A little late, but here as usual, Conference USA RPI rankings. Needless to say it was a crazy week, weather wise and on the basketball court. The Miners didn't even need to step foot into the Don to take over sole possession of first place. Memphis and UAB both lost dropping them out of first place in conference, and knocking them down a few steps on the RPI ladder. This is the first edition of the RPI here in the month of February, so we all know how important that little number is becoming. Here is how the teams line up in this week's RPI.
| Team | ESPN InsideRPI | Realtime RPI | CBS Sports RPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAB Blazers | 44 | 43 | 44 |
| Southern Miss Golden Eagles | 48 | 49 | 49 |
| Memphis Tigers | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Marshall Thundering Herd | 60 | 58 | 57 |
| UTEP Miners | 68 | 67 | 66 |
| UCF Knights | 75 | 75 | 77 |
| Tulsa Golden Hurricane | 100 | 98 | 98 |
| East Carolina Pirates | 121 | 132 | 126 |
| Rice Owls | 165 | 169 | 169 |
| Houston Cougars | 205 | 201 | 202 |
| SMU Mustangs | 212 | 216 | 215 |
| Tulane Green Wave | 219 | 226 | 226 |
Conference USA is definitely the most well rounded its been since the 2005 realignment, and perhaps even further before that. The conference now has seven teams in the top 100 RPI, which is tied for 5th with the SEC, and just ahead of the PAC-10. Will those numbers be enough to get the conference multiple at large bids, or even one? The experts don't seem to think so, which I find completely ridiculous. Those are just the politics of college athletics, and there really isn't much to do about. One thing is for sure; the season is quickly coming to an end, its time to grab as many wins as you possibly can.