WKU Basketball: Grading the Tops Against Marshall This Week

WKU swept Marshall. Besides the final score, how did the Tops fare?

Western Kentucky has to be considered one of C-USA’s hottest teams. Only two teams in all of C-USA have one loss since February: WKU and the North Texas Mean Green. North Texas actually hadn’t lost since January 6 at home against then favorite UAB. Since then, UNT had rattled off 15 straight before shockingly losing at UTEP, a game ESPN’s BPI liked as a 75% chance for the Mean Green. But UNT had little to play for with the regular season championship wrapped up, so perhaps they get a pass. And WKU should probably at least be thrown somewhat of a bone, given the Tops were without Jairus Hamilton and Luke Frampton in their lone loss since January 29 (at Middle Saturday 2/26).

But in these last two games, perhaps the argument could be made that WKU was not its best. Winning at Marshall by 14 is good enough, but WKU had opportunities to blow that game wide open and didn’t capitalize. WKU’s shooting was off at home on Senior Night inside Diddle Arena, only winning by nine in a game both teams didn’t shoot 40% from the field.

So how did WKU really grade out? Are they in good enough shape to win a C-USA Championship? I’ll just combine the two games and if it’s necessary to distinguish, I will.

Keys Stats Grades

Instead of grading Keys to Victory, I’ll grade how WKU fared in key categories…

Rebounding: B

This felt like an even higher grade until the second half of Saturday’s game. WKU really allowed Marshall to hang in with some key offensive putback buckets. Otherwise, Western was only -2 total between the two games. Although Marshall is not a juggernaut rebounding the ball, WKU has had some notoriously hideous rebounding performances. Given that Marshall is a 20 loss team heading into the C-USA Tournament, the fact that they have the same rebounding margin (-1.5) on average as WKU tells you how poorly Western rebounds the ball despite being a good team in other areas. So give the Tops a solid B for the effort. The main thing with rebounding is effort, and there’s no question WKU played with effort and hustle on the boards against Marshall this past week.

Offensive Balance: A

Although WKU did not shoot well in Saturday’s matchup, overall, between the two games, the Tops did not forget who they were. They are not a prolific three point shooting team. They get to the rack and take quality interior shots and kick out or take open shots on the perimeter when they’re available. WKU didn’t fall in love with the three, but they also made enough (7.5 per game) to be a threat and to keep Marshall from packing the paint and ignoring the three. And they didn’t take incredibly foolish shots early in the shot clock for the most part. WKU shot less than 1/3 of its shots from behind the arc. That is a winning formula for Western Kentucky.

Forcing Marshall to Work Offensively: A+

Marshall Basketball is generally successful when the Herd either rains in threes or has easy access to the basket or both. Marshall did not have an easy time inside. Taevion Kinsey did have his midrange jumper going, which probably frustrated Jamarion Sharp. But Marshall didn’t generally have much access to the rim unless they got it by hustling on the offensive boards. Marshall did make a total of 21 threes, but they needed 53 shots to score those 63 points. So Marshall may have hit some threes, but on the interior, Marshall hardly scored inside the three point line in the first game, scoring half of its points from three. In the second game, Marshall scored more than half of its points from behind the arc. So WKU made Marshall make tough threes and smothered the inside baskets. And in addition to keeping Marshall out of the paint, WKU only allowed Marshall to shoot a total of 15 free throws between the two games. So to summarize, the only way Marshall was going to beat WKU in these games at the end of the day was making an abnormal number of threes or stopping WKU from scoring so much. But then again, WKU shot under 40% Saturday and still controlled the game after the first few minutes.

Player Grades

Dayvion McKnight: B+

Dayvion obviously scored a ton of points, but he was incredibly inefficient to get there. He shot less than 25% Saturday, and Wednesday, he needed 21 shots in order to score 23. That’s not mind-blowing, either. He also was not incredible assisting his teammates, something that has drastically dropped off lately. He had four assists in each game, had four turnovers in the first game, and had a total of seven rebounds. Both his assists and rebounds were below his normal averages, but his turnovers (due to Saturday’s zero turnover outing) were much less than his normal average. So of course he was great and much of WKU’s offense, this was not his best week in C-USA play.

