Hilltoppers embark on southeast swing with even thinner backcourt

Western Kentucky makes return trips to Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State. But, without role player Jack Edelen, an already-thin unit will truly get tested.

Fletcher Keel

Matt McCay

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David McCay

Feb 06, 2025

🌅 Rise and shine, Hilltoppers fans. It’s Thursday and the Tops can keep the good vibes rolling as they go on their southeast swing to Atlanta and Alabama. Let’s talk about it.

The Weekend To Come

📈 The Hilltoppers are on a roll, having won their last three games, their longest stretch in conference play this season. This weekend, they hit the road to take on Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State.

🦉 Hoping to Sweep the Swoop

Since departing Bowling Green in early January, Kennesaw State has found some consistency in the win column, having won four of their last six after a 85-69 loss to the Hilltoppers on Jan. 11.

Last time out, KSU busted out of a mini two-game slump, beating FIU 73-67, despite shooting 28.6% from three and only winning the rebound battle by one (30-29).

In the first meeting between the two teams this year, the Toppers held the Owls to just 32.9% from the floor and a paltry 19.5% from three (8-41).

While the Tops probably can’t rely on such a poor shooting night again, the Owls can struggle to hit shots, even in their wins (over their last six games, KSU is shooting 42.9%). If the Hilltoppers can deny easy looks, be aggressive on the boards and catch even a little bit of that lightning from the win over New Mexico State, we should be talking about a season sweep Friday morning.

- Fletcher Keel

🦉 Know the Foe: Kennesaw State

Kai Millete, sports editor for KSU’s student paper, The Sentinel, stops by to give us the lowdown on CUSA’s newest member.

The Towel Rack: How is Year 1 in CUSA going for the Owls, especially compared to preseason expectations?

Kai Millette: Considering I picked the Owls to win 5-6 conference games total, it’s safe to say where KSU is now has been a pleasant surprise. They were picked 9th, and unless the wheels totally fall off down the stretch, that will not happen. There is a sense that KSU could take down any team in the conference on any given night, but the opposite is also true.

TTR: Since KSU's visit to Bowling Green, the Owls have been on a bit of a roll, winning four of their last six games. What has led to the recent success?

KM: The emergence of transfer center Andre Weir both as a rim protector and even scorer has brought much needed production and stability in the paint. Adrian Wooley has continued to settle in as the conference’s premier freshman, and Braeden Lue has flashed his scoring potential. Defensively, KSU is operating the best it has over the course of the Pettway era.

TTR: Wooley is the man, but who is another name or two WKU fans should keep an eye out for?

KM: Braeden Lue has been overshadowed by Wooley nationally, but has been a major contributor this year and displays some really impressive athleticism – in all honesty, I’m still a little clueless how we landed the guy. Simeon Cotlle is in the midst of a really bad shooting slump, but if the longest-tenured scholarship Owl can figure it out this week, he’s a player with 20-point game potential.

🐔 Extracting Revenge

Jax State has proven a solid contender in Conference USA this season. The Gamecocks enter the weekend with a 15-7 overall mark (7-2 CUSA) and, with a homestand against WKU and MTSU, could put themselves in position to be the stone-cold favorites to win the regular season and take the top seed in Huntsville.

The Ray Harper Effect

Like it or not, Ray Harper has done a good job at Jacksonville State, bringing a program to the NCAA Tournament twice in the last decade that had never been to the Division I Big Dance. The Gamecocks had not made an NCAA Tournament at any level (Division II) since 1992. Ray Harper now stands with four NCAA Tournament appearances in 14 years as a Division I head coach. Essentially, he wins a championship 1/3 of the times he’s involved, a pace way ahead of most other NCAA coaches.

Share The Towel Rack

What to Expect

Jacksonville State is a nationally solid team, ranked 117th NET, 126th in KenPom, and 148th in ESPN’s BPI. They’ve been playing extremely well in a Top 10 league and are an efficient bunch: They barely allow68 points per game while scoring more than 76. They shoot 77 percent from the foul line (24th in the NCAA), 35 percent from three, and 46 percent from the floor. Individually, JSU is led by Jaron Pierre, Jr., who averages 20 points per game with over five boards every time out. This guy is really good, but he does have 6-7 other players that average seven or more around him, with Jamar Franklin the best of the rest at 10.4 points per game.

Keys to the Win

Thin in the backcourt (more on that in a moment), WKU is going to have to play well in most areas, or they just will not have enough to get over the hump against good basketball teams. Even bad teams, like FIU, may just jump and bite them anyway.

But other than just needing to play well, it’s obvious Pierre needs to be contained, and I would argue not fouling him and making him shoot under 45% are key. Make him work. In addition, WKU’s offense needs to show up. When JSU came to Diddle, it was kind of a slog, and if WKU could have handled Mason Nickelson inside at all and just had some easy offense, they probably would’ve beaten the Gamecocks that night. On the road, they’re going to have show up, have the bigs do a good job, and find a way to neutralize JSU’s size and depth.

