Busting Brackets
Fansided

Conference USA Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2019-20 season

By Andrew Dieckhoff

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Head coach Rick Stansbury of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes during their 2018 National Invitation Tournament Championship semifinals game at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: Head coach Rick Stansbury of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes during their 2018 National Invitation Tournament Championship semifinals game at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 16: Members of the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners band perform during the game against the Alabama State Hornets during the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at UD Arena on March 16, 2011 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 16: Members of the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners band perform during the game against the Alabama State Hornets during the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at UD Arena on March 16, 2011 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

#2 — TEXAS SAN ANTONIO

2018-19 IN REVIEW

  • Record: 17-15 (11-7, T-2nd in C-USA)
  • Rankings: #143 in NET, #149 in KenPom
  • Postseason: none

2019-20 AT A GLANCE

HEAD COACH

  • Steve Henson (4th year)
  • School W-L: 51-49 (.510)
  • Career W-L: 51-49 (.510)

PROJECTED STARTERS

  • Jhivvan Jackson, G, Jr. — 30.8 MPG (24 starts), 22.9 PPG, 104 3PM
  • Keaton Wallace, G, jr. — 34.9 MPG (32 starts), 20.2 PPG, 121 3PM
  • Byron Frohnen, F, Sr. — 29.2 MPG (32 starts), 6.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG
  • Atem Bior, F, Sr. — 20.7 MPG (12 starts), 5.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG
  • Jacob Germany, C, Fr. — Ranked #199 nationally in 247Sports Composite

NON-CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

2019-20 SEASON OUTLOOK

There are just 26 players across Division I basketball who are returning after scoring twenty or more points per game last year. Two of them play alongside each other in the Roadrunners’ backcourt. Junior guards Keaton Wallace and Jhivvan Jackson are going to cause problems for opponents again after they both broke out in their sophomore seasons. Jackson, the league’s leading scorer with 22.9 points per game, caught national attention when he went for 46 in a losing effort against Western Kentucky.

But make no mistake — either one of these guys can take a game over. The Roadrunners lost Italian guard Giovanni de Nicolao, who led the team in assists in each of the past three seasons, but will hope that freshmen point guards Makani Whiteside and Erik Czumbel can eventually step into that role.

So, the backcourt is locked in. What about the rest of the team?

UTSA brings back a third starter from last season’s squad, as Byron Frohnen and his team-leading 6.8-rebound average suit up once again. Senior Atem Bior, a former JUCO standout, will also see a lot of time after starting 12 games last year. Head coach Steve Henson bolstered his frontcourt with his incoming class of players, including freshman Jacob Germany and junior college products Luka Barisic and Phoenix “A.J.” Ford. This team plays fast — their adjusted tempo was 19th-fastest in Division I last season — so these players had better be ready to run.

This team plays at an incredible pace and has a pair of serious threats on the offensive end. Size may be something of an issue for the team, but with Wallace hucking up 300-plus three-pointers last year, maybe size doesn’t always matter. Germany has a chance to be one of the top young big men in the league, as he should have ample opportunities on the court. If he grows up quickly, this team is going to be a legitimate contender for the C-USA crown.