AAC Portal Report – 3/28/24
The following is a breakdown of the AAC landscape roughly two weeks after the opening of the portal. These numbers are, of course, subject to change, but this article is meant to provide a general feel for where each team stands.
(Each team is ranked by their roster retention rate. Players that have graduated are included in "lost production.")
13. Rice
Graduation Losses: Travis Evee, Max Fiedler
Transfer Losses: Mekhi Mason, Alem Huseinovic, Keanu Dawes, Andrew Akuchie, Camp Wagner
The Rundown: Rice fired their coach, graduated longtime program anchors Travis Evee and Max Fiedler, and saw promising young guard Mekhi Mason transfer along with four other Owls. This roster is absolutely bare. New coach Rob Lanier has quite the reclamation project on his hands.
12. UTSA
Graduation Losses: Dre Fuller
Transfer Losses: Christian Tucker, Jordan Ivy-Curry, Trey Edmonds, Chandler Cuthrell, Adante’ Holiman, Massal Diouf
The Rundown: Like Rice, UTSA fired their coach and suffered a massive talent drain, seeing six players enter the portal in the last week. Jordan Ivy-Curry is the biggest name the Runners lost, but Christian Tucker and Trey Edmonds will also be sorely missed. New coach Austin Claunch, no stranger to winning in tough situations, has his work cut out for him.
11. Memphis
Graduation Losses: Caleb Mills, Jahvon Quinerly, Jaykwon Walton, Jayden Hardaway, Jordan Brown, Malcolm Dandridge
Transfer Losses: Jayhlon Young, Jonathan Pierre, JJ Taylor
The Rundown: Memphis faces the task of building their roster entirely from scratch. They've already lost nine players -- only Nick Jourdain, David Jones, Ashton Hardaway, and Carl Cherenfant can return. Obviously, the Tigers' outlook isn't as dismal as those of Rice and UTSA. Penny will certainly reel in some big names in the next month. But once again, Memphis finds themselves leaning on the crutch that has let them down for so long.
10. Tulane
Graduation Losses: Kevin Cross, Jaylen Forbes, Tre' Williams
Transfer Losses: Kolby King, Max Bowman
The Rundown: Unlike the three teams above, the Green Wave haven't suffered much portal attrition. Only two players have transferred from Tulane: starter Kolby King and walk-on Max Bowman. TU's problem is the graduation of Kevin Cross and Jaylen Forbes, the core of their team for the last several years. Fans are beginning to get fed up with Ron Hunter. If the fifth-year head coach doesn't hit some portal home runs, he could soon lose his job.
9. Charlotte
Graduation Losses: Robert Braswell
Transfer Losses: Igor Milicic, Dishon Jackson, Jackson Threadgill, Daylen Berry, Iaroslav Niagu, Sterling Young.
The Rundown: A promising season followed by an unmitigated portal disaster. Four of Charlotte's top six contributors have departed, leaving guard Lu'Cye Patterson the only remaining member of the core. If the 49ers can't keep him, this could be one of the worst rosters in the league next season.
The dangers of keeping an interim coach. Aaron Fearne has proven to be capable on the sidelines, but much of his appeal was his ability to "keep the roster intact" -- so much for that.
8. ECU
Graduation Losses: None
Transfer Losses: Bobby Pettiford, Jaden Walker, Kalib LaCount, Benjamin Bayela, Brandon Johnson
The Rundown: East Carolina has certainly taken some portal hits, losing three of their top five contributors over the last week, but they've so far managed to keep their core intact. Star guard RJ Felton posted "run it back" on Twitter, while AAC tournament hero Ezra Ausar hasn't yet made a statement. The Pirates' situation is one to monitor -- if Ausar departs, ECU's fortunes will look significantly more grim.
7. Wichita State
Graduation Losses: Dalen Ridgnal, Jacob Germany
Transfer Losses: Kenny Pohto, Trevor McBride, Colby Rogers, Isaac Abidde
The Rundown: Wichita was able to keep shot-blocking machine Quincy Ballard, but were crushed by the news of leading scorer Colby Rogers' departure. WSU's other transfers -- Ridgnal, Germany, Pohto, McBride, and Abidde -- are replaceable, but the Shockers are going to have a hard time finding an elite-level bucket-getter like Rogers in the portal.
6. North Texas
Graduation Losses: Robert Allen
Transfer Losses: Jason Edwards, Chris Morgan
The Rundown: The Mean Green have only lost three players and 28.02% of their production, but I doubt any AAC fans are currently more miserable than those in Denton; electric scorer Jason Edwards announced his departure earlier this week.
Similarly to Wichita State, the Mean Green are going to have a hard time replacing their superstar guard. However, the UNT roster is much more talented than that of WSU -- CJ Noland, Rubin Jones, John Buggs, and Aaron Scott are slated to return to Denton as of this writing. If North Texas can mitigate further transfers, Ross Hodge and company should still be projected in the league's top six.
5. FAU
Graduation Losses: Jalen Gaffney, Brian Greenlee, Brandon Weatherspoon
Transfer Losses: None
The Rundown: Who knows what's going to happen here. FAU is so far the league's only team to suffer no transfers, but Dusty May's departure throws a wrench in the equation. There has been no indication as to the fates of Johnell Davis, Alijah Martin, Nick Boyd, and Vlad Goldin -- if they leave, the Owls will be back to square one, as they graduated veterans Gaffney, Greenlee, and Weatherspoon.
4. Tulsa
Graduation Losses: Cobe Williams
Transfer Losses: Jarred Hall
The Rundown: Tulsa's offseason hinges on two things -- keeping PJ Haggerty and securing a medical waiver for Keaston Willis. The superstar freshman Haggerty hasn't indicated he wants to leave, although he'll certainly have plenty of suitors. The potential return of Willis, the veteran guard injured in January, would provide a massive boost to next year's Golden Hurricane lineup.
3. UAB
Graduation Losses: Javian Davis
Transfer Losses: Barry Dunning, Daniel Ortiz, James White
The Rundown: No AAC team is currently feeling better than the Blazers -- conference Defensive Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg announced his return on Tuesday, alongside projected starters Christian Coleman, Alejandro Vasquez, and Butta Johnson. Andy Kennedy and company project to be a top-two team in the league next season. UAB's only substantial losses so far are starting center Javian Davis and seventh man Daniel Ortiz. If point guard Eric Gaines returns, the Blazers could get at-large buzz.
2. Temple
Graduation Losses: Sam Hofman
Transfer Losses: Emmanuel Okpomo, Taj Thweatt, Deuce Roberts
The Rundown: Temple is the only bottom-tier team with any sense of roster stability. Starter Sam Hofman graduated, but the Owls' three transfers were non-factors throughout the season. Is that a good thing? Temple finished the season on a high note with an electric run through the conference tournament, but were a disaster for much of the year -- let's not even get started on the gambling investigation.
It's hard to know what to make of this team. They certainly showed potential in the postseason, but the questions surrounding them are overwhelming.
1. USF
Graduation Losses: Jose Placer
Transfer Losses: Sam Hines, Gerald Jones II
The Rundown: Amir Abdur-Rahim, predictably, has been able to keep all of USF's players so far. The defending conference champions' only substantial loss has been forward Sam Hines, a 31 game starter for the Bulls two seasons ago. It would be shocking if AAC POTY Chris Youngblood, who followed Abdur-Rahim to USF from Kennesaw State, departed. Selton Miguel and Kasean Pryor have received plenty of NBA buzz, and their decisions will shape the fate of the team and the league next season.