There wasn't a week 3 thread, so I'll start one for week 4.

Current Standings:




Thursday (1/26/17, Final scores):

Florida Atlantic - 83
Florida International - 65

UTSA - 71
Marshall - 92

Southern Miss - 56
Middle Tennessee - 72

Charlotte - 82
North Texas - 81

Old Dominion - 80
Rice - 72

UTEP - 62
Western Kentucky - 65

Louisiana Tech - 70
UAB - 79


Saturday Games (1/28/17, EST time)

Old Dominion @ North Texas - 3:00 PM

UTSA @ Western Kentucky - 4:00 PM

Louisiana Tech @ Middle Tennessee - 6:00 PM

UTEP @ Marshall - 7:00 PM

Charlotte @ Rice - 8:00 PM

Southern Miss @ UAB - 8:00 PM

Tech with the road trip to UAB and MTSU. Swept them at home last year but on the road will be a totally different story. Gonna be a huge 2-game series not just for us, but the conference standings as a whole.

If Charlotte wants to salvage this season, we can't afford to lose either game. We should be without Vanhook, and maybe White, for North Texas game. Glad we'll have them back for Rice.

Big games ahead for us! Win them both and we control our own destiny the rest of the season. Lose one and it'll still be ok. We are expected to lose one.

Are there any new postseason tournaments this year? Asking for a friend ...

(01-24-2017 05:08 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  Are there any new postseason tournaments this year? Asking for a friend ...

Please no. Would rather put the money towards keeping assistant football coaches.

This is week 5 of conference play, and the league schedule is at the midway point after this week. The week 1 thread went halfway into week 2, and the week 2 thread went through the 3rd conference weekend.

This week's home games vs. ODU and Charlotte will show whether the Owls can climb into the conference-tourney bye picture.

Another Owl posted this on The Parliament (which I've updated for Saturday's win over USM and away games):

Quote:Rice losses:
#32 @Texas Tech
#51 MTSU
#62 @Pitt
#80 @LaTech
#131 UAB
#135 @ODU
#156 Texas Southern

Rice wins:
#169 @Nebraska-Omaha
#222 @Charlotte
#226 @James Madison
#228 Stephen F. Austin
#233 Houston Baptist
#243 Montana St.
#298 North Texas
#302 @Incarnate Word
#304 Northwestern St.
#319 @ SoMiss
#335 Delaware St.
UR St. Edwards
UR St. Thomas

Remaining schedule:
#135 v. ODU
#222 v. Charlotte
#298 @ North Texas
#285 @ FIU
#278 @ FAU
#276 v. UTSA
#319 v. UTEP
#329 v. SoMiss
#80 v LaTech
#118 @ Marsh
#244 @ WKU

Winning both home games this week would give the Owls a 15-7 record, with seven winnable games versus teams with RPI of 244 or higher. Winning just those (and losing to LaTech (again!) and Marshall would give Rice a 22-9 regular season record and 12-6 in conference.

Still can't believe the RPI of the conference honestly. How is it even possible for 6 of 14 of our teams to be 300+ and only 6 teams in the top 200.

(01-24-2017 04:21 PM)itsbraille49 Wrote:  If Charlotte wants to salvage this season, we can't afford to lose either game. We should be without Vanhook, and maybe White, for North Texas game. Glad we'll have them back for Rice.

Best north texas player, combs, is being shut down for the year...multiple I juries on the ankle...yall should win Thursday with no problem

(01-24-2017 04:21 PM)itsbraille49 Wrote:  If Charlotte wants to salvage this season, we can't afford to lose either game. We should be without Vanhook, and maybe White, for North Texas game. Glad we'll have them back for Rice.

Weren't they both ejected for fighting in the ODU game? Isn't that an automatic 1-game suspension (also for Baker of ODU)??

Not sure how UTEP will do on the road this week. They seemed to get their act together against UTSA but I am not sure if it was that or that UTSA had one of those nights. Paul Thomas seems to become the player he was thought to be (4*) in the past three games by averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds. In addition UTEP has cut down on their turnovers averaging only 12 in the past three games. If UTEP can split this road trip then people will start coming to the remaining home games. UTEP will also have a favorable schedule the rest of the way with Rice being the only top team they play on the road after this week.

(01-25-2017 09:11 AM)stanman505 Wrote:  Not sure how UTEP will do on the road this week. They seemed to get their act together against UTSA but I am not sure if it was that or that UTSA had one of those nights. Paul Thomas seems to become the player he was thought to be (4*) in the past three games by averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds. In addition UTEP has cut down on their turnovers averaging only 12 in the past three games. If UTEP can split this road trip then people will start coming to the remaining home games. UTEP will also have a favorable schedule the rest of the way with Rice being the only top team they play on the road after this week.

You have a great shot at a road win tomorrow. My gut says UTEP for the win. I feel like we can win that game because we've played much better at home minus the last 8 minutes against ODU. But after seeing UTEP had won their last 3 my gut is flipping towards another home loss.

