Making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013, WKU earned a No. 15 seed in the “Big Dance” and will face Big East runner-up Marquette in the first round.

It marks the first time that the Hilltoppers have clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as a member of CUSA. WKU (22-11) and Marquette (25-9) will square off at 1 p.m. CT Friday inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be shown nationally on TBS.

WKU captured its first CUSA Basketball Championship title with a 78-71 win over No. 5 UTEP on Saturday night in the final contest of the 2024 CUSA Basketball Championships.

Don McHenry, a First-Team All-CUSA selection, was named the tournament MVP after he capped off his week with 25 points in Saturday's contest, including 10 points during a 20-4 stretch by the Tops to take the lead for good.

He averaged 16.0 points on 47.5 percent shooting over three games in the tournament, along with 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. During the season, McHenry accounted for team-highs in scoring (15.2), field-goal percentage (.464) and assists per game (2.5).

WKU ranks first among all Division I programs in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom ratings, as the Hilltoppers average 75.1 possessions per 40 minutes. WKU has cashed in on that tempo to the tune of 80.6 points per game, which also leads CUSA and ranks 31st nationally.

The Hilltoppers also rank in the top-30 nationally in bench points (17th, 28.94), fastbreak points (28th, 13.70), defensive rebounds (7th, 29.30) and rebounds (19th, 39.82). WKU features nine players averaging at least 6.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Marquette finished as the No. 3 seed in the Big East and fell to defending National Champion UConn in the Big East title game. The Golden Eagles are led by Tyler Kolek, who averages 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and a Division I best 7.6 assists per game.