The AAC looks to have bid stealers during this year’s conference basketball tournament. Memphis might be the only team that could earn an NCAA berth without winning the tournament, and even that may not be assured.
So, the action should be fierce.
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Here are some key facts about the tournament.
Dates: Wednesday through Sunday
Where: All Rounds Except First Round Played at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The first round will be played at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas.
Championship: 3:15 p.m. ET Sunday (ESPN)
Defending champion: UAB
Who’s hot: Top-seeded Memphis has won five in a row. Temple has won three consecutive games.
Top 5 NCAA NET Rankings (Through March 9)
1. Memphis (48)
2. North Texas (60)
3. Florida Atlantic (107)
4. UAB (113)
5. Wichita State (140)
Players to watch: PJ Haggerty, 6-3, R-So., Memphis (21.2 ppg., .418 3-point, 3.7 apg.); Tyrese Hunter, 6-3, Sr. Memphis (14.1 ppg.), Dain Dainja, 6-9, R-Sr., Memphis (13.7 ppg., 7.0 rpg.); Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9, Sr., UAB (17.1 ppg., 10.5 rpg., 4.1 apg.); Atin Wright, 6-1, Sr., North Texas, (15.0 ppg., .417 3-pt; .935 FT); Rowan Brumbaugh, 6-4, R-So., Tulane (15.5 ppg., 4.8 apg.); Xavier Bell, 6-2, Sr., Wichita State (15.1 ppg., .885 FT)
Fast fact: Of the 10 teams that have won the AAC Tournament, only two – Memphis and UAB – are still in the league.
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AAC Basketball Tournament Odds
| Team | BetMGM Odds |
| Memphis | +100 |
| North Texas | +225 |
| UAB | +700 |
| Florida Atlantic | +1200 |
| Tulane | +1700 |
| Temple | +3500 |
| Wichita State | +3500 |
| East Carolina | +5000 |
| UTSA | +10000 |
| South Florida | +12500 |
| Rice | +15000 |
| Tulsa | +30000 |
| Charlotte | +35000 |
College basketball odds via BetMGM as of March 11
AAC Basketball Tournament Predictions
Even though Memphis (26-5, 16-2) is likely the only AAC team that would earn an NCAA berth without winning the tournament, the Tigers have been the best team all season and they are the pick here. They also played a strong non-league schedule that prepared them for winning the AAC regular season title.
Nobody has guards to match up with Haggerty and Hunter, and strong backcourt play often leads to an extended postseason.
Memphis is the only AAC team in the top five in scoring and scoring defense. The Tigers are second in the AAC in scoring (80 ppg.) and fifth in scoring defense (72.9). Memphis also leads the AAC in three-point percentage (.388) which is extremely important in a conference tournament.
Of course, Memphis is beatable. The Tigers lost conference games at Temple and at Wichita State, but this is a team with a chip on its shoulder, feeling it should be seeded higher than projected. On Sunday, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projected Memphis to be a No. 8 seed.
Winning the AAC basketball tournament should get the Tigers a higher seed.
There are plenty of contenders, especially since every other team likely won’t earn an NCAA berth without winning the tournament. Last year UAB won the tournament as a No. 4 seed.
No. 2 seeded North Texas (23-7, 14-4) will hang its hat on defense. The Mean Green lead the AAC in scoring defense (59.5) which is third nationally. Whether there is enough offense remains the big question for North Texas, which is last in scoring offense (68.2 ppg.)
No. 3 UAB (20-11, 13-5) won five of seven down the stretch, although the Blazers ended the regular season with an 85-68 loss at Tulane. Lendeborg has the ability to take over a game, but he will need help. If UAB is playing at its pace, then the Blazers are difficult to beat. UAB began the week seventh nationally and No. 1 in the AAC in fast break points, with 16.17 per game.
Fourth-seeded Tulane (18-13, 12-6) is second in the AAC in scoring defense (69.4), and like North Texas, will have to rely more on its defense. The Green Wave won five of their last seven games, so there is some strong momentum entering the tournament.
No. 5 Florida Atlantic, which advanced to the Final Four in 2023 while a member of Conference USA and made the tournament last year in its first season in the AAC, can’t be dismissed. The Owls, however, have lost four of their last six entering the tournament.
There are other contenders, and No. 7 Temple (17-14, 9-9) is our dark horse. There are questions with Temple, starting with the availability of 6-foot-2 graduate Jamal Mashburn Jr., the AAC leading scorer (22.0 ppg.). Mashburn hasn’t played since Feb. 12 due to what is believed to be a lower-body injury. The Owls lost their first three games without Mashburn in the lineup, but then finished the season by winning their final three.
Coach Adam Fisher told reporters after Sunday’s regular-season finale win over North Texas that Mashburn is day to day for the conference tournament.
If he isn’t available, it’s hard to see Temple duplicating the run it had last year. As the No. 11 seed, the Owls advanced to the AAC title game before losing to UAB.
