Lady's Corner
When the Conference USA Tournament begins this Friday in Louisville, Ky., 12 teams have one goal in mind: to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Obviously, some teams will have a better chance than others. The league's four best teams and top four seeds (Memphis, Marquette, Louisville and Tulane) will receive first-round byes.
"I think it's very critical to receive a bye, because it's pretty tough to win four games in four nights," said Louisville co-head coach Sara White.
Five C-USA teams were invited to the tournament last season: DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis and Tulane.
However, barring an upset of the top four seeds, it would be unrealisitic to expect five teams this year.
"I'm not optimistic that we're going to get that many teams in," said White.
The two teams that are locks, regardless of what happens in the C-USA tourney, are division winners Memphis and Marquette.
Third-seeded Louisville might need to reach the C-USA finals to get in. The Lady Cardinals have 10 losses, but three were to top 25 teams.
Tulane, the last of the top four seeds, will probably get in based on the fact that the Green Wave has won 20-plus games and is playing its best basketball of the season.
Tulane is also the only C-USA team that has been ranked in the Associated Press women's top 25.
The NCAA committee may also look at the overall conference record of 161-133 in a negative light.
But in defense of C-USA's overall record, Marquette head coach Terri Mitchell said, "We're a very deceiving conference, because we've had a lot of losses, but we've been beating up on each other."
"A team like DePaul has a losing record, but they beat the No. 14-ranked team in the country (Vanderbilt) by 20 points, so I think we're worthy of having four teams getting in," Mitchell added.
The All-Underrated Team
As the regular season comes to a close, individual and postseason honors are soon to follow.
Look for Memphis' Tamika Whitmore and LaTonya Johnson, Marquette's Abbie Willenborg and Lisa Oldenburg, DePaul's Mfon Udoka and Tulane's Grace Daley to fill the postseason All-C-USA first-team roster.
There are, however, other players in the league that do not get the accolades, but who have helped their teams during the course of the year.
The All-C-USA Underrated Team, according to some of the league's head coaches, includes UNC-Charlotte's Nikki Richardson and Tonya Phifer, South Florida's Dione Smith and Sonya Swick, DePaul's Molly Watson and Anne McDonald, Houston's Jennifer Jones and Sharonda Lasseter and Cincinnati's Jolinda Lewis.
Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said it won't be long before Lasseter joins the first-team All-C-USA list.
"Sharonda Lasseter has a great career ahead of her because she's young, very talented and will only get better," Stockton said.
Marquette's Mitchell said Jones is "a great basketball player that doesn't really get the credit she deserves. She's a good scorer and just a great athlete."
C-USA Player of the Week
Louisville junior center Sharon Bellamy averaged 16 points and seven rebounds in leading UL to three C-USA victories.
Bellamy has led the team in scoring 14 times this season.
Conference USA Tournament preview schedule:
Thursday: National Division
Friday: American Division