The Sports Bank’s college basketball season previews undergo a face lift this season. Rather than counting down the top 111 teams in 111 days, we will go conference-by-conference. I’ve already counted down the Pac-12, Big 12, and SEC, and now turn my attention to the already new-look AAC.
Despite a significant amount of turnover from last year’s roster, the Memphis Tigers have a talented though young team that should compete for the AAC Championship.
MEMPHIS TIGERS
Last Season: T-3rd, 12-6 in AAC, 24-10 overall
Predicted AAC Finish:
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Shaq Goodwin (Jr)/Calvin Godfrey (Sr)
PF: Austin Nichols (So)/Chris Hawkins (Jr)
SF: Kuran Iverson (So)/Trashon Burrell (Jr)
SG: Nick King (So)/Avery Woodson (So)/Markel Crawford (Fr)
PG: Kedren Johnson (Jr)/Pookie Powell (So)/Dominic Magee (Fr)
Gone: PG-Joe Jackson, SG-Chris Crawford, SG-Geron Johnson, G-Michael Dixon, PF-David Pellom, C-Dominic Woodson (transfer-Tennessee), SG-Damien Wilson (transfer-Kennesaw State)
2014-2015 Outlook:
Josh Pastner counted on his experienced backcourt the past couple of seasons. However, their talented quartet of guards who combined to average 43.5 points and 13.4 assists per game a year ago are all gone. That means Memphis ushers in a new era that will lean heavily on their frontcourt of Shaq Goodwin and Austin Nichols.
Goodwin is an undersized five but brings tremendous athleticism and energy to the frontcourt while Nichols is a skilled back to the basket low post threat. The addition of Southern transfer, Calvin Godfrey (who is now on his fourth college team) provides Pastner with some experience and physicality off the bench. JUCO transfer Chris Hawkins is a physical and highly athletic forward but undersized at 6-6.
The Tigers do have a ton of size on the wing with 6-9 Kuran Iverson and 6-7 Nick King. Neither guy made a major impact as freshmen but possess a ton of talent as former top 50 recruits. Their size and length on the perimeter should be bothersome for opposing offenses and the duo gives Pastner a ton of flexibility with his lineups since both guys can play multiple positions. Trashon Burrell, another junior college transfer, is similarly versatile and could be a factor of the bench behind Iverson and King.
The point guard position was going to be a major area of concern until Vanderbilt transfer Kedren Johnson was granted immediate eligibility. He brings experience to the floor that the other point guard options of Pookie Powell and Dominic Magee lack. JUCO transfer Avery Woodson and redshirt freshman Markel Crawford should also compete for backcourt minutes but the lack of experience at guard suddenly is a huge concern for Pastner.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/18 vs. Wichita State (in Sioux Falls, SD)
11/27 vs. Baylor (Las Vegas Invitational)
11/28 vs. Illinois/Indiana State (Las Vegas Invitational)
12/13 vs. Oklahoma State
1/31 at Gonzaga
OTHER AAC PREVIEWS:
#7 UCF KNIGHTS
#8 SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS
#9 HOUSTON COUGARS
#10 TULANE GREEN WAVE
#11 EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
SEC PREVIEWS:
#1 KENTUCKY WILDCATS
BIG 12 PREVIEWS:
#1 KANSAS JAYHAWKS
#2 TEXAS LONGHORNS
PAC-12 PREVIEWS:
#1 ARIZONA WILDCATS
#4 UCLA BRUINS
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.