Conference USA Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2020-2021 season

1. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

At the beginning of this article, it mentioned that most power 5 schools do not sometimes want to see a team from the CUSA on its schedule and definitely do not want to see them in their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament.  That CUSA team for this upcoming 2020 season is the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

There is excitement in the air in Bowling Green and WKU Head Coach Rick Stansbury has reason to optimistic. The Hilltoppers (20-10 overall, 13-5 (t-2nd) last year had some challenges, but wonder what would have been if only?.

Statistically, they were up and down in most offensive and defensive categories, ranging from middle to top and middle to bottom, but there were a few categories where WKU did stand out, which were, third in scoring offense (76.6), third in scoring in margin (+4.6), third in field goal percentage (.458), second in 3 point defense (.300) and third in block shots (4.0).

It is hard to imagine that you lose maybe your best player and superstar to injury at the beginning of the season and yet, impressively, what the Hilltoppers were able to do and to still have a chance to win the conference and have a chance to dance. Well, the Hilltoppers return five starters from last year’s team and that superstar guy that was injured is back and ready to take the title.

WKU is the preseason favorite to win the CUSA for the third year in a row and return five starters and will be led by two preseason all CUSA conference team players in 6-11 junior Charles Bassey and 6-2 senior Taveion Hollingsworth.

Fans of the Hilltoppers gladly welcome back this year, their superstar big man Charles Bassey. Before Bassey (15.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks) went down with a season-ending knee injury, he was on pace to win CUSA Player of the Year honors. Also last year, he was named a Preseason First-Team All-American by Lindy’s Magazine and Street & Smith’s, as well as a preseason watch list honoree for the Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, and Robertson Trophy.

This season, Bassey has been honored with not only 2020 preseason first-team all CUSA honors but is also on the watch list member for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award, also for the second-straight season. Bassey was also named a Preseason Second-Team All-American by Lindy’s Sports Magazine. The biggest preseason honor is that Bassey has been named to the 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List for the second year in a row.

Also joining Bassey in the 2020 preseason all CUSA conference pick is Taveion Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth (16.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and 2.7 apg). Last year he led the team in scoring, assists, and steals. He has also started 102 straight games for the Hilltoppers and is 18th on the WKU career scoring list. He is also, eighth in career minutes played, sixth in career free-throw percentage, and 10th in career made field goals.

Coach Stansbury and staff also have experience and depth coming back as well. The returning players are 6-0 redshirt senior Kenny Cooper (9.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 4.5 apg), 6-6 senior Josh Anderson (10.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 1.3 apg), 6-5 redshirt senior Carson Williams (15.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.7 apg), 6-1 sophomore Jordan Rawls (7.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg and 2.2 apg), 6-7 Isaiah Cozart, and 6-3 Jackson Harlan.

WKU also dipped into the transfer market as well as signing two impact freshmen.  6-5 redshirt junior Luke Frampton (9.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, and 1.4 apg, transfer from Davidson) and 6-6 junior Kevin Osawe (17.2 ppg, 102, rpg and 1.9 apg, transfer from Vincennes in Indiana).

The Hilltoppers also signed two freshmen in the class of 2020. 6-2 freshman and Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball Dayvion McKnight (20. 3 ppg and 8.1 rpg, from Collins High School) and 6-5 freshmen Kylen Milton (13.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 2.0 apg, from Conway High School in Arkansas).

If there is any team in the CUSA that is looking for redemption, it is the WKU Hilltoppers. Not only do they have probably the best player in the CUSA coming back, but they added some big-time depth with the transfers and freshmen.

I want to quote Charles Dortch, who writes in the 2020 – 2021 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook “Last year ended in frustrating fashion for the Hilltoppers, just as it did for most college basketball teams, but if the virus leaves the 2020 – 2021 season alone, they will have a chance to more than make up for it with a CUSA title and an appearance in the NCAA tournament, where no team will look forward to tangling with them”.

Get ready Bowling Green, you’re going to not only win the regular-season crown and CUSA Tournament crown but get ready for a sweet sixteen party in Bowling Green come this March, as the Hilltoppers will make the Sweet Sixteen in the dance and maybe then some.