WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men’s basketball team earned the No. 4 seed in the South Region and will face No. 13-seed North Texas in Friday’s first round.

The Boilermakers are making their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, tied for the second-longest streak in school history and it’s the seventh-longest active streak currently in the NCAA.

Purdue enters Friday’s first round with an 18-9 overall record, having won 11 of its last 15 games. Purdue is led by first-team All-Big Ten selection Trevion Williams and All-Big Ten Freshman team members Zach Edey and Jaden Ivey. The Boilermakers are one of the country’s top defensive teams, ranking 23^rd nationally in defensive efficiency.

North Texas, meanwhile, will be making its first NCAA appearance since 2010 and its No. 13 seed is its highest in school history. The Mean Green earned an automatic bid to the NCAA after defeating Western Kentucky 61-57 in overtime on Saturday night. Senior point guard Javion Hamlet was named the Conference USA Tournament MVP while classmate Zachary Simmons was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Mean Green are 17-9 overall having won four games in four days in the Conference USA Tournament to earn the auto-bid. Four players average in double figures, led by Hamlet (6-4 guard) at 15.0 points and 4.5 assists per game. He also shoots 36.8 percent from 3-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. James Reese (6-4 guard) averages 10.8 points, Thomas Bell (6-6 forward) contributes 10.3 points and Simmons (6-10 center) averaged 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds.

The Mean Green is one of the top defensive teams in the country, holding opponents to just 61.2 points per game. North Texas plays one of the slowest paces in the country, ranking 350^th in tempo.

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