With only nine teams and only two above .500 in conference play, the Conference USA men’s basketball tournament doesn’t have many upset opportunities on the surface.
But with the unpredictability of March, anything seems possible. Here is your guide to the top teams and players heading into the first games on Tuesday, March 12.
Favorites:
No. 1 Sam Houston State ( 20-11, 13-3 CUSA )
Top-seeded Sam Houston State is easily the hottest team in the conference. The Bearkats are riding a seven-game win streak, including defeating No. 2-seed Louisiana Tech on the road to secure the top spot.
Sam Houston swept Louisiana Tech and were being swept themselves. The Bearkats are the kings of the charity stripe, making 73.2% of free throws.
But after finishing non-conference 7-8, Sam Houston sits at fourth in KenPom for Conference USA at 144.
The Bearkats are searching for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010 along with the first Division 1 tournament win.
No. 2 Louisiana Tech ( 22-9, 12-4 CUSA )
Despite being swept by Sam Houston, Louisiana Tech still holds a spot as a favorite to win the conference.
The Bulldogs have won six of their last seven, finishing the year at 14-2 in conference. Similarly to Sam Houston, Louisiana Tech swept five of their conference opponents.
The Bulldogs rank first in Conference USA defensively, allowing only 64.4 points per game. In addition, Louisiana Tech ranks first in margin of victory at 10.6 points.
The top KenPom spot belongs to the Bulldogs at No. 90, the only team inside the top 100.
Louisiana Tech is looking for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in over 30 years, with the last one coming in 1991.
Dark Horses:
No. 3 Western Kentucky ( 19-11, 8-8 CUSA )
With no more teams above .500, it feels disingenuous to call anyone else a contender. One team that slipped out of that category was Western Kentucky.
The Hilltoppers started conference play 8-4 but finished the season on a four-game skid. However, three of those losses were by a combined seven points. Plus, Western Kentucky is one of only three teams with a victory against Louisiana Tech.
The Hilltoppers have the top offense in Conference USA, averaging 80.2 points per game. Western Kentucky is fourth in the conference in KenPom, clocking in at the 153 slot.
The Hilltoppers are searching for their first tournament appearance in over a decade, with the last one coming in 2013.
Back in 2008, Western Kentucky advanced to the Sweet 16 as a 12-seed.
No. 4 Liberty ( 18-13, 7-9 CUSA )
One team that has been flying under the radar has been the Liberty Flames.
Liberty is the only team in all of Conference USA that was able to beat both Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech. However, the Flames have stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their last six.
What makes Liberty so dangerous in the tournament is its shooting. The Flames finished first in the conference with a 46.8% clip from the field and a 36.6% clip from three.
Liberty sits second in the conference in KenPom at No. 134, above teams like Sam Houston and Western Kentucky.
The Flames are searching for their first trip back to the Big Dance since 2021.
No. 5 UTEP ( 16-15, 7-9 CUSA)
Another team flying under is Liberty’s first-round opponent, UTEP.
The Miners finished the regular season strong, winning their last three games. One of those wins came on the road against Liberty to split the season series. UTEP secured another win against Western Kentucky, but it also finished just 2-6 against the top four teams in the conference.
The Miners’ biggest strength is their ability to force turnovers. UTEP forces 19 turnovers per game with a positive turnover margin of 4.48. Both numbers rank first in the conference.
UTEP ranks fifth in Conference USA in KenPom at 182, two spots above conference foe Jacksonville State.
The Miners are digging for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2010 and the first conference tournament win since 2005.
10 Players to Watch (stats are per game):
Daniel Batcho (Louisiana Tech): 14.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 57.9% FG
Tahlik Chavez (Louisiana Tech): 13.8 points, 43.5% FG, 40.8% 3PT, 79.5% FT
Isaiah Crawford (Louisiana Tech): 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 1.8 blocks, 49.7% FG, 72.5% FT
Arturo Dean (Florida International): 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 41.6% FG
Tae Hardy (UTEP): 15.2 points, 1.7 steals, 41.2% FG, 69% FT
Don McHenry (Western Kentucky): 15.2 points, 2.5 assists, 46.4% FG
Kaden Metheny (Liberty): 13.2 points, 2.8 assists, 44.9% FG, 40.3% 3PT
Femi Odukale (New Mexico State): 10.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, 1.1 steals
Kyle Rode (Liberty): 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 40.2% FG, 39.0% 3PT
KyKy Tandy (Jacksonville State): 18.3 points, 42.2% FG, 39.3% 3PT, 88.4% FT
My Pick: No. 2 Louisiana Tech over No. 4 Liberty