The final two non-conference games of the 2012-13 season involving Conference USA men's basketball teams take place Tuesday night.


**Tip-Off at 6:05pm CT**
in Orlando,
UCF (18-9)
Georgia Southwestern (Non-Div I)

*The Knights will look to win their second straight game taking on a non-Division I opponent in Georgia Southwestern. This is UCF's second non-DI opponent of the year. They are 14-4 at home this season. UCF's next C-USA opponent will be #19 Memphis on Saturday.


**Tip-Off at 6:05pm CT**
in Cincinnati,
Xavier (15-11)
#19/#17 Memphis (24-3)

*This game will be televised on ESPN2. The Tigers come into this game riding an 18-game winning streak overall and an 11-game winning streak in true road games. Although Memphis is 1-0 against non-conference opponents on the road this season, they are just 4-6 (.400) in non-conference road games under Josh Pastner all-time. The Tigers are 8-2 away from home this season, 7-0 in true road games. Xavier has lost 5 of their last 9, but they are 5-1 in their last 6 home games. On the year, they are 9-3 at home, with two bad home losses (by 2 to #143 Vanderbilt and by 1 to #235 Wofford). They do have good wins at home against #31 Butler by 15, #42 Temple by 5 and #39 La Salle by 7. Memphis is a perfect 22-0 vs. teams rated outside the RPI top 50. Xavier is a pretty impressive 3-2 vs. teams rated in the top 50 of the RPI. This will be just the second and final game of the season for Memphis on the ESPN family of networks.

The Memphis/Xavier will go a long way to see if our league will be 1 or 2 bid this year. Go Tigers!

I'd be really upset if Memphis doesn't handle Xavier.

(02-26-2013 08:14 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  The Memphis/Xavier will go a long way to see if our league will be 1 or 2 bid this year. Go Tigers!

The only way CUSA gets two bids is if someone other than Memphis wins the tournament. Memphis is already a lock for an at large so this game doesn't affect the conference at all

(02-26-2013 09:47 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 08:14 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  The Memphis/Xavier will go a long way to see if our league will be 1 or 2 bid this year. Go Tigers!

The only way CUSA gets two bids is if someone other than Memphis wins the tournament. Memphis is already a lock for an at large so this game doesn't affect the conference at all

A Memphis win makes our losses look better. We still have a chance at an at-large. Probably not a great chance, but a chance nonetheless. One thing we need to happen is Memphis continuing to win.

(02-26-2013 09:40 AM)istrahan Wrote:  I'd be really upset if Memphis doesn't handle Xavier.

So will I

Quote:A Memphis win makes our losses look better. We still have a chance at an at-large. Probably not a great chance, but a chance nonetheless. One thing we need to happen is Memphis continuing to win.

We're not getting in without a top 50 win

Sorry, but USM isn't getting there. The committee looks at wins, not good losses. USM doesn't have good wins. As a UAB fan who used to live on the bubble, I know that you can have all the good losses in the world, but unless you have good wins, you are out of luck.

Quit crushing my hope, y'all.

(02-26-2013 09:53 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Sorry, but USM isn't getting there. The committee looks at wins, not good losses. USM doesn't have good wins. As a UAB fan who used to live on the bubble, I know that you can have all the good losses in the world, but unless you have good wins, you are out of luck.

Sure we will, if we win out regular season and get to the conference finals. We will revisit this at the appropriate time.

(02-26-2013 10:08 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 09:53 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Sorry, but USM isn't getting there. The committee looks at wins, not good losses. USM doesn't have good wins. As a UAB fan who used to live on the bubble, I know that you can have all the good losses in the world, but unless you have good wins, you are out of luck.

Sure we will, if we win out regular season and get to the conference finals. We will revisit this at the appropriate time.

I like positive thinking too, but look at the rest of the schedule. We aren't a tournament team now with the teams we've beaten, and all we'd be doing the rest of the way is beating teams we've already beaten once (with the exception of UCF, which has an RPI of 97, and that game is at home).

If we get to 25 wins, we probably host an NIT game. I'm ok with that, given the expectations of this team in the preseason and the future we have with Tyndall.

(02-26-2013 09:40 AM)istrahan Wrote:  I'd be really upset if Memphis doesn't handle Xavier.

Thinking Memphis handles Xavier rather succinctly. Xavier not the normal Xavier this year.

(02-26-2013 10:35 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 09:40 AM)istrahan Wrote:  I'd be really upset if Memphis doesn't handle Xavier.

Thinking Memphis handles Xavier rather succinctly. Xavier not the normal Xavier this year.

I think so. Memphis beat Xavier last year in Memphis when Xavier was a sweet 16 team. This year's Memphis team is better than last year's and Xavier is far worse, plus they've now got some injury issues.

(02-26-2013 10:18 AM)USM Birds of War Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 10:08 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 09:53 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Sorry, but USM isn't getting there. The committee looks at wins, not good losses. USM doesn't have good wins. As a UAB fan who used to live on the bubble, I know that you can have all the good losses in the world, but unless you have good wins, you are out of luck.

Sure we will, if we win out regular season and get to the conference finals. We will revisit this at the appropriate time.

I like positive thinking too, but look at the rest of the schedule. We aren't a tournament team now with the teams we've beaten, and all we'd be doing the rest of the way is beating teams we've already beaten once (with the exception of UCF, which has an RPI of 97, and that game is at home).

If we get to 25 wins, we probably host an NIT game. I'm ok with that, given the expectations of this team in the preseason and the future we have with Tyndall.

Another USM "realist". Our fanbase is full of them.

Mark it down, UCF loses

(02-26-2013 10:54 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 10:18 AM)USM Birds of War Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 10:08 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  

(02-26-2013 09:53 AM)Memphis Blazer Wrote:  Sorry, but USM isn't getting there. The committee looks at wins, not good losses. USM doesn't have good wins. As a UAB fan who used to live on the bubble, I know that you can have all the good losses in the world, but unless you have good wins, you are out of luck.

Sure we will, if we win out regular season and get to the conference finals. We will revisit this at the appropriate time.

I like positive thinking too, but look at the rest of the schedule. We aren't a tournament team now with the teams we've beaten, and all we'd be doing the rest of the way is beating teams we've already beaten once (with the exception of UCF, which has an RPI of 97, and that game is at home).

If we get to 25 wins, we probably host an NIT game. I'm ok with that, given the expectations of this team in the preseason and the future we have with Tyndall.

Another USM "realist". Our fanbase is full of them.

What's wrong with being a realist. I'd rather be a realist than a sunshine pumper.