Roundtable Predictions: How Far Does WKU Go in the Conference USA Tournament? If not WKU, Who Wins it All?
Three team are at the top of Conference USA Liberty, MTSU, and Jacksonville State. Will it be one of these three or will someone make a four game run like last season's UTEP?
Western Kentucky may be coming down to Huntsville with a gimpy leg, but don’t take the Tops out to pasture just yet! It’s prediction time, and the Tops, just like everyone else, have their destiny in front of them and just need to win basketball games. Will any of us have the guts to pick the Tops despite the (completely understandable) doubt we may all feel?
Let’s see what happens this week, and let’s see what happened in our staff predictions…
We asked our team these two questions:
How far does WKU go and why?
If WKU doesn’t win, who do you think wins Conference USA?
Predictions
Matt McCay-Tops Fall in the Quarterfinals
Man, I can say I had my doubts about this first year under Hank Plona, simply because you just don’t know how someone’s going to respond to something new. Plus, he came in strapped with a few injuries and collected several more along the way. Before the season began, I think we were all hoping for at least 20 wins, and once they started playing, I think we definitely hoped for even more. This team was working on being an NIT at-large to NCAA Tournament conversation type of team. Then it all went fairly south. Despite massive adversity, WKU still sits here with a winning record and a chance to make a run.
Somehow, it’s still possible in my head. So am I going big? First of all, I think they can. However, I don’t know how I can maintain credibility and actually predict a WKU win, considering they could lose in the first round. They definitely should be out when they have to take on Jacksonville State, who swept them during the regular season. Of WKU’s anticipated opponents, WKU went 2-6 against. It’s an uphill battle. I will reemphasize that I believe they can, but my honest projection is that WKU battles but loses to a JSU that shakes off some rust and nerves in the second half and beat the Tops in the quarterfinals.
In terms of who win the whole thing, I definitely think Liberty, JSU, and Middle are the class of the league and one of those three wins it. Each of them are interchangeable for me, and it’s likely Middle and JSU play each other in the semis. I think whoever wins between JSU and Middle is who wins the whole thing, and I’ll be honest, I’m not willing to bet against Ray Harper when he has a really good team. He’s got real players, and as WKU fans, we all know the man can coach through a tournament setting. He’s done it four times at two different schools at the DI level, and he’s got as much experience or more at lower levels of college basketball. My prediction is JSU beats Kennesaw State in the finals.
Alex Sherfield
It’s been an up and down season for the Tops that was marred with “what could’ve been” because of injuries vs some clutch performances from various players. Tuesday’s first round action will signify a brand new season as it’s literally one game at a time that decides everything. Don McHenry & Tyrone Marshall will do everything remotely possibly to make both their presence known to opponents throughout the week. Khristian Lander is my pick for being the X-factor to help out the starters either much needed points off the bench or as a potential surprise in the starting lineup.
Now, here’s the tricky part of the bracket. The Tops open up first round play against FIU, in a game where the favor goes to the Hilltoppers. The next day could be a very important challenge as they play Jacksonville State, who locked up the second seed behind Liberty. The Gamecocks have already swept the Tops and is a convincing contender to win the championship following Ray Harper being named CUSA Coach of the Year. Historically, the Tops have surprised some folks and turned potential early exits into championship game appearances. If WKU were to catch two wins including over Jax State, they would either face another team that has swept them in MTSU or a Louisiana Tech ball club that split with the Tops this season. My prediction is a day two appearance in the CUSA Tournament that also includes Hank Plona’s first postseason win in his NCAA head coaching career.
While most college basketball fans who follow the conference are picking Liberty or Jacksonville State to take the CUSA crown, this year may have a different approach. I’m backing Kennesaw State to make the upsets & crank out a run to the NCAA Tournament. In recent weeks, the Owls scored major victories in road wins against Louisiana Tech, Liberty, & Jacksonville State. I believe that they can hold their own on a neutral court and keep their confidence riding high.
WKU wins vs FIU 67-59
Loss in Quarterfinal Round of 8 to JSU
David McCay
This one is tough. If WKU was healthy, they would be the dominant team in Conference USA. But Western is missing over 40 points and all kinds of height from the line up, so unless they figure out how to play small team ball, like Liberty has the TOPS do not match up well after their first round matchup win against FIU. The road will have the three teams that The Toppers could not figure out this year, Jacksonville State (with Ray Harper), MTSU, and Liberty.
I believe WKU will prepare themselves well. I like this coaching staff and have been very impressed with Coach Plona since watching him manage the bench last year as an assistant. How you get your team to win anything after missing eight or more players all year? This team has found ways to win games all year against all odds. I think they can have more magic this season, but they will need to shoot the ball well, play great defense and have fan support.
I just don’t think The Tops can sustain that over a four game period, even though most of the WKU players played in the CUSA tournament last season. Please prove me wrong. After seeing Liberty play on Saturday and dismantle everything Western tried, how can you doubt them in this tournament? I think the top 4 seeds hold serve and Liberty wins it all on Saturday.
No matter how WKU does, you will find me behind the bench at my laptop writing and cheering on the players in “Red and White from Dear Ole Western.” GO TOPS!!! Win CUSA!
Bret Combest
Okay unfortunately, I think Liberty wins it all, but I would love to see Western get there for the championship game for a rematch. If we can win two in two days, get past FIU and Jax State, the rest on Wednesday could really give us a chance playing MTSU. I think we may ultimately lose to them but if we could somehow pull it all together, keep it hot, shoot well, defend the three, we have a chance to make it to the championship game with Liberty Biberty (haha). I honestly cannot say Liberty without “Biberty” behind it now. The advertising/marketing campaign is so good…cracks me up.
Devin Stewart
Devin didn’t have a full prediction, but said the Tops lose early and Liberty wins it all.
Conclusion: WKU Fights Hard, Likely to Fall Early
Most of us believe we could make a run, but obviously it’s really hard to say WKU is just definitely going to make a run and win it, because they haven’t won four or more games in a row since late November through mid-December, when they won six in a row. Since then, they have won no more than three in a row, and only a maximum two W’s in a row before a loss the last month and a half of the season.
The confidence is pretty low, but the belief is there that they could do it. You should never doubt this group, because they’re proven themselves competent and competitive on multiple occasions. Several times this year, it felt like time to move on to next year, and that would’ve been somewhat ok. But this team fought their tails off and WKU fans a reason to stick around despite every excuse in the world to have a horrible season.
That’s why all of us think WKU beats FIU, and that’s why several of us think WKU could make a run.
Regardless, tune in to The Towel Rack for all of your Conference USA Tournament curiosities, and stick around and lock in with us for the continuous WKU coverage throughout the year!
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GO TOPS!!!!