I really do not follow college basketball, so if my question has an obvious answer my apologies in advance. So here goes: Why did the AAC have a down year this year in basketball? I understand it would be hard for UCONN to do what they did last year, but about Memphis? Is this even considered a down year or is this what we should expect going forward? Finally, how many teams do we think will make the Tourney this year?

Thanks in advance to the answer of any or all of the questions.

(03-10-2015 10:34 AM)baruna falls Wrote:  Basketball question from a non basketball fan: Why did we have a down year?

I really do not follow college basketball, so if my question has an obvious answer my apologies in advance. So here goes: Why did the AAC have a down year this year in basketball? I understand it would be hard for UCONN to do what they did last year, but about Memphis? Is this even considered a down year or is this what we should expect going forward? Finally, how many teams do we think will make the Tourney this year?

Thanks in advance to the answer of any or all of the questions.

Loss of key Players/Seniors (UCONN, Cinci and Memphis especially), in addition to the loss of a major program like Louisville (who also lost their best player after last season...one reasons for their somewhat down year this year).

Temple sacrificed their season last year (with redshirting transfers) and it paid off big time for them this year.

Other teams will "reload" next year (i.e. Memphis especially...and even those teams at the bottom like UCF and USF that were stuck being short handed this year).

Just like with most conferences, conf strength varies from year to year...AAC will be no different.

Houston will be back. They got obliterated by transfers and defections.

(03-10-2015 10:42 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  Other teams will "reload" next year (i.e. Memphis especially...and even those teams at the bottom like UCF and USF that were stuck being short handed this year).

For sure. And hopefully, SMU will have more than 8 scholarship athletes available next year as well (technically we have 9 available right now, but Jean Michael Mudiay was only put on scholarship as a way to get his brother to commit). Tolbert and Ojeleye will be eligible next year (Ojeleye not until December), and hopefully we will get Keith Frazier eligible again (but don't hold your breath on that), plus adding some good recruits. SMU will take a step back next year though unless we can find a JUCO that can play the 5 and provide some much needed height, as Yanick Moreira and Cannen Cunningham are both graduating this year.

(03-10-2015 10:48 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 10:42 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  Other teams will "reload" next year (i.e. Memphis especially...and even those teams at the bottom like UCF and USF that were stuck being short handed this year).

For sure. And hopefully, SMU will have more than 8 scholarship athletes available next year as well (technically we have 9 available right now, but Jean Michael Mudiay was only put on scholarship as a way to get his brother to commit). Tolbert and Ojeleye will be eligible next year (Ojeleye not until December), and hopefully we will get Keith Frazier eligible again (but don't hold your breath on that), plus adding some good recruits. SMU will take a step back next year though unless we can find a JUCO that can play the 5 and provide some much needed height, as Yanick Moreira and Cannen Cunningham are both graduating this year.

People I have talked to are saying that Semi is better than any player we currently have. He is already enrolled at SMU so he will have plenty of time to learn Larry's system.

UC has one senior this season. They lost an All-American player from last year. They also lost a player early to injury that would have provided some depth at point guard.
And they lost their head coach to illness. They did pretty well all things considered.

(03-10-2015 10:52 AM)bearcatfan Wrote:  UC has one senior this season. They lost an All-American player from last year. They also lost a player early to injury that would have provided some depth at point guard.
And they lost their head coach to illness. They did pretty well all things considered.

Agree

The league had 4 bids last year, right? One of which is no longer in the league and will be playing in the tourney again this year.

And we really should have four in right now.

Everybody focuses on a couple of the down teams, but just a little perspective.

NBA defections and Seniors about sums it up. I am guessing currently Memphis Uconn and Cinn have to hope no nba defections and they will be right back up there again.

Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

(03-10-2015 10:44 AM)Pony94 Wrote:  Houston will be back. They got obliterated by transfers and defections.

Can you imagine how Houston would have been this year with: Joe Young (PAC 12 POY) - transfer Oregon, Danuel House - transfer Texas A&M, and T Thomas - transfer OU.

Under Sampson, that'd be an NCAA team.

(03-10-2015 11:07 AM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 10:44 AM)Pony94 Wrote:  Houston will be back. They got obliterated by transfers and defections.

Can you imagine how Houston would have been this year with: Joe Young (PAC 12 POY) - transfer Oregon, Danuel House - transfer Texas A&M, and T Thomas - transfer OU.

Under Sampson, that'd be an NCAA team.

It is amazing how much talent was squandered by Dickey

Memphis will be back

(03-10-2015 11:09 AM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Memphis will be back

What about Pastner?

(03-10-2015 11:10 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:09 AM)Ramen_Tiger Wrote:  Memphis will be back

What about Pastner?

He will be back but some staff changes will be made for the better

(03-10-2015 10:57 AM)TUBballJunkie Wrote:  The league had 4 bids last year, right? One of which is no longer in the league and will be playing in the tourney again this year.

And we really should have four in right now.

Everybody focuses on a couple of the down teams, but just a little perspective.

True, but its not just about number of bids.

Last year, we had a 4 seed, a 5 seed, a 7 seed, and an 8 seed. And some of those were vastly underseeded.

This year, we are looking at a 6 seed, an 8 seed, a 10 seed, and maybe an 11 seed. Big difference. This conference was struggle bus city in the out of conference. It was absolutely a down year compared to last year. Personally, I think it was just some youth and losing a lot of contributors from last year (and Josh Pastner, of course.)*

I am not one of those ra-ra AAC conference eternal optimists, but I expect very good things from this basketball league going forward.








* just kidding ramen, just breathe.

Honestly I think if Tulsa and Temple were named UConn or Memphis the tourney projections are a different story. You could probably add SMU to that list too.

It's ok. We'll keep building.

UConn always has a down year following a national championship.

I think SMU was slow to get started this year because of the Mudiay (sp?) disappointment. But they pulled things together nicely.

(03-10-2015 11:04 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

Next year will be UC's year, one senior gone and three excellent recruits. Tulsa is not big enough.

(03-10-2015 12:03 PM)CincyBro Wrote:  

(03-10-2015 11:04 AM)CalallenStang Wrote:  Next year is Tulsa's year. That's a team that's pretty much all juniors.

Next year will be UC's year, one senior gone and three excellent recruits. Tulsa is not big enough.

Yep..... the one senior UC has comes off the bench and often contributed very little.

The guys UC have coming back will be that much better next year. Gary Clark will take a huge leap from his Freshman to Sophomore years. Octavius Ellis should be much better once he goes through the offseason strength and conditioning program and works on his footwork. Troy Caupin is still the youngest guy on the team and with maturity will take another step.

Losing their head coach for the season cost UC at least three games this year-- maybe more. Larry Davis did one heck of a job, but his substtution patterns and in-game adjustments were shaky at best early on.