What worked and what didn’t in WKU’s win over Austin Peay?
By Wally Hughes
What needs imrovement:
Free throwing shooting.
I know it sounds like a broken record, but this team’s free throw shooting is atrocious. It didn’t cost the Toppers Saturday’s game, but it will at some point this season if it’s not improved.
If WKU wants to pull off the upset at Minnesota, they will have to hit free throws. I have confidence in Price and CHD to knock down freebies to ice a game, but I don’t have much faith in the rest of the team. This has to change in order for the Toppers to be successful this season.
Rostov and Lawson.
I had high hopes for Rostov and Lawson this season. Rostov had a sophomore slump last season, but was suffering from a medical condition. Lawson showed promise last season and bulked up some in the offseason. However, both were underwhelming against Austin Peay.
Rostov scored two points and grabbed four boards in 15 minutes, while Lawson scored a point and grabbed three boards in seven minutes. Both were pushed around on defense and outplayed by freshmen playing in their first collegiate game.
Minnesota boasts a large frontcourt, and Rostov and Lawson’s size could really help the Toppers. However, they must first commit to playing tough, lockdown defense. We all know what Rostov can do — we saw that his freshman year against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament — and Lawson is a 7-footer oozing with potential.
But Harper has to be losing patience in these two, and if they want to be contributors to this year’s team, they must step their game up. Minnesota will be a good chance to build confidence moving forward.
What were you thoughts following the game on Saturday? Did you see any other areas of concern? What about bright spots? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below, or on Twitter at @WaveTheRedTowel.