CUSA MBB Week #7

All games times are CST
All Power 6 opponents in BOLD and in blue.
All Non-D1 opponents in Italic and in pink because they’re cupcakes.

Monday – December 18th

Jacksonville State @ Tarleton State (WAC) – 7:00 PM (ESPN+)... 65-62 Win

Tuesday – December 19th

Florida International vs. Stetson (ASun) – 6:00 PM (ESPN+)... 68-80 Loss
New Mexico State @ Stephen F. Austin (WAC) – 6:30 PM (ESPN+)... 72-75 Loss
Western Kentucky @ California Baptist (WAC) – 9:00 PM (ESPN+)... 73-70 Win
Middle Tennessee @ Saint Mary’s (WCC) – 9:00 PM (ESPN+)... 34-71 Loss

Wednesday – December 20th

Liberty @ Utah Valley (WAC) – 7:00 PM (ESPN+)... 79-63 Win
UTEP vs. Norfolk State (MEAC) – Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational @ El Paso, TX – 8:00 PM... 67-65 Win
Sam Houston @ Grand Canyon (WAC) – 8:00 PM (ESPN+)... 64-76 Loss
Louisiana Tech @ Seattle U. (WAC) – 9:00 PM (ESPN+)... 73-79 OT Loss

Thursday – December 21st

UTEP vs. Wyoming (MWC) – Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational @ El Paso, TX – 8:00 PM... 78-67 Win
Jacksonville State @ UA Little Rock (Ohio Valley) – 2:00 PM... 90-60 Win
Florida International vs. Maine (America East) – 6:00 PM (ESPN+)... 82-74 Win

Friday – December 22nd

New Mexico State @ Tulsa (AAC) – 7:00 PM (ESPN+)... 59-65 Loss
Middle Tennessee @ Southern Utah (WAC) – 7:30 PM (ESPN+)... 63-69 Loss

Sunday – December 24th

Christmas Eve!

Week #6 Awards

Player of the Week: Western Kentucky's Don McHenry
Freshman of the Week: Liberty's Ben Southerland

Conference Record after Week #6

AAC................... 3-4
America East....... 1-0
Atlantic 10.......... 0-1
ACC................... 0-2
ASun.................. 4-2
Big 10................ 0-1
Big 12................ 0-3
Big Sky............... 1-0
Big South............ 0-1
Big West............. 1-1
Coastal............... 0-1
Horizon League.... 2-0
MAAC................. 0-1
MAC................... 2-2
MEAC................. 1-0
Missouri Valley..... 2-6
Mountain West..... 0-5
Northeast............ 1-0
Ohio Valley.......... 1-0
SEC.................... 0-2
Southern............. 1-3
Southland............ 6-2
Summit League.... 1-0
Sun Belt.............. 5-2
SWAC................. 2-0
PAC-12................ 1-2
WAC................... 3-5
WCC................... 1-2
Non-D1............... 17-0

does anyone know if we keep the same WAC opponent for next season and just reverse the home and away?

(12-18-2023 12:02 AM)techdawg88 Wrote:  does anyone know if we keep the same WAC opponent for next season and just reverse the home and away?

I would guess each conference wants to use this challenge to strengthen their respective NET rankings. I suspect the match-ups will be fluid depending on preseason NET rankings. But that is just my opinion.

(12-18-2023 12:34 AM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  

(12-18-2023 12:02 AM)techdawg88 Wrote:  does anyone know if we keep the same WAC opponent for next season and just reverse the home and away?

I would guess each conference wants to use this challenge to strengthen their respective NET rankings. I suspect the match-ups will be fluid depending on preseason NET rankings. But that is just my opinion.

Wasn't the idea to roughly match up by NET (or last year's NET) to balance it out this year so that you're playing someone more or less in your general neighborhood? Did it work out that way?

If so, I guess they'd shuffle the match ups. If not, maybe just flip from this year.

Nice road win JaxSt over previously 8-2 Tarleton St.

JAX State wins 65-62 at Tarleton (8-2). Good win!

A win over the WAC---with TWO more chances Tuesday night.

I was VERY happy to see the Gamecocks beat Tarleton. It was good for JSU and good for CUSA.

Aggies lose by 3 AT SFA. Lack of any rebounding late in the game was the difference IMO. Good comeback though after being far behind.

Off topic--- Crowd was low--SFA has really dropped--they used to be a big BB school. And either the camera was bad or the gym lighting--or both. Seemed Dim.

WKU up 42-28 at the half on the road at Cal Baptist. Need to keep the foot on the gas in the second half to pick up a good win.

