Just last season, Western Kentucky’s dominant big man Charles Bassey was leading the Hiltoppers through Conference USA with a chance to get an at-large bid. However, late in the season, Western Kentucky started to lose some games and all of the sudden, they had to win their conference tournament to get into the big dance. All was going well until the Hiltoppers ran into the Mean Green of North Texas. Grant McCasland’s team proved to be up to their challenge as their excellent interior defense shut down Bassey and got the Mean Green into the tournament. Less than a week later, North Texas’ interior defense was great once again as they shut down Trevion Williams and Zach Edey to complete the upset of Purdue. A year later, North Texas has the best record going into the C-USA tournament in what should be a fun week in Frisco, Texas.

Favorites:

North Texas:

North Texas, as previously mentioned, won an NCAA Tournament game last year. The Mean Green have a chance to do that again. Although a loss to UTEP this past weekend may have destroyed their at-large chances, North Texas still should be the favorites to win the league. The Mean Green don’t have Javion Hamlet anymore. They don’t even have a player like him. However, the defensive effort of North Texas, partnered with their balanced scoring, makes for a dangerous mid major squad. Four players average double figures for the Mean Green, including Tylor Perry and Thomas Bell. If Perry and Bell are going, North Texas is a really good team. If not, they can still win games with their top 20 defense. Definitely a team to monitor this week.

UAB:

You want a team that can beat North Texas? How about the team that beat them on the road and lost to them on a buzzer beater at home. UAB has had a phenomenal year, finishing 14-4 in C-USA under Andy Kennedy. The Blazers are ranked 52nd in Kenpom and have a very good offense that poses as a threat to some of the better defensive teams in the league. The offense is led by C-USA player of the year Jordan Walker. Walker averaged 19 points a game and very impressively beat out Kenny Lofton, Jr. for the conference player of the year award. UAB’s key to winning three in a row in Frisco this week: Get Quan Jackson and KJ Buffen going as secondary scorers. Walker is really good, but he can’t win games by himself.

Other Contenders:

Middle Tennessee State:

We do have to acknowledge that Middle Tennessee St had a solid year in the league. While they played in a division opposite of arguably the top three teams in the league, the Blue Raiders still won 13 games and are definitely a team to note this week. Middle Tennessee won 13 out of 14 before dropping their final two games; and it was in large part to the play of Josh Jefferson. Jefferson’s season totals aren’t eye popping, but he had games scoring 31, 30 and 26 in the Blue Raiders best stretch of the season. If Middle Tennessee St wants to grab the auto bid, they need Jefferson playing his best.

Louisiana Tech:

Louisiana Tech is a team that had preseason expectations to win the league. Now, as we’ve reached champ week, they don’t have those expectations to win the league. However, they definitely still can. If you don’t know who Kenny Lofton, Jr. is by now, you haven’t watched enough college basketball over the last two years. The guy is a 6’7, 275 pound freight train. He will bully anyone who gets in his way and is impossible to guard one on one in the post. Although Louisiana tech will have to win four games to win the title, if Lofton is at his best they are certainly capable of it.

Sleepers:

UTEP:

The Miners have won a couple in a row and beat North Texas to close out the regular season. They also won 11 games in the more difficult division and have a somewhat favorable path to the semis.

Florida Atlantic:

The Owls have to beat UAB just to get to the semis, but they have won their last three, two of which were on the road.

For everyone else, winning one game in Frisco could probably be considered a successful week. However, the tournament is going to be a grind with a bunch of low scoring battles. The winner of the tournament should find themself in position to be no lower than a 13 seed and North Texas and UAB most definitely pose as threats to win a tournament game.

My Bracket Picks:

First Round:

6W UTSA > 7W Southern Miss

6E FIU < 7E Marshall

Second Round:

4W UTEP > 5E Old Dominion

3E FAU > 6W UTSA

4E Charlotte > 5E Rice

3W Louisiana Tech > 7E Marshall

Quarterfinals:

1E MTSU < 4W UTEP

2W UAB > 3E FAU

1W North Texas > 4E Charlotte

2E Western Kentucky < 3W Louisiana Tech

Semifinals:

2W UAB > 4W UTEP

1W North Texas > 3W Louisiana Tech

Championship:

1W North Texas > 2W UAB