2020–21 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

2020–21 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
C-USA regular season champions
C-USA East division champions
NIT, Quarterfinals
ConferenceConference USA
DivisionEast Division
Record21–8 (11–3 C-USA)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaE. A. Diddle Arena
Seasons
2020–21 Conference USA men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
East
Western Kentucky 11 – 3   .786 21 – 8   .724
Old Dominion 11 – 5   .688 15 – 8   .652
Marshall 9 – 5   .643 15 – 7   .682
Florida Atlantic 7 – 5   .583 13 – 10   .565
Charlotte 5 – 11   .313 9 – 15   .375
Middle Tennessee 3 – 13   .188 5 – 18   .217
FIU 2 – 15   .118 9 – 17   .346
West
Louisiana Tech 12 – 4   .750 24 – 8   .750
UAB 13 – 5   .722 22 – 7   .759
North Texas † 9 – 5   .643 18 – 10   .643
UTSA 9 – 7   .563 15 – 11   .577
UTEP 8 – 8   .500 12 – 12   .500
Rice 6 – 10   .375 15 – 13   .536
Southern Miss 4 – 13   .235 8 – 17   .320
† 2021 C-USA Tournament winner


The 2020–21 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were led by head coach Rick Stansbury in his fifth season and played their home games at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky as seventh-year members of Conference USA. The team finished the season in first place in the C-USA East Division and with the best conference record overall at 18-6 .[1] They defeated UTSA and UAB to advance to the finals where they lost to North Texas. They received a bid to the 2021 National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Saint Mary’s in the First Round before losing to fellow conference member Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals. Center Charles Bassey was named the Conference USA Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year.[2] Taveion Hollingsworth joined Bassey on the All-Conference Team, while Josh Anderson joined him on C-USA’s All-Defensive Team, and Dayvion McKnight made the All-Freshman Team.[3]

Previous season

The Hilltoppers finished the 2019–20 season with 20–10, 13–5 in C-USA play to finish in second place. The 2020 Conference USA men's basketball tournament, and the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roster

2020–21 WKU Hilltoppers men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 1 Kylen Milton 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Conway HS
Core4 Academy 		Monticello, AR
F 2 Kevin Osawe 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jr Central Technical School
Vincennes 		Toronto, Ontario, Canada
G 3 Jordan Rawls 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) So Hamilton Heights Christian Academy Chattanooga, TN
G 4 Josh Anderson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Sr Madison Preparatory Academy Baton Rouge, LA
G 5 Noah Stansbury 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Fr Greenwood HS Bowling Green, KY
G 11 Taveion Hollingsworth 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Sr Paul Laurence Dunbar HS Lexington, KY
G 12 Jackson Harlan 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Clinton County HS Albany, KY
G 14 Luke Frampton 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) RS Jr Poca HS
Davidson 		Poca, WV
G 15 Patrick Murphy 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) RS Sr Independence HS
Martin Methodist 		Franklin, TN
G 20 Dayvion McKnight 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Fr Collins HS Shelvyville, KY
G 21 Kenny Cooper 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) RS Sr Franklin Road Academy
Lipscomb 		Nashville, TN
F 22 Carson Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 240 lb (109 kg) RS Sr Owen County HS
Northern Kentucky 		Owenton, KY
C 23 Charles Bassey 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Jr St. Anthony Catholic HS
Aspire Academy 		Lagos, Nigeria
F 32 Bailey Conrad 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Fr Christian Academy of Indiana Corydon, IN
F 50 Isaiah Cozart 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) So Madison Central HS Richmond, KY
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: January 31, 2021

