2018–19 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team
2018–19 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball | |
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Conference | Conference USA |
Record | 20–14 (11–7 C-USA) |
Head coach |
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Assistant coaches |
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Home arena | E. A. Diddle Arena |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Old Dominion † | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 26 | – | 9 | .743 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Kentucky | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 20 | – | 14 | .588 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southern Miss | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UTSA | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 17 | – | 15 | .531 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UAB | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 15 | .571 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 23 | – | 14 | .622 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIU | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana Tech | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida Atlantic | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 17 | – | 16 | .515 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
North Texas | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 21 | – | 12 | .636 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rice | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 13 | – | 19 | .406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Middle Tennessee | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 11 | – | 21 | .344 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charlotte | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 8 | – | 21 | .276 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UTEP | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 8 | – | 21 | .276 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 2019 C-USA tournament winner |
The 2018–19 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers, led by third-year head coach Rick Stansbury, played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky as fifth-year members of Conference USA (C-USA). The team finished the season tied for second place in the conference and were defeated in the championship game of the conference tournament.[1]
Previous season
[edit]The Hilltoppers finished the 2017–18 season with 27–11, 14–4 in C-USA play, to finish in third place. They defeated UAB[2] and Old Dominion[3] to advance to the championship game of the C-USA tournament where they lost to Marshall.[4] They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Boston College,[5] USC[6] and Oklahoma State[7] to advance to the semifinals where they lost to Utah.[8][9]
Offseason
[edit]Departures
[edit]Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tyler Miller | 0 | G | 6' 4" | 190 | Senior | Louisville, KY | Graduated |
Darius Thompson | 15 | G | 6' 4" | 190 | RS Senior | Murfreesboro, TN | Graduated |
Dwight Coleby | 22 | F | 6' 9" | 245 | RS Senior | Nassau, Bahamas | Graduated |
Justin Johnson | 23 | F | 6' 7" | 245 | Senior | Hazard, KY | Graduated |
Incoming transfers
[edit]Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matthew Horton | 5 | F | 6' 11" | Junior | Tuscaloosa, AL | Junior college transferred from Shelton State CC | |
Desean Murray | 13 | F | 6' 3" | 225 | Graduate student | Stanley, NC | Transferred from Auburn. Will be eligible to play immediately since Murray graduated from Auburn. |
Patrick Murphy | F | 6' 6" | 170 | Junior | Franklin, TN | Junior college transferred from Martin Methodist College | |
Carson Williams | F | 6' 5" | 230 | Junior | Owenton, KY | Transferred from Northern Kentucky. Under NCAA transfer rules, Williams will have to sit out for the 2018–19 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility. |
2018 recruiting class
[edit]Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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Charles Bassey #3 C |
San Antonio, TX | ASPIRE Academy | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jun 13, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 92 | ||||||
Galen Smith PF |
Bay St. Louis, MS | Bay High School | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Nov 9, 2017 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR | ||||||
Dalano Banton SG |
Toronto, ON | Redemption Christian Academy | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Nov 14, 2017 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR | ||||||
Jeremiah Gambrell Jr. SG |
Houston, TX | Madison High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Nov 14, 2017 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
[edit]2018–19 WKU Hilltoppers men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Schedule and results
[edit]Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state | ||||||
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Exhibition | |||||||||||
October 30, 2018* 7:00 p.m. |
Campbellsville | W 91–66 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | ||||||||
November 3, 2018* 2:00 p.m. |
Kentucky Wesleyan | W 96–71 | E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY | ||||||||
Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
November 6, 2018* 9:30 p.m., ESPNU |
at No. 25 Washington | L 55–73 | 0–1 |
Alaska Airlines Arena (5,721) Seattle, WA | |||||||
November 10, 2018* 6:00 p.m., ESPN3 |
UT Martin Myrtle Beach Invitational campus-site game |
W 86–71 | 1–1 |
E. A. Diddle Arena (5,815) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
November 15, 2018* 4:00 p.m., ESPNU |
vs. Valparaiso Myrtle Beach Invitational quarterfinals |
W 81–73 | 2–1 |
HTC Center (3,620) Conway, SC | |||||||
November 16, 2018* 8:00 p.m., ESPNU |
vs. West Virginia Myrtle Beach Invitational semifinals |
W 63–57 | 3–1 |
HTC Center (3,370) Conway, SC | |||||||
November 18, 2018* 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 |
