Although it suffered a heartbreaking 61-57 loss to North Texas in the Conference USA Tournament championship on Saturday and missed out on a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, Western Kentucky is still getting the opportunity to extend its season.
The Hilltoppers – a No. 3 seed for the National Invitation Tournament – open play Wednesday with a first-round matchup with No. 2 seed Saint Mary's at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT with ESPN2 carrying a national broadcast.
Western Kentucky (20-7) vs. Saint Mary's (14-9)
When: Wednesday, March 17 | 8 p.m. CT
Where: Comerica Center | Frisco, Texas
TV: ESPN2
KenPom prediction: Saint Mary's by 2 – 64-62
WKU would've certainly liked to have heard its name called during the NCAA's March Madness Selection Show on Sunday, but the loss the North Texas in the C-USA final kept the Hilltoppers out of the Big Dance another year.
However, there's still basketball to be played – and the Tops have the chance to put together another NIT run, just like they did in 2018 when they made it to the final four at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
"Naturally, you know how much pain and hurt our guys had," WKU coach Rick Stansbury said. "There's no denying that and there's no hiding that. It's a time where naturally a healing process has to go on, and today we were able to shoot in the arena we play at. It's a challenge for our young guys, but knowing who they are and the character that they have, our guys will get up and find a way to be ready again."
WKU will face off with a Saint Mary's team that is coming off a 78-55 loss to No. 1 ranked Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals. The Gaels got down 44-26 at halftime and shot just 36.1% from the field en route to the loss. Logan Johnson led the way for Saint Mary's with 15 points, while Tommy Kuhse scored 13.
The Gaels – who are two-point favorites according to KenPom.com – come into Wednesday's contest averaging 64.1 points per game on 42% shooting. Johnson leads the way with 13.5 points per game, while Kuhse averages 12.6 points and 4.8 assists and Matthias Tass adds 10.8 points.
Defensively, Saint Mary's allows its opponents to score 62.3 points each outing and shoot 42.9%. The Gaels commit 11.3 turnovers and force their opponents into 12.5.
Wednesday will mark the third all-time meeting between WKU and Saint Mary's, with the series being tied at 1-1. The Hilltoppers recorded a 71-68 win over the Gaels on December 22, 2018 at E.A. Diddle Arena to close out a home-and-home series.
"I think going into the NIT there's two different types of teams," Stansbury said. "There's teams who are disappointed and there's teams that are happy to be in it. There's some teams that didn't even think they were going to be in the NIT who are happy to be playing. There's some that are disappointed they're not in the NCAA Tournament. That's kind of the difference.
"We're one of those disappointed. If you can win that first one, as time goes on there's a healing process that takes place. This year, you've just got to win four to win that championship. The biggest one is that first one."
WILLIAMS OUT FOR FIRST-ROUND NIT GAME
Stansbury told reporters on a Zoom call Tuesday afternoon that forward Carson Williams would miss the Hilltoppers' game vs. Saint Mary's as he has hopes of playing in the NFL and has an NFL pro day coming up.
"He didn't opt-out," Stansbury said. "He didn't walk away. He's the ultimate team guy."
If WKU wins on Wednesday, it's uncertain whether or not Williams would re-join the team for the quarterfinals.
– Tyler Mansfield is the managing editor and primary beat reporter for InsideHilltopperSports.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RivalsMansfield. –
