MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — Donnie Tyndall came to Morehead State in 2006 tasked with rebuilding arguably one of the worst programs in the country.

Consider the project ahead of schedule.

The Eagles enter 2009-10 bearing the weight of high expectations. It’s what happens after capturing your first Ohio Valley Conference title in a quarter century, then winning a game in the NCAA tournament before giving No. 1 Louisville a brief scare.

Now Morehead State finds itself as the preseason pick to win the OVC behind preseason Player of the Year selection Kenneth Faried, whose emergence as a dominant presence midway through last season powered the Eagles to a 20-15 record and their first NCAA bid since 1984.

“It’s nice in Year Four that we have some expectations on our team and our program,” Tyndall said. “When I came here four years ago, we were coming off two straight last-place finishes. We were picked 11th the first year and 10th the second year.”

Those days seem like a long time ago. The Eagles have one of the deepest teams in the league. Tyndall thinks he can go seven-deep off the bench, a luxury he didn’t have when he arrived on campus.

“It’s the most talented team I’ve had,” he said.

The Eagles will need to rely on that talent to survive a brutal schedule that includes a visit to Rupp Arena on Friday to take on No. 4 Kentucky.

Yet it’s nothing the Eagles haven’t seen before. And in Faried they have a player to build around. He blossomed as a sophomore, averaging 13.9 points, 13.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, numbers that only got better as the season progressed. He averaged 16 points and 15.2 rebounds in the OVC tournament and collected 21 rebounds in a win over Florida A&M in the NCAA tournament’s opening game.

“The biggest thing about Kenneth is he’s a tremendous worker,” Tyndall said. “He came in as a freshman at 185 pounds and benched 200 pounds. Two years later he’s at 226 and benches over 300 pounds. It’s a tribute to Kenneth’s attitude and work ethic.”

Faried, however, is far from the only star. Senior guard Maze Stallworth averaged 12.1 points a game last year and had a knack for knocking down the big shot. He’ll be called on to make defenses pay for doubling Faried.

There’s a wealth of options Tyndall didn’t have when he started the rebuilding process. He knows the time is now for the Eagles to take the next step. And he’s not content with just trying to make the NCAAs.

“We know our team is good,” he said. “Our goal is to play in the Sweet 16 this year. That may sound corny or overbearing, but those are our goals. I’m not a guy that sets limitations. I think we have a very hardworking bunch of guys.”