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2015 NCAA Tournament: Conference USA Bids

By Mike Marteny

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Jan 8, 2015; El Paso, TX, USA; Louisiana Tech Bulldogs head coach Michael White hugs guards Kenneth Smith (4) and Raheem Appleby (3) after the Bulldogs defeated the UTEP Miners 58-45. Mandatory Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are. March. This is the month that provides so many things for sports fans. The NHL and NBA are jockeying for playoff spots. The official beginning of the NFL “year” is here, and so are the cuts and trades that will form next year’s championship landscape. The Cubs have hopes of ending their championship drought. And the 2015 NCAA tournament is just a little less than a week away.

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Here at Fantasy CPR, we will keep you up to date on which teams are fighting for a tournament berth, which teams are in, and which teams should be in. We will go conference by conference for the major conferences. The traditional one bid conferences will all get their day in print as well. Follow along as we unveil our projected teams up until Selection Sunday!

Who will make it in from Conference USA? Memphis is no longer running the show, but there are still some good teams here. Perhaps good enough to get up to three teams in! Who are they? Let’s find out!

Just in case you missed any:
ACC
A-10
American
Big East

Locks:

Louisiana Tech (25-7, 15-3 CUSA, RPI: 50, SOS: 186)

Big Wins: NONE

Bad Losses: at (145)Louisiana-Lafayette 86-94, at (224)North Texas 66-73, at (175)UAB 60-80

Their only wins against the RPI top 100 are the two games against UTEP. They hung with Temple, Syracuse, and North Carolina State earlier in the season, but a win in one of those would have really helped their cause if they lose in the Conference USA tournament. The fact that they lost their only meeting with (38) Old Dominion, the conference’s RPI leader, is also ominous.

The Bulldogs can, and will, run with anyone. They don’t really have one star, but they do have two pure scorers outside in Raheem Appleby and Alex Hamilton. They are undersized in the paint, but usually are athletic enough to mask it.

The only reason Louisiana Tech is listed as a lock is because they are the top seed in the Conference USA tourney. If they were to lose, it could be disastrous for their NCAA hopes. The lack of a top 75 RPI win will definitely hold them back. The best case scenario would have been for them would be to meet Old Dominion in the Conference USA championship on Saturday. Even if they lost that game, they might have had a shot. If they lose to UAB tonight, they are done for. With Old Dominion out, even a loss in the Championship might do them in.

Projected seed: 12

Next: Who Will Be Hoping On Sunday?

Jan 10, 2015; Bowling Green, KY, USA; Old Dominion Monarchs forward Richard Ross (23) dunks the ball over Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during the first half at E.A. Diddle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Bubble Teams:

Old Dominion (24-7, 13-5 CUSA, RPI: 38, SOS: 142)

Big Wins: vs. (49)LSU 70-61, vs. (21)Virginia Commonwealth 73-67, vs. (50)Louisiana Tech 72-53

Bad Losses: at (101)Western Kentucky 65-72, at (177)Middle Tennessee State 58-68, at (175)UAB 68-81, at (234)UTSA 67-72, vs. (177)Middle Tennessee State 52-59

On top of the LSU and VCU wins, the Monarchs also poached Richmond, Georgia State, and William and Mary from the RPI top 100 outside of their conference. When the CUSA season began, the Monarchs looked like they were going to dominate the league. They ended up losing five games.

Guards Trey Freeman and Anthony Bacote scored almost at will for most of the season. They accounted for 42% of the team’s points on the year. You need good guard play or size in the middle to take down Old Dominion.

The loss in the CUSA quarters to Middle Tennessee State might do them in. A few other bubble teams lost, but they lost to teams that look much better on paper than Middle Tennessee State does. If they had made it to the CUSA finals, I think they would have got in. Now, it’s going to be a tough sell since they only have one meaningful win since Christmas, and a whole slew of bad losses.

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    • Projected seed: OUT

    UTEP (22-9, 13-5 CUSA, RPI: 80, SOS: 136)

    Big Wins: vs. (40)Xavier 77-73, vs. (38)Old Dominion 62-47

    Bad Losses: vs. (124)Washington 65-68, at (119)New Mexico State 64-71, at (101)Western Kentucky 66-71, at (289)Marshall 71-78, at (284)Southern Mississippi 60-63

    Two wins against the RPI top 50 looks good, but two losses against the RPI under 250 offsets that and then some. They knocked off Kent State, who is also in the RPI top 100, but a lack of quality wins could hurt.

    Vince Hunter is a load to handle. He can shoot from anywhere except the free throw line, and averaged almost 10 rebounds per game. The Miners have enough size on the inside in Hunter and 6’10” center Cedrick Lang to hang with tough opponents. They gave Arizona all they wanted back in December.

    Ideally, the Miners wanted to see Old Dominion again. Adding another RPI top 50 win would have made them feel a whole lot better come Sunday. Now they will likely have to win the CUSA tournament to get in because of a dangerously low RPI.

    Projected seed: OUT

    Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR as we take a look at the tournament fates of all the bubble teams and locks alike!

    Next: NCAA Tournament Hopes For ACC Teams

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