There are only three current Conference USA members who have won a CUSA Tournament championship. Middle Tennessee has two, while Western Kentucky and Liberty both have one. The Flames claimed last season’s title in what was their second year in the league.
That means there’s a possibility there will be a first-time CUSA tournament champion by the end of the week.
Liberty ran the table for nearly the entire season and was 15-0 in league play before going 2-3 in its final five games. The rest of the league was fairly congested from top to bottom, with surprising outcomes happening every week.
Yet, despite the Flames running away with the regular-season title, they’re not the favorite to repeat as tournament champs.
CUSA Basketball Tournament Odds
| Team | BetMGM Odds |
| Sam Houston | +200 |
| Liberty | +310 |
| Western Kentucky | +700 |
| Kennesaw State | +850 |
| Middle Tennessee | +950 |
| Louisiana Tech | +1100 |
| Missouri State | +2500 |
| Jacksonville State | +2800 |
| FIU | +3000 |
| New Mexico State | +3500 |
| Odds as of March 8 |
CUSA Basketball Tournament Predictions
There’s no surprise Sam Houston is the favorite to represent Conference USA at the NCAA Tournament. The Bearkats were one of the hottest teams in the country during the second half of the season and went 11-1 from mid-January until the end of February. They lost their final two games of the regular season to Delaware and Liberty.
However, SHSU only had seven players suit up in those two losses and were without leading scorer Po’Boigh King. They have been plagued by injuries and have had seven players who have been ruled out for the season. King should be back for the tournament, though, and even with its depleted roster, the Bearkats will still be tough to beat behind their energy, effort, and efficient offense.
Six-foot-3 senior guard Kashie Natt is one of the most exciting players in all of college hoops and can make game-changing plays on both ends of the court to propel SHSU to a tourney title.
It’s still tough to dismiss Liberty with its fluid, sound offense and the top player in the league — Zach Cleveland. Per KenPom, the Flames’ effective field-goal percentage of 60.2% ranks second in the country, and their 39.6% from outside is fifth-best.
If the shots are falling for the Flames, then they’re going to be tough to beat. However, their defense hasn’t been great for much of the season, so if the shots aren’t falling, it could spell bad news. Liberty is one of the most experienced groups in the country, though, and has a longtime coach in Ritchie McKay — two important factors in the postseason.
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WKU has a guy who can put the team on his back with Teagan Moore. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is second in the league with 18.4 points per game, shooting 56% from the field, and has the potential to take over a game. The Hilltoppers also have a deep rotation that could be beneficial if they make a run, but they will need to beat a stubborn Kennesaw State team in the quarterfinals.
The Owls overcame the loss of their best player and one of the top players in the league in Simeon Cottle. It’s been a group effort to replace the loss of production, but the Owls almost always put themselves in a position to win.
The rest of the field are all pesky teams who can beat anybody in the league on any given night. Louisiana Tech just held Delaware to 38 points, and Missouri State has a tough front court in Keith Palek III and Michael Osei-Bonsu. Jax State has the top scorer in the conference in Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, while MTSU might be playing its best at the right time, winning five games in a row.
I don’t think there is an easy path in this bracket.
However, getting Liberty at 3/1 odds is tough to pass on, making the Flames the best bet to make, in my opinion. They were dominated by Oregon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year and are likely eager to get back there to put on a better performance.
