Busting Brackets
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AAC Basketball: Houston still on top of latest power rankings

By Brock Zimmermann

Feb 6, 2020; Wichita, Kansas, USA; Wichita State Shockers mascot WuShock pumps up the crowd during the second half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Charles Koch Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2020; Wichita, Kansas, USA; Wichita State Shockers mascot WuShock pumps up the crowd during the second half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Charles Koch Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Collin Smith UCF Knights (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Collin Smith UCF Knights (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

7. South Florida Bulls

A for effort on scheduling some tough out-of-conference games this year but ultimately weren’t able to capitalize on the opportunity. Rhode Island and Virginia Tech are both above average teams and both handed USF an early-season loss that could’ve given them some confidence. They’re a pretty balanced team overall and not dependent on one individual guy but not having a superstar caliber player could ultimately prevent them from taking the next step.

6. UCF Golden Knights

A possible postseason contender for the NIT, UCF has the talent to get some strong wins this season and likely will with some more time to mesh. They’ve only managed to play a handful of games this year but C.J. Walker (second in conference BPG) and Isaiah Adams (first in conference SPG) are consistent leaders on the defensive side and Brandon Mahan can lead the way on offense. It may just take some more time to gain chemistry in the absence of Collin Smith, who stepped away from the team this year.

5. Memphis Tigers

Memphis has all the talent it needs, a rich program history, and an NBA star that proved he can recruit (see James Wiseman saga) and win. They aren’t yet performing to their preseason expectations but definitely should be contenting in the AAC.

There has been a good amount of hype for this program to get back to some national recognition with Penny Hardaway leading the way and the team is young, which might explain the slow start. The team has talent but definitely lacks experience, with only five upperclassmen and no seniors, this team would likely benefit from that intangible leader of a senior to get to the next level.

The Tigers are one of the best defensive teams and lead the AAC in both steals-per-game (over 5) and blocks-per-game (about 10) and are also right at the top for rebounding. Hardaway recently signed 5-year-extension in December and will likely have the Tigers back in the national picture after a few up-and-down years.