GAME INFO
- WKU vs. Indiana (Exh.)
- Sunday, Oct. 25 | 3 p.m. CT | Ford Center | Evansville, Ind.
- Watch: B1G+ (PxP: Jay Walter | Analyst: Chloe Marotta)
- Listen: The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Indiana
ABOUT THE TOPS
- LAST TIME OUT: WKU defeated Bowling Green, 65-62, in the "Battle for Bowling Green" exhibition Tuesday at E.A. Diddle Arena. Teagan Moore led the Hilltoppers with 22 points, while Sharron Young added 11 and LJ Hackman finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. WKU built a 13-point second-half lead before holding off a late Falcons rally.
- YEAR THREE FOR PLONA: WKU Hilltopper Basketball begins the 2026-27 campaign under third-year Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, looking to build on an 18-14 record and third-place finish in Conference USA in 2025-26. Plona compiled a 35-29 record in his first two seasons as head coach.
- RETURNING CORE: The Hilltoppers return five players and welcome nine newcomers, including six transfers and three freshmen. WKU's five returners are guards Teagan Moore, Armelo Boone, LJ Hackman, Kade Unseld and Lawson Rice. That group combined for 61 starts and accounted for 46.0% of WKU's scoring, 36.7% of its rebounding, 37.9% of its minutes, 39.9% of its assists and 46.7% of its steals last season.
- MOORE TO COME: Moore enters his fourth year on The Hill as the 2026-27 CUSA Preseason Player of the Year and the 2026-27 Blue Ribbon Yearbook CUSA Preseason Player of the Year, while earning an All-CUSA Preseason Team selection. He averaged 18.7 points and 5.6 rebounds across 27 games with 25 starts last season, ranking second in CUSA in scoring and third in field-goal percentage (52.9%) while shooting 42.9% from 3-point range and 80.0% at the free throw line. His scoring average was WKU's highest since Courtney Lee in 2007-08. Moore earned All-CUSA First Team and NABC All-District Second Team honors, along with back-to-back CUSA Player of the Week awards.
- BOONE LOOKING TO BUILD: Boone enters his sophomore season as a 2026-27 All-CUSA Preseason Team selection after averaging 10.9 points, a team-high 6.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals across 29 games with 11 starts last season. He earned CUSA All-Freshman Team honors and tied for the league lead with four CUSA Freshman of the Week awards. Boone recorded three double-doubles, becoming the first WKU freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Charles Bassey in 2018-19, and scored a season-high 22 points in the Hilltoppers' win over Wichita State at Battle 4 Atlantis.
- HACKMAN'S BACK: Hackman returns starting experience to WKU's backcourt after appearing in all 32 games with 21 starts last season, averaging 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He scored in double figures 13 times, highlighted by a season-high 21 points against UTEP, and averaged 13.4 points over seven games in February while shooting 50.0% from the field and 86.1% at the free throw line. Hackman also recorded his first Division I double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a win over New Mexico State.
- FRONTCOURT TRANSFERS: WKU bolstered its frontcourt with three transfers expected to play significant roles this season: Emondrek Erkins-Ford from Jax State, EJ Walker from South Carolina and Moussa Konare from Trinity Valley Community College.
- BACKCOURT TRANSFERS: The Hilltoppers added backcourt experience with transfers Sharron Young from Akron, Noah Norgaard from UNC Greensboro and Trevion LaBeaux from East Carolina. LaBeaux reunites with Plona after playing for him at Indian Hills Community College.
- FRESH FACES: WKU welcomes three freshmen in guard Gavin Murphy and forwards Gabe Weis and Joseph Adebayo. Weis, an ESPN four-star prospect, is expected to contribute immediately in the frontcourt after playing his senior season at La Lumiere High School in La Porte, Indiana.
QUOTABLE
- "The guys are all excited. They don't shy away. Our goal is not to win every game and have the best record in the world. Our goal is to get better for four and a half months and make the NCAA Tournament. And I would think Sunday afternoon, in whatever way it does, is going to help us towards that goal." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on facing Indiana in an exhibition on Sunday.
SERIES INFORMATION
- WKU and Indiana have met three times, with the Hoosiers holding a 2-1 all-time series lead.
- The Hilltoppers defeated the No. 3 Hoosiers in the first meeting, 110-91, in Dallas, Texas, on Dec. 28, 1967, but Indiana has won the two most recent meetings, 80-57 on Dec. 14, 1984 in Bloomington, Indiana, and 65-55 on Dec. 28, 1993, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Sunday's exhibition will not count toward the all-time series record.
SCOUTING THE HOOSIERS
- Indiana finished the 2025-26 season with an 18-14 overall record, including a 9-11 mark in B1G play.
- The Hoosiers return two players from last season's team and welcome 11 newcomers to the program.
- Indiana entered the B1G Tournament as the No. 10 seed before falling to No. 12 Northwestern, 74-61, in its tournament opener.
How to follow WKU Hilltopper Basketball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKUBasketball on Instagram and X.
