Three Conference USA teams take the court tonight in first round action of the NIT. Memphis will host Northeastern, Houston is at Wichita State and TCU is at Miami (Ohio). A record nine Conference USA men's basketball teams were invited to the postseason, with four teams participating in the 2005 NCAA Championships and five teams competing in the National Invitation Tournament. C-USA Regular Season and Tournament champion Louisville will be making its 32nd NCAA appearance (fifth nationally), along with at-large selections Charlotte, Cincinnati and UAB. DePaul defeated Missouri last night to advance to the second round of the NIT.

2005 Kelly Tires C-USA Men's Basketball Tournament, FedExForum, Memphis, Tenn.

Wednesday, March 9
(8) TCU 60, (9) Marquette 57 (OT)
(5) DePaul 81, (12) Tulane 71
(7) Memphis 79, (10) Saint Louis 59
(11) USF 69, (6) Houston 64

Thursday, March 10
(1) Louisville 85, TCU 61
(4) UAB 59, DePaul 56
Memphis 83, (2) Charlotte 69
USF 80, (3) Cincinnati 68

Friday, March 11
Semifinals
Louisville 74, UAB 67
Memphis 81, USF 68

Saturday, March 12
Louisville 75, Memphis 74

2005 Conference USA All-Tournament Team
Taquan Dean, Louisville ** MVP
Francisco Garcia, Louisville
Terrence Leather, USF
Anthony Rice, Memphis
Darius Washington, Memphis

C-USA POLLING PLACE
Associated Press (March 14)
1. Illinois
2. North Carolina
3. Duke
4. LOUISVILLE
5. Wake Forest
6. Oklahoma State
7. Kentucky
8. Washington
9. Arizona
10. Gonzaga
11. Syracuse
12. Kansas
13. Connecticut
14. Boston College
15. Michigan State
16. Florida
17. Oklahoma
18. Utah
19. Villanova
20. Wisconsin
21. Alabama
22. Pacific
23. CINCINNATI
24. Texas Tech
25. Georgia Tech
ARV:
CHARLOTTE

USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll (March 14)
1. Illinois
2. Duke
3. North Carolina
4. LOUISVILLE
5. Kentucky
6. Wake Forest
7. Washington
8. Oklahoma State
9. Arizona
10. Kansas
11. Gonzaga
12. Boston College
13. Syracuse
14. Connecticut
15. Michigan State
16. Oklahoma
17. Utah
18. Florida
19. Wisconsin
20. Pacific
21. Alabama
22. Villanova
23. CINCINNATI
24. Texas Tech
25. Georgia Tech
ARV:
CHARLOTTE
MEMPHIS

DID YOU KNOW?
Conference USA is the only league in the nation that has nine teams with 18 or more victories this season. The Big 12, MAC and SEC are the next closest with seven teams. All nine teams advanced to the postseason with four teams (Louisville, Charlotte, Cincinnati and UAB) playing in the NCAA Championships, while DePaul, Houston, Marquette, Memphis and TCU have been invited to the 2005 NIT.

CARDINALS WIN SECOND C-USA TITLE
With no time left on the clock, Memphis freshman guard and C-USA Freshman of the Year Darius Washington Jr. went to the free throw line with the Tigers down by two. Washington sank his first shot, but missed the next two as top-seeded Louisville escaped with a 75-74 victory over No. 7 seed Memphis in the 2005 Kelly Tires Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament championship game at the FedExForum. The Cardinals broke a championship game record with 15 three pointers (15-for-23), which also tied the record for most three pointers in any C-USA Tournament game. Louisville junior Francisco Garcia was 5-for-8 from behind the arc to tie a championship game record for three-pointers in a game and finished with a team-high 19 points. Freshman Juan Palacios registered a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Cards. Washington led Memphis with 23 points, while Anthony Rice matched his career-high with 20 points. Louisville's Taquan Dean was named tournament MVP. Dean was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Garcia, Washington, Rice and USF senior Terrence Leather. With the victory, the Cardinals earn their second C-USA Tournament title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Louisville became the first C-USA school other than Cincinnati to win the regular season and tournament titles in the same season. The Bearcats have accomplished the feat four times: 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2004. Three of those tournaments were held in Cincinnati, and the 1996 tourney was in Memphis.

TURNAROUND TIME
The Houston Cougars, under the direction of first-year head coach Tom Penders, have made one of the best turnarounds in the country this season. The 2003-04 UH squad finished the season with a 9-18 record and this year's team has already compiled an 18-13 record to tie for the fourth-best improvement among NCAA Division I programs.

AROUND C-USA

CHARLOTTE (21-7, 12-4): The second-seeded 49ers were upset by Memphis, 83-69, in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Men's Basketball Tournament. Junior forward Curtis Withers tossed in 32 points, becoming only the 10th player in tournament history to score 30 or more points and tying Steve Logan of Cincinnati for the third-best performance in tourney history. Withers scored 20 of the 49ers' 37 first-half points, shooting 8-of-12 from the field. It is his second 30-point performance of the season, tallying 39 against Saint Louis on Feb. 12. C-USA Player of the Year Eddie Basden was the only other 49er to score in double figures against Memphis with 13 points and adding seven rebounds and six assists. Charlotte earned a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face intrastate rival North Carolina State in a first-round game on Friday in Worcester, Mass. Tip-off is 12:15 p.m. ET.

