WKU Men’s Basketball fell to 5-6 in Conference USA play on its two-game road trip Feb. 6-8, but much of their struggles can be attributed to injuries.
Preseason injuries to players like Teagan Moore, Terrion Murdix and Fallou Diagne and mid-season injuries to leaders like Babacar Faye and Julius Thedford have hurt the Hilltoppers in their quest for back-to-back CUSA crowns.
WKU was even thinner on their most recent road trip. Sophomore guard Jack Edelen did not play due to a DUI arrest and senior guard Enoch Kalambay missed the Saturday Jacksonville State game with the flu.
“Obviously we’ve been battling depth due to different things all year and it was certainly probably, I guess, the fewest guys we’ve had,” Head Coach Hank Plona said.
WKU only had eight players see the court against JSU, the fewest Hilltoppers to play in a game this conference season.
“When you get down to eight players, whether it’s foul trouble or endurance I thought in the first half our not being able to substitute and stay fresh probably was a factor,” Plona said. “When you want to keep fresh bodies on the floor, especially at the speed we play, it can hurt you a bit.”
Faye has not returned to practice and is not expected to return soon, if at all. Plona said he cannot sprint or jump at this point.
Thedford, who suffered a dislocated kneecap against Middle Tennesee on Jan. 18, has a more positive outlook. Like Faye, he is not sprinting or jumping. However, Plona said a return is not out of the question.
“Julius is progressing,” Plona said. “We have four more weeks of regular season play, Huntsville (CUSA tournament) is in five, I think it’s within the realm of possibility that he’s back.”
Plona said a decision will be made on Edelen closer to Saturday, but said if he “has a solid week, the expectation is that he’ll be available.”
He said Kalambay practiced Monday and “seems in a better place.”
Sports Reporter Nathan Mueller can be reached at nathan.mueller103@topper.wku.edu.
