WKU men’s basketball will play in the Myrtle Beach Invitational early in the 2018-19 season, the school announced Wednesday. 

The Hilltoppers will join an eight-team field that also features West Virginia, Wake Forest, Valparaiso, UCF, Saint Joseph’s, Cal State Fullerton and one other team yet to be announced. 

“We are excited to launch the Myrtle Beach Invitational,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN senior vice president of college sports programming and ESPN Events, according to a press release. “After collaborating with Visit Myrtle Beach and the city of Myrtle Beach to move last year’s Puerto Rico Tip-Off to the area due to the effects of Hurricane Maria, we saw first-hand the community’s outstanding facilities and passion for college basketball. Based on that experience, we determined that Myrtle Beach would be an ideal location for college basketball teams and their fans to visit each November.”

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The tournament will take place Nov. 15, 16 and 18 at the HTC Center in Conway, South Carolina. 

WKU is 11-5 against West Virginia, Saint Joseph’s and UCF all-time. The Hilltoppers have not played the other teams in the field. 

WKU will look to build on the success of last season’s November tournament, as the Hilltoppers upset Southern Methodist and Purdue in back-to-back games while competing in the Battle 4 Atlantis. 

This tournament adds to WKU’s 2018-19 schedule that already featured games against Wisconsin, Saint Mary’s and Austin Peay, as well as games at Arkansas, Indiana State, Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky and Wright State. 

Sports Editor Jeremy Chisenhall can be reached at 270-745-6291 and [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JSChisenhall.