2016–17 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

2016–17 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball
Conference Conference USA
2016–17 record 15–17 (9–9 C-USA)
Head coach Rick Stansbury (1st season)
Assistant coach Chris Cheeks
Assistant coach Shammond Williams
Assistant coach Quannas White
Home arena E. A. Diddle Arena
2016–17 Conference USA men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
Middle Tennessee †17–1 .944  31–5  .861
Louisiana Tech14–4 .778  23–10  .697
Old Dominion12–6 .667  19–12  .613
UTEP12–6 .667  15–17  .469
Rice11–7 .611  23–12  .657
Marshall10–8 .556  20–15  .571
UAB9–9 .500  17–16  .515
Western Kentucky9–9 .500  15–17  .469
UTSA8–10 .444  14–19  .424
Charlotte7–11 .389  13–17  .433
Florida Atlantic6–12 .333  10–20  .333
Southern Miss6–12 .333  9–22  .290
FIU3–15 .167  7–24  .226
North Texas2–16 .111  8–22  .267
† 2017 C-USA Tournament winner

The 2016–17 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Rick Stansbury in his first season. They played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky and were third-year members of Conference USA. They finished the season 15–17, 9–9 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost to UTSA in the first round of the C-USA Tournament.

Previous season

The Hilltoppers finished the 2015–16 season 18–16, 8–10 in C-USA play to finish in eighth place. They defeated North Texas and UAB to advance to the semifinals of the C-USA Tournament where they lost to Old Dominion. Despite having 18 wins and a better they .500 record, they did not participate in a postseason tournament.

On March 17, 2016, head coach Ray Harper resigned after three players were suspended by a university disciplinary committee.[1][2][3] He finished at WKU with a record of 90–62. On March 28, the school hired Rick Stansbury as head coach.[4]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Chris McNeal1G6'0"195FreshmanJackson, TennesseeTransferred to Indian Hills CC
Aaron Cosby2G6'3"200RS SeniorLouisville, KentuckyGraduated
Marlon Hunter, Jr.3G6'2"195FreshmanMemphis, TennesseeTransferred to Odessa College
Phabian Glasco13F6'7"230JuniorTulsa, OklahomaLeft the team due to personal reasons
Dylan Sanford15G6'1"180FreshmanOwensboro, KentuckyLeft the team due to personal reasons
Aleksej Rostov20C6'10"240SeniorRiga, LatviaGraduated
Nigel Snipes21F6'6"220RS SeniorMarietta, GeorgiaGraduated
Nathan Smith22C7'2"240FreshmanLondon, EnglandLeft the team due to personal reasons
Frederick Edmond25G6'4"205JuniorLansing, MichiganTransferred
Keifer Dalton32G5'11"165FreshmanAlbany, KentuckyWalk-on; left the team due to personal reasons
Chris Harrison-Docks51G6'0"175RS JuniorOkemos, MichiganGraduate transferred to DePaul

Incoming transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Junior Lomomba5G6'5"205RS JuniorMontreal, QETransferred from Providence. Lomomba will be eligible to play immediately since Lomomba graduated from Providence.
Que Johnson32F6'5"208RS SeniorPontiac, MichiganTransferred from Washington State. Johnson will be eligible to play immediately since Johnson graduated from Washington State.
Cleveland Thomas12G6'3"195RS SeniorBaton Rouge, LouisianaTransferred from Hartford. Thomas will be eligible to play immediately since Thomas graduated from Hartford.
Lamonte BeardenG6'3"160JuniorMilawaukee, WisconsinTransferred from Buffalo. Under NCAA transfer rules, Bearden will have to sit out for the 2016–17 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility.
Moustapha DiagneC6'9"245SophomoreDakar, SenegalJunior college transferred from Northwest Florida State College. He will have to sit out the 2016-17 season and will have three years of eligibility left.

Future recruits

Class of 2016 recruits

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
T.J. Howard
PG		 Lithonia, Georgia DME Academy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Oct 17, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Damari Parris
PG		 Charlotte, North Carolina Evelyn Mack Academy 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) May 6, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Robinson Idehen
C		 Modesto, California Modesto Christian School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jun 13, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.

