It’s anyone’s ballgame when it comes to the upcoming Conference USA season. UAB and Old Dominion figure both figure to be at the top of the conference after solid showings last season. Meanwhile, fans cannot sleep on Rice as they have a chance to burst into the top two this season. It’s going to be one hell of a ride in C-USA. Read on for everything you need to know and buckle up for the ride.
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[sc:MarchMadness ]2015-16 NCAA Season Conference USA Preview
1. UAB Blazers
2014 Record: 12-6
Predicted Record: 15-3
The UAB Blazers have the conference’s best NBA prospect William Lee. The 6-foot-9 combo forward posted very solid averages of 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game last season while shooting 44 percent in the last 12 games. He wasn’t healthy until February, when he really got it going.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Lee will have some support in the dynamic Robert Brown. He was the star of the show in UAB’s postseason run averaging 18.2 points in five games, including back-to-back 20-point performances in the National Tournament. The Blazers are the only C-USA team to make the Big Dance; they made quite a bang while it lasted, upsetting the third-ranked Iowa State before a third-round loss to UCLA.
Having the National Tournament experience should spark another solid season from the Blazers.
2. Old Dominion Monarchs
2014 Record: 13-5
Predicted Record: 14-4
The Old Dominion Monarchs had C-USA’s best offensive per possession team, and the second-best defensive per possession team last season. But they missed out on the National Tournament due to a handful of missteps against Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee (twice) and UTSA in the regular season.
Having the best point guard in the league Trey Freeman should boost Old Dominion’s bid for a C-USA title. Freeman accounted for 29 percent of the Monarch’s possessions and 32 percent of their shots last season. He was Old Dominion’s all-around player with 16.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
3. Rice Owls
2014 Record: 8-10
Predicted Record: 13-5
Don’t sleep on Rice. They’re carrying plenty of momentum from last season as they gradually improved as the year progressed. The veteran back court of Marcus Jackson and Max Guercy should improve a lot after the offseason. Jackson ranked second in the league with 14.5 points per game last season, while Guercy led the team with 4.5 assists per game.
4. UTEP Miners
2014 Record: 13-5
Predicted Record: 13-5
The UTEP Miners have plenty of interesting new pieces that could spur a very successful season. The Miners added shooting guard Lee Moore, who collected plenty of accolades as a star in junior college, along with four-star forward Paul Thomas. Christian Romine, Josh McSwiggan and Kelvin Jones add size and depth as freshmen.
The addition of Dominic Artis should provide plenty of headlines. Artis was the No. 8-ranked point guard in the class of 2012. He played for Oregon in his first two seasons until he was dismissed after being named in a sexual assault investigation last year. He was never charged and now has a chance to shine with the Miners.
5. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
2014 Record: 9-9
Predicted Record: 12-6
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders threw a wrench in Old Dominion’s plans to dominate the conference last season with two upsets. They should figure to get better with junior forward Reggie Upshaw leading the way. Upshaw had marked improvements last season, averaging 9.9 points and seven rebounds to lead the Middle Tennessee front court in his sophomore year.
6. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
2014 Record: 12-6
Predicted Record: 12-6
Last year’s top two scorers T.J. Price and George Fant are now gone. But the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers still have two reliable scorers with guards Chris Harrison-Docks (11.1 points per game) and Trency Jackson (10.4 points per game) set to return.
The Harrison-Docks and Jackson duo will need to get the rest of their teammates involved in the offense. No other returning player scored more than 4.8 points per game last season.
7. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
2014 Record: 15-3
Predicted Record: 11-7
No team in the conference lost more over the spring than the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. They lost seniors Raheem Appleby, Kenneth Smith and Michale Kyser. They also lost promising freshman reserve Xavian Stapleton, who transferred to Mississippi State. Losing four-year head coach Michael White to Florida may be the biggest blow of all. White turned Louisiana Tech into a consistent winner in his stay with the team.
Louisiana Tech won’t be completely out of weapons, though. The lone returnee from last year’s dynamic backcourt, Alex Hamilton, figures to be much better after last year’s 14.7 points per game.
8. Marshall Thundering Herd
2014 Record: 7-11
Predicted Record: 9-9
The Marshall Thundering Herd are going to ride their uptempo offense to pull off some upsets this season. Leading their offense will be the promising Ryan Taylor, who averaged 14.1 points, 8.6 boards and 2.8 assists per game last year.
9. Florida Atlantic Owls
2014 Record: 2-16
Predicted Record: 9-9
The Florida Atlantic Owls were the doormats of C-USA last season. But that figures to change with the return of their top three scorers in Marquan Botley (13.1 points per game), Solomon Poole (12.5 points per game) and Jackson Trapp (10.1 points per game). Returning some experienced players should make them competitive, at least with the rest of the conference’s bottom dwellers.
10. Florida International Golden Panthers
2014 Record: 8-10
Predicted Record: 7-11
With last year’s leading scorer guard Dennis Martin (17.2 points per game) now gone, the frontcourt tandem of center Adrian Diaz and forward Daviyon Draper will need to pick up the slack. Diaz scored 13 points per game last year, while hauling in 6.9 rebounds per game. Draper was also solid with 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
11. Charlotte 49ers
2014 Record: 7-11
Predicted Record: 4-14
The Charlotte 49ers will miss four of their top five scorers last season, leaving Braxton Ogbueze the lone player to have scored over nine points per game last season. If the 49ers are to be competitive this year, then they’ll need to be able to replace last year’s excellent point guard Pierria Henry (graduation) who averaged 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game–a pretty tall task.
12. North Texas Mean Green
2014 Record: 8-10
Predicted Record: 4-14
The North Texas Mean Green are in trouble. They lost four of their top six scorers last season in Jordan Williams, Colin Voss, Maurice Aniefiok and T.J. Taylor. They’re now left with Jeremy Combs (10 points per game) and DeAndre Harris (6.9 points per game). No other returning player scored more than 4.4 points per game last season.
13. UTSA Road Runners
2014 Record: 8-10
Predicted Record: 3-15
The UTSA Road Runners are also one of the C-USA teams dealing with the departure of their top players. Three of the four players who averaged double-digit scores last year are now gone, leaving Ryan Bowie as the lone player who averaged more than 30 minutes with 13 points per game. The Road Runners will need the rest of the team to step up as no other returnee averaged more than five points per game last season.
14. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
2014 Record: 4-14
Predicted Record: 2-16
There’s little to play for when it comes to the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. The school is under a self-imposed postseason ban for the basketball program after alleged allegations under former head coach Donnie Tyndall’s tenure, including academic fraud. It is also of no help that Norville Carey is the only player returning who averaged double-digit scores last season.
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