Busting Brackets
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AAC Basketball: Updated 2018-19 preseason rankings for the conference

By Lukas Harkins

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: during the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: during the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 18: Trevor Moore #5 of the Cincinnati Bearcats high fives Jarron Cumberland #34. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 18: Trevor Moore #5 of the Cincinnati Bearcats high fives Jarron Cumberland #34. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Based on the amount of talent that Cincinnati lost this offseason, it is definitely reasonable to expect that the team will finish lower than third in the league this year. Yet, it is simply not a good idea to bet against head coach Mick Cronin. In five years as a member of the AAC, the Bearcats have won at least 12 conference games in every single season and they have not finished lower than third in the league.

So, despite the major losses of Jacob Evans, Gary Clark, and Kyle Washington, projecting them to finish outside of the top-tier looks like it would be a mistake. In addition, the Bearcats still have a few solid pieces returning as well as a few players who could be in for breakout campaigns with more opportunities on the court this year.

Related Story. 5 questions facing Cincinnati. light

For starters, shooting guard Jarron Cumberland looks poised to become the next Cincinnati superstar. As a sophomore this past season, the 6-foot-4 Cumberland averaged 11.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. While his shooting slashes of .409/.339/.678 are not the prettiest to look at, he has proven his abilities as a scorer and should emerge as the go-to offensive player this year for Cincinnati.

In addition, returning guards Cane Broome and Justin Jenifer should resume their tandem point guard duties this year with hopes of showing more offensive firepower. To put it simply, Cincinnati’s potential issues this season will not be on defense. Along with Virginia, Cincinnati was one of the best defensive teams in the country last season and the roster construction for this season once again shows a potentially lockdown team.