AAC Basketball Power Rankings: Houston leads heading into conference play

Houston is undefeated but five other teams finished the non-conference schedule with at least 10 wins. Here’s how AAC Basketball is shaping up as we start 2019.

The American had one of the surprisingly successful non-conference campaigns of any conference in the country.

Houston, despite losing their best player from last year’s team in Rob Gray, is one of the final four undefeated teams in the country. Four other teams also won at least 10 games, including programs that were expected to struggle with South Florida and Tulsa.

Two of the conference’s marquee programs, UConn and Memphis, are also on their way to being #BACK. The Huskies are drastically improved in the first year under Dan Hurley and already have a win over Syracuse, while the Tigers and new head coach Penny Hardaway have been winning on the recruiting trail.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t programs that are struggling. Wichita State, who was brought into the AAC last year to raise the conference’s national profile, is only 7-5 and has struggled mightily.

The American figures to be one of the most competitive races of any conference with there being several worthy challengers behind Houston. Can the Cougars stay in the top spot? And how do all of those challengers stack up against each other?

Find out in our latest AAC Power Rankings now that non-conference play has ended.