2024 American Athletic Conference Tournament Preview & Conference Awards

CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading to Selection Sunday on Mar. 17. Up next: The American Athletic Conference Tournament.

With the restructuring of the conference, fans and followers would have thought the conference was put into turmoil and a potential sinking ship. The American Athletic Conference has lost and gained teams. Seeing this year’s conference play has been a surprise.

Last year’s AAC included some teams considered significant losses; Houston Cougars, Cincinnati Bearcats, and UCF Knights all left the conference to join the Big 12. Houston is the Big 12 regular season champion. Cincinnati and UCF are in the conference’s lower half with a 7-11 conference record. The new teams that joined the AAC are UTSA Roadrunners, Rice Owls, North Texas Mean Green, UAB Blazers, Charlotte 49ers, and FAU Owls. This conference has become massive and produced some surprising outcomes. 

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The biggest surprises came from South Florida and Charlotte. USF must win a couple of games for an At-large, and if not, win the American Athletic Conference Tournament. FAU is the lone team that could land in the NCAA Tournament without winning the AAC Tournament. According to the NET, the only other team in the field would be SMU. With Memphis and USF both being on the outside of the NCAA Tournament looking in, the rest of the AAC teams will have to win the AAC Tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament.

The storylines surrounding the AAC have been crazy, the biggest being the impressive winning streak by USF, winning 15 straight games and a perfect 9-0 at home in conference play. FAU’s transition has been seamless, finishing 14-4. Charlotte was another massive surprise for the AAC and even led the conference at one point, going 13-5; UAB and North Texas finished 10+ wins in conference play. While this conference has become one of the larger ones, the strength of this conference is what will make this tournament so fun. No one is invincible, and any one game can end your season.

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2024 American Athletic Conference Awards

Player of the Year: Johnell Davis, FAU

Freshman of the Year: PJ Haggerty, Tulsa

Transfer of the Year: David Jones, Memphis

Coach of the Year: Amir Abdur-Rahim, USF

First Team:

• G: Eric Gaines, UAB (12.0 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 SPG)
• G: Johnell Davis, FAU (18.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 43.8 3P%)
• F: David Jones, Memphis (21.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 2.1 SPG, 46.0 FG%, 37.9 3P%)
• F: Kevin Cross, Tulane (17.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 44.0 3P%, 51.9 FG%)
• C: Vladislav Goldin, FAU (15.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.6 BPG, 66.7 FG%)

Second Team:

• G: Jahvon Quinerly, Memphis (13.7 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 35.2 3P%)
• G: Jason Edwards, North Texas (19.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 36.3 3P%)
• F: Max Fiedler, Rice (9.4 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 5.1 APG, 66.5 FG%)
• F: Igor Milicic, Charlotte (13.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 BPG, 37.8 3P%, 63.8 2P%)
• F: Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB (13.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.1 BPG, 51.5 FG%, 34.4 3P%)

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American Athletic Conference Tournament Simulation

First Round – Wed., Mar. 13

12. Wichita State (13-18, 5-13) vs. 13. Rice (11-20, 5-13) – 1 p.m. on ESPN+

These two teams have remarkably similar issues. Both teams are consistently in each game but manage to squander it. The edge in this battle leans toward Wichita State, as they could handle Rice in their lone game. Rice was going into a hostile environment on the road; this was more of a home game for them. The Owls have this uncanny ability to get scolding hot. The Shockers have a slightly better defense, but the team loses focus. Colby Rogers has been getting hot offensively and is a force. Travis Evee is the matchup and has a similar skill set. This game will be one of offense, who shows up and who shows out. I believe the Shockers will win this game. 

Jason’s pick: 12. Wichita State

11. Temple (12-19, 5-13) vs. 14. UTSA (11-20, 5-13) – 3 p.m. on ESPN+

It is a back-to-back game, as these two just met. UTSA fell on a last-second shot at home. UTSA is an incredible offense when it hits. The Roadrunners need their shooters to find a rhythm instead of being individual scorers. The first game was on the back of Ivy-Curry, and the second game was PJ Carter. Temple swept the Roadrunners in the regular season. Miller and Riley are consistent players but need others to step up and become double-digit scorers. With all the news surrounding Temple, the time between now and the tournament, the news will get into their head. 

Jason’s pick: 14. UTSA

Second Round – Thur., Mar. 14

8. East Carolina (14-17, 7-11) vs. 9. Tulsa (16-14, 7-11) – 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU

These two teams met, and the Pirates came out victorious at home. On a neutral court, Tulsa will be fired up after beating USF in Tulsa. PJ Haggerty and Cobe Williams have become an extreme force and the reason the Golden Hurricane defeated the Bulls. These two are both offensive and defensive powers. On the other side, Felton and Johnson have the same ability. It will come down to coaching here. Both second-year coaches and the incredible freshman phenom PJ Haggerty continue to shoulder the load of this team. The fun of the AAC is really how comparable these teams are. It will truly come down to who shows up. 

Jason’s pick: 9. Tulsa

5. Memphis (22-9, 11-7) vs. 12. Wichita State – 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU

This game is more of an open-and-shut case. Coach Hardaway has had Wichita State’s number, and the talent deficit here is very different. Memphis has a ton of talent, including David Jones, Jahvon Quinerly, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who are starting to mesh. The Tigers would need a bad day from all three players. The Shockers can not keep up in a truly offensive game. 

