Three Second Violation: Hank Plona's first schedule begins to take shape
MBB: It was a big week for 2024/25 scheduling news.
The offseason for basketball news started scolding hot, with a sooner-than-expected head coaching vacancy, but has cooled since Hank Plona was promoted as head coach.
Mind you, that’s not necessarily a bad thing - nearly the entire roster from last year’s tournament team will remain in tact under HP and the news that does seem to be coming out is almost always on the positive side of the spectrum.
Last Thursday, the second-to-last piece of WKU’s 2024/25 men’s basketball schedule came into focus, with the release of the 2025 Conference USA schedule. It rounded out a week full of Hilltopper-related schedule news, including information on a pair of matchups against Power programs.
Welcome to the first-ever installment of the Three Second Violation. Today, a focus on WKU’s scheduling.
Big Red vs. Big Blue(s)
All summer, WKU fans have had one particular matchup waiting to circle on their calendar - the Hilltoppers’ trip to Lexington to take on Kentucky in the first non-impromptu scheduled meeting since 2001.
You can now add ink to that calendar, with a date having been announced: Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Part of an MTE - dubbed the BBN Invitational (a total marketing opportunity was missed: BBNvitational, or something to that effect, is right there) - arguably the marquee matchup of the event will feature the Tops and Cats, both in the first year of new head coaching tenures.
Also part of the MTE are Lipscomb, who the Hilltoppers already had on the schedule (reportedly set for 11/17), and Jackson State, set for Nov. 20.
But, the Wildcats aren’t the only Big Blue the Tops will face this year.
News dropped last Wednesday that the Hilltoppers will head to Ann Arbor, Michigan to take on the Wolverines, who are also in year one of a new head coach, and a familiar one at that: Former FAU head man Dusty May.
While I hate to think “It’s really nice of May to remember his former conference foe and schedule them for his new power program,” it’s kind of nice of May to remember his former conference foe and schedule them for his new power program.
Under Rick Stansbury, WKU had a habit of knocking off about a power program a year, which is both a blessing and a curse. The biggest impact comes in the latter basket: Programs see the Tops as too risky to schedule, because while they’re good enough to beat you an any given night, it may end up being a “bad” resume loss because of CUSA’s status as a near-perpetual one-bid league.
Michigan has very little - if any - expectations this year, fresh off an eight win season and in year one of a new head coach. It gives May’s team a swing at a quality mid-major and gives the Tops a shot at the big boys right as both are set to enter conference play.
Leveling Up the Slate
There’s no way to sugar coat it: Last year’s non-conference schedule was bad. What was the most exciting matchup? At Wichita, the second game of the season? At Buffalo? The Murray State rivalry was renewed, that’s cool…right?
You had to squint long and hard to find the upside in the Tops’ schedule last year, a rather purposeful move by Steve Lutz to ease into his (ultimately brief) WKU tenure.
If there’s an immediate lasting impact Lutz will have on the Tops, it’s this year’s schedule, which even omitting the UK/UM matchups, is much better.
Wichita comes to Diddle. That is great.
So does Murray State. I do not belong in the camp of fans who love this rivalry, but I won’t go so far as to say it isn’t worth being played. Looking forward to this one, too.
Is the CUSA/WAC Challenge super random? Yes. Am I still looking forward the Tops going to Grand Canyon in what might be the best atmosphere they play in this season? Absolutely.
Not every schedule can be perfect, with some clunkers (Seattle, Kentucky Wesleyan, Jackson State), but without a doubt this schedule is much more interesting and easy to look forward to than last year was.
CUSA Slate Unveiled
Rounding up all of the week’s scheduling news was the unveiling of the Tops’ league slate, with the CUSA year beginning on Jan. 2 at Liberty.
Some highlights/thoughts, in no particular order of importance:
Five of the Tops’ first seven CUSA games are on the road. They make that up with the ensuing stretch of five of the next seven coming at home.
Going even further: Once February begins, WKU will play four of 10 games on the road. If there’s a heated battle for tourney seeding down the stretch, this can only help the Hilltoppers.
Welcome to the league: WKU will play Kennesaw St. at home for the first time as conference foes (Jan. 11) and will return the favor in metro Atlanta on Feb. 6.
I feel like the league really wants WKU/Liberty to be A Thing™️. Having them bookend the season feels like the desire to have a rivalry be forged. Maybe I’m thinking too much like a football schedule, with rivalry games typically being the last game of the regular season.
Last year, five of WKU’s league games got the national TV spotlight. Let’s guess which games. Note: Five games seemed to be the unofficial cap - WKU, Liberty, Middle Tennessee and Sam Houston State all had five games split between ESPNU and CBSSN.
Jan. 2 - at Liberty: CBSSN
Jan. 23 - at La Tech: CBSSN
Feb. 1 - vs. NM State: ESPNU
Feb. 15 - vs. MTSU: ESPNU
Feb. 22 - vs. La Tech: CBSSN