As the National Championship is now set to play tonight, we have sat here in depression for a few weeks, staring at the wall and wondering why we can’t have nice things. Western Kentucky Basketball once again did not participate in anything in the postseason, other than a first round exit to Kennesaw State.

After digging not one but two double digit holes to start the first and second half against Kennesaw State, WKU managed to tie the game once, but KSU took back control and ultimately won in crunch time.

For the second year in a row, WKU lost in its first game of the CUSA Tourney, and this time, they were the favorite by Vegas (-1.5) and they were the seeding favorite. This was one they should have won. And judging by the fact that they went -20+ in certain spurts in combined starts to each half and only lost by nine, there was enough opportunity for WKU to win. Frustratingly, it was there for the Tops despite the issues.

But just like all but a handful of teams still competing, every fan base is looking to next year. How does the recruiting class look? Who’s going into the portal? What momentum is taken into next season as a program?

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Andrew’s Anecdotes

It seems like it was only yesterday that the Hilltoppers ran the table in the Conference USA Tournament to secure their first NCAA Tournament appearance in over a decade under first year head coach Steve Lutz. Fast forward a little bit and the Hilltoppers are now on a new NCAA Tournament drought, now entering the second straight season where the NCAA Tournament does not feature the Hilltoppers. Some fans are beginning to wonder if the current head coach, Hank Plona, is the man to return the Hilltoppers to being a constant during March Madness.

Following the improbable CUSA title run in 2024, first-year head coach Steve Lutz become the only one-year WKU head coach in history — as he would leave for Oklahoma State. I suppose in order to offer forth some continuity for the program having made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in over a decade, the decision was made to hire then assistant Hank Plona to take over. After two seasons as the head coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Hank Plona has a record of 35-29. In Plona’s first season at the helm that saw the return of most of 2024’s roster, WKU went 17-15 and one-and-done in the Conference USA Tournament.

This past season, Plona saw the Hilltoppers improve their win total by one game more than his first year with a completely new roster, finishing the year 18-14. Again, the Hilltoppers would lose their first game in the Conference USA tournament, falling to Kennesaw State who eventually would go on to be the conference champion. A familiar feeling for Hilltopper fans over the last decade or so, we get an early opportunity to look toward next year and wonder when - if ever - the WKU Basketball program returns to being a consistent NCAA Tournament school.

One thing is almost certain, coach Hank Plona — barring any unforeseen circumstances — will be returning as the head coach of the Hilltopper basketball team for his third season. Further supporting this argument is the fact that WKU opted to retain Lady Toppers head coach, Greg Collins. Collins and the Lady Toppers basketball team finished dead last in Conference USA at 8-21 (4-14 in conference), with the athletic department essentially taking the brunt of the blame for the dismal year. Athletic Director Todd Stewart announced that WKU’s boosters championed for Collins’ return and Stewart seems positive that the new pledges of donations will allow for Collins to return the Lady Tops to being competitive (and hopefully bring a championship to the Red and White).

So, I am led to believe that AD Stewart will pursue similar efforts in securing resources for the men’s team as well, doing whatever possible within the realm of what is possible to give the men’s team the best odds of succeeding next year. Not to overstate things, I have no reason to doubt Todd Stewart’s ability to do just that. The rest will be up to Hank Plona to make a significant stride in year three.

Many Hilltopper fans, myself included (and 1/3 in a Towel Rack poll shortly after the KSU loss), have already determined in their minds that Plona is not the man to take Hilltopper Basketball to the next level. In his short body of work, I have witnessed an offense that almost every single game, looks disjointed and has - in my opinion - showed little to no growth. Individual players may have had good games, often the case with Teegan Moore, but in some cases, players have demonstrated regressions. Regardless, Plona is the man for WKU for 2026-27.

Armelo Boone, although riddled with a nagging ankle injury half the year, started the year being arguably Western’s second best player and demonstrated flashes of being a real dog on defense. As the year went on, Boone became rather inconsistent. Plona’s Hilltopper teams, in both seasons, have been one of the poorer shooting teams in all of college basketball. Plona all season long had too many mouthes to feed in his rotation, opting for small-ball lineups and utilizing hardly any forward/center depth. In his defense, one of the best forward/centers on the team (Bryant Selebanque) went down early with a season ending injury, but WKU became susceptible to utter domination in the paint.

Personally, as a fan, I would prefer WKU went in a different direction. But I understand why the athletics department should show some grace. I also accept the notion that working in athletics is not the same as being a fan, and I do not know everything. So with Plona returning for year three, what is there to look toward?

Well firstly, given the current landscape of college sports, it would not be all too surprising if the 2026-27 Hilltopper basketball team fielded a completely different roster next year. With NIL and the transfer portal, I would begin to accept the notion of a smaller university like WKU constantly fielding new look rosters each year. Any player worth their salt who performs well for the Hilltoppers will likely, at the very least, test the transfer portal to gauge their NIL market for bigger schools. If they don’t, they must be incredibly determined to be Hilltoppers regardless of the potential temptation. Players who perhaps do not see much playing time could also test their value elsewhere. Traditional roster building as we knew it is gone.

WKU will be seeing the loss of nine seniors, most notably Grant Newell and Terrion Murdix. Newell was the most notable contributor as a big, and Murdix was the essentially the lone true point guard all season long. Their contributions will be missed and there are not, as it stands currently, players in the waiting to take their spots. That will likely change once the portal is in full swing, which as a fan is super annoying. I like to know a little bit going into next year with my sports teams, but this is the way things work now.

The biggest question marks on the current roster are almost certainly what happens with regards to Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone. Moore was by far and away the best player for the Hilltoppers this season and would command a decent pay day on the open transfer market. Boone, who was initially my favorite player on the team, could look to also test his NIL value, or even find more consistent playing opportunities elsewhere. The fact of the matter is that, as it stands, we just do not know a whole lot yet. That could all change in a matter of hours or days, who knows.

As a Hilltopper fan who is going into next season with very little optimism (which let’s be honest, is pretty on brand for me anyways), seeing either Moore, Boone, or even both return would be a major coup for the Hilltoppers in my opinion.

If you’re to get more info on WKU’s roster and how it develops, make sure you follow the WKU Basketball Roster Tracker.

Incoming Freshman (3)

WKU does currently have three commits going into next year that will be true freshmen. The prospect I am most excited about prospect is forward Gabe Weis. Rated by most outlets as a three-star, I am unable to currently confirm whether he is 6’6”, 6’7”, or 6’8” as each individual outlet has a different listed height — but the taller the better. The Hilltoppers need some big men next year, at least ones that Plona has enough confidence in playing solid minutes.

From what I have been able to read, Weis is a very well-rounded player who would likely become an immediate contributor for the Hilltoppers next year. Also, he is originally from Washington County (Springfield), Kentucky — which is about 20-30 minutes from where I grew up in Bardstown. So I am rooting for him for that reason alone.

Cole Edelen, PG: Male High School - Louisville, KY

Another exciting prospect slated to play for the Hilltoppers next season is three-star guard, Cole Edelen. A 6’2” guard out of Louisville, Edelen is referred to by various pundits as the ‘best shooter in the state of Kentucky,’ and chose the Hilltoppers over the likes of Pittsburgh and others. Also, Cole Edelen is the brother of current Hilltopper Jack Edelen, who fascinatingly enough has announced he will be entering the transfer portal. WKU certainly lacked depth in terms of having players who could excel as a true point guard outside of Terrion Murdix, so Edelen could be one of those players who is immediately able to jump in and contribute right away. Of course there has been little movement in the transfer portal yet, so it remains to be seen if Jack will find another home, stay here, or (hopefully not) be left without a home.

Gavin Murphy, PG: West Jessamine High School, Nicholasville KY

Murphy, a 5’11” guard, was a more low-key signing. Any information about him as a player from any of these so-called “recruiting websites” is locked behind a pay wall. But from what brief reading I could find about him (for free), Murphy certainly plays above his 5’11” height. Regardless, WKU’s recruiting class stands to be pretty good, assuming they fill in some gaps in the transfer portal, get some good JUCO players, and/or land some high level high school recruits.

Summing Up 2025-26

Going into the 2025-26 campaign, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the roster — as many players from the year prior opted to seek out greener pastures in the transfer portal (more NIL money was also a major factor). Therefore in short time, Hilltopper fans would be curious to see what the first complete roster overhaul would look like under Hank Plona. I, for one, was very anxious seeing a brand new team of unfamiliar players slated to field the basketball roster. I did research on the individual players and my anxieties were strengthened when it became clear that players on the roster could essentially be sorted into four types of players:

1. Contributors at lower-level programs, or even below D-I.

2. Players coming off of significant injuries

3. Freshmen

4. Players from larger programs who did not see much playing time, or make meaningful contributions.

All of that being said, I would have to argue that I was ultimately wrong in my initial expectations of the Hilltoppers from a roster perspective. As far as talent goes, I believe that credit must given to Plona in terms of assembling a roster.

Teegan Moore was without a doubt the best player for the Hilltoppers for most of the season whenever he played. While Moore did miss a few weeks due to a concussion, when he was on the court, he was the biggest contributor in most regards. Moore led the team in points, field goal percentage (with players averaging 20 plus minutes per game), and was second in rebounds.

For Hilltopper fans, the question of what Teagan Moore decides to do with regard to the transfer portal is likely to be the main concern heading in a pivotal offseason.

Matt’s Stats

Andrew is our resident curmudgeon, and that’s cool. It’s always good to have that “worst case scenario” approach covered. While he feels pretty done with Plona in year two, I think it’s really brutal to judge anything off of two years, let alone the first year with a ton of injuries and scraping out a winning record, and then this year, they really showed signs of potential under Plona, and until the final week of the season and the first game in Huntsville, WKU was looking like the best team in CUSA.

Plona on Notice

I stand with about 60 percent of WKU fans in our Twitter poll, where 3 of 5 Hilltopper fans felt Plona should be on notice for next year. Essentially, if he brings in this great recruiting class and loses in the first round of the CUSA Tourney again, I’m pretty sure people are going to call for his head. Would he go? I have no idea given Greg Collins is somehow still coach of the Lady Tops, but it’s hard to see a coach bombing out in the first round of the tournament when WKU will be picked in the middle to top half of the league each of the three years he’s been head coach.

It feels like it’s moving time, and that’s how it works in year three and four. WKU’s first year under Plona was a disaster. And let’s be fair, too: It wasn’t all his fault. He inherited a roster full of injured players, and to top it all off, even more players got injured and WKU was down to just a few players by the end of the year. Somehow salvaging a winning season out of disaster, Plona actually did a pretty good job pulling out what he could out of players that he never really intended on seeing the court. In a huge negative moment, though, WKU showed up to CUSA Tournament in 2025 and bounced out of the first round to 3-15 FIU. WKU was favored by 5 in that one, only to get up by 13 against FIU right before halftime and blow it to lose by 3.

An absolute meltdown, it was a real kick in the gut as the season ended. Nonetheless, WKU pulled together a decent roster, and by the beginning of this year, things were looking up. Teagan Moore was back from hip surgery, WKU returned some centers and some role players, and the Tops had a combination of great freshmen and some experienced players from various walks of college basketball (Power Five, mid-major, JUCO, DII) that could play decent basketball.

From there, WKU got us both excited (November was great) and frustrated (December and January) and back to feeling good (February was awesome). Then March hit, and this time, WKU got blown out by Missouri State and FIU and then lost in frustrating fashion to Kennesaw State.

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Stats From This Season

Scoring

Points Per Game: 79.3

Scoring Margin: +3.2

Grade: B-

WKU could score this year, but it was mainly due to pace and Teagan Moore (and sometimes others) drawing fouls. Defensively, WKU was porous at best, allowing over 76 points per game, a number you would like to see no worse than the low 70s, even if your pace of play is high.

Shooting

FG Made-Attempted: 819-1984

Opponents: 796-1838

FG Percentage: .413

Opponents: .433

3 PT Made-Attempted: 270-791

Opponents: 264-780

3PT Percentage: .341

Opponents: .338

FT Made-Attempted: 629-829

Opponents: 580-836

FT Percentage: .759

Opponents: .694

FT Per Game:19.7

Opponents: 18.1

Grade: D

The only redeemable part about WKU’s shooting was a) When Teagan Moore was healthy and b) when they shot free throws. Ryan Myers set a program record for free throw shooting, only missing six all year (64-70). But WKU was bottom 25 in the country in field goal shooting, and the three point shooting was wildly inconsistent, settling in at the middle of the pack. WKU absolutely struggled to get in the paint, other than when a guard or wing could drive to the cup and draw a foul. Very rarely did WKU’s big men get loose for a dunk, layup, or athletic move for a score.

Rebounding

Total: 1245-1199

Per Game: 38.9-37.5

Margin: 1.4

Grade: B-

WKU was pretty good rebounding the ball, hovering near the top 25 in the country in rebounding. However, it was due to Bryant Selebangue’s 62 rebounds in nine games (still eighth on the team; team leading 6.9 per game) that skewed some numbers. Without him, WKU didn’t have a true rebounder, other than when Blaise Keita and Leeroy Odiahi had a few games where they got hot on the boards. Blaise averaged 10.3 rebounds over a three game stretch, followed it up with another five and eight rebounds the following two games, and then had six rebounds or less in all but one other game the entire season.

For WKU to take the next step and be a legitimate contender in Conference USA, they must find some kind of “big man” presence. Even if he is 6’5” but produces, so what? WKU has to have a George Fant, Dwight Coleby, Nigel Dixon, or Chris Marcus type of player. Like give us something, guys. Shoot, we’d settle for a Selebangue type that (God forbid) could stay healthy.

Assists

Total: 426-458

Per Game: 13.3-14.3

Grade: D

Here’s a huge one. Although WKU had a positive assist-to-turnover (A/T) ratio due to a low number of turnovers per game (see below), the Tops had plenty of games where they didn’t really pass the ball well. Given that WKU had a true PG in Terrion Murdix who only looked to pass and rarely looked to shoot with over a 2:1 A/T ratio, it’s even more alarming that WKU didn’t have better numbers here. Given that WKU scored nearly 80 per game, even if all 13.3 assists per game were on three pointers, over half of WKU’s points game out of rhythm. That’s alarming. WKU wasn’t able to get easy baskets. And really, pretty often, WKU was looking to quickly crank a three pointer that they missed on a lot of opportunities for prettier basketball by shooting shots too quickly in the shot clock.

Turnovers

Total: 332- 399

Per Game: 10.4-12.5

Margin: +2.1

Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.3-1.1

Points Off Turnovers: 15.6-11.0

Grade: B+

Honestly, here’s a bright spot. Despite being an atrocious shooting team, WKU was able to rebound, they were able to take care of the ball, and they were able to convert on turnovers with their athleticism. So let’s give the Tops their flowers in this area: They took care of the basketball and took advantage of opportunities with their length, especially at the 2-4 positions.

Steals

Total: 244-194

Per Game: 7.6-6.1

Grade: B

86th in the country in steals, one of WKU’s strengths was its ability at times to overwhelm its opponent with its talent in the middle of its lineup. Armelo Boone, Grant Newell, and LJ Hackman all cause problems with their size and/or length at their positions. Teagan Moore also brought an all-court game, grabbing 28 steals in 27 games, an underrated asset in his game. Terrion Murdix led the team in steals, which does explain how WKU was able to get out and convert on its opportunities.

Blocks

Total: 74-143

Per Game: 2.3-4.5

Grade: F

There’s no way around it. With or without Bryant Selebangue, WKU Basketball just didn’t have much of a rim protector defensively. When wing/forward Grant Newell is your leading shot blocker at least than .5 per game and your 6’4” freak athlete Armelo Boone follows him up with 12, you’ve got issues defending the rim. The three true centers (Leeroy Odiahi, Blaise Keita, and Noah Boyde) all combined for 24 total blocks all season. All are at least 6’11” and none of them had more than ten all season. Absolutely horrible.

And on top of no rim protection, WKU was blocked so many times that their opponents combined against them to be the equivalent of the 40th best blocking defense in the country. In other words, WKU was dominated on both ends down low, which explains in part a lot of the poor shooting. 69 (nice) more of WKU’s shots were never going to make it to the rim compared to its opponents. That’s more than two extra shots per game absolutely doomed before leaving the shooting pocket. Good lord.

Diddle Arena Attendance

At 3,376 per game, Diddle Arena was rarely at half capacity this season. First of all, Topper fans, we should be ashamed of ourselves for supporting the Toppers that inconsistently. Yes it got better as the season went along, and absolutely, WKU’s admin needs to do a better job at plugging the games and all of that. WKU’s student organizations also need to be encouraged to take it seriously and do everything they can to make Diddle Arena as great as it can be from a student perspective.

However, I hope all parties involved do a better job getting butts in seats. Do your best to get butts in seats at the normal ticket prices, but when you don’t, plug basketball from the VERY BEGINNING of the season. Hank Plona should mention it in every one of his press conferences. It should not be something that he sort of talks about. If there’s one thing to be learned from Rick Stansbury’s time at WKU (besides game management is more important than talent), it’s that enough fires can be stoked to maximize Diddle Arena. WKU and BG will respond if you ask them to.

WKU’s admin introduced Caboni bucks for students, and they showed up more. Students showed up to a few games in respectable numbers. They were loud a few times. That’s nice. Keep it going. WKU Basketball asked for big crowds a few times.

Listen, here’s where I’m at. Y’all let me know if I’m crazy. If WKU Basketball isn’t concentrated from a marketing perspective on packing Diddle Arena, they’re crazy. There were some games where the crowd spurred the team on, and the crowds weren’t even great this year numbers-wise. But Diddle Arena is an acoustically friendly arena for crowd noise. You don’t need much noise in there for Diddle to be intimidating. If there is one thing that must be done, it’s encourage the fans to come out, expect big crowds, do a lot of promotions, and work on student awareness and student engagement.

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Why Not Us?

As I sit here and finish up this article and the national championship plays in the background, I think back to the olden days when WKU Basketball was not a joke when you said WKU was a great basketball program.

Not many people remember WKU being that great, because the only time the Tops have done anything in three and a half decades was 2008, 2009, and the miracle comeback in the 2012 NCAA Tournament in the First Four. That was the last time WKU was really serious.

Those were days when people really respected WKU Basketball. And I know half of the commenters in this type of discussion (at least) will say something about how NIL has ruined everything, how WKU will never compete like they used to, and how WKU is a poverty program.

May I just say something, if I may?

BULL SHIT!

That’s right. Unsubscribe if you want. Don’t credential us if you want, horrified entity reading this. I don’t really care.

Western Kentucky is able to compete in Conference USA, and they’re just some good management away from winning a championship in whatever sport of choice.

Look at WKU Basketball. Steve Lutz comes in and in one offseason cobbles together a roster and wins Conference USA.

Look at the Lady Toppers. Michelle Clark-Heard came out of nowhere and immediately turned the Lady Toppers into a winner after a single digit win season the year before she came. Within two years, she was owning Rick Insell more than Matt Insell.

Marc Rardin comes in after John Pawlowski was allowed to meander into the doldrums for over half a decade. Within one season, WKU was respectable. Within two, WKU was knocking on the door, and within three, a program that hadn’t won jack crap since 2009 ran to the conference championship and won it and was some better luck away from winning a game or two in the NCAA Tournament.

Travis Hudson is the perfect example of great management. That man is nothing but a great teacher and a great manager on top of great character. He has quietly build WKU Volleyball from absolutely nothing to a mid-major powerhouse. Without even orchestrating it for himself, WKU’s admin established the Travis Hudson Legacy Campaign and it overachieved to the tune of providing resources to WKU Volleyball for several years to come.

HELLO?!? Who’s going to sit here and say WKU isn’t competing with its peers in every sport? Every single WKU sport has been competitive, and all of the top five sports (Football, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, and Baseball) have all been competitive or have actually won championships in the NIL era of college athletics.

So again, don’t give me BS. WKU can win right where it is, and it’s time to see if Hank Plona can be the next great WKU coach. And if he can’t, it’s time to find someone else. Whether that is next year after a dive bomb into disasterland, or that is next year or the year after, it’s time for WKU to get back to glory.

I’m TIRED of sitting and watching WKU Basketball sit at home in March. WKU is a top 50 NCAA basketball program and hasn’t finished in the top 100 spots in the postseason (NCAA and NIT) 10 out of the last 13 years. WKU has one automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament (no wins) and two at-large bids to the NIT (four wins, a quarterfinal, and a semifinal appearance).

That’s disgusting. But seriously, it is still a matter of management to get there. Can Tim Caboni and Todd Stewart make moves that help WKU’s cash flow in and out of the athletic department? Can Hank Plona put it together in the CUSA Tournament in 2027? Could WKU position itself well enough that they get invited to the NIT if they don’t make the NCAA Tournament?

These are all questions that remain to be answered, but it’s definitely time to see them answered “yes”. It’s time to make a run, and I look forward to watching the resurgence of WKU Basketball, whenver the heck it comes.

Good luck to Plona and staff this offseason. We are NOT to be pushed around, and we take a back seat to no one.

GO TOPS!

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GO TOPS!!!!

CORRECTION UPDATE: So after publishing my original article on transfer portal prospects that would make sense for Western, I decided that I would do some research on how the portal works and all of that. I learned that lower levels of college basketball (NAIA, NJCAA or JUCO) do not fall under the umbrella of regulations that the NCAA goes by for the transfer portal. Essentially, JUCO (Junior College) athletes do not have to enter the portal at all. They can essentially be recruited by NCAA schools year-round and their recruitment just so happens to pick up during the portal as well.

I just wanted to make my audience aware of this fact. Now, that being said — I still intend on including JUCO players in these pieces whenever applicable. This is due to the fact that Hank Plona and a majority of his assistant coaches have major backgrounds in coaching at the JUCO ranks. Their connections in that section of college basketball is too deep not to focus on. The current staff has already demonstrated that they will recruit heavily there. I think it is important to include them for many reasons, mostly because with the competition for NCAA transfers to be quite intense, the coaching staff would be silly not to use the market they know for talent to their advantage. Any names you have an eye on for these types of articles are much appreciated!

With another week of March Madness in the books, more and more collegiate fanbases are looking toward the transfer portal for news as to who will be joining, or leaving, their favorite schools. The transfer portal for men’s basketball begins on April 7th, the day following the NCAA National Championship Game. It will be open from April 7-21, operating in a 15 day window where close to 2,500 players will start announcing their intentions for the 2026-27 season. The 2025 cycle saw over 2,320 entries, compared to 2,083 in 2024. That is close to 5.5 players per Division I program. Sadly, not all of them find a new home, cannibalizing each other for (sometimes) the illusion of greener pastures.

Last time, I took a look at a few prospects who in some way, shape, or form made sense to either be targeted by the Hilltopper Basketball staff — or could benefit in becoming a Hilltopper. You all seemed to enjoy the content so after another week of portal announcements, I have keyed in on another five prospects who I believe could make sense as targets for the Hilltopper roster going into next year.

Do keep in mind that this is 100% speculative on my part, but I do my best to include prospects that truly do make sense for the program. Much of my speculation in this piece is under the assumption that many of WKU’s players such as Armelo Boone and Teagan Moore are portal bound. There has not been so much as a whisper as to any of these two players’ intent yet, so I am operating under the mindset that they’re leaving. And that is not because we think they will. In today’s modern transfer portal world, that’s the most likely scenario. That being said, let’s get started.

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Brett Decker (G), Liberty

I decided that when I include a player on this list, just to make it a little more fun, I am going to rate how likely that I believe it is that a union between that player and WKU is. So Brett Decker shot the lights out for the Liberty Flames last season. Decker shot so well, that his 47.1% from three-point range was second in the entire NCAA. Decker entering the portal is a HUGE loss for Liberty. From what I have seen on Twitter, Liberty is losing a lot of talent going into next season.

Pursuing Decker absolutely makes sense from the perspective of the Hilltoppers coaching staff. If you’ve read any of my coverage on the WKU Basketball team, you are already aware of how poorly they shot last season. Decker would be an obvious upgrade in that department. The main reason that I include him in this list is for the sole reason is that he grew up around the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, area.

Decker attended high school at Central Hardin, so WKU’s obvious advantage is that they’re one of the closest in-state schools to his home. UofL, UK, and Bellarmine are also very close Division I schools. So if proximity to home is a factor, WKU could make a pursuit.

I consider Decker a major reach for the Hilltoppers. My belief is that someone with his shooting numbers from last season is going to get major looks from power conference schools, which will likely result in NIL offers that include many dollar-signs. Ultimately I would consider a move from Liberty to WKU at best, as a lateral move as far as program level is concerned. I believe Decker will be making the jump to play for a contender who can afford his services. Even were he to prioritize being close to home, I would anticipate Kentucky and Louisville being heavily involved. Never say never, but I am not going to get my hopes up on this one. If he’s somehow upset with his time at Liberty, maybe WKU could offer a “revenge” option and get his ears to perk up. Otherwise, WKU may not be in play.

But hey, Liberty is going to be worse. *shrugs*

Trey Harris, (G/F), West Virginia State University

Trey Harris is a 6’7” guard from Division II West Virginia State University. According to just about any Twitter account that is covering the transfer portal, WKU is amongst a lengthy list of teams that have been in touch with Harris since he announced that he was entering the transfer portal.

Harris put up amazing numbers, having averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.6 SPG. He also shot 47.4% from the field and 37.5% from 3 on 96 attempts this season. Harris offers the Hilltoppers a lengthy forward with a multi-faceted skill set that would enable him to affect all aspects of the game. Plona and his staff obviously feel the same, as it has been reported that WKU has been in touch.

The Hilltoppers will likely face an uphill climb to become serious contenders in the competition for his services, but WKU offers Harris a role that no current player or incoming player currently fills: a true guard-forward hybrid that can effectively play both positions. On numerous occasions last season, Plona demonstrated a desire to go with a ‘small-ball’ lineup and adding a player with the size of Trey Harris would likely make a smaller lineup more effective, with him being able to step-in and essentially play Plona’s five position. This feels like a good type of fit, and he definitely must be looking to move up into Division I. Depending on who can sell their situation better, this is a good-looking mid-major type of prospect.

Montavious Myrick (F), Eastern Kentucky

A 6’8” forward from Atlanta, Myrick played the last three seasons for EKU — who is perhaps my most hated rival for the Hilltoppers. Myrick averaged 11.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 APG along with 0.7 BPG. Other than having the opportunity to poach a main contributor from the roster of the across state ‘little brother’, Myrick would provide the Hilltoppers a true big man option that you might have heard: They lacked any offense from true big men last season. Plona had the opportunity to see Myrick play in the Hilltoppers’ second game of the year and his presence was felt. Myrick put up 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and had 2 blocks against the Tops.

Unlike the outgoing Grant Newell who could sometimes hit shots from behind the three-point line, Myrick is a “true” forward/center. Myrick did not attempt a single three-pointer last season, suggesting that he would alter the offensive scheme to play to his strengths instead of having all five players on the floor standing behind the three-point line during possessions.

Myrick entered the 2025-26 season as the Preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year, suggesting that he to some degree has the respect of EKU’s conference for having defensive prowess. WKU arguably had a very poor paint presence last season, being one of the worst teams in all of college basketball in terms of blocking shots at the rim. Being a fifth year senior, Myrick would bring experience as a player and playing the forward position to a Hilltopper squad that currently, does not have any of them. I would also argue that WKU is actually an upgrade over EKU, all bias aside. Conference USA is objectively a better conference than the Atlantic Sun, so you could make the argument that Western would be moving up from playing for the Colonels. Also, WKU has won six in a row against EKU and has only lost one game against the Colonels since 1991.

Quel-Ron House (G), Southern Illinois

A 6’0” guard, Quel-Ron House averaged 15.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.3 APG for Southern Illinois this past season. House is another player with ties to the state of Kentucky, having played high school basketball at Seneca High School. In House’s senior year, he led Seneca to their first regional championship appearance since 1968 which included an upset of St. Xavier — which if you know Kentucky high school sports and went to a public school, you absolutely love to see. Out of high school, House spent his first season under Ray Harper at Jacksonville State before transferring last season to Southern Illinois. At the very least, Hank Plona has coached against him so there is that.

House was also a finalist for Kentucky Mr. Basketball, having earned First Team All-State honors. Many local articles in Louisville that mention House basically praise him as something of a local legend for Seneca and some even proclaim House as the school’s best player of all-time. Although not conclusive as players like Michael Redd and Wes Unseld, his high school career was prolific. His name commands respect in the Louisville community for sure. In reading about House, one thing comes to mind after seeing what people had to say about during his high school years: He is a program elevator.

Currently, I believe that WKU basketball is in need of a player (or players) that can bring that sort of pedigree to a program that has truly lacked much to be excited about in quite some time. Firstly, House could immediately step in to be the starting point guard for the Hilltoppers as Terrion Murdix will be graduating. At minimum, this guy would be a key member of a rotation.

