Conference USA Basketball Game of the Week: NCAA Previews

As was expected heading into Selection Sunday, Conference USA received two bids to the NCAA Tournament, Memphis and UAB. Moreover, two teams went to the NIT—Houston and UTEP (see Houston & UTEP NIT previews). Once the Cougars and the Miners were knocked out of the conference tournament, it was clear that only the Tigers and Blazers would get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. Memphis received the final #1 seed after Ohio State and Texas lost in the finals of their respective conference tournaments. It is my feeling that the Tigers would still have been a #1 had the Buckeyes and Longhorns won, though. UAB received a 9-seed, which is just about where they probably should be. They were on the bubble throughout the season, but picked up a few good wins along the way, putting them smack in the middle of the bracket. Do either of these teams have a chance to make noise in the Big Dance? Moreover, what about Houston and UTEP in the NIT?

#1 Memphis vs. #16 Oral Roberts (Friday, 2:50 P.M., CBS):
Memphis has a very difficult region to manage if they are going to reach the Final Four. Their first-round game against ORU has been one of the most talked-about 1-16 match-ups in recent memory. Some are even going as far as to say that the Golden Eagles can knock off the Tigers. While I’m not going to go as far as that, I will say that Oral Roberts will give Memphis a decent game and the contest should be somewhat competitive throughout.

The Golden Eagles came into the season with high expectations, and had been somewhat of a disappointment prior to the postseason. They only went 4-8 in non-conference play, but looked much better in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament. ORU owns one of the best inside-outside combos in the country in Caleb Green, the most dominant player in the league, and Ken Tutt, a very good perimeter scorer. Green can take over a game in the post, while Tutt has been shooting the ball extraordinarily well down the stretch. Larry Owens is an excellent rebounder down low, and he can also use his athleticism to block shots as well as get out in transition for easy baskets. Jonathan Bluitt is a solid point guard, while Chris Riouse is an excellent three-point shooter off the bench.

Memphis is one of the best teams in the country and deserved the #1 seed they received. However, they had not played at their peak down the stretch, even though they continued to win. The Tigers might have erased some of those thoughts with their solid performance in the Conference-USA final. Some seem to think that the Tigers need to get used to playing against quality teams again. They are atop the league in an abundance of statistical categories, and also lead the conference in scoring offense. The athletic Tigers love to pressure the ball and get points in transition. Rodney Carney is a freak in terms of athleticism and is one of the best players in the country. Darius Washington is a solid point guard who is a very good playmaker. Shawne Williams is an inside-outside player who is one of the top freshmen in the land. Antonio Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts provide scoring and defense on the wings. The only thing this team lacks is a dominant low-post player and experience. However, if Joey Dorsey is consistent on the glass and defensively, the Tigers will be fine.

While this may be a competitive game, Oral Roberts will not be the first 16-seed ever to knock off a top-seeded team. Memphis is just too athletic and deep for the Golden Eagles. There are still several matchups worth watching, though. Larry Owens vs. Shawne Williams will be a battle between two athletic combo forwards who can do a lot of things on the floor. It will also be interesting to see how Joey Dorsey does against Caleb Green down in the paint. Ken Tutt could have a difficult time against the length of the Memphis wings.

Prediction: Memphis 82, Oral Roberts 70

#8 Kentucky vs. #9 UAB (Friday, 9:45 P.M., CBS):
This is going to be one of the best games of the first-round. It is a rematch of a second-round game two years ago when UAB knocked off the top-seeded Wildcats. Normally, the Selection Committee does not like to schedule Tournament rematches so soon after they played, but I have no problem with it. It should be an up and down game filled with athletic guards and wings that like to run and score.

UAB was the only team in Conference-USA to beat Memphis but did not look overly impressive in their title game loss. The Blazers pressure the ball from the opening tap, and gain momentum as the turnovers mount up for the opposition. They had won 10 in a row before the Memphis loss, but have still won 20 of their last 23. Marvett McDonald is a very good outside shooter and a solid defender. Teamed up with Cardell “Squeaky” Johnson, the Blazers are strong at the perimeter. Johnson is an excellent point guard who is a very good defender and passer. Wen Mukubu and Paul Delaney are both solid scorers, and UAB is very deep on the wings. Inside, Frank Holmes is a good shot-blocker, but is not much of a rebounder and can get overpowered by opposing big men.

Kentucky has been inconsistent throughout the season, but has the ability to win some games. They have excellent perimeter depth, and can use a variety of combinations. Rajon Rondo is a very good all-around performer who contributes across the board, while Joe Crawford is an athletic wing with a lot of scoring potential. Patrick Sparks and Ravi Moss are good long-range shooters that also pitch in other aspects of the game. Ramel Bradley is a quick player off the bench. Randolph Morris has been a much-improved player and is capable of taking over down low in the paint. Bobby Perry, Rekalin Sims, and Sheray Thomas are all solid role players in the frontcourt and they add depth. Perry is a decent all-around player; Sims has lost nearly all of his playing time to Lukasz Obrzut; and Thomas is an undersized post player who provides solid production.

As mentioned before, this game will be filled with athletic wing players that like to get up and down and score in transition. The only problem is that only one of those teams takes advantage of those talents. Kentucky plays a half-court game, which is not conducive to their depth and abilities. As with nearly every UAB game, if they can force turnovers and get the game to be played at a break-neck pace, they will win. If Kentucky imposes their style of play and makes it a half-court game, they will have a better chance to emerge victorious. UAB does not have an answer for Randolph Morris, but an up-tempo game would basically make him a non-factor. I have a feeling that the Blazers will get the “40 Minutes of Hell” type of game going from the opening tap, and they will move on.

Prediction: UAB 76, Kentucky 73