Jason’s pick: 5. Memphis

7. North Texas (17-13, 10-8) vs. 10. Tulane (14-16, 5-13) – 7 p.m. on ESPNU

North Texas’s defense allows them to stay in games. They can win in a low-scoring affair but also keep up offensively. Jones, Edwards, and Scott are all double-digit scorers and can take over a game. Besides that, they match up fairly well with Holloway, Cross, and Forbes. The issue for the Green Wave remains defense. These two Green teams are going to battle, and I trust the Mean Green’s defense to get it done. 

Jason’s pick: 7. North Texas

6. SMU (20-11, 11-7) vs. 14. UTSA – 9 p.m. on ESPNU

UTSA just beat SMU earlier this month. The Roadrunners won that battle. However, the Mustangs had more on the line. SMU has a strong team, but it got lulled in a false sense of security the first time. Coach Lanier will be more prepared this time. Both of these teams want to run. However, Coach Lanier will likely have his guys locked in on defense to make UTSA take contested shots. These games will remain coin-tosses, but this will be one of the must-watch games if these teams are firing on all cylinders. 

Jason’s pick: 6. SMU

Quarterfinals – Fri., Mar. 15

1. South Florida (23-6, 16-2) vs. 9. Tulsa – 1 p.m. on ESPN2

This game will be the one sticking out in the Bulls’ minds after Tulsa ended the winning streak USF was on. Tulsa had a home-court advantage in this neutral territory and had a short turnaround. USF gets the edge. The AAC is up for grabs, and both teams have an excellent opportunity to win this. The Bulls should get it done with more rest and prep time. Miguel and Youngblood did not make a single 3-pointer in the last meeting. Haggerty and Cobe Williams also had massive games; it seemed like a perfect storm.

Jason’s pick: 1. South Florida

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4. UAB (20-11, 12-6) vs. 5. Memphis – 3 p.m. on ESPN2

These two split during the regular season, winning on their home floors. However, it looks like Memphis is finding its stride, and with another get-right game, the previous day should come ready. UAB won’t be a slouch, but this game is set to be a high-scoring affair. Lendeborg, Gaines, Vasquez, and Johnson must catch fire to take down the Tigers. The Blazers will need to catch fire if a fourth player shows up for Memphis this time and could break 100 for the fifth or sixth time. 

Jason’s pick: 5. Memphis

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2. FAU (24-7, 14-4) vs. 7. North Texas – 7 p.m. on ESPNU

These previous matchups have been fantastic, with the Owls coming out on top both times in narrow victories. The North Texas issue will remain in the game because of its tempo. The Mean Green has its problems with fouling because of the tough defense. FAU will likely exploit this if the team gets in trouble and finds its way to the free-throw line. The Owls have excellent ball movement and discipline and are one of the most efficient shooting teams, sitting at 23. Goldin did not do much in both matchups, and I would expect him to show up in a big way here. 

Jason’s pick: 2. FAU 

3. Charlotte (19-11, 13-5) vs. 6. SMU – 9 p.m. on ESPNU

Charlotte’s first game in the conference was this matchup. The 49ers struggled and weren’t ready. At this point, Dishon Jackson and Nik Graves had not found themselves. As the season went on, these two had become more reliable on both ends of the floor. SMU has its streaks and a few players that can get hot offensively. The Mustangs rely on Phelps and Harris. Wright, Williamson, and Smith can show up but are genuinely hit-or-miss. The 49ers have more to prove to the conference, but this matchup will be intriguing. SMU is on its way out and may want to leave a mark.

Jason’s pick: 3. Charlotte

Semifinals – Sat., Mar. 16

1. South Florida vs. 5. Memphis – 3 p.m. on ESPN2

This is where the story can get interesting. In the first game, the Bulls won the second game of their 15-game winning streak. These two teams are very different, and they have two different play styles. However, these similar coaching styles play into the players’ abilities. These coaches believe in their teams, but coach Abdur-Rahim builds a culture. Memphis has the talent and seems to be clicking; this matchup will be one of the American Athletic Conference Tournament’s best games if it happens.

Jason’s pick: 1. South Florida

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2. FAU vs. 3. Charlotte – 5 p.m. on ESPN2

FAU has one of the best home-court advantages and one of the most stable rosters over the past two seasons, 30-1. They can attack defenses in so many different ways. The Owls have the most pressure put on them as they were expected to win this conference. Conversely, Charlotte was picked to finish 13th in this conference. Instead, they grabbed the 3-seed and, for a time, had the best record. The 49ers have a chip on their shoulder and have some impressive pieces. A true toss-up. These two teams met early in Conference play, and the 49ers won. I am leaning that way as they have more to fight for, and Dishon hasn’t found his role yet. 

Jason’s pick: 3. Charlotte

Championship – Sun., Mar. 17

1. South Florida vs. 3. Charlotte – 3:15 p.m. on ESPN

These two teams met once in AAC play, and USF came out on top. Charlotte had a tremendous offensive in the first half but couldn’t get it going in the second. Patterson fouled out with less than a minute left. The last shot by Graves to tie for OT was just missed. These two teams match up so well and have found their identities. On a Neutral floor, this game will be a blast. The swagger that USF has with the hard work ethic of the 49ers. Unfortunately for Charlotte, South Florida has more to play for, as it will likely need this win to get into the NCAA Tournament.

Jason’s pick: 1. South Florida