CUSA MBB Week #11

All games times are CST

Thursday – January 19th

Liberty vs. Florida International – 6:00 PM (ESPN+)... Flames win 78-69
UTEP vs. Middle Tennessee – 8:00 PM (CBS Sports)... Miners win 73-59
New Mexico State vs. Western Kentucky – 8:00 PM (ESPN+)... Aggies win 72-70

Saturday – January 20th

Jacksonville State vs. Louisiana Tech – 4:00 PM (ESPN+)... Bulldogs win 74-57
Liberty vs. Sam Houston – 6:00 PM (ESPN+)... Flames win 82-66
New Mexico State vs. Middle Tennessee – 8:00 PM (ESPN+)... Aggies win 73-62
UTEP vs. Western Kentucky – 8:00 PM (ESPN+)... Miners win 93-87

Week #10 Awards

Player of the Week: Louisiana Tech's Daniel Batcho
Freshman of the Week: UTEP's Trey Horton III

CUSA Top 20 Attendance for the season thus far...

Conference matchups in BOLD

1. UTEP vs. UC Santa Barbara............................. 7121
2. New Mexico State vs. Western New Mexico........ 5908
3. New Mexico State vs. Northern Colorado........... 5656
4. New Mexico State vs. UTEP......................... 5216
5. New Mexico State vs. New Mexico.................... 5182
6. Western Kentucky vs. Liberty...................... 5057
7. UTEP vs. Austin Peay...................................... 4871
8. UTEP vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi.................. 4671
9. Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State.... 4580
10. New Mexico State vs. Sul Ross State.............. 4507
11. UTEP vs. Seattle U....................................... 4391
12. UTEP vs. Wyoming....................................... 4310
13. New Mexico State vs. California Baptist........... 4226
14. UTEP vs. Norfolk State.................................. 4193
15. New Mexico State vs. Univ. of the Southwest... 4135
16. Liberty vs. Grand Canyon.............................. 4052
17. Western Kentucky vs. Abilene Christian........... 4011
18. New Mexico State vs. Northern New Mexico..... 3961
19. Western Kentucky vs. Kentucky Wesleyan........ 3890
20. UTEP vs. McMurry......................................... 3782

I am hoping for a split this week for the Aggies. I am also looking for progression.

I'm looking for two wins this week. If not for a last-minute collapse to UNM, NMSU would be undefeated in the PAC this season. I don't think NMSU will win many road games, if any at all. But I do think NMSU is capable of defending its own home court.

(01-15-2024 11:14 AM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  I'm looking for two wins this week. If not for a last-minute collapse to UNM, NMSU would be undefeated in the PAC this season. I don't think NMSU will win many road games, if any at all. But I do think NMSU is capable of defending its own home court.

I hope so but I still remember the MTSU/WKU games from the Sun Belt days. Those were always fun games, and rarely did NMSU seep them. There was an outside shooter from MTSU, Tommy Gunn, best name for a deep three point threat.

(01-15-2024 02:55 PM)RobtheAggie Wrote:  

(01-15-2024 11:14 AM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  I'm looking for two wins this week. If not for a last-minute collapse to UNM, NMSU would be undefeated in the PAC this season. I don't think NMSU will win many road games, if any at all. But I do think NMSU is capable of defending its own home court.

I hope so but I still remember the MTSU/WKU games from the Sun Belt days. Those were always fun games, and rarely did NMSU seep them. There was an outside shooter from MTSU, Tommy Gunn, best name for a deep three point threat.

Yup, Middle Tennessee had Tommy Gunn and Western Kentucky had Anthony Winchester. Both were deadly from three-point range. The Hilltoppers were tough because they had good centers during that time... Chris Marcus and Nigil Dixon. Another name I remember is Patrick Sparks, he was a really good player for the Hilltoppers before he transferred to Kentucky. But the best player NMSU met while in the Sun Belt was Courtney Lee. He was a freshman in NMSU's final season in that conference. Lou Henson's last season as our head coach.

