AAC Basketball Tournament: Houston and Cincinnati favored

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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CINCINNATI, OH – DECEMBER 08: Justin Jenifer #3 of the Cincinnati Bearcats reacts after a three-point basket in the first half of the game against the Xavier Musketeers at Fifth Third Arena on December 8, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati won 62-47. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Semifinals

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Memphis

In their only meeting this season, Houston won 90-77 in Houston, leading nearly wire-to-wire, the only lead Memphis had in the game was 2-0. The 77 points were the second-highest total the Cougars surrendered all season and the 77 from Memphis was one of their lowest scoring outputs of the season. Houston had five players in double figures, led by Armoni Brooks’ 22 and Memphis got 42 points from its bench, with only Martin scoring in double figures among the starters. Expect Memphis to get more from its starting five, but also expect Houston to clamp down a little more defensively. This one will be closer but Houston still prevails. Prediction: Houston

No. 2 Cincinnati vs. No. 6 Wichita State

Cincinnati won both meetings between the two teams this season, winning each game by double digits. There were two big keys in these games, first, Cincinnati’s ability to defend the three-pointer, the Shockers shot just 28% from deep in the two games. The second was Jarron Cumberland, who averaged over 22 points per game and went 8-for-15 from beyond the arc. We’ve seen multiple time during his career Cumberland can carry a team on his back, his AAC career won’t end in the semifinals, he and the Bearcats will get a third shot at Houston. Prediction: Cincinnati

Next. Cinderella hopefuls in the Big Dance. dark

Finals

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 2 Cincinnati

The Cougars swept the season series, including an emphatic 85-69 win in the season finale which gave Houston the AAC regular-season title. That game should leave a really bad taste in the mouths of Mick Cronin’s Bearcats, they had a 47-41 lead at home with 13:32 left and a share of the conference title in their grasp, they then got outscored 44-22. Senior Corey Davis had a season-high 31 points and freshman Nate Hinton had 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, to pace the Cougars. They will meet up again with the conference tournament title on the line and that memory still fresh in the mind of Cincinnati’s players, that and the top-seeded Cougars will be too much to overcome and Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars take home the title.

Prediction: Houston