    Class of 2017 recruits

    Preseason

    The Hilltoppers were picked to finish in third place in the preseason Conference USA poll.[5] Justin Johnson was selected to the preseason All-Conference USA team.[5]

    Roster

    2016–17 WKU Hilltoppers men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    F 00 Jabari McGhee 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS SoTennessee Albany, Georgia
    G 1 Tobias Howard 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrDME Academy Lithonia, Georgia
    G 3 Damari Parris 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)160 lb (73 kg) FrEvelyn Mack Academy Bowie, Maryland
    G 5 Junior Lomomba 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS SrProvidence Montreal, Quebec
    G 12 Pancake Thomas 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS SrHartford Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    F 14 Benjamin Lawson 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)235 lb (107 kg) SrOaklands College Hitchin, England
    F 12 Moustapha Diagne  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)245 lb (111 kg) SoNorthwest Florida State College Dakar, Senegal
    G 15 Tyler Miller 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) Jr22ft Academy Louisville, Kentucky
    G 21 Marko Stajkovski 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)195 lb (88 kg) FrE-Gimnazija Novi Sad Novi Sad, Serbia
    F 23 Justin Johnson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)240 lb (109 kg) JrPerry County Central High School Hazard, Kentucky
    F 24 Willie Carmichael 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)210 lb (95 kg) RS SoTennessee Apopka, Florida
    G 32 Que Johnson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS SrWashington State Pontiac, Michigan
    F 42 Anton Waters 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)245 lb (111 kg) SrGulf Coast State College Baltimore, Maryland
    G 43 Marty Leahy 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrIpswich Grammar School Brisbane, Australia
    G Lamonte Bearden (I)  6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)160 lb (73 kg) JrBuffalo Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster

