AAC basketball: Five questions for the 2017-18 season

Last season was predictable for the American Athletic Conference. With the arrival of Wichita State, here are five questions for the upcoming campaign with this league.

1. Is Kevin Ollie on the hot seat?

After winning the National Championship in 2014, the UConn Huskies have been fighting to just remain in the top half of a league in which other programs don’t have anywhere near the pedigree they do.

In normal circumstances, Ollie would be in real danger, but UConn isn’t the type to fire coaches. Jim Calhoun stayed a long time even with some ethical issues. It also wasn’t long ago when fans were worried the Los Angeles Lakers were gonna take him. He might not be in immediate danger, but improvements with the team needs to be seen.

2. Will Wichita State come in and win the league right away?

There are plausible pros and cons to whichever prediction people choose. On one hand, the Shockers come in as a top ten team and return all of their key players from last year’s 30+ win team.

However, the AAC is a better league than the Missouri Valley and getting the wins won’t be as easy. There’s the acclimation process of playing on different days and locations, too.

3. Is Cincinnati’s offense better than their defense?

Since Mick Cronin arrived to Cincinnati a dozen years ago, the Bearcats have been built through grit and toughness. There have been questions about whether their offense has kept them from achieving elite status.

That’s not the case this season with players like Jacob Evans, Kyle Washington and Sacred Heart transfer Cane Broome (23 ppg) leading the way. The team will still be solid on defense, but this season they may be able to outscore their opponents when needed.

4. Is Robert Gray Jr. the best player in the league?

Last season, the Houston Cougars were led by the All-AAC first team duo Gray and Damyean Dotson. With the big man now gone, it’ll be up to the 20 ppg guard to keep Houston a contender in the conference. The team overall might not be as good, but Gray will have plenty of chances to fill up the stat sheet.

5. Can Tacko Fall lead the Knights to the NCAA tournament?

Last season was a big transformation for Fall. He went from being a 7’6 tall kid hanging out in the paint to a true and effective basketball player. A ton of credit has to go to Johnny Dawkins, who has turned around the program in just one season.

Next: AAC predictions for 2017-18

Central Florida received some unfortunate news this week with Michigan transfer and the son of the head coach Aubrey Dawkins out for the season. While it’s a blow, a number of other transfers who sat out last season will be available this time around. Ultimately though, it’s up to Fall as well as BJ Taylor to be the catalysts for an NCAA bid.