HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University's Chris Lutz is familiar with the excitement of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

And, he wants to go again.

"That would be great to have this team and our fans experience it," Lutz said during Marshall Media Day.

The 6-foot-3 Thundering Herd senior guard went to the NCAA tournament as a sophomore playing for Purdue University.

Purdue earned a bid to the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional in New Orleans. Purdue defeated Arizona, 72-63, with Lutz scoring 16. Eventual national champion Florida downed Purdue in the second round, 74-67. Lutz had two points in the loss.

It was an experience he'd like to relive.

"There's nothing like the NCAA tournament," Lutz said.

Ironically, Marshall head coach Donnie Jones was a Florida assistant coach in 2007 and had a scouting report on Lutz, who landed with the Herd as a transfer and sat out the 2007-08 season. He made a splash last season when Marshall had a 15-17 record by averaging 10.7 points per game, with 37 in an overtime win against Tulane.

Marshall plays a Tuesday, Nov. 10 exhibition game against West Virginia Wesleyan in Cam Henderson Center before opening the season Nov. 15 at home against North Carolina A&T.

Lutz has strived to be an all-around player, but his reputation is as a shooter.

Last season he was fourth in Conference USA for 3-point shooting percentage at 37.4, making 65 of 174 attempts. Lutz set Purdue's freshman record with 53 3-pointers as a freshman. He was the Big Ten Conference leader as a sophomore at 47.2 percent (58 of 123).

He was identified as one of the nation's top 50 shooters for the 2009-10 season by FoxSports.com.

"Chris has NBA range, great form, terrific focus and the ability to get his own off the dribble," Jones said in the online report.

Lutz, forward Tyler Wilkerson and guard Darryl Merthie are the only Marshall seniors on a youthful team that has nine freshmen and sophomores.

The recruits include 7-foot freshman Hassan Whiteside.

"I haven't played with anybody that tall," Lutz said. "He's real talented. He has a high ceiling."

Conference USA is more wide open than ever, Lutz said.

Although the conference doesn't have an official preseason prediction poll, teams such as Memphis, Tulsa, Houston and UTEP are expected to finish high, with Marshall projected to move up from last season's sixth-place tie in the standings.

"It's tough to see who is the one through five (teams), Lutz said.

C-USA regular season finishes matter, but it's the conference tournament results that determine who makes an NCAA appearance.

Marshall has been to the NCAA tournament five times, but not since 1987.

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