Conference USA Weekend Preview

Saturday, February 4th

The stretch run has arrived in college basketball. Teams are now entering their last 10 games of the season, which—in the Committee’s eyes—are the most important games of the year. While that might be incorrect, the Selection Committee has the only opinion that matters. This weekend in Conference USA is stacked with games on Saturday, including several contests where an inferior team is playing host to a higher-ranked team with the chance to pull an upset.

Game of the Week: UAB at Central Florida
The best non-Memphis team in the league takes on a team that has shown they can keep games close into the final seconds. UAB has thoroughly demonstrated that they are an NCAA Tournament-worthy team that can legitimately challenge Memphis when the Tigers come to town in March. On the other hand, UCF is currently fourth in the league, but has flashed some of the potential they have. They were close against Kentucky and Western Kentucky, and won at Houston earlier in the Conference USA season. Could this be the big upset that they pull this season?

UAB is an athletic team that likes to pressure ball right off the bat and keep up the heat the entire game, earning the name “The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball.” Cardell "Squeaky" Johnson is a very good point guard whose importance doesn't show up in the boxscore—except in the assist category. He doesn't turnover the ball often and is an excellent defender. Wing Marvett McDonald is a very good scorer and shooter who can carry the team offensively at times. Fellow perimeter players Wen Mukubu and Paul Delaney can also fill it up. Frank Holmes anchors the inside, while freshman Lawrence Kinnard has come on strong lately.

Central Florida has one of the best backcourts in the conference in Justin Rose and Josh Peppers. Peppers is one of the best all-around scorers in the conference and he can also shoot the ball efficiently from deep. Rose is the best all-around player on the team. He is a solid scorer, a very good rebounder for his size, and a good distributor. Mike O’Donnell and Troy Lindbeck also contribute on the perimeter. Anthony Williams is the main man up front, while Lavell Payne and Marcus Johnson also see extensive minutes in the frontcourt.

Both teams rely on their perimeter play to win games. Neither squad has a legit low-post player that they can go to when they need a basket down the stretch. Therefore, the game will come down to whose backcourt and wings are better. That goes to UAB. They are deep with scorers and athletes on the perimeter, and they have the best point guard in the conference. The Blazers will turn the pressure up from the opening tip and will create turnovers immediately. Even though UCF is at home, they simply don’t have enough firepower to beat UAB.

Prediction: UAB 82, UCF 72

Other Conference-USA Games:

Memphis at Rice: The undefeated Tigers head on the road to face a Rice team that has lost 3 of their last 4 games. Darius Washington and Rodney Carney are one of the best scoring duos in the country, while Shawne Williams has had as much of an impact as a freshman as any newcomer. Rice counters with Morris Almond, possibly the best scorer in the conference. J.R. Harrison and Lorenzo Williams will need big games.

UTEP at Tulsa: Another Top-3 team goes on the road to face a slumping team. Tulsa has lost three in a row and 7 of their last 10. Not counting records, the Golden Hurricane might be the league’s worst team. However, guard Brett McDade and forward Anthony Price form a solid inside-outside duo, while forwards Darold Crow and Charles Ramsdell can also put the ball in the basket. UTEP lost their first conference game of the season to Houston this past week. John Tofi is one of the best post players in the league, while Jason Williams is an outstanding all-around player. Miguel Ayala and Edgar Moreno anchor the backcourt.

Houston at East Carolina: A battle between two teams heading in opposite directions. Houston has won three in a row, while East Carolina has lost 5 of their last 6. Houston has an excellent backcourt in Oliver Lafayette, a super scorer, and Lanny Smith, one of the league’s best point guards. Ramon Dyer leads a deep group of athletic forwards. East Carolina may have the best player in the conference that no one has heard of. Corey Rouse averages a double-double per game and is a load to stop in the post. The guard trio of Sam Hinnant, Jeremy Ingram, and Courtney Captain provides the scoring from the perimeter.

Marshall at Tulane: Two teams that have been on the rise lately face off against each other. Marshall beat West Virginia last week and have won 2 of 3. Tulane has won 3 of their last 4. While neither team is going to do much damage in the C-USA Tournament, there is some talent in this game. Marshall has one of the best post players in the conference in the underrated Mark Patton. Guards Joe Miles and Travis Aikens are a decent backcourt combo. The Thundering Herd is deep and balanced. Tulane uses a host of players and shuffles groups in and out of the game frequently. The post tandem of Quincy Davis and David Gomez is one of the better big man duos in the conference. Chris Moore leads a deep group of perimeter players that can score.

Southern Mississippi at SMU: These might be the two sorriest teams in the league. They have a combined 3-9 conferene record, and their average RPI is almost 243. SMU has one of the best all-around players in the conference in Bryan Hopkins. He can do nearly everything on the court. Derrick Roberts and Dez Willingham are two more double-figure scorers on the perimeter. Devon Pearson is a very good inside player. Southern Mississippi is a balanced group that has several players capable of leading the team in production. Courtney Beasley is the team’s lone double-digit scorer, while guards Jason Forte and Jarekus Singleton are also solid players on the perimeter. Shaun Simpson is the main man up front.