So, when you're playing at the top, you first have to help yourself. Count Marshall out if Gang Green continues to play and sulk as it did Wednesday night.

The Thundering Herd has been one of four teams seemingly vying for a C-USA regular-season title, first-round tournament bye and NCAA Tournament berth ... but losing at home is a major no-no, especially what NCAA selection committee members would consider a "bad loss."

That's what the Herd (13-7, 4-2) did at the Henderson Center, falling 56-49 to UAB. The Blazers (7-12, 2-4) came here desperate for a win and got one by outplaying Marshall thoroughly and throughout.

How's it going in Herdland these days?

The usually loquacious Coach Tom Herrion's postgame press conference lasted shorter than two of UAB's patient possessions - a Tommy-terse 63 seconds.

Now, a three-game Herd losing streak (in eight nights) seems headed for four. Do you think MU has any kind of shot Saturday night at Memphis? If the Herd is going to stay in the race, Herrion has to figure out what's wrong and fix it ... and fast.

The foursome that has been fighting at the top of the standings has a common theme, and it's rooted in, of all things, football.

Marshall, Memphis (14-6, 5-1), Southern Mississippi (18-3, 5-1) and Central Florida (15-5, 5-2) all play in the C-USA East Division in football. Although basketball doesn't have divisional play, the hoops scheduling is based on those divisions, to lessen travel.

So, those four teams have to play home-and-home, which is certainly fair in a 16-game schedule, although those six games for each have a greater degree of difficulty this season than what West football members are facing.

And in beating up on one another, they could allow a West Division team - Tulsa (12-9, 5-2), for example - to grab one of the four first-round Conference USA Tournament byes.

Those byes could be huge, since the tournament is in Memphis, where you definitely want to get into the opposite bracket from the Tigers.

And with those home-and-homes among the contenders, if the games are split, a greater likelihood occurs that the tiebreakers among them could be a comparison dropping down through the standings to see who won or lost against a Tulsa or UTEP ... or UAB.

Yes, the Herd faces a huge game Saturday at Memphis (9 p.m., WSAZ telecast). However, is it any bigger than a trip to Tulsa a week later?

Because of the aforementioned crowd at the top and what happened Wednesday night, the answer is "no."

UCF lost 66-61 at Tulsa on Wednesday night in a battle of West Virginia native coaches - Wheeling's Doug Wojcik over Point Pleasant's Donnie Jones. Memphis - like Herrion's club - has to go to the Golden Hurricane's home, but Southern Miss gets Tulsa in Hattiesburg.

That could be a big advantage by the finish.

Among the four top contenders, at least another factor equals out. Among the remaining games, all four have two home, two road against the other contenders ... but Marshall is alone is still having to face Memphis twice.

In the four games played among one another to date, no one has won on the road - Marshall fell at Southern Miss, Memphis lost at UCF, Southern Miss lost at Memphis and UCF came up short at "The Cam."

And if we're talking NCAA Tournament - where Marshall hasn't appeared since 1987 - none of the "East four" can hardly afford a defeat to any of the other eight teams, because none is ranked in the RPI top 125.

UAB came in at 149 in the RPI.

If you asked me right now about NCAA bids and Conference USA, I'd say Jones' Knights would need to win the C-USA tournament title to get the automatic bid to make the 68-team field.

However, the Herd has looked recently like an NCAA pretender, too.

Right now, Memphis (28 RPI, 10 strength of schedule) and Southern Miss (15 RPI, 55 SOS) are in. The Golden Eagles also own two of four the C-USA wins over RPI top 50 teams (the league is 4-26 non-conference versus top 50).

If Marshall - which won 61-59 at UAB two weeks ago - rights itself, the Herd could be looking at one of those NCAA play-in games in Dayton, Ohio ... or disappointing, a high seed in the NIT.

The Herd entered the UAB game with an RPI of 45 - and anything below No. 55 gets shaky. Its strength of schedule was a strong 25. A non-league SOS of 26 is impressive, too.

Contrast that to last season.

On Selection Sunday, the Herd was 20-11 against Division I foes and had an RPI of 54. However, the strength of schedule was 72 and non-conference strength of schedule was a very mediocre 151.

In the final RPI top 57 of 2010-11, only Harvard, Cleveland State, Missouri State, St. Mary's, Colorado State and Marshall didn't make the NCAA field. Among those, only Colorado State didn't have an overall or non-conference SOS better than 100 ... and the Rams lost a killer five of their last six.

Scheduling is what could cost UCF (57 RPI) this season. The Knights strength of schedule is only 136, and their doughy non-league schedule - despite a win over Connecticut and losses to Harvard and Florida State - will hurt (216 non-league SOS).

The Blazers, who until Wednesday night appeared sinking to the worst record in history (it was 13-17 in 2001-02) for a quality program that started in 1978-79, knows what's needed and Coach Mike Davis scheduled accordingly.

UAB's strength of schedule was 23 coming to Huntington.

The Blazers played Creighton, Murray State, Wichita State, Kent State, Middle Tennessee, VCU and Florida, but including league games, is 2-10 against the RPI top 100.

So, while it's mostly whom you beat, it's also who you play. Until Wednesday night, the latter seemed to matter most in the Herd's case.

Now, it's the former. When you want to go dancing, you can't be losing - and listlessly - at home to a team tied for 10th in a 12-team conference.

Contact Sports Editor Jack Bogaczyk at ja...@dailymail.com or 304-348-7949.