Camron Justice: B+

Obviously the first night against Marshall (12-15, 27 points) was a career night for Cam. However, Saturday afternoon was particularly brutal. He shot 15 shots, only scoring nine while also turning the ball over more often than he assisted a teammate. So if we were grading individually, his Wednesday was an obvious A+, but this last one Saturday was possibly in the D range. His Wednesday was a career night, though. And Saturday, he did contribute with some huge buckets in key moments in the second half. So give the man a B+ overall this week.

Luke Frampton: B

Keep in mind that Luke is a role player on this team, so nine points on average is a pretty good night for him. It would be lovely to see him get to the hole more. And he only averaged three rebounds this week, a little low for him, as well. But overall, he was fine. He made his threes. He contributed in both games. A challenge I would love to see him take on: Try to stand out the entire game. Make some kind of eye popping play throughout the game and not just in spurts. It would change the level of player he is for sure.

Josh Anderson: A+

I don’t even care if he wasn’t his very best. Screw that. Josh Anderson is the best, most efficient, well-rounded player on this team on both sides of the ball. He averaged 13.5 this weekend, along with 6.5 rebounds. He’s a steal machine, and he FINALLY had a monster dunk, something he hasn’t done quite as often this season. Josh, let’s finish this thing off, man.

Jamarion Sharp: A+

Big dog. Good lord. Near triple-double Saturday. Double-doubles both nights, high shooting percentage, averaged six blocks this week. He alters SO MANY shots that it just completely changes the opponents’ entire possibilities on offense. Glad to see him nominated for National Defensive Player of the Year, because WKU’s defense has been stellar statistically for most of the season, allowing barely 40% shooting. It’s because of this guy.

Jairus Hamilton: A+

Given that he is still nursing a patellar tendon strain due to overuse, I’d say well done and get in the cold tub, bro. He didn’t play Wednesday, but his Saturday performance was electric for the minutes played. 16 and six, two assists, and no turnovers in 21 minutes. That’ll do, pig.

Isaiah Cozart: A

I’m still trying to figure out the logic of when Cozart gets minutes, but he’s certainly earned a spot in the rotation (in my opinion) for his board work alone. If given any opportunity at all, he’s going to be near the top of the team in rebounding. And Saturday, he got a much deserved dunk. Nice to see the man get rewarded. Hopefully he will be considered an important piece in the conference tournament. It’s borderline folly to think six players could realistically a) Physically make it through three games in three days without needing help and b) Make it through without foul trouble or injury. Cozart may just be the bridge piece that wins WKU a championship.

Other Bench Players: D

A few other players did see some minutes, mainly Sherman Brashear, who saw ten minutes in Wednesday’s game, going 0-for-2 and only getting into the stat sheet with a personal foul. Not exactly a shining moment there. Then Noah Stansbury and Bailey Conrad were the only other players besides the seven above to come off of the bench at all in Saturday’s matchup and they came on with literally three seconds remaining, a nice gesture to get Cam Justice and Josh Anderson a standing ovation. So there’s really not much to go on here, but in the combined 17 or 18 minutes worth of action all of the other guys saw, two guys scored one point, Jaylen Butz had a stray block, and there were several missed shots.

So as much as we have been begging Rick Stansbury to let the starters +1 breathe this season, the depth guys come in and don’t ever do much. They have had a few moments together and it is hideous. But Sherman Brashear is a proven scorer this season. He is a known quantity. It would be nice to see him get some opportunity to take the pressure off of the big six, or if you include Cozart, the big seven. Also, Jaylen Butz started and contributed in the early part of the season. It’s safe to say WKU has unquestionably nine competent players, and then we can absolutely debate the rest. I don’t envy the conundrum, but I am interested to see if WKU can get a blowout or two in during the tournament to find some rest for the core six.