Early standings check, NET in parentheses

1. SHSU 3-0 (216)
2. WKU 2-1 (132)
3. JSU 2-1 (156)
4. LaTech 2-1 (95)
5. FIU 2-1 (278)
6. NMSU 1-1 (284)
7. UTEP 0-2 (256)
8. MTSU 0-2 (312)
9. LU 0-3 (102)

Numbers look bad but NET looking kinda worthless so far in conf. play. ESPN’s BPI paints a slightly brighter picture and I think the system severely underrates WKU and SHSU… although Liberty is clearly overrated here.

1. LU (65)
2. LaTech (94)
3. JSU (158)
4. WKU (185)
5. SHSU (205)
6. FIU (235)
7. UTEP (247)
8. NMSU (264)
9. MTSU (268)

(01-15-2024 04:03 PM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  Early standings check, NET in parentheses

1. SHSU 3-0 (216)
2. WKU 2-1 (132)
3. JSU 2-1 (156)
4. LaTech 2-1 (95)
5. FIU 2-1 (278)
6. NMSU 1-1 (284)
7. UTEP 0-2 (256)
8. MTSU 0-2 (312)
9. LU 0-3 (102)

Numbers look bad but NET looking kinda worthless so far in conf. play. ESPN’s BPI paints a slightly brighter picture and I think the system severely underrates WKU and SHSU… although Liberty is clearly overrated here.

1. LU (65)
2. LaTech (94)
3. JSU (158)
4. WKU (185)
5. SHSU (205)
6. FIU (235)
7. UTEP (247)
8. NMSU (264)
9. MTSU (268)

It is easy to see Sam Houston has hit its stride. Wilkerson might be the best player in CUSA this season. He is a big guard who can score at all three levels. But I still feel Western Kentucky will be the team to beat this season if anyone want to go to the NCAA tournament.

If WKU is serious about challenging for a regular season title, this road trip needs to be a sweep. You will take a split, but I think the overall body of work and metrics show the Tops to be a superior outfit to NMSU and UTEP. The banana peel in this scenario is the Miners and Aggies, even while down, have great fan support and will have the hardest road environments in the conference for WKU. Jax St/La Tech and Liberty/SHSU are tasty matchups this week as well. I think the standings will start to solidify themselves following this week's play.

(01-15-2024 05:38 AM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  Week #10 Awards

Player of the Week: Daniel Batcho Tech
Freshman of the Week: Trey Horton III, UTEP

Three good games tonight.

FIU at Liberty (early)--ESPN+

Two late:

WKU at NMSU-- ESPN+

MT at UTEP-- CBS Sports Net

Liberty ahead of FIU 36-29, halftime.

LU beats FIU 78-69 for their first CUSA win.

NMSU comes back to beat WKU late 72-70

(01-18-2024 08:52 PM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  LU beats FIU 78-69 for their first CUSA win.

- It was nice to pick up a win.
- FIU will definitely be voted team with the best hair with my vote. The HC surely has the best hair of any coach in the country. And their leading scorer tonight has a long head full of hair that was on point!
- What is that big blue blob that runs all along the FIU basketball court? It is very distracting.
- And again, glad to get a win.

(01-18-2024 11:13 PM)Turtle Power 98 Wrote:  NMSU comes back to beat WKU late 72-70

What the hell happened… was a 20 point game at one point. Hilltoppers drop to .500 in conference play.

UTEP blows out Middle Tennessee in El Paso, Blue Raiders look awful. Can’t shoot, don’t take care of the ball, they’re stagnant and bored on offense. How was this team selected to win the conference? Solid looking crowd for the CBSSN viewers.

HUGE slate Saturday. Conference leaders at resurgent Liberty. A hot Jax State team in Ruston for a matchup of one loss teams. And Western at UTEP becomes a big one with tonight’s results.

(01-18-2024 11:43 PM)army56mike Wrote:  

(01-18-2024 08:52 PM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  LU beats FIU 78-69 for their first CUSA win.

