Week 4: O5 OOC 4-Pack

 Once upon a time Houston(AAC) and Rice(CUSA) were SWC members. Houston will get a much needed win but it won't be easy. McCaffrey will catch a lot of passes for the Owls, but it won't be enough. HOU 31 Rice 26.

Both QBs have decent numbers in the North Texas(CUSA)/Memphis(AAC) matchup, but Aune won't outduel Henigan. MEM 34 UNT 23

Both teams are off to rocky starts.  D. Finn will have a solid game carrying the ball for Toledo, but the Aztecs outkick them at home. SDST(MWC) 15 TOL(MAC) 13

I'm not seeing USM pulling a  Stunbelt-style upset against the surprising Green Wave(AAC) who are coming off a 17-10 win over Kansas St (Big12). Neither team has a player with incredible numbers. Perhaps a pick 6 turns the game around. TUL 19 USM 16.

Sept 23, 2022

Road party for Coastal: CCU 41-G State 24 

Air Force crushed Nevada, and Boise St lost to UTEP, who may be a threat in CUSA play this season.

Sept 25, 2022

Owls gave the Cougars a scare, but Houston prevailed 34-27.

NTX couldn't restrain the Tigers. MEM 44 NTX 34

I got darn close on picking the final score correctly on the SDST 17 Toledo 14

Zach Wilcke threw a pair of touchdown passes, and the USM D got a pick 6 in a 27-24 win over Tulane. I was correct on a pick 6 but wrong about which team got that and a win.

3-1 for the week.

App St got a taste of its own "stun" medicine and lost to James Madison, a new SunBelt member.

Big CUSA win by MTSU over Miami (FLA).

Early CUSA 2019 football chatter,well knows names

#KaiLocksley  #UTEP s likely starting QB, and son of Terps HC Mike Locksley has been suspending for the off the field violations.  Rahsaan Lewis, Ray's son , is transferring  from UCF to FAU, and Frank Gore Jr is a part of FAU's 2020 recruiting class. More updates coming.
June 15: Beer sales at college football games is a hot topic, and #MTSU of the CUSA has interesting approach.  It is  setting up a beer garden in the south end zone of the stadium and partnering with students at the school to help come up with specific microbrews for each opponent that comes to Murfreesboro, TN

June 16

How is this for week 1 toughies?  FAU at Ohio St,  MTSU at Michigan, and Louisiana Tech at Texas?

June 17

#herd visit Boise St (MWC) on Sept 6 . That's not a regular OOC matchup

June 19

 #herd got some  short yardage WR help with TavinRichardson , a grad transfer from Kentucky.

June 27

  Louisville adds Marshall’s leading sacker,Ty Tyler, as grad transfer. Derrek Pitts , a WVU safety, is joining the #herd.

july 15

 CUSA athletic directors have reportedly discussed trading schools with other leagues. It's mostly chatters about the Sun Belt and probably ties into cutting down on the trips from the east coast to west Texas. It could be just chatter.

july 18

  #CUSA league media picked   #Marshall  to win the East and #northtexas to win the West
july 23: Kiffin confirmed ex-FSU QB Deondre Francois won’t be transferring to FAU
july 26:  #brentStocksill ,  former #MTSU QB and the son of the head coach, was hired as the FAU Owls’ offensive player personnel assistant.
july 30:  UCF,  #FIU (CUSA) reportedly agree to home-and-home series in 2020 and 2022.
july31:   #QuardraizWadley , UTEP's leading rusher, is out for the 2019 season with a toe injury.
aug 2:  Georgia and Charlotte (CUSA) reached an agreement on a matchup that will be played in Athens,GA in 2025.
aug 5: UTEP QB #KaiLocksley back with the team despite his legal casse not being resolved.
aug 7- USC transfer WR Keyshawn Young moves on to #Marshall. Doubt if the #herd get a lot of Trojan transfers.
aug 31- Rice played  decent D but fell at Army 14-7

CUSA 2018/19 Hoop predictions

1) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, with scorers like Jared Savage, may win the CUSA
2) North Texas Mean Green- A couple of dudes named Simmons  and a CBI 2018 title. Mean Green will be in the CUSA top five.
3) Marshall Thundering Herd- I was going to take the #herd higher, but they crumbled against the Terps last night. I suspect  #jonelmore will get "hawked" until the Herd adjust.
4) Charlotte 49ers upset OK ST. I'm bumping them up.
5) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: Amorie Archibald and  the Bulldogs are going to be in the hunt.
6) Florida International Golden Panthers: Andrews and beard are their top scorers.
7) Southern Miss Golden Eagles. T Griffin and crew  continue the slow climb out of the CUSA cellar
8) Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have lost to some good teams, UVA and Stanford, in pre-conference play and should finish in the middle of the CUSA.
9) Florida Atlantic Owls- Seabrees is a freshman to watch
10) UAB Blazers- Zack Bryant has been solid, so far
11) Old Dominion Monarchs- BJ Stith will need a lot of 20+ nights
12) UTEP Miners got a way to go to see the light
13) UTSA Roadrunners- J Jackson will need to hit a lot of treys
14) Rice Owls will be hanging on a cellar limb