Team Grades

Defense: B+

I believe Western played well defensively in both games. In particular, Saturday was excellent, holding the Herd, who score mid-70s per game to less than 40% shooting and only 69 points. Wednesday night, Marshall shot a little better, but only after WKU turned off some of the intensity in the second half. Western had as much as a 17 point lead in the first half, so the air was taken out of the ball from that point on. WKU made the Herd work, and the main thing was that the Toppers weren’t simply allowing Marshall to pass around the perimeter and take an easy three pointer as they have done in some games this season.

Offense: A-

Despite a poor shooting night Saturday, I still think WKU did a good job weathering a storm of not making all of the shots they were used to. They still found ways to put up an average of 82 against the Herd despite having some cold streaks. I believe WKU took decent shots for the most part. Saturday, shots just weren’t falling. But WKU crashed the boards and Jamarion Sharp was excellent cleaning up big messes his teammates left on the offensive glass.

Focus: C-

Absolutely the main complaint about these Marshall games was getting up double digits and letting the Herd back in it. This just cannot happen very often in tournament play. You can fart around and someone can get hot on some desperation shots trying to keep their career alive and walk into a buzzsaw after being up big. WKU had leads of 17 and 13 in the respective first halves, and those were also the largest leads of the game. Clearly, WKU was smoking the Herd in both games by halftime. Now, teams make runs. Let’s not be silly. But generally dominant teams that have “something special” about them will take that 13 point lead and make it 20 or 30 every once in a while. Or they just won’t play with that fire and they will not allow the other team to get close.

Is it focus or lack of depth? I don’t know, but it’s a huge Achilles heel for WKU. Western has lost multiple games this season by giving up leads in games they should have won. There’s no question WKU’s top six is the most talented top six in C-USA. But that top six can also get lackadaisical, tired, whatever, and give up some big leads or at least big runs. That’s the problem with only having six resources. Sometimes those resources are tapped out at their full potential.

Intensity: B

I don’t think intensity was a real problem for WKU. I think WKU was intense and playing hard throughout. I think the real issue was focus, like I talked about above. A team can be intense and on edge the entire game and still lose focus in crucial moments. Hopefully, WKU will be both intense and focused in big moments in Frisco.

Chemistry: A-

For WKU to still be recovering from injury, there was bound to a be a little bit of miscommunication. In the game Wednesday, WKU committed 13 turnovers, something they haven’t done in recent memory. But they followed up Saturday with only five turnovers. If WKU can battle on the boards with whoever and only commit five turnovers, the Tops could shoot less than 40% like they did and still find a way to win. As we head into March, the main thing is cohesion. This team seems to have that. They seem to be locked in, and they’re playing really well together. There are some silly moments where somebody throws to somebody that’s not there, but those moments are disappearing by the day and WKU has been one of the most efficient teams in the country at not turning the ball over.

Coaching

Overall Coaching: B+

I think Rick Stansbury has really done some of his best work during this run of wins. He even did a good job in the loss to Middle Tennessee to even have his team remotely in the game. But I think he did a pretty good job this week, as well. It wasn't his best stuff, but he did find ways to work around Jairus Hamilton not being available, the referees not calling fouls in Huntington on either team, and most importantly for me, he got his team to be who they should be. In both games, the Tops were not hoisting threes up without rhythm. WKU was trying to drive, be aggressive, and in general was looking to get in the paint, and then if they got stopped, then you worry about dishing out to an open shooter.

Game Plan Quality: A

Rick ran some Box-and-One defense in both games, something I’m not sure he’s run much this year (he ran it some against Middle). I thought that was an interesting twist to the normal 2-3, 1-3-1, or man-to-man. He did not do much pressing or trapping against Marshall, but it wasn’t necessary since WKU developed such quick leads. And WKU was generating turnovers, anyway. Offensively, I think he’s done a good job lately keeping his team balanced and getting them open looks. And I also don’t know if this was a game plan thing or just Josh Anderson being amped up, but I never understand not having Josh Anderson going after the ball at all times on the boards. Who better to start a break than Josh Anderson? But he did that some earlier in Saturday’s game and I thought it was an excellent choice. I think WKU gets too cute with dropping rebounders in and out. With such a struggle to rebound at times, I would think putting a little more emphasis on rebounding on both ends could go a long way in righting a serious inconsistency for WKU.

