Conference USA Basketball is midway through the month of January. What have we learned so far and where does each team stack up against the rest?
| Team | NET | KenPom | Record |
| Charlotte | 141 | 195 | 9-5 (2-0) |
| FAU | 196 | 193 | 8-8 (1-2) |
| FIU | 251 | 257 | 10-7 (0-4) |
| LA Tech | 81 | 73 | 15-3 (6-0) |
| Marshall | 247 | 205 | 7-10 (0-4) |
| MTSU | 126 | 153 | 11-6 (2-2) |
| North Texas | 55 | 72 | 11-4 (4-1) |
| Old Dominion | 209 | 181 | 7-9 (2-1) |
| Rice | 157 | 164 | 10-6 (3-2) |
| Southern Miss | 324 | 311 | 5-11 (1-3) |
| UAB | 42 | 45 | 15-4 (4-1) |
| UTEP | 174 | 168 | 9-8 (2-3) |
| UTSA | 340 | 325 | 7-11 (0-5) |
| WKU | 127 | 112 | 10-7 (2-2) |
Kenpom rankings and standings as of 1/16/2022
Key Storylines
One above the rest, sort of
On the court, it’s hard to argue any Conference USA basketball team has been more impressive this season than Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs boast a sterling 15-3 record and are one of two unbeaten programs in league play — they’ve also played four more games than Charlotte. But they’re still behind both North Texas and UAB in KenPom and NET, partly because their best C-USA win came over 10-7 WKU. They’ll have the opportunity to change that this coming weekend with a home tilt against UAB.
Big movers
Two programs have seen big movements in their KenPom ratings since our last Conference USA basketball update, Marshall and Middle Tennessee. The Thundering Herd have toppled 50 spots from 155 to 205 thanks to an 0-4 start in league play, Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee is u 47 slots despite their 2-2 start. Wins against Florida Atlantic and FIU aren’t too impressive, but at least their losses (North Texas and Rice, both on the road) are excusable, all things considered.
Every other program is within 25 spots of where they were ranked two weeks ago.
COVID continues
Although last season was expected to face the strongest headwinds from COVID-19, this campaign has been almost equally challenging for some squads. While Louisiana Tech has gotten six conference games in over the span of three weeks, eight of the remaining 13 teams have played four or fewer games. For most, that meant multiple conference games have been postponed. Who plays whom and when could have a bearing on the standings down the road. If nothing else, it will be something to monitor closely.
