Ben Byrum- 94.3 The Game & The Patrick Johnson Show
The ECU Pirates opened the season with an exciting 77-75 win over the Mercer Bears in front of a raucous crowd of 4,610 in Minges Coliseum. Other teams in the AAC were not as fortunate. Here’s an in-depth look at how every conference member is holding up after the first couple of days of college basketball.
Cincinnati
Mon, Nov. 7th
Chaminade 55 Cincinnati 98
Wed, Nov. 9th
Cleveland State 58 Cincinnati 69
Plays ECU:
Wed, Jan. 11th, 9:00 PM, Cincinnati, OH
Wed, Feb. 15th, 7:00 PM, Greenville, NC
Cincinnati senior guard David DeJulius, shined against lesser competition, averaging 18 PTS, 6 AST & 3 REB and was the MVP of the week for the Bearcats. There’s no need to dig too deep into a win over the Hawaiian D2 school of Chaminade. I guarantee not once have you heard of Chaminade. If you’re saying you have, you’re probably full of it. Media pundits have been proclaiming Wes Miller’s Bearcats a surprise NCAA Tournament team, while not too entirely sure about that. I’ll give Cincinnati credit, they do have solid-underrated pieces, look no further than the previously mentioned DeJulius, senior guard Marcus Davenport, Memphis transfer Landers Nolley II and 6’11 sophomore forward Viktor Lakhin from Russia. A true indicator of this team’s potential will be how they respond to adversity against better-caliber opponents. The Bearcats had issues against Cleveland State after committing four turnovers in the final five minutes of the first half to allow the Vikings to pull within 30-29 at the break after trailing by as many as nine in the first half. The Vikings grabbed a short-lived 35-32 lead out of the half. The Bearcats quickly would work out the kinks and pull away with consistent, productive possessions on the offensive end. Cincinnati is aggressive with a fast offensive rhythm, with a score-quick mentality while displaying a nasty, punch-in-the-throat type gritty defense. NCAA tournament team or not the Bearcats have been fun to watch so far.
#3 Houston
Mon, Nov. 7th
Northern Colorado 36 Houston 83
Plays ECU: Sat, Feb. 25th, 8:00 PM, Greenville, NC
Game MVP: Houston senior guard Marcus Sasser, 21 PTS 1 REB 3 AST 1 BLK 4 STL
No surprise here. Houston’s the premier program in the AAC and possibly the team to beat in all of college basketball. What’s missing is a national championship ring for Kelvin Sampson with this Cougars team built just for that task. Northern Colorado, picked to finish second in the Big Sky, hung in there for most of the first half defensively but couldn’t seem to buy a bucket while Houston’s size and athleticism overpowered their opponents. The most concerning part of the contest for Houston was their sluggish start struggling with the Bears’ zone defense. The Cougars are ultimately predicated on rebounding and defense, outrebounding Northern Colorado 43-21 and forcing 23 turnovers resulting in 27 points. This game will be known for being Kelvin Sampson’s 200th win with the Cougars and the 700th win in his overall career as a head coach in the college ranks.
Memphis
Mon, Nov. 7th
Memphis 76 Vanderbilt 67
Plays ECU: Sat, Jan. 7th, 2:00 PM, Memphis, TN
Game MVP: Memphis senior forward DeAndre Williams, 17 PTS 5 REB 3 AST 1 BLK 2 STL
After a disappointing season for Penny Hardaway and his Tigers, Memphis comes into the 2022-2023 campaign with a veteran unit, unlike last year. The Tigers are now an experienced group with the addition of reigning AAC Player of the Year in former SMU guard Kendric Davis and the return of senior forward DeAndre Williams. If this game was any indication, the Tigers could have the number one defense in the country this year, Vanderbilt only managing to score on consecutive possession four times and Memphis forcing 13 turnovers that resulted in 18 points. The Tigers put up a masterful performance on defense and showed no holes in their game as they were near perfect from the free throw line (17-19 FT), shot 64.7% from inside the arc, and made five three-pointers. This Memphis group looks primed for a bid in the NCAA Tournament and possibly could challenge Houston for the conference championship this year. It all comes down to if senior forward DeAndre Williams can maintain production and remain a presence on the floor consistently throughout the season while staying healthy after missing time due to a back injury last season.