NO. 23 CINCINNATI (24-7, 12-4): The Bearcats had their six-game winning streak snapped in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament with an 80-68 loss to USF. It was also the first time the Bulls had defeated UC in 14 previous meetings. Senior forward Jason Maxiell recorded his eighth double-double of the season (22nd of his career) with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Maxiell went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line and the 12 boards moved him into ninth place on UC's career rebound chart with 895. Juniors Eric Hicks and James White chipped in 18 and 10 points, respectively. The Bearcats will make their 14th straight trip to the NCAA Championships, earning a No. 7 seed this season. UC will face No. 10 Iowa for an approximate 2:50 p.m. ET tip-off from the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

DE PAUL (20-10, 10-6): Senior Drake Diener scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Blue Demons to a 75-70 first-round NIT victory against Missouri on Tuesday night. Diener tied his career-high with seven three-pointers and hit 11-of-15 shots from the field. Classmate Quemont Greer tossed in 17 points and grabbed a game-high six rebounds. This is the third postseason appearance for the Blue Demons in as many seasons under head coach Dave Leitao. Greer scored a team-high 17 points in the C-USA Tournament quarterfinal, but DePaul was eliminated by UAB, 59-56. In first-round action, sophomore guard Sammy Mejia was one of four Blue Demons in double figures to lead DePaul to an 81-71 victory over Tulane. Mejia was just two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists and eight boards. It was the fourth double-double of his career. DePaul will face the winner of the Clemson and Texas A&M game that is being played tonight.

EAST CAROLINA (9-19, 4-12): Senior Moussa Badiane had another big night, but the Pirates dropped a 77-71 loss on the road at Tulane to end the regular season on March 5. The game was a winner-take-all situation, with the victor earning the final berth to the C-USA Men's Basketball Tournament. Badiane registered his eighth double-double (12th of his career) with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in what turned out to be the Pirates' season finale. Sophomore Mike Cook led the team with 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. The Pirates did outrebound Tulane, 48-30. Junior Corey Rouse went 7-of-11 from the field with 16 points. ECU finished the season at 9-19 and 4-12 in conference play. Freshman Tom Hammonds was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team.

HOUSTON (18-13, 9-7): The Cougars earned the No. 6 seed in the C-USA Tournament after doubling their win total from last season. Sophomore Lanny Smith scored a team-high 21 points, but Houston lost its first-round game to USF, 69-64. Junior Brian Latham, who was playing in front of his hometown Memphis crowd, scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half of the game. Senior Andre Owens, a second team all-conference selection, added 17 points on the night. The Cougars earned their first NIT bid since 2002 under first-year head coach Tom Penders. Houston will face Wichita State in the opening round on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT. It marks only the second time the Cougars have advanced to the postseason since 1993.

NO. 4 LOUISVILLE (29-4, 14-2): The Cardinals became only the second school in C-USA history (Cincinnati being the other) to win a regular season and tournament title in the same season. Louisville defeated host Memphis, 75-74, in the championship final. Junior Francisco Garcia led the Cards with 19 points and freshman Juan Palacios registered his fifth double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. As a team, the Cards hit a tournament championship record 15 three-pointers in the game, led by five from Garcia to tie Marquette's Travis Diener for the individual championship record. U of L also posted wins over TCU (85-61) and UAB (74-67) during the C-USA Tournament. Senior Ellis Myles registered the first triple-double of the season and in C-USA Tournament history with 10 points, rebounds and assists against TCU. The Cardinals' win total of 29 games entering the NCAA Championships is second in the nation only to top-ranked Illinois. Fourth-seeded Louisville will face No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette in first-round action of the NCAAs this Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

MARQUETTE (19-11, 7-9): Four Marquette starters scored in double-figures and the other tied the tournament record for most rebounds in a single game, but the Golden Eagles were eliminated by TCU in the first round of the C-USA Tournament by a score of 60-57 in overtime. Junior Steve Novak led all scorers with 16 points, stepping up for senior point guard Travis Diener, the team and C-USA leader in scoring (19.7 ppg) and assists (7.0 apg) who is out for the season with a broken hand. Novak scored the team's first eight points on the afternoon and went 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Todd Townsend (14), Dameon Mason (12) and Joe Chapman (10) also scored in double figures. Senior Marcus Jackson grabbed 16 rebounds to tie former Golden Eagle Amal McCaskill for the C-USA Tournament record. McCaskill set the record in 1996 against Memphis. Marquette concluded its season with a 54-40 loss to Western Michigan in Monday's opening round of the NIT. Mason tallied 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals in the game.

MEMPHIS (19-15, 9-7): The Tigers suffered another heart-breaking loss at home with a 75-74 decision to No. 4 Louisville, their 11th nationally-ranked opponent of the season, in the finals of the C-USA Tournament. Freshman point guard Darius Washington Jr. led the team with 23 points, but missed a potential game-winning and/or game-tying free throw with no time left on the clock. Washington and teammate Jeremy Hunt both averaged 13.2 points in four tournament games and each earned a spot on the C-USA All-Tournament Team. Memphis defeated Saint Louis (79-59), No. 25 Charlotte (83-69) and USF (81-68) before facing the Cardinals. Memphis will host Northeastern in the first round of the NIT this Wednesday night. Tip-off is 7 p.m. CT at the FedExForum.

SAINT LOUIS (9-21, 6-10): The Billikens had their two-game win streak to end the regular season snapped with a 79-59 loss to Memphis in the first round of the Kelly Tires C-USA Men's Basketball Tournament. Saint Louis had won the C-USA Tournament the last time it was held in Memphis in 2000 and it was only the second time the Billikens had lost a first-round game. Freshman guard Luke Meyer came off the bench to score a team-high 12 points. Junior Anthony Drejaj added 11 points and drained the 100th three-pointer of his career. His three on the night gave him 102 and the team made a season-high nine treys.