So sorry Middle Tennessee isn’t holding up our end of the bargain this season. Time to bring back Kermit Davis.

CUSA basketball is not good this season so far.

WKU 73 - Cal Baptist 70 final

Tops were up by 20 at one point.

(12-20-2023 12:06 AM)topper1296 Wrote:  WKU 73 - Cal Baptist 70 final

Tops were up by 20 at one point.

Not scoring in the last 5 minutes and hanging on to win on the road— that’s a rare feat. TBH, I didn’t expect WKU to win this one going in.

(12-20-2023 12:10 AM)Todor Wrote:  

(12-20-2023 12:06 AM)topper1296 Wrote:  WKU 73 - Cal Baptist 70 final

Tops were up by 20 at one point.

Not scoring in the last 5 minutes and hanging on to win on the road— that’s a rare feat. TBH, I didn’t expect WKU to win this one going in.

Well, you guys found a way to "almost" lose tonight. We've been finding every which way to "almost" win... its four games and counting. Instead of being 5-8, we could easily be 9-4 right now, if we played a little smarter during the final stretch.

(12-20-2023 12:26 AM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  

(12-20-2023 12:10 AM)Todor Wrote:  

(12-20-2023 12:06 AM)topper1296 Wrote:  WKU 73 - Cal Baptist 70 final

Tops were up by 20 at one point.

Not scoring in the last 5 minutes and hanging on to win on the road— that’s a rare feat. TBH, I didn’t expect WKU to win this one going in.

Well, you guys found a way to "almost" lose tonight. We've been finding every which way to "almost" win... its four games and counting. Instead of being 5-8, we could easily be 9-4 right now, if we played a little smarter during the final stretch.

This was a long road trip of over 2k miles and 2 time zones from home. Broadcast said team got to the hotel at 3am central Monday night, which was obvious had played a factor late in this game. We were as high as 5.5 point dogs coming into this one, got up as much 20, and won outright by 3. Taking that every day. Our biggest issue right now is also our greatest strength. We play the now 3rd fastest pace in the country, and it’s hard to slow down a sped up horse. These guys only know one way, Go! If we can shore up our late game clock and possession management and just lightly tap the breaks, we have a chance to be pretty good this year.

(12-19-2023 11:38 PM)Blue Raider Dave Wrote:  So sorry Middle Tennessee isn’t holding up our end of the bargain this season. Time to bring back Kermit Davis.

St Mary always has a pretty good MBB team but give me a break!!! Last night, Middle was held to it's lowest offensive output in more than 70 YEARS!!!!

MBB KENPOM
64. Liberty
88. La Tech
124. Delaware
160. WKU
181. —Top Half/Bottom Half—
192. Sammy
195. UTEP
196. Jax St.
210. Kenny
247. New Mexico St.
263. MTSU
266. FIU
362. —Teams Total—

MBB RPI
58. La Tech
72. Liberty
104. Delaware
159. WKU
194. Kenny
226. Sammy
265. MTSU
273. UTEP
275. New Mexico St.
281. Jax St.
308. FIU

Realistically, what are your aspirations for the conference? Mine would be…..
(1-25) 1 Team
(26-50) 1 Team
(51-100) 1 Team
(101-181) 4 Teams
(182-299) 4 Teams
(300-362) 0 Teams

(12-20-2023 11:18 AM)army56mike Wrote:  Realistically, what are your aspirations for the conference? Mine would be…..
(1-25) 1 Team
(26-50) 1 Team
(51-100) 1 Team
(101-181) 4 Teams
(182-299) 4 Teams
(300-362) 0 Teams

For this year? Those aspirations are about right.

Going forward?

Need programs to start playing up to their potential. Lot of Top 100 level potential, just need to start living up to it. Outside of that we need to caboose too be a little leaner.

(12-19-2023 10:02 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  Aggies lose by 3 AT SFA. Lack of any rebounding late in the game was the difference IMO. Good comeback though after being far behind.

Off topic--- Crowd was low--SFA has really dropped--they used to be a big BB school. And either the camera was bad or the gym lighting--or both. Seemed Dim.

Box score says 1,700? That’s not a bad Christmas break crowd at all. More than Sam’s last two home games combined.

3 WAC/CUSA Challenge games today, all on the road out west.

WAC sits three spots ahead of us in NET at the moment. Recall some people scoffing preseason at notion that’d they’re on our level. We need to go 2-1 at least tonight. Hope the Kats can pull their weight against GCU.