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2018-19 American Athletic Conference preview: UConn is still on top, but the middle of the pack is strengthening

By Russell Steinberg

Connecticut Huskies guard Crystal Dangerfield (5) pushes the ball up court against Temple during the first half on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at McGonicle Hall in Philadelphia, Pa. Dangerfield scored 12 points to help UConn to 113-57 victory. (John Woike/Hartford Courant/TNS via Getty Images)
Connecticut Huskies guard Crystal Dangerfield (5) pushes the ball up court against Temple during the first half on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at McGonicle Hall in Philadelphia, Pa. Dangerfield scored 12 points to help UConn to 113-57 victory. (John Woike/Hartford Courant/TNS via Getty Images) /
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STORRS, CT – JANUARY 27: Tulane Green Wave Guard Kayla Manuirirangi (5) during the game as the UConn Huskies host the Tulane Green Wave on January 27, 2018 at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
STORRS, CT – JANUARY 27: Tulane Green Wave Guard Kayla Manuirirangi (5) during the game as the UConn Huskies host the Tulane Green Wave on January 27, 2018 at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Tulane Green Wave
Predicted finish: Ninth

Key returners (Last year’s stats):

G Kayla Manuirirangi, 5’7, Jr.:  7.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 34% 3PT, 25.5 MPG
F Meredith Schulte, 6’0, Sr.: 7.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 50% FG, 25.4 MPG
C Harlyn Wyatt, 6’2, Sr.: 7.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 46% FG, 25.5 MPG
G Sierra Cheatham, 6’0, So.: 5.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 35% 3PT, 17.5 MPG
G Tatyana Lofton, 5’9, Sr.: 4.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 35% 3PT, 13.7 MPG

Key losses (Last year’s stats):

G Kolby Morgan, 5’8: 19.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 35% 3PT, 35.2 MPG
G Tene Thompson, 5’11: 3.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 74% FT, 16.6 MPG

Newcomers:

G Erin Gutierrez, 5’9, Fr.: Ranked No. 138 recruit in nation, per prospectsnation.com. Named Broward County large schools Player of the Year. Primarily a point guard.

G Dynah Jones, 5’9, Fr.: Ranked 64th nationally at her position, per Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. State champion her junior year. All-state honorable mention.

F Dene’ Mimms, 6’5, Fr.: Won Louisiana state championship as a freshman. All-USA Louisiana Girls Basketball Second Team.

F Mia Heide, 6’3, Fr.: Averaged 15.2 points and 8.1 rebounds as a senior. Shot 55 percent from the field. Ranked 36th-best post player on ESPN.com.

Head coach: Lisa Stockton, 25th season

Stockton enters her 25th season on the verge of two significant milestones: The Green Wave are two wins away from 600 in program history, and she is seven away from 500 at Tulane. She took over in New Orleans prior to the 1994-95 season and has led Tulane to the NCAA Tournament 11 times. And although the Green Wave are coming off their first losing season since 2005, Stockton has gone out and scheduled aggressively — like a team that plans to be in the postseason conversation. In fact, assuming Tulane beats Texas Southern on opening night, Tulane’s 600th program win could come at LSU on Nov. 15.

Key non-conference games:

Nov. 15 at LSU
Nov. 18 vs. Washington
Nov. 23 vs. California (San Diego Thanksgiving tournament)
Dec. 8 at Alabama

Outlook: There’s no way around how devastating Morgan’s loss will be. Just look at her gaudy numbers. The good news for Tulane is that it returns almost every one of its role players and brings in a strong recruiting class. The big question: who is ready to take the next step and be the go-to option on offense?

Best-case scenario: This is an experienced team, loaded with juniors and seniors. They’ve played in the postseason and know how to get back. The backcourt also has plenty of options from the perimeter. A middle-of-the-pack AAC finish isn’t likely, but it’s possible.

Worst-case scenario: Well, when you lose a 20-point-per-game scorer and return nobody who averaged more than 7.7 per game, you have to question who your leaders are going to be. The possibility exists that nobody is ready to step in and score in double-figures consistently, and with a tough non-conference schedule, the Green Wave could be buried early.

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