HUNTSVILLE – Eighteen teams total, nine each for the men and women, entered the Conference USA Basketball Championships this week at the Von Braun Center seeking the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Two of those squads were bounced, however, after Tuesday night’s action. Florida International defeated Jacksonville State 76-67 in the men’s bracket, while UTEP eliminated Sam Houston State 78-64 on the women’s side.
The remaining teams, perhaps, have designs on replicating the March Madness run Florida Atlantic’s men made to the NCAA Final Four last year after winning the Conference USA tournament. The Owls’ trip to the national semifinals preceded the program’s departure for other horizons.
Former league members Marquette (2003, coach Tom Crean), Louisville (2005, Rick Pitino) and Memphis (2008, John Calipari) advanced to the Final Four. Memphis’ trip was later vacated as part of NCAA penalties.
On the women’s side, Louisiana Tech made two of its 10 overall Final Four appearances in 1998 and ’99 after joining CUSA, which formed in 1995. The Lady Techsters, a women’s powerhouse in the 1980s and ’90s under coach Leon Barmore, won national championships in 1982 and ’88.
Jacksonville State (14-17, 6-10 CUSA) entered the program’s inaugural CUSA championship as the No. 8 seed.
Since joining Division I, Jax State has 10 conference tournament victories and seven of those have come under head coach Ray Harper. The all-time series against FIU began in 1996 when the two met as Trans-America Athletic Conference foes. The Panthers still lead the series, 4-3, but the Gamecocks have been victorious in each of the last three meetings.
Propst Arena at the VBC began its transition from hockey rink to basketball court as teams and conference officials began arriving for tonight’s initial games featuring No. 8 seed Texas-El Paso against No. 9 Sam State on the women’s side at 5:30 p.m. followed by No. 8 Jacksonville State vs. No. 9 Florida International for the men at 8 o’clock.
“The VBC team has worked very hard,’’ Mark Russell, executive director of the Huntsville Sports Commission, said during interviews Monday. “They’ve done a great job. We’ve had to put down the court, we’ve had to set up all the premium seating, get the signage done. They’re working non-stop.”
Sam Houston State’s men and Middle Tennessee State’s women are the top seeds. Championship games are set for Saturday.
The championships mark the first time CUSA has brought its postseason basketball tournaments to the Rocket City. The City of Huntsville, Huntsville Sports Commission, and the Huntsville-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau are hosting the event.
Clifton Douglass, CUSA associate commissioner of Basketball, said the league’s “footprint has grown and Huntsville provides a more central location for all of its members.”
“A lot of the teams and a lot of the fans can drive in and spend some time in the Rocket City as well as (experiencing) good ’ol Southern hospitality that I share with my staff back (at league headquarters) in Dallas,” said Douglass, a Sylacauga native and Alcorn State graduate.
For more information, visit www.ConferenceUSA.com/RocketCityHoops
Single-session tickets are available through the VBC ticket office and Ticketmaster.
- TODAY Quarterfinals (Broadcast: ESPN+)
11:30 a.m. – Women’s: No. 1 Middle Tennessee vs. UTEP
2 p.m. – Women’s: No. 2 Liberty vs. No. 7 Western Kentucky
5:30 p.m. – Men’s: No. 1 Sam Houston State vs. Florida International
8 p.m. – Men’s: No. 2 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 7 Middle Tennessee - THURSDAY Quarterfinals (Broadcast: ESPN+)
11:30 a.m. – Women’s: No. 4 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 5 Jacksonville State
2 p.m. – Women’s: No. 3 Florida International vs. No. 6 New Mexico State
5:30 p.m. – Men’s: No. 4 Liberty vs. No. 5 UTEP
8 p.m. – Men’s: No. 3 Western Kentucky vs. No. 6 New Mexico State
8 p.m. – Concert at Mars Music Hall: King’s Haze - FRIDAY
Semifinals
Men’s (Broadcast: CBS SPORTS NETWORK)
11:30 a.m., 2 p.m.
Women’s (Broadcast: ESPN+)
5:30, 8 p.m.
8 p.m. Concert at Mars Music Hall: Brandon Elder - SATURDAY
Championships (Broadcast: CBS SPORTS NETWORK)
4:30 p.m. – Women’s Championship game
7:30 p.m. – Men’s Championship game
8 p.m. Concert at Mars Music Hall: Quantaphonics
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