Secondly, House hails from Kentucky and Western provides the opportunity to be closer to a community that obviously holds him in high regard. If what community members say about House is true, he could potentially be a presence that could elevate the roster and provide an infectious leadership that spreads to others in the program. Sometimes, quality leadership is an aspect difficult to quantify.

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Karter Seawright (F), Bryant and Stratton College

Okay, this is my attempt in this article at my “under the radar” prospect that I personally feel would be an interesting to see as a Hilltopper. Karter Seawright played for NJCAA Bryant and Stratton College, which is a D2 program under the JUCO umbrella of schools. So the initial apprehension from fans may be, “he didn’t even play at the top level of JUCO ball.”

Hear me out.

In doing my research for this second attempt at breaking down some prospects, I wanted to be “interesting.” I have a tendency to overthink some very minor factors sometime and continually follow the same formula of ‘Kentucky kids, former C USA players, or all fowards’ algorithm for every player. For you — the reader — I wanted to provide you with more than simply surface-level thought. Then, I stumbled on Karter Seawright. Here is his stat line last season: 8.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.1 SPG and.. wait for it: 4.6 blocks per game. You read that right, 4.6 BLOCKS per game.

At 6’8,” 4.6 blocks per game at any level of collegiate basketball is impressive. In terms of Division TWO JUCO basketball, Seawright led the entirety in blocks. He led the second-place player by forty-plus blocks on the season. Now, I am sure the immediate question is, “How are those numbers going to look playing Division I NCAA basketball?” Answer: I don’t know.

There are a few certain things that I can provide answers for. One, WKU severely lacked any paint presence last season, offensively and defensively. At the very least, Seawright put up numbers that would at least suggest he is a player that plays with intensity and a high-motor that leads me to believe that Seawright would at the very least provide an addition that would immediately provide depth to improve upon WKU’s down low effort.

Two, Plona and most of the assistant coaches spent much of their coaching careers moving around the JUCO ranks. JUCO players will likely be a huge focus of the Hilltoppers recruiting effort leading up to the season and if there was a staff to follow the metaphorical “no JUCO stone unturned,” it would be Western’s.

Lastly, Western has no forwards currently outside of incoming freshman Gabe Weis. While I am excited about Weis’ potential, from a physical perspective he needs to bulk up a bit before I feel he will be effective out of the jump. The Hilltoppers need multiple forwards next season. I have beaten this dead horse repeatedly, but at the end of the day — WKU needs bodies who can play each position when called upon. Last year, they did not really have that. According to what I can find, Seawright currently only has offers from Division I JUCO programs, so WKU would be an obvious upgrade over his current offers. Is he a fit academically? Is he enough of a playmaker and athlete to be on WKU’s radar? We’ll see. But 4.5 blocks at any level is astounding. (Editor’s Note: 4.5 blocks would have landed in the top 25 nationally in the high school ranks for 2025-26. Since this was done at the college level, it’s even more impressive. Where could one find a stat like that on an under-the-radar player?)

I am aware that this insight may strike some fans as way too outlandish, but if there is one thing I have learned from following sports through out much of my life — sometimes the more outrageous the takes, the more people listen. The only difference is that I am at least trying to put thought into mine. I don’t want to regurgitate boring nonsense to you guys, I at least want my nonsense to be entertaining.

Bonus: T.J Cope (F/G), New Orleans

T.J Cope is a 6’7” forward that played for New Orleans last season. Cope is from Boston, MA. Hank Plona is from Connecticut, so I am sure the two could sit down and enjoy a glass of unsweet tea together like the Northeast loves to do. T.J. Cope would provide the Hilltoppers with an immediate role player as a wing that could step in and fill a void.

Prior to playing for the New Orleans Privateers, Cope originally attended South Plains CC, where Plona once coached along with one of the assistant coaches on the current WKU staff. Therefore, I am led to believe that there is some networking going on behind the scenes between Cope’s representatives and WKU. At the least, I would be baffled if there were not some connection between Plona’s staff and Cope.

At New Orleans, Cope averaged 8.3 PPG and 2.9 RPG Cope immediately provides WKU with an actual small forward for the rotation for the first time in a long time. Plona has a tendency to play extra guards in a very small lineup, so like one of the aforementioned players — he could play the big in that scenario. Length = good thing. Length = thing WKU never has, or at least doesn’t seem to use.

In the few videos that I have seen of Cope’s play, he plays extremely fast and attacks the basket very hard. Sign me up.

Thank You, Hilltopper Nation

Thank you guys so much for reading the first entry I submitted last week. You guys absolutely killed the views on it, so I wanted to quickly get out another entry since everyone seemed to enjoy reading the first one. Everything I write here is for WKU fans and I do so with the goal of connecting this fanbase further to our sports teams. Sometimes, it is a daunting task because I consider myself a passionate fan of my sports teams.

WKU forever holds a special place in my heart from the lifetime of memories I made there as a student and the various opportunities afforded to me as a result of being a Hilltopper. I want better for our fanbase and I want to be a wheel in the machine that helps build our program to new heights, even if it is as something as small as covering athletics with The Towel Rack. Sometimes, Western teams underperform to our expectations and it is frustrating. Sometimes I do struggle to sit down and crank out an article after WKU just got obliterated, but you guys continue to motivate me with how fervently you flock to see what I have to say. I am forever grateful to Hilltopper fans for supporting our platorm. So thank you!

Go Tops!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

Make sure you tune in, subscribe below (or above), give if you’d like to support our efforts, and follow us @TheTowelRackWKU on every platform! And by the way, send us your pics and tag us in your posts and we’ll like, share, and repost!

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GO TOPS!!!!

The Western Kentucky Hilltopper Men’s Basketball season ended relatively early and I must admit, seeing mid-majors pull off upsets and having the opportunity to play on the big stage has made me quite jealous. The NCAA Tournament is arguably one of the most exciting sporting events in the world (Well at least in the United States!). Like many college fanbases whose tournament has ended, all there is to do is essentially wait and see who leaves, and see who we get — because the wild, wild west that is transfer portal season looms large.

Officially speaking, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal doesn’t open until Tuesday, April 7 — the day after the NCAA Championship game. However, because the world we live in thirsts for news, enjoys speculating, and cannot keep secrets — media sources have announced various players’ intent to enter the transfer portal. While it is extremely early to be talking about players that WKU could bring in, I have the itch to still talk college hoops. It is essentially inescapable during the month of March, anyways. My Twitter feed is essentially flooded with portal announcements and I feel like this year, I’ve seen a dozen portal entrants where I find myself thinking: “Oh, that guy is certainly going to be a Hilltopper.” Or at minimum, he could be a Topper if both parties were willing.

So today, I am going to use my imagination and take a look a few of the early portal entrants and essentially make a case as to why them potentially going to WKU would make a lot of sense, at least in my eyes. Now, I am not going to sit here and just pick the top five players in the portal and be delusional enough to think there is even a shot of them becoming Hilltoppers. Let’s be realistic. I am going to pick five players that possess some factor that would or could potentially tie them to Western. Just a disclaimer, this is 100% my own personal speculation here. I am nothing close to being an insider, I have not heard anything, and depending on who you ask — I may not even be considered to know ball. No matter. Hear me out and let’s take a look at some potential Hilltoppers.

UPDATE - 3/27: Before this article went live, it was brought to my attention that the 2026 Kentucky Mr. Basketball, Jake Feldhaus, requested a release from his letter of intent to attend Belmont. Therefore I am going to cover him briefly before getting into my original list of transfer portal prospects, because it is my opinion that he makes a lot of sense for the Hilltoppers. Just ignore the fact that he is not a transfer portal prospect.

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Okay, Just One High School Prospect

Jake Feldhaus (F) - Madison Central High

I know we’re talking transfer portal, but this is worth a mention. A midsized Kentucky Mr. Basketball announces his decommitment from a mid-major that’s not on the national radar? I had originally wanted to profile Feldhaus before I became aware of his commitment to Belmont. But considering he just today decommitted, it is now of my opinion that he is someone to highlight who would be a major get for the Hilltoppers.

Feldhaus is a 6’8” forward who originally played for Mason County — like much of his family — before transferring to Madison Central. In an article highlighting Feldhaus, it mentions his family’s connection to basketball in the state of Kentucky:

“The Feldhaus family is well-known in Kentucky: The late Allen Sr. played for Adolph Rupp from 1959-1962, Deron scored over 1,000 career points at UK, Allen Jr. has 750 career wins as a high school coach, and Ashton is a first-year head coach at Morehead State.”

Also important is that Jake Feldhaus was selected as the 2026 Kentucky Mr. Basketball. While awards are not a ‘be-all, end-all’, Feldhaus winning the award does suggest that his peers believe he is the best high school player in the state of Kentucky. WKU also happens to historically collect winners of the award, at a few points having multiple of them on the same roster.

Recent winners of the award to don the red and white were Dayvion McKnight (2020), Dontaie Allen (2019), Taveion Hollingsworth (2017), Carson Williams (2016), and Camron Justice (2015). Other notable winners to attend WKU were Steffphon Pettigrew (2007), and even Jim McDaniels (1967). Note: Parentheses denote the year each player won the award.

Being a 6’8” forward who just won Mr. Basketball for the state only a week ago, getting involved in his recruitment immediately would be a wise move for a Hilltopper coaching staff facing a crucial offseason, as well as a team in need of forward depth. I would also anticipate several major universities who are already thinking the same thing, being that he was tabbed as the best player in the entire state. Surely, many teams will have him on their list of “possibles”.

You will notice in the quote I included about his family that a great deal of his family members played basketball for Kentucky and generally has a lot of connection to the state as a whole. UK has also signed the previous three winners of the award (Malachi Moreno - 2025, Travis Perry - 2024, and Reed Shepherd - 2023). Considering that the Wildcats have no recruiting class to speak of at the moment, I would imagine UK will be in the fold or at least consider whether they want to pursue him. Kentucky loves stealing Mr. Basketballs from the hands of WKU, most recently Dominique Hawkins who was close to committing to the Hilltoppers before Kentucky came in at the buzzer and the rest was history.

WKU signing Feldhaus would arguably be a major coup, one that I would argue would make the Hilltoppers a major player once again in the state of Kentucky for the most talented high school prospects.

Okay, now I’ll get started on the actual transfer portal prospects that would make sense for the Hilltoppers like the title of the article suggests. I know that was a big of a digression, but you’ve got to admit, he is the type of really good under-the-radar find that would fit a school like WKU.

The Five

1.) Ayden Evans (PF) - Ohio University

Ayden Evans is a 6’8” forward who has played in 27 total games for the Ohio Bobcats. He enters the portal with two years of eligibility remaining. As a high school recruit, Evans — according to 247Sports — fielded offers from Texas A&M, Missouri, Mississippi State, Seton Hall, and Murray State amongst others. One of the major reasons I believe that Evans would make sense as a target for WKU is for one: he is from Kentucky. (Fun Fact: my sister has known Evans since he was a young kid, as my niece played on soccer team with him when they were younger. His mother, at one point, worked with my sister. Thought that would be an interesting mention to support that I am obviously operating with insider information here).

(I have no idea, though.)

Ayden Evans is a former three-star recruit who played his high school basketball at North Hardin. The Elizabethtown/Radcliff area is only about an hour or so outside of Bowling Green so were Evans to become a target for the Hilltoppers, Hank Plona would have proximity as an advantage. E-Town also has a WKU satellite campus that is fairly prominent in the area.

Another reason that Evans would make sense for the Hilltoppers is for the sole reason that they were thin at the F/C position last year (arguably an understatement). Ayden Evans saw limited minutes in his two seasons at Ohio and not only would WKU provide Evans an opportunity to be closer to family, he would have the opportunity to step in and immediately contribute for the Hilltoppers. WKU has recruited players from the Elizabethtown area in the past, most notably Steffphon Pettigrew. It just makes too much sense to me, so in all likelihood it probably will not happen.

2.) E.J Walker (PF) - South Carolina

E.J Walker is a 6’7” forward, weighing around 250 lbs according to 247Sports. A solid frame with Power Five talent, Walker would be a godsend for WKU, whom you might have heard were a tad bit thin at forward last year. Walker’s portal profile is very similar to that of Ayden Evans, in that both players received limited playing opportunities at their prior schools. However, this big fella was talented enough to sign at an SEC school. E.J Walker is also a Kentucky kid.

E.J Walker is from the northern Kentucky area, a town called Erlanger which is near Florence. Depending on who you talk to, word on the street says people from that area of Kentucky are not ‘true Kentuckians.’ Well geographically speaking, it is. Moving on.

A three star prospect both in high school and now as a transfer, E.J Walker had actually been offered by WKU during his initial recruitment in January of 2024, according to 247Sports.com. That would mean Plona was on staff at the time that made the initial offer. Therefore, it would absolutely make sense for Plona to check back in with him. I have no idea what sort of relationship - if any - Plona and Walker (and maybe someone like Martin Cross or other assistant) might’ve had during his recruitment. But from an objective perspective with no knowledge of how it played out — I feel like Plona might give him a call? I sure hope so. I am as tired writing about our forward depth as our audience is tired reading about it. Sign me up.

3.) Kyran Tilley (PG) - Central Missouri

Kyran Tilley is a 6’1” guard transfer from Division II Central Missouri. In two seasons at Central Missouri, Tilley averaged 12.7-points, 3.9-rebounds, and 3.6-assists. The Hilltoppers lacked depth last year in terms of having what I consider to be “true” point-guards — which are guards who are not necessarily shoot-first but rather pace and set up the offense.

Outside of Terrion Murdix, WKU did not really have a “true point guard”. Murdix will be gone and Kyran Tilley offers WKU at the very least a player with experience playing point-guard, whereas Western offers Tilley an opportunity to immediately contribute meaningful minutes in his home state at the Division I level. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that he is from Kentucky as well. Tilley attended high school at Evangel Christian in Louisville. Plona loves his guards, Tilley has experience and adds depth, and he has the Kentucky ties. I’m finding multiple reasons why he would make sense, even as an under the radar signing.

Tilley makes sense for more reasons than just simply having played his high school basketball in Kentucky and being a point guard. If I had to highlight any strength of Plona’s resume, it would be that he has experience recruiting “lower level” players (like JUCO or DII).

So far, I am aware that I have only mentioned players from the state of Kentucky and I understand that on a surface level, it could seem that is the only factor I am considering thus far. I feel that proximity to home is a key factor in recruiting efforts, or else someone needs to tell EA Sports to update College Football 27 so that it is not such a major factor in franchise mode. #ballin

4.) Kai Simpson (G) - Thomas More

(It is just after 7:00am on Thursday, March 26th and I had just finished this piece with all my speculative players, then I get on Twitter to discover that there is a portal prospect that has actually been tied to the Hilltoppers, so here I am to add him in).

Kai Simpson is a 6’3” guard who played for NCAA Division II college Thomas More, which is (for those who don’t know) in Kentucky. Simpson is also from Lexington, having played high school ball at Frederick Douglass High — essentially one of the best public high schools for farming up college athletes in the whole state.

At Thomas More, Simpson averaged 18.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in his sophomore season. Percentage wise, Simpson shot 47% from the field to go along with 35% from three-point range. According to the NextUpRecruits twitter account, Simpson has reportedly heard from WKU already, along with the likes of Jacksonville State, Mount Saint Mary’s, Missouri State, amongst others. This sounds like a prospect that makes sense at the mid-major level. With a well-rounded and diverse stat line like that, he would be a great fit to help fill the void left at the point guard position with the exit of Murdix, as well as be a part of a potential guard rotation that hopefully includes Teegan Moore and Armelo Boone. At 6’3”, he brings a little more height to the rotation of guards, which you can’t ever discount. Imagine being Liberty with more elves than Christmas!

Considering that it is being reported that WKU has been in touch, it is not a reach to suggest that actually could end up as a Hilltopper. Plona is well connected, so I suppose we will have to wait and see if WKU enters the fold as a true contender for Simpson.

5.) Torey Alston (PF) - MTSU

Yes, four out of my five players on this initial list are forwards. They just so happen to make sense. As you’ll notice, Torey Alston will be entering the portal out of Middle Tennessee State, our “beloved” rivals. Nothing makes more sense for the Hilltopper program than to poach a player from our rivals and put him in red. Alston is 6’9” forward originally from Winston-Salem, NC. See, I can make a prospect outside of Kentucky make sense. #analysis. Moving forward…

In 20 games for the Blue Raiders last year, Alston was one of their primary contributors. He averaged 13.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in close to 30 minutes per game. WKU down the stretch last season saw little to no contributions in their big rotation, or lack thereof. The only true, healthy, and scoring forward, Grant Newell, will have graduated. Pursuing Alston makes all of the sense in the world, as Plona has seen his game in person multiple times in Alston’s two years at MTSU.

Alston had also committed to Sam Houston State initially during his high school recruitment, another CUSA foe, at one point prior to ending up at MTSU. Going heavy at the forward/center position in the portal makes all of the sense in the world if you are a member of the WKU coaching staff. He’s familiar to the conference and plus, there is always the added motivation to take one of your rivals’ best players. Also if he’s frustrated with how it went at Middle, there’s no doubt he wouldn’t mind suiting it up against MTSU two (or three) times a year. Alston may be pursuing a role at a power conference school, but I believe I have made my case as to why it would make sense for Western if he was interested.

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Bonus “BS”:

Jasper Johnson (G) - Kentucky

I call this one “Bonus BS,” because I am more than likely full of BS in mentioning Jasper Johnson here. Firstly, he is not even in the transfer portal..at least yet. But the reason I list him here is because Jasper Johnson’s uncle, Derrick Johnson, absolutely destroyed the Kentucky fan base on social media for their toxicity. It is important to note that Derrick Johnson is also a former Kentucky football player, so you know that there are some toxic fans out there when one of their own in Derrick Johnson puts the fanbase on blast for harassing his nephew.

Just because Jasper Johnson’s uncle aired some valid frustrations on the internet, it does not mean that he is speaking for Jasper. As of now, I have not seen any comments from him or anything of the sort even related to his entering the transfer portal. This is a major reach on my end. Johnson grew up right outside of Lexington in Woodford County and was a five-star recruit out of high school. Were Johnson to even enter the portal, he would likely be a sought after player by many of the power conference schools. BUT, it would make sense for the Hilltoppers to make a play for him were he to become available.

Plenty of bottom roster UK and Louisville kids would have made more sense at WKU than another Power Five school where they ride the bench.

For one, he is — like most of my picks here — a Kentucky kid. That means something. If you have family you like, who wouldn’t want to play near family? I would argue the actual viability of potentially luring Johnson to Bowling Green would actually have been semi-realistic, were Stanshury still the coach. Charles Bassey was a five-star recruit, and Mitchell Robinson was a five-star recruit (may not have played, but he did technically commit before peacing out). Zion Harmon was at one point highly touted and I can even remember WKU almost beating out LSU for the services of Tremont Waters. So it is not impossible for Western to lure in highly regarded players, it just is not a likely scenario with what evidence we have seen from the current staff. But can they? They certainly should put out their feelers the moment a player like this enters the portal waters.

I do believe in my own fantasy world, that Jasper Johnson and WKU would make sense for a couple of reasons. One, WKU would arguably offer Johnson a more forgiving atmosphere compared to that of Kentucky or Louisville. Second, WKU would allow Johnson to remain semi-close to home. WKU would certainly benefit from bringing in a highly talented guard. While many of these kids grow up and try to achieve their dreams of playing for the bigger local-ish schools, they often choose to do so at the cost of their ability to ever play a significant role. Everything that I have seen, however, suggests that Johnson is keen on returning to the Wildcats next year in order prove himself. They currently have no newcomers signed on for next season, so I imagine they’ll be keen on retaining the services of the young former five-star recruit — but you never know.

I remember when Dominique Hawkins picked Kentucky over WKU, I said to myself that he would mostly be a bench player on that roster when he could have been a legend at Western. The prior was for the most part true. Sad. WKU would offer Johnson the chance at being a pillar in building WKU up and would certainly be an NIL priority for the Tops. At least that would be my pitch, were I trying to sell Johnson on the Tops. It is a long shot, but we have attracted UK transfers before, most recently in Dontaie Allen. If nothing else, this is the type of player WKU should pursue, right?

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Thank you all for reading through my varying levels of eccentric sports takes. Simply put, I am still in basketball mode. Even though from a Hilltopper perspective, the season was mostly disappointing, it is fun for me to envision a brighter future for the program. I may do a follow up if enough of you guys value this kind of material. As always, Go Tops!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

Make sure you tune in, subscribe below (or above), give if you’d like to support our efforts, and follow us @TheTowelRackWKU on every platform! And by the way, send us your pics and tag us in your posts and we’ll like, share, and repost!

We are always doing our best to tell you about everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

The 2025-26 season came to an end on March 12th as the Hilltoppers were once again bounced in the first round of the CUSA Tournament by Kennesaw State. WKU Head Coach Hank Plona’s second season (18-14) was a slight improvement over the first record wise (17-15) but overall his tenure has come up way short of the standard of Western Kentucky Basketball. He enters his 3rd offseason presumably with a warm to hot seat and will once again have to overhaul a roster that loses nine seniors. The NCAA Transfer Portal opens after the NCAA Tournament, so expect a lot of recruiting and transfer news from now until the start of next season.

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4/22/26 Update:

The transfer portal entry window has officially closed and all signs point to Moore, Boone & Hackman returning (along with Unseld and Rice). That gives the Hilltoppers a solid core returning to combine with a solid freshman class and some transfers trickling in. As of right now it looks like 11 of the 15 roster spots are filled. We’ll continue to update as commitments come in and signees are announced.

Note: We’ll update as each roster move happens. This is a living document.

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Probable Returning Players (5)

• Guard- LJ Hackman- Senior

• Forward - Teagan Moore- Redshirt Junior

• Forward- Kade Unseld- Sophomore

• Guard- Armelo Boone- Sophomore

• Guard- Lawson Rice- Redshirt Freshman

Signees (6)

• G- Cole Edelen- Ballard HS- Louisville, KY

• F- Gabe Weis- La Lumiere School- Laporte, IN

• G- Gavin Murphy- West Jessamine HS- Nicholasville, KY

• G- Sharron Young- Akron Transfer

• F- Moussa Konare (Trinity Valley CC transfer)

• F- Drew Fuquay (Marshall transfer)

Commitments (0)

Entered the transfer portal (3)

• Center- Noah Boyde

• Forward- Louie Semona

• Guard- Jack Edelen

Departing Seniors (8)

• Forward- Bryant Selebangue

• Center- Blaise Keita

• Guard- Cam Haffner

• Guard- Ryan Myers

• Forward- Grant Newell

• Guard- Cade Stinnett

• Guard- Terrion Murdix

• Center- Leeroy Odiahi

*Note these players were all honored on Senior Day against UTEP on February 28th. One or two could come back with injury redshirts or enter the portal. We’ll update as we gather more information.

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GO TOPS!!!!

After soundly defeating Liberty, which propelled the Hilltoppers toward a six-game winning streak — Hilltopper fans were given a lot of optimism as to whether this team could go on a deep run in the Conference USA tournament. Almost as soon as that hope arrived, it soon turned into ashes in our mouths as the Hilltoppers would not win another game after the penultimate Saturday of the regular season. Losing the final two games of the regular season to mediocre opponents by large margins, WKU limped into the Conference USA tournament as the #3 seed, starting their NCAA tournament quest against #6 seed Kennesaw State. That journey would not be a long one.

The Hilltoppers went into this game looking to prove that the final two games of the regular season were a farce and that this team was more substance than just a mere flash in the pan. Kennesaw State had defeated WKU in both of their regular season matchups. In both regular season contests, WKU shot absolutely terribly in each — even for this squad (bottom 25 in the NCAA). Kennesaw State ultimately dominated the Hilltoppers in the paint, both offensively and defensively. So going into this matchup, the Hilltoppers wanted to change the narrative surrounding this team and achieve revenge against a foe that had their number during the regular season. But it was not to be.

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CUSA Quarterfinal #4: Kennesaw State 96, WKU 87

Andrew’s Anecdotes

This third matchup between these two teams can essentially be summarized similarly to the first two during the regular season. WKU, a season-long poor shooting team, for the most part — shot poorly. While the Hilltoppers shot 11-24 from three (46%) to KSU’s 6-18 (33%), KSU dominated Western inside, ultimately shooting better from the field overall. In most statistical categories, the KSU Owls outplayed the Hilltoppers. Rebounding, numerically being a strong-point for the Tops all season long, was also an area they struggled with against the Owls. And KSU is a prolific rebounding team, especially on the offensive glass.

Toward the end of the season, WKU Head Coach Hank Plona has shifted drastically toward a much smaller lineup. As such, the Hilltoppers have subsequently been not only dominated on the boards, but also been a liability on inside defense. This roster is, without a doubt, very deep at the guard position — so utilizing the depth you have from a surface level view makes sense in theory. However, it hurt this team in a category they typically performed well in for most of the season.

• Kennesaw State dominated the Hilltoppers in points in the paint, outscoring them 46 to 26. KSU had 4 blocks to WKU’s 1. Fun fact, WKU was sub-300 in blocks this season, as well.

• WKU had been a great team at drawing fouls and shooting moderately well from the free-throw stripe for most of the season. In this game, KSU shot 42 free throws to WKU’s 36.

There is no single reason why the Hilltoppers lost this game. Rebounding and free-throws, strong suits for this roster all season long, were not a factor in this game. The poor shooting percentages that rank toward the bottom of college basketball were obviously a factor, while the team did make strides during their winning streak toward this — it was not very strong in the game versus Kennesaw State.

WKU never held a lead versus the Owls, while only trailing by a high of 12 the entire game. The Tops scratched, clawed, and fought to keep it close but the Owls were just the better team when it mattered. As we head towards publishing, Kennesaw State has won the Conference USA Title.

So now, the back-and-forth season for the 2025-26 Hilltopper basketball team is over. After offering glimpses of potential all season long and reasons for Hilltopper fans to be excited, this squad fell short of delivering for what many fans hoped would be a return to the NCAA tournament.

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Matt’s Malaise

I’m going to disagree with my partner on something here, and that’s ok. We’re all allowed to have an opinion. But I’ve gotta say something…

There is no single reason why the Hilltoppers lost this game. Rebounding and free-throws, strong suits for this roster all season long, were not a factor in this game.

I’m actually going to completely disagree with this. By the stats themselves, there isn’t really an indication of what happened, but I feel like as I’m sitting here going through the game, I’m thinking of several things that cost WKU in this one, and it’s frustrating that it’s all stuff WKU mostly could have controlled. I firmly believe this game was within WKU’s grasp, and Antoine Pettway absolutely ate Hank Plona’s lunch in this one.

Slow Starts in Both Halves

Once again, Western Kentucky got out to a horrible start and couldn’t recover. This time, they did it twice. WKU was down as much as 11, starting out down 19-8 with 14:46 remaining in the first half. They would cut the halftime deficit to five, so that was a -6 exchange there just because of the slow start. Within 3:06 played in the second half, WKU’s small halftime deficit had ballooned to 12. Then WKU would fight like warriors to eventually tie it, never leading. However, KSU would seize back control and WKU would never take over control of the game at any point. That’s a total of -13 purely because of poor starts.

Poor Rebounding

I distinctly thought WKU cost itself the game because of poor rebounding. There were more than a handful (I lost count somewhere above five and below ten) of possessions where WKU just missed opportunities for rebounds. There were a few lost rebounds on free throws (a cardinal sin), and WKU allowed KSU to get several offensive rebounds that directly cost WKU in big moments. Although the battle of the boards was competitive on the stat sheet, I had several rebounds allowed simply because WKU just didn’t box out a loose Owl. Unacceptable this late in the season to have that many lapses in fundamentals against a team that is known for its offensive rebounding.

Way Too Hasty Shots

First of all, let’s look at the stats. Although WKU was good from three (11-24), the balance between overall field goals and three point attempts was not in balance, as it wasn’t all season. This time, 24 of 55 (43 percent) of WKU’s field goal attempts were from deep.

Secondly, WKU had several possessions where they didn’t really try to penetrate and just cranked it from deep. They got bailed out on some of those possessions with lucky makes. I counted nearly a handful of made threes that weren’t great looks. They also had several misses that were not advisable. I was not a big fan of the shot selection for WKU, especially in the first half. Until they made the final push, WKU didn’t really make significant efforts to draw KSU fouls or get in the paint. And the numbers show that, actually. WKU shot 13 free throws in the first half but had 23 attempts in the second.

