Memphis
The season started with high expectations then fell into ruin, but now Memphis is firing on all cylinders as we expected back in November. The Tigers have now won ten of eleven games, with a sweep of Houston among that streak. This past week, the Tigers took care of South Florida on the road before an important 14-point home win over Houston on Sunday afternoon, solidifying their resume even further.
The AAC was in rough shape a month or two ago, but Memphis is absolutely an NCAA Tournament team after this recent run. A loss at SMU is their only flub since late January, a stretch that includes a ton of double-digit wins and those Quad 1 wins over Houston. With how they’ve been playing in recent weeks, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the Tigers win the AAC Tournament next week.
SMU
A three-bid AAC is very much in the realm of possibility. SMU started the season really badly but has played great basketball the last few months. There are a few slip-ups here and there, but for the most part, the Mustangs have built a solid resume, solidifying that with home wins over Cincinnati and Tulane this past week, putting them at a respectable 22-7 on the season.
The Mustangs went 3-1 against Memphis and Houston this season to highlight their resume. The analytics look good and their in solid shape to cause some damage in the AAC Tournament. They haven’t gotten a ton of chances for great wins, but they’ve clearly taken advantage of those few opportunities. The Mustangs should dance barring an utter collapse next week.