- It was nice to pick up a win.
- FIU will definitely be voted team with the best hair with my vote. The HC surely has the best hair of any coach in the country. And their leading scorer tonight has a long head full of hair that was on point!
- What is that big blue blob that runs all along the FIU basketball court? It is very distracting.
- And again, glad to get a win.

That “blue blob” is the ocean… or it’s supposed to be. Court at the Ocean Bank Convo is stylized to look like a beach on TV, with the blue waves/blobs rolling into the sand-colored court and the green palms at the other sideline. I’ll admit, I don’t hate it on TV, but you’d think it would be annoying for the players along the side and three point line, and it looks awful on google.

Agree on the hair.

(01-19-2024 12:26 AM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  

(01-18-2024 11:13 PM)Turtle Power 98 Wrote:  NMSU comes back to beat WKU late 72-70

What the hell happened… was a 20 point game at one point. Hilltoppers drop to .500 in conference play.

UTEP blows out Middle Tennessee in El Paso, Blue Raiders look awful. Can’t shoot, don’t take care of the ball, they’re stagnant and bored on offense. How was this team selected to win the conference? Solid looking crowd for the CBSSN viewers.

HUGE slate Saturday. Conference leaders at resurgent Liberty. A hot Jax State team in Ruston for a matchup of one loss teams. And Western at UTEP becomes a big one with tonight’s results.

Resurgent Liberty? That’s a bit of a stretch. Looking forward to the game though. See if we can build off a win.

(01-19-2024 02:27 PM)army56mike Wrote:  

(01-19-2024 12:26 AM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  

(01-18-2024 11:13 PM)Turtle Power 98 Wrote:  NMSU comes back to beat WKU late 72-70

What the hell happened… was a 20 point game at one point. Hilltoppers drop to .500 in conference play.

UTEP blows out Middle Tennessee in El Paso, Blue Raiders look awful. Can’t shoot, don’t take care of the ball, they’re stagnant and bored on offense. How was this team selected to win the conference? Solid looking crowd for the CBSSN viewers.

HUGE slate Saturday. Conference leaders at resurgent Liberty. A hot Jax State team in Ruston for a matchup of one loss teams. And Western at UTEP becomes a big one with tonight’s results.

Resurgent Liberty? That’s a bit of a stretch. Looking forward to the game though. See if we can build off a win.

It might not be after tomorrow’s game. If SHSU plays like they did at MTSU then they’ll be in big trouble. MTSU played bad enough, and our guards made a few winning plays down the stretch, to get the win. But if we have a repeat performance the results will not be the same against Liberty.

(01-19-2024 12:26 AM)EatEmUp11 Wrote:  

(01-18-2024 11:13 PM)Turtle Power 98 Wrote:  NMSU comes back to beat WKU late 72-70

What the hell happened… was a 20 point game at one point. Hilltoppers drop to .500 in conference play.

UTEP blows out Middle Tennessee in El Paso, Blue Raiders look awful. Can’t shoot, don’t take care of the ball, they’re stagnant and bored on offense. How was this team selected to win the conference? Solid looking crowd for the CBSSN viewers.

HUGE slate Saturday. Conference leaders at resurgent Liberty. A hot Jax State team in Ruston for a matchup of one loss teams. And Western at UTEP becomes a big one with tonight’s results.

McDevitt is an abstract failure at head coach at MT. Needs to go before the season ends.

"UTEP blows out Middle Tennessee in El Paso, Blue Raiders look awful. Can’t shoot, don’t take care of the ball, they’re stagnant and bored on offense. How was this team selected to win the conference? Solid looking crowd for the CBSSN viewers. "

Really? You think that? I was just telling my wife as we were watching the game that it looked like less than 1000 fans were there. Really pathetic showing but I don't blame the fans for not showing up. Enemas U. had a better crowd and they were rewarded for their faithfulness as the Ugglies came back from a 20 point deficit. Truly amazing that they won, I had given up on them.