WKU Head Coach Hank Plona outlined the path forward and provided positive updates for WKU Men’s Basketball entering the CUSA tournament following two straight losses to end the regular season.
WKU has to shake off the tough finish to the regular season to win three games in three days, with one more loss capping the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
The Hilltoppers find themselves in a must-win situation, and to reach the NCAA tournament, they will need to find a way out of their current slump.
“We’re all aware of the situation. I think it’s way more important to bounce back from where we’re currently at.”
Following six straight wins, WKU fell off a cliff in the final week of the season, dropping two straight games in blowout fashion.
Missouri State, a team that lost seven straight games entering the contest, wiped the floor with WKU in an 87-74 blowout. A 92-67 loss on Saturday to FIU ended the same, locking the Hilltoppers into the third seed.
Plona understands the situation at hand, and for the team to go on a run in the CUSA tournament, it has to start with reaching the level that they found during the six-game win streak. They might be getting a lift from the return of a key player.
“We expect (Teagan Moore) to be good to go on Thursday. Yeah, he kind of tweaked his ankle a little bit. I don’t expect there to be an issue for Thursday.”
Sophomore guard Teagan Moore only played 15 minutes after tweaking his ankle during the loss to FIU on Saturday.
Moore is integral to the Hilltoppers’ success, as the Hilltoppers are 2-3 in games without Moore this season. Moore returned to the lineup on Feb. 14 against Middle Tennessee after missing the previous five games, and the Hilltoppers are 5-2 since.
“I think this team plays better under bright lights. We’ve struggled in some gyms and arenas when there’s nobody in the building. I have a lot of confidence that we’re going to show up.”
The Hilltoppers have played their best when in packed arenas with a lot on the line. The best performance of the season was a 94-73 win over Liberty in a sold-out crowd at Liberty Arena.
The high-stakes environment at the CUSA tournament could bring out the best version of the team, the same version that won six straight games.
The Hilltoppers look to keep their season alive against Kennesaw State in the CUSA tournament on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
