WKU Men’s Basketball continues to struggle under Head Coach Hank Plona in his second season. In his first season at the helm, Plona led the Hilltoppers to a first-round exit in the CUSA tournament, and as of Feb. 5, WKU sits eighth in the conference with a 5-6 record.
Offense: C-
The Hilltoppers have been mediocre from the floor this season. The Hilltoppers sit last in CUSA in field goal percentage (39%). A poor shooting percentage has proven crucial for the Hilltoppers in close game losses, shooting 38.8% from the floor, while allowing opponents to shoot a scorching 51.6% from the floor.
Despite poor shooting from the Hilltoppers, they have been solid in free-throw shooting. WKU is ranked second in free-throw percentage in the conference at 74% and consistently outperforms opponents from the line.
Another bright spot for the Hilltoppers this season has been the offensive rebounding. Despite the poor shooting, WKU currently ranks second in CUSA with 14.2 offensive rebounds per game. This allows the Hilltoppers to get second chances to score.
Offensive MVP selection: Teagan Moore
Teagan Moore has been the go-to guy for the Hilltoppers. After missing last season with an injury, Moore has come back without missing a step. He leads the Hilltoppers in points per game (17.2) and is second on the team with assists (2.4).
It is evident the Hilltoppers have more success when Moore is on the floor. WKU is averaging 79.8 points per game with Moore in the lineup, and in the three games he has missed in concussion protocol they have averaged just 64 points per game.
Defense: C
The Hilltoppers give up the third most points in CUSA at 74.8 points per game. In the Jan. 21 game against Liberty, they allowed the Flames to shoot 59% from beyond the arc.
Despite allowing a high field goal percentage by opponents, the Hilltoppers rank third in steals in CUSA with 7.73 per game. Offenses have been able to score nearly at will, with the Hilltoppers allowing the fifth highest field goal percentage to conference opponents. The team’s biggest weakness is interior defense, with no player averaging at least one block per game.
Defensive MVP selection: Armelo Boone
On a team that is last in the conference in blocks, Boone is one of four Hilltoppers that averages 0.5 blocks or more per game. Behind senior guard Terrion Murdix’s 1.6 steals per game, he is second on the team in steals per game at 1.5.
Boone has been one of WKU’s best players on both sides of the ball. Not only does he average 11.9 points per game, which is good for second on the team, but he also sits second on the team in rebounds per game with 6.7. Boone has been a lethal guard pairing with Moore.
There is still time for improvement before the Hilltoppers head to Huntsville, Alabama for the CUSA tournament (March 10-14). With nine games left in the season, WKU will have to take on three of the top four teams in the conference, with games against Jacksonville State (Feb. 5), Liberty (Feb. 21), and Missouri State (March 5).
