We have reached the final two weeks of the regular season as we are moving quickly towards the CUSA Tournament in Huntsville. Here are our updated Power Rankings based on games played through February 24.
Note: National rankings are courtesy of KenPom.com. Arrows denote change in power rankings since previous ranking.
1. Liberty #69 (22-5, 10-4)
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After dropping two straight to fall to 2-3 to open conference play, Liberty has turned a corner and won eight out of nine. This includes five straight wins with the only loss coming on the road at first place Jacksonville State. This sets up a huge game with a battle for first place on the line in CUSA on Thursday night between the Flames and Gamecocks.
This week: 2/27 vs Jacksonville State, 3/2 vs Western Kentucky
2. Jacksonville State #113 (19-9, 11-4)
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Jax State saw their eight-game win streak come to an end at Sam Houston Feb. 13. After bouncing back two days later with a two-point win at Louisiana Tech, the Gamecocks saw their unbeaten mark at home come to an end with a nine point loss to New Mexico State. Jacksonville State still remains in first place, ahead of Liberty by half a game before Thursday’s showdown.
This week: 2/27 @ Liberty, 3/1 @ FIU
3. Middle Tennessee #122 (18-9, 9-5)
no change
The Blue Raiders continue to stay within striking distance of first place after splitting their two games this past week at home, losing to Louisiana Tech before bouncing back against Sam Houston. Middle Tennessee has a tough three-game stretch upcoming with the road trip to NMSU and UTEP before hosting Liberty in what could be a very pivotal game in the CUSA race the final week of the regular season.
This week: 2/27 @ New Mexico State, 3/1 @ UTEP
4. New Mexico State #141 (15-12, 8-6)
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The Aggies continue to be the streakiest team in the conference. You may remember they opened league play at 4-0, then dropped six out of seven, but now NMSU has won three straight including two wins on the road this past week against Jacksonville State and Kennesaw. With those wins, New Mexico State has a chance to get into the mix in the top 3 of the league.
This week: 2/27 vs Middle Tennessee, 3/1 vs Western Kentucky
5. Sam Houston #152 (11-17, 4-11)
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A couple weeks ago, we talked about how close Sam Houston is to being a middle of the pack team despite being 1-10 in conference. They seem to have turned a corner by winning three straight before narrowly dropping a road contest at Middle Tennessee. The Bearkats are just 4-11 in CUSA play, with all 11 losses coming by single digits including three in overtime, but they are a team that nobody will want to play in Huntsville.
This week: 3/1 vs Louisiana Tech
6. Kennesaw State #136 (16-12, 8-7)
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The Owls are coming off an 11-point home loss to New Mexico State on Saturday. They have just three games remaining, all of them on the road, beginning Thursday at FIU.
This week: 2/27 @ FIU, 3/2 @ Liberty
7. UTEP #145 (17-10, 7-7)
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The Miners looked like they were going to be competing at the top of the league standings, but they have now dropped three straight to fall back into the mix with the middle of the pack. They will look to get back on track at home this week, looking to avoid the first round play-in the bottom four teams in the league will play in.
This week: 2/27 vs Western Kentucky, 3/1 vs Middle Tennessee
8. Western Kentucky #139 (15-12, 6-8)
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The Hilltoppers stopped a four-game losing skid on Saturday with a win over Louisiana Tech at the buzzer. WKU hits the western road trip this week as they look to rise into the top six in the league standings heading into the CUSA Tournament.
This week: 2/27 @ UTEP, 3/1 @ New Mexico State
9. Louisiana Tech #128 (18-10, 7-8)
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The Bulldogs have dropped three out of four as they continue to be a hard team to get a read on. Louisiana Tech has the talent to win the conference, but they haven’t been able to string together enough wins to get towards the top of the conference standings. Still, Daniel Batcho and Sean Newman are one of the best duos in the league.
This week: 3/1 @ Sam Houston
10. FIU #264 (8-19, 2-12)
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The Panthers have been at or near the bottom of the league all season, including in the non-conference. They have lost four straight and 11 of 12 with their only win coming at home in overtime against Sam Houston. Will they be able to get back in the win column before the season is over?
This week: 2/27 vs Kennesaw, 3/1 vs Jacksonville State