vs. UCF Myrtle Beach Invitational championship |
L 62–78 | 3–2 |
HTC Center (3,018) Conway, SC | |||||||
November 24, 2018* 1:00 p.m., ESPN3 |
at Indiana State | L 54–63 | 3–3 |
Hulman Center (3,032) Terre Haute, IN | |||||||
December 1, 2018* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Tennessee State | W 88–74 | 4–3 |
E. A. Diddle Arena (6,071) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
December 5, 2018* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Missouri State | L 78–84 | 4–4 |
JQH Arena (4,893) Springfield, MO | |||||||
December 8, 2018* 2:30 p.m., SECN |
at Arkansas | W 78–77 | 5–4 |
Bud Walton Arena (14,488) Fayetteville, AR | |||||||
December 16, 2018* 2:00 p.m., ESPN3 |
Troy | L 81–87 | 5–5 |
E. A. Diddle Arena (5,285) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
December 19, 2018* 6:30 p.m., ESPN3 |
at Belmont | L 74–80 | 5–6 |
Curb Event Center (4,124) Nashville, TN | |||||||
December 22, 2018* 2:00 p.m., Facebook |
Saint Mary's | W 71–68 | 6–6 |
E. A. Diddle Arena (5,026) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
December 29, 2018* 4:30 p.m., CBSSN |
No. 15 Wisconsin | W 83–76 | 7–6 |
E. A. Diddle Arena (7,614) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
Conference USA regular season | |||||||||||
January 3, 2019 6:30 p.m., beIN |
at Charlotte | W 68–50 | 8–6 (1–0) |
Dale F. Halton Arena (3,019) Charlotte, NC | |||||||
January 5, 2019 6:00 p.m., Facebook |
at Old Dominion | L 66–69 | 8–7 (1–1) |
Ted Constant Convocation Center (6,928) Norfolk, VA | |||||||
January 12, 2019 6:00 p.m., Facebook |
at Marshall | L 69–70 | 8–8 (1–2) |
Cam Henderson Center (7,687) Huntington, WV | |||||||
January 17, 2019 7:00 p.m., beIN |
FIU | L 76–77 | 8–9 (1–3) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (5,102) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
January 19, 2019 2:00 p.m., Facebook |
Florida Atlantic | W 72–66 | 9–9 (2–3) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (4,963) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
January 21, 2019 8:00 p.m., CBSSN |
Marshall | W 68–59 | 10–9 (3–3) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (6,369) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
January 24, 2019 7:00 p.m., Stadium |
at Southern Miss | W 66–63 | 11–9 (4–3) |
Reed Green Coliseum (2,568) Hattiesburg, MS | |||||||
January 26, 2019 4:00 p.m., Facebook |
at Louisiana Tech | L 50–62 | 11–10 (4–4) |
Thomas Assembly Center (3,917) Ruston, LA | |||||||
January 31, 2019 7:00 p.m., Facebook |
UTSA | W 96–88 1OT | 12–10 (5–4) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (4,983) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
February 2, 2019 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
UTEP | W 76–59 | 13–10 (6–4) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (6,397) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
February 7, 2019 8:00 p.m., CBSSN |
at Rice | W 92–85 2OT | 14–10 (7–4) |
Tudor Fieldhouse (1,757) Houston, TX | |||||||
February 9, 2019 5:00 p.m., Facebook |
at North Texas | W 62–59 | 15–10 (8–4) |
UNT Coliseum (8,195) Denton, TX | |||||||
February 14, 2019 7:00 p.m., Facebook |
Middle Tennessee 100 Miles of Hate |
W 71–63 | 16–10 (9–4) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (6,044) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
February 16, 2019 2:00 p.m., Facebook |
UAB | L 60–68 | 16–11 (9–5) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (6,839) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
February 23, 2019 12:00 p.m., Stadium |
at Old Dominion | L 63–67 | 16–12 (9–6) |
Ted Constant Convocation Center (7,324) Norfolk, VA | |||||||
February 28, 2019 6:30 p.m., beIn |
at UAB | W 73–67 | 17–12 (10–6) |
Bartow Arena (3,021) Birmingham, AL | |||||||
March 3, 2019 2:00 p.m., Facebook |
Southern Miss | W 76–71 | 18–12 (11–6) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (5,408) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
March 6, 2019 6:30 p.m., beIn |
UTSA | L 76–81 OT | 18–13 (11–7) |
E. A. Diddle Arena (5,411) Bowling Green, KY | |||||||
Conference USA tournament | |||||||||||
March 14, 2019 8:30 p.m., Stadium |
(2) | vs. (10) North Texas Quarterfinals |
W 67–51 | 19–13 |
Ford Center at The Star Frisco, TX | ||||||
March 15, 2019 3:00 p.m., CBSSN |
(2) | vs. (3) Southern Miss Semifinals |
W 70–59 | 20–13 |
Ford Center at The Star Frisco, TX | ||||||
March 16, 2019 7:30 p.m., CBSSN |
(2) | vs. (1) Old Dominion Championship |
L 56–62 | 20–14 |
Ford Center at The Star (3,017) Frisco, TX | ||||||
Source:[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "2019-20 Stats (PDF) - Conference USA" (PDF). conferenceusa.com. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Hilltoppers Storm Past UAB in C-USA Quarterfinals, 98-70". Western Kentucky University Athletics. March 8, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Hilltoppers Beat ODU 57-49 to Reach C-USA Title Game". Western Kentucky University Athletics. March 9, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Tops' Comeback Falls Short in 67-66 Loss to Marshall in C-USA Final". Western Kentucky University Athletics. March 10, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Hilltoppers Rout Boston College 79-62 at Home in NIT Opener". Western Kentucky University Athletics. March 13, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Hilltoppers Edge Top-Seeded USC to Reach NIT Quarterfinals". Western Kentucky University Athletics. March 20, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Neaves, Kyle (March 21, 2018). "WKU Headed to New York City; Defeats Oklahoma State 92-84 in NIT Quarterfinals". Western Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Tops' Season Comes to an End with 69-64 Loss to Utah in NIT Semifinals". Western Kentucky University Athletics. March 27, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "2019-20 Hilltopper Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Western Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "2018-19 Men's Basketball Schedule". wkusports.com. Retrieved October 5, 2024.