WKU opens up its 2024 Conference USA tournament slate against New Mexico State Thursday, with a trip to the Semifinals on the line.
The 2024 C-USA Men’s Basketball tournament has already been one for the books. No. 9 Florida International took down No. 8 Jacksonville State, followed by No. 7 Middle Tennessee’s shocking upset over No. 2 Louisiana Tech.
The Hilltoppers come into the game with history on their side. WKU is 10-2 all-time against the Aggies, with their most recent win coming less than a month ago as the Hilltoppers sent NMSU packing after a 14-point win.
With four teams tied at 7-9 through conference play, it took three rounds of tiebreakers for WKU to get their opponent. Liberty, who clinched the No. 5 seed, did so with a win over No. 1 Sam Houston at the end of January.
UTEP, NMSU, and MTSU each finished their season with an 0-2 record against the conference leader, so a second tiebreaker was enacted. Each of the three teams played Jacksonville State twice, thus allowing the teams to be chosen based on their record versus JSU.
UTEP and NMSU swept the Gamecocks in the regular season, while MTSU split their series, securing the Blue Raiders their seeding. In the third tiebreaker, the Miners and Aggies’ Rating Percentage Index was evaluated to determine the sixth seed.
This will be New Mexico State’s first taste of C-USA conference play, as they are a part of the new arrivals. However, last season the Aggies still didn’t have a postseason run.
In February 2023, New Mexico State announced that they would be suspending their operations of the Men’s Basketball Team for the remainder of the season, forfeiting their final six games, and not taking part in the Western Atheltic Conference tournament.
However, the year before, the Aggies got a taste of victory, defeating Abilene Christian in the WAC championship to receive a chance to play in the NCAA tournament, where they’d upset No. 5 UConn before falling to No. 4 Arkansas in the Second Round.
The Hilltoppers have not had quite the same success in March. WKU has not reached the C-USA championship since the 2018-2019 season and hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since they defeated Florida Atlantic in the 2012-2013 Sun Belt Championship.
The Hilltoppers are attempting to repeat the success of their decade-old counterparts, with a charge led by junior guard, Don McHenry. McHenry is riding off the back of a C-USA All-Conference selection, as his 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists have played a crucial role in securing the Hilltoppers’ third seed.
However, off the back of a four-game losing streak, it’s been freshman guard, Teagan Moore, who WKU has been relying on.
Moore’s 12.5 points on 54.8% from the field and 2.7 rebounds per game in the team’s last six games could emphasize the team’s reliance on their All-Conference Freshman player in the playoffs.
The Aggies will look to rely on their dynamic duo of senior guard, Christian Cook, and junior guard, Femi Odukale. Cook’s 11 points and 2.4 rebounds alongside Odukale’s 10.8 points and 6.6 rebounds have been vital in the Aggies’ back-to-back wins in the final two games of the season.
The game will tip off at 8:00 CST on ESPN+.