Lackadaisical Defense and Blown Assignments

No question on this one. When comparing between the two teams, WKU had several blown assignments, while KSU had two or three all game. I remember one late in the game, but that may have been it from the Owls. WKU had several moments where you just surrender cobra. WKU continuously allowed KSU to enter the block and drop in a weak side cut for an easy layup.

Zero Inside Presence

WKU’s big men, Blaise Keita and Leeroy Odiahi’s stat line combined: 31 minutes played, 6 points, 1 rebound, 6 personal fouls, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 0 blocks, 0 steals.

There was very rarely a high level from the “five” position this season. Both had their moments, and Noah Boyde also had some good things. But this game, in a game where their size could have been a difference maker, they were a liability and it gave the Owls the edge down low.

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So…Now What?

While too many, myself included, thought this season was disappointing — we did build on the year prior with almost no impact players from last year returning to play for this year’s team. WKU finished 18-14. Now, we simply wait to see how everyone’s oh-so-favorite aspect of college sports plays out: The transfer portal.

There are currently eight seniors who participated in senior night activities who are slated to be graduating, or perhaps pursue graduate degrees elsewhere and attempt to gain another year of eligibility. We will be releasing a WKU Basketball roster tracker in the near future that will be updated as news develops concerning player choices to either stay, or enter the portal — so please refer to that once it drops to stay up-to-date on what the roster starts to look like.

Grant Newell is perhaps the most notable senior this team will be losing going into next year. Newell was arguably the best “big man” who contributed in that role on the entire roster. Speaking of big men, the entire rotation of centers are all seniors - Noah Boyde, Leeroy Adiahi, and Blase Keita. While you could argue this group of guys were not truly given the minutes to yield meaningful play consistently, each of them had their moments where they did their parts. Also, an already thin group for this roster is essentially empty going into next season, as it stands. Notable contributor Ryan Myers is also going to be graduating.

The biggest question marks for this roster will arguably be whether Teegan Moore and Armelo Boone enter the transfer portal. Teagan Moore was without a doubt WKU’s best player all season long. Moore was the one player you could almost count on each and every game and has likely garnered the attachment of the Hilltopper fan base. Considering how well Moore played, it would almost be silly for him to not test the market to gauge his NIL value. If WKU were able to pull off a coup and get Moore to return, it would provide fans an immediate reason to be excited for the potential of next years’ team — something that going into this season we did not have, as much of the roster was brand new. Given that WKU is considered to have the best recruiting class in Conference USA, if Western can keep some players, the sky is the limit.

Going into the offseason, it is difficult to predict what to expect. I would argue that this offseason will truly define the Hank Plona era at WKU, and for him — it will be his most pivotal. This team arguably unachieved, so it would not be surprisingly to witness the entire roster transfer and go into next season with again, another brand new roster. However, being able to maintain some continuity going into next season by returning Moore, Boone, or whoever would speak volumes for the coaching staff and how much the players buy into what WKU is selling. More importantly for the finances, WKU fans might be a little more interested if they know WKU returns a good bit of its talent. When building a roster for any sport, at whatever level — it is crucial to keep a portion of the roster together to be competitive. In the current college sports landscape, that is easier said than done.

In the future, we will be releasing a farewell recap on the 25-26 season of Hilltopper basketball likely once the season has concluded to take a deeper look at things. In the meantime, be on the lookout for our WKU Basketball Roster Tracker (releasing later today). Thank you all for sticking with us all season long for our coverage of WKU Basketball.

GO TOPS!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

Make sure you tune in, subscribe below (or above), give if you’d like to support our efforts, and follow us @TheTowelRackWKU on every platform! And by the way, send us your pics and tag us in your posts and we’ll like, share, and repost!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky and Kennesaw State will face off Thursday night at 8 PM on ESPN+ in the Conference USA Quarterfinals for the final spot in the CUSA Semifinals. Everyone else will know their fate, and the two teams will know their future opponent.

With the computers liking Kennesaw State (18-13, 10-10 CUSA) at 53 percent and WKU favored by 1.5, this is a tossup according to the data. Kennesaw State swept WKU, but WKU (18-13, 11-9 CUSA) improved in its second attempt despite being down Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone. First getting blown out by 16 at home with Kennesaw State operating on some raw emotion after finding out leading scorer Simeon Cottle was removed from the program for participation in an illegal gambling scheme, WKU was blitzed with a determined opponent despite being at home.

The second go around, WKU was much better at Kennesaw State, not quite finishing the game. However, without Teagan Moore, WKU was able to stay within a possession on the road in the second go round. WKU would still be establishing its new energy, but the KSU game was directly after WKU’s 15 point loss at Sam Houston. An important turning point, perhaps WKU is more even with KSU than they seemed in January.

Kennesaw State is an interesting team. Since Simeon Cottle’s absence, they are actually 6-5. Without this last weekend’s results, they were at an impressive 6-3. Of course that all comes together to tell the truth, but this team is playing good enough basketball after Cottle that they can do some things in the postseason.

WKU is as bipolar as they come. Looking like a CUSA favorite early in the season, they then had a lull in December and an awful January on and off the court. Then they turned it on and won six in a row in February, only to erase all of that momentum last week and lay two eggs against two teams like to be eliminated by the time this game takes place Thursday night (turns out Missouri State is still alive). WKU has had gigantic leads lost, while also coming back from significant deficits. In over half of their games, they had some kind of tangible pendulum swing in the stat sheet. Most disturbingly, sometimes WKU would seemingly lose all focus and play like one of the worst teams in America for extended periods of time.

It’s very difficult to say which versions of these two teams show up, but without doubt, we won’t know until the game is almost over which versions of the teams showed up. Given WKU’s depth, size, and star power, perhaps WKU has the higher ceiling. But Kennesaw State’s RJ Johnson has stepped way up since the transition away from Cottle. Shooting 44 percent from three, he must be accounted for as the number one priority defensively for WKU. Interestingly, he only shoots 63 percent from free throw, so perhaps hacking him might be the play if in trouble in a compromised position.

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Keys to Victory for WKU vs. Kennesaw State

Bigs Need to “Get Big”

A gigantic difference between these two teams is size. WKU has three guys that can play that are close to 7’ tall. If someone (or all of them) between Leeroy Odiahi, Blaise Keita, and Noah Boyde can really be a presence down low, there’s your tipping point. If they’re neutralized or for some reason don’t play at all, I think that neutralizes an advantage. Given that KSU rebounds well, if they’re not a presence down low, watch out because KSU could run WKU out of the building if anyone else is off their game.

Contain RJ Johnson

KSU will absolutely have trouble scoring if RJ Johnson doesn’t go for 20 or more. Although they score 83 points per game, Johnson is the main scorer post-Cottle. KSU only score 77 per game since Cottle’s indictment. Johnson is the most offensively explosive player, and he can absolutely be a game wrecker. Also dishing out nearly four assists per game, he’s directly accounting for about 1/3 of their points. Contain him and if you’re WKU, you’ve really got to feel great about your chances.

Win the Crowd, Win Your Freedom

To quote “Gladiator”, the atmosphere is key in a neutral environment. A lot of energy can be infused by bringing the energy, giving the fans something to cheer for, and playing with some juice. WKU fans will show up a-plenty, but it sure would be nice to see a WKU team that gets everybody fired up and sticks with it. And hopefully, they’re not thinking of cranking threes and dunks as the way to get the crowd going. Sure, that flashy stuff would help. But let’s see WKU playing hard, talking on defense, shutting off driving lanes, and diving on the floor. Do that and WKU fans will go crazy for you.

Attack the Paint and Draw Fouls

Maybe this should be a higher priority, because this team drives me crazy shooting so many outside shots. This team is one of the worst shooting teams in America and one of the best free throw shooting teams. It stands to reason in my mind that you might want to attack the basket and settle for quality threes when they come. KSU has a few players that average three or so fouls per game, and two of them are their second and third double digit scorers. If WKU can get the Owls in some foul trouble, it changes the game and changes their ability to be aggressive in certain areas.

Find a Way to Handle KSU’s Length and Strength

Kennesaw State is not gigantic down low, but they do have long wings. And RJ Johnson does not play like he’s 6’1” for what that’s worth. I think if WKU can neutralize KSU’s length and athleticism, this feels like a WKU win. And that’s not an easy task. All of KSU’s players seem to be long and 6’5” to 6’7”. With a below the rim player like Teagan Moore, a defender with lateral quickness and length could pose a problem. Teagan relies on angles, and if the angles are closed off, he may have more trouble than normal.

An LJ Hackman who normally has girth on most does not have girth on RJ Johnson, who has more of a football body. Ryan Myers is usually able to have an ability to blend in and find some shots that make sense. He has had decent games against Kennesaw State this season, but he only has made 9-of-25 shots from the field against the Owls. Again, length and quickness could be bothering WKU’s style of play. Armelo Boone may be key against Kennesaw State. Not playing in the game at KSU, Boone may have been a difference maker given his pure athleticism.

Bonus Key: Armelo Boone Needs to be Good

I usually do five keys, but I’m feeling this one, as well. Armelo Boone is one of the few players on WKU’s roster that can explode athletically. Against a long, athletic team, especially on the wing, a gifted player like Boone could challenge KSU’s athletic 2-3-4 position players. I’m not calling for Armelo to be otherworldly, but he definitely needs to show up and it will tremendously help the inevitability that WKU’s other marginally athletic players struggle against the Owls’ mid-size athletes.

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Prediction

As I continue to look at this matchup, I feel better and better. Yes, clearly KSU gave WKU some issues. And both matchups came after Simeon Cottle’s exit. So there’s consistency in both results. But WKU really turned the corner after the second Sam Houston game and showed their first sign of their new identity against Kennesaw State despite being down both Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone.

WKU was able to hang with KSU, actually probably should have won, and despite the obvious absence of two All-Conference caliber players, nearly won on the road. The more you look into it, the first loss at Diddle was two things: An emotional team with news not even 48 hours old about a surprise absence and WKU’s January mess. There was a ton of motivation there and KSU Coach Antoine Pettway obviously pushed the right buttons and they played really well. And it was clear WKU wasn’t playing its best at that point in the season for whatever reason.

When looking at Kennesaw State, a scary stat is that they score 82 points per game. However, since Simeon Cottle, it’s more of a medium pace at less than 77 points per game. So if KSU was scoring that type of number consistently, they would probably stand a little higher in the conference standings. But there’s no way offensively they don’t miss Cottle, who was averaging over 20 points per game and would have been a surefire First Team All CUSA pick.

I do see a team that potentially gives WKU trouble. Western needs to play well, but on a neutral court with a WKU that presumably knows itself and realizes its mistakes from this past week, I like WKU to win this one. Whether it’s a classic and the Tops win, or it’s a double digit cruisefest (we can only hope), I think WKU should win this one.

Give me Western Kentucky 79-Kennesaw State 72.

And by the way, if you’re thinking about coming down to Huntsville, DO IT!

Upsets are happening, and the path has opened for WKU to (if nothing else) not have to face Liberty in the championship game if they were to get there. As of publication time, it looks like Sam Houston will hold on to beat NMSU and WKU will need to beat the two seed to make it to the CUSA Tournament.

But it’s time to FLOCK to Huntsville.

GO TOPS! BEAT KENNESAW STATE!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

Going down to Huntsville? We’ll be there in the stands. We’ll live tweet, post articles, and maybe do some cool videos in Huntsville, so make sure you tune in, subscribe below (or above), give if you’d like to support our efforts, and follow us @TheTowelRackWKU on every platform! And by the way, send us your pics and tag us in your posts and we’ll like, share, and repost!

We are always doing our best to tell you about everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

Wow.

I mean…

Does anyone in Conference USA Men’s Basketball want to win a conference championship?

As the tournament starts today, let’s break down everybody. General info, numbers, metnions of key players, etc.

Every team in the upper-portion of the conference standings has faltered as of recently. No team has a winning streak longer than two besides MTSU, who has won five in a row. Are we really going to declare Middle as the favorite when they may not even be favored in their opening round matchup? They lost to their first round matchup at Louisiana Tech. Speaking of which, they played well this week, but they are definitely flawed. And how about Western Kentucky? They had won six in a row and were rewriting recent history and just lost to the two teams that will play in the 8/9 game by double digits this weekend, albeit on the road.

And of course, one of your favorites regardless of this week should probably be Sam Houston, who just lost to Liberty by double digits and lost to a really depleted Delaware team. But big picture, Sam has only lost three games in nearly two months. Up until this week, they were playing good ball, but they have losses to potential opponents NMSU and WKU this season as well as poor momentum.

Liberty is your clear favorite, right? But they needed home court and a Sam Houston team with nothing to play for on their Senior Day to snap the streak of three of four after starting undefeated in CUSA play.

Conference USA has been an interesting league this year in basketball. For both the men and the women, compelling storylines, surprising performances and non-performances, and shocking turnarounds have come a-plenty.

Some teams started out looking like world beaters and have fizzled. Some didn’t do much of anything in the non-conference, but have killed it in conference. Some teams have been dominant all year.

Each team is in a slightly different position, feels slightly different about their progress, feels slightly or completely different in their confidence levels. Some just took brutal blowout losses and some are rolling over everyone in their path.

So let’s take a look at Conference USA as a whole.

And this coming week, we’ll be in Huntsville in the stands, tweeting, posting, and writing articles all week. Make sure you tune in, because we’ll be providing lots of CUSA (and WKU centric) content.

Conference USA Statistics

Check out some numbers before we dive in to which teams can do what and how…

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CUSA Tournament: Team Previews

Conference USA Men’s Basketball has been entertaining this season. Very often with close games, upsets, and “wth” moments, each team has had its issues, and each team (now that Liberty lost two in a row before winning at JSU and splitting this week) has had a period where they got in a funk. Some teams are still in it, while others are still battling through a trough period.

Sam Houston, WKU, and Kennesaw State all lost both games this week, for example. As far as anyone actually acting like they want to win in Huntsville, that title goes to LA Tech and Middle, who play each other in the first round. Sucks for them! It seems to be that the pod with Liberty, MTSU, LA Tech, Missouri State, and FIU is probably the tougher side, and certainly with way more momentum.

On the other side, NMSU won two this week to squeeze into the tournament, but they are the ten seed. JSU just got a buzzer beater at UTEP, but they are as up and down and must win four games in five days and will play NMSU, who swept them in the regular season. As mentioned, SHSU, WKU, and KSU all lost this week, but they are the absolute favorites to represent this side of the bracket. Are any of them capable? or does one of the lower seeds jump and seize opportunity on three reeling teams?

Before this week, it seemed like there were three clear favorites at the moment. We could all debate which of the three was the true favorite, but the top three seeds in Liberty, Sam Houston State, and Western Kentucky seemed to be the ones to watch.

Liberty has been the absolute favorite all year, winning most games routinely, home or away, and even with recent losses, they still hold a near top 100 resume and a record with only six overall losses. Even after those losses, they still possess a 17-3 record and had already clinched the outright regular season crown with a full week of play remaining.

Sam Houston is another Conference USA team with a decent resume (NET top 105), is the clear two seed, and has only lost three games in about two months. Plenty of those recent games were by single digits, so we can debate about whether Sam is legit or not. On the one hand, perhaps they haven’t been dominant. Then again, perhaps it helps to illustrate how well they’ve been playing by mentioning they hadn’t won (or lost) a single game by one possession until losing at Delaware by three this week. They’ve all been multiple possession victories, and that is really solid work. Regardless of details, they were red hot and unquestionably playing really good basketball. And I really like Chris Mudge of Sam Houston. That guy knows what he’s doing. We got to sit next to him on press row last year and he was kind enough to chat for a few minutes. Down to Earth good dude.

Western Kentucky is a team that has done the “phoenix from the ashes” routine. Looking like a train wreck in January and not elite in December after a hot November, WKU is absolutely firing on all cylinders, winning six in a row and all of the last three (including at Liberty in a stunner) by at least 21 points. This marks the first time since WKU has won by at least 20 three times in a row since December of 2007. Whatever issues were going on before the streak started, WKU’s Teagan Moore came back from injury five games ago and the Tops have absolutely (for the most part) rolled through the competition with four double digit wins (and admittedly two squeakers). And then there’s this week: Absolute train wreck again. Looking uninterested and playing horrible defense against teams that have no business struggling like that against, they were absolutely dominated in the pain this week.

Then there’s another set of contenders in the 4/5 matchup in MTSU and LA Tech. With both playing well, one of these two thankfully eliminates the other, or I would picking one of these two to win it all. If they were in separate parts of the bracket, maybe one of those two for sure would’ve made the championship game. But darn, that won’t happen. And instead of of getting an easy road, they get Liberty in all likelihood. However, Liberty is clearly vulnerable, both teams are athletic, and Liberty is short and not explosively athletic. LA Tech actually beat Liberty at Liberty this week. That’s impressive. Middle has won five in a row. If I’m Liberty, I’m disgusted with my draw, frankly. They draw the two hottest teams, and the 8/9 matchup brings either a team (FIU) that took them to overtime and lost to them by three in the other game, and a team (MSU) that only lost to them by three at Liberty.

The Favorite

#1 Liberty (25-6, 17-3 CUSA)

Liberty has been the best team in the conference all year. While everyone kept giving each other black eyes, Liberty stood above all as the clear best team. They first showed signs of cracks, winning close games by buzzer beaters and lucky runs. Then they got blown out by WKU at home, snapping their gigantic winning streak. Liberty followed that up with a loss at KSU, and were working on another one before they came back at Jacksonville State. The defending champion, they may be in somewhat of a funk, should still be the favorite heading into the action next week.

Liberty’s Draw: 3 out of 10

Liberty avoids Western Kentucky and Sam Houston, and that’s about it. This was a disastrous draw for the Flames, who will face two of four athletic teams if they want to get to the championship. Then they’ll probably face two seed Sam Houston (two single digit wins), WKU (split), or KSU (split). Or if not, their other options are Ray Harper and his Gamecocks in a revenge game, or NMSU, who would need to be on a five game winning streak to have made the championship in a miracle run. Absolute crap draw other than avoiding Western and Sam.

The Other Contenders

#2 Sam Houston State (21-10, 13-7 CUSA)

Sam Houston has quietly taken care of business, steadily improving, and surprising Conference USA with a second place finish after a subpar start. They fizzled a little this week, but before this week, they were winners of 12 of 13. They faced a determined Delaware team on the road, and they lost to Liberty on Senior Day. No shame in that, but it does cast a question mark on the Bearkats, who seemed possibly the (no less than) co-favorite until Liberty beat them Saturday. A top 100 caliber team, if Sam Houston was to make a run and win the title, they would be a worthy representative of Conference USA Men’s Basketball.

Sam Houston’s Draw: 8 out of 10

Sam Houston gets the two seed, and they are favored as nearly 50 percent favorites for a reason. A great deal of it is because they get the less dangerous draw with the teams with more issues with less momentum. Jacksonville State is plenty dangerous, and so is NMSU. They did lose to NMSU, but they beat WKU once out of two, beat JSU twice, and beat Kennesaw State twice. The other side, they lost to each of the top three seeds. Excellent draw for Sam Houston.

#3 Western Kentucky (18-13, 11-9 CUSA)

WKU was looking the class of the league until this week, when they came crashing back to Earth in mysterious fashion. Losing by double digits to both Missouri State and FIU, WKU didn’t even look interested this week. Of course, that’s probably perception. Maybe they felt funny or were emotionally spent from a long winning streak. Tired from traveling from Bowling Green to Springfield to Miami. Whatever the case, they didn’t look nearly as sharp and absolutely have WKU fans hesitating to pick the Tops to win it all in Huntsville.

WKU is clearly one of the more talented, more loaded teams in the CUSA field of ten. Going ten or more deep nearly every game, WKU may win by atrition later in the tournament. And if games are tightly called, watch for foul trouble to catch up with someone else in a close game. WKU has plenty of weapons, but they absolutely can fall off the map without notice, while in the same game, they’ll explode for some ridiculous stretch that looks like they’re better than anyone in America for a 10-20 minute stretch.

WKU’s Draw: 7 out of 10

A draw that is certainly favorable, WKU gets Kennesaw State, who will have to create their own momentum. KSU did beat WKU twice, and personally I love KSU’s Head Coach, Antoine Pettway. Something about him is impressive. He got his guys to come together after their leading scorer (Simeon Cottle) was indicted for illegal gambling. WKU played them at Diddle immediately after and they handled WKU by double digits in a game that was never really close. RJ Johnson is a terrifyingly good player that can wreck plans. Although shorthanded, they’re dangerous.

Then if WKU can get past Kennesaw State, WKU draws Sam Houston, NMSU, or JSU. Most likely it’s Sam Houston, who is no slouch but isn’t a matchup nightmare for the Tops. NMSU isn’t bad, and JSU may be an issue but WKU is due a victory. And I think WKU’s fans would come down in droves to beat Ray Harper. It’s still difficult, but it’s as good as possible other than the first round matchup with Kennesaw.

#4 Louisiana Tech (18-13, 11-9 CUSA)

LA Tech has been playing better ball, can boast the best win of this past week, and has overall been playing better in recent weeks than the first part of conference season. Winners of three of four and six of nine, the Bulldogs are a team that is different than a lot of teams in Conference USA. Boasting the league’s best defense (64.6 ppg), every team that runs into LA Tech will have to figure out how to score. Fortunately for everyone else, the Bulldogs don’t score a ton or they might have had a better season overall. Nonetheless, the league’s best defense by nearly four points per game is a standout stat, and I think the team from Ruston has a real chance to make a run.

LA Tech’s Draw: 1 out of 10

LA Tech draws Middle, who blew them out early in the season. Does that suggest a matchup issue? Maybe. We know Middle and LA Tech is a huge matchup between two legit title contenders. Then of course is Liberty and their potential opponents. Liberty is obviously a challenge, and they will be extra fired up to play a team that just recently beat them on their home floor. If it’s not Liberty, MSU was competitive but swept vs. LA Tech, and FIU swept the Bulldogs. That’s not exactly reassuring. Then of course, they get the best of the other side as it goes. Unless LA Tech can overcome a weak offense and a bad draw, they’ll have trouble getting out of their side of the bracket. But they’re good enough to win CUSA, especially if they play like they’ve been doing.

#5 Middle Tennessee (17-14, 11-9 CUSA)

Middle looked like a disaster several weeks ago. Whatever happened, they came together and they are playing really well, not really struggling in most games in several weeks, including some road trips. They are playing really well, and you have got to give Nick McDevitt his flowers for pulling his team together. An extremely athletic team with some freaks on it, seven players that score at least 6.6 points per game, and a team that can defend better than most in CUSA.

Middle is…well, middle of the pack in Conference USA in both offense (7th) and defense (6th), one of only three teams (Liberty and NMSU) that can boast a top seven offense and defense. Are they a legit contender? I think so.

MTSU’s Draw: 2 out of 10

I’m not sure MTSU could have picked a more horrible draw. If they make it to the finals, they’ll have certainly earned it. MTSU’s reward for going on a run late in the season is drawing Louisiana Tech, the other team in the conference currently playing extremely well. If these two teams were on opposite sides of the bracket, I would personally like each of them to make it to the finals if I was just picking the two teams I think could be really dangerous. The fact that these two teams face off in the first round is brutal for each.

Then, as a reward, MTSU gets whoever wins between FIU, Missouri State, and Liberty. Liberty is an obvious threat, but FIU and MSU got going this last week, so any winner will challenge the winner of this juicy first round matchup. Then when and if they get to the finals, they likely play WKU or Sam Houston, who are both legitimate contenders and played well against MTSU.

The Dark Horses

#6 Kennesaw State (18-13, 10-10 CUSA)

Kennesaw State is a team that has done about as much as it could with this season. Given distractions and a roster that doesn’t have a ton of size, this team plays together and fights. Just because they lost their last two doesn’t mean they can’t make a run. Any team in the top six is in a matchup they can win, and then it’s on from there. KSU is no exception, especially considering they beat WKU twice. Given that this is a team that is first in scoring in the conference, they can beat anyone. WKU is also a good scoring team, and neither team plays great defense. If KSU can get past WKU, then it’s most likely on to a very statistically similar Sam Houston, or it’s a JSU or NMSU who will have two games in their legs.

Kennesaw State’s Draw: 6 out of 10

Other than likely having to play the 3, 2, and then the 1 seed, Kennesaw’s draw is about as good as possible. They draw a team that they beat twice and that also lost twice this week. Then they likely play Sam Houston, who is very similar to them and also didn’t play well this past week. They played and lost two close games with the Bearkats. Then let’s say they play Liberty, who the Owls just recently handed a loss, as well. Other than the pure difficulty of likely playing the top three teams in the conference, they have a real path to a championship. They will not be afraid of their draw, and they have the talent to make something happen in Huntsville.

#7 Jacksonville State (15-16, 10-10 CUSA)

Ray Harper once again has a team with a low seed that could make a run at a conference championship. He did it at WKU, he’s done it at JSU, and he could do it again in Huntsville. In a year with no favorite, JSU has talent, is big, physical, chippy, talented, and can play defense. Clearly they’re not the world’s best team, considering they landed on a sub-.500 record heading into conference tournament play. But “Harper magic” could absolutely be in full effect.

Jacksonville State’s Draw: 3 out of 10

Given that JSU needs to win four in four days, this isn’t a horrendous draw. However, let’s not pretend like they’ll just waltz to the finals. Their first game is difficult, given the season sweep by ten seed NMSU. If they survive that one, Sam Houston awaits, a team that also swept them. Then maybe they get WKU, or maybe KSU. WKU they swept, but WKU will be looking for revenge and is fully capable. If it’s KSU, that’s a big rival that they split with. I don’t love the draw for them, but it’s not awful. If they can get past NMSU, there are factors in each game from there on in that could give them an advantage.

#8 Florida International (15-16, 8-12 CUSA)

FIU is a dangerous opponent. Well coached and big and athletic, the Panthers are no slouch eight seed. A capable team, this team could pose a threat to Liberty if they get past Missouri State. Despite a five game losing streak early in conference play, FIU scratched out an 8-12 record to make the CUSA Tournament and match up with an MSU team with the same conference record. FIU gets the nod with the tiebreaker, although the only advantage of having the higher seed is picking what jersey to wear. But watch out for FIU. They gave Liberty two really good games, although they fell both times.

FIU’s Draw: 7 out of 10

Seriously, could FIU have gotten a better draw? FIU can score and is huge, so they get MSU, then Liberty. As aforementioned, FIU seems to give Liberty trouble due to their length. Then they get MTSU and LA Tech, two teams they can handle athletically who they challenge on the offensive end. 4-3 against their side of the bracket and 3-0 against MTSU and LA Tech, watch out for FIU with the dream draw. Other than getting out of their own way and not laying an egg because they’re not that great of a team, FIU could make a run just given the matchups presented.

#9 Missouri State (14-17, 8-12 CUSA)

Conference USA really is dead even. Even down to the nine seed now, this team could conceivably make some noise. With unique players down low, MSU can cause problems for FIU, Liberty, and others. Missouri State may be a team that’s most difficult to see making a run. And this isn’t MSU hate. I just don’t like their draw, and I don’t like the makeup of their team for this exact endeavor: Conference tournament play. I have no issue with Missouri State, but at some point, you have a bad draw, you’re on the tougher side of the bracket, and if you can make it past FIU in the first round, you get Liberty and then follow it up with the one of the two hottest teams in CUSA. I just don’t see it.

Missouri State’s Draw: 1 out of 10

1-6 against their side of the bracket and the nine seed? That sucks. And it’s a shame because they could make a run. However, they’re guaranteed to need to beat Liberty to do anything other than beat FIU. The odds are horrible for that alone happening. Then you follow it up with red hot MTSU or LA Tech, both of whom you don’t really match up well against. All of Missouri State’s wins are on the other side of the bracket or not in the bracket at all. It’s not a death sentence, but the draw for me puts the final nail in the coffin and I really don’t see it happening for Missouri State this year.

#10 New Mexico State (15-15, 8-12 CUSA)

New Mexico State is about as good of a ten seed as you could possibly create. Higher than their seed offensively (6th) and defensively (4th), this team had a really good non-conference and didn’t have a great conference season, and that’s a huge reason why they haven’t been as good once they got in conference play. However, the talent is there, and the momentum is there.

Winners against the team they face in the first round (JSU) just this past week, NMSU should come in confident to their first matchup. They also beat Kennesaw State, which was also a pretty decent win, as well. This team went from 11th to not needing to win its final game in a few weeks. They won some games, and considering UTEP and Delaware were coming for them in recent weeks, they’re playing good enough basketball to upset whoever they face. The key will be whether they can stay fresh, and whether they will be overpowered by teams with more scoring options. In tournament play, only having two double digit scorers could make for an easy scout: Stop the two scorers and live with the results.

