GAME INFO
- Kentucky Wesleyan (0-0) at WKU (1-0)
- Thursday, Nov. 5 | 6:30 p.m. CT | E.A. Diddle Arena | Bowling Green, Ky.
- Watch: ESPN+ (PxP: Tyler Eaton | Analyst: Jay Walton)
- Listen: BG 100.7 FM/The Varsity Network (PxP: Randy Lee | Analyst: Hal Schmitt)
- Live Stats: StatBroadcast
- Social: @WKUBasketball | @WKUSports
- Game Notes: WKU | Kentucky Wesleyan
AT THE GAME
- TICKETS: Purchase tickets to Thursday's game HERE. Ticket booths at E.A. Diddle Arena will be open during normal business hours. Doors will open 90 minutes prior to tipoff.
- DIGITAL PARKING: WKU Athletics has transitioned to digital gameday parking for the 2026-27 Hilltopper Basketball season. Fans will need to download the WKU Hilltoppers app, create an account and load digital parking passes onto their account before arriving on campus. A full breakdown of digital parking instructions can be found HERE. Gameday parking instructions can be found HERE.
- NEW AT DIDDLE ARENA: WKU Athletics will offer several new opportunities for fans during the 2026-27 Hilltopper Basketball season at Diddle Arena, including expanded alcohol options, digital parking, the WKU Spirit 50/50 raffle, the Hilltopper Assist student scholarship raffle and more. For more information on new offerings at Diddle Arena, click HERE.
- BIG RED WANTS YOU: WKU students are invited to pack the student section for Big Red Recruit Games, continuing on Nov. 5 against Kentucky Wesleyan. All on-court promotions will feature WKU students. Eligible students can enter the Hilltopper Assist raffle for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship, with the winner announced during the second half. At least 300 students must attend for the drawing to take place, and the winner must be present.
- HILLTOPPER HIGHLIGHTS: Fans can purchase premium basketball gameday experiences through Hilltopper Highlights, including videoboard messages, Big Red visits, fan tunnels and more. For more information, click HERE.
- POSTGAME FIST BUMPS: After the game, stick around for fist bumps from the WKU Hilltopper Basketball team and listen to the live postgame interview with Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona.
- GAMEDAY GUIDE: For the full WKU Hilltopper Basketball Digital Gameday Guide, click HERE.
- BASKETBALL GAMEDAY: For the full WKU Basketball Gameday Information Page, click HERE.
- PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE: For the full 2026-27 WKU Hilltopper Basketball Promotional Schedule, click HERE.
- WINTER SPORTS YEARBOOK: For the full 2026-27 WKU Basketball Winter Sports Yearbook, click HERE.
ABOUT THE TOPS
- SEASON OPENERS: WKU improved to 74-32 all-time in season openers, including 2-1 under Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, with its 83-58 win over Morehead State. The Hilltoppers have now won seven of their last eight season openers, dating back to the 2019-20 season, and hold a 74-31 all-time record against the Eagles.
- DOUBLE DIGITS: Four Hilltoppers scored in double figures in the season-opening victory, led by Teagan Moore's 17 points. Gabe Weis added 14 points off the bench, Sharron Young finished with 13 and Armelo Boone chipped in 10.
- MOORE IN STORE: Teagan Moore, the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year, opened the season with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting and a 5-of-6 mark from the free-throw line, adding three rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes. Moore is coming off a First Team All-CUSA campaign in which he averaged 18.7 points per game after missing the entire 2024-25 season due to injury.
- WELCOME, WEIS: Gabe Weis made an immediate impact in his collegiate debut, scoring 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench. The freshman shot 5-of-9 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, while adding an assist, a block and a steal. His 14 points marked the highest-scoring debut by a WKU freshman since Dayvion McKnight scored 21 against Northern Iowa to open the 2020-21 season.
- OFF THE BENCH: Sharron Young paired efficient scoring with a team-high six assists in his WKU debut, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a 3-of-5 mark from beyond the arc. Young committed just one turnover in 23 minutes off the bench and combined with Weis for 27 of WKU's 42 bench points.
- STAT SHEET STUFFER: Armelo Boone finished one rebound shy of a double-double, recording 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds in 29 minutes. Boone knocked down 2-of-3 attempts from 3-point range while adding three assists and a team-high four steals. It marked the second consecutive season he recorded four steals in his season debut.
- TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK: WKU finished with 17 assists against just six turnovers in the season-opening win over Morehead State, committing only two turnovers in the second half. The Hilltoppers also collected 11 steals and scored 16 points off 13 Morehead State turnovers.
- FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Thirteen of WKU's 14 players saw action in the season opener. Gabe Weis, Gavin Murphy, Joseph Adebayo and Lawson Rice made their collegiate debuts, while Sharron Young, Emondrek Erkins-Ford, EJ Walker, Moussa Konare, Noah Norgaard and Trevion LaBeaux made their WKU debuts. Konare also made his Division I debut.
- AIR MOUSSA: Moussa Konare contributed eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and five rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, in 17 minutes off the bench in his Division I debut. Konare provided a pair of highlight finishes with a put-back dunk and an alley-oop slam off a halfcourt pass from Sharron Young.
QUOTABLE
- "I think everybody does want to see other guys succeed and score. So again, I think the intent is where we need it to be and that's the most important part. The execution and learning exactly and still developing how we're going to play on offense, you know, we'll continue to work on that here for the next four, four and a half, five months." — Mahurin Family Foundation Head Coach Hank Plona, on how WKU's offense will continue to develop.
SERIES INFORMATION
- Thursday's game marks the 38th official meeting between WKU and Kentucky Wesleyan and the first since Dec. 21, 2024, when the Hilltoppers earned a 91-71 home victory against the Panthers.
- WKU leads the all-time series, 28-9, including a 15-5 record at home.
- The Hilltoppers have won 23 of the last 24 official meetings, including the last six.
- The teams most recently met in an exhibition last season in Bowling Green on Oct. 22, 2025, with WKU earning an 82-43 victory. The exhibition did not count toward the all-time series.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
- Kentucky Wesleyan finished the 2025-26 season with a 16-13 overall record and a 10-10 mark in G-MAC play, falling in the first round of the G-MAC Tournament.
- The Panthers return nine players from last season's team and welcome seven newcomers.
- Thursday's matchup will count as an exhibition for Kentucky Wesleyan and will not affect the Panthers' regular-season record.
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.
