This Week Preseason Honors 2014-15 Standings The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Report November 14, 2014 Contact: Chuck Sullivan, Director of Communications ([email protected] • 401.453.0660) 15 Park Row West • Providence, RI 02903 TheAmerican.org • Twitter: @American_MBB • Facebook: fb.com/AmericanConf 2014-15 STANDINGS AMERICAN OVERALL SCHOOL W-L PCT PF PA H A W-L PCT PF PA H A N STREAK NOTABLE UCF 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 1 Knights led The American in rebounding last season Cincinnati rv/- 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 2 Bearcats have made four straight NCAA appearances UConn 17/15 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Won 6 UConn has won four NCAA titles since 1999 East Carolina 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 2 Pirates return four starters from last year’s team Houston 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 1 Cougars had three wins against top-25 teams in 2013-14 Memphis rv/rv 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 1 Memphis has registered 14 straight 20-win seasons USF 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 9 Bulls have two players on Preseason All-Conference Team SMU 22/22 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 1 SMU went 18-1 at home in 2013-14 Temple 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 1 Owls had four of The American’s top 15 scorers in 2013-14 Tulane 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 2 Tulane returns three double-digit scorers from last year Tulsa 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 — — — 0-0 0-0 0-0 Lost 1 Tulsa made its 15th NCAA appearance last season THIS WEEK THE AMERICAN TODAY PRESEASON HONORS Friday, November 14 On the heels of a highly successful first season, the American Athletic Conference Bryant at UConn (ESPN3) ....................................... 7 p.m. second year of American Athletic Conference basketball Preseason Player of the Year North Carolina Wesleyan at East Carolina 1 ........ 7 p.m. gets underway Friday as seven teams begin their Ryan Boatright • Sr. • G • UConn Flagler at USF............................................................ 7 p.m. respective 2014-15 campaigns. Boatright was a unanimous choice for the American at Temple (ESPN3) 2 .......................... 7:30 p.m. American Athletic Conference preseason Saint Francis (Pa.) at Cincinnati (ESPN3) ............ 8 p.m. Things could not have gone much better for The all-conference team after he helped UConn Houston at Murray State ........................................ 8 p.m. American in Year 1. UConn highlighted a group of to the 2014 NCAA title. He averaged 12.1 points and 3.5 Lamar at SMU (ESPN3) 3 .................................... 9:30 p.m. four teams from the conference to reach the NCAA rebounds per game in 2013-14 and was chosen to the tournament as the Huskies claimed their fourth national NCAA Final Four all-tournament team. He is a veteran of Saturday, November 15 championship since 1999. The American enjoyed the 94 career games, in which he has averaged 12.7 points, Tulsa at Oral Roberts 4 (ESPN3) ............................. 8 p.m. best postseason record of any conference, turning in 3.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals. a 13-4 record in postseason play (.765) behind UConn’s Sunday, November 16 NCAA run and SMU’s trip to the championship game UNC Asheville at East Carolina (ESPN3) .............. 2 p.m. of the NIT. American Athletic Conference Jackson State at USF (ESPN3) 5 ............................ 2 p.m. Preseason Rookie of the Year Stetson at UCF (ESPN3) .......................................... 6 p.m. The American should enjoy another prosperous year Daniel Hamilton • Fr. • G/F • UConn in 2014-15. Seven of the 11 teams in this year’s lineup A native of Los Angeles, Hamilton earned 1 Gulf Coast Showcase played in the postseason last year, including four squads Preseason Rookie of the Year honors 2 Northwestern Mutual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (UConn, Cincinnati, Memphis, Tulsa) that reached following a standout secondary school 3 Hoosiers Showcase the NCAA tournament. The roster of coaches in the career at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California. He 4 MGM Grand Main Event conference includes two that have won NCAA titles averaged 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.3 5 Global Sports Shootout and three who have coached in the Final Four. steals as a senior, helping his team to the California Division II state championship. All times Eastern Friday’s ledger will pose some tests out of the gate for conference teams. No. 17/15 UConn begins its quest American Athletic Conference for a fifth national title against