record from last season and play in their first postseason tournament (CIT) since 2014.
Houston Cougars – SR Rob Gray Jr.
Without Damyean Dotson, the Houston Cougars will need to rely on Rob Gray Jr. even more this season. Gray was a junior last season, and he put up 20.6 points per game, which led the American Athletic Conference. With his scoring output, Gray was named to the All-Conference First Team in 2016-17.
Like Connecticut’s Jalen Adams (mentioned earlier), Gray has the ability to potentially win the conference’s Player of the Year award this season. Yet, even with Gray’s outstanding play, Houston was unable to make the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The team finished the year 21-11 and third in the AAC.
Gray’s co-star, Dotson (17.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG), is now graduated and that will definitely hurt the team as they try to recover from losing so much production. With this, even more of the team’s production will be put on Gray’s back. He will be called on to be the top scoring option in every single game and Houston will need somebody else to step up on occasion.
Still, with Gray taking a lot of shots this season, he should once again lead the conference in scoring, and he could even see an increase to nearly 25 per game.
Memphis Tigers – JR Jeremiah Martin
Losing both Dedric and K.J. Lawson will greatly affect the Memphis Tigers. Dedric was named to the All-Conference First Team last season while K.J. was named to the All-Rookie Team. Yet, in the offseason, they have both decided to transfer. Without the duo on the roster, Memphis will need to turn to a new star.
Enter Jeremiah Martin.
After an unspectacular freshman season two years ago in which Martin played just 13.8 minutes per game and averaged 2.7 points per game, he took a massive jump in production as a sophomore. Last season, Martin nearly tripled his minutes per game to 34.8 and became a major part of the team’s offense, scoring 10.3 points per contest. Remember, this breakout season also happened with both Lawson’s on the roster.
Now that Dedric and K.J. (in addition to Markel Crawford) are gone, Martin’s role will be even bigger this year. Martin is the only returning double-digit scorer for Memphis and he could easily increase his average to 15+ points per game.
Couple Martin’s scoring potential with his playmaking (4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game) and you have a potential All-Conference player on your hands.
SMU Mustangs – JR Shake Milton
Sterling Brown and Semi Ojeleye are now playing in the NBA and Ben Moore has graduated. After a great season in 2016-17, it looks like SMU will be taking a step back this season. But, they do return junior guard Shake Milton, a nominee for the best name in college basketball.
Although Milton averaged in double figures as a freshman two years ago, he took a massive step up as a sophomore. Many players increase their production from year to year by increasing their minutes, but that was not the case for Milton. Milton truly became a more effective and all-around talent as a sophomore and it showed on the court.
He increased his scoring output (10.5 PPG –> 13.0 PPG), playmaking (2.7 APG –> 4.5 APG), rebounding (3.0 RPG –> 4.1 RPB) and increased his steal rate (0.8 SPG –> 1.2 SPG) all while playing just three more minutes per game. This overall progression from his freshman to sophomore year was astounding and it will greatly help SMU if he can have a similar production increase in his junior season.
Already one of the best shooters in the conference (82-for-194, 42.3% from three last season), Milton is a dangerous offensive weapon. If SMU is to stay around the top of the AAC, it will be up to Milton to take that next step.
South Florida Bulls – SO Tulio Da Silva
South Florida is in a tough spot right now. Since joining the AAC in 2013-14, they are just 11-61 in conference play. That is just downright bad. Last season was their worst, though, as the Bulls won just one game in conference play.
Just a freshman last season, Tulio Da Silva averaged 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. This season, he could easily be the primary scoring option for the team that will likely struggle in conference play. Da Silva has the chance to progress as the star player for the next three seasons.
At 6’8″, Da Silva has the size to be a very tough cover in the AAC. In addition to his scoring, he is an aggressive rebounder. In fact, he holds the USF freshman record for rebounds in a season. Still, he will need to take a major step up in production for South Florida to have a good season.
It does not seem likely that South Florida will take a major jump from 2016-17 to this year, but even winning two conference games would double their output from a season ago. Here’s to hoping that Da Silva can lead the Bulls to a better season this time around.
Temple Owls – JR Shizz Alston Jr.
Between senior Obi Enechionyia and junior Shizz Alston Jr., Temple has two really solid players heading into this season. Both players score the ball from inside and outside the arc and are unselfish with the ball. Yet, with Alston coming off a great sophomore season, the potential for him to explode as a junior makes him the star for Temple in this piece.
Last season, Shizz flashed his all-around game in multiple ways. He scored effectively, dropping in 13.9 points per game, and led the team in assists at 4.1 per game. In addition, he came away with 1.7 steals per contest, which was third in the conference.
