Conference Who-S-A?

,Not long ago, Conference USA was every bit as relevant on a national scale as the Big East, SEC and Big 12. Those days are long, long gone. It's easy to blame the exodus of Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, and DePaul to the BEast (as well at St. Louis and Charlotte fleeing to the A-10).However, there is another big factor at work.

Where have you gone Kenyon Martin? Our conference turns it's lonely eyes to you...

Today, of the circa-2002 formidable powers only Memphis remains; and accordingly it has played out precisely that way for the past four years. Before the season there was some tepid optimism with the changes at Memphis that this could be the year parity began to creep in and C-USA could claim on multiple bids in the tourney. Tulsa has been hailed as the primary threat to unseat the Tigers, with UAB, UTEP and Houston thought to be solid clubs.

The problem for Conference USA? Who are they going to prove they've improved against?

Memphis dispelled some of the notions of being decimated after Coach Cal heading to the Bluegrass (with the Nation's #1 recruiting class with him) when they gave Kansas all they could handle on the season's opening weekend. So... are the Tigers for real? We'll call ya on New Year's Eve when they tangle with the Tennessee Vols. In the six weeks between those quality games? Some real mettle-testers including: Central Arkansas, Arkansas State and Arkansas Little Rock. Perhaps Memphis's AD is set on proving his Ark-based dominance. Screw you Bill Clinton!

In the Tigers' defense, by the time it is all said and done they will have faced Kansas, Tennessee, Syracuse and Gonzaga. The Tigers consistently play a good non-conference slate, and if there was ever a year to unusually backload the schedule it is this transtition year.

However, there is little excuse for the rest. UTEP has played only five games this year. Their opponents are Texas Southern, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Arkansas State (again with the Arkansas theme...), NC A&T, and New Mexico State. They will heat it up in December with games against Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas tech and BYU. Win three of four, and we'll talk. For now, any early acclaim given to the Miners should be...well... minor.

UAB is Blazing through powers like Florida A&M and Samford, and suffered a loss to Wright State. Their win over Wisc-Milwaukee looks better after the Phoenix OT win last night over Wisconsin, but it looks to me like UAB will have to beat both Cincinnati and Butler in their only two non-conference games of quality remaining to get at-large consideration.

Tulsa was the sheik pick to unseat the Tigers. Their early loss to Missouri State is looking better everyday, and the solid win over in-state rival Oklahoma State helps. The subsequent 81-80 squeker over MAC doormat Ohio is a little concerning. Even a little more concerning? Their only chance for another "decent" win is a trip to Big-12 lower-tier Nebraska. That is just not the profile of an at-large team come March.

Southern Miss is 5-1, coming off last night's respectable 2-point loss to a good Mississippi team. They better win at Vandy, or they run the real risk of their best non-conference wins to be over Montana St (by 4) and this weekend's shot at South Alabama.

UCF looked like a nice sleeper early, beating UMass and Auburn before losing to Niagara. Last weekend's 20+ pasting at Notre Dame dampens some of that optimism for my beloved alma matter. The Knights still have trips to Connecticut and Mississippi giving them an opportunit to steal a few headlines for C-USA. However, the fact they are able to schedule those games is a bit telling; UCF is still viewed as low-major fodder, a carryover reputation from their Atlantic Sun days they've done little to erode.

Houston might end up being the only team to notch a "banner" win for the conference before the calendar flips to 2010. The Cougars got theirs over Oklahoma (that will look a little better by season's end as the Sooners improve), but tempered some of the enthusiasm with losses to Nevada (by 3) and San Diego (by 6). They get another chance to make some small waves over thus-far disappointing Mississippi State next Saturday.

There in lies the problem. If your biggest "pre-conference" win is Houston over Oklahoma, you are in trouble. Is C-USA better top to bottom than leagues like the Colonial and WCC? Yes, I believe they are without a doubt. However, with little opportunity to showcase their strength in the early going it looks like another one-team party in this year's Big Dance, and a further dip into mid-major permanence.

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