Conference USA Tournament 2013 Bracket: Seeds, Matchups and More

If this season of college basketball has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. 

So even though undefeated-in-conference Memphis enters this week's Conference USA tournament as a heavy favorite, don't go assuming the Tigers will easily run the table at the BOK Center. 

The 12-4 Southern Miss needs to do a lot of damage to earn an NCAA bid, while UTEP and East Carolina also have talented squads that have seriously challenged the champions this year. 

Throw in home-town favorites Tulsa, and you have the makings for a thrilling, under-the-radar conference tournament.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know. 

Final Records and Seeds

Seed	Team	Overall	Conference
1	Memphis	27-4	16-0
2	Southern Miss	23-8	12-4
3	UTEP	17-13	10-6
4	East Carolina	18-11	9-7
5	Tulsa	16-14	8-8
6	Houston	18-11	7-9
7	UAB	15-16	7-9
8	Tulane	18-13	6-10
9	Marshall	13-18	6-10
10	SMU	15-16	5-11
11	Rice	5-25	1-15

*UCF is ineligible for postseason play

Matchups, Complete Schedule (Courtesy of ConferenceUSA.com)

First Round: Wednesday, March 13

Note: All start times are approximate, depending on when the previous game ends. 

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
1	No. 7 UAB vs. No. 10 SMU	4:30 p.m.	C-USA Digital Network
2	No. 6 Houston vs. No. 11 Rice	7:30 p.m.	C-USA Digital Network
3	No. 8 Tulane vs. No. 9 Marshall	9:30 p.m.	C-USA Digital Network

Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 14

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
4	No. 2 Southern Miss vs. Winner of Game 1	1 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
5	No. 3 UTEP vs. Winner of Game 2	3:30 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
6	No. 1 Memphis vs. Winner of Game 3	7 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
7	No. 4 East Carolina vs. No. 5 Tulsa	9:30 p.m.	CBS Sports Network

Semifinals: Friday, March 15

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
8	Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5	4 p.m.	CBS Sports Network
9	Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7	6:30 p.m.	CBS Sports Network

Finals: Saturday, March 16

Game No.	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
10	Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9	11:35 a.m.	CBS

Player to Watch: Joe Jackson, Memphis Tigers

Joe Jackson is fast. Like, cheetah-taped-to-his-back fast. 

When the Tigers get out in transition and Jackson gets moving north and south, it's extremely fun to watch. 

This season, however, the dynamic point guard has proven to be so much more than just an electric ball-handler who thrives in a fast-paced game. He's averaging 13.8 points, 4.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. 

Moreover, he's turned himself into a shooter. After shooting under 43 percent from the field and 32 percent from deep as a freshman and sophomore, Jackson is lighting it up at 53 percent and 49.3 percent, respectively.

When one of the quickest playmakers in the country is also one of the most efficient shooters, you have a special weapon. 

Sleeper Team to Watch: Houston Cougars

At the very least, the Cougars are entertaining to watch. 

James Dickey's squad plays an uptempo style. The Cougars have two deadly shooters in Joseph Young and Jherrod Stiggers, an athletic big man in TaShawn Thomas who impacts the game on both sides of the ball and a dangerous—albeit inconsistent—scorer in freshman Danuel House. 

You won't catch Houston making a ton of key defensive stops, but the Cougars have the talent to score in bunches and are on the opposite side of the bracket as Memphis—making a deep run more than plausible. 

Prediction

Memphis has too much talent. 

There are teams in this league capable of upsetting the Tigers, but no one has as much depth, a better point guard or rebounds as well. Those are all things crucial in tournament play.

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