WKU Basketball: Like It Or Not, The Tops Are The Team To Beat In C-USA Right Now
WKU has started conference play 3–0, and have looked very, very good doing it.
WKU has started conference play 3–0, and have looked very, very good doing it.
They’re a near second-half collapse away from blowing La Tech out of the water, the surged in the second half (as they should have) against Southern Miss and, after a week off and having to travel to Huntington, blew the tires off Marshall, a team that not only led C-USA in scoring, but had the ninth-best scoring offense in the country coming into the game.
It isn’t just the eye test. The stats — especially the advanced stats — tell the same story.
According to Basketball Reference, WKU either owns the best or owns the second-to best mark in each of the following categories:
Best estimated adjusted offense (114.61) and net (18.26) ratings
Second-best adjusted defensive rating (96.35), only behind Old Dominion
Sample rating size (12.86)
Second-best offensive SRS (8.28), behind only Marshall
Best strength of schedule (4.66), ahead of MTSU by 0.06
While the “basic” stats might say the Tops are deceptively good (WKU is no higher than fifth or sixth in any C-USA team stat [i.e. scoring, defensive scoring, rebounding, etc.]), the advanced stats tell a better, and in my opinion, more complete story.
This isn’t to say things will stay this way. Basketball is one of the most fluid sports out there, and things can turn on a dime.
Take last year’s team — the Hilltoppers opened the year 3–0 in league play (with wins against FAU, FIU and Charlotte) before dropping four-straight during a stretch that feels a lot like the one they’re about to embark on (consecutive defeats against ODU, UAB, MT and Marshall).
Many of you are going to say the Tops haven’t earned the right to be called the “team to beat,” until they play (and beat) Middle, but I say hog wash. The Raiders haven’t been what you’d call impressive in their C-USA slate so far. They have a good win against UAB in Birmingham, but struggled against FIU (winning in overtime) and they barely escaped FAU on Saturday.
If MT was as good as we’re supposed to believe, they shouldn’t be struggling against bottom of the barrel conference teams.
WKU has completely rocked the first three games of the conference season, and with Josh Anderson back, it’s only going to get better.
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