MTSU men?s basketball is amid its best stint of the season.
The Blue Raiders? notable victory over Southern Miss on Saturday extended a seven-game win streak, the longest in Conference USA, and improved their RPI by 10 spots to No. 74.
MTSU (19-7, 9-2) is tied with Louisiana Tech and UTEP for first place in the league with five regular-season games remaining. But four of those games are on the road, beginning with tonight?s contest at Charlotte.
It marks the first time MTSU has played four of its last five regular-season games on the road since 1996-97, and its remaining road opponents hold a combined 40-12 record on their home court.
Here is a breakdown of the remaining schedule in the Blue Raiders? C-USA title chase:
At Charlotte (6 p.m. today)
In only the second meeting in program history and first since 1987, MTSU faces another unfamiliar foe. The 49ers (14-10, 5-6) are a different team at home. They have a 4-1 conference record at Halton Arena and a 1-5 mark on the road.
Then again, Charlotte dropped a 59-56 loss at home to a struggling Marshall squad on Saturday, so it could be a mystery foe tonight. The 49ers average 15.5 turnovers per league game (the most in C-USA), so expect MTSU to try to force mistakes with its 1-3-1 trap defense.
At Marshall (1 p.m. Saturday)
The Thundering Herd had been in free fall, losing 15 of 19 games, until earning a good win at Charlotte on Saturday.
Marshall is only 1-3 in home league games, but it plays host to UAB tonight. That might indicate if the victory over Charlotte was a fluke, or if the Herd is regaining the momentum it had with a strong start to the season. MTSU beat Marshall at Murphy Center in the 2012 NIT opener.
At Louisiana Tech (Feb. 27)
This could carry weight in the C-USA regular-season title hunt, although UTEP holds head-to-head tiebreakers over MTSU and Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs are 12-1 at home overall (7-0 in league home games).
Louisiana Tech leads C-USA in scoring, and MTSU ranks No. 1 in scoring defense in league play. The contrasting strengths should make for a good game.
Point guard Tweety Knight will draw a tough matchup against Louisiana Tech?s Kenneth Smith, who leads C-USA in assists and steals in conference games. Louisiana Tech leading scorer Raheem Appleby (16.1 ppg) has missed 10 games with an ankle injury, but it?s uncertain if he could return by this game.
Vs. Rice (March 1)
MTSU?s lone remaining home game comes against C-USA?s worst team thus far. Rice has a league-worst 7-17 overall record and 2-9 C-USA mark.
The Owls have suffered an average scoring margin of minus-11.9 points, the conference?s worst mark by far. Rice is one of the nation?s top 3-point shooting teams, but it struggles in many other areas.
It will be a welcomed opponent for MTSU after what should be a very difficult trip to Louisiana Tech.
At UAB (March 6)
If MTSU survives the other four games, this will be a tough test to cap the regular season. UAB is the only C-USA opponent playing the Blue Raiders twice, and MTSU had to fight to pull out an 89-84 overtime win over the Blazers on Jan. 11.
UAB is inconsistent, but also talented and dangerous at home (12-3 record at Bartow Arena). The Blazers also beat Southern Miss last week (84-60). UAB guard Chad Frazier is C-USA?s top scorer (19.2 ppg) in league play.
The Blue Raiders? notable victory over Southern Miss on Saturday extended a seven-game win streak, the longest in Conference USA, and improved their RPI by 10 spots to No. 74.
MTSU (19-7, 9-2) is tied with Louisiana Tech and UTEP for first place in the league with five regular-season games remaining. But four of those games are on the road, beginning with tonight?s contest at Charlotte.
It marks the first time MTSU has played four of its last five regular-season games on the road since 1996-97, and its remaining road opponents hold a combined 40-12 record on their home court.
Here is a breakdown of the remaining schedule in the Blue Raiders? C-USA title chase:
At Charlotte (6 p.m. today)
In only the second meeting in program history and first since 1987, MTSU faces another unfamiliar foe. The 49ers (14-10, 5-6) are a different team at home. They have a 4-1 conference record at Halton Arena and a 1-5 mark on the road.
Then again, Charlotte dropped a 59-56 loss at home to a struggling Marshall squad on Saturday, so it could be a mystery foe tonight. The 49ers average 15.5 turnovers per league game (the most in C-USA), so expect MTSU to try to force mistakes with its 1-3-1 trap defense.
At Marshall (1 p.m. Saturday)
The Thundering Herd had been in free fall, losing 15 of 19 games, until earning a good win at Charlotte on Saturday.
Marshall is only 1-3 in home league games, but it plays host to UAB tonight. That might indicate if the victory over Charlotte was a fluke, or if the Herd is regaining the momentum it had with a strong start to the season. MTSU beat Marshall at Murphy Center in the 2012 NIT opener.
At Louisiana Tech (Feb. 27)
This could carry weight in the C-USA regular-season title hunt, although UTEP holds head-to-head tiebreakers over MTSU and Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs are 12-1 at home overall (7-0 in league home games).
Louisiana Tech leads C-USA in scoring, and MTSU ranks No. 1 in scoring defense in league play. The contrasting strengths should make for a good game.
Point guard Tweety Knight will draw a tough matchup against Louisiana Tech?s Kenneth Smith, who leads C-USA in assists and steals in conference games. Louisiana Tech leading scorer Raheem Appleby (16.1 ppg) has missed 10 games with an ankle injury, but it?s uncertain if he could return by this game.
Vs. Rice (March 1)
MTSU?s lone remaining home game comes against C-USA?s worst team thus far. Rice has a league-worst 7-17 overall record and 2-9 C-USA mark.
The Owls have suffered an average scoring margin of minus-11.9 points, the conference?s worst mark by far. Rice is one of the nation?s top 3-point shooting teams, but it struggles in many other areas.
It will be a welcomed opponent for MTSU after what should be a very difficult trip to Louisiana Tech.
At UAB (March 6)
If MTSU survives the other four games, this will be a tough test to cap the regular season. UAB is the only C-USA opponent playing the Blue Raiders twice, and MTSU had to fight to pull out an 89-84 overtime win over the Blazers on Jan. 11.
UAB is inconsistent, but also talented and dangerous at home (12-3 record at Bartow Arena). The Blazers also beat Southern Miss last week (84-60). UAB guard Chad Frazier is C-USA?s top scorer (19.2 ppg) in league play.