NMSU’s Draw: 6 out of 10

Getting a game against a team you can feel good against because of a recent win is a major positive. Then they get Sam Houston, who they actually beat early on in the conference season. Then it’s WKU or Kennesaw State, who they split with in the regular season. This is by no means a death sentence, and a team with a lot of efficiency (and depth by the way) could be really dangerous. The only caveat to this is they will need to win four games in five days to win a championship. However, if they could squeak past Sam Houston, they would have no worse than an even exchange against a team that played 16 hours earlier. They will have two games in their legs, but they will have a day and a half’s rest before they would have to play a semifinal. That could spell trouble if they can get through two games.

#11 Texas El-Paso (11-20, 7-13 CUSA) and #12 Delaware (10-21, 6-14 CUSA): Do not qualify for CUSA Tournament

Due to CUSA only being able to host ten teams in men’s and women’s basketball without adding an extra day to the CUSA Tournament, the 11 and 12 seeds to not make the tournament this year. Unfortunately for these two, they didn’t make the field.

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Summing it Up Before I Make My Call…

This is more wide open than I ever recall it being. Because the two clear worst teams (Delaware and UTEP) are out of the field, the quality is left and no one is an easy out. UTEP or Delaware were still decent, but when you look at their overall numbers against the rest, it’s obvious why they fell out of the field.

Therefore, there’s really no cupcake game on the schedule for anyone. Everyone is close to .500 overall or better, and no team was like an FAU from before conference realignment that was a foregone conclusion to win it.

If you’re a fan of a CUSA team (WKU or not), I’d encourage you get to Huntsville because it could be a good one this year no matter who makes a run and who gets bounced out early.

That being said, I think the two clear favorites are Sam Houston and Liberty. Liberty is obvious. Defending champion. One seed. Dominant all year until the last few weeks. Sam Houston was far and away the biggest surprise of Conference USA, and they came on extremely strong in the last half of the season. Once January hit, they worked out their kinks and were really good other than a couple of hiccups.

My Completely Honest Pick to Win Conference USA: Sam Houston State

When you look at Sam Houston’s metrics, the makeup of their team, their size, their depth, and their coach, I really like Sam Houston. I like their draw. I like the way they won a bunch of games in a row. I like their depth. I think Coach Chris Mudge has been handed some difficult situations and continues to do a good job.

So if I’m taking my WKU Red and White glasses off and being completely honest, I think Liberty has the tough draw but would still be the favorite in a vacuum. But given the factor of the draw, I think Sam Houston gets the best of it between specifically who they get to play, how everybody in their bracket is playing, and how they get an advantage on each opponent heading into the finals. They will face a tired team Wednesday that already played a game. Friday, they will face a team that played in the quarterfinals 16 or so hours before while they won’t have played since Wednesday night. And then unless they face Liberty, they will face a team with way less rest than they have had.

I like Sam Houston. They have something going this year, and I just like a lot of the details. The more I dug, the more they’re standing out. My concern is maybe they don’t have one person that’s the alpha. Then again, they have so many options and so much depth that it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same guy every night as long as somebody steps up and drops in 20 or 30 every night.

Sam Houston gets LA Tech in the championship game, and Sam Houston is able to outscore a LA Tech team that’s on tired legs. Sam Houston’s rest really helps them, and take advantage of a weaker side of the bracket while the Bulldogs run out of steam.

The Kats Eat ‘Em Up.

But Still…

GO TOPS! LOGIC MEANS NOTHING! LET’S DANCE, TOPPERS!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Basketball looked unbeatable two weeks ago, but now, all is in question. In fact, Liberty, SHSU, and WKU all looked to be the three clear favorites to win CUSA (with a debate to be had for the true favorite), but with those three losing a combined 5 of 6 this week, it’s now seriously anybody’s tournament to win.

Has a conference tournament ever felt so wide open? I think we could make an argument for each team having enough reason to feel like they could make a run, and not only make a run but legitimately be right there at the end with a chance to win the whole thing.

Ten seed NMSU could argue they’ve got momentum and nothing to lose, along with a surprisingly efficient offense and defense despite a double digit seed and a losing record. Nine seed Missouri State has very unique and skilled bodies down low that could cause havoc. Eight seed FIU is well-coached, long and athletic, and can score. Jacksonville State has a coach that’s won multiple conference championships with multiple programs in multiple conferences while needing one more win than most of the rest of the field.

Then each of the top six seeds have equal footing, only needing three wins to dance. Six seed Kennesaw State has long wings, capable scorers, and good coaching with a reasonable road to the finals despite likely being the lower seed on their most likely path to the championship game. Five seed LA Tech has the best defense in the conference and has recent quality wins. Four seed Middle Tennessee has won five in a row and has some freak show athletes. Three seed WKU had the best three game stretch of anyone in CUSA all year just a couple of weeks ago. Two seed Sam Houston is one of the two co-favorites and (before this past week) had only lost one game in over a month and a half. Liberty (despite a rough draw) is the clear favorite and the defending champion returning most of its key players from last season.

It’s literally anybody’s guess how this goes down. So we’re going to turn it over to the staff.

1. Who wins CUSA?

2. Why?

3. If it’s not WKU, how far does WKU go?

CUSA Tourney Predictions

Matt McCay

I have been skeptical of this team most of the year, and despite this last week, which certainly gives me pause, I still feel like this team has a better chance to win it all than Steve Lutz’s team that actually did it a couple of years ago. WKU has the better draw coming into the tournament than they did in 2023-24. Sam Houston is a beatable two seed. Kennesaw State, despite playing out of their minds to get to this point, is still regardless of how capable they are missing their leading scorer (Simeon Cottle). No team on the other side of the bracket poses such a horrifying threat that it just feels like WKU would go into a championship matchup against any of those teams and be assumed to be a severe underdog.

#2 LA Tech in 2024 was clearly going to be a problem and #7 Middle Tennessee took care of them. Then after WKU’s decisive first round win against a New Mexico State team that struggled away from home, the Tops annihilated the Blue Raiders in a 3/7 matchup. Then they got #5 UTEP instead of #1 Sam Houston or #4 Liberty, both of which would have posed more issues for WKU. WKU lucked into playing 5, 6, and 7 as the three seed, a remarkable lucky setup.

This year, WKU is good enough to not need luck. They sure as heck could use it, don’t get me wrong! I’d rather play a drunk/high/depressed Kennesaw State team, NMSU, and Missouri State. But I don’t know if this team needs luck given their ceiling. WKU played some of the finest basketball WKU has seen in nearly two decades in February. It was incredible. They were locked in and made their move and sealed a high seed when they were at risk of missing the tournament altogether.

All they have to do (despite our noise) is show up and play their best and I think they’ll cut down nets. Am I saying they definitely will? No. But I truly think this team is the best team in Conference USA if they’re clicking. They’re the deepest, have the most options, the most ways to find a win, and the most weapons. WKU could start (and has started) any of eight players and have a good starting lineup with plenty off the bench. As long as Teagan Moore is healthy, I like WKU’s chances. The fact that WKU had bad games from key players last week just means odds should even out in Huntsville.

Tops by 90, baby. Tops run to the championship, face Liberty, and win in a championship for the ages.

Alex Sherfield

It has come down to three to four days in March for the Hilltoppers to change their postseason destiny. Thursday night begins a new temporary season as WKU’s finest will try to scrap their way to an NCAA Tournament berth courtesy of Conference USA. Even though it was a season that at times warranted various concerns & complaints, you can’t rule out that ANYTHING can happen in March.

All Conference USA team representatives Teagan Moore, Armelo Boone, & Grant Newell are obviously being called upon to lead this squad to some postseason magic after getting their respective awards this past weekend. Depending on what rotation of players gets paired together, the depth of the bench players remains the obvious big factor in how successful this team can be over the next few days. The question that remains is, who is going to step up if Moore, Boone, or Newell run into kryptonite?

Kennesaw State is first on the menu, and just like WKU, they find themselves crawling to Von Braun Center on a two-game skid to end the regular season. While the Owls boast a series sweep over the Tops (81-65 & 72-69 just eleven days apart in January), I wouldn’t buy into the factor that it’s easy to get three wins over the same squad, especially if the latter is on a neutral court. It’s pretty simple for the game plan: The Tops need to play their best defense of the season over the next few days (or at least Thursday) to slow down a very high tempo Owls offense and keep this one favorably close for a convincing win into the semifinal rounds.

However, a potential matchup with Liberty for the third time will be tough. The Flames have looked human over the last two weeks since the Tops has broken their conference game winning streak. A revenge game for Ritchie McKay over Hank Plona as both squads split wins this season would definitely be a showdown that’ll be fatal if the Tops start off rusty following a win over Kennesaw State (and a semifinal win against SHSU, NMSU, or JSU).

If they can get the victory (Thursday), they’ll more than likely run into a Sam Houston ball club that arguably outside of Liberty, boasts a pretty strong chance at taking the crown on Saturday. (I don’t think WKU makes it past the semifinals, and they may be lucky to get to the semis at that.)

According to Alex: How Does The Rest of the Week in Huntsville fall down?

My conference championship prediction will be a part 3 of Liberty vs Sam Houston State. The trio of Zach Cleveland, Colin Porter, and Kaden Metheny will do their absolute best for a swan song amongst the seniors for two trips in a row to The Big Dance. I still would not rule out the Bearkats as they have plenty of buzz after finishing as the second and final team of CUSA to amass at least 20 wins this season.

FIU & Louisiana Tech are also two teams to look at in my opinion to get an upset or two before Saturday’s championship game.

David McCay

Once again it is Conference tournament time and none of us knows what will happen overall in the NCAA, much less in CUSA. I will answer the biggest question that all WKU fans want to know, first. Will The Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers win CUSA this year. I will answer it this way, if WKU can shoot close to 50% from the field, not take bad threes (making at least 5), shoot 75% or better from the free throw line, play solid defense, and force tempo and fouls, they can beat anyone in CUSA and I would not want to face them, no matter who my team was. Those are the statistics they had during the recent six game winning streak.

If Western does not get close to these marks, they will not win and they will struggle. Think about games like Marshall, Sam Houston, Kennesaw State, MoState, and FIU, losing by 10 plus. They are too bipolar to place a big bet on, because we really do not know which team will be on the court on any given night.

Yes, I hope WKU pulls it together and plays well enough to win the CUSA Tournament.

David’s Other Contenders

If Liberty goes hot again, they have the talent and have played the best overall this season as a team. They have the best chance. Sam Houston is a solid team as 21-10, but does not play well away from home, so I do not think they will win it all. LA Tech, MTSU, Kennesaw State, and Jax State sit in the middle and may have the best chances to pull upsets and make it to the NCAA Tournament other than the obvious choices. Plus, you can rarely count out Ray Harper (Jax State) if his team is healthy. That man’s teams have the ability to do special things during tournament time.

Overall CUSA is a big cluster of inconsistent playing teams. The one who pulls it together for 3 or 4 in a row will win it all, needless to say. Let it be WKU. GO TOPS!!!

Final Prediction: My heart says WKU wins it, but my head says Liberty wins it all. WKU beats Kennesaw and loses in the semis to JSU or SHSU. If WKU somehow lucks out and gets NMSU, they’ll make the final but will lose to Liberty.

Editor’s Note: I had pin David down, who tried to wiggle out of giving a real prediction. Not today, Dad!

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Bret Combest

The Conference USA Men’s Basketball Tournament sets up with a clear favorite but several teams are capable of making a run. The league has been led throughout by the Liberty Flames, who enter the tournament with the conference’s most consistent resume and the top seed after cruising to the top seed. Liberty is balanced on both ends, but conference tournaments often reward teams that can get hot at the right time. That opens the door for contenders like WKU, who have shown flashes of high-level play here and there.

WKU enters the tournament as one of the most dangerous teams in Conference USA. Western plays at a higher tempo and often score in the upper 70s and 80s despite a bottom 100 field goal percentage nationally. If WKU can control the glass (top 50 rebounding in the NCAA), that would fix their biggest issue from last week besides poor shooting. Liberty should probably be the favorite, but if WKU can find its offensive rhytm and strings together some defense, the Hilltopper have the talent to win a Conference USA title. Liberty’s efficiency gives them the edge, but WKU’s size and rebounding would give a team like Liberty (and others) a challenge.

Per some quick metrics, WKU shows as having a 15-18 percent chance to win the tournament, which may not seem like a lot, but given ten teams in the field, WKU has an above average chance to pull it out. Liberty and Sam Houston might be the #1 and #2 favorites, but WKU is next on the list, and because they earned the three seed, they may get lucky and not have to face either.

I’ve got WKU cutting down the nets in Huntsville. GO TOPS!

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Andrew Nalley

The entire top half of the Conference USA basketball teams are seemingly limping into the conference tournament playing their worst basketball. #1 seed Liberty seems to have almost been broken by their first conference loss to the Hilltoppers, having gone 2-2 since. 2 seed Sam Houston State has lost their last two games, including a loss to Delaware — who did not even qualify for the conference tournament, having finished dead last.

And then there’s Western, whom I literally cannot find the words to begin expressing my utter and complete disappointment in (given last week’s results). Western, who somehow secured the 3-seed, was firing on all cylinders and gave me a bit of false hope (which is now 100% gone). They just followed up a six game winning streak by getting blown out by two of the worst teams in the conference by an average of nearly 20 this week.

So I’ll tell you first who will not be winning the Conference USA tournament in my opinion: WKU. This team lost my confidence I had in them following their last week of play. The talent is there roster-wise, but the criticisms of the coaching that I had for a majority of the season are at the forefront yet again. I think Kennesaw State dog-walks them by 20-plus and Hilltopper fans get to look forward to a roster tracker that’ll likely see any possible returning fan-favorite players enter the portal.

There are several teams in the field of ten that have played well in spurts this season. Liberty was once the clear runaway favorite, but have faltered down the stretch. They’re still probably the favorite to take the crown, but they’re much more vulnerable now than they might’ve been a month ago.

After going on a bit of a tangent, I truly wish I had a deeper prediction than just simply projecting the favorite to win the C-USA tournament, but every other team outside of Liberty has not demonstrated enough on a consistent basis for me to pick against the Flames. But the door is wide-open for this conference tournament to be a wild one. Safe Answer: I predict Liberty will defeat Kennesaw State in the C-USA Title Game.

-Fun “March Madness” Answer: Liberty is upset by Missouri State in the second round, then goes on to play MTSU - who defeats LA Tech in the quarterfinals. In a tough bout, MTSU loses a close game to Missouri State. On the otherside of the bracket, Ray Harper magic is alive and well. Jax State defeats NMST, then goes on to forge a come-from-behind victory versus Sam Houston State. Kennesaw State proves to be a worthy adversary, but this is Ray Harper in conference tournament mode - Gamecocks win a nail-biter. In the title game, we have a #7 vs. #9 matchup, Missouri State versus Jacksonville State. Harper magic, while always strong, just isn’t as magical as it once was. 14-17 Missouri State does the unthinkable - wins the CUSA title.

Conclusion

Wow. Well, we certainly disagree, and some strong words have been said. Frankly, I’m not sure how to follow that up!

But this is the excitement of March. Keep in mind, WKU lost four straight the last time they won a conference championship. So it’s not overreaction to turn right around and predict a championship. And also, it’s not crazy talk to predict a first round exit against a team WKU lost to by a margin of 8.5 over two games, including a drubbing in Diddle Arena.

Big picture, this is the most wide open CUSA Tournament in recent memory. Last season, Liberty, JSU, and MTSU were the clear favorites with Liberty being the likely winner. That was exactly how it played out last season. The year before, it seemed like there were two favorites and became chaos. The year before, FAU won it going away and made it to the Final Four. 2022 was the last time there was no clear “best” team.

This year, although Liberty was dominant and controlled the conference from start to finish, they faded. And more importantly, they are really flawed in multiple ways (rebounding and depth). Sam Houston is very balanced and deep, but do they have a superstar that gets them over the hump? WKU is more unreliable than a life partner on drugs. You get the idea.

Who’s going to win it? Your guess is as good as ours! We clearly have no clue!

But as always during tournament, regardless of your feelings…

GET OVER IT!

Go support the Tops in Huntsville if you can make it work at all. It’s a good time, you meet great people, and your presence helps wins games. In an arena with only a few hundred WKU fans, you bringing you and the family adds a significant percentage to the Red and White.

Don’t miss out. You never know what you’ll see, and there’s nothing like witnessing history and making a memory you’ll never forget.

GO TOPS! LET’S WIN THIS THING!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Basketball seemed ready to establish itself as a clear favorite for the Conference USA Tournament this week, having won six games in a row. Rather than continue to win and ultimately finish the season with 20 wins in the regular season for the first time in quite some time, the Hilltoppers would flounder beyond measure and suffer two blowout losses to mid-tier teams — offering more questions than answers as we now head toward the 2026 Conference USA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

While you could make the argument that winning the two games likely would not have made much difference for the Hilltoppers in the conference standings (although two wins would have stolen second place if Sam Houston still had gotten swept this week), having positive momentum and playing their best basketball at the most important part of the season would have been.. I don’t know, pretty cool?

Unfortunately, the opposite would happen as WKU would lose to Missouri State (87-74) and then take the bad juju to FIU on Saturday (92-67). Not to be too dramatic here, but I wanted to lead off suggesting that the Hilltoppers seemingly reverted back to the sloppy, inconsistent play that mimicked their early season woes. I honestly believe they played worse in their final two games of the regular season than they had all season long.

If you want a brief analysis of how both games generally went as a collective for the Hilltoppers rather than relive the misery in depth, I’ll provide that here. Shooting, which had slowly but gradually begun to improve, once again was horrendous. Even worse, WKU’s free throw shooting both games came back to Earth.

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Andrew’s Anecdotes

If you would’ve told me that a week ago that our WKU Hilltopper basketball team, going in the previous weeks’ games having won six-straight games would lay an absolute egg in two games versus two of the worser teams in Conference-USA, well — I would not have been completely caught off guard. This team has had streaky play for much of the season. WKU’s shooting, as you’ve likely been reminded a time or two in my recaps, is one of college basketball’s worst. Plona shuffles his line-ups like card dealers shuffle cards. Prior to the still miraculous victory versus Delaware, the Hilltoppers were teetering with being .500, both on the season as well as in conference play. But then, the unimaginable happened — the Hilltoppers went into Liberty and not only upset the then-undefeated in CUSA play Liberty Flames, but WKU straight-up embarrassed them.

After the Hilltoppers defeated Liberty by over 20 points, I sat back and thought, Heck yeah, what a good win to have on the season!” While very exciting for a program that has not had much in recent years with regard to what I would refer to as ‘premier wins,’ I tried not to read much into it at first. A big upset and a big win, yes. But ultimately, I still remained skeptical as to this particular team making much noise. Then, the Hilltoppers rattled off another four wins — most of which were by wide margins. What is that feeling that has long alluded me as a Hilltopper basketball fan..is that hope?

Right when you let your guard down and allow your mind to imagine the possibilities were WKU to continue winning, the team does a 180-degree turn and goes right back to playing poorly. On a personal level, the double-digit losses to close out the season has undone any excitement I had built up heading into the conference tournament. Perhaps were either of the two games even remotely a true contest, my tone would be different.

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Matt’s Musings…Thursday, March 5: Missouri State 87-WKU 74; Saturday March 7: FIU 92-WKU 67

You know what? Hell, it’s all the same, frankly. WKU came into the Missouri State game and to their credit started out quite well at 12-3 and eventually 22-12 with 10:19 left in the first half. From there, it was a mauling by some hungry Bears. WKU would go -23 the final 30 minutes, once again bringing back their “epic meltdown” phenomena of 2025-26.

This rewrites the narrative that had turned positive for sure, showing that WKU still has that mess in them, and it stokes the smoldering embers of skepticism about whether this team has “it” mentally. Of course, it’s one game, it’s March, and it’s absolutely overreaction season. So one game a bad season does not make. But disturbing tendencies reared their ugly heads once more.

After WKU dropped a frustrating but not disastrous one (necessarily) to Missouri State, something must’ve been in that Florida water (family inside joke) and gave the Tops the sharts or something and they just came out flat as a Cuban pancake. I guess they’re also flat. Anyone know?

Anyway they came out flat and got absolutely obliterated. Most concerningly, WKU went back to the “crank it” method with a team that doesn’t shoot very well, Teagan Moore turned his ankle and sat all but 15 minutes, and WKU got ABSOLUTELY DOMINATED in the paint. I mean doubled up in the paint disaster bad.

48-28 in rebounds.

36.8% FG shooting.

58-24 points in the paint.

Horrendous.

Whatever the hell happened, that was a kick in the nads from start to finish. Horrible.

But Again…

It doesn’t matter. WKU got the three seed despite crapping their drawers all week. They have a nice draw, facing at least one team (if not two) who also lost at least one game this week. Two seed Sam Houston also looked like a co-favorite with WKU and Liberty before this last week’s games began, and they peed down their leg to a depleted Delaware team and got beat by double digits to a Liberty that debatably isn’t playing its best, either.

Whoever WKU plays (Kennesaw State up first, then Sam Houston/Jax State/NMSU), WKU could absolutely be argued as one of three very likely candidates to make it from this side of the bracket.

SOMEONE has to step out of the doldrums and get a win. Either Kennesaw State or WKU will snap out of its disastrous last week with a win. Then they might get Sam Houston, who will have had to snap out of its disastrous last week, as well.

So it’s interesting: The three favorites are heading in with doubts. One of them is almost certain to win two games, but who? And if they don’t, can a red hot NMSU shock CUSA and make it to the finals? Can Ray Harper tune up some four game magic?

An interesting wrinkle:

If WKU beats Kennesaw State Thursday at 8 PM on ESPN+, the team they face will have had a day’s rest, while WKU will be on about 16 hours worth of rest or so. That could be something to watch. Hopefully WKU doesn’t pay the cost of a dud of a week in that way. They had their chance to grab the two seed this week since Sam Houston lost two and they couldn’t even muster a single victory. I sincerely hope that doesn’t matter.

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To the Fans: Show UP in Huntsville!

You know what? I don’t really care about this last week in terms of curbing my enthusiasm. We planned on going to CUSA from the moment we left Huntsville last year. We had a minor bump in the road with credentials this year (whoopsies), but two of us (Matt McCay and Bret Combest) have still decided to come down and enjoy the fan experience.

And I’ll tell you this: I don’t plan on just sitting. And I darn sure don’t plan on an early exit. If you have never been to tournament, you NEED to go once. And if you go, I think you’ll want to go again because it’s an awesome experience. If you’ve been, you know it’s awesome and you should go again. If you can’t go all week, go down Friday. Or come down for the championship Saturday. Whatever you can do, let’s do it.

Whether you’ll be in Huntsville or you’ll be at home, tune in! Sneak your phone out at work Friday. Stay up late Thursday and Saturday. It’s March Madness and it’s time for the Tops to take off in Rocket City, baby.

GO TOPS! BEAT EVERYONE!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

Going down to Huntsville? We’ll be there in the stands. We’ll live tweet, post articles, and maybe do some cool videos in Huntsville, so make sure you tune in, subscribe below (or above), give if you’d like to support our efforts, and follow us @TheTowelRackWKU on every platform!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Just when you had thought that as a Hilltopper fan, that WKU basketball had peaked for the season upon defeating then conference unbeaten Liberty by more than 20 points, this team continues to show glimpses that perhaps they are just getting started. In perhaps their most dominant stretch of basketball all season (and more to come, but by the way, the most dominant stretch of basketball since 2007), the WKU Hilltoppers handily defeated both opponents this week without breaking much of a sweat. Both games were well under control by a few media timeouts. Typically I would be forced to offer forth some type of curmudgeon point of view, but as a true fan of WKU — *deep breaths* — I am going to do my best to simply enjoy winning. Especially when the Hilltoppers defeated teams that, on paper, they should defeat. This week, the Tops did not even attempt to struggle in either of their two matchups.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers improved this week to 18-11 (11-7 in C-USA) on the season. With this weeks’ series of wins, the Hilltoppers add to a season-high six game winning streak. Since narrowly escaping the game at Delaware with a victory bestowed from the basketball gods, the Hilltoppers are essentially a different looking squad in all of the ways that fans want heading into March.

In the Hilltoppers’ last three games, there are some eye-popping stats that stuck out in my initial research:

• In their last three basketball games, the WKU Hilltoppers have an average margin of victory of 25.3 points (beat Liberty by 21, beat NM State by 23, and beat UTEP by 32).

• The Tops have made 93 of 172 field-goal attempts, which is 54.0%.

  • The Hilltoppers have also made 30 of 66 three-pointers, or 45.4%.

As a team that has struggled mightily in particular with respect to shooting this season, those are impressive strides by any measure.

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Western Kentucky Wins Three in a Row by 20+ for First Time Since 2007, First Set in Conference Since January 1993

Unbelievable. WKU looked like they were a trainwreck in January. With the DMs swirling with rumors about some kind of internal issue, people complaining about bedside manner of a Division I coach, and players getting suspended and getting ejected. To add on to it, Teagan Moore took a bludgeoning to the head in a game against Liberty at home in a game the Tops played pretty well in.

The players have calmed down and are way more under control, they survived the five games without Moore, learned a little bit about themselves, and the rumors (which were mostly completely false and certainly exaggerated) have fallen aside.

Now, we sit with a WKU team that feels like it’s playing its best ball in decades. It turns out that it’s not just a feeling. This exact level of performance has not happened since 2007. Although arbitrary numbers don’t mean anything, winning by 20 is difficult. WKU beat Liberty, a top 100 team, at Liberty, and to top off the resume, it was by 21. Then they turned around this past week and won by 23 against NMSU, and then against a game UTEP team that kept it within shouting distance until the elastic snapped and WKU ballooned the final tally up to a 32 point margin.

The three games in a row with 20+ point margins were the first time since WKU won three non-conference games in a row in December of 2007. What happened that season? Ty Rogers. Courtney Lee. Tyrone Brazelton. Since the three games at 20 or more were in non-conference, the next question in my mind was when this happened in conference, and that answer? Darnell Mee and Co. in January 1993. However, those were all home games. WKU beat a team on the road. The last time they beat three teams in conference in a row by 20+ that included a road game? January of 1980. The last time WKU won four in a row like this? February 1950.

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WKU 93, New Mexico State 70

Last Thursday, the Hilltoppers faced off the NM State Aggies in Bowling Green. Earlier in the season in their prior match-up, the Aggies blew out WKU in a game where neither team shot particularly well. Western must’ve gone into this game having remembered the prior 80-64 defeat, as the Tops started the game with their foot firmly held on the gas.

Western started the game having scored the first 17 points, leading 17-2 when the Aggies finally scored their first points with just over 15 minutes left in the first-half. Typically whenever this years’ team started off with a big lead in a game, they’d ease up and their opponents would slowly grind their way back into games. Not this time.

The Hilltoppers would lead by as much as 32, coasting to a 93-70 victory once the key players were pulled. WKU shot 51% from the field and 44% from three-point range. While shooting well for the Hilltoppers was rare sight this season, as was the fact that the Tops were outrebounded and the fact that an opponent shot better from the free-throw line than WKU (74% to 71%).

Hank Plona has been utilizing a smaller line-up as of late, with the center/forward rotation essentially being non-existent. Despite that trend, Leeroy Odiahi added ten points, leading all centers in minutes with 17. Blaise Keita (11 minutes) only added 1 point and 5 rebounds, while Noah Boyde (3 minutes) was unable to contribute much in his limited time. I only highlight Plona’s use of a smaller lineup because the Hilltoppers have ranked fairly highly in terms of rebounding on a national level, where in the last few games — the Hilltoppers have not rebounded as well.

• On the season, the Hilltoppers have averaged 39.8 rebounds per game (26th of 365 in the nation). WKU also averaged 13.4 offensive rebounds (19th of 365).

  • Against NM State, WKU only put up four offensive rebounds. Something to watch what they trade as they go for a more explosive lineup.

Teagan Moore led the Hilltopper scoring effort with 23 to go along with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Grant Newell scored 18 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Other notable contributors:

• LJ Hackman: 12 points, 10 rebounds

• Terrion Murdix: 2 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals

• Ryan Myers: 17 points, 3 rebounds

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WKU 97, UTEP 65

In the 2025-26 home game finale, the Hilltoppers would treat a season-high 4,500+ spectators to another spectacular victory, defeating UTEP 97-65. WKU would celebrate nine seniors playing in what is likely the final home game in Diddle Arena for most of them barring some sort of miraculous decision from the NCAA.

In this game, WKU would see three players score 20+ plus points in a single outing for the first since the 2007-08 season (where the Hilltoppers would reach the Sweet Sixteen). As we mentioned a few times above, it was also the first time since 2007-08 where the Hilltoppers would defeat three-straight opponents by 20+ points. Finishing this game, WKU would increase their current winning streak to six games.

