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Conference USA Basketball soars in postseason play

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Conference USA Basketball dominated the postseason, from FAU’s Final Four run in the NCAA Tournament to multiple other championships.

Every Conference USA basketball team that appeared in a postseason tournament this season won at least one game with the majority making deep postseason runs. Here’s where each team in the league finished.

Florida Atlantic (4-1 in NCAA Tournament, Final Four)

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 weren’t finished, though. FAU beat 4-Seed Tennessee and 3-Seed Kansas State in Madison Square Garden to punch their ticket to the Final Four where they lost on a buzzer-beater to San Diego State, despite holding a double-digit lead midway through the second half.

North Texas (5-0 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 where they’ve made plenty of noise. The Mean Green defeated Alcorn, 3-Seed Sam Houston, 1-Seed Oklahoma State (in Stillwater) and 2-Seed Wisconsin to reach the NIT Tournament Championship Game where they played (and beat) fellow Conference USA representative, UAB.

UAB (4-1 in NIT)

To reach the NIT Championship game along with North Texas, UAB has defeated former C-USA foe Southern Miss in the first round and Moorehead State in the second round, before advancing to topple 2-Seed Vanderbilt and Utah Valley. The Blazers were undefeated against teams outsider their conference in the NIT.

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

Conference USA Basketball finished 18-3 in postseason play and nearly swept all three major postseason tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CBI). They won a staggering 90 percent of their games against non-Conference USA opponents. One more interesting wrinkle: all five of these postseason-bound teams are moving to the American next season.

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Rice Basketball bounced from C-USA Tournament by UAB

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Rice basketball hung around for a while, but couldn’t keep pace with UAB, bowing out in the second round of the Conference USA Tournament.

It was going to take an extremely well-played game for Rice basketball to give UAB a run for its money. The Owls did not get that out of the gate, turning the ball over frequently and falling behind 12-5 in the first five minutes. Rice collected itself and made some threes, retaking the lead 16-12 on an 11-0 run.

In that span, Rice looked comfortable on both sides of the court. They protected the basketball and took advantage of UAB’s mistakes. They hung tough through the ensuing UAB run, falling behind by 10 before firing back to make it a two-point game with one minute remaining before the halftime buzzer. Travis Evee and Max Fiedler provided almost all of the scoring on an unusually quiet night from Quincy Olivari.

It was at that one-minute mark when the poise of UAB made the difference. Rice fouled a three-point shooter, allowed a separate three-point shot and a dunk, all in the span of 57 seconds. Just like that, Rice was back down by 10 in a game they had largely played evenly with one of the conference’s best teams.

Rice would get within five early in the second half, but another rash of turnovers and the unstoppable play of UAB’s Jelly Walker proved too much. He made four consecutive three-point shots, sparking a 15-4 UAB run. Up 17 points at the under-12 timeout, Rice was unable to dig out of the hole, falling in the second round and seeing their regular season come to an end.

Final Box | UAB 87 – Rice 60

Key takeaway | Talented, but flawed

In many ways, the two-game sample of the Conference USA Tournament summed up the Rice basketball season. The Owls found a way to hang on to a win against a UTSA team below them in the standings, but it took a last-second prayer to make it happen. Then they rose to the occasion and gave a really good UAB team a scare, only for their inconsistent ball handling and spotty defense to be exposed late.

Evee hit just about everything on Thursday night. Fiedler was the key piece in the middle. Olivari had an off night, but we’ve seen him drop 20+ on a regular basis. Mekhi Mason and Cameron Sheffield have both produced throughout the year. One can’t question the raw talent on this team. But for whatever reason, it wasn’t enough.

Head coach Scott Pera is going to have to take a hard look in the mirror this offseason and find a way to reassemble the pieces in a way that produces more consistent results. The talent is there.

Up Next | ???

Rice basketball finished the regular season 16-16 last year and earned an invite to the CBI. At 18-15 this season, they’re probably in line to return to that tournament again, should they decide that’s something they’d want to do. Pera has talked in the past about how important postseason basketball is to the program, so it seems likely the Owls 2022-2023 campaign will have at least one more stanza.

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UTSA upset ends Rice Women’s Basketball’s CUSA Tournament run

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Rice women’s basketball was upset in their opening game of the Conference USA Tournament, falling to 6-Seed UTSA in Frisco.

After earning a first round bye, Rice Women’s Basketball took the court on Wednesday afternoon against UTSA looking to punch their ticket to the semifinals. Things were tenuous early on, with both teams struggling from the field in the first quarter. Rice would hit two free throws to end the first frame before they really found their groove.

The second quarter was almost entirely all Owls. Rice scored the first 12 points of the frame, opening up a 15-point lead against the No. 6 seeded Roadrunners. The Owls held their opponents to 14.3 percent shooting from the floor in the quarter, winning the battle on the boards 16-8 and controlling the tempo throughout.

Up by 12 at the half, it looked like Rice had a golden opportunity to put the game away when UTSA leading scorer Jordyn Jenkins hit the bench with four fouls midway through the third quarter. It never materialized. Rice couldn’t get into a rhythm on offense and UTSA stuck around. Despite the lull, Rice still led at the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

Entering Thursday, Rice was 20-0 when leading with five minutes left in the game. They’re 20-1 now after Jenkins returned to the game and spurred a 28-point quarter, UTSA’s largest output in a single quarter this season. While the Roadrunners heated up, the Owls wilted, ending a largely positive regular season in disappointing fashion.

