American Athletic Conference men’s basketball breakdown

TAMPA, Fla., (Sept. 21, 2023) – The American Athletic Conference will have a different feel without annual conference championship contender Houston, or Cincinnati – who finished in the top four of the league in all but two of seasons it was a member – or Central Florida. All three of those schools are now in the Big XII.

The American added six schools from Conference USA: Florida Atlantic, who returns everyone from a team that went to the Final Four, North Texas – winners of the National Invitation Tournament – UAB, the N.I.T. runner-up, Charlotte – winners of the College Basketball Invitational -- Rice and UTSA are also made the move from CUSA to The American.

With that in mind, we present our breakdown of the AAC for the 2023-24 season. The teams are listed alphabetically.

Charlotte

Losses: Brice Williams, Aly Khalifa, Montre' Gipson and Josh Aldrich

Returning: Isiah Folkes, Lu’Cye Patterson, Daylen Berry, Nik Graves, Jackson Threadgill, Robert Braswell III, Igor Milicic Jr. and Rich Rolf

Newcomers: Dishon Jackson, Sterling Young, Iaroslav Niagu, Dean Reiber and Nick Richard

After five-seasons, Ron Sanchez resigned his position as Charlotte’s head coach in early June to become the associate head coach at Virginia. Charlotte named its associate head coach, Aaron Fearne, interim head coach for the 2023-24 season. Fearne spent nine seasons as head coach of the NBL's Cairns Taipans, which plays in Australia's top professional league.

East Carolina

Losses: Javon Small, Saxby Sunderland, Wynston Tabbs and Elijah Jones

Returning: Kalib LaCount, Ezra Ausar, RJ Felton, Quentin Diboundje, Ben Bayela, Valentino Pinedo and Jaden Walker

Newcomers: Bobby Pettiford Jr., Cam Hayes (MT), Cyr Malonga, Callum Richard, Ta’Korrie Faison and Evan Montanari

Michael Schwartz enters his second season as head coach at ECU. In Schwartz's first season, the Pirates posted a 16-17 overall record and a 6-12 mark in conference play. The 16 wins were the most for the Pirate program in nearly a decade (2013-14) and the six conference victories tied for the most since the Pirates joined the American.

Florida Atlantic

Losses: Michael Forrest

Returning: Johnell Davis, Alijah Martin, Bryan Greenlee, Nick Boyd, Vladislav Goldin, Jalen Gaffney, Brandon Weatherspoon, Giancarlo Rosado, Tre Carroll, Brenen Lorient, Isaiah Gaines

Newcomers: Jakel Powel and Devin Vanderpool

Dusty May led FAU to its greatest season in school history in the 2022-23 campaign. May guided the Owls to the Final Four while posting a program-best 35-4 record.

Memphis

Losses: Chandler Lawson, Jonathan Lawson, Kendric Davis, Elijah McCadden, Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Jahmar Young Jr., Emmanuel Akot, Ian Granja and Keonte Kennedy

Returning: Jayden Hardaway and Malcolm Dandridge

Newcomers: Teafale, Lenard Jr., Caleb Mills, Jonathan Pierre, Noah Stansbury, Carl Cherenfant, Ashton Hardaway, Nick Jourdain, JJ Taylor, Mikey Williams

(DeAndre Williams is enrolled at Memphis and applied for a waiver to play in the 2023-24 season)

In five seasons Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway has led the Tigers to a 110-52 record, five-straight 20-win seasons, the 2021 National Invitation Tournament championship, the 2023 AAC tournament championship and two-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023.

North Texas

Losses: Tylor Perry, Abou Ousmane, Bryce Zephir

Returning: Aaron Scott, Christian Moore, Moulaye Sissoko, Rubin Jones, Chris Morgan and Matthew Stone

Newcomers: Robert Allen, Rondel Walker, CJ Noland, Jason Edwards, Alex Cotton, John Buggs III, Terrence Dixon

Ross Hodge was named North Texas head coach on April 2, 2023. He was promoted to head coach after six seasons as the Mean Green's associate head coach under Grant McCasland.

Rice

Losses: Jake Lieppert, Reed Myers, Ben Moffat, Quincy Olivari, Jaden Geron

Returning: Travis Evee, Cameron Sheffield, Max Fielder, Jackson Peakes, George Perkins, Andrew Akuchie and Ifeanyi Ufochukwu

Newcomers: Sam Alajiki, Noah Shelby, Anthony Seldon, Keanu Dawes, Gabe Warren, Camp Wagner and Cole Andrews-Heitz

Scott Pera enters his seventh season as the Rice men’s basketball coach. Only once in his six previous seasons have the Owls won more overall games than they lost and they have never finished .500 or above in CUSA games.

