Head Coach Rick Stansbury G/F | Savage C | Bassey 3 (1) Kentucky Wesleyan (Exh.) W, 96-71 Is 4-2 in His Career Against the Monarchs
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HILLTOPPER BASKETBALL @WKUBasketball WKUBasketball @wkubasketball WKUSports 2018-19 GAME NOTES WKUSports.com MEDIA CONTACT: Zach Greenwell, Associate Director of Media Relations • [email protected] • (270) 668-4716 WKU (8-6, 1-0 C-USA) SECONDARY CONTACT: Dana Brown, Media Relations Assistant • [email protected] • (317) 752-6161 AT OLD DOMINION (10-4, 0-1 C-USA) THE TIP-OFF Saturday, Jan. 5 | 6 p.m. (CT) | Norfolk, Va. WKU Hilltopper Basketball continues a three-game road PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP Ted Constant Convocation Center (8,472) swing to start Conference USA play at Old Dominion at 6 p.m. CT Saturday in Norfolk, Va. The game will broadcast LISTEN Hilltopper IMG Sports Network, TuneIn on Stadium on Facebook. • Randy Lee (pxp), Hal Schmitt (analysis) WATCH Stadium on Facebook WKU opened C-USA action with a 68-50 win at Charlotte • Chris Hassel (pxp), Doug Gottlieb (analysis), on Thursday, its third straight victory. G | Banton G | Hollingsworth G | Anderson Kristen Balboni (sideline) Lineup Old Dominion suffered a 70-67 home loss to Marshall on projection OCTOBER (0-0) Thursday, snapping an eight-game win streak. The Hill- based on 30 Campbellsville (Exh.) W, 91-66 toppers lead the all-time series 19-18, including three previous game NOVEMBER (3-3) straight wins last season. WKU head coach Rick Stansbury G/F | Savage C | Bassey 3 (1) Kentucky Wesleyan (Exh.) W, 96-71 is 4-2 in his career against the Monarchs. 6 at #25/24 Washington L, 73-55 10 UT Martin W, 86-71 QUICK SHOTS 15 (2) Valparaiso W, 83-71 • This season will be the first time that WKU has opened conference play with three straight road games 16 (2) RV/#13 West Virginia W, 63-57 since 2002-03, when it began Sun Belt action at Middle Tennessee, Little Rock and Arkansas State. 18 (2) UCF L, 78-62 • The Hilltoppers have shot 50 percent or better in three straight games, and six of the last eight overall. 24 at Indiana State L, 63-54 • As of Jan. 2, WKU had as many or more Power Five wins (7) since the start of 2017-18 as eight Power Five programs, despite having just 10 opportunities. | More info pg. 4 DECEMBER (4-3) • WKU finished non-conference play with the 19th-best strength of schedule in the nation, according to 1 Tennessee State W, 88-74 the Sagarin Ratings, and the 33rd-best non-conference slate per Ken Pomeroy. 5 at Missouri State L, 84-78 • WKU is one of the youngest teams in the country, ranking 336th of 353 in experience, per Ken Pomeroy. 8 at Arkansas W, 78-77 • The Hilltoppers have made a 3-pointer in 990 straight games dating back to March 15, 1987. WKU entered 16 Troy L, 87-81 the season tied with Arkansas for the fourth-longest streak in the nation of consecutive games with a 19 at Belmont L, 80-74 made 3. Only UNLV (1,039), Vanderbilt (1,031) and Duke (1,021) had longer streaks to start the year. 22 Saint Mary’s (CA) W, 71-68 • The Hilltoppers are 44-1 under head coach Rick Stansbury when leading with five minutes to play. 29 #15/16 Wisconsin W, 83-76 • WKU ranks ninth in the country in total blocks and 16th in the country in blocked shots per game, and JANUARY (1-0) 18th in percentage of opponents’ shots blocked, according to Ken Pomeroy. Its average of 5.5 blocks per 3 at Charlotte* W, 68-50 game would be its highest on record. Charles Bassey leads C-USA in blocks per game (2.5). 5 at Old Dominion* 6 p.m. CT • WKU freshman center Charles Bassey has more blocks himself (35) this year than 79 Division I teams. 12 at Marshall* 6 p.m. CT • The Hilltoppers have shot 82 more free throws than their opponents this year and made one less free 17 FIU* 7 p.m. CT throw than their opponents have even attempted, a calling card of the program. | More info pg. 4 19 Florida Atlantic* 2 p.m. CT • As of Friday, Charles Bassey leads the nation among freshmen in total blocks (35) and ranks sixth nation- 21 Marshall* 8 p.m. CT ally for rebounds per game (8.8). He ranks third in C-USA in total rebounds per game (8.8). 24 at Southern Miss* 7 p.m. CT • As of Friday, Charles Bassey ranked in the top 50 in the country in double-doubles (46th), field-goal per- 26 at LA Tech* 4 p.m. CT centage (22nd), blocks per game (13th), total blocks (12th) and total rebounds (49th). 31 UTSA* 7 p.m. CT FEBRUARY (0-0) LAST MATCHUP AGAINST OLD DOMINION: MARCH 9, 2018 2 UTEP* 6 p.m. CT Third-seeded WKU survived a 57-49 semifinal slugfest against No. 2 seed Old Dominion, advancing to the 7 at Rice* 8 p.m. CT Conference USA Championship final in Frisco, Texas. Justin Johnson led WKU with 19 points and 13 rebounds. 