Dec 6, 2018: Checking in the CUSA OOC play last night: Taveion Hollingsworth 
WKU (24 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST) lost 84-78 to  Missouri St (MVC)led by 
Tulio Da Silva (18 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST). Ryan Woolridge's triple-double led North Texas past Indiana St (MVC) 80-69. CJ Burks scored 26 but that wasn't enough for the #herd in a 93-82 loss to Duquesne (A-10). MTSU got crushed by Vandy (SEC). FAU edged Mercer (Southern).

dec 16, 2018

BJ Stith (18pts, 10reb)  led ODU to a big  road win over Cuse. Maybe I under-estimated the Monarchs? #JonElmore totaled 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the Marshall road  75-74  win at Akron . #herd was0-2 against MAC schools with recent loss to Ohio and Toledo.
dec 30
 Hollingsworth (22 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST)  and Banton with a triple double led #wku (7-6) over Wisconsin (B10) 83-76. It's been a strange first two months for the Hilltoppers including losses to Missouri St and Indiana St

jan 4, 2019

#usm hoops had a rough #Cusa start in a loss to Rice.  #herd get 20 points and 10 assists  from  Elmore in  a win over ODU.  NTX beat La Tech and is now 2-0 in the CUSA and 14-1 overall. #wku rolled charlotte. UTSA beat UTEP. UAB beat FAU. Beard and Jacob combined to hit eleven treys and score 48 points in #FIU 's win over MTSU.

jan 6, 2019

 Wow, Rice won again- this time over LA Tech. Herd squeak by Charlotte thanks to Burks. #wku fell to ODU. FAU over mtsu, ntx edged usm, uab over fiu. And this is some goofy scheduling: #JhivvanJackson scored 24 points to help UTSA beat UTEP for the second time in three days.

jan 11, 2019

NTX beat Utep moving to 4-0 in CUSA play. Rice cooled off in a loss to UTSA. MTSU  stumbled further in a loss to USM. FAU, FIU, and LA tech beat respectively, ODU, Charlotte, and UAB. 
jan13: How about the #herd knocking off #wku  70-69. Nice night from Hollingsworth ( 20 PTS, 4 REB, 1 STL). Also NTX lost to UTSA) ???

jan 18, 2019

Burks and Elmore led the #herd by FAU 96-84  last night, and MTSU edged UTSA for it's first CUSA win. Other winners: ODU, uab, fiu, and usm.
JAN 20 , 2019

Herd 105 FIU 97 Burks scored 30. WKU got back in the win column 72-66 over FAU. NTX survived Rice 76-75

jan 22, 2019 

Josh Anderson(25 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST) was a big factor in WKU 68-59 victory over the #herd. B.J. Stith scored 22 points and Ahmad Caver added 20 in ODU's second half comeback win over Charlotte.

 Jan 25, 2019 

A lot of shake up in the standings in a week . Last night WKU survived a big second half from USM. UAB nipped NTX. ODU struggled but won over UTEP, and the #herd  fell to La Tech despite a big effort from Burks. ODU (6-2). At 5-2 - Marshall, UAB, UTSA, NTX.. At 4-3: WKU , FIU

jan 27, 2019

 I did a double take when I saw the #herd score USM 101 MU 51 scroll across the bottom of my TV screen.The 31-6 USM run at the start was a killer . UAB, UTSA, NTX are tied for first after win over respectively Rice,  ODU,  & MTSU
feb 1
 What a night for Elmore(44 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST) in the #herd win over UTEP. Leonard Harper-Baker scored a career-high 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting for streaking USM in a win over FIU. FAU, ODU, and WKU defeated respectively LT, NTX, and UTSA.

feb 10

Great Saturday for the Texas  CUSA schools. UTSA(9-3), UTEP, and Rice beat respectively, Fau, Marshall and FIU. USM, WKU (8-4), Charlotte, and ODU(10-3) were the other winners. 

feb 15

Jared Savage tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds for #wku  (9-4) in a win over MTSU.
Cortez Edwards had 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists for USM(8-5) in its win over UTSA(9-4). NTX (8-5) lost to FAU.  #herd lost to UAB.

feb17

wku(9-5)  and utsa(9-5) losses to respectively La Tech and UAB helped the hot  ODU(11-3) and USM(9-5) squads who won last night. #herd beat mtsu 98-93 in the no D special last night.

