Tulsa

Game of the Night: Tulsa at No. 5 Duke (7:00 PM, ESPN2)

Does Thursday represent Conference USA's "last stand" in regards to possibly avoiding the fate of being a one-bid league? Probably not but an upset by Tulsa at Duke would go a long way in giving the conference at least two bids. The Golden Hurricane can give the Blue Devils some trouble inside due to the presence of an NBA-caliber big man in senior Jerome Jordan.

With Memphis in flux following the departure of John Calipari, this might be the year someone like Tulsa, Houston, or UTEP breaks through. The other contenders better act quickly as Memphis has locked up a monster recruiting class next year..

CollegeHoops.net's Preseason High-Major All-America Team is led by Tulsa big man Jerome Jordan, a potential First Round NBA pick. Jordan, along with the likes of Luke Babbitt and Chris Wright, is part of an impressive forward crop in this year's High-Majors. BYU, Illinois State, Memphis, Nevada, and Tulsa are the only schools with multiple players on the list.

Wednesday: Tulsa (4-2, 2-0 Conference USA) @ UTEP (2-4, 1-1), 8 PM on ESPN

Overall Rank: #38

Conference Rank: #2 Conference USA

More mid-week football from the Sun Belt with Arkansas State (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) hitting the road (8 PM on ESPN2) to visit UL Monroe (3-2, 2-0), who sits tied atop the conference standings with a 2-0 record (Troy) in league play. The Warhawks lead the conference in rushing, total and scoring offense with QB Trey Revell and RB Frank Goodin leading the way. But the Red Wolves are no slouch, having lost their last two games by a combined six points. Troy and Iowa are talented but rather straightforward in what they're going to do.