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Western Kentucky is back in the Louisville Bubble

Snip snap, snip snap.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: DEC 01 Tennessee State at Western Kentucky Photo by Steve Roberts/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

First they were in, then they were out, then they were a maybe ... and now, Western Kentucky is officially signed on to take part in the Louisville Bubble next month.

The Hilltoppers were originally scheduled to play at Louisville on the opening night of the 2020-21 season. The two teams squared off in Nashville last season, with the Cards running away with a 71-54 victory.

It’s not difficult to make the case that Western Kentucky will be the strongest team in this event outside of Louisville. The Hilltoppers went 20-10 last season and were set to be the No. 2 seed in the ill-fated Conference USA tournament. Headlined by former five-star center recruit Charles Bassey, Rick Stansbury returns four starters who all averaged double figures in scoring last season. WKU also adds an electric true point guard in Lipscomb transfer Kenny Cooper, a player who had a terrific game in a near upset of Louisville two years ago.

While there is word that Louisville is still looking to add one more team to the event, here’s what the field looks like at the moment:

Louisville
Western Kentucky
Duquesne
UNC Greensboro
Winthrop
Arkansas-Little Rock
Southern Illinois
Prairie View A&M

We’re just over a month away from basketball being back inside the KFC Yum Center.