AAC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

2. Memphis

Three years ago Penny Hardaway became head coach at Memphis, and his very arrival greatly escalated the recruiting for the Tigers, and that impact will be greatly felt this year. Though he’s yet to lead the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament (they haven’t been since 2014), the arrival of top recruits Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren have Memphis fans excited for this season. The additions of Larry Brown and Rasheed Wallace to the coaching staff aren’t shabby moves either.

We could rave about what Bates and Duren will bring, but there’s plenty of talent elsewhere on this roster. Landers Nolley (13.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Lester Quinones (9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg) are both great shooters who can defend, while Earl Timberlake (9.3 ppg) is an intriguing transfer from Miami who can do a little of everything. When you throw in Duren’s size and Bates’s ability to make shots, this Memphis team can be dynamic and fantastic this season if everything comes together.

1. Houston

They might not have the top-rated recruits, but Houston’s been the best program in the ACC the last few seasons, and Kelvin Sampson’s group cemented that with their run to the Final Four last season. They’ve won AAC titles in recent years and do return a decent amount of talent from last year, while also adding with a few nice transfers.

Marcus Sasser (13.5 ppg) becomes the star on offense, while Texas Tech transfer Kyler Edwards (10.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg) can score and defend at a high level. The Cougars should also get key contributions from Taze Moore(12.2 ppg), a guard who transferred from Cal State Bakersfield, and Josh Carlton, an underused bigman from UConn. Houston has done nothing but win in the AAC in recent years and it’s hard to see how that changes, even if there are some blue-chip recruits up in Memphis.