Busting Brackets
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AAC Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2019-20 season

By Pan Karalis

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: during the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against at Amway Center on March 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: during the final game of the 2018 AAC Basketball Championship against 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: Quinton Rose #1 of the Temple Owls drives to the basket against Nick Muszynski #33 of the Belmont Bruins during the first half in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OHIO – MARCH 19: Quinton Rose #1 of the Temple Owls drives to the basket against Nick Muszynski #33 of the Belmont Bruins during the first half in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 19, 2019 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

454. . . . Owls . 5. team

I don’t think many Tournament teams returning this much get as little respect as Temple has seemed to this off-season. The league’s coaches picked Temple to finish seventh after a third-place, thirteen-win effort a season ago. Only South Florida is returning more production than the Owls are.

Senior Quinton Rose and junior Nate Pierre-Louis will be expected to lead the effort for a team as backcourt-focused as any in the American. Justyn Hamilton has shown his massive potential, especially on the offensive side, but the slim center won’t be expected to bang around underneath and compete for a lot of boards game to game. Ernest Aflakpui’s absence will probably be felt for Temple, a team that was consistently victimized on the glass last year even with a proven and effective rebounding presence.

The biggest question mark is new head coach Aaron McKie, who despite an incredible basketball resumé has never been a head coach at any level. The hope in Philly is that the up-tempo style of play McKie is introducing will unleash an ultra-athletic roster long thought stifled under former coach Fran Dunphy, but only seeing McKie’s system in work will indicate how much this team can accomplish this season.