SOUTHERN MISS (11-17, 2-14): The Golden Eagles closed out the 2004-05 season with a 66-64 victory over TCU, snapping a nine-game losing streak. Junior guard Michael Ford came off the bench for a game-high 19 points. In front of a Senior Day crowd of nearly 4,000, senior guard David Haywood registered his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Another senior, Dante Stiggers, had a well-rounded afternoon with seven points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. Sophomore Jerekus Singleton chipped in 10 points. Junior Jason Forte only made one field goal, but he made it count as he scored a put-back bucket with two seconds remaining for the win.

TCU (19-13, 8-8): Senior reserve guard Aaron Curtis scored 14 points for TCU, but the eighth-seeded Horned Frogs were defeated by eventual C-USA champion Louisville, 85-61, in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Curtis, who entered the tournament averaging 7.2 points per game, was also one of two players to score in double-figures in a 60-57 first-round victory over Marquette in overtime. It was TCU's fourth straight win against MU. Senior Corey Santee, who ranks fifth on the C-USA career scoring chart, sank a three-pointer with 12.8 seconds in the extra stanza to secure the win. Junior Nile Murry added 12 points against the Golden Eagles. TCU will make its first postseason appearance since 1999 when the Frogs travel to Miami (Ohio) for a NIT game on Wednesday. Tip-off is 7 p.m. ET. With a win, TCU would face the winner of Marquette and Western Michigan.

TULANE (10-18, 4-12): Despite the sixth double-double of the season from junior forward Quincy Davis, the No. 12 seed Green Wave was defeated by DePaul, 81-71. Davis scored a team-high 17 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for his ninth career double-double. Freshman David Gomez came off the bench to add 16 points (two shy of his career-high) and classmate Taylor Rochestie, a member of the C-USA All-Freshman Team, chipped in 13 points and a career-high seven assists.

UAB (21-10, 10-6): Four Blazers scored in double-figures as UAB defeated DePaul for the second time in eight days with a 59-56 victory in the C-USA quarterfinals. Senior Donell Taylor and junior Demario Eddins each tossed in 11 points, while Marvett McDonald and Marques Lewis added 10 apiece. C-USA Sixth Man of the Year and Taylor's twin brother, Ronell Taylor, made his first appearance back with the Blazers after missing the last seven games with a broken left foot. UAB earned its third straight trip to the C-USA semis, but had its five-game win streak snapped by eventual champion Louisville, 74-67, despite creating 22 Cardinal turnovers. UAB currently leads the nation in steals and is on track to lead that category for the third straight season, which is a feat that has never been done. UAB earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face No. 6 LSU on Thursday. Tip-off is approximately 9:50 p.m. ET from Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho.

USF (14-16, 5-11): Senior Terrence Leather registered three double-doubles in the No. 11 seeded Bulls' three tournament games to earn a spot on the C-USA All-Tournament Team. The Bulls upset No. 6 seed Houston, 69-64, in first-round action. They followed that up with an 80-67 win over No. 21 Cincinnati in the quarterfinals for their second win over a ranked opponent in a week. (USF knocked off No. 18 Charlotte in the regular season finale for both teams on March 5). Leather ends his collegiate career with 22 double-doubles. His 39 rebounds during the three tournament games broke the previous record of 37, set by Louisville's Luke Whitehead. Classmate Brian Swift scored in double-figures in each tournament game, tossing in a team-high 17 points against Memphis in the semifinals.

FOUR C-USA TEAMS EARN NCAA BERTHS
Conference USA will be sending four teams to the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Besides C-USA Tournament and regular season champion Louisville, Charlotte, Cincinnati and UAB each earned a NCAA Tournament invitation. Only four other conferences received more bids, as the Big East and Big 12 each produced six teams, while the Big Ten and ACC are sending five teams. The Pac-10 Conference also produced four tournament berths.

Louisville (29-4) will make its 32nd appearance in the NCAA Championship, the fifth-most of any school in the nation, and its seventh as a member of Conference USA. The Cardinals earned a No. 4 seed in this year's tournament and will face No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday, March 18 at 7:10 p.m. ET in Nashville, Tenn. The two teams have never met previously. With a victory on Friday, U of L would play the winner of Georgia Tech and George Washington for a chance to advance to the Albuquerque Regional.

Charlotte (21-7) and Cincinnati (24-7), which tied for second place in the C-USA regular season standings, both earned No. 7 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

The 49ers face intrastate rival North Carolina State as their first-round opponent in a game played Friday in Worcester, Mass. Tip-off is 12:15 p.m. ET. N.C. State holds a 5-2 edge in the series, but head coach Bobby Lutz led Charlotte to a 95-78 victory in their last meeting on Nov. 18, 2000. This year's Charlotte team will be led by C-USA Player of the Year Eddie Basden and fellow first team All-Conference USA member Curtis Withers. The winner will face either No. 2 seed Connecticut or UCF, a future Conference USA member.

The Bearcats make a short trip to the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind., to face 10th-seeded Iowa in the first round on Thursday, March 17 at approximately 2:50 p.m. ET. It is the 14th consecutive appearance for the Bearcats in the NCAA Tournament since their run to the 1992 Final Four. Cincinnati and Iowa have not met since the 1980-81 season and UC holds a 5-2 advantage in the series. Potential second-round opponents are No. 2 seed Kentucky or No. 15 Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels are making their first NCAA appearance since 1979 and are coached by former UK standout Travis Ford, a standout for current Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.

UAB (21-10) earned its second straight NCAA invitation under head coach Mike Anderson. The Blazers advanced to the C-USA Tournament Semifinals and won five of their last six outings. The No. 11 seed Blazers will face sixth-seeded LSU on Thursday at approximately 9:50 p.m. ET from the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. It will be the second meeting between these two teams in as many years as the Tigers defeated UAB, 78-62, in last season's Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans. The winner will play No. 3 seed Arizona or No. 14 Utah State, which would be first-time meetings for UAB and these schools as well. The Blazers provided one of the most memorable moments in the 2004 NCAA Tournament, with a 76-75 upset over top-seeded Kentucky to make their first regional semifinal appearance since 1982.

