Sports Illustrated's
The big picture
It’s impossible to address the AAC without discussing conference realignment. Without it, the combination of Houston’s Final Four run, Memphis’s recent success on the recruiting trail and the presence of perennially strong programs like Cincinnati and Wichita State would be enough to drive optimism about where the league stands on the hardwood. But with Houston, UCF and Cincinnati on their way to the Big 12 and no clear answers on who’ll replace them, the long-term future of the league from a men's basketball standpoint is in question.
That said, Memphis may be the most entertaining team in the sport this season, Houston has top-10 potential again and the programs in the middle of the league could be on the rise. Three NCAA tournament bids should be the minimum standard for success in 2021–22.
Conference Player of the Year: Kendric Davis, SMU
Emoni Bates may be the trendy choice, and no player in the conference can come close to matching his ceiling. But Bates is still 17 years old and being thrust into a new position. Growing pains may come. Enter Davis, the best player who even some committed college hoops fans couldn’t put a name to the face of. The Houston native is perhaps the nation’s best pick-and-roll ballhandler, creative as a passer and dynamic as a scorer. He’s also highly efficient, shooting more than 48% from the field and 37% from three while posting an assist-to-turnover ratio better than 3:1 a season ago.
Newcomer of the Year: Emoni Bates, Memphis
There may be a few bumps in the road as Bates navigates running the point and dealing with the attention that being men's college basketball’s most recognizable star will come with, but his talent as a shotmaker is undeniable. Even if his NBA draft stock has faded some from the near-impossible expectations placed on him early in his career, his ability to generate offense for himself at 6' 9" is unmatched in the sport this season. How he matures as a playmaker and contributor to winning basketball will determine whether Memphis lives up to all the preseason hype.
Dark-horse team: Wichita State
The defending conference champs have flown under the radar some in the preseason despite returning most of their production from a season ago. The Shockers won the league a season ago with less depth, while dealing with significant turmoil surrounding Gregg Marshall’s resignation and a new coach finding his way. It’s far from absurd to believe they will improve from a season ago, particularly with the additions of transfers Qua Grant (Division II's West Texas A&M) and Joe Pleasant (Abilene Christian). Wing Ricky Council IV is also a clear breakout candidate. The likes of Grant and Council joining all-conference scoring guard Tyson Etienne in the backcourt gives Isaac Brown’s team plenty of firepower, and we know the Shockers will be difficult to beat in Wichita.
First-Team All-ConferenceKendric Davis, SMUMarcus Sasser, HoustonTyson Etienne, Wichita StateEmoni Bates, MemphisDeAndre Williams, Memphis