College Basketball Betting: 2021 AAC Preview

The 2021-2022 college basketball season is almost here. In the AAC, all eyes will be on one program in particular, and it’s not the program which reached the Final Four last season in Indianapolis.

Team Likely To Surprise

The Cincinnati Bearcats struggled in recent seasons, and they didn’t have the caliber of coaching they needed to remain at the top of the AAC after Mick Cronin left to take the job at UCLA. Cronin reached his first Final Four this past season, while Cincinnati struggled. Now Cincinnati has a new head coach, Wes Miller. The 38-year-old did a fantastic job at the mid-major level with North Carolina-Greensboro. He was rumored to be in the mix for the North Carolina Tar Heel job after the stunning decision by Roy Williams to retire from coaching. Miller didn’t get that job, but he got the Cincinnati job. If North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis doesn’t do well as the leader of the Tar Heels, Miller would be in position to get that job in a few years if he succeeds at Cincinnati. Given his track record, one should expect that he will thrive with the Bearcats. Whether he becomes the UNC head coach in four years, that’s another story.

Team Likely To Disappoint

The Memphis Tigers have a top-three national recruiting class. Penny Hardaway brought in the very best recruits in the country and has a fully-loaded team. Emoni Bates was one of the most coveted prospects in the nation. Penny got him and sent expectations soaring. Now the question becomes if Memphis can live up to those expectations. The Tigers have the talent, but they don’t have the experience. Penny Hardaway hasn’t yet made the NCAA Tournament in Memphis. He will certainly do that, but with a recruiting class this good, people will expect at least an Elite Eight if not a Final Four, and that’s where the Tigers will fall short of what people are hoping for.

Conference Champion

The Houston Cougars, coming off the Final Four run last season, are still the team to beat. Memphis will give them a run, but Houston is the more cohesive and seasoned team with tough players who know how to defend, rebound, and make key plays late in games. Junior guard Marcus Sasser and senior guard Kyler Edwards will form the backbone of a team which makes it very hard for opponents to not only score, but get added possessions over the course of a game. Houston squeezes the life out of the opposition by limiting its opportunities and by applying relentless pressure which leads to bad decisions, bad shots, and generally bad offense. It would not be a shocker if Memphis wins the AAC, but Houston is the much more proven team with the more proven head coach. Kelvin Sampson has earned the benefit of the doubt, whereas Penny Hardaway has not. Wichita State might make things interesting as well as Cincinnati, but Houston should be able to outduel Memphis when it matters most.