In addition to UCF, future Conference USA member UTEP earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Championship. The Miners will face Utah in the first round in a game played in Tucson, Ariz.

Conference USA has produced 38 NCAA bids since the 1995-96 inaugural season. All games will be televised on CBS.

FIVE C-USA TEAMS SELECTED FOR NIT
Conference USA will be sending five teams to the 2005 NCAA National Invitation Tournament (NIT), setting a record for conference teams advancing to the postseason. Four C-USA teams received NCAA Championship berths, while DePaul, Houston, Marquette, Memphis and TCU will participate in the NIT.

Marquette (19-11) will open the 2005 Postseason NIT, hosting Western Michigan at the Bradley Center for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off on Monday night. That game will be televised by ESPN. The two teams have played one another 28 times with the Golden Eagles holding a 21-7 series advantage. Marquette won the last meeting, 76-69, on December 4, 1999 in the opening round of the Blue & Gold Classic. MU has also won 12 of the last 13 games in the series. Marquette will be making its 38th postseason appearance all-time, ninth most in Division I, and its 14th in the postseason NIT. Head coach Tom Crean's Golden Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT last season before falling at Iowa State, 77-69.

DePaul (19-10) travels to Missouri for a first-round game at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 15. It is the Blue Demons' third straight postseason appearance since the arrival of head coach Dave Leitao. DePaul has had 14 previous invitations to the NIT and was eliminated by North Carolina, 83-72, in 2003. DePaul holds the 1945 NIT title. The Blue Demons tied for fourth place in Conference USA this season and rode a 12-game home win streak. The winner of Tuesday's game will face the winner of the Clemson-Texas A&M game.

Memphis (19-15), the C-USA Tournament runners-up, is one of three C-USA teams to play on Wednesday night. The Tigers will host Northeastern of the America East Conference in first-round action at 8 p.m. ET at the FedExForum. It will be the first meeting between the two schools. Memphis won the 2002 NIT under head coach John Calipari and advanced to the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons. The Tigers placed third in the 2001 NIT and are 16-14 all-time in 15 prior appearances.

Houston (18-13) earned its first postseason bid since 2002 under first-year head coach Tom Penders. The Cougars will face Wichita State in a game played in Wichita, Kan., on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. The winner will play the winner of the Kent-Western Kentucky game. It is only the second time the Cougars have advanced to the postseason since 1993 and becoming a member of Conference USA as UH put together one of the top turnaround seasons in NCAA Division I this year. It will be Houston's eighth trip to the NIT and 26th overall trip to the postseason.

TCU (19-13) will play at Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. It is the first time the Horned Frog program has advanced to a postseason tournament since 1999. This will be the sixth NIT appearance for TCU, who has reached the second round of the tourney in all five previous trips for a 7-5 all-time record (.583). In 1999, the Frogs defeated Kansas State and Nebraska prior to falling to Oregon just one game prior to reaching the NIT semifinals in New York City. TCU is just one victory away from its first 20-win season since the 2000-01 campaign (20-11). If they achieve that feat, the Horned Frogs will face the winner of the Marquette-Western Michigan game. TCU defeated the Golden Eagles, 63-62, during the regular season and 60-57 in overtime during the first round of the C-USA Tournament.

Rice (19-11), a future member of Conference USA, also earned a NIT berth and will face Southwest Missouri State in the first round on Wednesday.

C-USA CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Conference USA celebrated its 10th anniversary during the 2004-05 season. In conjunction, the league is naming a Team of the Decade for each of the conference's 19 sports. Men's Basketball is the latest sport to have its All-Decade team released and the squad is led by former Cincinnati star Kenyon Martin, the 1999-00 National Player of the Year and three-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. The Men's Basketball Coach of the Decade award was won by Cincinnati's Bob Huggins, who has led the Bearcats to eight regular season championships and four tournament titles. Both Martin and Huggins were unanimous selections. Voting on the awards was done by a media panel with one representative in each of the league's cities. Cincinnati was the only school to produce three members of the squad, while Louisville and Marquette each had two selections. Charlotte, DePaul and Memphis had one player chosen to the team.

**C-USA MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL-DECADE TEAM**
Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (1996-2000) - PLAYER OF THE DECADE
Probably the most decorated player in C-USA's first decade...consensus national player of the year as a senior in 1999-00, making a sweep of the Naismith, Oscar Robertson (USBWAA), John Wooden, Adolph Rupp (Associated Press), NABC, Basketball News and Basketball Times, and made everyone's All-America team...co-National Defensive Player of the Year by the NABC...Unanimous choice as C-USA Player of the Year in 1999-00...Three-time winner of the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year...Averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks as a senior...Set the UC career blocks record (292) and ranks No. 20 on UC's career scoring list (1,279)...Second team All-C-USA as a sophomore and first team All-C-USA as a junior...MVP of the 1998 C-USA Tournament.

DeMarco Johnson, Charlotte (1996-98)
1998 C-USA Player of the Year...two-time first team all-C-USA choice (1996-97; 1997-98); three-time all-league (second team in 1995-96)...Led 49ers to 1997 C-USA White Division title and NCAA second rounds in 1997 and 1998...Retired as league's top all-time scorer and rebounder (is still in all-time Top 5 despite playing just three C-USA seasons)...Two-time all-C-USA Tournament (1997; 1998) ... Two-time honorable mention AP all-America...League-best 21.1 ppg in 1998 (5th all-time in C-USA) ... 2005 career pts; 926 career rebounds ... 2nd in C-USA w/35 career double-doubles.

