WKU Basketball: Preseason Preview — End of Bench

We’re in the last of three preview articles discussing WKU’s roster. Last week we examined potential starters, a few days ago we discussed…

We’re in the last of three preview articles discussing WKU’s roster. Last week we examined potential starters, a few days ago we discussed the rotation and today, we’ll take a look at the players on the roster that might not have as much of a role (at least this season) but are still important to have on the roster.

Obviously not every player on the roster will get a lot of playing time but are still part of the team and if given the chance, can turn some heads. Look for these guys to get in during blowouts or if foul trouble forces them into action.

Jeremiah Gambrell

If there’s one thing coach Stansbury has a lot of on his roster it’s guards.

The redshirt freshman guard from Texas only played in four games last season due to having surgery for a stress fracture. Now that he’s healthy, it’s really up in the air as far as how much time he’ll see the floor this year. If Kenny Cooper isn’t cleared for a while, Gambrell could definitely see some minutes at point guard if Jordan Rawls is struggling or just help provide some extra depth.

Gambrell is a talented player (held Power Conference offers including Baylor) but the injury definitely set him back in his development. He played some at Hilltopper Hysteria and had a made three-pointer but didn’t do much outside of that. If he can build his confidence I think he’ll see some minutes on the court (especially in blowouts). Gambrell has a lot of potential but we might not get to see much of him until the 2020–2021 season or beyond when he could get a more expanded role.

Jackson Harlan

Harlan was a pretty dominant player in high school for Clinton County and averaged 23.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game his senior year. His role on this year’s squad is still rather questionable to me though.

As previously mentioned, there’s a lot of guards on the roster and with him being a true freshman I’m not sure how much he’ll see the court behind everyone else. Harlan played some limited minutes at Hysteria and didn’t do anything substantial. One thing he can do is score.

Harlan had 18 games in high school with at least 30 points and had a career-high of 45 points. He definitely has a lot of potential but I don’t really see him being a core rotational player this season. He obviously is talented and could see more playing time down the road in his Hilltopper career but with a crowded roster this year we may have to wait and see. If he makes the most of the minutes he does have this season it would definitely help his case.

Patrick Murphy

This season will be the first year of eligibility for the redshirt junior walk-on who transferred from Martin Methodist College, where he averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds as a sophomore.

Last season, Murphy not only had to sit out for NCAA transfer rules but also dealt with an injury as well. It goes without saying that walk-ons are usually the bottom of the totem pole of college basketball rosters so I wouldn’t expect to see him play much this season.

Murphy is 6'5, making him tied for the sixth tallest player on the roster. If WKU’s big men are in foul trouble before the half, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Murphy thrown in during the waning minutes of a half to provide some foul relief for the Tops.

He’ll mainly get playing time in blowouts, as Stansbury might clear the bench and let him play give the key players some rest. Other than that, I don’t see him having too big of a role on the court. Walk-ons usually help provide depth in practice so that is where his role will be needed the most as well as being a hype man on the bench as well.

If at any point Murphy drains a three or makes a big play in any playing time he gets this season, we all must lose our minds and go crazy. Those are the rules. Let this video of DePaul walk-on Pantelis Xidias getting his first career points as a college athlete serve as an example of how to properly respond when a walk-on gets points.

The guys listed above may not play as much as other players this season but they still have an important part of the team this season and potentially beyond. We don’t get to see how they do in practice or hear stories of how they encourage or help their teammates off the court either. Everyone on the roster has a role and if the players buy into their role, this team will be a strong and cohesive unit.