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AAC Basketball: 5 biggest questions heading into 2019-20 season

By Ben Andreatta

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: The AAC Championship trophy to be presented to the Cincinnati Bearcats after the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against Houston Cougars at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: The AAC Championship trophy to be presented to the Cincinnati Bearcats after the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against Houston Cougars at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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DAYTON, OHIO – MARCH 19: Alani Moore II #0 of the Temple Owls reacts with teammates during the second half against the Belmont Bruins in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OHIO – MARCH 19: Alani Moore II #0 of the Temple Owls reacts with teammates during the second half against the Belmont Bruins in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Will Temple be able to sneak their way back Into field of 68?

It was a disappointing end to the Owls 2018-19 season after falling to Belmont in Dayton for the First Four. There’s never a ton of talk surrounding Temple in the national media before or even during the season. The Owls quietly fly under the radar, occasionally knocking off a Power 5 team and taking care of business. They are a team that always seems to find themselves on the bubble and will look to make it back for the second year in a row under new head coach Aaron McKie.

Those close to the Temple program know all about Aaron McKie both as a former player and have seen him more recently as a coach. He’s been on the coaching staff as an assistant since 2014. He takes over the program from former long-time head coach Fran Dunphy. It’s a new era for the Owls and having Mckie at the helm is a great move for them; he knows Temple Basketball inside and out.

Plenty of players and talent returns to Temple this year on the back of their 23-10 season. However, leading scorer Shizz Alston Jr isn’t one of them. Quinton Rose is back for his senior season; he had a very good junior campaign averaging just over 16 points per game. Nate-Pierre Lewis and J.P. Moorman also return. They were the team’s third and fourth-leading scorers. Shizz Alston Jr will be difficult to place but the Owls head into the new season without a lot of veteran presence. Temple welcome in two transfers from IU and Wisconsin in Jake Forrester and Tai Strickland but both neither will be eligible for the Owls this season.

Next. 5 most watchable teams for 2019-20. dark

Temple is a sneaky team in the conference this year and will look to build on last year’s success. They are a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly and a team to avoid in the conference tournament. Nonconference games against USC, Miami, Missouri, and Villanova will see the Owls battle-tested when it comes to conference time.