Western Kentucky 92 Campbellsville 51

The Jake had 18 points.

The Jake!!!

Hollingsworth leads the way again for the short handed Hilltoppers. 20 points on 9/14 from the field, 7 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 0 turnovers in 35 minutes. Justin Johnson adds 16 points and 15 rebounds. WKU had 6 of the available 7 in double figures. Campbellsville obviously a lower level team compared to WKU but WKU struggled with them last year. This WKU leaps and bounds ahead of last year's squad!

This WKU leaps and bounds ahead of last year's squad!

You think this year's Hilltopper team will be better than last year's? "Leaps and bounds"? Record-wise? You think this is a .500 team this year?

Man, I love your optimism, but I don't see it. I don't think they'll match the 15 wins they tallied last season.

You think this year's Hilltopper team will be better than last year's? "Leaps and bounds"? Record-wise? You think this is a .500 team this year?

 

Man, I love your optimism, but I don't see it. I don't think they'll match the 15 wins they tallied last season.

Last season was the 3rd worst loss record in WKU history, and the schedule was TOUGH. I'd be shocked if WKU does not do much better this year, especially after seeing what we have done so far in the preseason. 3-0 in Puerto Rico, clobbered a decent Samford team last week, and killed a CU team we only barely beat last year.

I'm tempering expectations after the loss of Branger and Robinson, but if WKU gets Bearden healthy and Josh Anderson cleared, 20 wins is possible. We will see more when we host a very good Missouri State team next week.

Last season was the 3rd worst loss record in WKU history

I'm very familiar with the history of the program, both way back in the Diddle and Oldham days, and then more recently under Ross Bjork's tenure as AD -- and of course when I was there in the 80's and 90's. Frankly, when 15-17 is one of your worst records ever, it says a lot about your program. I just think this year is going to be VERY lean, there is so much newness (they return less than 20% of the minutes played last year), and there is very little depth. If they get 15 wins this year I will be very pleasantly surprised.

Honestly, with every year that passes, Ross' decision to promote Ray Harper to Head Coach in the face of so many more attractive candidates because "it was easy and made sense", just hurts more and more.

I'm very familiar with the history of the program, both way back in the Diddle and Oldham days, and then more recently under Ross Bjork's tenure as AD -- and of course when I was there in the 80's and 90's. Frankly, when 15-17 is one of your worst records ever, it says a lot about your program. I just think this year is going to be VERY lean, there is so much newness (they return less than 20% of the minutes played last year), and there is very little depth. If they get 15 wins this year I will be very pleasantly surprised.

 

Honestly, with every year that passes, Ross' decision to promote Ray Harper to Head Coach in the face of so many more attractive candidates because "it was easy and made sense", just hurts more and more.

I agree with you for the most part. Hard to deny Harper is one HELL of a basketball coach. There is a reason he won championships at KWC and took WKU to the tournament twice with inferior talent. Problem was that he was a terrible recruiter, and in C-USA you can't and won't win with OVC talent. I've said it many times, if Stansbury and Harper had a child together it would be in the HoF by the age 40!

I do think they will be that much better then last year bc they have guys this year that can create offense on their own. Last year it was slow down set plays come off a bunch of screens and hope you get an open look. A lot of those guys were perimeter jump shooters first and couldn't create much off the dribble. You have guys this year that can break down perimeter defense and get in the lane and create offense. The record might be similar but this team is much better then last year and honestly if they get Anderson and Diagne out there I wouldn't be surprised if they win 20.

It is going to be a fun team to watch regardless of if they put up 20 wins or not. They play very hard and seem to have bonded very well as a team. Hollingsworth is a complete stud and will take us to a couple NCAA's during his time here for sure. Ohmer will be a crowd favorite his entire career. Both seem to be some great guys off the court.