2017–18 American Athletic Conference men's basketball season

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2017–18 American Athletic Conference men's basketball season

The 2017–18 season of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) featured 12 teams, with Wichita State joining the league for the first time. The season ran from November 2017 through March 2018, with conference play from December 2017 to March 3, 2018. The AAC tournament took place March 8–11, 2018 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Preseason
Cincinnati was picked to win the AAC, with Wichita State a close second. Shake Milton of SMU was named the preseason Player of the Year. The preseason All-AAC teams highlighted top players like Milton, Jalen Adams (UConn), Rob Gray (Houston), Landry Shamet (Wichita State), Tacko Fall (UCF), and Gary Clark (Cincinnati), among others. Alterique Gilbert (UConn) was the preseason Rookie of the Year.

Regular season
Cincinnati won the regular-season title, finishing two games ahead of Houston and Wichita State. The conference standings also featured Houston, Wichita State, Tulsa, Memphis, UCF, Temple, UConn, SMU, Tulane, East Carolina, and South Florida in roughly that order.

Conference tournament
Cincinnati captured the AAC tournament championship, defeating Houston in the final at the Amway Center in Orlando. Gary Clark of Cincinnati was named the AAC Player of the Year, while Houston’s Kelvin Sampson earned Coach of the Year honors.

NCAA and other postseason
Cincinnati, Houston, and Wichita State earned bids to the NCAA tournament, though none advanced past the Second Round. Temple received a bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) but exited in the first round.

Honors and awards
- Player of the Year: Gary Clark, Cincinnati
- Coach of the Year: Kelvin Sampson, Houston
- Defensive Player of the Year: Gary Clark, Cincinnati
- Most Improved Player: Melvin Frazier, Tulane
- Sixth Man of the Year: Armoni Brooks, Houston
- Sportsmanship Award: Gary Clark, Cincinnati
- All-AAC First Team selections included Gary Clark (Cincinnati), Jacob Evans (Cincinnati), Rob Gray (Houston), Landry Shamet (Wichita State), Shaquille Morris (Wichita State), and Shake Milton (SMU)
- All-AAC Second Team and Honorable Mention honors were also awarded, along with a All-Rookie Team (including Alterique Gilbert as Rookie of the Year finalist)

NBA draft
Several AAC players were selected in the 2018 NBA draft:
- Landry Shamet, Wichita State (PG), 1st round, 26th pick, Philadelphia 76ers
- Jacob Evans, Cincinnati (SG), 1st round, 28th pick, Golden State Warriors
- Melvin Frazier, Tulane (SF), 2nd round, 35th pick, Orlando Magic
- Shake Milton, SMU (PG), 2nd round, 54th pick, Dallas Mavericks

Season takeaway
The 2017–18 season was notable for Wichita State’s first year in the AAC, bringing the league to 12 teams. Cincinnati emerged as the standout program, securing both the regular-season and conference tournament titles and earning multiple NCAA bids, with Houston and Wichita State also advancing to the national tournament.