Dane Massey is a second-year Digital Sports Production major and writes for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
One of the youngest conference tournaments in the nation, the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament has seen a massive rise in popularity as it has featured some of the best games since starting just nine years ago.
But what makes this year’s tournaments extra special is that history has been written before each tournament. Both of the number one seeds in this tournament are having historical seasons posting two of the best records in their respective teams’ histories. The top two teams are also ranked in the top 25 and there is a lot of underdog competition in each of the brackets which is what will make this tournament interesting. Will it be that easy for the top dogs to get by? Well, we’re about to find out.
Where are the tournaments taking place?
Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will take place in Fort Worth, Texas. This marks the second year in a row where both tournaments will take place here as both tournaments will be played inside Dickies Arena.
Who won the Regular Season title and holds the number one seed?
Houston continues their reign of dominance in the men’s standings as they claimed their second Regular Season Championship in a row and their third in four years. The Cougars also finished this year with one of their best overall records in school history.
On the women’s side, South Florida posted one of its best seasons in school history on the way to their second Regular Season Championship in three years.
American East Tournament Brackets:
Men’s Bracket:
First Round (March 9):
Game 1: No. 9 Seed vs. No. 8 Seed at 12:30 p.m.
Game 2: No. 10 Seed vs. No. 7 Seed at 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 11 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed at 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals (March 10):
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 1 Seed at 1 p.m.
Game 5: No. 5 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed at 3 p.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 2 vs. No. 2 Seed at 7 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. No. 3 Seed at 9 p.m.
Semifinals (March 11):
Game 8: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 at 3 p.m.
Game 9: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7 at 5 p.m.
Championship (March 12):
Game 10: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9 at 5 p.m.
Women’s Bracket:
First Round (March 6):
Game 1: No. 9 Seed vs. No. 8 Seed at 2 p.m.
Game 2: No. 10 Seed vs. No. 7 Seed at 4 p.m.
Game 3: No. 11 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed at 6 p.m.
Quarterfinals (March 7):
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 1 Seed at 1 p.m.
Game 5: No. 5 Seed vs. No. 4 Seed at 3 p.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 2 vs. No. 2 Seed at 7 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. No. 3 Seed at 9 p.m.
Semifinals (March 8):
Game 8: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 at 5 p.m.
Game 9: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7 at 7 p.m.
Championship (March 9):
Game 10: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9 at 9 p.m.
Predictions for American East Tournaments:
Men’s Tournament: Houston Cougars
Man, oh man, has this team made some noise over the last couple of years? Three magical runs to the sweet sixteen or further in the NCAA tournament over the last five years, along with an AAC tournament title last season. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Houston is even better than last year and arguably is the best defensive team in the country. Also, Houston has a chance to win their third AAC title in a row as well as secure their first number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament since 1983. Some teams in the AAC could give Houston a run for their money (particularly Memphis, Tulane and even Temple who beat them in the regular season), however, I predict three in a row for head coach Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars en route to a No. 1 seed bid for the NCAA tournament.
Women’s Tournament: South Florida Bulls
It ended in disappointment for the Bulls last year when their rivals, the University of Central Florida (UCF), ended their dreams of repeating as AAC Tournament champions, but this year seems different for them. They got better while UCF slipped to the bottom of the standings, however, this was only the beginning. USF’s resumé is an impressive one. 15-1 in conference play and a No. 1 seed? Check. Wins over two ranked opponents? Check. Leads every team offensive category in the AAC? Check. It seems as though this is USF’s time to not only win the conference tournament but also go on a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Contact Dane Massey with comments at dtmassey@bsu.edu or on Twitter @danemassey22.
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