Although football is the most popular sport by far in West Virginia, basketball is not far down the list of relevance. Its position largely depends on the strength of the state’s two Division I programs – West Virginia and Marshall – and the typical highs and lows that any college program endures.

Earlier this month, West Virginia was in the national spotlight thanks to the way their schedule aligned, facing #1 Kansas on a Tuesday and then visiting #2 Oklahoma the following Saturday. After a confident performance over the Jayhawks, the Mountaineers took the Sooners to the wire in Norman, before the hosts prevailed on a late tip-in. WVU is part of a tie for the Big 12 lead as the season heads into the final two months before Selection Sunday.

As January comes to a close, Marshall is now entering similar circumstances. The Thundering Herd won in convincing fashion Thursday night over Middle Tennessee, in a battle of teams that began the game tied for 2nd in Conference USA. Not long after that matchup went final, UAB suffered a shock loss to Western Kentucky, meaning the Blazers and Thundering Herd are now tied for the league lead. The two teams will meet each other Saturday in Huntington, West Virginia.

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Marshall, in their second year under former playing legend Dan D’Antoni. Expectations were hopeful for an improvement from 2014-15, but after an exhibition loss to Division II Newberry, the Thundering Herd dropped their first six regular season contests. Whatever woes they faced in non-conference play, however, have quickly disappeared with the start of Conference USA play. Five straight wins to open league play have quickly brought attention to the program, and even a loss at Charlotte was not enough to slow the momentum. James Kelly has established as an early favorite for C-USA Player of the Year, with several Player of the Week honors already this season.

Saturday’s game against the Blazers presents a major opportunity that Marshall can show they’re a team to be taken seriously. With CBS Sports Network airing the game nationwide, expect an energized team performance as first place in the conference is up for grabs. It will also serve as a notice for how the Herd’s remaining games play out. Will a loss commence a disappointing season’s end or can they win and keep the impressive momentum going?