2017 Championship Week Primer: Conference USA

Conference USA could've been devastated by realignment when most of their top teams were poached by the Big East  American Conference, leaving the conference scrambling to fill its ranks. It filled them and then some, with the conference ballooning to fourteen teams. One of the new teams staged one of the biggest upsets in tournament history last year when Middle Tennessee beat national title contender Michigan State in the Round of 64.

Middle Tennessee won the conference again this year handily, finishing three games above Louisiana Tech and only lost one game in conference play at UTEP. They are projected to be an 11 seed, which raises enough questions as to whether the Blue Raiders could get an at large bid. It is likely in this year where the committee seems to favor teams with strong SOS that Middle Tennessee will need the automatic bid to make the NCAA Tournament.

The top 12 teams of the 14 team conference made the Conference USA tournament. The top four teams will get a bye to the quarterfinals. The entire tournament will take place from March 8th to March 11th at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

First Round-Wednesday, March 8th
#9 UTSA vs. #8 Western Kentucky
#12 Southern Miss vs. #5 Rice
#10 Charlotte vs. #7 UAB
#11 Florida Atlantic vs. #6 Marshall 

Quarterfinals-Thursday, March 9th
#8 Western Kentucky vs. #1 Middle Tennessee
#5 Rice vs. #4 UTEP
#7 UAB vs. #2 Louisiana Tech
#6 Marshall vs. #3 Old Dominion

Semifinals-Friday, March 10th
#5 Rice vs. #1 Middle Tennessee
#6 Marshall vs. #2 Louisiana Tech

Championship-Saturday, March 11th
Middle Tennessee is the best team in the conference and should win the tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. They will be a tough out again in the NCAA Tournament, though this team it'll be expected because of what the Blue Raiders did last year and the better seed they'll have this year.

Marshall 73, Middle Tennessee 80