The 2013 Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship tips off today in Tulsa. The first game (of three) begins at 3:35pm CT. None of the games from today are televised.


**Tip-Off at 3:35pm CT**
in Tulsa in the First Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(7) UAB (15-16, 7-9, 0-0)...RPI: #152 (SOS: #106)
(10) SMU (15-16, 5-11, 0-0)...RPI: #212 (SOS: #230)

*UAB comes into this C-USA tournament first round game having lost two straight (to UCF at home and @ Memphis). The Blazers will be seeking to get back to where they were before those two losses, when they had won seven of nine between January 30 and March 2. Their last win actually came against SMU in Birmingham, 74-69. Historically, UAB has done quite poorly in C-USA tournament games since realignment. The Blazers made it to the 2006 finals, but since then have gone just 2-6. SMU is 2-2 in their last four games. Since joining C-USA, the Mustangs have compiled the worst conference tournament record, going just 1-7 (they have lost seven straight). UAB is 9-1 against teams rated outside the RPI top 200. Against opponents rated between #101 and #200 in the RPI, SMU is 4-10. UAB and SMU have only faced each other once in a C-USA tournament game. That was a 69-55 Blazers victory in the 2006 C-USA quarterfinals.


**Tip-Off scheduled for 6:05pm CT**
in Tulsa in the First Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(6) Houston (18-11, 7-9, 0-0)...RPI: #195 (SOS: #299)
(11) Rice (5-25, 1-15, 0-0)...RPI: #322 (SOS: #142)

*Crosstown rivals Houston and Rice meet one last time in men's basketball as members of Conference USA. The Coogs have been hot of late, winning three straight and doing so averaging 94.3ppg. They along with East Carolina have to be considered darkhorses in this year's C-USA tournament. Rice has endured a brutal season. They have lost 10 consecutive games, but their last win was over Houston, a 79-69 decision on January 30 (UH would get their revenge on March 6 in an 84-62 win). That would prove to be the Owls' sole conference victory of the year. In C-USA tournament games since realignment, Houston is the only conference member other than Memphis to win a title (2010 as a 7 seed). Rice has won four tournament games in C-USA, but they have only made it to the semifinal round once (2007). These two rivals have only met in the C-USA tournament once before. That was in the semifinals in 2007 in which UH won by 15. Houston this season is 13-2 vs. teams outside the RPI top 200. Rice is 1-19 against the RPI top 200 (the one win came against Houston).


**Tip-Off scheduled for 8:35pm CT**
in Tulsa in the First Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(8) Tulane (18-13, 6-10, 0-0)...RPI: #187 (SOS: #229)
(9) Marshall (13-18, 6-10, 0-0)...RPI: #202 (SOS: #121)

*On paper, this ought to be the most interesting match-up of the day. Both of these teams are talented, but they have been struggling. Tulane comes into this game on a four game slide, although three of those losses were by five or fewer points. Marshall has lost three of their last four, however the one win came against #2 seeded Southern Miss. These two met once in the regular season. The Green Wave won by 16 at home. Tulane is just 4-7 in the C-USA tournament since realignment. The farthest they advanced was to the semifinal round in 2007 where they lost to eventual champion Memphis. Marshall has just five C-USA tournament victories, but three of them came last year when the Herd made it to the finals. These two programs have met twice in the C-USA tournament. Tulane won both times (64-58 in the 2006 first round and 48-47 in the 2008 first round). Tulane is a solid 13-1 against teams rated outside the RPI top 200. Marshall is 6-5 vs. teams rated between #101 and #200 in the RPI.


Here is how each member of the league has done in the C-USA tournament since realignment:

Conference USA Men's Basketball Conference Tournament Standings, Post-Realignment to the Present (2006 to 2012)
1. Memphis...18-1 (.947)...Conference Tournament Championships: 6 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
2. Houston...9-6 (.600)...Conference Tournament Championships: 1 (2010)
3. Southern Miss...9-7 (.563)
3. Tulsa...9-7 (.563)
5. UTEP...8-7 (.533)
6. Marshall...5-7 (.417)
7. Rice...4-7 (.364)
7. Tulane...4-7 (.364)
7. UAB...4-7 (.364)
10. East Carolina...3-7 (.300)
10. UCF...3-7 (.300)
12. SMU...1-7 (.125)

My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

Those are my picks as well.

