The RoundHouse | 1/14/2019 4:18:00 PM

 

Wichita State joined the American Athletic Conference timed to fit perfectly with the 2017-18 men's basketball theme of power at the top.
 
In their second season, the Shockers fit just as neatly with the 2018-19 outlook of transition and uncertainty. 
 
Even the top teams feature new looks, as Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin described on Monday's conference call with the 12 coaches. His team's inconsistency frustrates him, yet when he watches last season's video to prepare for a game, he understands where it comes from.
 
"You realize that the kids we're relying on now were role players or were sitting on the bench," he said. "You've just got to keep trying to help through the trying times of conference play."
 
Cronin's thoughts are repeated throughout the conference. 
 
It's different at the top, where No. 21 Houston is the lone American team ranked in the Associated Press top 25 and No. 31 Cincinnati leads the list in the Ken Pomeroy rankings. It's different on the court after all five first-team all-conference picks and eight of the top ten (four to the NBA Draft) departed. It's different on the bench, where new coaches took over at high-profile members Memphis and UConn.
 
Two American teams – Central Florida (No. 24) and Tulsa (No. 94) – rank in the top 100 of Pomeroy's experience chart that measures seasons of college play on the roster. Temple (No. 41) and Cincinnati (No. 89) rank in the top 100 for roster continuity, which measures minutes played from the previous season carrying over to the current. 
 
Wichita State, Tulane, East Carolina and South Florida rank 220 or lower in both categories. 
 
The Shockers (7-8, 0-3 American) start conference play with a five-game stretch against teams in the Pomeroy top 100. They play UCF (13-2, 3-0) on Wednesday at Koch Arena and again will face a significant veteran deficit. 
 
"We're scuffling along," Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. "I knew when I saw this schedule break that we were going to have a difficult time in the first month. It doesn't get any easier this week."
 
Given the upheaval, the American coaches like where the conference sits. Strong programs such as Cincinnati and Houston continue to win. Memphis and UConn are energized with new coaches. 
 
Outside the traditional powers, there are positive developments. 
 
USF is making significant strides in the computer rankings. Freshman forward Alexis Yetna averages 12.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. ECU is improving under rookie coach Joe Dooley and freshman forward Jayden Gardner averages 19.4 points and 9.5 rebounds.
 
 "We think he's a foundational-type guy," Dooley said. 
 
Houston, Cincinnati and UCF are building good NCAA Tournament resumes and Temple is lurking. All four are in the top 50 of the NCAA's NET ranking, led by No. 8 Houston. Memphis, UConn and USF are in the top 100. In the Pomeroy rankings, seven schools are in the top 100.
 
"I don't know that we have a team this year that's heads and shoulders above anybody," Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. "Central Florida appears to be the best team in the league right now. It might be too early to tell. They're the most veteran team. It seems everybody else is kind of evolving, in transition."
 
The American is unlikely to produce a No. 2 seed (Cincinnati), a No. 4 seed (Wichita State) and a No. 6 (Houston) as it did last season. It may again get three teams in the NCAA Tournament and coaches maintain the middle of the conference is stronger than last season. Wichita State owns top-100 wins over Baylor and Providence; Tulsa defeated Kansas State and Oklahoma State and UConn knocked off Syracuse.
 
"I think Houston's tremendous," Marshall said. "Cincinnati, until I see otherwise, is tremendous. The meat of the league is maybe better. The bottom has gotten better, up towards the middle. Maybe the top has come down just a slight tick."
 
UCF returned four starters from last season, including guard B.J. Taylor and center Tacko Fall, and its roster features nine with 10 or more college starts. It added junior guard Aubrey Dawkins, who sat out the past two seasons with injuries. He averages 15.9 points and is the son of coach Johnny Dawkins.
 
"Central Florida may be that team," Marshall said. "They've got experience. They've got talent. They look like an NBA team coming in here with their size."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.