2024 AAC Basketball Media Days (October 13th-14th)

[WuShock Reaper]

Live coverage of The American Basketball Media Days will air Monday, October 14 at 9 a.m. ET/8 a.m. CT on ESPN+ and will feature interviews with coaches and student-athletes from all 26 teams.

I believe the Pres-season poll is released on this day as well.

Any guesses, on who gets picked to go with Coach Mills to be interviewed this season? Kenny Pohto was there last year.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

Live coverage of The American Basketball Media Days will air Monday, October 14 at 9 a.m. ET/8 a.m. CT on ESPN+ and will feature interviews with coaches and student-athletes from all 26 teams.

I believe the Pres-season poll is released on this day as well.

Any guesses, on who gets picked to go with Coach Mills to be interviewed this season? Kenny Pohto was there last year.

I'd guess Harlond Beverly

[Dan]

They may send Justin Hill and Beverly, although Q and/or Bell would also be in the mix

[WuShock Reaper]

Daily Memphian predicts the regular season standings for the AAC

https://dailymemphian.com/subscriber/sec...ege-season

1. Memphis
Coach: Penny Hardaway (seventh season)

2023-24 finish: 22-10 (11-7 AAC); missed NCAA Tournament, declined NIT berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 32

The skinny:
a. Tigers have talent
b. Goal is defense first with grit and fast pace.
c. Will chemistry occur?

2. UAB
Coach: Andy Kennedy (fifth season)

2023-24 finish: 23-12 (12-6); NCAA Tournament (first-round loss to San Diego State)

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 82

The skinny:
a. Returns six of eight top players
b. Transfers Gordon and Moore led their teams in scoring last season.
c. Most likely to challenge Memphis.

3. Wichita State
Coach: Paul Mills (second season)

2023-24 finish: 15-19 (5-13); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 100

The skinny:
a. Protected returning roster better than most and solid transfers.
b. The gap between UAB and WSU is "sizable".

4. South Florida
Coach: Amir Abdur-Rahim (second season)

2023-24 finish: 25-8 (16-2); NIT (second-round loss to VCU)

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 103

The skinny:
a. No one is overlooking USF this season which makes it more difficult to win.
b. Not likely to repeat last season's success, but the roster allows a top four finish in a "watered-down AAC".

5. North Texas
Coach: Ross Hodge (second season)

2023-24 finish: 19-15 (10-8); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 87

Key returnees: Rondell Walker (3.8 points, 4.4 rebounds per game), Moulaye Sissoko (3 points, 4.6 rebounds)

The skinny:
a. Lost its top six scorers and returns no one averaging more than four PPG. North Texas is essentially starting over. Transfer will not make up what was lost.
b. "UNT sitting fifth in our projections says much more about the lack of quality AAC teams than it does about the quality of the Mean Green’s roster."

6. Florida Atlantic
Coach: John Jakus (first season)

2023-24 finish: 25-9 (14-4); NCAA Tournament (first-round loss to Northwestern)

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 105

The skinny:
a. The good times are over for this season.

7. Charlotte
Aaron Fearne (second season)
2023-24 finish: 19-12 (13-5); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 128

Key returnees: Nik Graves (10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1 steal per game), Robert Braswell IV (6.3 points, 1.7 rebounds), Isaiah Folkes (4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists)

The skinny:
a. Lost four of six scorers and transfer quality will not allow repeat of third place AAC finish last season.

8. East Carolina
Coach: Michael Schwartz (third season)

2023-24 finish: 15-18 (7-11); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 130

The skinny:
a. Felton's return is a shot in the arm, but ECU lost a lot and the transfers brought in limit a move up the standings.

9. Temple
Coach: Adam Fisher (second season)

2023-24 finish: 16-20 (5-13); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 139

The skinny:
a. Transfers Mashburn and Greer should improve upon last years dismal regular season (although Temple did earn an AAC Tourney final game.

10. Tulsa
Coach: Eric Konkol (third season)

2023-24 finish: 16-15 (7-11); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 135

The skinny:
a. "The Golden Hurricane don’t have the firepower to avoid a bottom-four AAC finish."

11. Tulane
Coach: Ron Hunter (sixth season)

2023-24 finish: 14-17 (5-13); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 181

Key returnees: Gregg Glenn III (3.6 points, 2.6 rebounds per game), Asher Woods (2.4 points)

The skinny:
a. "Gutted" roster and transfers are of low quality.

12. UTSA
Coach: Austin Claunch (first season)

2023-24 finish: 11-21 (5-13); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 220

The skinny:
a. Not last

13. Rice
Coach: Rob Lanier (first season)

2023-24 finish: 11-21 (5-13); no national postseason berth

2024-25 Bart Torvik T-Rank projection: 202

The skinny:
a. Last

[forevershockerfan]

3rd? Possible. I'm still going with 5th but I like 3rd better. Memphis 1st.? Doubtful!

[wichshock65]

Sizable???

[Aargh]

At this point I'm about to go with UAB and WSU battling it out for first. It might depend on the relative conference SoS of the two schools.

It doesn't take much of a study of history to predict yet another Memphis collapse,

Last year's team could have been mid-pack in the league without the turnover problem. With 3 PG's on the roster to start the season instead of none, that area should be greatly improved. Shooting is likely to still be an issue, but there seem to be more opportunities for shots at the basket instead of jumpers. There are significant upgrades at every position except SG and that could be a wash.

[Dan]

One thing that is certain every year with Memphis: they start out rated highly due to Penny’s recruiting and they collapse due to his coaching

[shockerfan]

One thing that is certain every year with Memphis: they start out rated highly due to Penny’s recruiting and they collapse due to his coaching

Death, Taxes and Memphis falling short.....

[RoyalShock]

UNT's "the skinny", part b, pretty much says it all about the AAC this year. I will be disappointed with anything worse than 4th for the Shocks.

That said, Memphis could finish anywhere from 1st to 6th, because, well, Memphis.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

Bart Torvik adjusted his projections sometime in August and a handful of AAC teams dropped ~10-20 spots, including WSU, UAB, and UNT.

Chemistry will be a major hurdle for most teams due to roster turnover, but this conference has never lacked for talented basketball players.

[WuShock Reaper]

[Aargh]

Evidently Rogers has learned how to dribble and play defense over the summer.

[SubGod22]

Evidently Rogers has learned how to dribble and play defense over the summer.

Doubtful

[WuShock Reaper]

3rd? Possible. I'm still going with 5th, but I like 3rd better. Memphis 1st.? Doubtful!

Last 5 years, Preseason Rankings versus Final Standings
Top 3 Teams	# of	%
Finished Where Predicted	10	67%
Finished Worse	5	33%
Total Spots	15
Bottom 3 Teams	# of	%
Finished Better	3	20%
Finished Where Predicated	12	80%
Total Spots	15

No guarantees a preseason conference ranking will get you a top 3 finish if that is where you were predicated.
However, if you are a bottom predicted team, you are likely to finish the season as a bottom team.