WKU Basketball: Talkin’ La Tech Hoops With Ben Carlisle
Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, or a happy holiday if you’re not a Christmas celebrator, and are able to get out of bed after all…
Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas, or a happy holiday if you’re not a Christmas celebrator, and are able to get out of bed after all of the food you’ve somehow been able to fit inside of you (I know I certainly have eaten way too much).
Not only has Christmas come and gone, but it’s C-USA-play-eve for the Toppers, as they’ll open conference play against Louisiana Tech in what should be a really fun game.
To help get a behind-the-scenes look at the Bulldogs, we hit up Ben Carlisle from BleedTechBlue to give us the 411.
The Towel Rack: What were the non-con expectations for the Bulldogs before the season and were they met?
Ben Carlisle: The non-conference expectations for Louisiana Tech were sky high. The ‘Dogs have just one lone senior in Jacobi Boykins with a plethora of young studs behind him. Looking at the non-conference slate it looked relatively weak before the season got going but that proved to be far from the case. Alabama and Texas were obvious solid programs, but Stephen F. Austin and ULL also gave the Bulldogs all they could handle that resulted in losses. So, all in all, Tech has performed below expectations, but there have definitely been improvements seen here lately.
TTR: Was there anyone who started to stand out as a breakout player during the non-con schedule that no one saw coming?
BC: Not necessarily. The biggest storyline for Tech in the non-conference slate was that Tech’s leading scorer, Jalen Harris, left the program about a week ago. Harris, along with Boykins and Daquan Bracey, made up perhaps the best trio of guards in Conference USA. His loss hurts Tech in a big way, but junior Derric Jean has seen a lot of playing time throughout his career and should fill in admirably. This is the big story that Tech has had in the non-conference part of their schedule.
TTR: The Bulldogs have been in just about every game they’ve been in, and really only have one bad loss. What’s been the key to Tech’s success?
BC: Guard play, guard play, guard play. Bracey, in my opinion, is the best guard in the league. He has excellent vision from the point and has shown the ability to really score the basketball this year. He is averaging 16 points per game to lead the Bulldogs. When he is getting to the rim, and Boykins is knocking down threes, Tech is an elite scoring team.
TTR: In what areas does La Tech matchup well against WKU?
BC: Tech matches up best with WKU in the backcourt, which is the case with Tech on most nights. Bracey, Boykins and Jean will be counted on to carry Tech’s offense Thursday night. As has been the case for many many years, as the Tech guards go, so go the Bulldogs. If Bracey, Boykins and Jean shoot the ball well, Tech has a great chance to win.
TTR: Lets spin this around — in what areas does WKU matchup well against La Tech?
BC: Justin Johnson and Dwight Coleby figure to give Tech loads of problems Thursday night. Tech has struggled with physicality throughout the year. Center Joniah White is a seven-footer, but he can sometimes get knocked around down low. At the four-spot, Jy’lan Washington is more of a stretch-four who doesn’t provide a ton of rebounding. The key for Tech will be whether or not reserve forwards Oliver Powell and Anthony Duruji can provide positive minutes. Powell is built like a brick wall and may see a ton of minutes in this one. Duruji has a 43-inch vertical and can change shots with his athletic ability. In all, WKU should see success if the pound the rock to the post.
TTR: Finally, do you have a prediction for the CUSA opener?
BC: Looking at this matchup on paper, it looks pretty even. With Western Kentucky having only played really seven players all year, I am going to say Tech squeaks out a close one due to the play of Daquan Bracey. It’ll be a high scoring affair where the Bulldogs ultimately wear down the Hilltoppers 87–81.
I’d like to thank Ben for taking time out of his Christmas season to answer our qustions. And that’s an interesting prediction — if it holds true, Tech will become the first team this year to “wear down” the Tops. They get better as the game goes on.
Anyway, go check out Ben and the BleedTechBlue crew when you can. They do good work keeping Tech fans covered.