Busting Brackets
Fansided

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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TULSA, OK – MARCH 17: Head coach Tim Jankovich of the Southern Methodist Mustangs looks on. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
TULSA, OK – MARCH 17: Head coach Tim Jankovich of the Southern Methodist Mustangs looks on. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /

SMU really struggled this past season, falling to just a 17-16 (6-12 AAC) record after winning at least 20 games in each of the prior four seasons (two NCAA Tournament appearances). Due to the successes of the prior years, this down season was certainly disappointing to the fanbase. Then, during this offseason, the program had to wave goodbye to a few key players in Shake Milton, Elijah Landrum, Ben Emelogu, and Akoy Agau.

With these four losses taken into account, it will be extremely difficult for SMU to return to the top of the AAC this season. However, this does not mean that the Mustangs lack talent. In fact, head coach Tim Jankovich still has a strong roster returning for this year and the team could potentially compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. It would, though, take a strong season from a lot of different players in order to make that happen.

As far as leaders on the court this season, there are four players that stand out as the top options on the team. First, the return of Jarrey Foster from injury could seriously help bring the team back to relevance. In 19 games last season, the 6-foot-5 Foster averaged 13.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. In addition, Jahmal McMurray projects as a major offensive contributor this season. A former guard at South Florida prior to transferring, the senior McMurray averaged 14.7 points (.428/.408/.833) in 31.4 minutes per game (22 total contests) for the team.

In regards to the other two key returners, both wing Jimmy Whitt (10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds) and big man Ethan Chargois (9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds) are potential double-digit scorers per game this season to help lead the way. Despite these potential stars, though, SMU’s biggest issue this season could be a lack of depth. After these four players, the rest of the roster is extremely unproven and that can be difficult to overcome.