2023-24 College Basketball Conference Preview: American Athletic Conference Fantasy Outlook

Conference realignments have shaken up all of college basketball, but the AAC has been more affected than most conferences. Houston, UCF and Cincinnati have all left for the Big 12. Despite this, the conference has actually grown from 11 to 14 teams, as Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA have all joined the AAC. 

Let's dive into the 2023-24 conference preview. 

Top Players

Overall: DeAndre Williams, F, Memphis

Williams' status for 2023-24 is currently up in the air. His eligibility waiver for this season was originally denied by the NCAA, but he has resubmitted his application with additional documents. However, when Williams is on the floor, he is a monster. The 27-year-old forward averaged 17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks in 31.0 minutes across 35 appearances in 2022-23. Not only does he provide incredible experience for the Tigers, but he can also score efficiently from all over, evidenced by his 53.2/40.3/73.2 shooting splits from last year. If Williams is able to play for Memphis this season, he will surely be one of, if not the best, players in the conference, as well as be relevant in nationwide fantasy formats.

Also considered: Jordan Brown, C, Memphis;  Jaylen Forbes, G, Tulane; Alijah Martin, G, Florida Atlantic; Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic

Scoring: Jaylen Forbes, G, Tulane

Forbes finished third in the AAC in scoring last season with 18.5 points per game. However, with the two players who finished above him no longer in the conference, Forbes is left as the top dog. Especially considering his teammate, Jalen Cook, who finished above him, left for LSU. Forbes will have ample opportunities to crack the 20 points per game threshold and has a strong chance of being named to the AAC first-team.

Also considered: Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU; DeAndre Williams, F, Memphis; Travis Evee, G, Rice; Jordan Brown, C, Memphis

Rebounding: Jordan Brown, C, Memphis

Brown could have also made this list as one of the top transfers or best centers, but that shouldn't overshadow his rebounding prowess. In each of his last two seasons at Louisiana Lafayette, he averaged 8.6 rebounds per contest. The senior big man brings great size at 6-foot-11 and has a knack for offensive boards. Especially if DeAndre Williams isn't able to play this season, Brown will be a double-double threat every night. 

Also considered: Max Fiedler, C, Rice; Kevin Cross, F, Tulane; Vladislav Goldin, C, Florida Atlantic; DeAndre Williams, F, Memphis; David Jones, F, Memphis

Assists: Kevin Cross, F, Tulane

Cross finished sixth in the AAC last season with 4.2 per game, but that mark was the highest of any player returning to the conference. Unlike most of the other candidates for this category, Cross isn't a point guard, as he actually plays center for the Green Wave. At 6-foot-8, he has the ability to see over his defenders and dish out dimes to his teammates. The departure of Jalen Cook means that Tulane lost its primary ball-handler, which will give Cross even more opportunities to pass to a dynamic scorer in Jaylen Forbes. 

Also considered: Jahvon Quinerly, G, Memphis; Caleb Mills, G, Memphis;  Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU; Selton Miguel, F, South Florida; Hysier Miller, G, Temple; Eric Gaines, G, UAB, Max Fiedler, C, Rice

Center: Max Fiedler, C, Rice

Fiedler was in consideration for multiple categories, as his game is incredibly well-rounded. In 2022-23, the 6-foot-11 big man averaged 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes across 35 contests. His ability to be Rice's leading playmaker while also being their primary rim protector is incredibly impressive. After already spending four years with the Owls, Fiedler's experience should continue to aid him in impacting the game in more ways than practically any other player in the conference.

Also considered: Jordan Brown, C, Memphis; Vladislav Goldin, C, Florida Atlantic; Kenny Pohto, C, Wichita State

Freshman: JJ Taylor, F, Memphis  

Taylor enters the 2023-24 season as a true freshman after being a four-star recruit with offers from other programs like Duke and Kentucky. At 6-foot-8, he displays impressive size and length. Taylor scored 22 points in one of Memphis' exhibition matches in the Dominican Republic and could see playing time earlier for Penny Hardaway's team than most initially expected. 

Note: Mikey Williams of Memphis was initially headed for the top spot, but due to current gun charges that are set to proceed to trial, we'll operate under the assumption he won't be taking the court this season.

