Take A Knee’s 2009-10 SBC Basketball Preview

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Probable Starters:

PG. Anthony Sally 6’2”  185 Sr.
(4.1ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.7apg)

SG. A.J. Slaughter 6’3” 180 Sr.
(16.0ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.6apg)

SF. Steffphon Pettigrew 6’5” 225 Jr.
(12.7ppg, 5.1rpg, 0.8apg)

PF. Sergio Kerusch 6’5” 210 Jr.
(11.2ppg, 7.4rpg, 0.4apg)

C. Jeremy Evans 6’9”  190 Sr.
(8.8ppg, 5.7rpg, 0.3apg)

WKU Certainties:

Starters.  All 5 have played in at least 2 NCAA tournament games.

3 of the starters (Evans, Pettigrew, Slaughter) have played in 5.  That type of experience is invaluable.  This group knows and trusts each other, and has shown the ability to perform successfully at the highest level.

WKU Questions:

Bench.  Western Kentucky didn’t roll out much in the way of depth last season, often going with just a 6 or 7 man rotation.

This year’s reserves will be particularly inexperienced.  JUCO transfer Cliff Dixon (6’10” 215 Jr.) is the most likely to contribute immediately, but Ken McDonald will have to count on a freshman or two to round out his rotation.  With a tough OOC, look for KMac to ride the horses he trusts for extended minutes.

A Nice Luxury Would Be:

Caden Dickerson (6’4” 180 Fr.) or Jamal Crook (6’3” 165 Fr.) ready to contribute out of the starting gate.

Dickerson will miss a few weeks with a leg injury, but the local product combo guard is right out of the mold of former MTSU star Kevin Kanaskie.  Crook is a late signee with a year of prep ball under his belt.

If either can play 15 minutes a night at the point, it would allow Slaughter to remain exclusively at the 2 where he can do the most damage.

This Team is Special if…:

We’re talking about Slaughter at the start of next season as the player WKU can’t replace.

Last year it was Courtney Lee.  This year, Orlando Mendez-Valdez.  If Slaughter accepts and thrives in the same scoring/leader/winner roll that CLee and OMV filled, this team will be just as good as, if not better than, the past two.

Email the author: jhemingway.sbc@gmail.com