Conference USA Basketball: 2022 conference tournament preview

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 19: The North Texas Mean Green celebrate after beating the Purdue Boilermakers 78-69 in overtime in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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Memphis Tigers Jamarion Sharp Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

Key players

G Jordan Walker, UAB – 19.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 2.6 rpg

Jordan Walker is one of the better all-around players in Conference USA. Walker is one of the top three scorers and assists leaders in the conference and is a strong shooter from three-point range (40.7 percent). His 3.3 turnovers per game are a bit problematic, but it’s just a sign of how much the Blazers rely on Walker to generate offense.

F Kenneth Lofton Jr., Louisiana Tech – 16.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.9 apg

Kenneth Lofton Jr. is probably the best big man in the conference and this is only his second season. He’s averaging a double-double with 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He’s also shown big improvements in his free throw shooting and passing from a year ago. Opponents can’t stop Lofton, they can only hope to contain him enough to get the Bulldogs into a rut.

C Jamarion Sharp, Western Kentucky – 8.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.6 bpg

Did that block total make you do a double-take? Because it should. The benefit of being 7-foot-5, as Jamarion Sharp is, is that shot-blocking comes relatively easy. Sharp leads the nation in blocks, surpassing Walker Kessler in recent days. Sharp’s ability to deter all comers from the paint is one of the biggest defensive threats, not just in Conference USA, but in the whole country.