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AAC Basketball Power Rankings: Temple, UCF, Houston in top tier

By Brian Rauf

VILLANOVA, PA - DECEMBER 05: Shizz Alston Jr. #10 and Quinton Rose #1 of the Temple Owls reacts after an offensive foul in the second half against the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on December 5, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The Villanova Wildcats defeated the Temple Owls 69-59. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA - DECEMBER 05: Shizz Alston Jr. #10 and Quinton Rose #1 of the Temple Owls reacts after an offensive foul in the second half against the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on December 5, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The Villanova Wildcats defeated the Temple Owls 69-59. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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VILLANOVA, PA – DECEMBER 05: Head coach Fran Dunphy of the Temple Owls waves to the crowd prior to the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on December 5, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA – DECEMBER 05: Head coach Fran Dunphy of the Temple Owls waves to the crowd prior to the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on December 5, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

4) Temple Owls (14-4, 4-1)
LW: 4

Speaking of Temple, the Owls are making a strong push for an NCAA Tournament bid in head coach Fran Dunphy’s farewell season.

Temple had won four American games in a row prior to their loss to Penn over the weekend, and that stretch included the game in which they handed Houston their first and only loss of the season.

The Owls are solid on both ends of the court and have three legitimate stars in Shizz Alston Jr., Quinton Rose, and Nate Pierre-Louis, all of whom average over 14 points per game. However, outside of them, the rest of the roster doesn’t provide consistent production.

Temple’s next three games are against Memphis, Cincinnati, and at Houston. We’ll know how real their tournament chances are after that stretch.

3) UCF Knights (15-3, 5-1)
LW: 3

The preseason favorite to win the American, UCF has largely taken care of business to this point behind the play of B.J. Taylor and Aubrey Dawkins.

Wins over UConn, Temple, and Alabama show the kind of level the Knights can play at, yet losses to FAU, Missouri, and Wichita State are all extremely puzzling.

When they’re at their best, UCF is an elite defensive team. They’ve held 13 opponents to 65 points or less and rank in the top 10 in effective field goal percentage defense. Their losses have largely come when they break down on that side of the court.

Our bracketologist Lukas Harkins currently has the Knights in one of the First Four games of the NCAA Tournament, so they can’t afford any more bad losses. They’ll get their next chance for a big win on Feb. 7 when they host Houston.