SMU
Mon, Nov. 7th
Texas A&M Commerce 60 SMU 77
Plays ECU:
Sat, Feb. 4th, 4:00 PM, Greenville, NC
Sun, Feb. 19th, 3:00 PM, Dallas, TX
Game MVP: SMU sophomore guard Zhuric Phelps, 28 PTS 5 REB 3 AST 1 BLK 1 STL
First game leading the Mustangs for former Georgia State head coach Rob Lanier and it was evident some issues needed to be cleaned up by SMU. After a promising start scoring the first six points of the game and lead 11-3 four minutes in, the Stangs struggled to maintain that effort in the latter part of the first half and the beginning of the second. SMU would end up coasting to a win based on being more talented, a much-improved second half, and pure defense. Lanier was pleased with how his team played defensively, “It forced us into a test. I’m proud of the guys that we found a way to pass the test. We were a little sloppy and didn’t close the game the right way, but to hold them to 35% from the field and 21% from 3.” The Mustangs improved their shooting in the second half, making five more shots — 17 — on the same 29 attempts to get to 59% for the game. But they struggled from behind the 3-point line shooting only 16.7% from the perimeter collectively. Based on this outing, SMU will have to get through some growing pains in non-conference play to be a real threat in a possible 4-bid league.
South Florida
Mon, Nov. 7th
Southeast Missouri State 64 USF 61
Plays ECU:
Sun, Jan. 15th, 1:00 PM Greenville, NC
Wed, Feb. 1st, 7:00 PM, Tampa, FL
Game MVP: SEMO senior guard Chris Harris, 16 PTS 6 REB 2 AST 1 STL
I was shocked to find out Brian Gregory was still coaching the Bulls. New season and much of the same for USF, poor shooting with a group who couldn’t seem to hit the side of a barn, inconsistent defense, and the inability to score. Make no mistake about this game, it wasn’t a matter of what Southeast Missouri did but what South Florida couldn’t do, as they shot 46% FG, 4-19 (21%) from three, and 9-19 (47%) from the free throw line. It was a competitive matchup with 15 lead changes and neither team leading more than 7 points the whole game. Keep in mind the Bulls were playing the 310th-ranked team in the country in the KenPom rankings. Seeing the product Gregory put on the court, I’m genuinely pissed ECU was picked last in the AAC Preseason Poll, regardless of context.
Temple
Mon, Nov. 7th
Wagner 76 Temple 73
Plays ECU:
Wed, Dec. 28th, 7:00 PM, Greenville, NC
Wed, Jan. 18th, 7:00 PM, Philadelphia, PA
Game MVP: Wagner senior guard Jahbril Price-Noel, 11 PTS 3 REB*
*Although not the leading scorer for the Seahawks and not a standout on the stat sheet, there’s something to be said about having the most meaningful and impactful points in the game. Price-Noel hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left in regulation to force the overtime and then he sealed the win with a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining in overtime.
It’s been a rough couple of days for Philly sports fans after this embarrassing loss. At least they have the Eagles, right? The Owls were favored by 16 and blew a 15-point lead about midway through the second half to send it to overtime. Kinston native Damian Dunn played out of his mind, his 29 points not good enough en route to the worst loss in the American. That’s saying something with what’s going on in Florida with UCF and USF. It’s not an anomaly why the Owls lost this affair with poor shot selection plaguing Temple as they shot 39% FG and 25% from three. The Owls were also narrowly outrebounded 37-35, had more turnovers 13-8, and couldn’t make a shot in overtime, all 4 of their overtime points coming from free throws. It’s only one game in the fourth season under head coach Aaron McKie. But these Owls did not reflect a well-coached unit with their scoring disappearing in overtime, sloppy ball movement, and clear miscommunication on defense, especially at the end of regulation.
