New-look Tops set for exhibition game
Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, October 21, 2025
WKU Mens’ Basketball Head Coach Hank Plona speaks during media day for the WKU Mens’ Basketball team at E.A. Diddle Arena on Monday.
Western Kentucky men’s basketball fans get their first look at a refreshed roster Wednesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The Hilltoppers host NCAA Division II program Kentucky Wesleyan in a 6:30 p.m. matchup. This year’s group, under second-year head coach Hank Plona, hardly resembles the squad that went 17-15 overall and finished 8-10 in Conference USA play, ending a injury-plagued season with a first-round loss to Florida International in the CUSA Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama.
Even weighed down by an abnormal amount of significant injuries, it was a disappointing follow-up season after the Tops won their first-ever CUSA tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade during the 2023-24 season.
Change was needed, and change came for WKU – nine newcomers joined the program. WKU added six players – forward/center Noah Boyde, forwards Grant Newell, Bryant Selebangue and Louie Semona, and guards Cam Haffner and Ryan Myers. Guard LJ Hackman arrived as a junior-college transfer, while true freshmen guards Armelo Boone and Lawson Rice made up the Class of 2024 recruiting class.
It’s more than just fresh faces, though – the Tops welcome back four players from last year’s roster who didn’t log a single minute of game time. Guards Terrion Murdix, Teagan Moore and Kade Unseld all sat out the season with injuries, while guard Cade Stinnett redshirted as a transfer into the program.
Of this year’s 16-player roster, the only returnees who played in a game for WKU last season are forward/centers Blaise Keita and Leeroy Odiahi, and guard Jack Edelen.
“Obviously this feels like somewhat of the first game week for us, so I think we’re looking forward to taking the floor here at Diddle and putting on some game uniforms and seeing what we’ve got,” Plona said during Monday’s news conference. “Obviously it feels like a very new team and a very new start, and a very kind of fresh beginning for this group.”
Plona said Wednesday’s exhibition – the Tops will play another the following week at UAB – offers a chance to experiment with lineups and combinations. The Tops faced Kentucky Wesleyan in a regular-season game at Diddle last season, winning 91-71 after leading by just five points at halftime. The Panthers, coached by Drew Cooper, went 22-7 overall last season and finished 16-4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
“We’re well aware that there’s an overreaction to everything,” Plona said. “If we win by a lot of points on Wednesday, we’re not the best team in the world. And if we lose by a lot of points, we’re not the worst team in the world. These are exhibition games. We’re trying to build our identity. We’re trying to find rotations – I mean, everybody’s going to play on Wednesday night – we’re trying to find combinations that work.
“I wouldn’t tell you that we’re going to run the most in-depth stuff in our playbook to try to make sure that we score out of a time out versus Kentucky Wesleyan on Wednesday night. We’re trying to have the best season (we can) and these games don’t count.”
Plona said the Tops will have 15 healthy players available for Wednesday’s game. Rice will be the lone player sidelined as he continues to rehabilitate following knee surgery.
“Right now Lawson Rice is the only player not practicing full,” Plona said. “Lawson had a torn ACL last October in his senior year at Butler County High School. He’s been a little in and out throughout the summer, but he’s still rehabbing so Lawson is not a full go right now. He will not be playing in either one of the exhibition games. I would expect him to be doubtful, I would say, for the beginning of the season. The other 15 guys are all healthy.”
Rice’s absence spoils a potential matchup with one of his teammates at Butler County – freshman guard Briar Griffin is in his first season playing for Kentucky Wesleyan, which also features a local tie in junior guard Boden Bates – an Edmonson County graduate and son of former Lady Topper Jennifer Gravil (Slaughter).
Plona is ready to see how his squad performs in a game – even if it doesn’t count.
“Right now on Wednesday night I have no idea who’s going to start or who’s going to play,” Plona said. “And I’m sure after the game somebody’s going to ask me why’d you do something. And hey man, we’re trying to mold and build this team which is very, very common for me.”
About Jeff Nations
Sports Editor, Bowling Green Daily News
More by Jeff