Schedule

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
November 25, 2020*
3:30 p.m., ESPNU 		vs. Northern Iowa
Crossover Classic quarterfinals 		W 93–87  1–0
  26 – Hollingsworth   8 – Bassey   3 – McKnight  Sanford Pentagon (0)
Sioux Falls, SD
November 26, 2020*
11:00 a.m., ESPN 		vs. Memphis
Crossover Classic semifinals 		W 75–69  2–0
  21 – Bassey   14 – Bassey   4 – Cooper  Sanford Pentagon (0)
Sioux Falls, SD
November 27, 2020*
12:30 p.m., ESPN 		vs. No. 15 West Virginia
Crossover Classic championship 		L 64–70  2–1
  15 – Bassey   8 – Bassey   3 – Hollingsworth  Sanford Pentagon (0)
Sioux Falls, SD
December 1, 2020*
5:00 p.m., ACCN 		at No. 24 Louisville
Wade Houston Tip-Off Classic 		L 54–75  2–2
  19 – Hollingsworth   15 – Bassey   3 – McKnight  KFC Yum! Center (3,013)
Louisville, KY
December 6, 2020*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Mississippi Valley State W 96–69  3–2
  16 – Hollingsworth   11 – Bassey   7 – McKnight  Diddle Arena (1,009)
Bowling Green, KY
December 10, 2020*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Gardner–Webb W 86–84  4–2
  29 – Bassey   14 – Bassey   7 – Cooper  Diddle Arena (1,009)
Bowling Green, KY
December 13, 2020*
11:00 a.m., CBSSN 		Rhode Island W 68–65  5–2
  15 – Anderson   9 – Bassey   7 – Hollingsworth  Diddle Arena (1,070)
Bowling Green, KY
December 19, 2020*
1:00 p.m., SECN 		at Alabama W 73–71  6–2
  27 – Bassey   12 – Bassey   6 – McKnight  Coleman Coliseum (2,025)
Tuscaloosa, AL
December 22, 2020*
6:00 p.m., ESPNU 		Tennessee Tech W 88–68  7–2
  22 – Frampton   7 – Hollingsworth   4 – Anderson,Cooper,McKnight  Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
January 1, 2021
3:30 p.m., FS South 		at Charlotte W 67–63  8–2
(1–0) 		 14 – Hollingsworth   12 – Bassey   6 – McKnight  Dale F. Halton Arena 
Charlotte, North Carolina
January 2, 2021
3:30 p.m., Stadium 		at Charlotte L 71–75 OT 8–3
(1–1) 		 23 – Hollingsworth   8 – Bassey   3 – Hollingsworth,Cooper  Dale F. Halton Arena 
Charlotte, NC
January 8, 2021
7:00 p.m., CBSSN on Facebook 		Louisiana Tech W 66–64  9–3
(2–1) 		 24 – Bassey   12 – Bassey   4 – Rawls  Diddle Arena (1,102)
Bowling Green, KY
January 9, 2021
6:00 p.m., CBSSN on Facebook 		Louisiana Tech L 58–63  9–4
(2–2) 		 16 – Hollingsworth   13 – Bassey   6 – McKnight  Diddle Arena (1,123)
Bowling Green, KY
January 14, 2021
6:00 p.m., CBSSN 		Marshall W 81–73  10–4
(3–2) 		 22 – Anderson   19 – Bassey   4 – Hollingsworth  Diddle Arena (1,117)
Bowling Green, KY
January 17, 2021
2:00 p.m., CBSSN on Facebook 		at Marshall W 69–67  11–4
(4–2) 		 24 – Bassey   9 – Bassey   2 – Williams,McKnight,Cooper  Cam Henderson Center (1,274)
Huntington, West Virginia
January 23, 2021
4:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at Middle Tennessee W 82–67  12–4
(5–2) 		 16 – Bassey   12 – Bassey   4 – McKnight  Murphy Center 
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
January 24, 2021
1:00 p.m., CBSSN 		at Middle Tennessee W 68–52  13–4
(6–2) 		 23 – Bassey   14 – Bassey   3 – Anderson  Murphy Center 
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
January 29, 2021
7:00 p.m., CBSSN on Facebook 		Old Dominion Postponed Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
January 30, 2021
4:00 p.m., CBSSN on Facebook 		Old Dominion Postponed Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
February 5, 2021
6:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at FAU Postponed FAU Arena 
Boca Raton, FL
February 6, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		at FAU Postponed FAU Arena 
Boca Raton, FL
February 12, 2021
7:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		Rice W 77–71  14–4
(7–2) 		 18 – Bassey   12 – Bassey   9 – McKnight  Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
February 13, 2021
7:00 p.m., CBSSN 		Rice W 89–66  15–4
(8–2) 		 21 – Bassey   7 – Williams   9 – McKnight  Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
February 20, 2021
4:00 p.m., CBSSN on Facebook 		at North Texas Postponed [a][4] UNT Coliseum 
Denton, TX
February 21, 2021
1:00 p.m., CBSSN on Facebook 		at North Texas Postponed [a][4] UNT Coliseum 
Denton, TX
February 25, 2021*
6:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at No. 12 Houston L 57–81  15–5
  17 – Hollingsworth   7 – Bassey   4 – McKnight  Fertitta Center 
Houston, TX
February 28, 2021
2:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		FIU W 91–58  16–5
(9–2) 		 21 – Williams   14 – Bassey   5 – Rawls  Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
March 1, 2021
12:00 p.m., ESPN+ 		FIU W 71–59  17–5
(10–2) 		 22 – Bassey   15 – Bassey   6 – McKnight  Diddle Arena 
Bowling Green, KY
March 5, 2021
7:00 p.m. 		Old Dominion L 69–71  17–6
(10–3) 		 23 – Bassey   15 – Bassey   5 – Hollingsworth,McKnight  Diddle Arena (1,275)
Bowling Green, KY
March 6, 2021
4:00 p.m. 		Old Dominion W 60–57  18–6
(11–3) 		 19 – Hollingsworth   9 – Bassey   3 – Rawls  Diddle Arena (1,286)
Bowling Green, KY
CUSA conference tournament
March 11, 2021
5:30 p.m., Stadium 		(E1) vs. (W4) UTSA
Quarterfinals 		W 80–67  19–6
  21 – Bassey   9 – Bassey,Williams   4 – McKnight  Ford Center at The Star 
Frisco, Texas
March 12, 2021
12:00 p.m., CBSSN 		(E1) vs. (W2) UAB
Semifinals 		W 64–60  20–6
  22 – Bassey   7 – Bassey   9 – McKnight  Ford Center at The Star 
Frisco, Texas
March 13, 2021
9:00 p.m., CBSSN 		(E1) vs. (W3) North Texas
Championship 		L 57–61 OT 20–7
  14 – Anderson   11 – Bassey   3 – Hollingsworth  Ford Center at The Star 
Frisco, Texas
NIT
March 17, 2021
8:00 pm, ESPN2 		(3) vs. (2) Saint Mary's
First Round – Ole Miss bracket 		W 69–67  21–7
  21 – Hollingsworth   11 – Bassey   7 – Rawls  Comerica Center 
Frisco, TX
March 25, 2021
8:00 pm, ESPN2 		(3) vs. (4) Louisiana Tech
Quarterfinals 		L 65–72  21–8
  20 – Rawls   16 – Bassey   8 – Rawls  Comerica Center (737)
Frisco, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Game was postponed due to weather concerns.

References

  1. ^ Tops finish regular season atop C-USA with win over Old Dominion, Bowling Green Daily News retrieved March 7, 2021
  2. ^ "MBB: Superlative Awards Announced" (Press release). Conference USA. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  3. ^ Four Hilltoppers receive All-Conference USA honors, Bowling Green Daily News retrieved March 11, 2021
  4. ^ a b Vito, Brett (February 18, 2021). "North Texas-Western Kentucky basketball series postponed indefinitely". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved February 18, 2021.