Here are three observations, two questions and one prediction heading into Western Kentucky’s Conference USA road swing this week at Florida Atlantic (Thursday) and Florida International (Saturday).
Three observations
1. That Marshall swing was impressive.
In last week’s Hoops 3-2-1, I predicted WKU would split its pair of games against Marshall, saying the Hilltoppers would lose in Huntington and win inside E.A. Diddle Arena. Well, I was proved wrong. WKU put together an impressive swing last week – beating the Thundering Herd twice in four days to move its win streak to five games and improve to 7-1 in Conference USA play.
2. Jordan Rawls is the clear point guard of the future.
I knew Jordan Rawls was a special talent coming out of high school, but what he’s been able to do as a young reclassified true freshman has been nothing short of impressive – and this past Saturday’s game vs. Marshall made it clear that he’s WKU’s point guard of the future. Rawls was in the zone against the Herd at Diddle, scoring 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field – 3-of-5 from 3-point range – in 34 minutes of action.
3. Cam is back.
I mentioned last week that Camron Justice had returned to action and was back just in time for the Marshall swing – which he was. But the way he was able to play – and how comfortable he looked on the court – in Saturday’s matchup vs. the Herd proved that the sharpshooter is indeed back. One of WKU’s best scorers, Justice scored 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench in the Toppers’ home win against Marshall.
Two questions
1. Will Rawls continue to start, or with Cam make his way back into it?
Rawls has been WKU’s starting point guard ever since Justice got hurt – and even the past couple of games when he’s been back in the rotation – but with Justice healthy now, will he return to the starting lineup or will Rawls continue to start? Rawls has been a pretty solid starter, so we’ll see what Coach Stansbury decides to do going forward.
2. How important is this Florida trip?
I believe this road trip to the Sunshine State comes at the perfect time for WKU. The Hilltoppers have played a majority of the better teams in the league, and FAU and FIU are both solid competition. With five straight wins, seven C-USA wins and with Justice back, I think this will be a pretty important trip for the Tops.
One prediction
Well, I guess I’ll go ahead and give my picks for this week’s Florida swing: I think WKU splits, losing to FAU but beating FIU. Both the Owls and Panthers are solid teams, and I think it’ll be tough for the Toppers to leave Florida with two wins – but I’ve been wrong many times.