(01-24-2017 03:56 PM)techdawg28 Wrote:  Tech with the road trip to UAB and MTSU. Swept them at home last year but on the road will be a totally different story. Gonna be a huge 2-game series not just for us, but the conference standings as a whole.

Early battle for the coveted 2 seed in the tournament. Being on the opposite side of Middle sounds like a wonderful thing to me.

(01-24-2017 10:53 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 04:21 PM)itsbraille49 Wrote:  If Charlotte wants to salvage this season, we can't afford to lose either game. We should be without Vanhook, and maybe White, for North Texas game. Glad we'll have them back for Rice.

Weren't they both ejected for fighting in the ODU game? Isn't that an automatic 1-game suspension (also for Baker of ODU)??

I only think the automatic suspension is for actually taking a swing at someone. I don't recall Andrien taking a swing. Vanhook definitely did, and Bake swung but it was open handed.

(01-25-2017 11:29 AM)dahbeed Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 09:11 AM)stanman505 Wrote:  Not sure how UTEP will do on the road this week. They seemed to get their act together against UTSA but I am not sure if it was that or that UTSA had one of those nights. Paul Thomas seems to become the player he was thought to be (4*) in the past three games by averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds. In addition UTEP has cut down on their turnovers averaging only 12 in the past three games. If UTEP can split this road trip then people will start coming to the remaining home games. UTEP will also have a favorable schedule the rest of the way with Rice being the only top team they play on the road after this week.

You have a great shot at a road win tomorrow. My gut says UTEP for the win. I feel like we can win that game because we've played much better at home minus the last 8 minutes against ODU. But after seeing UTEP had won their last 3 my gut is flipping towards another home loss.

Your team has nothing to worry about. It will be an easy 12-15 point win for WKU.

(01-25-2017 04:53 PM)JCMiner Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 11:29 AM)dahbeed Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 09:11 AM)stanman505 Wrote:  Not sure how UTEP will do on the road this week. They seemed to get their act together against UTSA but I am not sure if it was that or that UTSA had one of those nights. Paul Thomas seems to become the player he was thought to be (4*) in the past three games by averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds. In addition UTEP has cut down on their turnovers averaging only 12 in the past three games. If UTEP can split this road trip then people will start coming to the remaining home games. UTEP will also have a favorable schedule the rest of the way with Rice being the only top team they play on the road after this week.

You have a great shot at a road win tomorrow. My gut says UTEP for the win. I feel like we can win that game because we've played much better at home minus the last 8 minutes against ODU. But after seeing UTEP had won their last 3 my gut is flipping towards another home loss.

Your team has nothing to worry about. It will be an easy 12-15 point win for WKU.

lol. You've been so wrapped up in your own misery you haven't been paying any attention to the rest of the conference. We could win. But there's no way in hell it will be anywhere near easy. We could just as easily lose. We've just lost 4 in a row. You've just won 3 in a row. Which trend do you like coming into this game?

(01-25-2017 05:44 PM)dahbeed Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 04:53 PM)JCMiner Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 11:29 AM)dahbeed Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 09:11 AM)stanman505 Wrote:  Not sure how UTEP will do on the road this week. They seemed to get their act together against UTSA but I am not sure if it was that or that UTSA had one of those nights. Paul Thomas seems to become the player he was thought to be (4*) in the past three games by averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds. In addition UTEP has cut down on their turnovers averaging only 12 in the past three games. If UTEP can split this road trip then people will start coming to the remaining home games. UTEP will also have a favorable schedule the rest of the way with Rice being the only top team they play on the road after this week.

You have a great shot at a road win tomorrow. My gut says UTEP for the win. I feel like we can win that game because we've played much better at home minus the last 8 minutes against ODU. But after seeing UTEP had won their last 3 my gut is flipping towards another home loss.

Your team has nothing to worry about. It will be an easy 12-15 point win for WKU.

lol. You've been so wrapped up in your own misery you haven't been paying any attention to the rest of the conference. We could win. But there's no way in hell it will be anywhere near easy. We could just as easily lose. We've just lost 4 in a row. You've just won 3 in a row. Which trend do you like coming into this game?

I'll still pick WKU in a blowout. We beat two of the worst teams in the country (no disrespect FIU & FAU we are just as bad) by one point at home. The UTSA win was abnormal they had an off night. You guys lost to three of the top four conference teams on the road and a solid ODU squad. I know you will sweep your home stand.

(01-24-2017 05:08 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  Are there any new postseason tournaments this year? Asking for a friend ...

Poinsettia Bowl Basketball Invitationional.

(01-25-2017 11:33 AM)BlazerGold09 Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 03:56 PM)techdawg28 Wrote:  Tech with the road trip to UAB and MTSU. Swept them at home last year but on the road will be a totally different story. Gonna be a huge 2-game series not just for us, but the conference standings as a whole.

Early battle for the coveted 2 seed in the tournament. Being on the opposite side of Middle sounds like a wonderful thing to me.

LA Tech has looked like a clear #2 lately. Going to be a tough game in Bartow.