Alston’s ability to be effective on both ends of the floor really helps the Owls. As the primary playmaker, he already is a leader on the offensive end of the floor, but his defensive leadership cannot be understated. Alston does an excellent job reading passing lanes and disrupts the opponent’s offense often.
Entering this season, Enechionyia and Alston will team up once again in hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament. Temple went an even 16-16 last season, but was 7-11 (8th in the AAC) in conference play.
Tulane Green Wave – SR Cameron Reynolds
Tulane is another program that is currently struggling. They have had just one winning season (2012-13) this century and their last NCAA Tournament appearance was in the 1994-95 season. Last season was also extremely rough. With a 6-25 record, last year was Tulane’s worse since the 1989-90 season (4-24 record).
For this season, Tulane hopes to right the ship. In order to do that, senior Cameron Reynolds will need to have a massive season. Reynolds had a very good junior campaign, scoring 17.0 points and adding 6.8 rebounds per game, but it was not enough for Tulane to have a good season.
Although Reynolds is a talented scorer, the problem is that even when he dominates a game, the Green Wave still often times fall short. In games where Reynolds scored 20 or more points last season, Tulane was just 3-9.
Entering this season, Reynolds is going to need lots of help if Tulane is going to have a good season. Junior Melvin Frazier will likely be the second scoring option this season, and he will need to have a breakout season alongside Reynolds for Tulane to land in the middle of the conference.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane – SR Junior Etou
After finishing 15-17 last season, Tulsa snapped a streak of 10 consecutive winning seasons. It was definitely a tough season for the Golden Hurricane as they finished just seventh in the conference. And it was due to their offense. While scoring just 67.4 points per contest, Tulsa ranked 297th in the country in scoring.
Thankfully, their only double-digit scorer from a season ago, Junior Etou, is returning for his senior season. After two seasons at Rutgers, Etou joined Tulsa last season. One of the most efficient scorers in the conference, Etou averaged 12.6 points per game (6.7 rebounds per game as well) in 2016-17.
He did so on 49.0% from the field and a scorching 42.7% from three. In accordance with those numbers, Etou’s 62.7% true shooting was second in the conference behind UCF’s Fall.
Mostly seen as a scoring threat, it would not be a surprise if Etou took another step forward to over 15 points per game as a senior. Tulsa needs scoring, and they will turn to Etou to get those points.
UCF Knights – JR Tacko Fall/B.J. Taylor
Standing at 7’6″, Tacko Fall is one of the most intimidating big men in the country. His incredible size makes it nearly impossible to score on him inside and his scoring efficiency is off the charts. While averaging 10.9 points per game last season, Fall shot 71.5% from the field, which was tops in the conference. In addition, he snagged 9.5 rebounds and swatted a ridiculous 2.6 shots per game. And he did all this in just 26.3 minutes per game.
After finishing fourth in the AAC last season and going 24-12 (11-7 AAC), UCF has a chance to make the Big Dance this upcoming season. Junior B.J. Taylor (17.4 PPG) is a top-notch guard and he pairs up nicely with Fall.
With another offseason of training in, Fall and Taylor will be even better in their junior seasons, and that will make UCF a competitor in the AAC. With Taylor taking care of the scoring production for the Knights, Fall is allowed to take advantage of his size on the defensive end by blocking shots and finishing easy buckets in the paint.
Their games complement each other very well and that is a good sign for UCF both for this season and the one after.
Wichita State Shockers – SO Landry Shamet/JR Markis McDuffie
Although he is currently injured and could miss the beginning of the 2017-18 season, Landry Shamet will be a frontrunner to win AAC Player of the Year this season. One of the best players in the entire country, Shamet is dangerous in a variety of ways. He can beat you off the dribble, shoot it from deep, make plays for his teammates, and plays solid defense.
After medically redshirting his first year at Wichita State, Shamet had a top-notch freshman campaign with the Shockers. He averaged 11.4 points and 3.3 assists per game on a dazzling 43.9% from 3-point land. For the 2017-18 season, Wichita State is regarded as one of the top teams in the country and the favorite to win the AAC.
In addition to Shamet, the Shockers are privileged to have Markis McDuffie on the roster as well, who will need to step up as the #1 star while Shamet is injured early in the season. Once Shamet returns though, that duo will be one of the toughest to guard in the country.
Next: Revisiting the 2003-04 CBB season
The AAC boasts a lot of top talent this season, especially with Wichita State joining the conference. The hope is that they can send a bunch of schools to the Big Dance in March, but we will have to see how the season plays out. Star play is what can dictate big games, so which one of these stars will make something happen for their team?