Also considered: Carl Cherenfant, G, Memphis; Quante Berry, G, Temple; Chauncey Gibson, G, Tulsa

Sleepers 

Cam Hayes, G, East Carolina

Not many have East Carolina on their radar this season, but Hayes could certainly turn some heads. He had a productive year at LSU in 2022-23, averaging 8.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31 appearances, including 18 starts. With the Pirates, the 6-foot-4 guard should receive ample opportunities to be the focal point of the team's offense. If Hayes can improve upon his 40.2 field-goal percentage and 32.4 three-point percentage from last year, he could emerge as one of the better guards in the conference. 

Nick Boyd, G, Florida Atlantic

Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis will likely receive most of the attention from Florida Atlantic, and rightfully so. However, Boyd should receive a lot of credit for the Owls' incredible Final Four run in 2022. The 6-foot-3 guard started in 37 of his 38 appearances and averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He also proved to be one of the best shooters in the country, converting on 40.0 percent of his 4.5 three-point attempts per contest. Boyd's floor-spacing ability and quality rebounding will be crucial if Florida Atlantic has any hope of replicating their success from last season. 

Transfers

Jaykwon Walton, F, Memphis

Walton actually transferred over from another team in the conference this offseason: Wichita State. Last year for the Shockers, he averaged 13.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Most importantly, the 6-foot-7 forward converted on 40.0 percent of his 3.8 three-point attempts per game. While Memphis' lineup is talented up-and-down, Walton is one of the few players who can truly stretch the floor and provide the spacing for their stars to operate. 

Jahvon Quinerly, G, Memphis

As you've probably gathered by now, Memphis is littered with talent from the transfer portal. Quinerly started in just six of his 35 appearances for Alabama last year but was very productive in his minutes. He averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 minutes assists in just 21.2 minutes per game. With Quinerly set to take over as the Tigers' starting point guard, I expect his production to increase dramatically. 

Anthony Selden, G, Rice

Selden spent the last three seasons at Gardner-Webb before transferring to Rice this offseason. In 2022-23, he had a true breakout campaign, averaging 11.5 points and 4.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes across 31 contests. The 6-6 guard also provides a lot of defensive versatility, as Rice will likely ask him to guard bigger forwards. Selden's adjustment to the AAC will be pivotal to the Owls' finish in the conference standings. 

Also considered: David Jones, F, Memphis; Jordan Brown, C, Memphis; Chris Youngblood, G, South Florida

Top-10 Players

1. DeAndre Williams, F, Memphis

2. Jordan Brown, C, Memphis

3. Jaylen Forbes, G, Tulane

4. Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic

5. Alijah Martin, G, Florida Atlantic

6. Zhuric Phelps, G, SMU

7. Kevin Cross, F, Tulane

8. Max Fiedler, C, Rice

9. Jaykwon Walton, F, Memphis

10. David Jones, F, Memphis

 Projected Team Standings 

1. Memphis
2. Florida Atlantic
3. Tulane
4. Wichita State
5. North Texas
6. UAB
7. East Carolina
8. South Florida
9. Charlotte
10. SMU
11. Temple
12. Rice
13. UTSA
14. Tulsa

Houston was last year's major powerhouse, as it wase a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament despite exiting early in the round of 16. The conference's three first-round picks in the NBA Draft came from either Houston or UCF, in Jarace Walker, Taylor Hendricks and Marcus Sasser. 
Considering these departures, Memphis is seen by some as conference favorites, especially since they were victorious over Houston in the AAC championship game last season and have received a plethora of talented players in the transfer portal. However, Florida Atlantic shouldn't be overlooked, as the Owls actually beat the Tigers in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament and made a miraculous run to the Final Four as a No. 9 seed with a core of returning players. With Tulane poised for another strong season and Wichita State looking for a bounce-back campaign, the AAC could see incredible parity this upcoming year. 

Other College Basketball Resources

Our Fantasy College Basketball Draft Kit is rolling out for 2023-24, so make sure you don't miss the following top features:

• Season-long College Basketball projections for nearly 800 players and counting.
• Complete college basketball depth charts for power conference teams and more.
• Comprehensive college basketball injury report with estimated return dates.
• The most complete collection of college basketball player news on the internet.
• Early fantasy college basketball rankings for the 2023-24 season.
• Plus, player/team stats, ability to import your team via MyLeagues, and complete access to polls and box scores in-season. Don't miss it!

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