- Matt McCay

🏀 Without Edelen, Already Thin Backcourt to be Tested

One major questions heading into this road swing is how the Tops handle the week without Jack Edelen, who has been suspended for the week due to DUI and traffic violation charges.

Head coach Hank Plona confirmed Edelen’s suspension earlier this week.

With Julius Thedford and Teagan Moore out, the players that can handle the ball and possibly play one of the non-big man positions are limited.

Although the Male product only averages 2.5 points and 0.8 rebounds per game in 11.7 minutes per game, he is in the rotation because he contributes. He shoots over 40%, makes nearly 40% from three, has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, and gets a steal or so in every two games in just a few minutes of actions.

Shoot, he even has a block on the season. Who knew?

But Edelen is a major loss, because the Tops are already thin in the backcourt, and he brings the most stability on the team to his position. Very rarely does he just drown in his minutes on the floor. You know what you’re getting, and that is powerful.

This weekend, Plona will need to figure out whether he wants to survive with who he has, or play someone like Jaylen Dorsey a few minutes per game. The good news is although Dorsey is a walk-on that worked his way onto the team by being an elite body in practice as a manager, he is actually capable and functional. He doesn’t score, usually, but at 6’5”, he does brings some length and a big thick body that hustles and crashes the boards.

The loss of Edelen means the Tops are going to have a tougher time passing, having flow, and having a solid shooter on the floor. The Tops need stability from the likes of Don McHenry, Jalen Jackson, Braxton Bayless and Khristian Lander. Essentially, the Tops are going to have to be a little tougher taking on a few more minutes each, and they’re going to have to be a little more perfect.

WKU is 2-1 without him this year, but the one the Tops lost was against Jacksonville State in a slow-paced sludge fest in Diddle Arena. Although not a devastating blow, going on the road and being without a role player is a hindrance.

- Matt McCay

🔴⚪ Another Fowl Week for WKU

The Lady Toppers ran afoul against the New Mexico State last Saturday, watching a 12-point at halftime turn into a five-point loss. The second half effort was punctuated by traveling calls, charges and missed layups.

WKU has the opportunity to rebound at home against Kennesaw State (8-12) and Jacksonville State (9-11) this weekend. Both teams sit at 3-6 in CUSA play and tied for 7th place. So, if WKU plays well they can solidify their third-place slot in the standings and maintain their lead over FIU and La Tech in CUSA Tournament seeding.

A Look at Kennesaw State

The Owls come into Thursday’s contest at 3-6 in CUSA and 8-12 overall. As a team, they do not shoot behind the three point line very well (23.7%) and only Lee Lee Willis averages over 30%. KSU averages 63.5 points and 37.3 rebounds per game.

The Owls have three players averaging double figure scoring totals: Prencis Hardin (16.1), Keyarah Berry (12.1) and Keiara Griffin (10.2). Carley Hooks (9.8) is a threat, too.

A Look at Jacksonville State

The Gamecocks start their weekend also at 3-6 in CUSA and 9-11 overall, and will take on MTSU Thursday before making the 100-mile trek to Bowling Green. Jax State averages 61.4 points, 36 rebounds, and 37% shooting per game. There are no players on this roster averaging greater than 9.6 points per game, but there are seven players averaging at least 5.5 points per game.

- David McCay

🏈 First Look At 2025

Thursday, Conference USA announced the 2025 schedule.

Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) on X — The full 2025 CUSA football schedule (Conference USA)

The Hilltoppers will start their year a week earlier than most everyone else in the country, when they welcome Sam Houston State to the Houch on Saturday, Aug. 23.

A non-conference stretch of North Alabama (Aug. 30), at Toledo (Sept. 6) and against Nevada (Sept. 20) take the Toppers to their first bye week of the season ahead of their first road conference test of the year, at newcomer Missouri State (Sept. 27).

Midweek action begins for the Hilltoppers on Friday, Oct. 3, when they head to Delaware to take on the Blue Hens, meaning they’ll get both conference newbies on the road in consecutive weeks.

After a second bye, the Tops return home to take on FIU - who was missing from last year’s schedule - on Tuesday, Oct. 14. A week later, they’ll head to Ruston for another Tuesday matchup against La Tech (Oct. 21).

While the rest of the league will play midweek action to end October, WKU returns to Saturday games to close out their season. New Mexico State (Nov. 1) and the 100 Miles of Hate (Nov. 15) close out WKU’s home schedule, with a third and final bye week sandwiched between the two.

The 2025 regular season comes to a close with two road contests - at LSU (Nov. 22) and at Jacksonville State (Nov. 29). WKU and JSU closed out last year in the regular season, at The Houch, before rematching in the CUSA title game.

Missing from the schedule is Liberty, who have had WKU’s number since they entered the conference. Theoretically, the pair could match up in the CUSA title game, but with Liberty undergoing a change at QB and WKU falling flat come conference play the last couple of seasons, that’s far from a guarantee.

WKU also will not see Kennesaw State, who will embark on their second year in CUSA in 2025. Assuming they’re on the 2026 schedule, the Hilltoppers will go to metro Atlanta.