Tops appear to climb in CUSA -POSITIONS – BOWING GREEN DAILY NEWS

Western Kentucky got a little bit of speed on a way last weekend, and Hillpoppers is aiming to pick up Steam with a couple of home matches at EA Diddle Arena.

By getting out of Saturday’s 75-66 win at Conference US Rival Sam Houston, the top Thursday night goes at. 19.

WKU (12-8 overall, 3-4 CUSA) is currently eighth in the 10-team location, so there is plenty of room to improve. But first-year coach Hank Plona keeps it in perspective-as an assistant on former head coach Steve Lutz’s staff last season helped Plona Tops win the Cusa Tournament Championship and lock the program’s first NCAA tournament bid since 2013.

HillTopper’s record through seven matches in CUSA last year? Same as this season, 3-4. However, there is a big difference and it is an encouraging for this season team. Last year, WKU announced this 3-4 record with four home matches during this stretch. This year, tops have won just as many with five out of seven league games on the road.

“We were 2-6 on the road last year and we’re 2-3 right now,” Plona said. “It’s a tough league to win road games in. I think when the schedule came out and you knew you would start this way … It was the opposite last year and we clearly got rolling a little, But then I know we lost four in a row at the end of last year, but three of them were on the road. The divided things in the home in our league always appear to be a real deal. I guess we’re a game up on the home division right now, so I don’t think we’re in terrible shape. “

To pick up a road gain against Bearkats over the weekend went a long way to improve Tops’ Outlook.

“I thought there were many positive things from really our last three or four games, but it’s good to see them lead to a win on Saturday,” Plona said. “Of course since Christmas we have had six of eight (games) on the road, five of seven in the league, so you know that you go into the fact that it is not easy, and after experiencing it I would agree with, That it certainly isn’t. But at the same time to be where we are right now, we are in decent shape. We move on, I think our team is getting better. We survive ups and downs and damage, things like what we’ve been through, and good at coming home this week after a win in Sam Houston. “

WKU is still far from full strength-the second leading goal scorer and Top Rebounder Babacar Faye and unique beginner guard Julius Tedford remain out of action for Thursday’s Matchup against UTEP and Saturday’s at. 14.00 Home match against New Mexico State, with the schedule of both players’ return from injury still uncertain.

Picking up a win against miners on Thursday night would go far to the top that tightened the Cusa position. UTEP (15-5, 5-2 CUSA) is currently tied with Middle Tennessee and Jacksonville State for first place in the league, with New Mexico State also two spots in front of WKU.

The Utep tip Otis Frazier III comes out of a Cusa Player of the Week -earl after scoring 17 points and coincident eight steals in a win against Jacksonville State. Frazier along with Guard Corey Camper Jr. is tied to the League League an average of 2.4 steals per day. Piece. Criminal workers are the league’s best for forcing revenue to 18 per year. Match.

“They push you a lot of the court, and then they put their guys who are in help to defend the way up the line,” Plona said. “So they will make it seem like you’re beating your husband that you’re running in trouble. I think if you can succeed against it, there are some open shots that you can have at the edge. If you fail in relation to it, they will get open shots. They are going to steal and they are going to get out. So you can’t have live-ball revenue.

“Therefore, they are really dangerous, because stealing the leads to layups and dunks at the other end. So your mistake is almost aggravated because it doesn’t just throw the ball out of bounds, it’s their team ripping it off you and now has a 2-on-1 in progress the other way. “

There is room to take advantage of the ultra-aggressive defense to defend so far from the edge, miners have struggled with defensive rebounding this season and is last in the league with 29.2 per year. Match.

“Utep really pushes out on the floor,” Plona said. “They are # 1 in the country with forcing revenue, but when you squeeze out so far sometimes the edge is a little open if you miss a shot. It’s hard to get up and pressure and deny, so when a shot goes up, get back on the inside of your husband. So with how they play, there are some giving and taking. “

Thursday’s game, which will be broadcast on ESPN+, is a new match for last season’s Cusa Tournament Championship, played in Huntsville, Alabama. Tops won 78-71 to earn the NCAA tournament automatically bid and beat miners two out of three times last season.

Plona has been encouraged by some positive signs from his team that had been in a shooting fallout since the Christmas break. WKU went 9-for-11 from inside the 3-point arch in the second half against Sam Houston on Saturday. Tops still ranks at the end of CUSA in field target percentage (42.3%) and is seventh in 3-point shooting (33.0%).

“We can’t (do) one or two passports, take forced, hard dribbles two-point shots,” Plona said. “Come just below the elbow and from 10 meters just throw it up on the edge-if you have to shoot it, it must be a stable, middle-class-pull-up jumper that we work on every single day. We can’t know what to do and when you don’t know what to do, just attack the edge and just try to jump into a shot blocker and throw it up there. “

About Jeff Nations

Sports Editor, Bowling Green Daily News

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