The 2013 Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship moves into the Semifinal Round. All games will be televised on CBS Sports Network.


**Tip-Off at 3:05pm CT**
in Tulsa in the Semifinal Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(2) Southern Mississippi (24-8, 12-4, 1-0)...RPI: #34 (SOS: #92)
(3) UTEP (18-13, 10-6, 1-0)...RPI: #88 (SOS: #80)

*This game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Southern Miss' faint at-large hopes for the NCAA tournament remain intact, but they must win today over UTEP to keeps those hopes alive. After their convincing victory yesterday over UAB, USM has won six of their last eight. They are in the C-USA tournament semifinals for the fourth time in the last six years. Today's game against the Miners will be the Golden Eagles' 20th game away from home (out of 33 contests). UTEP has won four of five and looked like a well oiled machine in dispatching Houston yesterday. The Miners are making their fifth appearance in the C-USA tournament semifinals, their first since making it to the finals back-to-back in 2010 and 2011. Believe or not, this will be just the second time that USM and UTEP have met in the C-USA tournament. In the previous meeting, the Miners easily beat Southern Miss 66-47 in the 2006 quarterfinals in Memphis. The two teams meet once during the 2012-13 regular season. That was an extremely low scoring affair in Hattiesburg that USM gutted out, 45-39. Southern Miss is a solid 4-2 this season against teams rated between #51 and #100 in the RPI. UTEP is just 1-6 vs. the RPI top 50.


**Tip-Off scheduled for 5:35pm CT**
in Tulsa in the Semifinal Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(1) #20/#17 Memphis (28-4, 16-0, 1-0)...RPI: #16 (SOS: #82)
(5) Tulsa (17-14, 8-8, 1-0)...RPI: #136 (SOS: #126)

*This game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Memphis comes into this game with a 22-1 record since December 15 (26-2 since November 23). The Tigers have won 24 consecutive games against C-USA opponents, including 13 straight against C-USA teams away from FedExForum. Memphis has also won seven in a row in the C-USA tournament. They are 19-1 in the C-USA tourney since realignment. Tulsa has won three of their last four games overall. They are 10-7 all-time in the C-USA tournament. TU has now reached the semifinal round in five of their eight years in the league. Memphis and Tulsa have meet just twice in the C-USA tournament, but both times came in the finals. The Tigers defeated TU 77-51 in the 2008 championship game in Memphis and 64-39 in the 2009 title game, also in Memphis. Earlier this season, Memphis defeated the Golden Hurricane in the only meeting between the two teams, 94-64 in Memphis. Against opponents rated outside the top 100 of the RPI, Memphis is 18-0. Tulsa is 0-4 vs. the RPI top 50.

Memphis will roll but the early game could be pretty good.

(03-15-2013 10:12 AM)BeliefBlazer Wrote:  Memphis will roll but the early game could be pretty good.

I hope we roll, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is close.

USM vs. UTEP will be a bar room brawl.

It's all Southern Miss.

**HALFTIME**
in Tulsa in the Semifinal Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(2) Southern Mississippi- 48
(3) UTEP- 31

USM ends the half on an 11-0 run.

(2) Southern Miss vs. (3) UTEP
HALFTIME STATS
(2) Southern Miss/(3) UTEP
Points: 48/31
Rebounds: 15/13
Offensive Rebounds: 7/4
Assists: 5/5
Steals: 3/1
Blocks: 1/0
Turnovers: 4/8
Personal Fouls: 8/13
FGs: 16-30 (.533)/11-23 (.478)
3ptFGs: 6-13 (.462)/4-9 (.444)
FTs: 10-15 (.667)/5-6 (.833)

**FINAL**
in Tulsa in the Semifinal Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(2) Southern Mississippi- 85 (25-8, 12-4, 2-0)
(3) UTEP- 67 (18-14, 10-6, 1-1)

*Southern Miss rips UTEP and rolls into their first Conference USA tournament championship game in school history. USM also captures back-to-back 25+ win seasons for the first time since Lee Floyd's 1951-52 (29-8) and 1952-53 (27-8) teams did so over 60 years ago. The Golden Eagles have now won seven of their last nine games. The Miners head back to El Paso with an 18-14 record which should be good enough for some sort of postseason tournament. USM will play the winner of (1) Memphis and (5) Tulsa in the finals tomorrow morning at 10:35am CT on CBS.

(2) Southern Miss vs. (3) UTEP
FINAL STATS
(2) Southern Miss/(3) UTEP
Points: 85/67
Rebounds: 28/23
Offensive Rebounds: 11/9
Assists: 13/11
Steals: 4/3
Blocks: 1/1
Turnovers: 7/12
Personal Fouls: 17/23
FGs: 31-53 (.585)/23-49 (.469)
3ptFGs: 6-14 (.429)/9-23 (.391)
FTs: 17-24 (.708)/12-19 (.632)

Southern Miss' RPI has now jumped to 30. Notable teams we are ahead of now (according to WarrenNolan.com) include MTSU, Saint Mary's, Mizzou, Notre Dame, Temple, Colorado and Witchita State.

Unfortunately, the rumor is that Floyd won't accept anything besides an NCAA or NIT bid, which would be a damned shame. We need all the practice and playing experience we can get.

(03-15-2013 05:16 PM)STexMiner Wrote:  Unfortunately, the rumor is that Floyd won't accept anything besides an NCAA or NIT bid, which would be a damned shame. We need all the practice and playing experience we can get.

I agree. I would want my program to accept whatever they can get, even if it is the CIT. UTEP could still get a 20-win season and as you point out, more practice time and game experience is always a good thing.

