Head Coach Rick Stansbury Is F | Williams C | Bassey Games 19 at Alabama W, 73-71 4-0 in His Career Against the Owls
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@WKUBasketball WKUBasketball @wkubasketball WKUSports 2020-21 GAME NOTES WKUSports.com MEDIA CONTACT: Zach Greenwell, Associate AD of Communications/MBB • [email protected] • (270) 668-4716 RICE (12-8, 6-6 C-USA) SECONDARY CONTACT: Dana Brown, Media Relations Coordinator • [email protected] • (317) 752-6161 AT WKU (13-4, 6-2 C-USA) KEY PAGES Friday, Feb. 12 | 7 p.m. (CT) | Bowling Green, Ky. E.A. Diddle Arena Page 2 | Streaks/Standings Page 11-12 | Chasing Record Book Pgs. 17-31 | Player Bios Page 3 | Roster/Coaching Staff Page 14 | Last Time It Happened Page 45 | 2020-21 Stats LISTEN Hilltopper Sports Network, TuneIn Page 4 | Last Series Meeting Page 15-16 | Rick Stansbury Page 47 | Radio/TV Roster • Randy Lee (pxp), Hal Schmitt (analysis) THE TIP-OFF WATCH ESPN+ WKU Hilltopper Basketball returns to action after a nearly PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP • Randy Lee (pxp), Hal Schmitt (analysis) three-week layoff for a home series against Rice starting at 7 p.m. CT Friday at E.A. Diddle Arena. Friday’s game will NOVEMBER (2-1) stream on ESPN+. 25 vs. Northern Iowa (1) W, 93-87 26 vs. Memphis (1) W, 75-69 The Hilltoppers have won four straight, but have not 27 vs. #15 West Virginia (1) L, 70-64 played the last two weekends, first because of COVID-19 G | McKnight G | Hollingsworth G | Anderson DECEMBER (5-1) issues with Old Dominion and then with WKU itself. Rice Lineup 1 at Louisville (2) L, 75-54 swept Southern Miss at home last weekend. projection 6 Mississippi Valley State W, 96-69 based on 10 Gardner-Webb W, 86-84 WKU is 5-2 all-time against Rice, including a 2-1 record in previous 13 Rhode Island W, 68-65 Bowling Green. Hilltopper head coach Rick Stansbury is F | Williams C | Bassey games 19 at Alabama W, 73-71 4-0 in his career against the Owls. 22 Tennessee Tech W, 88-68 JANUARY (6-2) TOP STORYLINES 1 at Charlotte* W, 67-63 • WKU will have not played for 19 days when it resumes action Friday against Rice, the program’s longest 2 at Charlotte* L, 75-71 (OT) in-season break since going from Dec. 16 to Jan. 10 without a game (25 days) in the 1972-73 campaign. 8 Louisiana Tech* W, 66-64 WKU will have not played a home game in 28 days since Marshall on Jan. 15. 9 Louisiana Tech* L, 63-58 15 Marshall* W, 81-73 • WKU’s 13-4 record is its best start since the 2001-02 season, when the Hilltoppers went 28-4. 17 at Marshall* W, 69-67 23 at Middle Tennessee* W, 82-67 • WKU has five top-90 NET wins so far this season over Alabama (9), Memphis (60), Marshall twice (71) and 24 at Middle Tennessee* W, 68-52 Rhode Island (88). Two of its losses came vs. West Virginia (17) on a neutral court and at Louisville (35). 29 Old Dominion* Postponed 30 Old Dominion* Postponed • Charles Bassey has been named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List for National FEBRUARY Player of the Year. He’s also on the Naismith Trophy and Lute Olson National POY watch lists, Naismith 5 at Florida Atlantic* Postponed Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year top 10 list. 6 at Florida Atlantic* Postponed 12 Rice* 7 p.m. CT • As of Wednesday, Charles Bassey ranked first in the nation in dunks (43), second in blocked shots per 13 Rice* 5 p.m. CT game (3.4), third in double-doubles (11), total rebounds (195) and rebounds per game (12.2), and fourth 19 at North Texas* 7 p.m. CT in total blocks (55) and defensive rebounds per game (8.8). Bassey continues to be among the nation’s 20 at North Texas* 4 p.m. CT leaders in these categories despite not playing in the last three weeks. | See Page 7 for more info. 26 FIU* 7 p.m. CT 27 FIU* 4 p.m. CT • In his last three games, redshirt senior forward Carson Williams is averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds per game, while shooting 50% overall and from the 3-point line, as well as 79% from the free-throw line. (*) Conference USA Game (1) Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic (Sioux Falls, S.D.) (2) Wade Houston Tipoff Classic (Louisville, Ky.) WKU HILLTOPPERS RICE OWLS 2020-21 Record 13-4, 6-2 C-USA 2020-21 Record 12-8, 6-6 C-USA NCAA BUBBLE WATCH (AS OF 2/10) Ranking NR Ranking NR 2020-21 NCAA NET 77 2020-21 NCAA NET 169 CBS Sports Last Game W, 68-52 at Middle Tennessee Last Game W, 76-68 vs. Southern Miss In the Field (10 seed) Head Coach Rick Stansbury Head Coach Scott Pera Career Record 388-222 (19th season) Career Record 47-68 (Fourth season) FOX Record at School 95-56 (Fifth season) Record at School Same Last Four In (12 seed) Leading Scorer Charles Bassey (17.8 ppg) Leading