  Feb 24

while the #herd (7-7) waits to play, ODU(12-3) beat wku (9-6) and and UAB(9-6) beat USM). NTX fell to 8-7 with a loss to La Tech (8-7)

March 1

 Elmore had 34 in the #herd win over La Tech. I caught the end of the #odu hanging on at UTSA in a fierce final four minutes to clinch the regular season title. WKU beat UAB.  ODU, WKU, UTSA, and USM are getting the rd1 byes at this moment.

March 4

 C.J. Burks scored 21 points in Marshall's 85-82 win over NTX and has a slim chance to get a rd1 bye . WKU beat USM to take a half game lead over UTSA, a winner over UAB,  for second  place.

Old Dominion	13-3
Western Kentucky	11-6
UTSA	10-6
Florida International	9-7
Southern Miss	9-7
Marshall	9-7

March 7

Another great night for Burks(21 points) in the #herd win over FIU. USM beat ODU while WKU lost to UTSA who got 29 points from J.Jackson. After ODU(13-4) UTSA is 11-6 and a win guarantees them a rd1 bye. USM and Marshall are 10-7 with a game to go.WKU finished at 11-7. FIU and UAB are 9-8.

march 10

USM beat UTSA and Marshall beat FAU moving to 11-7 creating a four way tie with WKU and UTSA for the three remaining byes after ODU (13-5). I'm not sure how this shakes out . Is it pod play?

march 14

Big game for Elmore (32 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST) in the #herd 82-65 win over Rice. La Tech in a squeaker over FAU.NTX beat FIU and UAB handled MTSU.

March 15

 ODU needed a last second trey from Ahmad Carver's  to eke out a 57-56 win over La Tech. Elmore had another solid game for Marshall but they fell to USM. UAB beat UTSA and WKU beat NTX.

March 17

#xaviergreen  scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to lead ODU to a 62-56 victory over #wku in the CUSAT, and will likely be the only CUSA team at the Dance. My pre-season rating of  Old Dominion finishing 11th in the CUSA was pretty bad.

March 21

 USM lost to Longwood and UAB fell to Brown in CBI action.

March 22

ODU only scored 19 in the first half and lost to Purdue 61-48 at the Dance.

April 5

I've been remiss in my #CUSA coverage. #herd got (28 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST) from  C.J. Burks to win the #CIT . Elmore added  17 points and 6 rebounds for Marshall in the 90-70 victory over Green Bay (Horizon Conference).

april 14

#docsadler , stepped down as USM HC after a 20-13 season and will become an assistant for Hoiberg at Nebraska

june 25

 Ryan Woolridge, a grad transfer from #NorthTexas, announced he will play his final season of eligibility for #gonzaga.  He was injured all of last season.

Coaching hoop moves or not, post Madness

Is it  the $$$ tempting  #chrismack to consider  leaving a solid hoops program at Xavier (BIg East) for the Louisville swamp?
#TubbySmith had Memphis close to a Dance ticket and he's gone as theyre chasing Penny Hardaway to take over.
#umbc doesn't have a lot of money but I suspect Odom stays.
#hurley sounds like he'll stay at URI.  A10 is a solid hoops conference Why would he take the #Pitt job?
Can #nevada keep the #Mussbus in it's garage?
Pitino Jr Gophers were bad. Is he out?
Pearl is in deep  crap again? Is he out at Auburn
Crean took the #georgia job? Not sure if that's a great fit.
Is Depaul thinking Moser, the Loyola Chicago HC should come on over?

March 22,2018

#padgett out! I thought he did a decent job. Is #utahst  his next stop? Pitt doesn't have enough issues. and now the #seanmiller rumors

March 23, 2018

#coloradost  raids the MVC and hires #Medved, who spent six seasons as an Asst at CSU and was 17-17 at #Drake last season.
Moser's stock rises

march 24 update.

 #markgottfried has had high & lows at Bama and NC St and has landed at Cal  St Northridge(Big West). Lorenzo Romar from St Louis to Washington with a one year pit stop as an assistant at  Zona is back at Pepperdine(WCC).   CUSA news: Dusty May  from Florida assistant to FAU.  Ron Sanchez from UVA assistant to Charlotte.   South Alabama  hired Nicholls State (2018 Southland co-champs) head coach Richie Riley.

march 25: 

#loyolachicago is in the F4. I bet Chicago sportswriters are typing : Wake up DePaul U.
#mtsu hires #McDevitt  who has won at least 20 games in three consecutive seasons at UNC Asheville  which includes trips to the NCAA tournament in 2016, the CIT in 2017 and the NIT this  season.

