WKU Basketball: What Bassey’s Injury Could Mean For WKU
The thrilling overtime win against a then undefeated Arkansas Razorbacks team should give WKU fans tons of excitement and hope moving…
The thrilling overtime win against a then undefeated Arkansas Razorbacks team should give WKU fans tons of excitement and hope moving forward but sadly all of those emotions were slightly overshadowed by seeing sophomore center Charles Bassey go down with an apparent knee injury with about 3 minutes left in the game.
Most of you either saw it in person or the replay on CBSSN (which we will not share) where his knee hyperextended and we now know the diagnosis on him.
Charles Bassey had been averaging 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds the first ten games of the season which led the team in both of those categories. With him being the starting center and the big guy in the paint, someone else will have to step into that role to play the five spot on the roster. But who would be able to step up and fill the shoes of someone drawing so much NBA interest?
The short answer is probably no one on the current roster is able play at a level as high as he had been playing but that doesn’t mean there aren’t players on this roster that can’t step up and contribute.
In overtime, coach Stansbury had Taveion Hollingsworth, Camron Justice, Jared Savage, Carson Williams, and Josh Anderson on the court and honestly, they looked pretty good as a cohesive unit. They outscored the Razorbacks 13–9 when it mattered the most. Anderson made his presence known off the bench and had 15 points on the game and he scored the first four points of overtime for the Tops.
I have personally been vouching for Anderson to start most of the season and with Bassey out, it would make a lot of sense for coach Stansbury to start him with that identical lineup he used in overtime for the time being. Obviously at 6’6” Anderson is smaller than most traditional centers in the league but small ball could work for the Tops if he continues to show up for every game. Pairing Anderson with Williams in the paint could be interesting to watch. Williams is only 6’5” but he plays much bigger than that with the way he’s able to get big rebounds, get some blocks, and has some great moves in the post to finish at the rim.
Matt Horton is another player who could see more minutes as well. Horton is only averaging 1.7 points and two rebounds in six games this season but if given more minutes he could help fill the void in the paint. Biggest issue for him will be avoiding foul trouble because I imagine teams will be less scared to attack the paint if they know Bassey isn’t there but if he can play a clean and consistent ten minutes or more per game that would most certainly help the team. Horton has had some moments where he looked pretty solid and some where he hasn’t but if given the opportunity, I feel like the senior could contribute in the paint.
Another person who could step up but has recently disappeared is freshman forward Isaiah Cozart. Cozart has only been averaging 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in four games this season and had his minutes taken by Matt Horton. Coach Stansbury could call upon his 6’8” freshman to play some more minutes depending on if Horton or Anderson get in foul trouble. I still see Cozart being more of a developmental player for WKU to have in future seasons but desperate times call for desperate measures and he could provide some depth if called upon.
One thing to keep in mind is what will happen if/when Kenny Cooper is cleared to play. While he’s a point guard and not a post player, having an extra player added to the rotation would, in theory, help the Tops. Having Cooper at the point would move players like Hollingsworth back to their normal position and would be at least another player who could contribute out there on the court. Coach Stansbury will likely have to play small and having five shooters on the court could help them spread the floor. That is, of course, if the NCAA actually decides to rule something one way or another.
As much as seeing Bassey go down sucks, the Tops could use this to help motivate them. I don’t want to write off this season just yet, folks.
When Bassey went down with three minutes left in the game, it could’ve been easy for them to just give up but instead they kept playing hard and won a hard fought game. This team didn’t give up and neither should the fans.
Injuries are the worst because teams can’t predict them nor prevent them from happening at any given moment. Unfortunately, that’s life. But I’ve seen my fair share of stories of teams that lost their star player that still went on to accomplish big things. I personally hope that Hilltopper fans and students don’t give up on this team.
If you let an injury to the star player decide if you’re going to come to any more games for the season that says a lot about you and your support for the team. It’s moments like this that they need it the most. They can’t help it Bassey got hurt. They’re just trying to compete. Bassey is not only their teammate but one of their best friends and I know they absolutely hated to see him get hurt. Don’t give up on the whole team for something that happened they cannot control.
A lot of us here aren’t changing our expectations for this team because one player shouldn’t cost them the entire season. There are still plenty of talented athletes on this roster. Obviously, Bassey’s absence will be felt and there will probably be a few games they might lose and we could all say “if Bassey was in there they would’ve won” and that might be true but it’s easier to say “if” than it is to accept the reality of where this team is now. But one of the biggest things to me that will decide this team’s fate is their attitude.
It may be because I read Villanova head coach Jay Wright’s book titled Attitude but it is something he’s stressed with his teams and he encourages other people to embrace and it’s having the right attitude. You can’t choose the things that happen to you or the situations you were born into in life but you can choose how you respond to those things. So my challenge not only to the Tops but the fans as well is have the right attitude and continue to support them in their time of need.