(03-15-2013 05:24 PM)JMSTiger Wrote:  

(03-15-2013 05:16 PM)STexMiner Wrote:  Unfortunately, the rumor is that Floyd won't accept anything besides an NCAA or NIT bid, which would be a damned shame. We need all the practice and playing experience we can get.

I agree. I would want my program to accept whatever they can get, even if it is the CIT. UTEP could still get a 20-win season and as you point out, more practice time and game experience is always a good thing.

Schools lose hundreds of thouands playing in the CIT and CBI.

(03-15-2013 06:11 PM)Freshy Wrote:  

(03-15-2013 05:24 PM)JMSTiger Wrote:  

(03-15-2013 05:16 PM)STexMiner Wrote:  Unfortunately, the rumor is that Floyd won't accept anything besides an NCAA or NIT bid, which would be a damned shame. We need all the practice and playing experience we can get.

I agree. I would want my program to accept whatever they can get, even if it is the CIT. UTEP could still get a 20-win season and as you point out, more practice time and game experience is always a good thing.

Schools lose hundreds of thouands playing in the CIT and CBI.

Isn't it cheap if you play on the road?

(03-15-2013 06:13 PM)JMSTiger Wrote:  

(03-15-2013 06:11 PM)Freshy Wrote:  

(03-15-2013 05:24 PM)JMSTiger Wrote:  

(03-15-2013 05:16 PM)STexMiner Wrote:  Unfortunately, the rumor is that Floyd won't accept anything besides an NCAA or NIT bid, which would be a damned shame. We need all the practice and playing experience we can get.

I agree. I would want my program to accept whatever they can get, even if it is the CIT. UTEP could still get a 20-win season and as you point out, more practice time and game experience is always a good thing.

Schools lose hundreds of thouands playing in the CIT and CBI.

Isn't it cheap if you play on the road?

My understanding of those tournaments is that very little money changes hands, meaning teams are on the hook for nearly all expenses associated with playing those games whether on the road or not.

**HALFTIME**
in Tulsa in the Semifinal Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(1) #20/#17 Memphis- 34
(5) Tulsa- 33

(1) Memphis @ (5) Tulsa
HALFTIME STATS
(1) Memphis/(5) Tulsa
Points: 34/33
Rebounds: 19/16
Offensive Rebounds: 9/4
Assists: 7/2
Steals: 1/0
Blocks: 3/3
Turnovers: 2/5
Personal Fouls: 8/8
FGs: 14-34 (.412)/13-27 (.481)
3ptFGs: 4-11 (.364)/3-7 (.429)
FTs: 2-5 (.400)/4-8 (.500)

**FINAL**
in Tulsa in the Semifinal Round of the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship,
(1) #20/#17 Memphis- 85 (29-4, 16-0, 2-0)
(5) Tulsa- 74 (17-15, 8-8, 1-1)

*Memphis gets past a scrappy Tulsa team and advances to the C-USA tournament finals for the eighth time in the last nine years. Memphis has now won 23 of 24 overall, 25 straight against C-USA opponents and 20 of their last 21 in the C-USA tournament. Tulsa falls to 17-15 and should have a good chance to play in a postseason tournament if they so choose. (1) Memphis and (2) Southern Mississippi will meet in the C-USA finals tomorrow at 10:35am CT on CBS.

(1) Memphis @ (5) Tulsa
FINAL STATS
(1) Memphis/(5) Tulsa
Points: 85/74
Rebounds: 41/31
Offensive Rebounds: 17/7
Assists: 18/5
Steals: 4/3
Blocks: 8/4
Turnovers: 8/11
Personal Fouls: 17/21
FGs: 32-66 (.485)/27-60 (.450)
3ptFGs: 11-21 (.524)/9-24 (.375)
FTs: 10-20 (.500)/11-17 (.647)

(03-15-2013 07:54 PM)JMSTiger Wrote:  (1) Memphis @ (5) Tulsa
FINAL STATS
(1) Memphis/(5) Tulsa
Points: 85/74
Rebounds: 41/31
Offensive Rebounds: 17/7
Assists: 18/5
Steals: 4/3
Blocks: 8/4
Turnovers: 8/11
Personal Fouls: 17/21
FGs: 32-66 (.485)/27-60 (.450)
3ptFGs: 11-21 (.524)/9-24 (.375)
FTs: 10-20 (.500)/11-17 (.647)

In addition to the obvious 3 point shooting, turnovers and assists tell a huge story in those stats.

We need to hit free throws 25% better tomorrow than we did today. 50% may get us killed tomorrow.

(03-15-2013 08:07 PM)oldtiger Wrote:  

(03-15-2013 07:54 PM)JMSTiger Wrote:  (1) Memphis @ (5) Tulsa
FINAL STATS
(1) Memphis/(5) Tulsa
Points: 85/74
Rebounds: 41/31
Offensive Rebounds: 17/7
Assists: 18/5
Steals: 4/3
Blocks: 8/4
Turnovers: 8/11
Personal Fouls: 17/21
FGs: 32-66 (.485)/27-60 (.450)
3ptFGs: 11-21 (.524)/9-24 (.375)
FTs: 10-20 (.500)/11-17 (.647)

In addition to the obvious 3 point shooting, turnovers and assists tell a huge story in those stats.

We need to hit free throws 25% better tomorrow than we did today. 50% may get us killed tomorrow.

Free throw shooting has definitely been a concern of late. Ever since the Xavier game. I am not sure what is going on. It may be mental.