Howard Smith-USA Today Sports
Conference realignment hit the Big East Conference hard and in turn, the American Athletic Conference was formed. Don’t worry college basketball fans, for now, it’s over and a new beginning is underway.
For some, the opportunity to start anew and write a new chapter in school, and now conference, history is at the forefront. For the Cincinnati Bearcats, senior guard Sean Kilpatrick will be the key to the potential.
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The talent will be aplenty in the AAC right from the get-go, but Kilpatrick’s skill set may be the best of the bunch. From Joe Jackson to Russ Smith to Shabazz Napier, there’s plenty of talent that will be in competition for the league’s first ever Player of the Year award, but should Kilpatrick be the preseason favorite?
At 6-foot-4, Kilpatrick evolved as one of the more lethal scorers in the Big East over the course of his first three seasons at Cincinnati, but after opting to return to the Bearcats for his senior season, expectations are at an all-time high. Kilpatrick has raised his offensive numbers over each of the past three seasons — from nine points per game as a freshman to 17 this past season as a junior. A lethal stroke from the outside, mixed with a solid off-the-dribble combination makes Kilpatrick a dynamite offensive threat in the half court.
If Cincinnati is going to compete for an AAC title next season, Kilpatrick will be the main reason why.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