SMU

Losses: Zach Nutall, Stefan Todorovic, Darius McBride, Efe Odigie, Jefferson Koulibaly, Frank Agunanne and Jefferson Koulibaly

Returning: Zhuric Phelps, Jalen Smith Samuell Williamson, Mo Njie, Keon Ambrose-Hylton, Xavier Foster, Emory lanier and Ricardo Wright

Newcomers: BJ Eedwards, Chuck Harris, Denver Anglin, Ricardo Wright, Tyreke Smith and Ja’Heim Hudson

Rob Lanier enters his second season at SMU after arriving from Georgia State where he posted a record of 53-30, won the Sun Belt Tournament in 2022 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

South Florida

Losses: Jamir Chaplin, Serrel Smith Jr., Russel Tchewa, DJ Patrick, Jake Boggs, Trey Moss, Mark Calleja, Tyler Harris, Keyshawn Bryant, Ryan Conwell and Dok Muordor

Returning: Corey Walker Jr., Sam Hines Jr. and Selton Miguel

Newcomers: Kasen Jennings, Gerald Jones III, Kobe Knox, David Ogunleye, Jose Placer, Kasean Pryor, Jayden Reid, Brandon Stroud, Daniel Tobiloba and Chris Youngblood

Amir Abdur-Rahim was named USF’s head coach on March 29, 2023. He came to USF after leading one of the nation’s most stunning turnarounds at Kennesaw State, which he guided from a 1-win season to a 26-9 record, ASUN Conference regular season and tournament titles and the program’s first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth in 2023.

Temple

Losses: Khalif Battle, Damian Dunn, Ryan Sayers, Jamille Reynolds and Kur Jongkuch

Returning: Zach Hicks, Jahlil White, Hysier Miller, Nick Jourdain, Taj Thweatt, Emmanuel Okpomo and Deuce Roberts

Newcomers: Sam Hofman, Matteo Picarelli, Jordan Riley, Steve Settle III, Zion Stanford and Quante Berry

Adam Fisher was named Temple’s head coach on March 29, 2023. Prior to that Fisher worked as an assistant coach or part of the support staff at multiple programs. Most of his experience came at Penn State.

Tulane

Losses: RJ McGee, Tylan Pope, Jalen Cook, Oton Jankovic, Braelee Albert, Nobal Days, Jadan Coleman, Quentin Scott and Scott Spencer

Returning: Kevin Cross, Percy Daniels, Jaylen Forbes, Collin Holloway, Sion James, Jake Shapiro, and Tre Williams

Newcomers: Percy Daniels, Spencer Elliott, Gregg Glenn III, Kolby King, Mier Panoam, Logan Stephens, Jordan Wood and Asher Woods

Entering his fifth season in at Tulane, Ron Hunter and Tulane posted the first 20-win season for the program in 2022-23 since the 2012-13 campaign.

Tulsa

Losses: Bryant Selebangue, Peyton Urbancic, Charles Chukwu, Brian “BB” Knight, Sterling Gaston-Chapman, Nikita Konstantynovskyi, Sam Griffin, Brandon Betson, Tim Dalger, Keyshawn Embery-Simpson and Anthony Pritchard

Returning: Jesaiah McWright and Ari Seals

Newcomers: Tyshawn Archie, Isaiah Barnes, Jared Garcia, Chauncey Gibson, PJ Haggerty, Jarred Hall, Mohamed Keita, Ben Radford, Matt Reed, Carlous Williams, Cobe Williams and Keaston Willis

This is Eric Konkol’s second season as head coach at Tulsa. Konkol came to Tulsa following seven seasons at LA Tech, where he compiled a 153-75 record. His 153 career victories is the third-highest win total in LA Tech history.

UAB

Losses: Jordan Walker, Trey Jemison, Tavin Lovan Rongie Wesley-Gordon, Tyler Bertram Ledarrius Brewer and Ty Brewer, KJ Buffen

Returning: Jon Coleman, Javian Davis, Ryan Donohoo, Eric Gaines, Seth Sigmon and Tony Toney

Newcomers: KJ Satterfield, Marquis Hargrove, Yaxel Lendeborg, Daniel Ortiz, KJ Satterfield, Will Shaver, Alejandro Vasquez and James White

Andy Kennedy enters his fourth season at UAB. Kennedy is a two-time SEC Coach of the Year and is the winningest coach in the University of Mississippi’s history.

UTSA

Losses: Josh Farmer, John Buggs, III, Isaiah Addo-Ankrah, Jacob Germany, Japhet Medor, Lamin Sabally, Aleu Aleu, DJ Richards, Azavier Johnson, Lachlan Bofinger, Erik Czumbel, Jacob Germany and Sam Aldirawi

Returning: Massal Diouf, Carlton Linguard Jr. and Christian Tucker

Newcomers: Blessing Adesipe, Tre Edmonds, Dre Fuller Jr., Adante Holiman, Josh Reid, Juan Renya, Justin Thomas and Isaiah Wyatt

Steve Henson is in his eighth year leading the Roadrunners in 2023-24. Henson was the 2017-18 CUSA Coach of the Year

Wichita State

Losses: Melvoin Flanagan, Craig Porter Jr., Jaron Pierre, Jaykwon Walton, Shammah Scott, Jacob Wilson, Gus Okafor, Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler, James Rojas

Returning: Isaac Abidde, Colby Rogers, Quincy Ballard, Xavier Bell, Trevor McBride, Kenny Pohto, Jalen Ricks and Henry Thengvall

Newcomers: Harlond Beverly, Bijan Cortes, Jacob Germany, Ronnie DeGray III, Dalen Ridgnal

Wichita State announced Paul Mills as its head coach on Mar. 22, 2023. Before WSU, Mills transformed Oral Roberts from Summit League bottom dwellers to undefeated conference champions over a six-year span (2017-23) with NCAA tournament bids in two of the last three years.