Red Towel Roundtable: Bold Predictions for the 2021/22 WKU Basketball Season

Before the ball is tipped on Tuesday, The Towel Rack's staff puts together their bold predictions for the season ahead.

Western Kentucky basketball is officially back Tuesday night as the Hilltoppers welcome in Alabama State as the Tops will look to not only get to a fourth-straight Conference USA tournament title game, but finally get over the hump and win their first tournament not only since joining the conference, but since the spring of 2012.

Ahead of the year’s first tipoff, I asked the Towel Rack staff to give me their boldest prediction ahead of the 2021/22 season.

Here are the Hill’s they decided to die on.

Fletcher Keel, Editor Emeritus: Josh Anderson Will Have His Breakout Season

Over his first four years, Josh Anderson has been through a lot: Whether its the NCAA shafting his eligibility, having to share the spotlight (which he did rather successfully) with Taveion Hollingsworth or simply being mismanaged by his head coach, it’s felt like for as long as Anderson has been in red and white, he hasn’t lived up to his full potential.

That is, until this season.

No longer having to share opportunities with Hollingsworth and being the veteran Hilltopper on the floor, Anderson will have every opportunity to flourish and be the night-in, night-out playmaker that WKU fans (at least this WKU fan) have been waiting for him to be since his arrival back in 2017.

Not only that, but by all accounts through the first two preseason games of the year, this WKU team doesn’t appear to be as deep as it has in years past, and leaving Anderson out of the starting rotation (he has started just 73 of the 114 games he’s played on the Hill) doesn’t seem feasible, at this juncture.

The stars are aligning for 2021/22 to be a year to remember for #4.

Jared Rosdeutscher, Editor: WKU Will *Not* Lose the C-USA Championship for the Fourth Straight Season

I’m not sure if you would really consider this “bold” but I feel like WKU will not lose the C-USA championship for the fourth straight season.

The last three seasons have caused a lot of pain and agony to Hilltopper basketball fans but I feel like this season either they will lose before the title game or will finally get over the hump and actually win for once. I can’t experience this heartbreak for a fourth straight year and I will choose to believe that the curse will be broken one way or another.

Matt McCay, Staff Writer: WKU Will Receive Votes in the Polls Early in the Season, but Will not Make a Postseason Tournament

Then again, maybe this isn’t that bold of a prediction. Maybe it would be bolder to predict an NCAA Tournament appearance. It’s the sixth year of the Rick Stansbury era. I love my Tops, but I’m tired of the mediocrity. There has been a built-in excuse every year. At some point, it’s time to acknowledge that it’s time to win and win big. You’ve been building for six years.

It’s put up or shut up time, Rick. Win the postseason championship or be so good that you can’t be denied an NCAA bid. No losing to Eastern or Alabama A&M.

Jacob Gray, Staff Writer: Tops Land Two In Player of the Year Voting, Tops Fall Again in CUSA Tournament

I’m going to keep it simple for my crazy prediction: I predict that Williams and Sharpe both finish in the top three in the running for CUSA player of the year yet, somehow, the Toppers lose once again in the conference championship game, causing the fan base to have a serious talk about Stansbury this upcoming offseason and whether it is worth it not being able to get over the hump

Well, you’ve heard from us, now we want to hear from you. Hit us up on Twitter to let us know your boldest prediction ahead of the season.