Scorer Quincy Olivari (15.9 ppg) ESPN Leading Rebounds Charles Bassey (12.2 rpg) Leading Rebounder Max Fiedler (9.2 rpg) First Four Out (#72 Overall) Leading Assists Dayvion McKnight (3.2 apg) Leading Assists Max Fiedler (4.1 apg) 1 46 20-WIN SEASONS | 42 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS | 23 NCAA TOURNAMENTS | 1,828 ALL-TIME WINS | 35 NBA DRAFT PICKS WORKING CREDENTIALS: To request credentials, please contact this change, but it’s necessary because of a lack of space due to physical distancing, Zach Greenwell or Dana Brown, WKU Media Relations Coordinator and our requirement to comply with the guidelines set by Conference USA and ([email protected]). All requests should be made as early as the Governor’s office. Pool photography and video will be made available for your possible and should be limited to working press only. outlet’s use from WKU Athletics for each home game. There will be numerous changes to the media protocols inside E.A. Diddle RADIO COVERAGE: Radio broadcast permission must be obtained in advance, Arena this season due to COVID-19. Masks will be required at all times for along with press row reservations, from Zach Greenwell. WKU maintains courtesy everyone, as will temperature and symptom screenings at the point of entry. ethernet and phone lines for schools who can provide reciprocal arrangements for Media seating will be greatly altered and limited in the arena this year. Many the Hilltopper IMG Sports Network. ISDN lines will not be available in Diddle Arena or all media will not be seated on the floor level, and will likely be seated this season. Inquiries about any other accommodations should be made well in on the upper concourse of the arena. To the extent possible with severe advance with Greenwell and WKU Telecommunications. space limitations, priority will be given to media outlets based upon those which have regularly participated in WKU news conferences, with additional RECRUITS: Per NCAA rule, media are not permitted to have contact with a prospect consideration to reach of the entity and the history of coverage. Requests or family members of a prospect during their visit (official or unofficial) to campus, for credentials will be reviewed on a case-by-case, year-by-year basis. The including prospects in attendance at practice or games. Contact includes in-person Athletic Communications/Media Relations office has the final authority on conversations, phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc. Media are also whether any individuals from any organization will be issued media credentials. asked to make every effort to keep distance from prospects on campus, including Complimentary tickets are not provided to media. at practice, during pregame activities and in the stands. The media room will be closed this year to be used only by team personnel for GAMEDAY SERVICES: Games will be paperless, with all media guides, box scores, postgame press conferences. Media will enter the arena through Gate 4 and final books and game notes made available online instead of in printed form. WKU head directly to their seat. As a result of this new protocol, no pregame meal offers live stats for media members through StatBroadcast (wku.statbroadcast. will be provided. Drinks will be available near media seating. com), and all other printed materials can be found at WKUSports.com. Any abuse of a credential to a WKU athletic event will result in the immediate POSTGAME INTERVIEWS: All postgame press conferences with head coach removal of the media member from the event as well as the agency losing Rick Stansbury and select players will be conducted electronically on Zoom this credential privileges for the remainder of the season. season. The link to join the press conference will be sent out before each game, along with any other relevant info. WKU Athletic Communications/Media Relations MEDIA WILL CALL: Credentials may be picked up on gameday at Media Will representatives will be available to assist in postgame interviews. Interviews with Call located at Gate 4 of E.A. Diddle Arena. Please be mindful that parking the visiting team can be coordinated with the visiting SID. is granted by a list and parking passes will not be issued, so please request parking at the same time. WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE: Head coach Rick Stansbury will hold a press conference for credentialed media via Zoom during the week when the team PHOTOGRAPHERS: There will be no photographers or videographers schedule allows, usually on a weekly basis. Select players may also be available at the allowed to shoot at men’s and women’s basketball games this year outside of weekly press conference.