BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Western Kentucky University held its annual basketball media day Wednesday, and Hilltopper and Lady Topper coaches and players spent time talking with a group of media members about their teams as the seasons approach.
"I want our guys to have high expectations," Hilltopper head coach Ken McDonald said. "We have high expectations. As you go into the preseason, our expectations are to get the energy into our program and get ourselves playing at a high level in terms of intensity. Right now, I am pleased that the players are understanding that defense is going to help us win basketball games, and our depth and our athleticism is going to help us win basketball games."
"We are doing a lot of new things," Lady Topper head coach Mary Taylor Cowles said. "Even our seniors are experiencing some things that we have not done before, on both ends of the floor. That is a lot of explaining and teaching going on. We are still in the learning stages. We are very motivated. We did not capitalize the way we wanted to last year, and I think that has been a little bit of a motivating factor for our seniors. They have truly taken it to heart."
The Hilltoppers host Xavier (La.) in an exhibition game on Saturday at 7:30 PM. The regular season for McDonald's fourth squad begins on Friday, November 11, when the Hilltoppers host Saint Joseph's at 7:00 PM.
The Lady Toppers will play an exhibition game against Kentucky Wesleyan on Sunday at 2:00 ahead of their season-opener the following Saturday against Towson.
Tickets for both the Hilltoppers and the Lady Toppers are on-sale now and can be purchased online at WKUSports.com or by visiting or calling the WKU Ticket Office at 1-800-5-BIG RED or 745-5222.