By the way, thanks for all the updates you have put on here. The board needs more of those like you and oldtiger. The reason I sign up for message boards is to get info such as this, not to see and get into pissing matches to see whose dick is longer.

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

I am going with Tulsa (home court advantage), Houston, and Marshall (I assume they are in their Dr. Jekyll state).

(03-13-2013 11:40 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  By the way, thanks for all the updates you have put on here. The board needs more of those like you and oldtiger. The reason I sign up for message boards is to get info such as this, not to see and get into pissing matches to see whose dick is longer.

This board roasts our local boards for this exact reason!

(03-13-2013 11:40 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  By the way, thanks for all the updates you have put on here. The board needs more of those like you and oldtiger. The reason I sign up for message boards is to get info such as this, not to see and get into pissing matches to see whose dick is longer.

Thanks, nastybunch and I agree with you. I mainly read these boards to get info and put some out there as well. All the smack talk and back and forth is not my thing (for the most part).

(03-13-2013 11:47 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

I am going with Tulsa (home court advantage), Houston, and Marshall (I assume they are in their Dr. Jekyll state).

Well, Tulsa definitely won't lose today.

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

I gotta agree on those three.

(03-13-2013 11:47 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

I am going with Tulsa (home court advantage), Houston, and Marshall (I assume they are in their Dr. Jekyll state).

You think Tulsa will beat both UAB and SMU simultaneously? Whoa!

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

Agreed.

Only Tulane beating Marshall wouldn't surprise me. SMU might beat UAB but I doubt it. I see no way Rice wins.

(03-13-2013 12:00 PM)ECUPirated Wrote:  

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

I gotta agree on those three.

As do I, wish Tulane having the best shot at an "upset".

SMU has only one C-USA tourney win.
UAB only has 2 since Anderson left.

I'm expecting a thoroughly ugly game from both teams

(03-13-2013 12:23 PM)Luckyshot Wrote:  

(03-13-2013 11:47 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  

(03-13-2013 10:59 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  My picks for today....UAB, Houston, Marshall

I am going with Tulsa (home court advantage), Houston, and Marshall (I assume they are in their Dr. Jekyll state).

You think Tulsa will beat both UAB and SMU simultaneously? Whoa!

Oops, I mean UAB over SMU.

ECU, Tulsa, YOU'RE WELCOME for the 1st round bye.

Given our record in the tournament over the years, we're probably not missing much anyway.

(03-13-2013 11:40 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  By the way, thanks for all the updates you have put on here. The board needs more of those like you and oldtiger. The reason I sign up for message boards is to get info such as this, not to see and get into pissing matches to see whose dick is longer.

Thanks nastybunch, however JMS actually does a lot of work in putting stats together that people can use. My only contribution is some off-beat/sometimes poor humor and occasional nonsense to attempt to ease some tension at times.

JMS may be the most valuable guy on any sports message board with his willingness to put together relevant stats (instead of one player efficiency rating after another). just kidding about the player efficiency ratings :)

Blazers, Coogs, Herd advance.

Watch me be wrong on all 3.

...and let me say, it feels so good to have a 1st round bye.

(03-13-2013 12:37 PM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  UAB only has 2 since Anderson left.

Let's not sugarcoat it. The CUSA tournament was where Mike Davis coughed up his annual hairball.

One of his two wins was because while he gave up, Paul Delaney III didn't.

I don't know what to expect today, or over the next couple of days, but I doubt Haase will fold like a cheap card table.

**HALFTIME**
in Tulsa in the First Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(7) UAB- 32
(10) SMU- 23

(03-13-2013 01:56 PM)oldtiger Wrote:  

(03-13-2013 11:40 AM)nastybunch Wrote:  By the way, thanks for all the updates you have put on here. The board needs more of those like you and oldtiger. The reason I sign up for message boards is to get info such as this, not to see and get into pissing matches to see whose dick is longer.

Thanks nastybunch, however JMS actually does a lot of work in putting stats together that people can use. My only contribution is some off-beat/sometimes poor humor and occasional nonsense to attempt to ease some tension at times.

JMS may be the most valuable guy on any sports message board with his willingness to put together relevant stats (instead of one player efficiency rating after another). just kidding about the player efficiency ratings :)

Thanks, oldtiger. I really appreciate the kind words. You ain't half bad yourself.