Busting Brackets
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AAC Basketball: Analyzing the 6 new potential additions for league

By Joey Loose

Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The North Texas Mean Green celebrates beating the Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The North Texas Mean Green celebrates beating the Purdue Boilermakers in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports /
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Conference USA Basketball
Jalen Benjamin Will Butler UAB Blazers (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

UAB

When Gene Bartow built UAB basketball, they were a powerhouse in the Sun Belt four decades ago. The Blazers have been in the C-USA for more than three decades, but certainly would be an appealing candidate to transition to the AAC. They aren’t exactly neighbors, but they fit in geographically, somewhat between Memphis and Tulane. More importantly, they’d put the AAC into the market in Alabama.

As for the current state of the basketball program, the Blazers have fared quite well over the years. Former coach Jerod Haase led the program to an upset over 3-seed Iowa State back in the 2015 NCAA Tournament and they’ve been above .500 every season since. Former Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy now roams the sidelines and after a 22-7 mark in his debut could have this program blossoming again in the coming years.

It’s fair to wonder if UAB would have the same immediate success in the AAC as in the C-USA, but that hesitation should be short-lived. If they can compete with the likes of Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky, then the step up to Memphis and Wichita State shouldn’t be too much of an ordeal.

Not to mention, UAB is already familiar with a great number of these programs as former or current conference mates. Among these six teams, UAB actually makes the most sense from a long-term basketball perspective.