Five Closing Thoughts From The C-USA Tournament

Frisco: Mayhem in Frisco is about the only way you can describe this week’s action at The Star. The week started with a bang in the men’s bracket with a massive upset of conference power Middle Tennessee State at the hands of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. That loss ended up costing the Blue Raiders a spot in the NCAA Tournament after being a top 30 RPI team all season. On the Women’s side, the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers took home the crown for a second straight season after knocking off the Lady UAB Blazers who won the regular season crown. After a week covering the conference, I compiled a short list of thoughts to tie the knot on an amazing week in Frisco.

1. The Venue: The Ford Center at The Star- A+: A lot of speculation went into how the Conference would do two courts. The student-athletes, coaches, media, and the fans all loved it. When sitting on one of the courts you had no idea that another game was going on right across the double curtain. Occasionally you would hear a distant sound of the pep band but all in all this setup was a huge success.
2. Fan support: A+: Man oh man, the fan support from each respected school was flat out amazing! With a very fun area, it’s an easy no-brainer why this could become a spring event for the C-USA much like the SEC in Nashville.
3. Tournament Resumes C-: Middle Tennessee State was left out of this years NCAA Tournament after losing to Southern Miss in the quarterfinals. The Blue Raiders played three SEC schools beating two out of the three, and finishing within the top 30 RPI. The Blue Raiders will have to settle for the NIT this season after a historic season. What is the solution? That question is a very loaded question that can be answered with a simple solution by implementing a league-wide rule mandating a set amount of nonconference games within the RPI top 75. This will give teams like MTSU a better chance at getting an at-large bid if a slip up in the conference tournament.
4. Area Around The Arena: A+: From bars, shops, and restaurants the area around The Star had something for every fan. From great food to a good vibe this area rightfully deserves an A+ rating.
5. Local Food: A+: For the last takeaway from the week in Frisco is one of great interest to the future tourist. Texas is known for smoked meats and down-home cooking and to my enjoyment, this category did not disappoint. From Texas BBQ to chicken fried chicken the food alone is well worth the trip.

In conclusion, the Conference USA did an amazing job with this tournament and C-USA fans need to celebrate this event every March for this event is very special and unique to this great conference. The Tournament will make repeat stop in Frisco next March so be sure to come out and support your team in such a great event.