Sports

AAC basketball power rankings: Week 10

Reece Graham

March 7, 2017

Week 10 of American Athletic Conference play saw SMU steamroll its final two opponents in Moody Coliseum while Cincinnati bounced back from a road loss last week. The Daily Campus writer Reece Kelley Graham is back with our latest power rankings.

1. SMU (12/15)

Record: 27-4 overall, 17-1 AAC
Week 10 results: 2-0 (93-70 win vs. Tulsa, 103-62 win vs. Memphis)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 12

After being banned from last year’s postseason, SMU is currently playing like its trying to make up for lost time. The Mustangs dominated Tulsa and Memphis at home this week, winning both games by a combined margin of 64 points. That margin could have been a lot worse too. Everyone is scoring, everyone is defending, and the Mustangs are doing it all with only seven scholarship players. Coming off a regular season title win, Tim Jankovich and SMU will not only roll into Hartford as one of the hottest teams in the conference, but also as one of the hottest teams in college basketball.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 1 (Friday, Mar. 10, 11 a.m. CT, vs. East Carolina or Temple, ESPN2)

2. Cincinnati (15/18)

Record: 27-4 overall, 16-2 AAC
Week 10 results: 2-0 (65-47 win vs. Houston, 67-47 win at Connecticut)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 20

Cincinnati rebounded this week after shockingly dropping a road game at Central Florida the week before. The Bearcats limited Houston and Connecticut to under 50 points in both games. Cincinnati’s defense has carried the Bearcats this far and could help them walk to the title game in Hartford.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 2

3. Houston

Record: 21-9 overall, 12-6 AAC
Week 10 results: 1-1 (65-47 loss at Cincinnati, 73-51 win vs. East Carolina)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 41

Houston’s explosive offense was stymied by the Bearcats in Cincinnati this week, but with a win over East Carolina, the Cougars locked up the AAC 3 seed in its final game at Hofheinz Pavilion before the renovation. Houston could be on a collision course with Cincinnati once again in the semifinals.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 3

4. Central Florida

Record: 20-10 overall, 11-7 AAC
Week 10 results: 1-0 (59-56 win at South Florida)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 75

Believe it or not, Central Florida entered this week with a chance to earn the AAC 3 seed, but would have needed help from other teams to get it, plus a win of their own in Tampa. Beating South Florida proved more difficult this time, but the Knights got stuck with the 4 seed anyway. Central Florida gets Memphis in the quarterfinals.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 4

5. Memphis

Record: 19-12 overall, 9-9 AAC
Week 10 results: 1-1 (92-70 win vs. Tulane, 103-62 loss at SMU)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 86

Memphis would have dropped in the rankings this week if not for equally dismal performances by Connecticut and Tulsa. SMU handed the Tigers their worst loss since becoming a D-I team more than 50 years ago. Moody Coliseum is not a place teams want to go, and the Mustangs made and example of Memphis.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 5

6. Connecticut

Record: 14-16 overall, 9-9 AAC
Week 10 results: 0-2 (66-62 loss at East Carolina, 67-47 loss vs. Cincinnati)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 94

Connecticut was on a hot streak for awhile before dropping its last four conference games. Three of those were against SMU, Cincinnati and Houston, but the loss at East Carolina should not have happened. Still, the Huskies get to play on their home floor in the AAC Tournament. Anything can happen.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 6

7. Tulsa

Record: 14-16 overall, 8-10 AAC
Week 10 results: 0-2 (93-70 loss at SMU, 81-69 loss at Tulane)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 143

Like Memphis, Tulsa also got spanked in Dallas this week. Junior Etou helped the Golden Hurricane stay in the game for awhile, but SMU eventually laid it on hard. Tulsa entered the week with a chance for a first round bye, but a loss at Tulane ended those hopes. The Golden Hurricane get a rematch in the first round.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 7

8. Temple

Record: 16-15 overall, 7-11 AAC
Week 10 results: 1-0 (72-60 win at South Florida)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 111

After a double overtime scare against Tulane on senior day last week, Temple’s final game at South Florida was all business. A pretty shooting performance helped the Owls lock up the 8 seed. Temple will meet East Carolina in the first round. The Owls split the regular season series with the Pirates.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 8

9. East Carolina

Record: 14-17 overall, 6-12 AAC
Week 10 results: 1-1 (66-62 win vs. Connecticut, 73-51 loss at Houston)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 201

It was a happy senior day for East Carolina, upsetting Connecticut at home. The win did not really do anything to help the Pirates’ AAC Tournament seeding, but has given them some momentum. The Pirates will play Temple in the first round, a team they have already knocked off once this season.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 9

10. Tulane

Record: 6-24 overall, 3-15 AAC
Week 10 results: 1-1 (92-70 loss at Memphis, 81-69 win vs. Tulsa)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 238

Tulane’s win over Tulsa this week is indicative of how much better the Green Wave have become over the past few weeks. The record might not reflect that, but Tulane’s play has moved up a few levels. The Green Wave made noise in the AAC Tournament last year, reaching the semifinals. They could win a game or two.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 10

11. South Florida

Record: 7-22 overall, 1-17 AAC
Week 10 results: 0-2 (59-56 loss vs. Central Florida, 72-60 loss vs. Temple)
Change from last week: —
KenPom rating: 294

Conference play has been a mess for South Florida, especially considering their leading scorer transferred away and their head coach got fired. With only one AAC win, the Bulls are doomed to the 11 seed. After drawing Connecticut in the first round, Hartford might not be too friendly to them.

AAC Tournament Seed: No. 11

American Athletic Conference Standings – Week 10:

2017 American Athletic Conference Tournament Bracket: