WKU Basketball: Building the 2020–21 Roster

After the abrupt end to the 2019–20 Western Kentucky Basketball season, we are now forced to examine and move toward the 2020–21 season.

As of right now here is the breakdown of the roster heading into next season by class:

Seniors: (4)

Josh Anderson (Guard)
Taveion Hollingsworth (Guard)
Kenny Cooper (Guard)
Carson Williams (Forward)

Juniors: (1)

Charles Bassey (Center)

Sophomores: (4)

Isaiah Cozart (Forward/Center)
Jordan Rawls (Guard)
Jackson Harlan** (Guard)
Jeremiah Gambrell (Redshirt Guard)

Freshmen: (2)

Kylen Milton (Guard) Committed, not signed.
Dayvion McKnight (Guard) Signed.

**Harlan appeared in only three games this year, which could result in a redshirt, but there has been no official announcement on that.

**This does not include any walk-on players such as Patrick Murphy.

There are a total of 11 players under scholarship headed into next season. The Scholarship limit is thirteen so Stansbury has two available spots as of today (3/20). Eight of those players are listed as guards. Obviously, that means that some attention needs to be given to interior play. With that being said, let's take a look at what is on the horizon over the next several months.

• Charles Bassey is without a doubt the biggest recruit for Stansbury right now. Not only is Bassey an All-American, but a game-changer for the Hilltoppers. His return, assuming he is healthy, immediately provides Western with the post presence that they severely missed after his injury. Assuming Bassey returns, the center position is filled. Carson Williams would return to his forward position and Cozart would be able to provide back-up minutes. I would still expect the Hilltoppers to focus in on landing another big man, rather than be via transfer or a freshman. This season proved that depth down low is something that can’t be overlooked or taken for granted.
• Kenny Cooper was expected to be the Hilltoppers starting point guard after transferring from Lipscomb but was ultimately ruled ineligible. Jordan Rawls did an excellent job running the point for WKU in Cooper’s absence, but Kenny Cooper would provide senior, experienced leadership at the guard position.
• Jordan Rawls played fantastic as a freshman. Yes, he had his highs and lows, but you have to expect that from a freshman. Toppers need Jordan to return and I don’t see a logjam as many others do should he return, because I could easily see Jordan playing some two-guard as well as the point. Jordan showed that not only is he a playmaker and distributor at the point position, but also can score when called upon. I would expect a huge jump from Jordan from his freshman campaign into his sophomore season.
• I fully anticipate Williams, Anderson, and Hollingsworth to return and be major contributors next season. Hollingsworth and Anderson will be the first pair of four-year players (that only played at WKU) on the roster since Nigel Snipes and Alex Rostov in 2015–16. That can’t be overlooked.
• The next domino to fall could happen next week (March 24th) as the highly-touted point guard, Zion Harmon is expected to make his college decision. Harmon is currently listed in the 2021–22 class, however, there have been strong rumblings throughout his recruitment that he may reclassify and join whichever club he commits to for the 2020–21 season. Harmon is expected to choose between the Toppers, Kansas, and Seton Hall. Several recruiting services have listed WKU as a favorite to land Harmon, while Seton Hall has gained some momentum in recent weeks. Prior to the Conference USA Tournament, head coach Rick Stansbury attended two of Harmon’s games in person during the regional tournament. Stansbury has made it clear that Harmon is his primary target for the spring.

Stay tuned for tons of coverage over the coming weeks and months. Harmon is presumably the next domino to fall but with Stansbury’s relentless pursuit of talent, we should assume there will be many roster changes in the months to come.