Steve Logan, Cincinnati (1998-02)
Consensus first team All-American and finalist for every national player of the year award as a senior in 2001-02...recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the nation's top player 6-foot or under...C-USA Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons...named national player of the year by FOXSports.com and CNN/SI.com...MVP of the 2002 C-USA Tournament...named C-USA Player of the Week five time his senior season and national player of the week twice...averaged 22.0 points and 5.3 assists as a senior in leading UC to a 31-4 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament...closed his career as UC's No. 2 career scorer (1,985), second only to Oscar Robertson.

Danny Fortson, Cincinnati (1995-97)
Played only two seasons in C-USA, but his accomplishments rank with many others who had full careers in the conference...C-USA scoring leader as a junior with a 21.4 average, a mark topped by only two other players...his 1,367 career points ranked him No. 13 in C-USA entering the 2004-05 season, with all players ranked ahead of him having played at least 25 more games...two-season career scoring average of 20.7 points ranks third with his rebounding average (9.3) eighth...has C-USA's fourth best career FG percentage (.578)...consensus first team All-American in 1996-97...finalist of the Naismith and Wooden Awards...two-time C-USA Player of the Year...MVP of the 1996 C-USA Tournament...closed his UC career as the school's No. 2 scorer (currently No. 3).

Quentin Richardson, DePaul (1998-00)
Conference USA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year (1999), the first player to accomplish that double feat in league history...All-Conference USA first team in both 1999 and 2000... Three-time league Player of the Week honoree...Two-time All-American mention... Member of the league's All-Freshman team in 1999...Averaged 10.8 rebounds in C-USA games as a sophomore (fourth-best in league history) and 10.6 as a freshman (fifth-best)... Tied for second all-time in C-USA history for rebounding average (10.2 rpg)... Holds DePaul school record for 3pt. field goals in a season (73 in 1999-00) and is fifth in DePaul history for rebounding average.

Reece Gaines, Louisville (1999-2003)
Fourth all-time at Louisville and third in C-USA history with 1,945 career points ... Led U of L in scoring (17.9), assists (5.0) and steals (1.7) as a senior in 2002-03 when he was named a second team All-America selection and a finalist for national player of the year ... Twice honored on the All-C-USA first team (2002, 2003) ... Double figure scorer in 31 games as a senior and in 99 games for his career ... His 673 points as a junior was the fifth-highest ever in Conference USA ... His 475 career assists rank among the all-time C-USA leaders.

Francisco Garcia, Louisville (2002-current)
Currently averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.1 steals as one of the most complete players in the nation ... Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2003 and an All-C-USA first team selection as a sophomore ... Preseason league player of the year this season and a finalist for national player of the year honors ... In the midst of his third season, he already ranks among the Conference USA career leaders in points (1,182), assists (289) and free throw percentage (.832).

Travis Diener, Marquette (2001-current)
Two-time all conference selection (first team - 2004; second team - 2003)... Conference USA all-freshman team selection (2002)... Wooden and Cousy Award finalist in 2004... Wooden and Naismith mid-season all-American, and Cousy Award finalist in 2005... C-USA's 10th all-time leading scorer (as of 2.6.05)... Ranks second on the school's all-time assist list... Ranks eighth all-time on the school's scoring list... School's all-time leader in three-point field goals... Ninth all-time at the school in steals... Second all-time in free throw percentage and fourth in three-point field goal percentage at Marquette... Second all-time on the Conference USA assist chart.

Dwyane Wade, Marquette (2001-2003)
Two-time all-conference first team selection (2002, 2003)... 2003 Conference Player of the Year... 2003 Conference Defensive Player of the Year... Led Marquette to its first Conference USA Regular Season Championship and the NCAA Final Four in 2003, the school's third appearance all-time and first since 1977... In 2003 was selected by the Associated Press, USBWA, NABC, ESPN.com, Foxsports.com, and CNNSI.com as a first team all-American.... 2003 Wooden Award All-American and finalist... Six-time conference player of the week selection... scored a school record 710 points during his junior season (2002-03)... ranks second on the school's all-time scoring average list (19.7 ppg).

Antonio Burks, Memphis (2001-04)
2004 Conference USA Player of the Year ... 2004 All-C-USA first team ... Named ESPN.com's 2004 C-USA Player of the Year ... Collegeinsider.com and Associated Press All-America selection ... Basketball Times All-South Team ... Named to NABC District 7 second team ... Bob Cousy Award finalist, an award given to the nation's top point guard ... Only fourth Tiger with 1,000 points, 450 assists and 170 steals (Andre Turner, Elliot Perry and Otis Jackson were the other three) ... On the Tiger career charts for scoring (No. 34) steals (No. 5) and assists (No. 6) ... Named to All-C-USA third team in 2002-03 ... Tigers posted a 72-24 record in his three years, including winning the 2002 NIT title.

**C-USA MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH OF THE DECADE**
Bob Huggins, Cincinnati (1989-current)
Under Huggins' tutelage, Cincinnati dominated the first decade of C-USA, winning outright or tying for eight regular season titles and capturing four tournament titles...UC compiled a 111-29 record for a .793 winning percentage through the first nine seasons, 18 more wins than its closest competitor...Cincinnati compiled a 234-62 record (.791) record in all games during this period...UC was ranked in the Top 25 for 124 of 165 weekly polls, earning Top 10 rankings 77 times and holding down the No. 1 spot 15 times...UC earned a No. 1 seed for the 2002 NCAA Tournament and was a No. 2 seed three times...Huggins ranks seventh nationally among active coaches in winning percentage and is 11th in total victories.

