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AAC Basketball Power Rankings: Conference shows depth with strength in middle

By Brian Rauf

VILLANOVA, PA - DECEMBER 05: Shizz Alston Jr. #10 of the Temple Owls high fives De'Vondre Perry #22 in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on December 5, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA - DECEMBER 05: Shizz Alston Jr. #10 of the Temple Owls high fives De'Vondre Perry #22 in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats at Finneran Pavilion on December 5, 2018 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 01: Head coach Mick Cronin of the Cincinnati Bearcats talks to his players during a timeout in their game against the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center on December 01, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bearcats defeated the Rebels 65-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 01: Head coach Mick Cronin of the Cincinnati Bearcats talks to his players during a timeout in their game against the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center on December 01, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bearcats defeated the Rebels 65-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The American has been known as a two-team conference for most of the season, yet a number of teams behind Houston and Cincinnati have shown their strength.

AAC basketball was expected to have a down year this season, but that absolutely has not been the case.

The conference has shown its strength at the top with Houston emerging as a top 10 team and Cincinnati remaining as a top 25-caliber team. UCF and Temple have emerged as NCAA Tournament-caliber teams as well, which has helped the league’s reputation nationally.

But, so far, February has been about the teams in the middle of the American showing their strength as many have picked up big wins and look like potential threats in the conference tournament.

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South Florida has rounded into form thanks to what has become one of the better home-court advantages in the conference. Penny Hardaway already has Memphis playing at a higher level than many thought they would this year. Now that Wichita State and Tulsa have turned things around, too, pretty much everyone has become “a team you don’t want to play.”

Oh, and we haven’t mentioned UConn, who is still capable of beating any of these teams on any given night.

Next year should be a banner year for the conference – Memphis and UConn have heralded recruiting classes coming in and both Wichita and South Florida return virtually their entire rosters – but the American is already one of the six best conferences nationally.

How do all the teams in the conference stack up as we approach March? Find out in our latest AAC Basketball Power Rankings.