Jim Mashek

TOPS THROTTLE CAMPBELLSVILLE, 102-59; WKU TANGLES WITH TALENTED TULSA SQUAD ON FRIDAY NIGHT

Everything went pretty much according to plan, Monday night, for Hank Plona and his Western Kentucky University men’s basketball team.

The Hilltoppers faced Campbellsville University, an NAIA squad sporting a 12-1 overall record, at WKU’s historic E.A. Diddle Arena, and after some solid 3-point shooting in the first half, the Tigers fell helplessly behind in the matchup against the Hilltoppers.

Western Kentucky earned its seventh victory against three defeats, drubbing Campbellsville to the tune of 102-59. The Monday night tilt had a modest turnout, a paid crowd of 2,545. There was little point in analyzing what had happened, when it was over, because it was supposed to be a mismatch and ultimately, that’s the way it turned out.

The elephant in the room, though, was wheeling around the court on a supportive scooter, conversing with WKU teammates while dealing with the disappointment of his season coming to an end in Huntington, West Virginia.

His name is Bryant Selebangue.

Selebangue sustained a torn Achilles tendon over the weekend at Marshall University, a dismal 77-61 loss to the Thundering Herd. He’s scheduled for surgery on Tuesday, and as a graduate transfer, he’s likely played his last season of college basketball.

And he might have been the guy the Tops could least afford to lose.

Selebangue is a glue guy, an inside scorer and solid rebounder, and he brings leadership skills to the table, too. Like a lot of college basketball players these days, the Montreal native is a well traveled athlete, having made varied stops at Tulsa, Arizona State and McNeese State before casting his lot with the Tops.

Selebangue and two of his WKU teammates, sophomore swingman Teagan Moore and senior forward Grant Newell turned out in mid-October for the Hilltoppers’ Media Day, and Selebangue proved to be an amicable, interesting guy. I peppered him with questions about the well traveled Will Wade, a meteoric coach now doing his thing at North Carolina State, and quickly realized that Selebangue’s presence would definitely be to the Tops’ advantage.

And now, they have to move on.

Junior forward Louie Semona showed a deft shooting touch from the 3-point line, while scoring 18 points in the Hilltoppers’ rout of Campbellsville. Rugged guard Ryan Myers led the Tops with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and senior center Noah Boyde finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and one of WKU’s three blocked shots.

“Noah has been moving in the right direction these last two weeks,” WKU coach Hank Plona said.

The bottom line, however, is the Hilltoppers have to make some major adjustments after Selebangue’s injury. Plona knows it. His players know it. And most of all, their opponents know it.

And the Tops have a capable opponent on the horizon.

The Tulsa Hurricanes have won 10 games, with just one loss, an 84-83 setback at the hands of Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas. They’ll square off with Western Kentucky on Friday night, not your customary Saturday afternoon, a game that could help define the Hilltoppers’ second season under Plona’s direction.

(He served a single season as the lead WKU assistant for Steve Lutz, now at Oklahoma State.)

“It could be kind of a kick start for us, in the second half of the season,” Plona said. “It’s a heckuva opportunity … I mean, they’re an elite level team.”

Plona will have to decide how to adapt with Bryant Selebangue at the end of his bench, on his scooter. Noah Boyde and WKU teammate Blaise Keita, both seniors, have played limited minutes for most of the season. Last year, in a non-conference December game against Murray State, WKU forward Babacar Faye injured his left knee, taking some of the luster off a victory over the longtime rival Racers.

At first, it looked like Faye would return. Then, the Hilltoppers were hopeful he could return. After awhile, it was obvious he would not return.

The Tops finished the season 17-15, taking a first-round exit in the Conference USA Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama.

Faye is a versatile 6-foot-9 forward now playing at the University of Utah.

Bryant Selebangue is a sturdy 6-foot-8 post player who can keep opposing defenses honest.

Neither will be available for Plona over the next three months.

The Hilltoppers have encountered an early crossroads.

Friday night’s game against Tulsa could go a long way in determining where they’re actually going.