With the 2025-2026 Conference USA men’s basketball regular season concluding on March 7 with a six-game slate, all eyes are now on the CUSA men’s basketball tournament in Huntsville, Alabama. One team will emerge as conference champions and punch their ticket to the 2026 NCAA Division one men’s basketball tournament.
Liberty remains team to beat in CUSA despite late season losses
For the second straight season, the Liberty Flames elevated themselves above the rest of the pack in CUSA and claimed the regular season conference title, with a record of 25-6, and 17-3 in conference play.
Kaden Metheny, Zach Cleveland, Brett Decker and Colin Porter all returned from last year’s conference– winning team, with Metheny, Porter , and Cleveland earning All-CUSA Preseason team nods.
As a sophomore, Decker took a huge leap and established himself as the Flames’ primary scorer, averaging 16 points per game on 50% true shooting. Metheny, Cleveland and Porter remain large contributors in the rotation and their experience in close games has shown, as 12 of Liberty’s conference wins were decided by single digits.
While the Flames came out of the gates scorching, they have struggled to replicate their success down the stretch, dropping consecutive conference games to Western Kentucky and Kennesaw State in the final week of February. In these games, the Flames struggled to keep pace on the perimeter, allowing 48% and 61% shooting, respectively from the three-point line.
On March 5, Liberty lost its third out of fourth game to Louisiana Tech 76-71, this time not being outshot but out rebounded and dominated in the paint.
While Liberty is still poised as the team to beat, sitting four games clear of second place, its final stretch of games was not as strong as many expected.
Sam Houston’s revitalized roster looks like the most formidable challenger in CUSA
Following a rebuilding year in 2024-2025 that saw Sam Houston finish 13-19 overall and 6-12 in CUSA, the Bearkats reversed course in 2025-2026 behind a revamped roster and finished second place in conference standings with a record of 21-10, 13-7 CUSA.
The Bearkats’ new-look roster features five transfers and five freshmen, with each member of the rotation being a valuable contributor. Five Bearkats average double-digit points, including former North Carolina Central guard Po’Boigh King, who leads the charge with 14 per game. Despite a 0-3 start in conference play, head coach Chris Mudge has his squad peaking at the right time, as they have won seven of their last 10 matchups.
Sam Houston’s strength comes from its ability to control the perimeter and limit second chance opportunities, as they rank first in CUSA in both opponents’ three-point field goal percentage (31%) and defensive team rebounds per game (27.2). On offense, they are one of the most efficient teams in the conference, averaging 46% team shooting per game, and 36% three point shooting.
The Bearkats lost their final two games of the season, first being upset by Delaware and then narrowly losing to Liberty. Against the Flames, the Bearkats lost both their meetings by single digits, but a third matchup in the conference tournament seems imminent.
Who will emerge from the rest of the group? Middle of the pack in CUSA remains crowded entering tournament play
The middle of the pack in CUSA consists of four teams at 11-9 in conference play: Middle Tennessee, Kennesaw State, Western Kentucky and Louisiana Tech. A similar season beset all these teams as they rattled off win streaks down the stretch after slow starts.
After a four-game losing streak in mid-January, the Hilltoppers went on a tear, winning seven of their final 10, including double digit wins over Liberty and New Mexico State and a nailbiter over MTSU. The return of sophomore guard Teagan Moore on Feb. 14, following a five-game hiatus, provided an offensive sparkplug for WKU down the stretch, as he scored 20+ points in six of his seven games back.
The Owls were a similar case: after losing three straight in early February, Kennesaw State won four of their last six, including crucial wins over Liberty and Louisiana Tech. Sophomore guard R.J. Johnson stepped up as the number one option, averaging career numbers in his second season for the Owls.
Louisiana Tech won six of their last 10, including a dominant 43 point-win over Delaware in the final game of the season and a crucial victory over Liberty. The Bulldogs have suffocated opponents on defense, holding teams to a conference-high 39% field goal percentage per game and crashed the boards with 33 per game.
But perhaps the hottest team in CUSA entering conference play is MTSU, who holds the longest active win streak of five games. Following a five-game losing streak, including two overtime losses, the Blue Raiders reversed course and won six of their next eight to finish 11-9 in conference play. During their win streak, the Blue Raiders shot 34% from beyond the arc, but are shooting at 53% from the field, well above their season average of 44%.
With contenders heating up and parity across the standings, the Conference USA tournament could quickly become anyone’s to win.
The CUSA men’s basketball championship will begin on Tuesday, March 10 at the Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama.
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