WKU Basketball: Game Grades - Tops Use Team Effort to Combat Skyhawks
Jarius Hamilton led a spirited offensive attack for the Hilltoppers, who had four double-figure scorers in Saturday’s win over UT-Martin.
Western Kentucky wakes up this morning sitting at .500 on the season and undefeated inside the friendly confines of Diddle Arena, thanks in part to a spirited come-from-behind victory over UT-Martin Saturday afternoon.
You’re going to see a lot of pretty positive grades following a game that I know frustrated a lot of you, and some of that is due to the fact that the Tops were able to get over the hump and get the win.
Let’s get into the grades.
Jarius Hamilton - A
After slipping into the background over the last couple of weeks, Jarius Hamilton reminded us all as to why we were so excited for him to potentially take over the roll of the guy on the floor for the Hilltoppers.
He led all scorers with 24 points and added 11 rebounds for his efforts, as Stansbury opted to play a bit of a smaller lineup for most of the second half when the Tops were building their comeback.
You’d think a double-double would earn a higher grade, but his efforts were nearly as in the background as his play the last couple of weeks - he had some key buckets, don’t get me wrong, but it just didn’t feel like he was impacting the game as much as he was. Regardless, his presence was more than welcomed and hopefully he can be more of a force night after night.
Dayvion McKnight - A-
Logging the second-most minutes on the floor Saturday behind only, and this is not a typo, Luke Frampton, McKnight was integral in the Hilltoppers’ comeback bid. He scored 16 points, added six assists and even grabbed five rebounds, but did turn the ball over six times (only two of which came in the second half) as he continues to grow into the floor facilitator for Rick Stansbury and company.
There were a couple of stretches where it felt like McKnight was ready to completely take over the game, like he did in Asheville, and while he never did, just the threat of his ability to do so should keep opposing defenses on edge all season long.
Luke Frampton - A+
There was a lot of bellyaching about Western Kentucky #14 - from yours truly, as well - over the first couple of weeks of the season, but Luke Frampton is starting to turn a corner. Over his last two games, Frampton is shooting 47% from the floor and 46% from three and is delivering in some big moments (his four-point play early in the second half had to do wonders for his confidence).
We’ve talked before about how this stretch is the get-right stretch for the Hilltoppers, with a good amount of sub-par competition on the slate ahead of Buffalo and Ole Miss, and Frampton is taking full advantage. Hopefully he uses this momentum to continue to play well and doesn’t fall off a cliff.
Jamarion Sharp - B
Sharp started for the second-straight game in place of a presumably still injured Jaylen Butz and, while he didn’t log a triple-double (unacceptable, I know), he still put together a nice showing: six points, nine rebounds and six blocks.
Most days, that’ll get you an A and while a B is far from failing, Sharp never really looked comfortable on the defensive end, getting beat a handful of times on back door cuts by a Skyhawks team that makes its living on the perimeter.
I think it’s fair to anoint Sharp the Bassey heir at the 5, but he’s still got a little work to do to truly become a reliable force down low. But, don’t worry, it’ll come sooner rather than later.
There you have it, your game grades from the UT-Martin win. Like I said, some of the grades may be a bit too kind, and if you think they are, feel free to let us know. Or, if you have grades of your own, hit us up to let us know what your grades are.