The Conference USA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins Tuesday night with two first round games before the quarterfinals tip-off Wednesday. Here’s a quick preview of each team entering the tournament this week:
#1 Liberty (25-6, 13-5)
The Flames have secured a 6th regular season title (or division title) in the past seven years. This comes on the heels of a losing record in conference play last year, the team’s first in Conference USA. Head coach Ritchie McKay went to the transfer portal and brought in several reinforcements to go along with the returning core trio of Colin Porter, Kaden Metheny, and Zach Cleveland. Now, Liberty has its eyes set on winning three games in Huntsville and getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.
Bart Torvik gives Liberty a 45.8% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives Liberty a 38.35% chance at winning the tournament.
#2 Jacksonville State (20-11, 12-6)
The Gamecocks won eight straight games from mid-January into the first week of February to race out to first place in the conference standings at 9-2. Since then, Jax State has alternated wins and losses the past 7 seven games, as they slid into the 2-seed in this week’s tournament. Behind veteran coach Ray Harper and the conference’s leading scorer Jaron Pierre, Jr., the Gamecocks have the ability to make a run this week and get back to the Big Dance.
Bart Torvik gives Jax State a 9.3% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives Jax State a 11.27% chance at winning the tournament.
#3 Middle Tennessee (21-10, 12-6)
Nick McDevitt’s squad fought through injuries a season ago and did not meet their full potential. This season, the Blue Raiders were in contention for the regular season title into the final week of the season and will head to Huntsville planning on hanging around for a few days. Essam Mostafa is as good a big man as you will find in this league and he has some firepower around him led by guards Jestin Porter and Cam Weston.
Bart Torvik gives Middle Tennessee a 11.9% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives Middle Tennessee a 12.63% chance at winning the tournament.
#4 Kennesaw State (18-13, 10-8)
The Owls enter this week fresh off upset wins at Liberty and Jax State, the top two seeds in the tournament. In their first year in the league, second year head coach Antoine Pettway has a dynamic duo in Adrian Wooley and Simeon Cottle who can take over a game at a moment’s notice and will their team to victory. They have tons of confidence and expect to make noise in this year’s conference tournament.
Bart Torvik gives Kennesaw a 5.7% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives Kennesaw a 6.03% chance at winning the tournament.
#5 New Mexico State (17-14, 10-8)
The Aggies are one of the top defenses in the conference, keeping them in just about every game. They are a bit streaky, as they won their first four conference games before dropping six of seven only to finish the regular season winning five out of their final seven. If they can get hot, the Aggies could make a run.
Bart Torvik gives NMSU a 12.6% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives NMSU a 9.09% chance at winning the tournament.
#6 Louisiana Tech (20-11, 9-9)
Evidencing the depth of this league, Louisiana Tech was the preseason favorite but they finished the year 6th in the conference standings. Still, the Bulldogs will be a tough out this week especially with big man Daniel Batcho who looks to finish his collegiate career as a conference champion. Guard Sean Newman provides one of the best 1-2 punches from the guard-forward positions that CUSA has to offer.
Bart Torvik gives La Tech a 7.5% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings La Tech a 12.05% chance at winning the tournament.
#7 Western Kentucky (17-14, 8-10)
The defending conference champs, Western Kentucky will return to Huntsville looking to duplicate some of the magic they had from last year’s run as the 3-seed to the conference title. It’s a veteran group under first year head coach Hank Plona. Despite their 29-point loss on senior day this past Saturday to Liberty, the Hilltoppers will be favorites in their opening game Tuesday night against FIU. If they win that, WKU could get streaky behind their experienced guards led by Don McHenry and Khristian Lander.
Bart Torvik gives WKU a 3.3% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives WKU a 5.37% chance at winning the tournament.
#8 UTEP (17-14, 7-11)
The Miners have the talent to be cutting down the nets on Saturday night. They were competing at the top of the conference standings early in conference play at 4-1 and 5-2 marks. They have struggled since then though and enter the week in Huntsville riding seven game losing streak which places them in the first round on Tuesday night against Sam Houston. That first game in the conference tournament features two teams seemingly heading in opposite directions. Can head coach Joe Golding and the Miners figure things out?
Bart Torvik gives UTEP a 2.1% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives UTEP a 2.74% chance at winning the tournament.
#9 Sam Houston (13-18, 6-12)
The Bearkats opened conference play 1-10 as they were destined to finishing towards the basement in the conference and to play in Tuesday’s first round. Many of those losses came by close margins including three in overtime. After their narrow three-point setback to Liberty in Lynchburg on February 8, Sam Houston has gotten hot, winning five out of seven to end the regular season. Last year’s regular season champs, Sam Houston has a dynamic scoring tandem at guard in Lamar Wilkerson and Marcus Boykin who can get hot at any point.
Bart Torvik gives Sam Houston a 1.6% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives Sam Houston a 2.18% chance at winning the tournament.
#10 FIU (9-22, 3-15)
Nobody will be picking the Panthers to do much in Huntsville this week and understandably so. But FIU has chosen their ability to stay competitive evidenced by their double overtime loss to Jacksonville State just over a week ago. The Panthers will certainly be playing without any pressure beginning Tuesday night against Western Kentucky. Can they shock everyone and make a run?
Bart Torvik gives FIU a 0.2% chance at winning the tournament.
Team Rankings gives FIU a 0.3% chance at winning the tournament.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
MARCH 11 | FIRST ROUND
Game 1: #8 UTEP vs #9 Sam Houston, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 2: #7 Western Kentucky vs #10 FIU, 9 p.m., ESPN+
MARCH 12 | QUARTERFINALS
Game 3: #8 UTEP-#9 Sam Houston winner vs #1 Liberty, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 4: #7 Western Kentucky-#10 FIU winner vs #2 Jacksonville State, 9 p.m., ESPN+
MARCH 13 | QUARTERFINALS
Game 5: #4 Kennesaw State vs #5 New Mexico State 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 6: #3 Middle Tennessee vs #6 Louisiana Tech, 9 p.m., ESPN+
MARCH 14 | SEMIFINALS
Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs Winner of Game 5, 12:30 p.m., CBSSN
Game 8: Winner of Game 4 vs Winner of Game 6, 3 p.m., CBSSN
MARCH 15 | CHAMPIONSHIP
8:30 pm, CBSSN
