Western Kentucky Hilltoppers guard Lamonte Bearden (1) inbounds the ball during WKU’s 81-76 loss to UTSA on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at E. A. Diddle Arena. (Austin Anthony/photo@bgdailynews.com)

There’s been parity across the board this season in Conference USA. And that has Rick Stansbury thinking the field is wide open this week for the league’s annual tournament.

“There are really eight teams with not much separation,” the Western Kentucky coach said. “There haven’t been many blowouts anywhere.

“It’s a fine line. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done to this point. It’s one game at a time – three games to win a championship. That’s what it’s about.”

The Hilltoppers (18-13 overall, 11-7 C-USA) enter the tourney in Frisco, Texas, as a No. 2 seed. They’ll face No. 7 seed Florida International (19-12, 10-8) or No. 10 seed North Texas (20-11, 8-10) at 8:30 p.m. Thursday on Court A at The Star.

Stadium will broadcast that C-USA quarterfinal online, with WKU-PBS airing it locally.

WKU’s No. 2 seed is its highest since joining C-USA for the 2014-15 season. The Toppers seek their first league tournament championship – and automatic NCAA Tournament berth – since winning the Sun Belt Conference tourney in 2013.

“We’re excited because we know at the end of the day, somebody’s got to beat us in a win-or-go-home situation,” WKU forward Marek Nelson. “We’ve got confidence that we’ll be able to do what we’ve got to do to bring it home.”

Of the 12 teams competing this week in Frisco, 11 finished with league records that ranged from 8-10 to 11-7. Only No. 1 seed Old Dominion (23-8, 11-5) finished outside that range, though the Monarchs showed vulnerabilities last week by losing their final two regular-season games.

ODU is built around productive senior guards Ahmad Caver (16.9 points per game, 5.4 assists per game) and B.J. Stith (17.3 ppg). Both were nominated for the Conference USA Player of the Year award.

Coach Jeff Jones’ Monarchs led C-USA during league play in offensive rebounding percentage (33.6 percent) and blocked-shot percentage (13.6 percent), according to KenPom. Scoring can be a struggle at times, though, as they rank 13th of 14 squads in effective field-goal percentage (47.7).

WKU twice took Old Dominion into the final minutes in Norfolk, Va., losing both meetings by a combined seven points.

The Hilltoppers feature the league’s best big man in center Charles Bassey (15 ppg, 9.9 rebounds per game, 62.9 field-goal percentage).

WKU will look to hit just enough 3s to open space near the basket for Bassey and for penetrating guards. The Tops have hit 32.2 percent of their 3-point shots in C-USA play, which ranks 11th, and score 27.4 percent of their points from 3-point range, which ranks 14th.

WKU enters with one of the league’s youngest squads. No Hilltopper has played in more than one C-USA Tournament, though starters Lamonte Bearden and Jared Savage have postseason experience at prior stops in their careers.

“It’s going to be some of (the younger players’) first experience,” the redshirt senior guard Bearden said. “I’ll just tell them to go out and have fun.”

No. 3 seed Southern Mississippi (19-11, 11-7) sported C-USA’s most efficient offense during league play, scoring an opponent-adjusted 107.7 points per 100 possessions.

Coach Doc Sadler’s squad led the league in effective field-goal percentage (54.9), 3-point percentage (41.2) and percentage of made field goals that were assisted (60.1).

The fourth team to earn a bye into Thursday’s quarterfinals is No. 4 seed Texas-San Antonio (17-14, 11-7). Coach Steve Henson’s Roadrunners feature the prolific scoring duo of guards Jhivvan Jackson (22.4 ppg) and Keaton Wallace (20.5 ppg).

An intriguing team beyond the top four is No. 6 seed Marshall (18-13, 11-7). Coach Dan D’Antoni’s team won this event a year ago, beating WKU in the title game, before making the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Thundering Herd endured a 1-7 stretch from Jan. 21-Feb. 14 that knocked it down into the second five-team tier of C-USA’s bonus-play format. Marshall heated up after that lull and has won five straight heading into this week.

“We’re not finished yet,” guard Jon Elmore (19.9 ppg) said Saturday after the Herd won its regular-season finale. “Our goal is to go down there to Frisco and win four games in four days and go back to the Big Dance.”{&end}