Final Box | UTSA 62 – Rice 54

Key takeaway | Not destiny

What head coach Lindsay Edmonds was able to accomplish down the stretch given her lineup constraints was impressive. Rice played significant portions of February without at least one of Malia Fisher, Ashlee Austin, Destiny Jackson or Trinity Gooden available. Jackson couldn’t go on Thursday and her absence was felt, particularly in the fourth quarter when it seemed no one else was able to create their own opportunities.

Rice managed to lose just two games with that fluctuating roster throughout the month of February. Unfortunately, they lost their last one in March, and that’s the one that mattered most. Depth matters, but difference-makers do, too. UTSA’s Jordyn Jenkins drove that point home with a game-high 22-points on Thursday.

Up Next | ???

It probably would have taken a stronger run through the Conference USA Tournament for Rice women’s basketball to have qualified for the WNIT. It’s possible the WBI is still in play, though. That’s scheduled to host eight teams from March 16 to March 19.

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Rice Basketball escapes UTSA, advances in CUSA Tournament

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Rice basketball is moving on in the Conference USA Tournament, surviving a waved-off buzzer-beater to advance past UTSA.

Slow starts had been the painfully recurring theme for Rice basketball in their recent cold spell, but that streak did not continue into the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. Rice opened up their game against UTSA on an 8-0 run, pushing the pace and taking control of the matchup with the league’s bottom seed early.

Rice continued to shoot well throughout the game, but it was the Owls’ defense that helped the hold their early advantage. A block at the halftime buzzer sent them into the break with a nine-point advantage, which would not prove to be as safe as it felt at the time. UTSA rallied in the second half, tying the game at 46-46. The fight was on.

Although Rice never trailed, the margins felt razor-thin right up until the literal final second. With 7.0 seconds on the clock and a one-point lead, guard Quincy Olivari walked to the free-throw line to shoot a one-and-one. He missed. The rebound went to UTSA and the Owls watched guard Japhet Medor drive the length of the court and put up the would-be game-winning shot at the buzzer.

“Live, I thought it was late. But when they took all that time I got really nervous,” head coach Scott Pera said.

UTSA celebrated. The referees went to the monitor. After conferring for what felt like forever, it was determined the shot was not released in time. The basket was no good. Rice had won.

“This is March Madness, right?” Pera mused. “That was some madness.”

Final Box | Rice 72 – UTSA 71

Key takeaway | Hope is not a strategy

At the end of the day, Pera and his team just had to wait. The officials and the monitors had the fate of the Owls’ season in their hands. One signal, and it could have all been over. “You have no control over it,” Pera admitted. “It’s just did it get off his fingers or not, and it’s a very strange feeling.”

UTSA took Rice down to the wire twice in the regular season. They got as close as could have been imagined this time around. The 10-23 Roadrunners had the Owls’ season on the brink..

“Kid made a heck of a play, a very tough shot. It just happened to be, I don’t know, a quarter second too late,” Pera admitted. “We were the beneficiaries of that. We’re appreciative to get the win and we’re happy to still be playing.”

Rice moves on to play UAB, who two weeks ago routed Rice in Birmingham. The rematch will be played in Frisco, but it’s going to require a lot more than hope for Rice to keep their season alive against the Blazers.

Against UTSA, Rice had a fast start. They shot the ball well. They had a great contribution off the bench from Andrew Akuchie. And it still went down to the wire. The Owls will have their work cut out for them against the Blazers. They’re going to need to bring their A-game. Hope won’t be enough to get by this time.

Up Next: vs No. 3 UAB, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+

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2023 Conference USA Basketball Tournament: Men’s and Women’s Previews

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The 2023 Conference USA Basketball Tournament tips off in Frisco, TX this week. Here’s a preview of the action.

Conference USA Basketball – Men’s Tournament

The Favorite: Florida Atlantic

The nation’s No. 1 team, Houston, is the only program in the nation that has lost fewer games than Florida Atlantic. The Owls shocked many when they ran through Conference USA this season and are deservedly the clear frontrunner to win the conference tournament. An at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament seems probable but is by no means a sure thing at this point, so they should be plenty motivated to finish what they’ve started.

The Contender: UAB

UAB is a different basketball team when Jelly Walker is on the court. Since his return, UAB has lost a grand total of one game (on the road against a good North Texas team). The Blazers have depth, experience and a star. If FAU doesn’t cut down the nets, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see these preseason favorites take home the title.

The Sleeper: Middle Tennessee

The men’s field really feels shallow this season, at least in terms of teams outside the top three who could go on a run and win the tournament. Middle Tennessee might just be the sweet spot. The Blue Raiders were one of very few teams to beat No. 1 Seed FAU in the regular season and they play stingy defense, which always seems to grow in importance in the month of March.

Conference USA Basketball – Women’s Tournament

The Favorite: Middle Tennessee

The only nationally ranked team in Conference USA, Middle Tennessee has had one bad weekend since November. It’s possible they have an off day, but it sure doesn’t seem probable at this point. The Blue Raiders have three of the top 10 scorers in the conference and the conference’s No. 1 scoring defense. Weaknesses are far and few between.

The Contender: UTEP

If anyone can take down to Middle Tennesee, it’s probably one of the two teams to achieve the feat during the regular season. The Miners protect the basketball well and are among the conference leaders in assists per game. While they lack a singular dominant player, they do have a host of players that can score, making them a challenging matchup defensively.

The Sleeper: Rice

Aside from Middle Tennessee, no one has been better since the midpoint of January than the Rice Owls. After beginning conference play 1-4, Rice has won 12 of their last 15 and has won several of those with some of their top players in and out of the lineup. They’re trending toward being back near full strength by the time the tournament comes around, which should scare some of the rest of the pack.

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