BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU will play Drake in the first round of the 2015 Gulf Coast Showcase on Monday, Nov. 23 at 5:00 PM (CT), announced Tuesday by the tournament.
The Hilltoppers will then face either Central Michigan or Weber State on day two, before concluding play on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The tournament is played at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla. WKU hosts Campbellsville on Saturday, Nov. 14 in an opening game of the exempt tournament.
WKU and Drake met once previously in one of the most memorable games in Hilltopper Basketball history. WKU defeated the Bulldogs in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, 101-99 in overtime, on a buzzer-beater by Ty Rogers. The 12th-seeded Hilltoppers then knocked off San Diego in the second round to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
WKU is joined by Murray State, Central Michigan, Drake, Duquesne, Milwaukee, Pepperdine and Weber State in the field. Each team will play three games in the tournament over three days leading up to Thanksgiving. Green Bay won the showcase last year, and fellow Conference USA school LA Tech was the inaugural tournament champion in 2013.
All-session tickets for the tournament are on-sale now, and single-session tickets will be available later this summer. Tickets may also be purchased in a package with hotel accommodations at the official hotel of the tournament.
For more information on the 2015 Gulf Coast Showcase, visit www.GulfCoastShowcase.com.
Hilltopper Basketball on the Map: With a third-straight 20-win season in 2014-15, WKU and head coach Ray Harper entered into exclusive company.
- WKU and LA Tech are the only schools in Conference USA to win 20 or more games in each of the last three seasons
- The Hilltoppers are one of just 46 schools in the nation to currently have a streak of three-straight 20-win seasons
- Ray Harper joins 21 other head coaches since 2000-01 to record three 20-win campaigns in his first three full seasons as a Division I head coach