In-Game Adjustments: C+

I do have a deep concern about melting down leads. Once you allow a team back to within single digits, you are leaving the game somewhat up to chance. It’s one thing to force a team to be 15 or 20 points better than you. But once you allow a team to be within ten, they don’t have to be that much better than you to beat you. They could hit three or four extra shots, you go cold, and boom, you’re in the loss column. I would say Marshall made the better in-game adjustments in both games. WKU changed the game plan both times, but D’antoni helped his team have a chance by outscoring WKU in the second half of both games. Why both games? Why all WKU games this season? WKU had built enough of a cushion, but once again, Western held on instead of stomping on the gas. I do believe Rick Stansbury did switch it up some, tried a few things, some nice in-bounds plays, etc. that really helped the Tops. But in-game adjustments is something Rick Stansbury is not elite in.

Roster Management: B-

I thought Wednesday’s game was well-managed. With Jairus Hamilton out, giving Cozart and Brashear both ten minutes was a nice touch. What’s fascinating is 7+ guys played and lo and behold, WKU scored 86 points. Saturday, six plus Cozart’s seven minutes played and the Tops could only muster 78. Even if those players don’t contribute offensively, they keep guys off of the floor and spread out the minutes. When Cozart got his ten minutes Wednesday, he pulled down five rebounds. You could argue some of his rebounds lately have been massive for the Tops. Hopefully the Tops are well-rested enough. And frankly, I think WKU needs more than six players to win. I look at Loyola-Chicago and Drake. Drake plays its starting five and barely plays anyone else. After a couple of games are in the legs, they start out hot up 13-4. Loyola-Chicago goes 10+ deep and played 12 players prior to the championship game. Loyola overcomes the early run and wins the MVC against the higher seed. Also, officials call the game really tight and Drake doesn’t have the depth to handle all of the foul calls. Beware!

Overall: B+

Ultimately, the Tops needed two wins and got two wins this week, and they did it with relative ease. There was very little threat to the loss column, and WKU did get some people in and got starters off of their feet a little bit. And the Tops did their work in the first half and cruised a little bit. I still think fans would like to see a huge statement at some point. WKU had several opportunities throughout the year to really slaughter some teams, and I think the Tops actually put themselves in danger by not finishing off teams with a 12+ point advantage on almost every occasion.

But WKU found ways to get it done under pressure and Topper fans should be pretty pleased with the results. A few times, Rick Stansbury teams have needed big wins late in the season and mysterious losses have popped up. WKU’s only loss after January was completely understandable (down two starters on the road), and it may have been a loss even if everyone was healthy.

There are plenty of positive signs with this team. Everyone is apparently healthy and in good order to play next week. That’s step one. Secondly, the Tops are playing well and playing hard. More importantly, they’re playing intense basketball, getting after the opponent and not letting things slide too much defensively.

And then there’s the talent. No team in C-USA has more top end talent than WKU. An argument could be made for six of WKU’s players to be on an award list within the conference or nationally. Certainly every player could get some kind of honorable mention C-USA honor at minimum.

In addition, this team has a good formula for winning against different kinds of teams. WKU has the rim protector of the century in Jamarion Sharp, a National DPOY candidate. WKU has the athleticism in Josh Anderson and Jairus Hamilton. The Tops have a dog in Dayvion McKnight. They have shooters in Frampton and Justice. They have experience galore. The Tops have other players that can contribute, as we’ve discussed. They can win with size, shooting, and defense. And Western is playing its best ball right now. There’s no question about that. The most consistent basketball has been in February and March. The question is, “Can the Tops sustain the effort and keep the chip on the shoulder another week?”

We shall see. It’s going to be an interesting journey to the Big Dance for somebody. Here’s to it being WKU.

GO TOPS!