9 Team Race

[Censored by Laurie]

The multitude of reasons as to why UNT hasn't waltzed through conference play or forced any halftime resignations has been discussed ad nauseum...but what our lack of effort and lowered expectations have created is a potentially very exciting 5 weeks of basketball heading into Hot Springs.

The way I look at it we have a 9 team race...both ULM and FIU are only a half game back of the 9th place team, but I don't really consider either in competition for their division or the conference titles. So screw them.

East

Middle Tennessee (6-3) - 5 home games (UNO, UNT, Troy, UD, USA) 4 road games (USA, Troy, FIU, FAU)

East tie-breaks - 2-0 vs. WKU, 0-1 vs. FAU

Florida Atlantic (6-3) - 4 home games (FIU, ULL, WKU, MTSU) 5 road games (USA, UNT, UD, FIU, Troy)

East tie-breaks - 1-0 vs. MTSU, 0-1 vs. WKU, 0-1 vs. USA, 1-0 vs. Troy

Troy (5-4) - 5 home games (ULM, USA, FIU, MTSU, FAU) 4 road games (MTSU, WKU, UALR, ASU)

East tie-breaks - 0-1 vs. FAU, 1-0 vs. WKU, 0-1 vs. USA

Western Kentucky (4-4) - 5 home games (UNT, UNO, Troy, ASU, USA) 5 road games (ULM, UALR, ASU, FAU, FIU)

East tie-breaks - 0-2 vs. MTSU, 0-1 vs. Troy, 1-0 vs. FAU, 1-0 vs. USA

South Alabama (4-5) - 5 home games (FAU, MTSU, FIU, ULL, UD) 4 road games (Troy, UNO, WKU, MTSU)

East tie-breaks - 1-0 vs. FAU, 0-1 vs. WKU, 1-0 vs. Troy

West

Arkansas State (6-2) - 6 home games (ULL, UD, ULM, WKU, UNO, Troy) 4 road games (UALR, UNO, WKU, ULL)

West tie-breaks - 2-0 vs. UNT, 0-1 vs. UD

Denver (6-3) - 3 home games (FAU, UALR, ULL) 6 road games (UALR, ASU, MTSU, UNT, UNO, USA)

West tie-breaks - 1-0 vs. ASU, 0-1 vs. ULL

UL-Lafayette (5-3) - 4 home games (FIU, UALR, ASU, ULM) 6 road games (ASU, ULM, FAU, USA, UNT, UD)

West tie-breaks - 1-0 vs. UD, 1-0 vs. UNT

North Texas (5-4) - 4 home games (FAU, UD, UALR, ULL) 5 road games (WKU, MTSU, FIU, UNO, ULM)

West tie breaks - 0-2 vs. ASU, 0-1 vs. ULL

Nobody has any real seperation...in the East FAU could essentially knock this down to an 8 team race with a win over USA...if MTSU and FAU can protect the home court the rest of the way, especially against East division teams, their last game of the season @FAU would decide the East.

In the West, I'm 100% on the side of ULL tonight...if the Cajuns can pick up a win they'd bring ASU back in to the pack in the west, but definently have the toughest schedule coming home. If ASU just protects the home court (assumes losses to to UALR and UNO), UNT would have to go 8-1 in their last 9 to win the West.) Denver will have to win at least 2 road games to keep pace (11 wins).

The UNT schedule sets up pretty well. 3 road games against the bottom 4 teams in the conference...home games with the worst team in conference and 1 that cant win on the road. Clearly the goal is win tonight...but this is setting up to be a fun ride.

[Green P1]

That is correct.

[TheTastyGreek]

Great topic, great writeup.

UALR has been better than their league record. Not exactly good, but better than indicated. It'll be interesting to see if Denver loses there. I'd say it's likelier than not.