Busting Brackets
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AAC Basketball Tournament: Houston and Cincinnati favored

By Jason Burgess

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 07: (L-R) Fabian White Jr. #35, Dejon Jarreau #13, Nate Hinton #11 and Armoni Brooks #3 of the Houston Cougars look on in the closing moments of the game at Fertitta Center on March 07, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 07: (L-R) Fabian White Jr. #35, Dejon Jarreau #13, Nate Hinton #11 and Armoni Brooks #3 of the Houston Cougars look on in the closing moments of the game at Fertitta Center on March 07, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 13: Shizz Alston Jr. #3 of the Temple Owls dribbles the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Liacouras Center on December 13, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 13: Shizz Alston Jr. #3 of the Temple Owls dribbles the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Liacouras Center on December 13, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Where might we see AAC teams on Selection Sunday?

When the selection committee revealed their top 16 seeds in February, it was clear that Houston’s schedule and the American Athletic Conference were not thought too highly of, as they were seeded as a No. 3 despite being 22-1 at the time of the reveal. Since then, the Cougars have lost just one other time and enter the AAC tournament as the top seed.  The problem for Houston is that the teams they would need to jump in order to land on the No. 2 line have much better resumes, so a No. 3 is likely their ceiling, with the floor of a 4-seed should they not win the conference tournament.

The conference will have multiple bids, with Cincinnati and Central Florida heading towards lock status for the Big Dance. For the Bearcats and Knights, their potential seeding fluctuates daily, as is normal this time of year. Cincinnati could find themselves anywhere from a 5-seed to an 8-seed with the higher seed likely if they win the conference tournament. The Knights have the same type of potential range, where they could end up anywhere in the 7-10 range after the conference tournament.

The other question facing the conference is whether or not they can get a fourth team into the NCAA Tournament. If they do receive a fourth bid, it would likely go to the Temple Owls, who are either in the last four in group or in the first group of teams out of the tournament, depending on who you talk to. The Owls handed Houston their first loss, and a season-ending win over UCF certainly help their cause. If the Owls do see their name on March 17, in all likelihood it will be as a double-digit seed and possibly a trip to Dayton in their future.