MTSU vs. Western Kentucky: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

The top two teams in Conference USA face off in MTSU and Western Kentucky. Is there even more than first place in the league on the line?

TV schedule: Saturday, Jan. 20,7:00 p.m. ET. Check Local Listings

Arena: E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky

After six games played by each team in Conference USA, the hierarchy of the league has been set. UAB, Marshall, and Old Dominion have certainly played well, but there are two teams that have stuck out from the non-conference.

Middle Tennessee 13-5 (4-1) has taken the momentum from the shocking first-round upset over Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament and has become one of the better mid-major programs in the country. That makes it easier to get some high-major level transfers if available, and that’s what happened with former Alabama forward Nick King.

The senior is the front-runner for Player of the Year in the league, averaging 21.4 ppg and 7.9 rpg. His running mate is the lone holdover from the Spartan win in Giddy Potts, second on the team with 13.2 ppg.

The non-conference for this team is literally a few points away from being a solid at-large resume. They lost to Miami, USC, and Auburn each by just six points or less. They have a pair of wins over SEC opponents Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, but both are bottom teams in the league. Now, it’s looking like the auto-bid is the way to go after losing on Thursday to Marshall.

One team that does have at-large hopes is Western Kentucky 14-5 (6-0), a team that has two great neutral court wins from the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in SMU and Purdue. Ironically, the one-point loss at Wisconsin could become their worst defeat on the resume.

Like the Blue Raiders, the Hilltoppers also use high-major transfers to get talent and have five players averaging in double-digits. That depth and balance can’t be replicated by other USA teams, shown by the 6-0 start themselves.

Next: Does Conference USA have a shot at multiple bids?

Both teams have an outside shot to not need the auto-bid to get in. But in order to do that, more top 100 wins are needed, which is what this game provides for the winner. This ultimately becomes the battle between the best player, versus the balanced attack. I think King has a big game but won’t overcome the combined effort of WKU at their house.

Prediction: Western Kentucky 80 – Middle Tennessee 73