Conference USA Tournament 2015: Bracket, TV Schedule, Dates and Predictions
The 2015 Conference USA basketball tournament will take place in Birmingham, Alabama, beginning on Wednesday.
Despite a lackluster overall record, host UAB derived enough positives from a tough out-of-conference schedule to mount an impressive surge once the conference slate began.
The Blazers figure to make the most of home-court advantage to bid for the tourney title—since they finished a perfect 9-0 in Conference USA at Bartow Arena.
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Check out an overview of the Conference USA tournament schedule below. Then read on for predictions on how the single-elimination showcase will unfold.
Conference USA Tournament Schedule
| 1 | UTSA vs. Florida International | 12 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee vs. Charlotte | 2:30 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 3 | Western Kentucky vs. Marshall | 6 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 4 | North Texas vs. Rice | 8:30 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 5 | UTEP vs. Game 1 Winner | 12 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 6 | Old Dominion vs. Game 2 Winner | 2:30 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 7 | UAB vs. Game 3 Winner | 6 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 8 | Louisiana Tech vs. Game 4 Winner | 8:30 p.m. | American Sports Network |
| 9 | Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner | 3 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| 10 | Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner | 5:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| 11 | Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner | 2:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
Preview and Predictions
This mid-major cluster of colleges may not be the most intimidating in the country, but there is decent depth to Conference USA. Louisiana Tech is the regular-season champion, while formidable challengers in Old Dominion, UTEP and Western Kentucky also loom.
Closeness in competition at the top should create a compelling conclusion to this conference tourney and allow at least one other deserving squad to clinch a spot in the Big Dance come Selection Sunday.
Defense will determine just how much of a chance UAB has at holding its own in front of the friendly fans. Junior guard Robert Brown is the only Blazers player who averages double figures in scoring.
Brown isn't too efficient, however, shooting a shade below 40 percent from the field. The recent emergence of freshman forward William Lee—who had eight blocks in a Feb. 28 win over Middle Tennessee—ought to open up opportunities for Brown and others on the perimeter.
Old Dominion's Trey Freeman is among the best players in the conference and should give the Monarchs a decent chance of advancing to the final. If he's off his game on offense, though, ODU may be in danger of an early upset.
Among the five teams that won double-digit games within the conference, UTEP executes the best on offense in terms of shooting percentage.
Look for Western Kentucky to come out on top, though, thanks to George Fant's ability to crash the offensive glass, superior backcourt play and the recent rise of supremely athletic freshman forward Justin Johnson.
"As the season progresses, the younger guys start to understand things and start to know if they do certain things, they get the benefits of it," said Fant regarding Johnson's increasing role, via Zach Greenwell of the Bowling Green Daily News. "He's finally starting to understand and it's clicking for him, and we're happy to see it."
Hilltoppers star T.J. Price leads Conference USA in scoring but also pulls down more than five rebounds and dishes out approximately four assists per contest. As is the case with Price, senior Trency Jackson shoots over 40 percent from beyond the arc.
The following quote from Fant, via WBKO-TV's Chad Bishop, is an appropriate reflection of Western Kentucky's collective mindset:
This experienced squad endured four straight losses in February, but none were by more than five points. Johnson is adding an energetic spark to the frontcourt at the perfect time, and firepower from the perimeter is critical in win-or-go-home situations.
The Hilltoppers are entering the tournament in better form, and they'll stand out among the pack—using their prior adversity as fuel to claim an NCAA tournament berth.
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