Conference USA Basketball sent one team to the NCAA Tournament. They’re still dancing and their league mates are having strong postseasons, too.
Every Conference USA basketball team that appeared in a postseason tournament this season has won at least one game, several have won multiple with many teams still alive in a race for a postseason title. Here’s where the league stands so far.
Florida Atlantic (2-0 in NCAA Tournament)
Many thought 9-Seed FAU was underseeded when they were matched up with a red-hot Memphis team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Owls backed up those beliefs with a win over the Tigers in the first round before defeating Farleigh Dickinson (which upset Purdue) in the Round of 32 to advance to the Sweet 16. They will face 4-Seed Tennesee next with a trip to the Elite 8 on the line.
North Texas (3-0 in NIT)
The Mean Green had a fringe case for the NCAA Tournament but had to settle for a No. 2 seed in the NIT. They’ve come out hot, defeating Alcorn, 3-Seed Sam Houston and 1-Seed Oklahoma State (in Stillwater) to reach the NIT Final Four where they’ll face Wisconsin on Tuesday, March 28.
UAB (3-0 in NIT)
UAB is vying to meet their conference brethren in the NIT Championship Game. So far, they’re more than halfway there. UAB beat former C-USA foe Southern Miss in the first round and Moorehead State in the second round, then they toppled Vanderbilt to advance to the semi finals in the half of the bracket opposite UNT. They’ll take on Utah Valley next on Tuesday, March 28.
Charlotte (4-0, won CBI)
The 49ers were awarded the No. 3 seed in the CBI Tournament and more than backed it up. Charlotte defeated Western Carolina, Milwaukee and Radford along their way to an appearance in the CBI Tournament Championship game against No. 8 seed Eastern Kentucky. They won that game, too.
Rice (1-1 in CBI)
The only Conference USA squad to lose a postseason game thus far, Rice started their brief CBI run with an upset victory over No. 5-Seed Duquesne before falling to No. 4-Seed Southern Utah in the second round. The Owls erased a 14-point deficit to tie the game in the final seconds but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Add ’em Up
Through Wednesday morning, Conference USA Basketball is 13-1 in postseason play and is still alive in all three major postseason tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CBI). One more interesting wrinkle: all five of these postseason-bound teams are moving to the American next season.

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