The RoundHouse | 12/27/2017 6:01:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
A look at the American Athletic Conference
 
(Ranked by warrennolan.com RPI)
 
No. 13 Temple
Record: 7-4
Best win: 67-60 vs. Clemson (No. 21 RPI rankings)
Worst loss: 71-67 vs. George Washington (No. 153)
Key player: G Quinton Rose averages 16.6 points, but turnovers limit his effectiveness. He averages 3.1 a game and committed 11 in his past three.
Key stretch: After opening with Tulane, the Owls play at Houston, return home vs. Cincinnati and travel to Central Florida and SMU.
One sentence: The Owls, again, are hard to figure with top-50 RPI wins over Auburn, Clemson and South Carolina (all on neutral courts) and losses to La Salle and GW.
 
 
No. 22 Wichita State
Record: 10-2
Best win: 69-62 at Baylor (No. 27 in Pomeroy rankings)
Worst loss: 67-66 vs. Notre Dame (No. 86 RPI rankings)
Key player: F Markis McDuffie played nine minutes in Wichita State's previous game after missing the first 11 due to a foot injury. McDuffie led the Shockers in scoring (11.5) and rebounds (5.7) last season.
Key stretch: The Shockers finish the regular season with three road games in their final five, all at teams expected to push for NCAA or NIT berths – Cincinnati, SMU and Central Florida. Cincinnati visits for the final home game of the regular season.
One sentence: The Shockers did enough to show they are on track for a lofty NCAA seed.
 
No. 62 Houston
Record: 10-2
Best win: 91-65 over Arkansas (No. 11 RPI)
Worst loss: 84-80 vs. Drexel (No. 257 RPI)
Key player: G Rob Gray leads the American in scoring (20.7) and has made 41.7 percent of his three-point attempts.
Key stretch: The Cougars play both games against Cincinnati, in addition to SMU and UCF, over a two-week span entering February.
One sentence: Any team that handles Arkansas that convincingly should be taken seriously.
 
No. 63 Central Florida
Record: 9-3
Best win: 65-62 at Alabama (No. 28 RP)
Worst loss: 83-45 vs. West Virginia
Key player: C Tacko Fall averaged 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the final four non-conference games.
Key stretch: If the Knights enter late February in need of quality wins, a game at Temple and a home game vs. Wichita State could help.
One sentence: UCF needs G B.J. Taylor, who has missed all but one game with a fractured bone in his foot, to return.
 
No. 67 SMU
Record: 10-3
Best win: 66-60 vs. Arizona (No. 21 RPI)
Worst loss: 63-61 vs. Western Kentucky (No. 88)
Key player: G Shake Milton ranks second in the conference in minutes (36.3) and leads the Mustangs in points (17.2) and assists (4.8).
Key stretch: SMU should be 3-0 in the American when it plays at Cincinnati. A home game vs. Temple and a road trip to Wichita State follow.
One sentence: G Jahmal McMurray, from Topeka, averaged 14.5 points in his two games since becoming eligible.
 
No. 72 Cincinnati
Record: 11-2
Best win: 77-63 at UCLA (No. 58 RPI)
Worst loss: 66-60 vs. Florida (No. 99 RPI)
Key player: F Gary Clark averages 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and leads the Bearcats with 21 steals and 20 blocks.
Key stretch: The Bearcats face the Texas swing (at SMU, at Houston) before playing host to Wichita State on Feb. 18.
One sentence: Ken Pomeroy's statistics loves the Bearcats much more than the RPI – they are No 10 despite a weak non-conference schedule.
 
No. 97 UConn
Record: 7-5
Best win: 70-58 vs. Oregon (No. 46 Pomeroy)
Worst loss: 89-64 at Auburn (No. 27 RPI)
Key player: G Jalen Adams averaged 37.5 minutes in non-conference play and leads the Huskies in points (18.2) and assists (3.5).
Key stretch: The Huskies open with Wichita State in Hartford and play three of their first four games at home. A good start to American play won't erase the disappointing non-conference performance.
One sentence: The Huskies need overtime to hold off Columbia and Monmouth, results that might be as revealing as the losses.
 
No. 100 Tulane
Record: 9-3
Best win: 80-59 vs. Miami (Ohio) (No. 128 RPI)
Worst loss: 70-59 at Georgia State (No. 163)
Key player: G Melvin Frazier leads the American by averaging 2.4 steals and recorded three games with double figures in scoring and rebounding.
Key stretch: Home games are crucial if the Green Wave wants to improve. Visits by South Florida (Jan. 25) and East Carolina (Feb. 14) are must-win games.
One sentence: Tulane leads the American in tempo and its style of play might help it pull off an upset or two.
 
No. 146 Tulsa
Record: 7-5
Best win: 61-54 vs. Kansas State (No. 43 Pomeroy)
Worst loss: 74-67 vs. Lamar (No. 191 RPI)
Key player: F Junior Etou averaged 18.1 points and 6.4 rebounds in non-conference play. He ranks ninth nationally with 94 free throw attempts.
Key stretch: Tulsa opens American play with East Carolina, Tulane, UConn and Memphis.
One sentence: Tulsa outscored its opponents 220-152 at the foul line.
 
No. 169 Memphis
Record: 9-3
Best win: 76-74 vs. Northern Kentucky (No. 79 Pomeroy)
Worst loss: 71-56 at UAB (No. 244 RPI)
Key player: G Jeremiah Martin averaged 18.6 points and 4.5 rebounds and has made 80.2 percent of his foul shots (69 of 86).
Key stretch: The Tigers, who finish non-conference play vs. LSU on Thursday, open conference play at Cincinnati and at Central Florida.
One sentence: Memphis averages 5,552 fans in the 18,119-seat FedEx Forum.
 
No. 317 South Florida
Record: 7-6
Best win: 60-59 vs. Florida Atlantic (No. 188 RPI)
Worst loss: 65-53 vs. Florida International (No. 316 RPI)
Key player: G Stephan Jiggetts averaged 12.5 points and his 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fifth in the conference.
Key stretch: The Bulls face a brutal schedule in late December and early January with two games against East Carolina (Jan. 3 and Jan. 17) to offer relief.
One sentence: USF commits a turnover on 21.4 percent of its possessions, according to Pomeroy, to rank No. 285 nationally.
 
No. 344 East Carolina
Record: 6-5
Best win: 76-68 vs. Grambling (No. 231 RPI)
Worst loss: 69-50 vs. Charlotte (No. 291 RPI)
Key player: G Isaac Fleming has 18 baskets, 16 turnovers and 13 assists in the previous three games, all while averaging 17 points.
Key stretch: A three-game home stand (Wichita State, Houston, USF) offers a little relief after the Pirates play three of their first four American games on the road.
One sentence: The Pirates are 4-1 since interim coach Michael Perry replaced Jeff Lebo in late November.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.