We’ve made our way to the halfway point of Conference USA action this season with every team having played every other team in the league one time. On Thursday, we begin the second half of conference play and before you know it all ten teams will be headed to Huntsville, Alabama for the conference tournament which begins March 11.

At this point, we’ve got a good amount of information to understand much more about CUSA basketball than we had in the preseason, non-conference, or even early in conference play. Before the second half of conference play resumes this weekend, let’s take a step back and look at what we’ve learned thus far.

First, here’s a look at the current CUSA standings:

Jacksonville State 7-2
Middle Tennessee 6-3
Liberty 5-4
Western Kentucky 5-4
Louisiana Tech 5-4
New Mexico State 5-4
Kennesaw State 5-4
Sam Houston 1-8
FIU 1-8

General thoughts on CUSA as a whole

CUSA is ranked as the 9th best league in the country. Out of 31 conferences, it is a really strong conference. As easily seen by the standings, there is a lot of parity. No one team stands out as the best or being the favorite to cut down nets in Huntsville next week. Just about any team can beat any other team on any given night. Even Sam Houston, despite their 1-8 record, could play a factor in the race for seeding down the stretch. Of their eight losses, two have come in overtime and two others by four points or less.

The most important thing to note in a league like CUSA, is the final regular season standings might not matter too much. Sure, you always want to compete for and win a regular season title and have the best finish you can, but there’s very little reward given towards having a strong regular season. The entire conference tournament is played on a neutral floor, so no matter if you are the regular season champ or finish last, you do not get a home court advantage.

Having said that, there are a couple of key things to remind about the tournament format. The top six seeds get a bye into the quarterfinals while seeds 7-10 have to play in the first round on Tuesday night. The Tuesday night winners then have to turn around and play again 24 hours later against the 1 and 2 seeds. The top two seeds also get a bonus in playing a team that already played a game the night before and then, if the 1 and/or 2 seed wins their quarterfinal game on Wednesday, they get a day off before playing in the semifinals on Friday.

Other than those two caveats, seeding matters very little for the CUSA Tournament, especially with the league as balanced as it is with eight teams separated by just two games in the standings.

Who could make a run?

The Gamecocks are in the driver’s seat to win the regular season title and get the 1-seed in Huntsville. They’ve done that by winning six straight, including sweeping the road trip at UTEP and New Mexico State. Jaron Pierre is the current favorite for CUSA Player of the Year, but Jax State has more than just Pierre. Michael Houge, Jao Ituka, Quel’Ron House, Marcellus Brigham, Koree Cotton, and Mason Nicholson all provide something for Ray Harper’s squad. They have a huge game Thursday night at home against Middle Tennessee. A win there and JSU would have at least a two-game lead on everyone in the league.

Middle Tennessee has quietly put themselves in second place at the midway point. They’ve been tough to beat at home and have played well on the road. Nick McDevitt has a very balanced team led by Jestin Porter, Camryn Weston, and Essam Mostafa. They do have five of their next seven on the road beginning with that first-place battle at Jax State Thursday.

Louisiana Tech was the preseason favorite entering the season and had a solid non-conference portion of the year. They are 5-0 at home and 0-4 on the road in conference play. Nobody will want to take on Daniel Batcho in a win or go home situation in Huntsville.

Many may have counted the Hilltoppers out a couple weeks ago when they were 2-4 in conference play, but they have responded with three straight including a 32-point drubbing of New Mexico State on Saturday when Don McHenry and Tyrone Marshall each scored over 20 points. WKU may have figured things out and look to be trending up.

New Mexico State has been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team this season. The raced out to a 4-0 start in league play before dropping three straight, including two at home. Then, they surprised everyone and won at Middle Tennessee this past Thursday. They clearly have the ability to beat anyone in this league on any given night, but will they be able to put it together for three (maybe four) straight games in Huntsville?

Don’t overlook UTEP. Sure, they have lost three of four, but those games came against teams competing at the top of the standings and by a combined 14 points. The Miners made a run to the CUSA title game last year and they will be in the mix all season long once again.

What about Liberty and their chances?

The Flames are clearly in the mix. They have two losses at home by a combined three points and then lost at Louisiana Tech and Jacksonville State, two teams who have not lost on their home floor in conference play yet this season. Liberty might be kicking themselves most of the rest of the regular season for those home losses, particularly the one against WKU to open conference play after giving up a 16-point second half lead.

Liberty has five of its next seven at home. This would be the time the Flames would need to make a push if they will stay in contention for the regular season title. It won’t be easy making up the two game deficit against Jax State, but it’s also not out of the realm of possibility, especially with the Flames having the Gamecocks at Liberty Arena in a few weeks.

The loss of Isaiah Ihnen stings. It takes away depth and on the interior, as well. He had the length and athleticism to be a difference maker on both ends of the floor and could also stretch the defense with his shooting ability. Still, the Flames have a shot. They led for large portions of every game in conference play this season and has the ability to beat anyone. The key will be to stay healthy and make sure the top six players have enough left in the tank when we get to Huntsville.