a Bryant team that has Preseason All-Conference Team improved in every year of its Division I membership First Team (ESPN3) to highlight three 7 p.m. games. East Carolina Ryan Boatright, G, UConn * plays its first game under the banner of The American Shaq Goodwin, F, Memphis as the Pirates host North Carolina Wesleyan, while new Austin Nichols, F, Memphis coach Orlando Antigua leads USF for the first time as Nic Moore, G, SMU * the Bulls host Flagler. Markus Kennedy, F, SMU * James Woodard, G, Tulsa Temple hosts American, the 2014 Patriot League champion at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN3. Cincinnati hosts Second Team Saint Francis (Pa.) at 8 p.m. on ESPN3 as the Bearcats Amida Brimah, C, UConn start their push for a fifth straight NCAA appearance. Anthony Collins, G, USF New coach Kelvin Sampson takes Houston to face a Chris Perry, F, USF Murray State squad that is the Ohio Valley Conference Will Cummings, G, Temple favorite (8 p.m.). Quenton DeCosey, G, Temple The nightcap in The American is at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3 * unanimous selection as No. 22/22 SMU hosts Lamar. AMERICAN NOTEBOOK One Shining Moment Coaching Tree GAMES TO WATCH UConn capped the first season of American Athletic The American Athletic Conference introduces three Conference play by winning the 2014 NCAA Champion- head coaches in their first years at their respective Keep an eye on these early nonconference tests: ship. The Huskies beat Kentucky 60-54 in the NCAA final schools. Kelvin Sampson —the former Oklahoma and to win their fourth national title since 1999. Indiana coach — takes over at Houston, while former November 17: Tulane vs. Wake Forest Missouri and Miami (Fla.) head man Frank Haith is the The Green Wave plays its first game as an American When It Counts new head caoch at Tulsa. USF is led by Orlando Antiguia, Athletic Conference member when it hosts Wake Forest American Athletic Conference teams were a combined the former Kentucky and Pittsburgh assistant. of the ACC at Devlin Fieldhouse. 13-4 in postseason play in 2013-14, turning in a .765 win- ning percentage that was the best of any conference. The Champs Are Here November 17: SMU at Gonzaga The American went 9-3 in the NCAA tournament (.750), Cincinnati and Tulsa enter the 2014-15 season as The Mustangs head to the Pacific Northwest to face trailing only the SEC (12-3, .800). sitting conference champions. The Bearcats tied for Gonzaga in an early battle of preseason top-25 teams. the inaugural American Athletic Conference regular- Looking Ahead season title, while the Golden Hurricane tied for the November 18: Memphis vs. Wichita State The 2014-15 season will be the second straight year in Conference USA crown in the regular season before The Tigers open their season against a Wichita State which the American Athletic Conference has the previ- taking the tournament title. squad that went 35-1 last season. The game will be ous season’s NCAA champion in its ranks. played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as part of ESPN’s Pedigree Tipoff Marathon. Fab Four The 11 teams in the American Athletic Conference have The American Athletic Conference placed four teams made a combined 22 NCAA Final Four appearances and November 21: SMU at Indiana The Mustangs continue their impressive early season into the 2014 NCAA Championship in its first season. won six national championships. In addition to UConn’s schedule with a trip to Bloomington, Indiana, to face Cincinnati, UConn, Louisville and Memphis were se- four titles since 1999, Cinicnnati won NCAA champion- the Hoosiers. lected to the 68-team field. ships in 1961 and 1962. Team Final Fours November 21: Temple vs. Duke Lucky Seven Cincinnati 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1992 Temple’s strong nonconference schedule includes a Seven teams that are in the American Athletic Con- UConn 1999, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2014 matchup against preseason No. 3 Duke at the Barclays ference in 2014-15 played in the 2014 postseason. Houston 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984 Center in Brooklyn as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis and Tulsa played in the Memphis 1973, 1985, 2008 Classic. NCAA tournament, SMU advanced to the NIT final at SMU 1956 Madison Square Garden. Tulane was in the CBI, while Temple 1956, 1958 November 25: Houston at Harvard East Carolina was in the CIT. Kelvin Sampson’s new-look Cougars face a stern test The Sum Of Its Parts from a veteran Harvard squad that has made three Final Four The 11 American Athletic Conference members have straight NCAA tournament appearances and is ranked UConn reached the NCAA Final Four for the third time made a combined 67 appearances in the NCAA tourna- No.