Conference USA Basketball is in the thick of the conference slate. Here’s where each team stands in mid-January.
| Team | NETÂ | KenPom | Record |
| Charlotte | 95 | 108 | 12-6 (3-4) |
| FAU | 12 | 35 | 17-1 (7-0) |
| FIU | 243 | 237 | 8-10 (2-5) |
| LA Tech | 151 | 145 | 10-8 (3-4) |
| MTSU | 125 | 128 | 11-7 (4-3) |
| North Texas | 48 | 63 | 15-4 (6-2) |
| Rice | 166 | 184 | 13-5 (4-3) |
| UAB | 76 | 70 | 13-6 (4-4) |
| UTEP | 180 | 187 | 10-8 (3-4) |
| UTSA | 319 | 322 | 7-12 (1-7) |
| WKU | 160 | 151 | 11-7 (3-4) |
Kenpom, NET, and standings reflect games as of 1/17/2023
Key Storylines
Above the rest
At 17-1 and the only unbeaten team in conference play. Florida Atlantic deservedly checked in at No. 24 in the AP Poll this week. The Owls own two head-to-head victories over North Texas (6-0 in league games against non-FAU squads) and look to be the class of the conference by a sizable margin. How long that lasts will depend entirely upon their ability to endure the strain of the conference slate.
They’ve got a four-game lead on the middle of the pack, but there’s still plenty of basketball still to be played.
Last Minute Rice
Rice basketball has been anything but boring this season, particularly in the last fortnight which included two buzzer-beaters, three overtime games and a streak of six consecutive games that were within a three-point margin at the end of regulation. Oh, and Max Fiedler just recorded the second triple-double in school history along the way.
Divvying out the middle of the pack
As things currently stand, seven of the 11 teams in the Conference USA Basketball standings are within one game of .500. From Rice to UTEP, there’s a log jam of 3-4 to 4-3 teams with preseason frontrunner UAB smack dab in the middle at 4-4. We’re likely going to see some separation in the next few weeks, but it’s hard to say who will emerge from the chaos at this juncture.