Unlike the prior game where WKU essentially dominated NM State for the entirety of the game, UTEP hung tight until around the 8 minute mark of the second half, typically staying within 10 points prior to WKU finishing the outing strong. In this game, the Hilltoppers saw another strong shooting effort — shooting 59% from the field and 45% from three (9-20). WKU returned to the excellent free throw shooting that we expect from this team, making 24-28 for 86%.

Teagan Moore (24), Grant Newell (25), and LJ Hackman (21) led the three-headed scoring attack for the Hilltoppers. Other notables:

• Murdix: 3 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists

• Armelo Boone: 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

• Ryan Myers: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

WKU is getting hot right at the time you would want a team playing their best basketball, having won six straight and their last three games by 20-plus points. As I noted earlier, WKU has been shooting very well from the field in their last three games as well. Having gone with a smaller lineup as of late, their season-long strength of rebounding has taken a modest dip with the lack of size — but I am sure many Hilltopper fans would trade wins for rebounds.

Hank Plona has, at least for the time being, arguably earned the faith of Hilltopper fans barring a generational meltdown to conclude the season.

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Setting the Stage

Western currently holds third place in Conference USA, which is where they will likely finish if they can hold pace against Kennesaw State. The main threat to WKU’s three seed, Kennesaw State beat WKU twice this season, so a sole tie with the Owls is something the Tops do not want to go to war with. They will lose that tiebreaker battle and drop a seed line.

At 11-7, WKU sits one full game above KSU in the standings. WKU probably needs to win at least one of two road games to maintain the three seed, but in theory, in that scenario, Kennesaw State could take advantage, win the two at UTEP and NMSU, and steal the third seed and avoid a potential semifinal with Liberty.

If WKU can win two, they have a shot at moving up another seed, potentially. Sam Houston sits a full two games ahead of WKU. However, with two road games against two motivated teams for different reasons (Delaware and Liberty), those two wins are not foregone conclusions.

WKU has a lot to play for, a lot of momentum to keep, and a lot of prospects for an awesome trip to Huntsville, which we are definitely looking forward to.

Next Up

The Hilltoppers will finish their regular season on the road, traveling to play Missouri State on Thursday (3/5) and finishing the regular season on Saturday (3/7) at FIU. WKU won their prior matchups against both teams earlier in the season.

Missouri State has fallen on hard times in recent memory, not winning a single game in February after starting 7-4 in CUSA. Although seven losses in a row is brutal, none of those losses have been by double digits. All have been close and competitive.

FIU also boasts a modest 14-15 record and only won two games in February themselves (one against Missouri State), but they are longer and athletic and always seem to give WKU occasional trouble, especially in Miami. That “Florida talent” really is dangerous. This is not a team that just can’t win against a good team. They’re dangerous and their coach is way underrated in one of the toughest jobs in America.

WKU is right here at the end of the season, has a chance to get to 20 wins, and really feels like a team that could win a championship.

Buckle up, Tops! AND SEE Y’ALL IN HUNTSVILLE!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

Going down to Huntsville? We’ll be there in the stands. We’ll live tweet, post articles, and maybe do some cool videos in Huntsville, so make sure you tune in, subscribe below (or above), give if you’d like to support our efforts, and follow us @TheTowelRackWKU on every platform!

We are always doing our best to tell you about everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

I am at a loss for words to describe what can only be referred to as a ‘rollercoaster of emotions’ for Hilltopper fans this week. Not simply because WKU won both games, but ultimately because of how they won each one. If I were to present the two scores of both games, assuming you have no prior knowledge as to how the games played out, and ask you to blindly match the score to the opponent — I’d assume that most fans would have matched the scores wrongly. Most fans, I believe, would have believed that the Tops would have blown out Delaware and - if WKU won at all versus Liberty - it would have been a nail-biter.

As I reflect on the game against Delaware, I can only ponder as to how differently our perspective on the rest of Hilltoppers’ season might’ve been drastically altered. Had the stars not aligned for the Hilltoppers to defeat Delaware in nothing short of a miracle, one could argue many dominoes would have fallen differently.

One particular domino could have been that the players may not have had the emotional strength to handily defeat Liberty in the following game. But for once, the ‘basketball gods’ were on the side of the Hilltoppers and now — Western is arguably playing their basketball if not only this current season, but perhaps we are witnessing the best basketball that WKU has seen in quite some time. With still four games remaining on the Hilltoppers’ schedule, there is still a lot that could happen. With each victory, the odds of the Hilltoppers faltering to the extent many of us once feared grows ever unlikely.

The Hilltoppers (16-11; 9-7 in C-USA play) currently sit at third in the Conference-USA standings. A scenario exists where the Tops could possibly make a play for second place. It seems almost like a pipe-dream, when you consider that a month ago, many of us were nervous that perhaps the Hilltoppers might not even make the conference tournament. It’s amazing how quickly things can change, which is why I would recommend "‘cautious optimism,” as we watch the Tops finish the regular season. But for now, let us focus in on the Hilltoppers’ two wins this week — beginning with Wednesday night’s matchup versus Delaware.

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WKU 88, Delaware 87

The picture above likely reflects how much of Delaware’s fan base (and locker room) must have felt when they witnessed the conclusion of the Delaware game versus WKU. As I stated earlier, WKU should not have won this game. Thinking back on how everything played out towards the end of the game, it is still difficult to fathom how I am even able to sit here and write about WKU winning this one.

With all things being equal, I would even offer my own opinion that Western did not deserve to win this game, either. I will explain why I believe this way after I have had a chance to review the game to you guys. Below, you’ll see two charts that reflect the likelihood at every point in the game that WKU was to win the game:

The data portrayed in these two graphs show that Delaware — throughout most of the game — was from a projection standpoint, the absolute frontrunner to end the game with a victory. From the observer standpoint, it sure felt like Delaware was going to win… for at least as the graphs suggest, about 90% of the game. Delaware, with their line-up of only seven scholarship players, were playing more inspired than WKU.

Going into this game, the Delaware Blue Hens were on a three game winning streak. At one point just a couple of weeks ago, Delaware was alone at the bottom of the Conference USA standings and had effectively — against all odds — fought their way back into contention for a spot in the conference tournament. Delaware should be applauded for their fight this season. As I stated previously — Delaware only has seven scholarship players available to play. From the moment the game tipped off, the Blue Hens’ inspired play from their previous three-games was ever present and the Hilltoppers did not have much of an answer for them in the first half.

Delaware controlled the game in the first half, going up by 16 points with 2:33 left to play in the first half. The Tops would close the gap by a small margin, going into the halftime break down 41-29. Delaware maintained a moderately tight grip on the lead throughout much of the second half, as WKU would gain ground and Delaware would simply increase it back, often two-fold. Then, just as I have witnessed bad luck strike my own teams time and time again — Delaware would be dealt a devasting blow.

Tyler Houser, who ended the night with 24 points, would exit the game with a knee injury and not return — leaving UD with only six total players. So take away their best player on the night. WKU would take advantage of the cracks hitting Delaware and maintain a competitive game to the finish, immediately taking advantage of the new development.

With Delaware up 7 with 3 minutes left to go, I had already started my own personal sulking about what seemed another loss to a team that — in my mind — had no business beating them. Given how WKU was playing, combined with how Delaware was playing — the outcome seemed inevitable. Acceptance had started to set in. Then, one of the most annoying feelings began to unfold when a fan has accepted the loss: hope.

WKU slowly chipped away at the deficit, with both teams seemingly willing to exchange free-throws while Delaware maintained a three-point lead. WKU, per usual, could not make a basket and for some reason, Coach Plona went with an all guard lineup, with the tallest player on the court for Western was either Armelo Boone or Teagan Moore. WKU, as a result, struggled to rebound and outside of Teagan Moore — get to the basket at all.

Considering that Delaware was down their prominent big man to injury, it would have been a weakness that I personally would’ve exploited. Delaware would, again, be struck with another bit of bad luck as big bodied Macon Emory would foul-out, leaving the Hens down to just five players to finish the game.

The Tops had fought back close enough to give me that annoying sense of hope. But surely Delaware would go up by five with a few seconds to play. Instead, WKU would have a chance to go the length of the court in six seconds and somehow do something that the team has struggled to do all season — make a three-pointer.

The ball makes it to half court and ends up in the hands of Ryan Myers with the clock about to run out. As Myers pump fakes the ball, he leans into the opposing defender in effort to try at the least to draw a foul when the shot misses. The ball falls way short, but wait.. what’s happening? There was a foul called! Myers gets to shoot three free-throws at a chance to tie the game? Uh-oh. (Spoiler: this will not be the last time you witness Myers’ name mentioned in terms of game altering free-throws).

Upon review, even as a Hilltopper fan — I must admit that with the game on the line, this was a cheap foul to call. Of course, my own bias believes that ‘well if the ref saw it, it must have been a foul.’ If we are being fair and objective, in my opinion, the call was questionable. Yet, it would end up not the most questionable foul call in this game.

Myers, with a glacier-sized amount of ice in his veins, would sink all three and force OT. They didn’t even hit the rim. Plona, to my utmost frustration, continued with his small-ball line-up for most of overtime. It was to the team’s detriment in my opinion, as whenever Delaware missed a shot — they frequently retained possession off of offensive rebounds. WKU would also try to score in the paint, a feat typically made easier when you’ve got big players in the paint. Either way, it worked out (somehow).

Delaware would again be up, 87-86 with just seconds left. Again, it appeared to unlikely the Tops would make magic happen twice in the same game, but they had the final possession with a chance to win. The ball would end up in Myers’ hands after pinball across the elbow and… you’re kidding me, he drew another foul with less than a second left on the clock? This foul call, in my opinion, was more egregious than the one that led to overtime. Myers seemed to have flung the ball at the hoop but the Delaware defender was called for a foul. Myers sank both shots (one which almost missed) and somehow, WKU left with their third-straight victory.

Stats

Teagan Moore did what Teagan Moore does, which is lead all Hilltoppers in scoring. Moore put up 27 on killer efficiency and fearlessly attacking the basket to add 8 of his points at the free throw line. Typically, Moore would almost unanimously be the “MVP” of the game — but an argument could be made it could also have been Ryan Myers. Myers added 22-points to go with five assists and two rebounds. Not only did Myers shoot efficiently — including 5-of-5 from the free-throw line — but he made shots when they counted. Once to send the Hilltoppers into overtime, and finally at the end to secure the victory.

Analysis

Andrew: As a fan, I have been on the receiving end of many terrible calls that ultimately I attributed as being the cause in my favorite teams having lost. I still remember the six-man power play that UL-Lafayette defeated WKU with, when the refs somehow didn’t notice ULL had six players on the court for the final play that they ultimately won off of. So that being said, I sympathize for Delaware fans who felt their hard-nosed squad of players were accosted a victory at the hands of two unfortunate calls. On the other hand, I am happy that with a very sloppy finish, WKU was able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them. Simply put, “it is what it is.”

I was livid watching what I thought was WKU blowing the game in over-time with Plona’s small ball lineup. The team was letting Delaware get every offensive rebound they wanted and it made me quite annoyed.

Matt: I just couldn’t believe WKU’s luck after this one. For one thing, in a bubble, WKU coming back from 16 down and 12 at halftime was an incredible feat against a team that has four really good players and has been playing well lately. Congrats to the Tops for their fight, but what was most frustrating was the poor start, which plagues this team.

This team has had about half of its games with gigantic pendulum swings of momentum, so in a way, this was typical of this season. But in another way, WKU showed incredible guts and determination to pull that off. I’m pleased for a winning streak, but WKU must find some kind of way to start well, or they will get bitten by streaky habits at some point on the way to the championship. Not every team is going to blow a 16 point lead. Not every team is going to play six players. Not every team is going to foul a shooter in desperation twice.

A road win against a hot team, this win puts WKU in with a winning record and vaults the Tops farther up the Conference USA standings.

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WKU 94, Liberty 73

Your eyes are not deceiving you. WKU, for close to 75% of the game, dominated undefeated Liberty. Remembering the first time these two teams matched up against each other this season, I was confident that the Hilltoppers were more than capable of giving the Flames a competitive match-up. So convinced, I decided to do an in-depth dive into each team’s statistics to discover just how differently these two teams played and to attempt to justify my own ‘keys to the game.’ Prior to the game, this is what I found in terms of statistical differences:

• Field Goal %:

  • WKU (40.0%) — 359th in the NCAA

  • Liberty (52.1%) — 2nd in the NCAA

• 3-Point %

  • WKU (33.0%) — 246th

  • Liberty (40.2) — 5th

• Free Throw Attempts

  • WKU — 23rd

  • Liberty — 343rd

• Rebounds

  • Offensive Rebounds: WKU — 13th; Liberty — 365th

  • Total Rebounds: WKU (40.0) — 25th; Liberty (30.0) — 357th

While Liberty were in the elite tier of college basketball in terms of being able to shoot the ball, WKU statistically held advantages in terms of converting fouls into free-throws as well as in rebounds. Key to the game? Play to their strengths and force the Flames to do poorly at theirs. It may seem easy to offer forth that notion because ultimately, that is exactly what the Hilltoppers did. WKU starved Liberty out of opportunity.

Mostly a back and forth game until around the 7 minute mark in the first half, Western would take a 28-26 lead with 7:03 following a three-pointer by — who else? Teagan Moore. The Hilltoppers would ultimately never look back, maintaining a lead for the remainder of the game. Liberty would attempt to scratch and claw their way back into the game, staying close to around a single-digit deficit until around the 13-minute mark. From that point, WKU put it onto the Flames and never looked back. Liberty seemingly had a lid on their basket, failing to get any field-goals or many of their free throws to fall at times. Meanwhile, WKU was firing on all cylinders.

Western shot a high-volume of shots at one of their more efficient outings of the season — finishing the game shooting at 53% overall, which included 48% from three (10-21). Liberty, ranked amongst the most elite teams in the nation, looked besides themselves. Finishing the game with a respectable 56% from the field, the three-pointer — typically a major strength for Liberty — was a dismal 29%. Whether Liberty was having an off night or the Hilltoppers were locking them down, WKU made a statement. Below, I highlight the key stats that I felt combined to contribute for the dominance portrayed on the scoreboard:

• While Liberty attempted more free-throws, the Flames failed to utilize them effectively — only making 17-29 (or 59%). WKU, on the other hand, made 22-23 for an astounding 96%.

• One of the greater statistical imbalances between these two teams going into the game was the disparity in rebounds, which was compounded in this game. WKU outrebounded the Flames, 34-20 — including 10-1 on the offensive glass. Liberty was missing shots and not allowing many opportunities for second-chance points.

• WKU was also more effective with the turnovers they forced, outscoring Liberty 21-6 in that regard. Liberty failed to turn any Hilltopper mistakes into quick points, as the Hilltoppers outscored Liberty 14-0 in fast break points.

Statistically, Western completely dominated — by record — the best team in the entirety of the Conference USA. While many fans, myself included, did not really believe that this current team had much potential to make any noise where the NCAA Tournament is concerned — at least now, we are forced to allow ourselves to believe that anything is possible. Liberty was undefeated in conference play prior to their defeat at the hands of WKU and the Tops just proved that they can not only hang with the best, but they can absolutely dominate them.

When going over the box score, it is immediately apparent that this dominant showing was a true team effort in every aspect of the term. Multiple players not only contributed effective scoring outings, but also produced in other key statistical categories. Teagan Moore was, well, Teagan Moore. Moore scored 21-points to go along with four rebounds. Grant Newell scored 21 points combined with eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Other notable contributors:

• Armelo Boone: 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in 25 minutes

• Terrion Murdix: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals

• LJ Hackman: 17 points (6-6 from the free-throw line) and 2 steals

• Ryan Myers: 12 points (4-6 shooting; 2-4 from three), 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal in 19 minutes

Closing

I must suggest cautious optimism as we move forward. While going 2-0 for the week with two amazing wins is definitely cause for celebration, we have also witnessed the same team fail to show up in lesser games. But for the time-being, the Hilltoppers are getting hot at the right time with a moderately easy four game stretch left to make believers of us all. I am still scorned by many Hilltopper games where ultimately, WKU went in as favorites only to fall flat. But I do truly want to believe in this team.

Hank Plona has at the very least earned more respect and grace from Hilltopper fans. I believe many of the criticisms of his coaching and methods still hold validity in terms of at least bringing to light, but respect does need to be given where it is due. Plona has the Hilltoppers on a four-game winning streak, the most recent win being an absolute pounding of the number one team in the conference.

This team is a completely different one with a healthy Teagan Moore. He is without a doubt the Hilltoppers’ best player, or at least the most consistent. While not always lighting up every statistic, he is someone that fans can rely on most nights to put up points. Blaise Keita has at times played sparsely but has arguably still made the most of his limited role. Lately, when he’s been in, he’s been impactful. Personally, I would like to see more of the center rotation as the season winds down, but perhaps with the injury history — Plona is attempting to limit the tread on the tires. Perhaps the same could be argued with respect to Armelo Boone.

While it is certainly a relief to see Boone back in action following the collective panic upon seeing him on the sideline last week with a walking boot, it is at least a reasonable theory that he is not yet 100%. Boone is playing close to 20-25 minutes per game since his return, but his effectiveness — while still there — has been limited. Grant Newell is a great contributor, probably second in terms of overall scoring threat to Moore. Newell, however, is more prone to inconsistent shooting nights. Newell is one of the few big bodies that can score, unless you want to consider Moore and Boone as guard/forward hybrids. Outside of Keita and sometimes Noah Boyde (who hasn’t played in weeks) or Leeroy Odiahi, Newell is the only player over 6’6 who sees over 20 minutes a game.

WKU’s secondary contributors have started to perform and accept their roles. Murdix isn’t going to yield high-scoring numbers, but he is a true point guard, setting up teammates and playing on-ball defense. Ryan Myers and LJ Hackman are solid rotational bench pieces, depending on how Plona approaches his starting line-ups. Myers was essentially the crucial factor in walking out of Delaware with a win. All-in-all, this team is beginning to click and do so at the right time. It will just remain important that the team continues to progress and above all else, remain healthy.

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Next Up:

The Hilltoppers have four-games total left in the 2025-26 regular season, followed by the Conference-USA tournament. As you will see below, there is still a lot of movement that will likely happen within the conference standings before the Conference-USA tournament kicks off.

The following standings are current as of 2/25.

Of the Hilltoppers last four games, WKU will not face any team currently above the bottom-five in the conference standings.

WKU will return home this week for both of their games. First, the Hilltoppers will face off against New Mexico State in Diddle Arena on Thursday at 6:30pm CST/7:30 EST. NMSU dominated the Hilltoppers in their prior matchup this season, 80-64, where the Hilltoppers shot a putrid 31% from the field and 23% from three-point range. Since then, the two teams have had different conference experiences. NMSU is still fighting for a place in the conference tournament, while WKU is all but guaranteed a spot in the conference tourney and is trying to move up from third to second. This should be a good one.

Following NMSU, the Hilltoppers play UTEP in Diddle Arena on Saturday at 2:00 CST/ 3:00pm EST. UTEP is currently 10-17 on the season and 6-10 in conference play, finding themselves currently second to last in the C-USA standings. WKU defeated UTEP in their prior matchup this season, 68-56. With their conference tournament hopes in peril, UTEP could come ready to play with their season on the line.

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky looked like it was laying an egg Wednesday. And somehow, it wasn’t shocking to see this team dig a hole. And it wasn’t shocking to see them come back, either.

What was disappointing is presumably WKU is getting it together, having won a few games and having not been run out of the stadium in several weeks. Nearly back to .500, WKU comes in to single digit win Delaware a slight favorite. All they have to do is win a game they probably should.

WKU would start the game out 3-0 with a Teagan Moore three pointer. But from there, within eight minutes, WKU found itself down double digits at 19-9. It would devolve to the largest margin of the night with 4:06 remaining in the first half at 37-21 Delaware.

Inexplicably, in the first half, WKU shot 50 percent of its shots from three point range, only shooting eight free throws. In the second half, three pointers were secondary, taking three less threes while making two more triples. WKU also attacked the basket in the second half, drawing 18 foul shots in the second half. In overtime (spoiler alert), WKU took only one three and shot five free throws.

With great shock, I tell you that once WKU quit shooting so many threes and attacked the basket, WKU shred the Delaware lead from 16 to taking the lead in regulation. A key point, WKU was able to go +4 in the final 4+ minutes of the first half and cut the lead to 12. A much more manageable margin, the Tops came out of the first half break looking to make a move.

Just before the first media timeout of the second half, WKU temporarily cut it to seven, going into that TV timeout only down nine. Considering eight minutes of game time earlier, Western Kentucky was down 16, they were absolutely back in it. From there, Delaware started trying to slow it down, looked extremely tired, and WKU turned the screws.

With 9:29 remaining and Delaware up six, Christian Bliss of Delaware made a free throw, and WKU made its biggest move. Ryan Myers (22 points, 5-of-9 3 PT) nailed a second chance three pointer after Teagan Moore boxed out and secured an offensive rebound and drew a foul. 55 seconds later, after WKU got a stop on a Bliss miss, Myers swished another triple to cut the Delaware lead to just a single point.

Delaware, to their credit, did not fold. Despite losing #44 Tyler Houser to a knee injury late in the second half, they stretched the lead back out to as much as seven points as late as 3:00 left on the clock. WKU would shave the lead down again, tying the game with 1:22 with an Armelo Boone three pointer.

But here’s where the game got weird:

Delaware with the heart of lions rather than blue hens, would drain a three and hang on to a one possession lead in the final minute. Teagan Moore was blocked on a three point attempt and Delaware took a four point lead on one made free throw with 13 seconds remaining. Quickly getting up the court, LJ Hackman drove to the left side of the hoop, faked, swung to the other side of the rim, got fouled, and made a layup. A miracle, the Tops cut it to 1 and gave themselves a chance with less than ten seconds remaining. WKU would foul Christian Bliss, and he would make his free throws to extend the lead to three for Delaware.

With WKU grasping and clawing to find a way, the Tops would get the ball to Ryan Myers, who received the ball with a couple of seconds. Delaware, trying to foul, had their hands caught in the cookie jar and fouled Myers, who immediately went up with a shot. And I mentioned that it got weird. Firstly, many officials may not have called a three point shot there and awarded a two point, but regardless, Myers is fouled with just a second on the clock.

Like a warrior, he absolutely nailed all three to tie the game at 79-all. Delaware would inbound it and technically didn’t get the shot off.

Overtime!

It was already getting crazy. But just wait…

Coming into overtime, WKU has all the momentum. Tyler Houser, who had been killing WKU all game on the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop, was injured, and Delaware was getting in serious foul trouble. Keep in mind they only played six players until forced to play a seventh player with an injured player and Macon Emory (15 points) fouled out. The lone player in serious foul trouble for WKU was LJ Hackman, who eventually would foul out in overtime.

One would think WKU dominates and wins by two possessions or more…nope!

Delaware, despite being down to seven scholarship players, is absolutely playing their guts out for their school. And they have been playing good basketball, having won three in a row heading into this one. This team is dangerous. Probably not possessing the depth, if they show up in the CUSA Tournament, watch out for them to upset someone in the early rounds. They have four really talented players.

Delaware came into overtime and took the lead and took control. Leading by no more than three, the Blue Hens still controlled the action in overtime. WKU of course didn’t need much to overcome since UD was only up a possession, but Ryan Myers would make a three to tie, Delaware would get a second chance bucket (again, the hustle), and Teagan Moore would get an and-one to give WKU the one point lead with :39 remaining.

LJ Hackman would foul Christian Bliss, and he would exit with his fifth foul. Bliss would make his free throws, and it would set the stage for WKU to have its shot to win with 20 seconds left. Electing not to call timeout, Hank Plona allowed WKU to work through it on their own. WKU would get to the paint, and Terrion Murdix would have it deflected off of a Delaware defender under the basket.

With 4.5 seconds left, WKU still had plenty of time to make something happen down one point. With the ball under the basket, WKU inbounded to Armelo Boone. He would lose it, the ball would skitter on the ground through what felt like four or five sets of legs, and (guess who?) Ryan Myers, picks up the ball in traffic with two defenders right on him at the three point at the elbow extended, and cranks it with less than a second showing on the clock. Air ball.

Whistle.

FOUL!

Delaware is called for the foul with (what looked like) .3 seconds left on the clock. They would review it, and it ended up being .9 seconds left, and they also ruled it as a two point attempt.

Now, first of all, WKU was already incredibly lucky to get a bunch of calls late in the second half and to end regulation. In this case, this was an absolute mess of a play, bodies and hands flying everywhere. The ball rolls on the ground, deflected, and Ryan Myers somehow finds the ball, chucks it, and on a non-obvious call (I do believe he was fouled), the officials make the call with less than a second remaining.

I don’t think anyone really would go on a rampage for justice if a “no call” happened. Instead, Delaware is up in arms, and WKU just needs to nail two free throws from a player who hasn’t missed a free throw since December 15, Ryan Myers.

Not without drama in itself, Myers nails the first one to tie the game at 87. On the second one, he short arms it, it bounces barely up over the rim, rolls to the backboard, and drops in. Imagine if that baby had rattled off. My goodness.

Delaware gets the ball with .9 left and didn’t get a shot off in time as the ball landed harmlessly on a too-late desperation heave.

WKU wins! What an INCREDIBLE comeback. The fight this team displayed was just incredible. To get down 16 on the road under pressure and knowing Liberty is upcoming, to pull this one off and get above .500 in CUSA was just incredible. Imagine if WKU had lost this one and headed into a game at Liberty tied for 6th and likely to lose and drop to within a game of the bottom of CUSA.

Instead, WKU is basically out of any serious concern heading into CUSA Tournament and now just needs to stay healthy and position as best they can for seeding in the conference tournament.

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The Good

WKU Basketball (15-11, 8-7 CUSA) has won three in a row and hasn’t had a “bad” performance since January 24. WKU just came back from 16 down to win on the road, and they now have a split in hand with a chance to send shockwaves through Conference USA if they can beat Liberty in Lynchburg. WKU now sits tied for third with Jacksonville State and LA Tech.

Also, some of WKU’s weapons are showing to be viable lately. Ryan Myers got back on track after just six points on 1-of-7 shooting against MTSU. Armelo Boone was back after missing Saturday and contributed double digits and a clutch shot late. Grant Newell didn’t have his best game against Delaware, but he and other role players like Blaise Keita have been producing. Cam Haffner also made some appearances and looked like another good option offensively.

WKU Head Coach Hank Plona has this team playing good enough basketball to compete with anyone in Conference USA.

The Bad

Games WKU started out down double digits, gave away or took back a 10 point lead: USF, Evansville, Marshall, Tulsa, JSU (away), Sam Houston (2), La Tech, NMSU, Liberty, Kennesaw State, MTSU (2), Delaware

Think about that! For over half of the schedule, WKU has come out and started slow, or in some cases (like USF), they started out well but faded into a loss. In others, WKU came back in dramatic fashion, winning against Evansville, La Tech, Sam Houston (home), MTSU (twice), and Delaware. Against Marshall, JSU, Sam Houston (away), and NMSU, WKU got off to horrible starts and never had a chance. Against LA Tech and MTSU had a double digit lead, blew it, and ended up winning.

The point?

WKU is extremely inconsistent, with violent swings of 20+ in several games. In order to make a run and win several in a row, the crazy swings either have to continue and they have to overcome all of them, or WKU needs to stabilize more and be a little more steady. Look at that list, though, folks. Over half of the games this season, WKU has had a horrible start and never recovered, or they’ve started out one way, and the game has completely flipped at some point. Some of it has been really good, and some of it has been really bad.

The Winning

At the end of the day, who cares about the whining? Who cares about the bad start? WKU has won three in a row, and they just got a big road win. They are tied for third in Conference USA and have an opportunity to stack some wins here and come into Huntsville for the Conference USA Tournament with a ton of momentum.

Western was on a decent pace before conference play began, had some injuries, hit a patch of several losses in a row during a tough section of the schedule, and since have won four of five and are looking much more serious. And most importantly, they’re as healthy as they’ve been since before losing center/forward Bryant Selebangue.

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The Ultimate Challenge: Liberty

The Liberty Flames has been playing with fire lately. With two overtime wins over FIU alone, the Flames have had several moments where they could have lost against one of CUSA’s clearly inferior teams. Liberty is undefeated in conference with only three total losses all season.

Interestingly, Liberty has some clear weaknesses. They are one of the smaller teams in America (and Conference USA), don’t really get to the free throw line very often, and are not poor on the boards.

