Jim Mashek

HANK PLONA TAKES REVAMPED ROSTER INTO SECOND SEASON AS HILLTOPPERS’ HEAD COACH

Bryant Selebangue is one of nine first-year players on the Western Kentucky men’s basketball roster for the 2025-26 season, and the former McNeese State forward clearly likes what he sees on the floor at WKU’s historic E.A. Diddle Arena.

“I think we have a lot of good, unselfish players on our team,” Selbangue said on Monday during the team’s annual Media Day. “I think that’s our team’s identity …”

Well, that and fiery but personable second-year WKU head coach Hank Plona, who succeeded Steve Lutz after the HIlltoppers’ NCAA Tournament breakthrough in March, 2024. Plona, 40, compiled an impressive 225-35 record in eight years at Indian HIlls Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, so he’s already had on-the-job training in this era of men’s college basketball, what with Name/Image/Likeness, the NCAA Transfer Portal and what seems like perpetual conference realignment.

Plona leads the Hilltoppers onto the court for an exhibition opening game against Kentucky Wesleyan College on Wednesday night, and Western Kentucky will have an exhibition on the road, against former Conference USA rival UAB, next week. Then, on November 4, longtime WKU fans will see the Hilltoppers tangle with another familiar opponent, Tennessee Tech, on Opening Night at Diddle.

Plona likes to adjust his system to the talent on hand, and he likes the early returns he’s seen from the Tops.

“We’re trying to mold, and build this team, and I’m very comfortable with that,” Plona said. “This year, it feels very comfortable for me … We’re always going to be aggressive, offensively, but we’ve got to take a lot less shots, off the dribble, than we did last season.

“You learn from both success and failure.”

After the memorable Conference USA Tournament run and long-awaited berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2024, Lutz was on his way to Oklahoma State University, and WKU officials quickly turned to Plona, who’s paid some dues at the JUCO level and understands the public-relations aspect of college basketball, too.

“We’ve been working together since June, even before practice started,” Plona said. “We’ve been building our identity, our values, our culture … We have some guys who have been through this.

“I think we have a very mature group.”

Plona was joined at the press conference by three WKU players — veteran swingman Teagan Moore, who missed the 2024-25 season after hip surgery, 6-foot-8 graduate transfer Bryant Selebangue, a native of Montreal, Quebec, and 6-foot-9 senior forward Grant Newell, who most recently played at North Texas, another former Conference USA school.

Moore, who played a critical role off the bench on the 2023-24 WKU squad, said Plona has gotten his message across, on the practice floor.

“He wants us to play fast, but he wants the first shot to be a good shot,” Moore said. “Opening Night? I am so ready for it. You have freedom in (Plona’s) offense, but you’ve got to learn what you can, about your teammates, in practice.”

Only three active players return from last year’s 17-15 squad, which took a first-round exit from the Conference USA Tournament with a loss to Florida International at the Probst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama.

Those players are junior point guard Jack Edelen and front-line players Blaise Keita and Leeroy Odiahi, although former Warren Central High School star Kade Unseld also was on the mend last season after undergoing knee surgery.

“Kade can shoot the ball,” Selebangue said.

Cade Stinnett, a Greenwood High School star who turned in two fine seasons at NCAA Division III Centre College, also took a redshirt year and brings a rare offensive skill set to the Hilltoppers’ roster. WKU coach Hank Plona also recruited former Butler County standout Lawson Rice, who is likely to miss the 2025-26 season after undergoing ACL surgery earlier this year.

“I’m not going to apologize for recruiting my (geographical) area,” Plona said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys who want to play here, multiple years. I want guys who want to be here.”

The Hilltoppers will open Conference USA play on December 29, on the road against Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Alabama.