Murray St. @ West Virginia preview

West Virginia takes its pressing defense into a fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance when it takes on No. 12 seed Murray State in the first round of the East Region on Friday in San Diego. The fifth-seeded Mountaineers, who were knocked out in the Sweet 16 by Gonzaga last season, utilized their frenetic style to force 16.5 turnovers per game - 10th-most in the country - and record a turnover margin of plus-five, third nationally.

Their run in the Big 12 Tournament ended with an 81-70 loss to Kansas on Saturday, but they will present a challenge to anyone in their way in the NCAAs. "Very versatile," senior leader Jevon Carter said of his team before the loss to the Jayhawks. "Can do a lot of different things. We can play fast. We can play slow. We can guard. We can score. Just very versatile." The Racers of the Ohio Valley Conference are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2012 and carry a 13-game winning streak - the longest active run in the country - into the event. They are led by OVC Player of the Year Jonathan Stark, who led the conference in scoring (21.8 points per game) and was 10th nationally in made 3-pointers with 109.

TV: 3:50 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT MURRAY STATE (26-5): Stark, a senior, has averaged 26.1 points over his last eight games, including 24 in the OVC Tournament title game against Belmont. The Racers also have the league's second-ranked assist man in freshman Ja Morant, who hands out 6.4 per game, and its second-ranked rebounder in Terrell Miller Jr. (8.3). Murray State has held nine consecutive opponents to 66 points or fewer and entered Sunday ranked 25th in the country in scoring defense (65.5) and eighth in 3-point percentage defense, limiting opponents to 30.6 percent from beyond the arc.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (24-10): Carter was an All-Big 12 first-team selection and won the league's Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight time after averaging 17 points, 6.6 assists and 2.85 steals - fifth in the country. Three other Mountaineers score in double digits, including big man Sagaba Konate, who joined Carter on the All-Defensive Team while recording 3.3 blocks per game. Daxter Miles Jr. averaged 22 points while making 15-of-27 3-pointers in the Big 12 Tournament and will be looking to bounce back from last season's NCAAs, during which he averaged nine points while shooting 39.1 percent.

TIP-INS

1. The winner faces either No. 4 seed Wichita State or No. 13 Marshall in the second round on Sunday.

2. This marks the first meeting between the two programs.

3. Huggins is making his 24th NCAA Tournament appearance - fourth all time - and his ninth at West Virginia, which he guided to the Final Four in 2010.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 72, Murray State 64