Per my partner Andrew Nalley, WKU and Liberty have some interesting contrasts:

• FG %: WKU 40% (359th); LU 52.1% (2nd)

• 3-PT %: WKU 33% (246th); LU 40.2% (3rd)

• FT Attempts: WKU 23rd; LU 343rd

• Offensive Rebounds: WKU 13th; LU 365th

• Total Rebounds: WKU 25th; LU 357th

There are a few ways to interpret some of these numbers. Some of these numbers feed themselves. For example, Liberty not getting rebounds when they miss 12% less shots per game really eats into the opportunities. Some of this is just team style.

However, what makes the matchup between WKU and Liberty is interesting because of the extremes. WKU is horrible shooting, while Liberty is great. WKU is poor but not horrible (but prolific) shooting from deep, and Liberty is elite. WKU gets to the line and Liberty doesn’t. WKU rebounds and Liberty doesn’t.

In my opinion, WKU may match up well with Liberty (although Liberty is the better team), because the Tops boast some things that Liberty can’t answer. WKU has size, but that size is not super athletic. Both team’s athletic style is more thick than long and freakish for the most part. Liberty has tiny guards, and WKU for the most part has longer players at every position.

Also, another huge factor that could play out in a tightly called game, Liberty basically plays seven players if they can. WKU will generally play 10 or 12 players each game. When people start piling up fouls, the team with more depth can spread out the fouls. And WKU has the tendency to draw fouls naturally, so just like when Zach Cleveland clubbed Teagan Moore for his fifth foul and LU had to go without him the rest of the game last game, Liberty could possibly get in trouble if WKU can lure them into some fouls.

The great thing in this one is WKU already has its road split and avoided disaster by stealing the win at Delaware. Now WKU goes in confident and knows they can compete with Liberty, having done it in Diddle Arena earlier this year.

Whether they pull off the upset or come home with the loss and go back to .500 in conference, WKU is in a good position, and this one Saturday at 3 PM Central on ESPN+ is purely gravy for WKU.

Let’s see if they can extend the three game winning streak to four.

GO TOPS! BEAT LIBERTY!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Basketball is much like most of the teams in Conference USA this season. Up and down, in their lone game of the week, the Hilltoppers would narrowly defeat rival Middle Tennessee State, 82-80, completing the season sweep of the Blue Raiders. The Hilltoppers would see the much anticipated return of star player, Teagan Moore, who reminded the Hilltopper faithful immediately of just how a good player he is. In 26 minutes off of the bench, Moore would lead the team in scoring with 28 points. Moore shot 6/10 from the field, which included 3/4 from three-point range. Moore also went 13 of 15 from the free-throw line.

While Moore’s return was a welcome sight for Hilltopper faithful, fans were quick to notice the absence of arguably Western’s second best player on the season in Armelo Boone. Boone would be spotted on the sideline sporting a walking boot, which caused many Hilltopper fans to panic with regard to his availability for the rest of the season. Following the MTSU game, Hank Plona would almost downplay the significance of Boone’s injury, with Plona suggesting Boone could play as early as the next game. It was certainly a relief to hear that Boone’s injury is not as serious as many of us were speculating, but let us all hope that he is able to properly heal to 100% prior to the Conference USA Tournament.

The Hilltoppers, with the win against MTSU, improved to 14-11 on the season and evened their conference record to .500, now sitting at 7-7 in C-USA play. WKU currently holds a three-way tie for 4th in the C-USA standings with six games remaining on the season. WKU is getting healthy at the right time and in my opinion, have the potential to secure statement wins to finish the season while also continuing to move up the standings.

Liberty still remains undefeated in conference play and atop the C-USA standings, but have recently demonstrated potential vulnerability — having won each of their last four games by only single digits. While the Flames ultimately pulled out some tough games, they have proven that it is possible for lesser opponents to hang with them in close games.

On paper, a majority of the Tops’ remaining schedule looks ripe for opportunity to finish the regular season strong going into the conference tournament — it is important to highlight that 4 of the 6 remaining games on the Hilltoppers’ schedule will be on the road. So anything could happen. We have seen this Hilltopper squad scratch and claw their way to victory in some games, and simply lay down in others. With their improving health, I am inclined to believe that we will see improved play moving forward.

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WKU 80, MTSU 78

With the return of star player Teagan Moore, the Hilltoppers would almost instantly look like a different team. In the first half, the Hilltoppers arguably put together their most efficient half of basketball on the season.

• The Tops went into halftime up by 5, shooting 50% from the field (13-26) and 47% from three-point range (8-17).

  • Given WKU was bottom 5 in America in FG shooting, this is a noteworthy juxtaposition.

Me, being ever the negative Nancy, was almost certain that these stat-lines would ultimately come back to earth when considering how poorly WKU shoots on the season as a whole. And for the most part, the numbers did dwindle a bit.

• The Hilltoppers would finish the game against MTSU shooting 49% (23-47), and shooting 36% from three-point range (8-22).

  • WKU would fail to convert any three-pointers in the second half, going 0-5.

While the shooting numbers falling back to earth may be a little frustrating, I am personally encouraged at the team making the following adjustment in the game: They abandoned the three-point line when it became apparent that it was not going to continue falling. In the first half, the Hilltoppers only attempted nine two points shots. Shooting the high degree of three-pointers in the first half is one of the primary reasons why I would anticipate the percentages to fall down, but by correctly altering the game plan to focus more on drawing fouls and taking more high-percentage shots arguably propelled them to victory despite cooling off from the field.

The Hilltoppers, at one point holding a 14 point lead in the second half, would allow the Blue Raiders back into the game and in the eyes of many fans — seemed to have blown the game entirely. Rightfully so, especially considering the violent mood swings WKU Basketball games take. MTSU would go up 76-72 with 3:34 left in the game and I ultimately thought we were going to have to chalk this one up as another blown opportunity. But the Tops would make me eat the metaphorical crow, and they would play effective defense and knock down key shots to ultimately win the game. If I were to name the X-factor in the Hilltoppers’ victory, I would have to argue that it came down to free throws. The Hilltoppers shot 88% from the free-throw line, knocking down 28 of 32. MTSU, on the otherhand, were only able to get to the line 13 times, knocking down nine of them (69%).

The Hilltoppers were led in scoring by the returning Teagan Moore, who scored 28 points on moderately efficient shooting numbers. Performing in his first game back after a month or so, it’s fair to suggest that the sky is the limit once he officially gets back in his grove. Perhaps most exciting: 15 attempted free throws. His ability to draw some fouls is a complete game changer.

Forward Grant Newell scored 20 points, going 7-11 from the field which included 4-7 from three. Newell also contributed seven rebounds. I have always believed that once Newell sort of adapts to fill the teams’ void at forward by playing more as a true forward, that the team would benefit. Newell has been stepping it up of late, scoring 20+ in the last game as well.

Guard LJ Hackman would also have a solid effort, adding 14 points and 5 rebounds — knocking down all five of his free-throw attempts. Terrion Murdix was the true reliable point guard that the team needed, making his presence felt — adding 6-points, 7-assists, 3-rebounds and forcing 4 steals. Terrion has been very efficient in the past few games with 13 assists and only two turnovers.

For those who are currently on ‘Blaise Keita watch,’ the big man essentially split minutes with Leeroy Odiahi, as it appears from the box score that the Hilltoppers ultimately went with a “small ball line up.” Keita scored four points to go along with five rebounds in 18 minutes played. He is very much the go-to center when a big man is needed to step in of late.

Statistical Breakdown

• The Hilltoppers were fairly dominated in the paint, allowing MTSU to score 40 points to their 30 in the paint.

  • MTSU led in rebounds, 35 to 29. This was due in large part to outrebounding the Hilltoppers on the offensive glass 13 to 6.

• After starting the game with 5 turnovers in the first 5 to 6 minutes, the Hilltoppers improved their ball security for the remainder of the game — committing 14 turnovers to MTSU’s 13.

• WKU committed 17 fouls, while forcing MTSU to commit 23. The Hilltoppers were able to turn MTSU’s 23 fouls into 32 free-throw attempts, while MTSU were only able to attempt 13 free-throws

  • Free Throws — WKU: 28 of 32, for 88%; MTSU: 9 of 13, for 69%

Analysis/Closing Thoughts

It was great to see Teagan Moore not only return to action, but have such a profound and immediate impact in his first game back with the team. All-time legendary opening performance after an injury. If there were going to be any player who could ‘carry’ this team, it would be Moore. He is arguably the smartest and most effective player with the ball in his hands. And he’s the team’s leading rebounder and scorer. He’s gigantically important to this team’s success.

It was a breath of fresh air to see the Hilltoppers stride toward more efficient shooting. Being a team that ranks toward the bottom in the entirety of college basketball in terms of shooting doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in a teams’ post-season expectations. So I am happy that we saw a step in the right direction in that regard.

I am also pleased with the performances of Newell and even though he didn’t put up huge, flashy numbers that grab your attention — Terrion Murdix. Murdix is essentially the lone true point guard on the roster, so the fact that Murdix plays his role in assisting teammates and being a disrupter on defense well is all you can really ask for. After battling an injury for a portion of the season, let’s hope that Murdix remains healthy going into the most important stretch of the season.

With regards to Grant Newell, he can be a very effective contributor for the Hilltoppers when the stars align. He has also had his fair share of very poor shooting nights. Whenever Newell plays more towards the paint and is not solely focused on shooting the deep ball, I feel he is a bigger threat to opposing teams.

LJ Hackman appears to be the hot hand at the moment, in terms of the rotation of guards. Between Hackman, Kade Unseld, Ryan Myers, and even to a lesser extent — Cam Haffner — it will be interesting to see how the guard rotation is adjusted to account for the return of Teagan Moore and hopefully soon, Armelo Boone.

I am concerned about Boone’s injury, because from all accounts, it appears that he re-aggravated the injury he had prior. So in my eyes, that is never a good sign and perhaps a sign that it could linger. But I will have to trust what the coaches and medical staff decide moving forward.

Ultimately, I feel pleased with the current direction the basketball team appears to be headed. Of course, all it takes is one or two games to simply alter that trajectory but we will simply have to let the games play out. It is a major relief to no longer be too concerned about the Hilltoppers missing out on the Conference USA tournament, but anything is still possibly with six games remaining.

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Next Up: @ Delaware (2/18), @ Liberty (2/21)

The Hilltoppers will travel to take on the Liberty Flames this Saturday (2/21), so lets hope that my sentiment proves true and that the Tops could pull an upset. Prior to taking on Liberty, the Hilltoppers will travel to Delaware to take on the Blue Hens on Wednesday (2/18).

Favored by 3.5 heading into Wednesday’s matchup at Delaware (9-16, 5-9 CUSA), WKU in theory should find victory. However, Delaware has won three in a row. Once looking dead in the water and likely to finish dead last in CUSA, Delaware is actually sitting in tenth position despite an overall 9-16 record after three recent wins.

Delaware is an interesting matchup. With two players scoring 15.8 points per game and two other starters scoring in solid double digits. Then there is almost no one else who does anything statistically. Watch out for Christian Bliss, who averages 15.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 5.9 apg. Add in nearly two steals per game as well. His lone weakness in his game: Over three turnovers per game committed.

But watch out for Delaware’s four main players, who all play at least 33 minutes per game. Bliss hardly comes off of the court, and Justin Fernandez and Macon Emory also average over 36 minutes per game.

Liberty is also an interesting matchup. One of the shorter teams in America and one of the shorter benches, Liberty has its five starters that play most of their minutes and two other guys that average low teens as backups. Most other don’t really see the court unless they have to or it’s garbage time.

Liberty (22-3, 14-0 CUSA) is obviously the class of the league thus far, but they have not been blowing teams out of late. With 75 year olds Kaden Matheny, Collin Porter, and Zach “Clubber” Cleveland, Liberty is an interesting combination of really good, experienced players with a ton of efficiency and minimal length and depth.

WKU (14-11, 7-7 CUSA) is an interesting contrast, because they are way more deep than either of these teams, but they absolutely struggle to shoot the basketball but boast significant size. These two teams will contrast interestingly with WKU. Can WKU use its depth to wear down either of them? Can WKU replicate its performance in Diddle vs. Liberty , where they completely kept the Flames out of the paint (8 paint points allowed)? And can they keep Liberty from shooting 59% from deep? If they can improve slightly on the perimeter, WKU would have a real shot at a sweep this weekend.

The Key

Don’t get swept.

That’s really it. WKU could create a huge problem for itself by losing to Delaware and being desperate to find a miracle at Liberty. Regardless of who they beat, if they beat one of them, they’ll be fine and maintain decency in the CUSA standings. Also, they will continue to stack wins that keep them from the possibility of dropping way down in the standings. Keep in mind the Tops are two games out of second, but they are also only 2.5 games out of last. Getting swept could mean plummeting near the bottom within one week.

WKU is showing signs of playing pretty good basketball the past few weeks. Even as they were concluding their losing streak in January, they were still close to several victories. Since getting dominated at SHSU in January, WKU has been competitive in every single game.

It’s getting down to crunch time. WKU has six games left, four of which are on the road. If they can split the road and win at home, they would finish 11-9 and certainly clinch a top six seed and avoid a first round game in the Conference USA Tournament in March.

We’ll see, but this is a huge road swing with a winnable but competent Delaware and the ultimate challenge in Liberty.

It starts this week with Liberty at 6 PM Wednesday night on ESPN+.

GO TOPS!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Last week, WKU Basketball showed some mettle, going 1-1 despite the persistent injury status of leading scorer Teagan Moore. In a week we at the Towel Rack really felt like was a “must sweep”, The Hilltoppers had the opportunity to start off the week strong and perhaps go 2-0 for the week, but would lose a close one to Jacksonville State, 71-66. A messy affair with technicals within minutes of the opening tip, two Toppers ejected, and questions of WKU’s locker room stability swirled around the program, while the Tops were still showing (in a way) some progress on the floor.

Arguably the Hilltoppers’ biggest question going into the week was when or if they would see star player, Teagan Moore, return to the lineup. Moore would not see a return to action this week, meaning that the three or four players who have seen an increased role in his absence would still see their share of minutes, providing what I would refer to as a “mixed bag,” in terms of their overall play for the week as a whole.

Ryan Myers, for example, would score a moderately to fairly efficient 20 points against Jacksonville State, going 5-12 from the field - including 4-7 from three-point range. However, on Saturday against FIU, Myers would score 11, but do so going 3-14 from the field (2 for 7 from three).

Kade Unseld, who provided a couple of decent performances in the absence of Teagan Moore, had a pretty tough week. Unseld would be a starter against Jacksonville State and in 32 minutes of play, he would end up going 1-11 from the field (including 1-10 from three-point range) for a total of 3 points. Based on the statistics in the following game against FIU, Unseld - who played 16 minutes and went 2-6 from three - arguably saw his minutes eaten into by Cam Haffner, who seemed to be the hot hand in the guard rotation. Haffner, who saw no playing time against Jacksonville State (and zero since 1/24 at SHSU), received 23 minutes against FIU — putting up 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting (4-9 from three-point range). WKU did find a way to win that game against FIU, pulling away late to win by double digits.

As a team, WKU would see their field-goal percentage plummet even further, as the Hilltoppers now currently have a total field-goal percentage of 39.4%. As a result, the WKU Hilltoppers currently sit at 362nd out of 365 teams in terms shooting percentage. To be that horrible shooting the basketball and average 77 points per game and have an overall winning record is astounding.

The Jackson State Tigers (38.9%), Georgia State Panthers (38.3%), and the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (38.0%) are the only three teams on the list of 365 teams that currently have worse shooting percentages than WKU. While, in my opinion, that statistic likely spells disaster for the Hilltoppers when it comes time to play meaningful basketball in March, it seems that there always one or two players in any given game that shoot well enough to keep the Hilltoppers in games.

However, with the most consistent scoring threat Teagan Moore still out, it is almost anyone’s guess as to who that could be on any given night. At the end of the day, this stretch without Moore is an opportunity to let other guys see some minutes, fight like heck, and find a way to not sink the season. If WKU can get this win Saturday against Middle, WKU will be in excellent position to get him back (if he’s not back Saturday) and go on a run without having to dig out of a hole.

Lets take a look at the two games the Hilltoppers played this week.

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Jacksonville State 71, WKU 66

WKU would start off their playing week on Thursday night in Diddle Arena against the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks. JSU defeated WKU in their earlier matchup this season in Jacksonville, 78-67. That game was a double digit affair nearly the entire game after the first media timeout. A familiar face back in Diddle Arena, JSU head coach, Ray Harper was in for much more of a battle on the road.

Harper Tidbits

Harper, in his 10th season as the head coach of the Gamecocks, coached WKU from 2011 to 2016. I was a freshman at WKU when Harper would take over midseason for poorly performing WKU team and somehow, go on to win four straight games in the Sun Belt Tournament to take a 15-17 WKU team to the NCAA Tournament. Since at this point, I would typically veer off topic and go into a history lesson versus focus on the game at hand — I’ll include a bonus portion at the end of the article for those who are interested in a brief history of Ray Harper’s time at WKU.

The Harper Effect

A super noteworthy issue in this game was WKU’s (and JSU’s chippiness). Within minutes, both teams had technicals called on a player (WKU’s Terrion Murdix and JSU’s Mostapha El Moutaouakkill) and both head coaches. Harper made his way out to midcourt, made a gesture to Plona, and both coaches starting yelling at each other and also got T’d up.

Harper is known by WKU fans to rile things up, famously getting into it with Rick Pitino in the fight where Montrezl Harrell ultimately got kicked out. Harper and other coaches have gotten into some type of squabble before. Ray is an instigator for sure, and WKU fell for it.

Although Mostapha ended up on the bench with two fouls, Terrion Murdix had a technical already and got kicked out for a second technical early in the second half, and then inexplicably freshman sensation Armelo Boone (basically) German suplexes a JSU player with 7:16 remaining in the game. He’s ejected for a flagrant 2 foul.

And all because WKU lost its head. Did JSU start it? Maybe. But WKU got caught and made idiots out of themselves on national television. Meanwhile, the game was extremely competitive despite WKU’s two most important (maybe) players being ejected in the second half.

Back to the Game…

So would the Hilltoppers fare better this time than their prior matchup? Well, from my point-of-view: yes and no.

The score would suggest that yes, the Hilltoppers played a more competitive game than their prior matchup. To do that without Teagan Moore suggest perhaps WKU is playing better basketball overall. Defensively speaking the stats suggest that WKU played better, as JSU’s shooting numbers were much worse this go-around than the first matchup.

In their first matchup, the Gamecocks essentially scored at will — shooting 55% from the field which included 50% from three. In this matchup, JSU shot 38% from the field and only 11% from three-point range. (Granted it was 1 for 9, so they ultimately abandoned the long range shot.)

WKU — as I have sort of written into oblivion as this point — shot very poorly in this game, just as they had in their prior matchup. In the second matchup, WKU shot almost the exact same as they had in their prior meeting. WKU went 19-of-62 from the field (31%), and 7-30 from three-point range.

Considering that Coach Plona has been utilizing a variety of different two-guards to fill in for the absent Teagan Moore — often in a rotation method of subbing players in-and-out in short bursts of minutes — it is not overly surprising to see that the Hilltoppers shot close to half of their field-goal attempts from three-point range. An example of this in action was Kade Unseld, usually hot or cold, attempting one-third of the team’s three-pointers with 10 attempts (only making one out of those ten). Ryan Myers, who attempted the second most three-pointers in this game, was more efficient — going 4 for 7 from deep and ultimately leading the Hilltopper effort with 20 points. So if both teams shot poorly, how was JSU ultimately able to come out on top?

As a whole, this game was mostly back and forth throughout. Neither team at any point held a double-digit lead. Jacksonville State controlled the boards in this game, out-rebounding WKU 45-34 (WKU won the rebounding battle in the first matchup). When looking at the two matchups between JSU and WKU, one trend does present itself that I feel merits mentioning. When going back and forth between their first match up and this one, Jacksonville State was more effective in drawing fouls, and/or forcing WKU to commit fouls.

• In their first matchup, WKU committed 27 fouls to Jax State’s 16. The Gamecocks would turn those 27 fouls in 39 free-throws (and ultimately 27 points, going 27/39 from the line). WKU, for example, went 14-21 from the free-throw line.

• In their second matchup, it was much of the same. WKU committed 31 fouls and Jacksonville State would go on to turn those fouls into 50 (!!) free-throws (going 36-50 from the free-throw line, or 72%). WKU, drawing 18 fouls, would go 21-24 from the free throw line. While in terms of efficiency performing much better than JSU behind the line, the Hilltoppers were unable to do enough to make up for the difference in free-throw attempts.

WKU played well enough in certain areas that — were they able to shoot slightly better, draw more fouls, or commit slightly less fouls — they had a real opportunity to steal this game. WKU forced JSU to commit more turnovers, compiling 8 steals to JSU’s 4. Unfortunately, the Hilltoppers were unable to convert their defensive stops into points. Regardless of how the game was called (yes, we acknowledge the foul disparity), WKU probably shouldn’t have had an even number of foul calls given they shot half of their shots from three and JSU only attempted nine threes all night. Perhaps attempting to drive the ball might have resulted in a more even foul number and more reasonable amount of free throws for both teams.

WKU would fall in a teeter totter battle and lose 71-66.

WKU 80, FIU 70

Following the loss on Thursday against Jacksonville State, the Hilltoppers would return to Diddle Arena on Saturday afternoon for another opportunity to provide the hometown fans with a victory — this time, against the Florida International Panthers. Going into the game, WKU (prior to the game, were 5-7 in CUSA play) could not afford losing to FIU (prior to the game, 4-7 in CUSA play) if the Tops hoped to remain within the top-10 of the Conference USA standings. Losing to the Panthers would officially expose that big giant panic button that I have avoided mentioning with regard to the Hilltoppers’ season to this point.

The Hilltoppers and Panthers went into the game both looking for a key conference win that would create some separation for themselves from the bottom two spots in the 12-team Conference USA. WKU ended the first half looking as if they were poised to let this contest get away from them, as FIU went in halftime leading 38-30. However, the Hilltoppers would seemingly wake up in the second half as they would outscore FIU 50-32, ultimately winning the game 80-70.

Another WKU game with a huge pendulum swing, I felt the momentum truly shift in favor of the Hilltoppers at the 12:17 mark in the second half, where the Tops would take a 49-46 lead following a three-pointer by Grant Newell, who made five three pointers, all of which came in a row in two different spurts. It seemed that after scratching and clawing to close the gap to the game, the Hilltoppers seemingly refused to surrender the lead after gaining it in the second half.

FIU shot better from the field than WKU, yet WKU sheerly just shot the ball way more than the Panthers to make up for it. WKU led the game in a couple of particular categories that I would like to make the case for having propelled them to victory in a game where the opposing team shot better from the field: offensive rebounds, shot attempts, and points off of turnovers.

• WKU won the total rebounding effort, 44 to 37. When comparing offensive and defensive rebounds, FIU actually secured more defensive rebounds than WKU (27 to 23), but Western secured 21 offensive rebounds to the 10 of FIU. Blaise Keita secured 7 of his 10 rebounds on the offensive glass, throwing out yet another mammoth performance from the big man. This likely contributed to WKU getting more shot opportunities.

  • WKU attempted 76 shots to FIU’s 56; WKU also shot 37 three-pointers to FIU’s 17.

• WKU won the turnover battle, forcing 13 FIU turnovers and only committing 7 of their own. WKU was able to score 20 points off of turnovers, whereas FIU only found 11 off of Western’s miscues.

Grant Newell, following what seemed like a flurry of poor shooting performances, had one of his more efficient outings in quite some time. Newell went 8 of 15, including 5-8 from deep, to lead all Hilltoppers in scoring with 23 points. Following a quieter performance in the game prior against JSU, Center/Forward Blaise Keita would remind Hilltopper fans that he was still here to contribute. Keita ended Saturday going 5/5 from the floor and put together his first double-double in a WKU uniform — scoring 12 points and securing 10 rebounds.

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Breaking it Down

There are really two major major focal points that, in my humblest of opinions, should be of the utmost focus for this Hilltopper team for the rest of the year: getting healthy and remaining healthy, as well as build on their strengths as a team to make up for poor shooting. While I have often taken the opportunity to criticize the substitution method of Coach Plona as being non-sensical, it is very much sensical in keeping the roster fresh. Going deeper into his bench and rotating players in and out for short periods at the very least keeps individual players from putting too much tread on the tires.

To say that I have beaten a dead horse when it comes to mentioning how poorly this WKU team is at shooting the basketball would perhaps be an understatement. It is just that whenever I sit down to compile data to draw conclusions, the one statistic that is most violently staring me in the face is the shooting percentages. To only have three schools in the entirety of college basketball that statistically shoot worse is rather alarming, but somehow this Hilltopper team is 13-11. You would think a team shooting that poorly would be much, MUCH worse.

WKU has done well enough at, or seen growth in, some areas that has enabled them to be where they are in the season while shooting so poorly. This team has improved on quite a bit and is doing a lot of things well. In particular, I have seen growth in areas that I pointed out earlier in the year as being my primary areas of concern: Ball security and the play of their big men. At least as far as the last few games are concerned, WKU is taking care of the ball on offense and committing fewer turnovers than the opposition. I was mostly concerned that in the first couple of games, WKU was not seeming to show that they were going to be capable of producing many assists. Now, they’re at least at the same pace as their opponents in terms of assists. They’ve gotten 120% better at passing the ball and not committing dumb turnovers. Now if we could turn that solid ball movement into more points…or take less shots scoring said points…

While I would not argue that the lack of quality big men on this roster has completely been alleviated on my end, it has been a pleasant surprise of late to witness the emergence of Blaise Keita as a solid and serviceable center for this team. He has put up close to double-double stats in three of his last four games. I believe that a lot of his emergence can be attributed to his progressing athleticism/health as the season has advanced. He has significant pads on his knees, and he has had ankles injuries in years passed. Perhaps he has returned to pre-injury form. It seems that the game has slowed down a lot for Keita as the year has progressed and it appears as though he no longer shies away from being physical in the paint. Now, I just wish we had two of him. Maybe Leeroy Odiahi becomes more consistent, or maybe Noah Boyde (violation of team rules) gets out of the doghouse and rejoins the active roster.

As far as schematic improvements that I feel WKU could make to perform better, the blaring statistic is the three point attempts. Utilizing the knowledge that the Hilltoppers are above average in maintaining ball security, rebounding, and free-throw percentage — I feel the team would be better served in focusing the offense towards attacking the basket rather shooting the typical high-volume of three-pointers. As some have said, no national championship caliber team has ever attempted more than 40 percent of their shots from three, while WKU is nearly 50/50. That’s an unhealthy balance for a team that doesn’t shoot the ball well.

The Tops have excelled in shooting free-throws, offensive rebounding, and not turning the ball over, especially of late. Perhaps without their most effective driver Teagan Moore still out, the offense had to evolve a bit to play to the other players strengths, but if they are going to miss shots from the floor — at least attacking the basket would increase the chance of being fouled, or getting the offensive board. Then again, clank a three and sometimes the offense has the advantage on those and can steal an extra possession. Why not?

Injury/Absence Report

Still a long list, WKU’s Bryant Selebangue (Achilles) and Lawson Rice (ACL) are definitely out for the season. Louis Semona (back) seems to be likely out as there is little conversation about him coming back. Teagan Moore (concussion) is incredibly likely to come back quite soon. Noah Boyde (suspension) in theory should be able to come back if he shows an ability to please the WKU coaches. In addition to the players known to be out or questionable, Terrion Murdix also has a fragile set of legs, having injured both in his college career. Here’s to Terrion’s (and everyone else’s) health going forward.

Next Up: 100 Miles of Hate Volume 2

The Hilltoppers only have one game this week, and it’s a juicy one. Returning to play their third home game in a row when they welcome Middle Tennessee State to Diddle Arena on Valentine’s Day (Saturday). There will surely be no “love lost” between the two rival schools. You have got to love Valentine’s Day puns! MTSU — where the current C-USA standings are concerned — are tied with WKU for a three way tie for 6th (Kennesaw State). Defeating the Blue Raiders to complete the season sweep of MTSU would likely ensure that the Hilltoppers not only finish the season ahead of our hated rival, but also further cement the likelihood that Western does not miss out on the conference tournament. To solidify the importance of this matchup, WKU and MTSU will either be within 2 games of 11th, or they will be within two games of 2nd.

WKU defeated MTSU 65-60 in a sludgefest in Murfreesboro on January 31. Blaise Keita’s (14 rebounds) and Kade Unseld’s (17 points, 5-of-12 from 3) coming out party, along with other key performances (Murdix 8-7-4, Boone 12 and 5 and Newell 10 points off the bench) in a tough road environment (well, sort of), the Tops found a way despite a horrible start. Having lost four in a row previously, WKU found its way into the win column in the most likely place, beating MTSU.