2005 ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
First Team All-Conference USA
Eddie Basden, Senior, Charlotte
Travis Diener, Senior, Marquette
Francisco Garcia, Junior, Louisville
Quemont Greer, Senior, DePaul
Curtis Withers, Junior, Charlotte

Second Team All-Conference USA
Rodney Carney, Junior, Memphis
Terrence Leather, Senior, USF
Jason Maxiell, Senior, Cincinnati
Andre Owens, Senior, Houston
Donell Taylor, Senior, UAB

Third Team All-Conference USA
Taquan Dean, Junior, Louisville
Drake Diener, Senior, DePaul
Eric Hicks, Junior, Cincinnati
Corey Santee, Senior, TCU
Darius Washington, Freshman, Memphis

Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Joey Dorsey, Memphis
Tom Hammonds, East Carolina
Juan Palacios, Louisville
Taylor Rochestie, Tulane
Darius Washington, Memphis

Conference USA Player of the Year
Eddie Basden, Charlotte

Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year
Eddie Basden, Charlotte

Conference USA Freshman of the Year
Darius Washington, Memphis

Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year
Ronell Taylor, UAB

Ray Meyer Coach of the Year
Rick Pitino, Louisville

BASKETBALL AND BEALE STREET
The 2005 Kelly Tires Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament was held March 9-12 at the FedExForum in downtown Memphis. Located just a few steps from Beale Street, this state-of-the-art arena served as an outstanding showcase venue for this year's tournament. This was the third time that the city of Memphis has played host to the C-USA Tournament, as the event was played at the Pyramid in 1996 and 2000.

TOURNAMENT NOTES
An odd seeded team has won the C-USA Tournament all 10 years. This year's champion, the Louisville Cardinals, were the fourth No. 1 seed to win the title. It was their third trip to the finals (winning in 2003, losing to Charlotte in 1999).

The host team had won three straight C-USA Tournament titles until the Cardinals ended the run with a 75-74 victory over host Memphis.

Memphis fell just short of becoming the fourth team in C-USA history to win four games in a row in the tournament. (Saint Louis 2000, Charlotte 1999 and Marquette 1997). It marked the first time Memphis had advanced to the C-USA Championship.

U of L senior Ellis Myles registered the first triple-double in C-USA Tournament history with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in an 85-61 quarterfinal victory against TCU. DePaul sophomore Sammy Mejia was close the day before in the Blue Demons' 81-71 victory over Tulane. Mejia tallied 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Louisville set a tournament championship record with 15 three-pointers in the win over Memphis. Junior Francisco Garcia hit five treys in the game to tie Marquette's Travis Diener for the individual record.

USF senior Terrence Leather earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team after leading his No. 11 seed Bulls to upsets over Houston (69-64) and No. 21 Cincinnati (80-68). Leather recorded three double-doubles in as many games and extended a string of eight in a row. He also tallied 39 rebounds for the tournament, breaking the previous record of 37 set by Louisville's Luke Whitehead during the 2003 Tournament.

The Bulls opening round victory over Houston marked only the second time in tournament history that the No. 11 seed won its first game. The last occurance was also in Memphis when the No. 11 Tigers defeated USF, 60-58, at The Pyramid in 2000.

Charlotte junior Curtis Withers scored 32 points in an 83-69 loss to Memphis in the quarterfinals. That is the third-best individual offensive output in tournament history.

UAB senior Ronell Taylor, the C-USA Sixth Man of the Year, returned to the Blazer line-up after missing the final seven games of the regular season with a broken left foot.

DOUBLE DUTY
USF senior Terrence Leather is on track to become the eighth player in C-USA history to finish among the Top 5 in scoring and rebounding during a single season. Leather has led the Bulls in both categories two seasons in a row. He averaged 18.2 points per game and 9.6 rebounds (which ranks third and second, respectively, in the conference). The last player to finish in the Top 5 in both categories was former Cincinnati standout and 2000 AP National Player of the Year Kenyon Martin. Charlotte junior Curtis Withers may also join the exclusive club as he currently ranks seventh in rebounding with 8.3 per game. Withers also averages 18.3 ppg (fourth in C-USA) and compiled a conference-best 19.1 point-per-game average in C-USA games only.

C-USA PAIR ON FINAL BALLOTS
Senior guard Travis Diener of Marquette and Louisville junior guard Francisco Garcia were each named to the final ballot for the Naismith Trophy, which is selected based on individual performance and team records thus far during the 2004-05 season. Garcia is also list on the final ballot for the John R. Wooden Award.

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is bestowed upon the nation's most outstanding college basketball player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his university that he is making progress toward graduation. The 10-player Wooden Award All-America Team will be announced on Tuesday, March 29. The 2005 Award ceremony, which will include the presentation of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award, the Wooden Award All-American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will be held at The Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 9 and will be broadcast live on CBS Sports. The Top 30 Naismith Trophy midseason list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season. The list was narrowed down from the preseason list of 50 candidates who were announced at the beginning of the season.

BASDEN NAMED TO SI.COM ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Charlotte senior swingman Eddie Basden, the Conference USA Player of the Year, was named to SI.com's All-America Third Team. Basden ranks among the league leaders in four major categories: scoring (11th, 15.2 ppg), rebounding (seventh, 8.4 rpg), assists (ninth, 3.71 apg) and steals (first, 3.25 spg). Basden was also selected the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference USA first team.

Three other Conference USA players received Honorable Mention recognition from SI.com. Basden's teammate, junior Curtis Withers, as well as Louisville junior Francisco Garcia and DePaul senior Quemont Greer were each acknowledged in voting by SI.com's college hoops staff.


