American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Report March 5, 2021 Contact: Tom Fenstermaker, Director of Communications ([email protected]) 545 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Third Floor • Irving, Texas, 75062 • 336.259.1708 TheAmerican.org • Twitter: @American_MBB • Facebook: fb.com/AmericanConf • Instagram: AmericanConf 2020-21 STANDINGS AMERICAN OVERALL SCHOOL W-L PCT PF PA W-L PCT PF PA H A N L10 STREAK NOTABLE Wichita StateRV/RV 10-2 .833 72.1 69.0 14-4 .778 72.9 68.1 9-2 5-2 0-0 8-2 W 6 Win over Houston first top-6 home win since 1967 Houston9/7 13-3 .813 75.4 58.6 20-3 .870 77.6 57.3 14-0 5-3 1-0 8-2 W 3 Grimes named to Wooden and Naismith Award Watch Lists Memphis 11-3 .786 70.6 60.7 15-6 .714 72.5 62.1 10-1 4-2 1-3 9-1 W 6 Tigers recorded 20 steals vs. UCF (conference record) SMU 7-4 .636 68.9 67.2 11-4 .733 74.3 66.6 6-2 5-2 0-0 6-4 W 2 Kendric Davis conference-record 14 assists vs. Cincinnati Cincinnati 7-6 .538 70.2 72.2 9-10 .474 69.2 72.3 5-5 4-5 0-0 6-4 L 2 Won 5 of 7 conference games since returning from pause UCF 8-10 .444 66.9 69.8 10-11 .476 67.2 69.8 6-3 4-8 0-0 6-4 W 4 Knights won 4 in a row to finish regular season Tulsa 7-9 .438 63.1 65.9 11-11 .500 68.3 65.1 7-5 4-4 0-2 3-7 W 1 Win over Houston was 1st top-5 win since 1996 USF 4-9 .308 63.0 71.8 8-11 .421 65.6 71.2 4-6 3-3 1-2 3-7 L 3 Collins 10th all-time in The American in scoring (1,496 pts) Temple 4-10 .286 65.0 69.1 5-10 .333 65.5 68.5 3-5 2-5 0-0 3-7 W 1 Three Owls in double figures vs. Cincinnati Tulane 4-12 .250 62.8 68.8 9-12 .429 63.9 65.8 6-6 3-6 0-0 3-7 L 4 Allowed only 38 points (12 in first half) vs. Southern Miss East Carolina 2-9 .182 62.2 69.0 8-9 .471 66.9 66.9 7-5 1-4 0-0 2-8 L 3 Gardner became 15th player in league with 1,400 pts. Rankings listed as AP/USA Today SCHEDULE & RESULTS THE AMERICAN TODAY WEEKLY HONORS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 ON TAP PLAYER OF THE WEEK Memphis 80, Cincinnati 74 The American could crown a regular-season Quentin Grimes, Jr., Guard, Houston Houston 98, USF 52 champion on Saturday, March 6, as Wichita State Grimes averaged 27.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and hosts USF at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. With a win, the 2.0 steals in a pair of Houston wins last week. The junior guard had 22 points in the first half of a win TUESDAY, MARCH 2 Shockers would claim the regular-season crown over USF on Feb. 28. UCF 73, Tulsa 69 and the No. 1 seed for the 2021 Air Force Reserve Memphis 73, USF 52 American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK Championship. Moussa Cisse, Center, Memphis WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 Cisse averaged 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 Wichita State 78, Tulane 70 LAST TIME OUT blocks while shooting 53.8 percent from the field in UCF wrapped up the No. 6 seed in the conference two wins for the Tigers. He had 11 points and seven THURSDAY, MARCH 4 tournament with a 64-60 road win over East rebounds in a close win at Cincinnati on Feb. 28. Tulsa 107, Northeastern State 74 Carolina on Thursday, March 4. It was the fourth- Vanderbilt 82, Cincinnati 64 consecutive win for the Knights. HONOR ROLL UCF 64, East Carolina 60 Jeremiah Davenport, So., Guard, Cincinnati TITLE COMES DOWN TO FINAL WEEK Davenport helped lead the Bearcats to a 2-1 week SATURDAY, MARCH 6 This season, The American’s regular season by averaging 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 USF at RVWichita State (ESPN+) ...........................1 p.m. champion is determined by winning percentage assists. and the crown comes down to the final week. Boogie Ellis, So., Guard, Memphis SUNDAY, MARCH 7 Wichita State can win the title with a win over USF Ellis averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in a Memphis at 9/7Houston (CBS) ...............................Noon on Saturday, but if the Bulls prevail, the winner of pair of wins for the Tigers. Cincinnati at East Carolina (ESPN+) .................1 p.m. the Memphis-Houston matchup on Sunday, March 7 would win the crown and be the No. 1 seed for Khalif Battle, So., Guard, Temple THURSDAY, MARCH 11 the conference tournament and the Shockers will Battle recorded 22 points, six rebounds and four No. 9 Temple vs. No. 8 USF (ESPNU) ..................Noon be the No. 2 seed. assists in a win for the Owls at USF. No. 10 Seed vs. No. 7 Tulsa (ESPNU) ................3 p.m. No. 11 Seed vs. No. 6 UCF (ESPNU) ....................7 p.m. SEEDS 4-9 LOCKED IN Jaylen Forbes, So., Guard, Tulane Seeds No. 4 through No. 9 are locked in for the Air Forbes averaged 24.