MTSU will surely come with revenge in mind, and with a recent win to get off of a five game losing skid themselves, the Blue Raiders are probably feeling confident heading into the “Wall of Diddle”. Can they bust the bricks off of Diddle, or can the Tops ensnare the blue ponies in the depth of their Diddle den?

Regardless, it’s always a good time…TO BEAT MIDDLE!

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Crucial Battles to End February

The following week, WKU will take on Delaware on 2/18, who currently ranks at the bottom of CUSA Basketball. Although this is true, Delaware has won two in a row and lost by six at home to Liberty a couple of Wednesdays ago. Then the Hilltoppers will face-off against Liberty on 2/21, who is currently undefeated in conference play. Outside of the Liberty game, much of the Hilltoppers’ remaining schedule consists of teams currently behind WKU in the conference standings. In such a tight pack, any win or loss is monumental in shaking out the hierarchy.

Can the Tops come together and make a run at a high seed in the CUSA Tournament?

Bonus Content: A Brief ‘Ray Harper at WKU’ History

2012

Just because…in case you’re in need of some brief Ray Harper history, let me give you a quick refresher. In almost five seasons as the head man of WKU basketball, Ray Harper would go 89-64 which equates to winning just over 58% of his games. On a personal level, Ray Harper served as WKU’s coach for essentially the entirety of my college tenure. I was a freshman when he would take over the team midseason and spark one of the more improbable runs in college sports history. Winning eight games in a row from down ten points in each game, WKU would pull some of the most remarkable rabbits out of their hat, and it certainly came to the credit of their crazy coach, Ray Harper. WKU would somehow string all of that together, win an NCAA Tournament game, and lose to #1 Kentucky in the Yum! Center.

Therefore, I do have a sort of fond memory of the teams that Ray Harper put on the court. While he truly never put forth a consistent and dominant squad during his tenure, you could define the years of Ray Harper at WKU with a simple statement: “when the man got hot, he was red hot.”

Ray Harper would replace Ken McDonald as the interim head coach toward the halfway point of the 2011-12 season, following McDonald’s dismissal after starting the season 5-11. Harper would go 6-7 to finish the regular season with WKU, which on paper — is not all that impressive. What was impressive was that Ray Harper went on to win four straight games in the Sun Belt Tournament to secure WKU a play-in spot for the NCAA Tournament. WKU, sitting at 15-18, would be one of the worst teams record wise to play in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Historically, few teams have had such dismal records in general in the NCAA Tournament. The Tops would face off against Mississippi Valley State to secure the 16-seed and the right to advance and play…oh, the eventual national champion — Kentucky. WKU would only lose by 15, by the way.

This WKU team was led by - in my opinion - an insane amount of freshman talent that for the most part, would stick together and play all four-years together. Notably, George Fant, T.J Price, and Nigel Snipes would remain at WKU for four years. In Harper’s first partial season, the freshman class would include Derrick Gordon and Vinny Zollo. Gordon was a four-star recruit who had been high school teammates with UK’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He also led the 2012 Hilltoppers in scoring. Vinny Zollo was a former UK commit under the legendary Billy “Clyde” Gillespie who had opted to enroll at WKU following Gillespie’s departure and the hiring of some Calipari guy. Zollo and Gordon would both transfer following 2012.

MVSU, who won the SWAC conference in 2012 with a record of 21-13, was led by a former Kentucky Wildcat at head coach in Sean Woods. Having personally grown up in a family of Kentucky fans, I was always reminded of how Woods’ amazing shot in the 1992 game against Duke was mostly forgotten due to the shot that followed by Duke’s Christian Laettner to win the game.

The game versus MVSU was the perfect example of a game that I feel symbolized the type of coach that Ray Harper was. He was not going to win game in and game out, but the man coach a team to go on runs. This applied to winning a series of games, as well as spurts within individual games. WKU and MVSU would tip off in the presence of then-President, Barack Obama being present to watch some Hilltopper basketball. He had brought the then-British Prime Minister, David Cameron with him, sitting on the MVSU side of the arena.

Obama would be in for a Ray Harper masterclass, as the Hilltoppers would fall behind 15 points with just under five minutes to go in the game, coming back to win the game and advance to play Kentucky. WKU’s final comeback of 10+ after seven in a row previously, the most incredible was for the biggest moment: In the Big Dance for the first time in four years. Kentucky would win the 2012 National Championship led by Anthony Davis.

But The Mississippi Valley State game was truly one of the most memorable WKU sport events that I can recall watching live. Me and some friends gathered together at a local sports bar in Bowling Green and were going insane. It may be my own personal bias as to why it felt so impactful, as I was a student at the time, but you truly had to be there to understand the impact. I found a link for any fan who wishes to enjoy the MVSU game in its’ entirety:

A little less famous, Harper and the boys would make a similar run in 2013, having to win four games in four days once again in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and nearly defeated Kansas in the Round of 64. In 2013, following a mid-tier overall season — the WKU Hilltoppers would again capture lightning in a bottle as they would run the table to secure the Sun Belt Conference title and an automatic bid (and 16-seed) to the NCAA Tournament, this time facing off against #1 Kansas. This game still makes me a tad bit angry, as Harper was very well on his way to achieving history. WKU essentially held the Jayhawks in check for most of the game, maintaining a small lead until the final few minutes where the talent disparity ultimately became apparent. If you’re reading this Jeff Withey, I still don’t forgive you.

Ultimately, Harper would fail to capture the sort of magic in following seasons that he had in his interim season, along as his true first full season as the Hilltoppers’ head coach. But from someone who was present and experienced Ray Harper basketball during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, his tenure holds a special place in my heart as a fan.

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Basketball, following a series of injuries, blown leads, and inconsistent play, WKU found themselves accumulating four straight losses. As a result of dropping four straight games, the Hilltopper faithful were not-so-gently entering into panic mode, as concern was growing that WKU could fall outside of the top ten in the Conference USA standings. Were that to stand true after all 20 conference games, WKU would not qualify for the ten team field that makes up this years’ Conference USA Tournament. It was announced early in the week that the Hilltoppers would be without their two leading scorers — Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone — for at least the first game of the week. Boone would eventually return to play in the second of the two games, whereas Teagan Moore’s return to action has still yet to be determined as of writing this. (Per Hank Plona’s weekly media conference, Moore is currently listed as questionable for the next game against Jax State on 2/5).

Going into this week, the Hilltoppers — having lost three straight games — faced a two-game road trip that began on Wednesday against the Kennesaw State Owls and finished on Saturday at Middle Tennessee State (MTSU). The worst-case scenario for the week did not come to pass, as WKU would go 1-1. The Hilltoppers currently sit at 12-10 on the season, 5-6 in conference play that puts them at 8th place in the Conference USA standings (but in a much more solid spot with a low threat to miss the CUSA Tourney altogether now). While this is certainly not where Hilltopper fans would like this team to be, the season is still alive with a lot of season still left to go. Keep in mind WKU still has nine of 20 conference games remaining, and they are one game below .500. But let’s take it a week at a time. Let’s take a look at the two games the Hilltoppers played this week and go over how it all played out, beginning with the gut wrenching loss to Kennesaw State.

Kennesaw State 72, WKU 69

Kennesaw State defeated WKU in their first matchup this season at Diddle Arena, 81-65. This was a game where the Hilltoppers shot as poorly statistically as you might ever see. In the first matchup, WKU shot 30% (ew) from the field and 29% from three-point range. That… is not going to beat a lot of teams. For this second matchup WKU would be without two of their best players, in desperate need of other players to step up to fill the void.

This year, we cover basketball a bit differently than football, opting to typically post articles covering basketball on a week-to-week basis — whereas football season has significantly less games to cover, so it is easier to give each game its’ own independent article. That being said, editor Matt — like many Hilltopper fans — had a lot of emotions that he could not wait to share about the absolute disaster-class collapse that WKU had to lose against KSU. He posted an article covering the Kennesaw State blunder the night it happened, so I am going to only give a brief overview with my thoughts and link his article below so you can get that sort of raw, ‘of the moment,’ emotions that a fan can experience.

To view that, click here: Kennesaw State Recap 1/28

Like Matt, I was also very annoyed that Western blew this game. While being up 10-points with six minutes left to play isn’t quite an insurmountable lead, one could argue that playing a modest amount of competent basketball to finish should have put that one away. Well, WKU would falter. Outscored 19-6 in the final six minutes, WKU still had an opportunity to win, down 70-69 with the ball and five seconds on the clock. I feel the best method of portraying my own personal disappointment is to fully dissect the final possession of the game.

Grant Newell would receive the ball at the top of the key, shake by a defender, and have a clear lane to the basket with less than ten seconds to play. Driving, Newell faced what seemed like a semi-clear lane, where a defender could only hope to moderately contest a Newell drive. As I am watching it play out, my thoughts are: Newell is going to either force a foul, or opt for a tough lay-in if a defender makes it over to him. Instead, Newell pulls the ball back as to attempt a hammer of a dunk over a closing defender, and misses — no foul. WKU loses, 72-69.

I do want to make a point of mentioning that I am not, nor have ever been, talented enough to play any sport at a collegiate level. As an observer positioned on their couch, I want to make sure that to emphasize that I understand how difficult it is to make decisions in a fast moving game as to not just blame a single play, or player, for losing this game. Newell likely saw something different on the court in real time than I did from my angle, watching on TV. He did not blow a ten point lead off of a single missed shot. The team couldn’t make a shot to at least engage in an exchange of baskets with KSU, made poor decisions, and yielded many empty possessions on offense where everybody seemed to have no idea what to do. The Tops, down two of their best players, came so close to pulling off a big win filled with adversity and ultimately, fell short. Luckily, the Hilltoppers would have an opportunity to garner redemption, as they would be presented with almost the same exact scenario on Saturday against MTSU.

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WKU 65, MTSU 60

Matt’s Thoughts

Phew! Imagine if WKU hadn’t beaten Middle Tennessee Saturday. That could have been bad for a myriad of reasons. WKU was essentially in the beginning stages of a freefall in the CUSA standings, notching their 4th straight loss in heartbreaking fashion at Kennesaw State on Wednesday. In a year of growing frustration, a loss at MTSU would’ve been the cardinal sin of sports: Whatever you do, don’t lose to your number one (current) rival.

But the Tops found a way to salvage a tough road trip, winning one of three in the most unlikely location of the three places to play. Since 2009, WKU had only won four times in Murfreesboro until this meeting. It has been a tough venue for the Tops in recent years.

In this one, WKU did some of its typical, giving up another double digit lead to start the game. This time, the Tops allowed MTSU to get up 14-3 to start the game before making adjustments and taking a 30-23 lead into halftime.

After getting down 14-3, WKU would immediately respond with an 8-0 run. Then the teams went back-and-forth, maintaining about the same scoring margin until MTSU’s 21-18 lead at the 4:32 mark. A low scoring half up to that point, WKU’s defense had really tightened up since allowing 14 early. WKU allowed nine points after the first media timeout in the first half and only 46 the rest of the game.

Heading into halftime, WKU went on a late spurt, outscoring MTSU 12-5 in the final 4:32. At halftime, WKU was up 30-23 and there was real hope for the red and white to come home with the W against the archrival.

Out of the break, WKU took a couple of ten point leads early in the first half, but by 14:27 left, MTSU had cut it to two points. Oh boy. Here we go again, right? Doesn’t that thought creep in at that point? WKU would allow MTSU to take a brief lead and then respond with a lengthy spurt, going 14-2 and creating a 12 point margin at 58-46 with 5:42 remaining.

And then the Hilltoppers expanded the lead to 15-20 and cruised to an easy victory…

NOT!!!

WKU would bring back shades of SHSU and allowed Middle all the way back into it again with 16 seconds to play at 62-60. But in a clutch sub by Hank Plona, WKU’s coach took out the red hot Kade Unseld in exchange for Ryan Myers, who shoots a high percentage of free throws. Myers would get the ball on the inbounds and sink the free throws. MTSU would get up a quick shot and unquestionable co-MVP (with Unseld) Blaise Keita (7 points, 14 rebounds) would clear the defensive boards one more time and add 1-of-2 free throws for good measure, finalizing the score at 65-60.

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Andrew’ Thoughts

As someone who has criticized WKU’s big men as being one of the teams’ more crippling weaknesses, I have to give Blaise Keita his flowers for the game he played against MTSU. Coach Hank Plona finally either by choice, or due to a razor thin roster, played a big man more than ten minutes in a game and got results. Keita pulled in a career-high 14 rebounds along with an efficient 7 points on 3 of 4 shooting from the field. I want to hope that Keita is finally hitting his stride and just had to re-acclimate to basketball following injury, but we will see if he gets an increased role moving forward. (Editor’s note: In the two games this week, Keita averaged 11 rebounds. Looking further back, Blaise had six at SHSU, and before that, he had no more than five boards in any one game all season.)

Guard Kade Unseld also stepped up in his increase in playing time against MTSU in place of the injured Teagan Moore, putting up 17 points with efficient shooting splits (6-13 from the field; 5-12 from three-point range). Efficient shooting from anyone on this roster is a welcome sight, as this team consistently shoots poorly from the field (manifesting WKU shooting more efficiently from the floor moving forward).

The Hilltoppers saw the return of Armelo Boone against MTSU, another welcome sight as Boone — in my eyes — plays the most complete, well-rounded game of anyone on this team. Boone put up another effective and efficient outing, scoring 12 points in 24 minutes (likely being eased back into the rotation from injury), securing five rebounds, along with a block and a steal.

With the Hilltoppers getting healthier and other players proving their abilities to step up and provide the team with meaningful minutes, I can only imagine that Coach Plona’s rotation is about to look even more obscure. Seriously, Plona is constantly mixing and matching lineups almost on a minute-to-minute basis, never shying away from going deep into his bench. It would not surprise me one bit to see Hank Plona experiment with a 12-man rotation in a game or two.

I am of the school of thought that constant shuffling of a lineup and playing too deep a roster has contributed to the team putting together such poor shooting nights. I would argue that constantly rotating players in-and-out and spreading limited minutes across a deeper rotation makes it difficult for players to get into a rhythm, both for a player individually and for the team as a whole. My supporting evidence would be the Hilltoppers’ poor shooting percentage on the season, multiple blown leads, multiple games of being ran out of the building, as well as currently being 8th place in the conference.

Matt’s Stats

WKU had some really nice production in the absence of Teagan Moore Saturday. The Toppers’ leading scorer was concussed close to the end of the Liberty game and has been unable to play since due to concussion protocol. A conference player of the year candidate and one of WKU’s leading rebounders and a contributor to all things WKU, Moore was extremely missed on this road trip.

Saturday, however, Armelo Boone returned with a double digit point production (12 points), Terrion Murdix (8 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds) tied his season high in assists, and Grant Newell came off the bench with ten points. Those guys stepped up in Teagan’s absence on both ends of the court.

But the two main heroes of the night were unquestionably Kade Unseld and Blaise Keita. Unseld started a little rough, but he evened out and produced at a high level. During the early part of the game, he made some mistakes on both ends, airballed a three really badly, you get it. But the young redshirt freshman from Warren Central High School in Bowling Green really had a coming out party, scoring 17 on 13 shots, grabbing four boards, and only committing two turnovers in 30 minutes.

Blaise Keita, the injury prone utility big man with big knee pads, came in off of the bench. With Noah Boyde suspended, WKU was shorthanded with an already thin frontcourt. Generally not producing much on the stat sheet, the center position has been a liability for the Toppers in the past two seasons. Unquestionably, Blaise Keita has stepped up his game of late, and as was mentioned above, not only did he drop in 14 boards against Middle, but he also was a presence against Kennesaw State, as well, grabbing eight boards in that one.

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Plona Quotes Post-Middle Tennessee

Noah Boyde-Healthy but not sure whether he will dress; deciding whether he wants to help the team, kind of indicating a “ball’s in his court” type of situation.

Cam Haffner-"My decision to not let him play”

Teagan Moore-Questionable for Thursday; concussion protocol; “Thursday’s a possibility, Saturday is a little bit more of a possibility”

-Translation: Teagan Moore is still probably going to miss another game or two. Per Plona, he is practicing some, shooting, and has worked out some. But he’s still exhibiting some concussion-like symptoms and they are easing him back into it.

Cade Stinnett-Will be used “when we’re in a pinch”; he absolutely wants to help the team win.

“I think we’re in a better place than we’ve been all year.”

Comments on Jax State:

“(Mostapha El Moutaouakkil) scores a ton of points"

“(AC Bryant) shoots a bunch of 3’s”

First game, they were able to dictate the pace and do what they wanted to do.

-From what he said, my guess is they will be intentional about messing with JSU’s flow on both ends. He was not satisfied with how they were able to handle WKU and play their game. WKU needs to impose their will more.

Plona’s Other Comments

Terrion Murdix: “Competitive monster”, “Intelligent defender”

Armelo Boone: “Special from day one”

“I’m done thinking about big picture…I don’t think our team’s going to do better if I stand up there and say, ‘This needs to be our record in February.’”

“We are talking ‘start and finish start and finish start and finish.’”

-Clearly, the WKU staff and team is aware of the slow starts and actively trying to figure out how to avoid them. WKU has had gigantic swings in momentum in almost all of its games. Some have been amazingly positive, while others have been devastating meltdowns by the Tops.

“When we hesitate…we don’t do good when we think about it.”

When speaking of known issues, “I’ve never been successful ignoring obvious issues.”

“I can’t sleep at night if we don’t keep talking about it (slow starts and fading finishes).”

“We’re trying to figure that out (what lineup to play and when)…if you look at the box score, we’ve played a lot of lineups.”

“If we’re going to beat the best teams, then Blaise Keita needs to be a very very good player.”

“I want everybody to keep supporting us. Keep supporting these kids. They’re playing their hearts out. We have a chance now. We’re right there.”

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Matt’s Stats: Previewing Jax State and FIU

Clearly, this team is still a work in progress, and in case you missed it from some of the above, Teagan Moore is still very likely to miss at least one if not both games. Regardless of Teagan’s exact status, the Tops played better basketball despite being hampered this week than they had when they were healthy in the prior games. Other than a close loss to Liberty where WKU played really well and just lost to a better team (for now), WKU had not been playing exceptional basketball of late. WKU played a great first 34 minutes against Kennesaw State. WKU played a really good last 35 minutes at MTSU.

The signs are there that the Tops are not disengaged, are very much into it, and they are trying to figure it out. There have been more rumblings this year of drama in the WKU locker room than there have in recent memory, but all of that means nothing if they pull it together by March and avoid a seven seed or higher. They will be on equal footing and will be considered a formidable opponent for whoever they encounter in the CUSA Tournament.

Heading into WKU’s game against Jacksonville State in Diddle Arena at 8 PM on CBS Sports Net Thursday night, the Tops at least have the monkey off of their back, but they have a tough opponent that always gives them difficulty coming in. The Tops already have a blowout road loss to JSU. That thing was ugly from the start and WKU was out of it and never had a prayer after the first media timeout.

Jacksonville State (11-10, 6-4 CUSA) brings that Ray Harper toughness and grit, grind-it-out style. They don’t always play gorgeous basketball, but they have been playing good basketball of late and really challenge any team they face to be efficient to win. JSU barely allows 40 percent shooting, barely allows 30 percent from three, and outrebounds the opponent by about four per game. They only allow 66 points scored per game and score in the low 70s, so it’s more of a medium to slightly below average tempo and they just make everything difficult for the opponent’s offense.

Bottom line: If WKU can beat JSU, they draw within a half game of the Gamecocks and will see either a reconfirming of their solid position on the teams below them or start climbing some teams above them in the standings. For example, MTSU hosts FIU Wednesday, so if FIU wins, WKU could jump over Middle in the standings. If Middle wins, great. WKU would be 2.5 games ahead of FIU.

Speaking of FIU, FIU (10-11, 3-7 CUSA) had a really nice non-conference performance at 7-4, but they have struggled against the higher level of competition in CUSA play. FIU’s coach, Jeremy Ballard, is one of my favorites. First of all, I think he’s a good coach in one of the crappiest jobs in CUSA, frankly. It is really hard to win at FIU in almost any sport, but especially revenue sports. But he’s also charismatic and just kind of fun to watch coach. I’ve liked him for a long time, and unabashedly call him the most sexy man in CUSA. You decide for yourself…

…anyway, FIU is an interesting matchup for WKU. A high flying offense, FIU scores 82 points per game. However, they give up over 78. With a WKU team that isn’t afraid to score and push the pace, I have a couple of questions…

• How do you score enough with a Teagan Moore that is either a) out or b) recovering from injury?

• Can WKU stop FIU at all?

• Can WKU handle the “Florida talent” conundrum? I always say a team with a lot of kids from Florida will generally be really athletic and can jump up and bite you, even if they don’t seem to be much on paper.

I would expect FIU to come in well-coached and give WKU more difficulty than one would expect a team sitting third to last in CUSA to be. I think WKU will be sharp against JSU, surely. They should have revenge on their mind and be focused on what is an opponent that they know is pretty good. FIU is different. They’re a team that is more naturally overlooked, and on a short turnaround, how’s the energy level? Can WKU match FIU’s energy, who will have an extra day’s rest? (FIU plays MTSU Wednesday while WKU plays JSU Thursday.) That’s a dangerous trap game for the Tops. With their depth, I doubt they really are severely hampered by a lack of physical energy, but sometimes it’s hard to get up for certain opponents, and it’s hard to come back two days later and promise the same energy as two days before.

Don’t be shocked if WKU splits this week and heads into Valentine’s Day against Middle feeling like they need the W once again.

Andrew’s Anecdotes: Previewing JSU and FIU

Dear old Western has — for the time being at least — halted their freefall down the conference standings by getting back into the win column. This team is truly an intriguing one to attempt to breakdown or analyze. The same team that arguably gave a very good Vanderbilt team fits is the same team to lose by double-digits to a below average New Mexico State team. Ultimately, it is not difficult to see that the potential exists for this team. The potential to make a late-season push is there, but it is going to require more efficient play, especially in terms of shooting.

I knew that WKU was not a good shooting team, but I had no idea just how poorly this team shot from the field until I dove deeper for this piece. Currently, the Hilltoppers rank 357th out of 365 teams in field-goal percentage at 39.9%. There are only eight teams in the entirety of Division I basketball that shoot worse than our Hilltoppers. Needless to say, that has to improve or it will not matter whether the Tops make the CUSA tournament or not: They’ll be bounced instantly with percentages from the field like that.

Next week, the Hilltoppers return to Diddle for a two-game home stretch. Thursday (2/5), the Tops take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks — who won their previous matchup this season, 78-67. And it wasn’t that close, honestly. In their first matchup, Jax State shot 55% from the floor and 50% from three-point range, whereas the Hilltoppers shot an abysmal 31% from the floor and even worse 23% from three. Jax State is currently 6-4 in C-USA play (11-10 overall), good enough to put them 4th in the current conference standings.

On Saturday (2/7), the Hilltoppers will face off against the Florida International University (FIU) Panthers. The Panthers are 10-11 (3-7 in CUSA play) and are currently 10th in the C-USA standings. It should not need to be said, but I will go ahead and say that Western cannot afford to lose at home to FIU, when they are currently the last team in the conference tournament.

A week from now, I hope to be writing a recap where I can proudly tell you guys about the dominant performances that propelled our Tops to go 2-0 on the week. Stay tuned and as always: Go Tops!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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GO TOPS!!!!

UNbelievable.

I mean…

I don’t even know what to say. Imagine the narrative switch if WKU had won this game.

“WKU Fights Hard, Loses Lead, Newell Wins It With 6 Seconds Remaining on Thunderous Dunk”

“WKU Back in the CUSA Race”

“WKU Snaps Three Game Losing Skid Despite Shorthanded Roster at Kennesaw State”

You get it.

But instead, it’s completely different. Instead of feeling magnificent and feeling like beating MTSU at MTSU is somewhat optional (it’s NEVER optional but I digress), now it feels like WKU is in deep, deep trouble.

And on top of that, Teagan Moore is definitely out the rest of the week, while Armelo Boone is possibly out at Middle. Noah Boyde didn’t make the trip to Kennesaw, Louis Semona still has back issues, and Bryant Selebangue is out for the season with an Achilles.

So on top of the injury issues, WKU should start feeling the pressure of needing to finish in the top ten of CUSA to avoid missing the Conference USA Tournament altogether. Still in 8th with a game in hand on three other teams, WKU must find some wins to avoid that disaster.

Why is This So Frustrating?

You may be reading this and wondering, “Why is this such a big deal?” WKU was heading into this game on a losing streak, we already know the Tops lost in hideous fashion to Sam Houston by 15 while losing by as much as 27, and on top of all of the individual performances, they had lost three in a row heading into a game at Kennesaw State, who had beaten WKU pretty easily just a couple of weeks before in Diddle Arena.

So the stage is set to be watching the Kennesaw State game with apprehension, half expecting another blowout missing four (you do the math) starter level players. So when WKU came out and played even with KSU for 40 minutes, that in itself was surprise. Then at one point, WKU had taken completely control up 10, and they immediately handed the game back to Kennesaw State.

So it’s frustrating because heading into this three game stretch, not knowing the injuries, we said WKU needed to get AT LEAST one and probably two. SHSU was a dud, and then WKU has the victory in hand up ten and forgets how to play good basketball.

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What the Heck Happened?

WKU nearly has a chance to take a 13 point lead with a wide open Ryan Myers three with 5:51 left on the clock. He misses, Hackman nearly gets the offensive board, doesn’t, and KSU goes down and gets an and one to start the KSU run.

After that, WKU gets stopped, then the Tops seemingly get a stop, the officials overturn the call, and the Owls make a 15 footer on the baseline from the inbounds.

LJ Hackman then goes one-on-one and makes a tough basket from just inside the three point line. Although this worked out, it was a sign of things to come. WKU is in the process of forgetting what was working, and also forgetting the percentage play. It is not ideal to be taking contested fadeaways from 20 feet by a player that sometimes struggles offensively.

KSU follows up the Hackman make with an and-one as they penetrate, dish, and score easily with a foul. So far a 7-2 run. Hackman gets a decent look late in the shot clock, but it was still a tough runner to his right from eight feet, KSU rebounds, and Keita fouls. Another moment where a) it was a jump ball, but b) you need to back off and not start scrapping for the ball as a center 80 feet from the basket.

KSU all of a sudden starts making their FTs after missing a ton, and within a minute and a half, the game is within three points with more than four minutes remaining. Newell gets a look from the left block, debatably gets fouled, but 50/50 at best (he got other calls at times so it evens out and this one was one-on-two). Hackman nearly gets the board (another close opportunity missed), and KSU’s Johnson comes down out of control and loses it out of bounds. Another 50/50 call, it probably was off WKU but it was close. The momentum is obviously in KSU’s favor down only three and the ball at the end at the under 4 timeout at 3:45 left.

Out of the break, Hackman nearly steals it on the inbounds. It falls harmlessly out of bounds. The next play? The one we probably all remember from the Owls, where Johnson drives the lane at Hackman, slams him out of the way (definitely contact there and in my opinion a call on the floor and it’s either a block or a charge), and lays it in after Hackman is launched into the stanchion. 65-64 KSU.

Hackman comes down on the other end and takes a step back and contested 20 footer (see above). It draws iron, but with 11 seconds on the shot clock, the Tops had a little more time and I would like to see another play made there besides another long contested two from Hackman. Cycle the ball to someone else and take it back if you’d like. But this is not a winning formula to have Hackman one on one and not getting penetration shooting jump shots.

Right after, KSU comes down and nails a corner three pointer. With 2:59 left, WKU is now on the back foot and must fight to stay in it themselves. In less than two and a half minutes, the game had swung from WKU missing a three pointer to take a 13 point lead to down 1. Frustrating, but now it was time to figure it out and get the win.

Out of the timeout, Grant Newell comes up with a (admittedly) HUGE fadeaway from the lower right elbow. A wonderful conversion to tie the game, I still take issue with the fact that WKU is relying on one-on-one fadeaways here. Newell nearly walks, goes off the wrong foot, and nails it. Good for him and it’s not his fault, but it’s really a poor look that WKU got lucky to convert. And again, the shot clock was at 14, so there was more time to set up an entire extra cycle through and grab a better look. I’m not too upset because it’s still a better shot than having Hackman do it from 20. It’s closer and it’s Newell, who specializes in block and block extended touches. 2:42 remaining.

The Owls’ RJ Johnson nails a three, and here was another sign of a problem: He had very little in the first half and ended up with 19. He got hot and carried his team with tough plays and tough shots. Multiple things are going right for KSU right now, but still, as we’ll see, WKU had the chance to make it happen.

Ensuing possession, Ryan Myers gets the ball from Murdix, jab step, and shoots a contested three with 16 seconds left on the shot clock. Again, this is unquestionably a poor, out of flow shot, although it is definitely by the right guy. I don’t take issue with him shooting it, and it’s to tie the game. But with 2:12 on the clock, find a better look. You have plenty of time and you don’t need a contested three against a taller defender who is right in your shirt right there.

