WKU Hilltopper Basketball wraps up exhibition play at 7 p.m. Tuesday when the Hilltoppers host Cumberland University in their final tune-up at E.A. Diddle Arena.
WKU has already won two exhibition contests this season – a 78-64 victory at Samford in a charity game for hurricane relief and Wednesday’s 92-51 home win over Campbellsville.
NAIA program Cumberland is 2-1 this season after beating 25th-ranked Martin Methodist on Saturday. The Phoenix are coached by Lonnie Thompson, the father of Hilltopper graduate senior guard Darius Thompson.
EXHIBITION 3
Cumberland University (2-1) at WKU (0-0)
November 7, 2017 | 7 p.m. CT
Bowling Green, Ky. | E.A. Diddle Arena
BROADCAST
Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), TuneIn Radio (free) (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: HSSN – WKU PBS in Bowling Green, WBNA in Louisville; Online stream on CUSA.tv ($)
Live Stats: WKU Stats
QUICK SHOTS
• WKU is 57-4 all-time in preseason exhibition games, and the Hilltoppers have won 25 straight preseason tune-ups dating back to a 2002-03 loss to the Harlem Globetrotters.
• The Hilltoppers have five players averaging in double figures scoring through two exhibition games, led by freshman guard Taveion Hollingsworth’s 19.5 points per game.
• The Hilltoppers have grabbed 27 steals through two exhibition games. They never recorded more than nine steals in any regular-season game last year.
• Taveion Hollingsworth snagged seven steals in the win over Campbellsville. If the game had counted, it would’ve been the most steals in a game by a Hilltopper since Derek Robinson’s seven on Dec. 16, 2000.
• Senior guard Darius Thompson has 17 assists with just five turnovers through two exhibitions. Including WKU’s three exhibitions in Costa Rica in August, Thompson has 37 assists against nine turnovers.
• Senior forwards Dwight Coleby and Justin Johnson are both averaging double-doubles through two exhibitions, while freshman guard Jake Ohmer is averaging 15 points per game with five made 3s.
• With eight newcomers on the roster, WKU returns just two players who competed for the program last season in seniors Justin Johnson and Tyler Miller. They represent 21.1 percent of the program’s scoring from the 2016-17 campaign, 27.3 percent of the rebounding and 17.4 percent of the assists.
• WKU’s 2017-18 roster represents five states – Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee and Wisconsin – as well as two other countries – Senegal and the Bahamas. The Hilltoppers’ six players from Kentucky are their most from the Bluegrass State since 2007-08.
• Justin Johnson is tied for 36th on WKU’s all-time scoring list with 1,120 career points. He needs 23 points to move past Mike Prince, Jack Turner, Jim Rose and Dwight Smith into 33rd place.
• Justin Johnson currently ranks seventh on WKU’s all-time list for career field goal percentage at 55.3 percent. He’s less than a percentage point from fifth place.
• Justin Johnson needs 302 rebounds – the exact amount he grabbed as a junior – to reach 1,000 for his career. That would make him just the fifth player in WKU history with 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds, joining Tom Marshall, Art Spoelstra, Ralph Crosthwaite and Jim McDaniels, the last to accomplish the feat in 1971.
• The Hilltoppers were picked to finish sixth in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll, while Justin Johnson was voted to the 10-member Preseason All-C-USA Team for the second straight season.
• WKU is 60-18 (.769) at E.A. Diddle Arena over the last five seasons after going 27-17 (.614) in the three seasons prior. The Hilltoppers are 584-166 all-time at Diddle Arena for a .779 winning percentage.
PROMOTIONS
$5 Bleacher Seats: Bleacher seats available for $5 (not valid on game day)
TICKETS
WKU Ticket Office: Online at WKUTickets.com, in person at E.A. Diddle Arena, via phone at 1-800-5-BIG Red or 745-5222 locally.
LAST GAME AGAINST CUMBERLAND
No previous regular-season meetings.
MED CENTER HEALTH
The 2017-18 WKU Basketball season is presented by Med Center Health. With The Medical Center at its core, Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for more than 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a complete network of immediate to emergency services and services in dozens of specialties. Whether it is emergency treatment for heart attack victims or preventative programs to improve the health of the communities it serves, Med Center Health is committed to providing the highest level of care and service.
How to follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, follow the team’s social media channels, @WKUBasketball on Twitter, @WKUBasketball on Instagram, and WKU Basketball on Facebook.
-@WKUSports-
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Zach Greenwell
Associate Director
WKU Athletic Communications/Media Relations
Men’s Basketball | Men’s Golf | Women’s Golf