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in All times ET and subject to change Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Men’s a pair of games last week. The sophomore guard Basketball Tournament. SMU (No. 4) and No. 5) are scored 37 points against Cincinnati on Feb. 26, the set to face in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 12. most in the conference this season. UCF earned the No. 6 seed, followed by No. 7 seed Tulsa. USF (No. 8) and Temple (No. 9) will play in the Elijah Joiner, Sr., Guard, Tulsa first game of the men’s tournament on Thursday, Joiner led the Golden Hurricane with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists against Cincinnati March 11 at noon Eastern on ESPNU. on Feb. 24. IN THE NATIONAL POLLS Houston jumps up to No. 9 in the latest AP Top 25 and No. 7 in the latest Ferris Mowers Coaches Top 25. Wichita State is receiving votes in both polls. IN THE NET Houston ranks No. 5 in the latest NET rankings, as of March 5. The American has six teams in top 120, including the Cougars, SMU (54), Memphis (55), Wichita State (63), UCF (103) and Tulsa (123). AMERICAN NOTEBOOK AWARD CENTRAL SHOCKERS STREAK INTO FIRST PLACE THE RECORD BOOK Since dropping an away contest to Houston on The American’s single-game records: Wooden Award Late-Season Watch List Jan. 6, Wichita State has captured eight of nine Quentin Grimes, Jr., G, Houston games and overtook the Cougars for first place Individual Points with a 68-63 win over Houston on Feb. 18. 43 Jeremiah Martin, Memphis vs. Tulane, 2/20/19 42 Russ Smith, Louisville vs. Houston, 3/14/14 Naismith Trophy Semifinalist for 41 Jeremiah Martin, Memphis at USF, 2/3/19 Player of the Year The Shockers’ win over then-No. 6/5 Houston was Quentin Grimes, Jr., G, Houston their first home win over a top-6 opponent since Individual Field Goals defeating No. 2 Louisville on Feb. 25, 1967. 15 Shaq Goodwin, Memphis at UCF, 1/26/16 Dedric Lawson, Memphis vs. Iowa, 11/26/16 Lute Olson National Player of the Year Jeremiah Martin, Memphis vs. Tulane, 2/20/19 Watch List With the win, Wichita State is 8-1 in games decided Qentin Grimes, Jr., G, Houston by five points or less and the eight wins are tied Individual 3-Point Field Goals Kendric Davis, Jr., G, SMU with Chattanooga for the national lead. 11 Matt Williams, UCF vs. USF, 1/17/17 10 James Woodard, Tulsa at SMU, 3/8/15 Naismith Coach of the Year COLLINS NOW TOP 10 IN LEAGUE SCORING Cameron Tyson, Houston vs. Our Lady of the Lake, 2/6/21 Late Season Watch List USF senior guard David Collins scored 14 points Individual Free Throws against Temple on Feb. 21 and moved into 10th Kelvin Sampson, Houston 17 Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati vs. Nebraska, 12/28/13 place in The American’s scoring charts. Collins 16 Jayden Gardner, ECU vs. Appalachian State, 11/30/18 Jerry West Award Finalist (SG of the Year) now has 1,490 points. 15 Four tied, Quentin Grimes, Jr., G, Houston Last: David Collins, USF vs. Stony Brook, 3/20/19 Next up is ninth-place B.J. Tyson (ECU, 2014-18) at 1,570 points. Individual Rebounds IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS 23 Shaq Goodwin, Memphis vs. Temple, 2/7/15 Houston ranks as the No. 2 team in the country in Jordan Tolbert, SMU vs. Nicholls State, 12/16/15 scoring defense at 57.3 points per game. STREAKING TIGERS 22 Precious Achiuwa, Memphis at Tulane (OT), 2/29/20 After starting conference play 2-2, Memphis has 21 Trevon Scott, Cincinnati vs. UCF (2OT), 2/19/20 The Cougars are third in the country in offensive won eight of the last nine league games, including Individual Assists rebounding with 14.65 per game. They are also fifth five in a row. The Tigers have won five of those games by 14 or more points.