March 27

#uta (Sunbelt) needs a reality check after firing #scottcross who won 72 games over the past three seasons, including a Sun Belt regular-season title in 2016-17. #UMBC (America East) keeps Odom

March 28

Besides 4M a season for 7 years, Mack must've received assurances that #Louisville isn't facingmore penalties. Pitt hires #Jeffcapel, whose last HC stint at Oklahoma didn't go well.  Tubby Smith takes over at his alma mater High Point  of the Big South.
March 29 : Is Xavier looking at #Moser of Loyola Chicago. How about #UIC, another Chicago team in the #CIT final
April 5: #ECU  hired #JoeDooley of Florida Gulf Coast as its hoops head coach. It's Dooley's second stint at ECU and he faces a tough gig with a team that finished next to last in AAC.
April 9 : Not a big surprise- #lasalle (A10) is expected hire #AshleyHoward , a Villanova Asst, as Head Coach
april 13: #rodneyterry left fresno st for the #utep job. Hutson left the san diego st to take over at Fresno

April 16, 2018

#Patsos resigned from #sienna (MAAC) on April 13 after reports of allegations that he verbally abused a team manager. He left Loyola of Baltimore five years ago because they moved from the #MAAC  to the Patriot League, which was stronger in lacrosse and weaker in hoops. He has been a fiery coach with mixed results on the courts.  Apparently ,Belein's son   has a good chance at the job.

april 20, 2018

#fiu hasn't hired a hoops coach.Is this the curse of #isiahthomas

april 22, 2018

UNC Asheville hired #MikeMorrell , an assistant on Shaka Smart's staffs with Texas (2015-18) and Virginia Commonwealth (2011-15). Morrell knows the area from his VCU. I look forward to the High Point game when he faces Tubby in the Big South regular season.
Shaheen Holloway, a #setonhall, asst, has been named St Peters men's basketball coach.

april 26, 2018

Loyola-Chicago reached a new contract agreement with #Moser that will extend his deal through 2026 with what the Chicago Tribune called a big raise” on his $420,000 per year salary, 
Here's why from Moser : "I am a Catholic kid from Chicago who played in the Missouri Valley Conference,” . He played at Creighton when it was in the MVC.

May 3, 2018

#siena (MAAC)  keeps raiding MD schools for head coaches. They hired #JamionChristian of Mt St Mary's (MD) to replace Patsos, who was hired away from Loyola U in Baltimore MD a few years ago.

may 6, 2018

Cool scheduling : Rematch of the Sweet 16 thriller , Nevade/Loyola-Chicago, headlines the 2018 edition of the annual #mwc #mvc  Challenge. Medved, the new Colorado State coach,  will host #SIU. .

may 15, 2018

Donations up 660% for Loyola -Chicago. The school hasn't tallied the increase in licensing revenue.

may 19, 2018

#CUSA : #FIU hired  #jeremyballard, a long time assistant at  several schools Colgate, as well as Tulsa, Virginia Commonwealth, Illinois State, Pitt and VCU  to his first head coach gig. On a side note to the NCAA , please don't expand March Madness to 72 teams.

may 21, 2018

And now the Houston Cougars (AAC) may need a head coach. Orlando Magic are reportedly targeting Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson  who has had assistant jobs with the Bucks and Rockets

june 3, 2018

Detroit, Delaware State and Chicago State have been without a permanent person in charge of their basketall programs since mid-March 2018. On a side note, we used to pay to park on someones grass near #delawarest  and walk a mile to to Dover Downs Nascar race. 

June 6

#mikedavis is the new HC at Detroit-Mercy.  He's been around: Indiana, UAB , Texas Southern. He took Texas Southern  to four NCAA tournament appearances in six seasons

june 12

It took awhile for the local Baltimore papers to get the news via public records that #UMBC coach #RyanOdom will make $425,000 per season through 2023 -a 200K boost  as part of his new contract agreed to in March, which also  includes $75,000 for appearances and a number of incentives for postseason appearances.

June 14

Will a lot of NBA flavor work at #memphisU ? Hardaway adds #sammitchell , a former NBA Head coach and assistant  to his staff where he joins former NBA player Mike Miller.

June 17

#mtsu new HC  #McDevitt  had a brutal week David Simmons  (17.9 PPG)  and Tyrik Dixon intend to transfer while Antwain Johnson and  Davion Thomas were dismissed. from the team

june 26, 2018

#JohnnyJones who  went 90-72 in five seasons at #LSU, is taking over at #TexasSouthern. You may recall that he was the HC who didn't qualify for the NCAA tournament with a team that featured Ben Simmons.