Tulane
Mon, Nov. 7th
UMBC 67 Tulane 89
Plays ECU:
Sat, Feb. 11th, 2:00 PM, New Orleans, LA
Wed, Mar. 1st, 9:00 PM, Greenville, NC
Game MVP: Tulane junior guard Jaylen Forbes, 21 PTS 6 REB 1 AST 1 BLK 2 STL
You’re without six players and missing arguably your best player in Jalen Cook? No problem for Tulane, using it as an opportunity to explore their depth and showcase the overlooked talents of Jaylen Forbes and Kevin Cross, each scoring 21 points while Forbes got the nod for “Game MVP” after knocking down six 3-pointers. The Green Wave looked good from the jump, establishing strong press and zone defense that bullied UMBC into multiple turnovers. After a hot start, Tulane let off the gas leading into the half and allowed three consecutive 3’s as the Retrievers cut the deficit to eight. The Green Wave would regain control for a 45-32 halftime lead. Tulane came out of the half with issues finding their tempo while committing multiple sloppy turnovers but recovered with the defensive strategy of constant pressure that overwhelmed UMBC. A true dark-horse conference contender, a well-coached unit in year four under Ron Hunter, and a versatile group. It’s scary to think how good this team could be at full strength. Don’t be surprised if the Green Wave earns a bid in the big dance this year while also shaking things up in the AAC standings.
Tulsa
Mon, Nov. 7th
Tulsa 70 Oregon State 75
Plays ECU:
Tue, Jan. 24th, 7:00 PM, Greenville, NC
Tue, Feb. 21st, 8:00 PM, Tulsa, OK
Game MVP: Oklahoma St freshman guard Jordan Pope, 19 PTS 5 REB 3 AST 1 BLK
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane didn’t have overwhelming expectations coming into the season but had an impressive showing against Pac-12 opponent Oregon State. The Golden Hurricane was sitting in the driver’s seat, at one point having a 19-point lead but the Beaver’s well-rounded scoring from their starters rallied them back to claim the season opener. The Golden Hurricane were competitive and hung in the game until the end. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Tulsa only has one senior on their roster and was rocked by players graduating or hitting the portal. Only 39.8% of Tulsa’s scoring returned from last year, they’re going to have problems but promising players like junior guard Sam Griffin, who scored 29 PTS in that game, gives them some hope.
UCF
Mon, Nov. 7th
UNC Asheville 98 UCF 95 2OT
Plays ECU:
Wed, Jan. 4th, 7:00 PM, Greenville, NC
Sun, Mar. 5th, 2:00 PM, Orlando, FL
Game MVP: UNC-Asheville senior forward Drew Pember, 40 PTS 9 REB 3 AST 2 BLK 2 STL
UCF’s defensive effort cost them, allowing the Bulldogs to shoot 52% FG & 38% 3FG. UCF’s roster construction in the offseason was unique. Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins recruited senior transfers such as Brandon Suggs* (ECU), Michael Durr (Indiana), Ithiel Horton (Pittsburgh), and CJ Kelly (UMass) in the portal and is meshing them with young key contributors in Darius Johnson and Taylor Hendricks. In addition, not a single Knights player on the roster who saw minutes last season played in the opener. UNC-Asheville was picked third in the Big South Preseason Poll with the Preseason Big South Player of the Year, Drew Pember, whose numbers speak for themself. You’re looking at a recipe for disaster. Will UCF find its groove and click chemistry-wise in time for conference play? If so, how good will they be? A lot remains unseen with the Knights.
*Brandon Suggs. 16 PTS 4 REB 4 AST and 4 STL for Suggs in his debut while leading the Knights in minutes with 49.
Wichita State
Mon, Nov. 7th
Central Arkansas 55 Wichita State 79
Plays ECU:
Sat, Dec. 31st, 4:00 PM, Wichita, KS
Sun, Jan. 29th, Noon, Greenville, NC
Game MVP: Wichita State senior guard Craig Porter Jr., 22 PTS 4 REB 4 AST 1 BLK 3 STL
The Wheat Shockers are another American team with its fair share of newcomers. 10 of 12 players that checked in for Wichita State did so for the first time in a Shockers uniform, a school record for the most debuts. Wichita State senior guard Craig Porter seemingly has taken a leap from last year and was money shooting the basketball. Porter knocked down 82% FG and 67% 3FG in the win. Not the Shockers of old, but they did what was expected of them in the opener, they should be a solid middle-of-the-pack, competitive team in the AAC this year. The season falls on if guys like Porter can keep up the production and continue to make strides and if the new pieces can fill the void that Tyson Etienne & Ricky Council IV left behind. Speaking of it not being the Shockers of old, Monday’s announced crowd of 6,954 fans officially marked the lowest attendance for a Wichita State men’s basketball home opener in 27 years.
Game MVP: Wichita State senior guard Craig Potter, 22 PTS 4 REB 4 AST 1 BLK 3 STL