    Schedule and results

    Date
    time, TV    		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Exhibition
    11/01/2016*
    7:00 PM, WKUSports.tv    		 Campbellsville W 87–79 
    		E. A. Diddle Arena (3,887)
    Bowling Green, KY
    11/05/2016*
    8:00 PM, WKUSports.tv    		 Kentucky Wesleyan W 103–97 2OT
    		E. A. Diddle Arena (4,264)
    Bowling Green, KY
    Non-conference regular season
    11/12/2016*
    7:00 PM, WKUSports.tv    		 Alabama State
    Global Sports Classic    		 W 79–66  1–0
    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (4,149)
    Bowling Green, KY
    11/16/2016*
    8:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 Jacksonville State
    Global Sports Classic    		 W 74–67  2–0
    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (4,226)
    Bowling Green, KY
    11/19/2016*
    7:00 PM, OVCDN    		 Belmont L 69–90  2–1
    		 Curb Event Center (3,319)
    Nashville, TN
    11/22/2016*
    7:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 North Carolina A&T W 77–56  3–1
    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (3,751)
    Bowling Green, KY
    11/25/2016*
    7:00 PM, CI    		 vs. Washington
    Global Sports Classic semifinals    		 L 47–86  3–2
    		 Thomas & Mack Center (9,815)
    Paradise, NV
    11/26/2016*
    7:00 PM, CI    		 at UNLV
    Global Sports Classic 3rd place game    		 L 61–71  3–3
    		 Thomas & Mack Center (8,810)
    Paradise, NV
    11/30/2016*
    7:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 at Eastern Kentucky L 59–78  3–4
    		 McBrayer Arena (5,400)
    Richmond, KY
    12/03/2016*
    2:00 PM, SECN+    		 at Missouri L 56–59  3–5
    		 Mizzou Arena (4,547)
    Columbia, MO
    12/11/2016*
    3:30 PM, ESPN3    		 at Indiana State W 77–59  4–5
    		 Hulman Center (3,345)
    Terre Haute, IN
    12/14/2016*
    9:00 PM    		 at No. 20 Saint Mary's L 51–73  4–6
    		 McKeon Pavilion (2,581)
    Moraga, CA
    12/17/2016*
    1:00 PM, ESPN3    		 at Detroit L 79–85  4–7
    		 Calihan Hall (1,027)
    Detroit, MI
    12/21/2016*
    8:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 Ohio W 67–66  5–7
    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (2,746)
    Bowling Green, KY
    12/28/2016*
    7:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 Austin Peay W 97–92  6–7
    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (3,913)
    Bowling Green, KY
    Conference USA regular season
    12/31/2016
    12:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 at Florida Atlantic W 69–54  7–7
    (1–0)    		 FAU Arena (877)
    Boca Raton, FL
    01/02/2017
    6:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 at FIU W 69–66  8–7
    (2–0)    		 FIU Arena (644)
    Miaim, FL
    01/05/2017
    7:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 Charlotte W 82–80  9–7
    (3–0)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (2,568)
    Bowling Green, KY
    01/07/2017
    5:00 PM, ASN    		 Old Dominion L 67–79  9–8
    (3–1)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (4,122)
    Bowling Green, KY
    01/12/2017
    7:00 PM, CI    		 at UAB L 54–72  9–9
    (3–2)    		 Bartow Arena (3,745)
    Birmingham, AL
    01/14/2017
    7:00 PM, ASN    		 at Middle Tennessee L 76–91  9–10
    (3–3)    		 Murphy Center (6,806)
    Murfreesboro, TN
    01/21/2017
    5:00 PM, ASN    		 at Marshall L 80–94  9–11
    (3–4)    		 Cam Henderson Center (6,813)
    Huntington, WV
    01/26/2017
    7:00 PM, beIN    		 UTEP W 65–62  10–11
    (4–4)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (3,859)
    Bowling Green, KY
    01/28/2017
    3:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 UTSA W 81–66  11–11
    (5–4)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (4,298)
    Bowling Green, KY
    02/02/2017
    7:00 PM, beIN    		 at Louisiana Tech L 67–76  11–12
    (5–5)    		 Thomas Assembly Center (3,802)
    Ruston, LA
    02/04/2017
    4:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 at Southern Miss W 64–47  12–12
    (6–5)    		 Reed Green Coliseum (2,946)
    Hattiesburg, MS
    02/11/2017
    5:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 Marshall L 79–84  12–13
    (6–6)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (4,742)
    Bowling Green, KY
    02/16/2017
    8:00 PM, CBSSN    		 Middle Tennessee L 52–78  12–14
    (6–7)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (4,385)
    Bowling Green, KY
    02/19/2017
    1:00 PM, CBSSN    		 UAB W 76–64  13–14
    (7–7)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (3,553)
    Bowling Green, KY
    02/23/2016
    6:00 PM, CI    		 at Charlotte L 77–83  13–15
    (7–8)    		 Dale F. Halton Arena (3,655)
    Charlotte, NC
    02/25/2016
    6:00 PM, ESPN3    		 at Old Dominion L 53–67  13–16
    (7–9)    		 Ted Constant Convocation Center (7,355)
    Norfolk, VA
    03/02/2017
    7:00 PM, FCS/WKYU/WBNA    		 North Texas W 74–63  14–16
    (8–9)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (3,676)
    Bowling Green, KY
    03/04/2017
    7:00 PM    		 Rice W 79–72  15–16
    (9–9)    		 E. A. Diddle Arena (4,823)
    Bowling Green, KY
    Conference USA Tournament
    03/08/2017
    11:30 AM, CI    		 (8) vs. (9) UTSA
    First round    		 L 52–56  15–17
    		 Legacy Arena (3,207)
    Birmingham, AL
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Central Time

    Source[6][7].

    Awards and honors

    Following the regular season, Justin Johnson was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team based on a poll of league coaches.[8]

    See also

    2016–17 WKU Lady Toppers basketball team

    References

    1. ↑ http://www.wbko.com/content/news/Ray-Harper-has-resigned-as-WKU-basketball-coach.html
    2. ↑ "WKU's Harper resigns as three players suspended". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
    3. ↑ zgreenwell@bgdailynews.com, ZACH GREENWELL. "Ransdell: Outcome of WKU players' hearing was 'primary reason' for Harper's resignation". Bowling Green Daily News. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
    4. ↑ "It's official: WKU hires Stansbury as coach". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
    5. 1 2 "MBK: UAB Voted C-USA Preseason Favorite". Conference USA. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
    6. ↑ "Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers Official Athletic Site – Men's Basketball". wkusports.com.
    7. ↑ http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/98
    8. ↑ "C‐USA MEN'S BASKETBALL ALL‐CONFERENCE TEAMS ANNOUNCED" (PDF).
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