GARCIA NAMED TO NABC ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
Louisville junior Francisco Garcia was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American Second Team. Garcia had earned District 7 First Team honors and was one of 10 Conference USA players recognized by the NABC.

TEN PLAYERS EARN NABC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
A record 10 Conference USA men's basketball players were named to the 2005 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District teams.

DISTRICT 6 SECOND TEAM
Donell Taylor Senior F UAB
DISTRICT 7 FIRST TEAM
Rodney Carney Junior F Memphis
Taquan Dean Junior G Louisville
Francisco Garcia Junior F Louisville
DISTRICT 9 SECOND TEAM
Andre Owens Senior F Houston
Corey Santee Senior G TCU
DISTRICT 10 FIRST TEAM
Jason Maxiell Senior F Cincinnati
DISTRICT 10 SECOND TEAM
Eric Hicks Junior F Cincinnati
DISTRICT 11 SECOND TEAM
Travis Diener Senior G Marquette
Quemont Greer Senior F DePaul

CALL SECURITY
Charlotte senior forward Eddie Basden tied the Conference USA career steals record during the 49ers' 91-90 win over No. 17 Cincinnati on Feb. 5. Four days later, he swiped the ball from a visiting Houston team five times for 236 career thefts to take sole possession of the record, previously held by Cedric Smith of USF from 1998-2001. The 2003-04 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, Basden leads the Niners and C-USA with 78 steals this season (his per game average ranks third nationally). He becomes the first player in Charlotte history to record 60 or more steals in a single season three years in a row. He set the school record for career steals during the Feb. 12 overtime win against Saint Louis and currently has 249.

LUTZ FINALIST FOR COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Charlotte head coach Bobby Lutz is among 10 finalists for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award, which were announced on Monday, Feb. 28. The 2005 recipient will be announced on April 1, at the 2005 NCAA Final Four in St. Louis, MO.

2005 FINALISTS
Ray Giacoletti (Utah)
Bobby Lutz (Charlotte)
Bruce Pearl (Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Skip Prosser (Wake Forest)
Al Skinner (Boston College)
Tubby Smith (Kentucky)
Bob Thomason (Pacific)
Bruce Weber (Illinois)
Ralph Willard (Holy Cross)
Roy Williams (North Carolina)

The Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award, in conjunction with CollegeInsider.com, is voted on by a 21-member panel, which is chaired by the former Mount St. Mary's head coach. The voting panel is made up of current and retired head coaches, athletic administrators and distinguished members of the media.

CollegeInsider.com renamed its National Coach of the Year Award to honor Coach Phelan. Mercer's Mark Slonaker was the first recipient of the award in 2003 and St. Joseph's Phil Martelli was honored in 2004. Previous recipients of the CollegeInsider.com National coach of the Year include Rod Barnes (Mississippi), Rob Evans (Mississippi), Bob Huggins (Cincinnati), Greg Kampe (Oakland), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) and Bo Ryan (Wisconsin).

MARQUETTE'S DIENER OUT FOR THE SEASON
Marquette guard Travis Diener, a first team All-Conference USA selection, suffered displaced fractures in his left hand of the fourth and fifth proximal phalanges during a non-contact drill at the beginning of practice on Feb. 22. Corrective surgery was performed and he is expected to make a full recovery in four to six weeks, but missed the remainder of the season. The 6-1 senior led the Golden Eagles and C-USA in scoring (19.7 ppg) and assists (7.0 apg). He ranks first all-time at the school in three-point field goals (284), second all-time in assists (617) and third in scoring with 1,691. Diener was 83 points shy from breaking the school's 35-year old scoring record held by George Thompson, and needed 16 assists to become Conference USA's all-time leader. In 120 career games, Diener averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

A GRAND COUGAR
With a 66-53 victory against Memphis at Hofheinz Pavilion on Feb. 5, the Houston Cougars achieved the 1,000th win in program history. The Cougars have now compiled a 1,004-677 record in the storied history of the program. Head Coach Tom Penders presented the game ball to former UH mentor Guy V. Lewis, who led the Cougars to 592 of those wins during his 30-year tenure. Lewis led Houston to 17 postseason appearances, including five NCAA Final Four participants. Southern Miss and TCU posted their 1,000th program wins last season. DePaul and Memphis have amassed more than 1,200 victories, Marquette reached the 1,300-win milestone last season and Cincinnati is just two victories shy of 1,500.

A COACHES LEAGUE
With the additions of Larry Eustachy (Southern Miss) and Tom Penders (Houston) to the Conference USA coaching ranks, the league now boasts some of the best and brightest basketball minds in the nation. C-USA's 14 head coaches had combined for a 3,052-1,681 (.645) ledger entering the season. That record includes 59 NCAA Tournament appearances, six Final Fours and 27 NIT appearances. John Calipari of Memphis led the Tigers to consecutive NIT Final Four appearances, with UM winning the 2002 NIT crown. Calipari just recorded his 300th career win on Feb. 9, a milestone Charlotte mentor Bobby Lutz reached earlier this season. Louisville's Rick Pitino led Kentucky to the 1996 NCAA crown and has 400-plus career wins. Nine coaches have at least 100 career wins and seven have reached at least 200 coaching victories Cincinnati's Bob Huggins and Penders have each topped the 500-win plateau.

SEVEN C-USA TEAMS AMONG TOP 100 PROGRAMS
Seven Conference USA men's basketball teams were listed among the Top 100 in Street & Smith's Greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time. Louisville topped the C-USA honorees, coming in at No. 7 overall. The Cardinals success really began in 1944 and continued when Denny Crum arrived in Louisville and guided the Cards to a 1980 and 1986 NCAA National Championship title. Current head coach Rick Pitino, who was also instrumental in the history of the No. 1 Kentucky program, has led this year's U of L team to a 20-4 start. Cincinnati rounds out the Top 10 programs of all-time. The Bearcats won 1961 and 1962 National Championships and head coach Bob Huggins took them to the 1992 NCAA Final Four. Since joining C-USA in 1995, UC has won a share of eight regular season championships and four conference tournament titles.

