Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders head coach Kermit Davis cuts down the net after securing the regular season conference title after MTSU's 82-64 win over WKU on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at The Murphy Center. (Austin Anthony / photo@bgdailynews.com)

Eleven teams will try this week to dethrone Middle Tennessee.

The Blue Raiders (24-6 overall, 16-2 Conference USA) are the top seed in the Conference USA Tournament, which starts Wednesday at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

MTSU clinched the top seed by winning the C-USA regular-season title for the second straight season.

The Blue Raiders are also two-time defending C-USA Tournament champions. They’ve earned the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid each of the last two years, then gone on to notch NCAA victories over Michigan State (2016) and Minnesota (2017).

Forward Nick King (21.2 points per game) is the star for coach Kermit Davis’ Middle Tennessee squad. Giddy Potts (13 ppg), Brandon Walters (10.7 ppg) and Antwain Johnson (10.3 ppg) make up a solid supporting cast.

The Blue Raiders handed Western Kentucky its only home loss of the conference season, beating the Hilltoppers 66-62 on Jan. 20 in E.A. Diddle Arena. Middle Tennessee won the rematch 82-64 on Thursday in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The Blue Raiders are 16-0 this season against C-USA teams not named Marshall but are 0-2 against the Thundering Herd. They fell 76-67 at home Saturday to Marshall to close the regular season.

Here’s a look at the other teams competing this week in Frisco. Rice (7-24, 4-14) and Charlotte (6-23, 2-16) didn’t qualify for the C-USA Tournament.

The contenders:

No. 2 Old Dominion (24-6, 15-3)

Leading scorer: Ahmad Caver, 14.4 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 75-68 on Jan. 11 in Norfolk, Va.; Lost 88-66 on Feb. 24 in Bowling Green

The Monarchs were eliminated from the C-USA Tournament three straight years (2014-16) by Middle Tennessee, then bowed out last year against Marshall.

ODU is 12-0 against the teams seeded Nos. 4-12 in this year’s tourney but a combined 0-3 against MTSU and WKU.

No. 3 WKU (22-9, 14-4)

Leading scorer: Justin Johnson, 14.8 ppg

The Hilltoppers were in the hunt for the C-USA regular-season title until losing Thursday at Middle Tennessee. Another loss Saturday at UAB dropped them to the No. 3 seed.

WKU boasts C-USA’s best offense, according to Ken Pomeroy metrics, but need to step up defensively after allowing 183 points last week to the Blue Raiders and Blazers.

No. 4 Marshall (21-10, 12-6)

Leading scorer: Jon Elmore, 22.8 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 112-87 on Jan. 6 in Huntington, W.Va.; Lost 85-74 on Jan. 27 in Bowling Green

The Thundering Herd is intriguing because it’s the only C-USA squad that’s defeated MTSU this year and has done it twice.

If Marshall can get by either UTSA or UTEP in the quarterfinals, it can potentially go for a three-game sweep of the Blue Raiders in the semifinals.

No. 6 Alabama-Birmingham (19-12, 10-8)

Leading scorer: Chris Cokley, 17.2 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 77-69 on Jan. 18 in Bowling Green; Won 101-73 on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

The Blazers go into the tournament on the heels of a 91-77 win Thursday against Marshall and their 28-point victory Saturday against WKU.

Guard Nate Darling hit all six of his 3-point attempts in the win against the Hilltoppers. His shooting can be an X-factor for a team that features big forwards Chris Cokley and William Lee.

The rest of the field:

No. 5 Texas-San Antonio (18-13, 11-7)

Leading scorer: Jhivvan Jackson, 18.4 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Won 74-63 on Feb. 3 in San Antonio

The Roadrunners looked like a sleeper possibility before losing Jhivvan Jackson for the season after a Feb. 24 knee injury.

No. 7 North Texas (15-16, 8-10)

Leading scorer: Roosevelt Smart, 18.8 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 102-94 on Feb. 15 in overtime in Denton, Texas

The Mean Green were 7-4 after a Feb. 8 win at UAB but then lost six of their final seven games to finish the regular season.

No. 8 Florida International (14-17, 8-10)

Leading scorer: Brian Beard Jr., 15.9 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 83-76 on Feb. 10 in Bowling Green

Panthers guard Brian Beard Jr. ranks third across Division I with 89 steals this season.

No. 9 Southern Mississippi (14-17, 7-11)

Leading scorer: Cortez Edwards, 15.6 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 82-66 on Dec. 30 in Bowling Green

The Golden Eagles won at least 10 games this season for the first time since going 29-7 in 2013-14.

No. 10 Louisiana Tech (16-15, 7-11)

Leading scorer: Jacobi Boykins, 14.6 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 69-68 on Dec. 28 in Bowling Green

The Bulldogs were picked in the preseason to finish third in the standings but started C-USA play 1-5 and never climbed out of that hole.

No. 11 Florida Atlantic (12-18, 6-12)

Leading scorer: Ronald Delph, 14.2 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 75-63 on Feb. 8 in Bowling Green

The Owls’ problems include ranking No. 347 of 351 Division I teams in 2-point field-goal shooting (42 percent) vs. D-I teams.

No. 12 Texas-El Paso (11-19, 6-12)

Leading scorer: Omega Harris, 11.8 ppg

Results vs. WKU: Lost 72-60 on Feb. 1 in El Paso, Texas

Phil Johnson took over as the Miners’ interim coach after Tim Floyd’s early-season retirement and hasn’t made a strong case for the full-time job.{&end}