9 at North Texas* 5 p.m. CT 14 Middle Tennessee* 7 p.m. CT 16 UAB* 2 p.m. CT WKU HILLTOPPERS OLD DOMINION MONARCHS 23 Potential Game* TBD 28 Potential Game* TBD 2018-19 Record 8-6 2018-19 Record 10-4 MARCH (0-0) Ranking NR Ranking NR 3 Potential Game* TBD NCAA NET 120 NCAA NET 89 6 Potential Game* TBD Last Game W, 68-50 at Charlotte Last Game L, 70-67 vs. Marshall 9 Potential Game* TBD Head Coach Rick Stansbury Head Coach Jeff Jones 13-16 (3) C-USA Tournament TBD Career Record 343-200 (17th season) Career Record 481-349 (27th season) Record at School 50-34 (Third season) Record at School 124-62 (Sixth season) (*) Conference USA Game Leading Scorer T. Hollingsworth (15.3 ppg) Leading Scorer B.J. Stith (18.2 ppg) (1) 36th Annual BB&T Classic (Bowling Green, Ky.) Leading Rebounder Charles Bassey (8.8 rpg) Leading Rebounder B.J. Stith (8.2 rpg) (2) Myrtle Beach Invitational (Conway, S.C.) Leader in Assists Dalano Banton (2.9 apg) Leader in Assists Ahmad Caver (5.7 apg) (3) Conference USA Tournament (Frisco, Texas) 1 44 20-WIN SEASONS | 42 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS | 23 NCAA TOURNAMENTS | 1,783 ALL-TIME WINS | 35 NBA DRAFT PICKS WORKING CREDENTIALS: To request credentials, please contact Zach arrangements for the Hilltopper IMG Sports Network. ISDN lines will not be available Greenwell or Dana Brown, WKU Media Relations Assistant. All requests should in Diddle Arena this season. Inquiries about any other accommodations should be be made as early as possible and should be limited to working press only. made well in advance with Greenwell and WKU Telecommunications. Space on the E.A. Diddle Arena press row is limited, and a media/photo work room is available on the ground level just off the arena floor for credentialed BASELINE AREAS: Access to the baselines is reserved for photographers/ media members. videographers. Seating on the baselines is extremely limited, and several spots will be marked and reserved for season credential holders. Media must remain within Credentials will be screened and issued on a priority basis, with national the six spots on each baseline, away from the areas around the goals and stairs, and publications, daily newspapers, wire services, originating radio and television outside the team bench areas. Those who do not adhere to these policies will be networks, television tape crews and student newspapers from WKU and the asked to move or leave the building. visiting school receiving top priority. Requests from weekly newspapers, internet publications and radio stations that cover WKU and the visiting team RECRUITS: Per NCAA rule, media are not permitted to have contact with a prospect may be honored on a space-available basis. or family members of a prospect during their visit (official or unofficial) to campus, including prospects in attendance at practice or games. Contact includes in-person Spouses, dates, equipment carriers and non-working members of the media conversations, phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc. Media are also are restricted from press row, sidelines and interview areas. Any abuse of a asked to make every effort to keep distance from prospects on campus, including credential to a WKU athletic event will result in the immediate removal of at practice, during pregame activities and in the stands. the media member from the event as well as the agency losing credential privileges for the remainder of the season. GAMEDAY SERVICES: Members of the media covering the game will be provided with pregame notes for both teams, a media guide and a flipcard. Statistics will be MEDIA WILL CALL: Credentials may be picked up on gameday at the Media handed out at halftime and after the game, and a running play-by-play will also be Will Call located at Gate 2 of E.A. Diddle Arena. Please be mindful that parking provided following the game. WKU offers live stats for media members throughout is done by a list and parking passes will not be issued, so please request the game on StatBroadcast. Approximately 15 minutes following the completion parking at the same time. of the game, a final statistical book will be available. The first run of books will be given directly to the visiting SID to allow for easy departure. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Credentials for photographers will be issued on the basis of circulation, with priority granted to agencies covering the participating POSTGAME INTERVIEWS: For home games, head coach Rick Stansbury and schools on a regular basis.