Busting Brackets
Fansided

AAC Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Joey Loose

Mar 24, 2022; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead (1) tries to save a ball from going out of bounds during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats in the semifinals of the South regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2022; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead (1) tries to save a ball from going out of bounds during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats in the semifinals of the South regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 11
Next
Cincinnati Bearcats guard Mike Saunders Jr. Wichita State Shockers guard Craig Porter Jr. AAC Basketball Wichita State Shockers At Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball
Cincinnati Bearcats guard Mike Saunders Jr. Wichita State Shockers guard Craig Porter Jr. AAC Basketball Wichita State Shockers At Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball /

8. Wichita State

When Isaac Brown surprisingly took over as head coach after Gregg Marshall’s exit, he led the Shockers to a surprisingly successful season, winning the AAC regular-season title in 2021. Last year was less prosperous, finishing just 6-9 in conference play and taking a bit of a step back, especially offensively. What has transpired in the offseason will not help matters at all.

Tyson Etienne is off to the NBA, Ricky Council IV is at Arkansas, Morris Udeze is at New Mexico, and Dexter Dennis landed at Texas A&M. The Shockers are depending on players like Craig Porter Jr. (the returning leading scorer) and forward Kenny Pohto to contribute at a much higher level next season. Among the new members of the roster is former Siena guard Colby Rogers, a talented long-range shooter, and Drexel guard Xavier Bell.

Talent-wise, this is another roster that’s taken quite a step in the opposite direction. For the Shockers, it’s all going to depend on how these new faces come together. There could be some hidden gems on this team, but we certainly don’t expect them to take the kind of steps that the team made two seasons ago in winning the title. A young frontcourt will hope for good shooting from these new faces in the backcourt; maybe things won’t be too bad for the Shockers this season.