In a break for the Tops, KSU gets called for a moving screen 35 feet from the basket with 1:52 remaining. A gifted possession for the Tops, what do they do with it? Murdix gets to the cup and misses the layup (should have made it honestly) but is fouled. Murdix makes two, so a good possession for the Tops. Finally, they make a nice play that makes complete sense. 70-69 KSU with 1:34 remaining.

Next possession, WKU is hounding Johnson and tries to keep him from getting the ball. Probably could have been a foul on WKU but the correct no-call there. Johnson takes the ball up the court, gets it to his big man on the right block, he goes up against Odiahi, one offensive rebound and a missed putback, and Murdix clears. Point guard has the ball, should be a good flow in system, ball stagnates with Newell, Odiahi is looking to set a screen, a little pause in the flow, Murdix ends up with the ball after Myers passes up the three, Murdix gets to the cup at the last second, and I think he was trying to use reverse English off the backboard and missed the backboard and throws up a weird looking loft and the shot clock expires. After review, 49 seconds remain and the Tops are still down 1.

Personally, I thought Myers was going to do a little stepback three pointer there. Instead, he passes to Murdix, who passes up a decent three point attempt, and goes into a pretty clear lane and just doesn’t execute the reverse. I’m not horrified with that exchange, but I do think you had two options before the desperation drive to the wrong side of the basket for Murdix, who is left-handed.

After review (good job by the officials all night in my opinion), 49 left. WKU presses Kennesaw State. They break it. Kennesaw State has a chance to go 2-for-1, they don’t get the opportunity, and like the well-coached bunch they are, they get it back out top and run some clock. I really liked that decision by Lue there to kick it out and run clock with 35 seconds remaining and half the shot clock left. If you’re KSU, the main thing you want is a good look. KSU drives in after a little cycle of passes, and this time, an ill-advised wild drive, Harris loses the ball trying to pass to Lue. Tieup by WKU on some tough defense. I think WKU did a heck of a job all night defensively. Very few times did WKU just screw it up and allow Kennesaw to just party in the paint, other than maybe the stretch that handed them back the lead. But this possession was a solid effort and WKU gets the ball with nearly a full shot clock’s worth of time at :27 on the clock with the alternating possession.

An interesting note, WKU goes up the court with two timeouts remaining and tries to run a play. With 14.6 left, Plona calls the timeout, and that did feel like a stagnating mess.

So WKU comes out of the timeout and (not sure if this was on purpose) inbounds to Odiahi, Leeroy hands off to Newell and runs pick-and-roll. Depending on Leeroy’s defender’s reaction, this could potentially be a wide open lane.

Odiahi’s defender reacts exactly as WKU would hope, and Newell looks like he has a wide open lane with less than nine seconds remaining.

As should happen, the lane closes, KSU helps, and Newell is clearly loading up. Interestingly, he does have Myers wide open for a high percent three, he could certainly manipulate this situation to draw a foul or euro step and lay it in, etc. He also has Hackman in the corner, although LJ doesn’t look like he anticipates a pass.

However, “Newell tries to detonate” as ESPN+ said…

…the opponent gives a great contest, possibly blocking it/somewhat fouling (no way you call that) here…

…the ball bounces off the rim and backboard, bounces to the three point line, and WKU fouls with less than two seconds left. KSU makes the FTs (noteworthy) and on WKU’s desperation heave into the frontcourt, Unseld inbounds, Newell does touch it, but KSU tips it and the game is over.

FINAL

Kennesaw State 72-Western Kentucky 69

Wow…

So yes, Grant Newell made a decision to be extremely aggressive. We must acknowledge that he had other options. But as many said after the game, that game was not won and lost on that one play. We just ran through the entire final 6:30 of the game, and really, that game was lost when WKU didn’t capitalize mid-second half when KSU was missing tons of free throws. WKU was fortunate to build the lead they did, and they had the chance to get better looks and burn more time when they had the lead that might have won this thing.

But for the crazy people saying this team isn’t well-coached in game, you people are crazy. Plona’s in-game strategy made a lot of sense to me. He got his players to play right with a team despite being down several starters on the road. And KSU was missing two players, too. But WKU came out of the mess with Sam Houston, and took it to a good enough team that had already beaten the Tops by double digits in Diddle Arena.

Whatever the locker room narrative and rumors about personalities and this and that, down their top two scorers, WKU played great defense and outrebounded a nationally elite rebounding team.

The Tops made some mistakes for sure. Don’t get it twisted! That last 6:30 sucked and there’s no reason WKU should have been -13 in (if you want to exaggerate the narrative as much as you can) less than six minutes after being up ten.

But WKU played their tails off and just came up short.

MTSU Now a Must Win

Regardless of the “great fight” narrative, WKU is now in a spot that they need to suck it up and get a W. When you talk about formulas for doing well in conference play, it’s “protect your house” and “win half of your road games”. Well, that is why WKU is 4-6 in CUSA and flirting with disaster.

So regardless of the injuries, WKU needs to come into MTSU Saturday and “burn the boats”. Meaning there is no other alternative. You MUST win this one. For so many reasons, this is the game to win. Think about it. Despite issues, WKU would snap a four game skid. They would shake off bad juju from the last two, and they would come home close to .500.

Consider the alternative:

WKU loses. WKU possibly drops as low as a three way tie for eighth. WKU is currently a game ahead of the three teams in 9th to 11th. It would seriously be EXTREMELY bad for WKU to get swept on this road trip.

So if I’m Hank Plona, I am completely all-in on this game. I’m pulling out all my best moves, I’m pumping up my guys for a tournament-like desperation, and I’m telling them there are no excuses, we’re going to do whatever we need to do to win, and get on board because we don’t have time to mess around.

It is TIME for this team to pull it together. Once Teagan Moore is back, if this team got a win, that is a reasonably expectable outcome to at least get one win in his absence. If Armelo Boone is out Saturday, it is even more awesome that the Tops found a way to get one. But if the Tops lose to Middle, I can assure you that Hilltopper Nation’s patience will be non-existent.

Rest assured.

And we won’t be very patient here at The Towel Rack, either.

BUT again, this season’s CUSA is exactly halfway over heading into this tilt Saturday with MTSU. It is still plenty young, and WKU could certainly extremely easily be a top six seed and get a first round bye. If healthy, WKU is a top six team in Conference USA, period.

So I’ll end it with this…

Yeah that sucked Wednesday. But

I REALLY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE PAST. THE PRESENT NEED…

IS TO BEAT MIDDLE TENNESSEE!

GO TOPS! BEAT MIDDLE!

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GO TOPS!!!!

Western Kentucky Basketball certainly isn’t ready to put out to pasture, but with injury issues abounding and a looming road trip, let’s quickly explain how the Conference USA Tournament works. And let’s also realize how tenuous this situation is, Topper fans. WKU just needs to be one game worse than three other teams in CUSA to end the season and they would not even make the trip to the Conference USA Tournament.

Also true, the Tops are within two games of second place, as well. So let’s not panic. However, with Teagan Moore suffering a significant concussion and Armelo Boone randomly turning an ankle in practice this past Thursday, the Tops go from concerning injuries to Bryant Selebangue and Louis Semona to losing 30 points per game for at least one game this week, and 17+ of that (Teagan Moore) is out through the end of the week.

Parlay that with WKU’s dismal, discombobulated, and downright discouraging performance at the hands of middling CUSA opponent Sam Houston State, WKU could easily tank without its stars.

So let’s play this out, assuming WKU sucks it up and finishes at or near the bottom fo the conference. First, CUSA Tourney runs from Tuesday, March 10 to Saturday, March 14. Hosting both the men’s and women’s tournament, the venue can only feasibly host four games per day, so the way the format works is seeds 7-10 play each other in the first round Tuesday, half of the quarterfinal games are played Wednesday, half Thursday, semis happen Friday, and Saturday is the championship game.

A busy week, 11th and 12th place teams will not be invited to the conference tournament simply because there isn’t enough room in the schedule to have them play.

Fortunately or unfortunately for WKU, the Tops play a schedule largely populated with teams near the bottom. Obviously if they do terribly against those teams, they will be handing those teams wins that will assist them in topping the Toppers in the standings. But if they can just win those, they should be in really good shape. Simple math says winning three or four more games should do it. However, with so many teams clogging the middle of the standings, the Tops may need more wins than usual to make sure they don’t get eliminated from championship contention before the conference tournament even starts.

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Lady Toppers in Absolute Dire Straits

You’re not blind, and if you’re a WKU fan, you likely know the Lady Toppers have thus far been absolutely horrible. Well, to confirm, they are 1-7 in conference and a full two games out of even making the tournament at the moment. WKU did beat 1-7 UTEP, and they nearly beat New Mexico State and Liberty.

This team is not completely dead, and frustratingly, they have some talent and size. However, the Lady Toppers better start making a move quickly, or they will get left in the basement and not even make it to Huntsville.

Already WKU’s worst season ever in terms of conference play, the Lady Toppers will have to scratch and claw and upset to even get to ten wins on the season. A proud program that is a borderline top 25 all-time program, Lady Topper Basketball is currently circling the drain on yet another disappointing season. Will they be able to climb out of the toilet bowl and at least make the conference tourney?

They could do it if they come together and play good basketball to end the year. But they are running out of time, and if a few of those teams above them win a few more games, they will need a winning streak out of absolutely nowhere to find themselves in the field of ten.

Summing it Up

The Lady Toppers need a miracle, and the boys should be fine. That’s the gist of it. But it’s concerning, especially if, let’s say the men drop to 4-7 by week’s end. They will be no better than tied for ninth, and they possibly could be all the way to solely in 11th place.

Hopefully they pull it together, and hopefully the women pull it together immediately and show some life with a W Saturday at MTSU. They beat them last year in Diddle Arena, so there’s got to be some level of belief there.

But we’ve had people asking about CUSA Tournament, and frankly, I’ve never had to know what the requirements are to simply make the tournament field. WKU is always just in it and is usually contending, so who cares about who doesn’t make it? We’ve never had to.

Since we needed to know, we wanted to bring you this riveting information with a side of depression.

WKU plays Kennesaw State tonight at 6 PM. Here’s to the Tops showing up and stealing a slight W as the slight underdog at 5.5 points. Shoot, maybe KSU will be throwing it again. We could use the W.

GO TOPS! BEAT KENNESAW! AND FOR GOD’S SAKE, BEAT MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

In this week of WKU basketball, the Hilltoppers dropped both games to fall to 11-9 on the season and 4-5 in conference play, currently sitting at 7th in Conference USA. As of writing this, WKU is currently on a three-game losing streak. More importantly, two of arguably the most important contributors to this year’s Hilltopper squad (Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone) would miss the second of the weeks’ games against Sam Houston State. Moore, currently suffering what has been described as a concussion, is expected to miss the Hilltoppers’ next two games at Kennesaw State on 1/28 and at MTSU on 1/31). Armelo Boone is currently reeling from an ankle sprain that Coach Plona hinted (and has now confirmed) could cause him to miss a few games as well. The Hilltoppers are already without forward Bryant Selebanque (Achilles) for the rest of the season, leaving the team ultra thin in all aspects of the game.

The injuries to arguably WKU’s two best players, combined with a three-game losing streak raise a lot of concern going into their next couple of games as the Hilltoppers could be in danger of missing the Conference USA Tournament. Currently sitting tied for 7th in the conference standings, if WKU doesn’t finish in the top 10 of the conference standings, they will not even get the chance to play in the C-USA tournament. It is a real possibility that a few games without Moore or Boone, who are respectively number one and two for the Hilltoppers in scoring, could place Western in danger of missing out. The Tops are really only a game ahead of 11th place, so poor timing could really put WKU on the back foot.

Outside of Grant Newell, the remaining four players that make up the usual center/forward rotation combine for 9.5 points. Noah Boyde could be classified as the player who logs the most minutes as the “center,” averaging 3.2 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game. For now, lets take a look at how the week played out.

Liberty 76, WKU 69

The Liberty Flames sat (and still sit) atop the Conference USA and it isn’t particularly close at the moment. The Flames, 16-3 (8-0 in conference play), sit three games ahead of second-place Missouri State and were projected by many pundits to be the favorite to win the conference, a prediction that looks to be — as it stands — spot on. So going into this game, WKU was going to likely have their hands full. From the moment the game began, it appeared as if things could have gotten out of hand early.

Liberty started the game red hot, popping off to a 15-2 lead to start the game. The Tops would fight back, closing the gap to 35-32 going into halftime. While the Hilltoppers would ultimately keep the game what I would classify as ‘respectably close’ throughout much of the second half, Liberty kept WKU in the rearview as the Flames would ultimately find a seven-point win in Diddle Arena in front of a WKU crowd that tried to pull the Tops to the victory. Teagan Moore, as per usual, led the Hilltopper effort with 19 points. Moore was joined in double-digit scoring by Grant Newell (16), Ryan Myers (14), and Armelo Boone (13).

Losing in a semi-close game to a team like Liberty is nothing to be ashamed of. Throughout the 2025 season, Liberty has played a highly efficient brand of basketball - shooting 52% from the field, and 40% as a team from three-point range. Liberty also ranks in the top fifty of college teams in terms of assists per game at 17.6. Against WKU, the Flames shot 59% from three. It is hard to win against shooting percentages in that range, but it is simply that sort of consistent play that has Liberty in the top spot of the Conference USA standings. I would like to point out that WKU outrebounded Liberty, 34 to 28. They also held Liberty to eight points in the paint. I highlight this because I am very tough on the rotation of big men for the Tops, so I wanted to give credit whenever it is due.

Sam Houston State 73, WKU 58

Unlike Liberty, I would classify Sam Houston State as a middle-of-the-pack Conference USA opponent that WKU should have been able to defeat, or certainly hang with down three key players. In their prior matchup earlier this season, WKU would defeat SHSU 101-92 in Diddle Arena, led by a 28 point outing by Hilltopper hero, Teagan Moore. The only problem is that in this matchup, Teagan Moore would not play - dealing with what has been described as a concussion. It would also be announced that Armelo Boone would miss this game as well, suffering from an ankle sprain. So take away two of Western’s best players and it is not difficult to imagine the results that we got.

The game was never particularly close, as no one on the WKU roster delivered the type of production on the same level as the absent Moore or Boone. Sam Houston State led at one point in the second half by 27 points, having taken a 17 point lead into halftime. The Hilltoppers were lead in scoring by LJ Hackman with 14 points. Po’Boigh (pronounced Po-boy) King went off for 27 points for SHSU.

As a fan, you can make the excuse that being down two of your best players is too much to overcome. Then again, you also have perhaps an unrealistic expectation of someone else stepping up to fill the void, but that just did not happen in this game.

So… Now What?

In my opinion, the sky isn’t yet falling for the Hilltopper basketball team. If we, as a fan base, are being honest: the only way this squad was going to see any NCAA Tournament action was to win the Conference USA tournament. Outside of putting together the sort of outlandish season that current mid-major Miami (OH) is having (they’re currently one of two undefeated teams left in the country), the Hilltoppers’ only realistic expectation of going dancing was running the table in the conference tournament. This possibility still exists, but the Hilltoppers will need players to step up in the absence of Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone in order to prevent the team from falling into the basement of CUSA.

Going into this season, this Hilltopper roster presented a true mystery. Many new, unfamiliar faces made up the roster. Moreso, we as a fanbase truly did not know what to expect from second year coach Hank Plona. I was pleasantly surprised to see the emergence of good players, such as Teagan Moore and Armelo Boone. While the team has demonstrated growth in areas, there is always the element of their inconsistent play that has plagued them this year. Coach Plona runs a very… let’s say, “interesting,” method of putting his rotations together. When healthy and firing on all cylinders - this team CAN compete with talented teams. For the longest time, WKU was the only team that gave a very good Vanderbilt team a close game prior to teams entering into conference play.

Unfortunately, we are not currently healthy and lost a primary contributor early into the season in Bryant Selebangue, leaving our big man rotation depleted. Terrion Murdix, WKU’s only true point guard on the roster, also had to miss some games.

Next on deck, the Hilltoppers will travel to take on Kennesaw State on 1/28. Kennesaw State won the previous matchup this season 81-65 against a mostly healthy WKU roster. Heading into this game, WKU will be without Armelo Boone and Teagan Moore yet again, so for us to stand a chance against KSU - someone will need to step up. Following KSU, the Tops will take on Middle Tennessee State in a doubleheader with the Lady Tops on 1/31. Middle is an above average CUSA team and has been playing pretty well of late. The game will be on CBS Sports Network at 3 PM Central Saturday.

To summarize the prayer for the week, if WKU wants to upset either of these teams, they will need to show up more united than they did Saturday at Sam Houston.

COME ON BOYS! MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

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The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

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Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!

I guess when you start the week, you say you’ll take a road split. But I’d say you also hope that you give yourself a chance in both games, and WKU did not do that at NMSU Thursday. Sometimes, these things happen when you’re dealing with 20-something-year-old men and that’s life, but if the Tops are going to be really competitive come March, a huge improvement needs to be its consistency play to play.

WKU (10-6, 3-2 CUSA) found a way to bounce back from a largely dismal effort at NMSU with a grind-it-out, rusty hacksaw type of effort where they really limited UTEP’s offense. Only allowing 56 points, WKU displayed an ability to play focused defense from start to finish. Certainly getting lucky that an opponent would shoot 23 percent in the second half, give the Tops credit, as wel, thoughl. They really didn’t allow UTEP to breathe Saturday afternoon, and they got their road win, something that Hank Plona’s teams are yet to master in their one and a half seasons thus far on The Hill. A combined 6-12 on the road (not including neutral courts, which are also imperative and concerning) in his two seasons, WKU Head Coach Hank Plona must show that he can get his teams to show up away from Diddle Arena. Adding in neutral courts, WKU is 1-3, totalling 7-15 away from home since Hank Plona took the reins in 2024-25.

Big picture, WKU sits within striking distance of the top of the league for the most part able to control its own destiny. If WKU were to win out, they still would win the league. However, with Liberty with three losses overall and an undefeated mark in the league, they along with four other teams in CUSA have a 3-2 (or better) record in league play thus far. There is not as much margin now that WKU has thrown two road games away that never had a prayer after the first media timeout. Remember WKU also lost to JSU is hideous fashion, as well. It’s early on, but WKU needs to make some hay with three home games in a row (all against good teams) the next week and a half, and then they hit the road for three in a busy schedule with two games a week until they get a Thursday bye before a Valentine’s Day doubleheader at Diddle Arena against Middle Tennessee.

NMSU Recap: WKU Allows 21-2 Start, Cuts to Double Digits, Ultimately Loses Soundly, 80-64

There’s not really much else to say, really. That pretty much sums it up, I guess. In all seriousness, WKU showed up looking like their ears hadn’t popped from the plane ride. Maybe they got off the plan and went straight into the arena? That would explain it, but for the second time in four games and the third road game in a row (at Marshall was also hideous), WKU looked like they weren’t ready to go. This is now deeply concerning, and I think the main narrative with this WKU Basketball team.

For seemingly the thousandth game in a row (up to this point), WKU had at least one half where they just didn’t perform up to a reasonable standard of consistency. WKU will have halves of 60 (Sam Houston) and then in the same game will dig themselves a huge hole or not make more than 35 percent of its shots.

There is no way that is sustainable moving forward. WKU must find some kind of way to avoid very many more 20 point deficits to start the game (obviously). It happens sometimes that you’ll just come out and lay an egg. Fine. But when you’re good enough to compete nationally with anyone? And you keep doing it? Nah. Something strategically, preparation-wise, starting lineup-wise, needs to change to prevent that from happening anymore than maybe one or two times the rest of the year.

To their credit, despite digging the big hole, WKU did grind back into the game, cutting it briefly to nine points. But NMSU would stretch it back out pretty routinely and that was that.

WKU Switches it up, Changes Lineup, Wins Comprehensively in Defensive Display at UTEP 68-56

WKU went into Saturday pretty desperate for a win. Despite two wins at home had laid two eggs on the road and UTEP looked pretty game at home after slightly upsetting a pretty good Middle Tennessee despite being down much of the game Thursday. Both teams went in motivated and desperate. UTEP was 1-3 and WKU was 2-2, so either team losing really puts them on the back foot.

WKU is probably the more talented team and ultimately maybe a little better at the moment, but UTEP was a solid opponent. When factoring in altitude and travel, it is very difficult to win out west in CUSA. Teams that do certainly make ground on teams that don’t.

WKU came out against UTEP locked in, took an early lead, and despite 8 ties and 10 lead changes, it felt like WKU was for the most part in control. From a WKU perspective, it felt like WKU was just missing shots. WKU was 1-of-8 from three and 4-of-10 from the free throw line in the first half, and then some more reasonable numbers came in the second.

WKU technically shot much better in the first, but the more explosive scoring happened with a few three pointers and free throws coming in late. On top of UTEP going cold and WKU’s consistent, stifling, mostly non-fouling defense (only 15 personal fouls committed all night compared to UTEP’s 17), the Tops found a way to stretch it out near the end. The Miners did go absolutely cold in the second half, only shooting 23 percent on ten less shots than WKU. WKU made 33 percent of its baskets while also attempted ten more shots.

And there’s your difference. Like a boa constrictor, WKU’s defense clamped down, junked it up with some 2-3 and 3-2 zone, and found a way to disrupt the Miners’ attack in the second half. UTEP didn’t adjust well enough, and WKU ultimately pulled away.

Topper Tidbits

• The Hilltoppers were able to ultimately accomplish the goal: Get a road split. Despite the optics or whatever concerns, ultimately a win’s a win and a split’s a split. When trying to position, it is crucial not to get swept and find road wins. With WKU’s upcoming homestand starting Wednesday night, the Tops are in good position to vault to the top of the standings with two or three wins the next week and a half at home.

• The Toppers improve to 10-6 overall, take their NET ranking to 146, and have opportunities to improve that with #208 Missouri State, #178 Kennesaw State, and #90 Liberty upcoming at home.

• WKU’s Teagan Moore got back on track Saturday, coming off the bench and going 7-of-8 with 19 points. Against NMSU, he was not as effective, scoring five points on eight shots.

• WKU’s sensational freshman guard Armelo Boone didn’t light it up this past week, but he certainly rebounded the basketball. He nearly had a double-double Thursday with 13 points and 9 rebounds, but astoundingly Saturday, he grabbed 14 boards. All told, the young freshman had four total turnovers all weekend with a ton of production in many areas on both sides of the court.

• WKU PG Terrion Murdix made his return from injury this weekend, averaging 7 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals with only two turnovers all weekend. Not a prolific scorer thus far, the experienced but often injury riddled Murdix provides WKU a much more balanced team with a steady hand when he’s available to play.

• At 42.5 rebounds per game, WKU is 13th in the nation in rebounds per game.

• At 239th in scoring defense, WKU has significant room to improve in its consistency defensively. Although WKU held UTEP to 56 points and dropped its season average down a couple of points per game, the Toppers are 4-6 when they allow over 70 points per game, while they are 6-0 when allowing 70 or less. That is an astounding disparity.

WKU’s wild swings half to half are an issue this season. WKU has had several games where one huge half by either team really decides the game. If WKU can be more consistent, perhaps they won’t dig themselves a huge hole to climb out of. Or vice versa, maybe they won’t melt away double digit leads.

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

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Western Kentucky is perhaps your typical “pretty good” 2025-26 mid-major team. Coming into the season, they were a mystery. With so many transfers in and out of each program, it’s a crapshoot whether a certain team is really, pretty good, decent, or worse.

It’s turned out that WKU is pretty good from what we know, but road trips against similar looking teams are huge chances to establish prowess in conference play.

Teams that get high seeds and have the “easier” roads to championships need to win road games. If they don’t, they look like dog dung against FIU in the first round game and lose.

Triggered.

Sorry. Anyway…WKU needs to show thye can win against pretty good teams on the road under Head Coach Hank Plona. The range of options here is interesting. Western (9-5, 2-1 CUSA) can win two and absolutely establish itself as an early CUSA favorite. Almost no one will match that record five games into conference play, and WKU in theory would have one blip on the radar against five middle-of-the-road CUSA teams and everyone would talk about them as one of the favorites.

Or WKU lay an egg and come back to BG with their tails between their legs and a sore hind end from a double lashing and really be in desperation mode under .500 in conference. In the in-between option, the Tops could do the typical thing and come up with a road split (doesn’t matter which game you win) and put WKU at a decent but not great position at 3-2 in CUSA play and be about where everyone expects them to be.

Keys to Victory

Defense…at all

WKU’s defense is suspect. Despite what feels like good play, the Tops give up nearly 77 points per game. At some point, that needs to start dropping, or the Toppers’ Achilles heel will unquestionably (in hindsight) be the defense.

It’s interesting, because WKU has decent statistics defensively. Giving up 42.3 percent from the field (115th NCAA), 34.3 percent from three (251st NCAA), and forcing 13.4 turnovers per game (114th NCAA) are all pretty decent. There’s no bizarre anomaly there. But WKU’s lapses in focus and the overall amount of points given up is an issue. Once it starts to bog down in conference play, can WKU just outscore all opponents every night? Or can they grind out a 62-58 victory?

Weather the Storm

Road environments are tough, especially when you go out west. NMSU is undefeated at home. UTEP is much better at home, as well. Expect gigantic swings in momentum, but the key is steadiness. Does WKU start out cold and fold? Or do they come out hot and melt away a lead? We’ve seen both, but consistently, WKU has not really put together too many 40 minute effort type of games. Astoundingly, despite the inconsistency, WKU scores a wonderful 83+ points per game. Can they keep that up through conference play? I doubt it. They must become more consistent.

Be Tough

Both of these teams are physical (per Plona’s press conference). WKU hasn’t thrived against teams that are physical this year. They’ve been ok, but the teams that are “lunch pail” type of teams, WKU has seemed to be vulnerable to that type of style. Both of these teams seem to be, and they will add some offensive ability at home just because of comfortability and emotion. The Tops need to be tough. They’re tough at times, but I’d still like to just be in love with this team’s ever-persistent grit, but the focus isn’t there yet. They’re going to have to toughen up on the road.

Get Something from the 5’s

It’s not secret that WKU frontcourt is suspect. Blaise Keita, Noah Boyde, and Leeroy Odiahi (when he plays) have shown some signs of life and activity, so we must be thankful for that. However, they are not really “producers” statistically. They’re sometimes a presence and sometimes create a spark, but sometimes they’re absolutely invisible. They need to be doing something when they’re out there, or they are nothing but minute eaters and an overall liability. Hopefully, Plona both plays them and they play well. If they do, WKU is way more likely to get tough wins.

Make it Happen

Whatever the heck happens in the game, who cares? So you just melted down a lead. So what? So you’re down 12. So what? What do you do with it? This team can explode like few teams in the country. Of course, most of this article, I’ve said they need to be more consistent. Yeah they do! But also, this team can flat out get it done without notice, as well.

So whatever crap happens mid-game, who cares? Go get some wins, fellas.

Most Likely…

WKU splits. They will probably lose to NMSU and need a win in El Paso to salvage the road trip. But let’s just count both of these games 50-50 games for simplicity’s sake. There’s a 25 percent chance you sweep and 25 percent chance you get swept. 50-50 says you split. As long as you don’t come home with the lower 25 percent, we’ll be ok with it.

Win both and unless you win both by having double digit leads, crapping yourselves, and barely winning and only because the other team screws up, the conference (and WKU fans) will take notice. Perhaps Diddle will start to fill in. Perhaps students will start to show up. Perhaps people will get out of football mode and start to pay attention to your team, and just at the right time.

Go get these wins, boys!

GO TOPS!

Want more from the Towel Rack, the only WKU outlet that provides real, honest, unbiased (as much as possible) perspective with live tweeting, breaking news, and full-length articles? And good luck finding an outlet that provides comprehensive Lady Topper coverage. No one else does exactly what we do, and it’s all for FREE! There’s no charge for the one stop shop that is The Towel Rack!

We are always doing our best to tell you everything WKU Hilltoppers. Give us follows on social media to stay up to date, but also, hit the subscribe button below to get on our e-mail list and stay fully up to date on all things Tops!

Subscribe now

The Towel Rack is completely free and will always be free if you don’t want to give a dime. There truly is zero obligation, and there will be no guilt trip if you never contribute.

However, for those that are able or willing, if you’d like to support the Towel Rack’s efforts (like traveling with teams, credentials, podcast expenses, state/federal licensing, administration costs, etc.)…click the button below!

Give a gift subscription

Your donation is valued and appreciated. We strive to be Johnny Hilltopper’s number one resource for real information. Thanks for all that you’ve done over the years, Hilltopper fans!

GO TOPS!!!!