WKU Basketball: Toppers Play First Home Game of Season, Host UT-Martin

The Hilltoppers are set to play their regular season home opener as they welcome UT-Martin to Diddle Arena in search of their first win of…

The Hilltoppers are set to play their regular season home opener as they welcome UT-Martin to Diddle Arena in search of their first win of the young season.

Game Info

Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
TV: ESPN3 (free with ESPN television subscription)
Radio: The Hilltopper IMG Sports Network

For the first time this regular season, the Hilltoppers will be with the services of grad transfer Desean Murray, who was reinstated from his indefinite suspension yesterday.

We’re only a game in so it remains to be seen how he’ll help the Tops, but I imagine he would have been useful coming off a game against Washington where the Tops lost the rebound margin by six (which is a good margin — you’d think Murray would have posted at least that many).

It also will play to depth better, with one of Jared Savage or Marek Nelson (most likely the latter) being able to come off the bench with fresh legs for key minutes if need be.

The Skyhawks are off to a hot start this year, beating the Cumberland (TN) Bulldogs 91–58 in their season opener, in which they shot 50.8% from the floor and 40% from distance.

I cannot imagine those numbers being replicated but you never know.

UTM is very young, with a roster consisting of just four players who saw playing time last year and return their second leading scorer and top rebounder form a year ago in Fatodd Lewis (12.4 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game). Lewis had 14 points and six boards off the bench against Cumberland.

ESPN’s Basketball Power Index really likes the Hilltoppers in this one, and if Diddle is rocking as it should be, I like them too.

This game will be our first look at what Bassey and Murray look like together and will give us a better look at what the rotation for the rest of the semester could look like.

Also, I wonder if Dalano Banton will get the start at point guard again. I’d be surprised, but I’m also not a head basketball coach.