Pat Forde appears to be picking WSU to win it.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC
League Pomeroy ranking: Sixth of 32.
Top seed: Houston (29-2 overall, 16-2 in the league).
NCAA tournament outlook: Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida look like locks. Temple may have punched its ticket by winning six of its last seven. Everyone else needs to win the tourney.
Sleeper: Wichita State. A team loaded with newcomers lurched out to a 1-6 conference start, then won nine of its last 11.
Most intriguing early round matchup: A potential 4-5 UCF-Memphis game in the quarterfinals Friday.
Boss of the sidelines: Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Gregg Marshall (Wichita) have been to the Final Four. But Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin has the longest active streak of NCAA tourney appearances — this year will be his ninth.
Minutes pick: Wichita State (22). The Shockers will have to make shots, which is no sure thing, but they’ll guard and board and make life difficult for anyone assigned to eliminate them.
League Pomeroy ranking: Sixth of 32.
Top seed: Houston (29-2 overall, 16-2 in the league).
NCAA tournament outlook: Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida look like locks. Temple may have punched its ticket by winning six of its last seven. Everyone else needs to win the tourney.
Sleeper: Wichita State. A team loaded with newcomers lurched out to a 1-6 conference start, then won nine of its last 11.
Most intriguing early round matchup: A potential 4-5 UCF-Memphis game in the quarterfinals Friday.
Boss of the sidelines: Kelvin Sampson (Houston) and Gregg Marshall (Wichita) have been to the Final Four. But Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin has the longest active streak of NCAA tourney appearances — this year will be his ninth.
Minutes pick: Wichita State (22). The Shockers will have to make shots, which is no sure thing, but they’ll guard and board and make life difficult for anyone assigned to eliminate them.
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