Marquette, a 2003 NCAA Final Four participant, comes in at No. 33 on list. That 2003 squad was led by All-American and C-USA Player of the Year Dwyane Wade. Current head coach Tom Crean has built on the success of the legendary Al McGuire, who led the Golden Eagles to a 1970 NIT Championship and a 1977 NCAA Championship. The first nationally-televised college basketball game featured UCLA and Houston, which ranks No. 37 on Street & Smith's chart. These two teams were ranked one and two, respectively, at the time of the Jan. 20, 1968 tilt. DePaul earned the No. 57 spot, making 21 postseason appearances under former head coach Ray Meyer. Current mentor Dave Leitao took a share of the 2004 C-USA regular season title and led the Blue Demons back to NCAA Tournament and their first Round of 32 appearance since 1989. Memphis comes in at No. 61 with head coach John Calipari delivering a 2002 NIT Championship. The Tigers have made four postseason appearances under Calipari in as many years, and two trips to the NCAA Final Four as the 1973 runner-up and in 1985. Charlotte slots in at No. 88 as one of the youngest programs on the list, entering NCAA Division I competition in 1970. The 49ers earned a trip to the NIT finals in 1976 and the NCAA Final Four in 1977.

UTEP, Tulsa and SMU, three programs joining Conference USA next season, also made the list. UTEP, formerly known as Texas Western, ranked No. 49. The Miners won the 1966 NCAA Championship under legendary coach Don Haskins. Tulsa came in at No. 59, entering this season with 16 years of 20-plus wins, 14 NCAA berths, eight NIT appearances and 1,154 victories. SMU earned a spot at No. 71, with eight Southwest Conference championships under E.O. "Doc" Hayes.

FINNEY WILL NOT RETURN AT TULANE
Tulane's head men's basketball Shawn Finney, who just completed his fifth season as coach in 2004-05, will not return to the program, Green Wave Athletic Director Rick Dickson announced Sunday. Finney, the 21st men's basketball coach in school history, finishes his Tulane tenure with a record of 60-86.

Tulane, which featured eight freshmen and sophomores on its 2004-05 roster, finished the season with a 10-18 record after falling to DePaul in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament Wednesday. Finney's first three teams finished with nine, 14 and 16 wins, with the 2002-03 squad compiling a record of 16-15, including an 8-8 mark in Conference USA. Last year, the team's record fell to 11-17, 4-12 in league play, and Tulane earned the No. 12 seed in the league tournament.

HERRION WILL DEPART ECU AT SEASON'S END
East Carolina director of athletics Terry Holland asked head men's basketball coach Bill Herrion to relinquish his position at the conclusion of the current season in order to accept another position within the athletics department, officials confirmed on Feb. 22.

Herrion led his Pirates to a 77-66 win over Southern Miss on Wednesday night. He has compiled an overall record of 70-96 (.422), which includes marks of 10-18 (1999-2000), 14-14 (2000-01), 12-18 (2001-02), 12-15 (2002-03), 13-14 (2003-04) and a 9-17 ledger so far this season. In addition, the Pirates have also recorded a 17-45 (.274) Conference USA regular-season record.

Prior to heading the Pirates' basketball program in the spring of 1999, Herrion enjoyed outstanding success during his eight years at Drexel. His record of 167-71 at the Philadelphia school was among the best nationally among active NCAA Division I head coaches (by percentage). In conference play - the America East Conference, formerly the North Atlantic Conference - Herrion guided the Drexel Dragons to an eight-year mark of 121-32 (.791). Herrion earned conference coach-of-the-year honors four times (1994-1996, 1999) and led the Dragons to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in the 1994, 1995 and 1996 seasons. Herrion's 1996 Dragon team, which finished 27-4, claimed the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, defeating Memphis in the first round of the West Regional at Albuquerque, N.M. Herrion also led Drexel to the school's first berth in the National Invitation Tournament, reaching that post-season event in 1996-97 when the Dragons finished with a 22-9 record.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Conference USA will name Players of the Week each Monday during the season. Players of the Week are voted on by a media panel with one representative in each league city.

Conference USA Players of the Week
N22 Travis Diener, Marquette
N29 Taquan Dean, Louisville
D6 Quemont Greer, DePaul
D13 Francisco Garcia, Louisville
Quemont Greer, DePaul
D20 Quemont Greer, DePaul
Jasper Johnson, Southern Miss
D27 Donell Taylor, UAB
J3 Francisco Garcia, Louisville
J10 Armein Kirkland, Cincinnati
J17 Taquan Dean, Louisville
J24 Sammy Mejia, DePaul
J31 Moussa Badiane, East Carolina
Larry O'Bannon, Louisville
F7 Eddie Basden, Charlotte
F14 Curtis Withers, Charlotte
F21 Eddie Basden, Charlotte
F28 Eddie Basden, Charlotte
M7 Larry O'Bannon, Louisville

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2005-06
The 2005-06 season will see the introduction of six new programs to Conference USA. Marshall University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University (SMU), the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the University of Tulsa and will all begin competition in C-USA beginning with the 2005-06 season. These six schools will join current members East Carolina University, University of Houston, University of Memphis, Southern Mississippi University, Tulane University and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The teams will play a 14-game conference schedule with a single round robin and three mirror games. UCF and UTEP both won their respective conference tournaments this season and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season. Rice also earned a trip to the postseason with an invite to the NIT.