Western Kentucky will tipoff its 2020-21 basketball season next Wednesday against Nevada in Nebraska's bubble event. The Hilltoppers will also turn right around and play LSU next Thursday in a Thanksgiving Day matchup.
Before they fly out to Nebraska, WKU coach Rick Stansbury and players Luke Frampton and Dayvion McKnight met with reporters on Friday via a Zoom conference call to preview the season-opening road trip.
Below are some notes from the Hilltoppers' Zoom press conference.
- Stansbury: "We just hope we can get on the plane Monday virus-free and head to Nebraska." He said the team would be tested again once they're in Nebraska.
- Stansbury on whether or not he has a set starting lineup: "It don't matter who starts - you don't always start your best team sometimes." He said it's all about chemistry and that he doesn't put a whole lot of though into who starts and who doesn't.
- Stansbury said he likes where Charles Bassey is - "both physically and mentally." He said he feels that Bassey has got stronger after suffering his season-ending injury vs. Arkansas last season.
- In terms of leadership, Stansbury said it's been "a collective effort". He said there's multiple guys that can lead, but WKU needs its veteran guys "to keep stepping up."
- The Davidson transfer guard Frampton on how it's been at WKU: "It's been awesome. Ever since I've got on campus, everyone's welcomed me with open arms." He thanked Coach Stansbury for the opportunity.
- Frampton said "it's been a long offseason" and that everyone "is excited about the season." He mentioned that he played Nevada while at Davidson and said they're a good team.
- McKnight - the former Collins High School standout and 2020 Kentucky Mr. Basketball winner - said the transition from high school to college has been good, and the biggest transition is the speed of the game.
- McKnight said Taveion Hollingsworth has taken him under his wing and helped him out with the transition from high school to college. McKnight said Hollingsworth "really dedicates himself to the gym."
