Lutz, who spent his previous two years in the Lone Star state, coaching Texas A&M Corpus Christi, will head south once again to take over the reins from former Cowboy coach, Mike Boynton. 

The OSU position was one of many that Lutz has been tied to as Louisville and SMU both emerged as rumored landing spots.

During his stint at both WKU and TX A&M-CC, Coach Lutz propelled both teams to 80+ PPG, with his time with the Hilltoppers ranking top 40 in total scoring and fast breaks points.

In the 2023-2024 season, Lutz secured his base salary of $650,000 with a $100,000 bonus for the NCAA Tournament berth. 

The first order of business for Lutz will be sitting down with Javon Small and Brandon Garrison, two of the Cowboys’ top four leading scorers who have entered the transfer portal. 

However, this is not a new task for Lutz. When he first arrived at WKU, Lutz convinced Tyrone Marshall Jr. to suit up for the Hilltoppers once again, and remove his name from the portal.

After the team’s March Madness loss to Marquette, Marshall spoke on what that conversation sounded like.

“It was really hard to adjust for a little bit coming from Coach Stansbury to Coach Lutz because I was in the process of hitting the portal until me and Lutz had sat down and had a talk,” Marshall said. “And he told me ‘I’m going to make you a better player’ and I believed him and he did and I thank him for that.”

But it’s not just convincing players to stay that is his specialty. His final year with Purdue, and the last time he was in a Power 5 conference, Lutz secured Zach Edey’s recruitment. Edey is now a two-time consensus All-American, two-time Big-10 POTY, 2022-2023 AP POTY, and is currently in the running to go back to back in that award.

Oklahoma State capped off their 2023-2024 season with a 12-20 record, and a tie for last place in the Big 12, with a 4-14 conference record.

However, Lutz also has a history of being able to flip programs in one year.

During the 2020-2021 season, TA&M-CC to picked up five wins in their 24 games. Yet, just one season with Coach Lutz provided the Islanders with a 47-23 record in his two years, with two berths to the NCAA Tournament.

While the change wasn’t as drastic in Bowling Green, Coach Lutz still shined in his lone year on the Hill. Going from a 17-16 season to a 22-12 record and an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in over a decade, it has become a habit for Lutz to win in very little time.

The beginning of the game exposed some of the flaws early for both teams. The Golden Eagles, a team that usually averages 24.7 three-point attempts per game, attempted 19 going into the half.

For the Hilltoppers, A combination of 10 fouls and 11 turnovers contributed to their nine-point deficit with just seven minutes left to play in the half.

However, thanks to a 24-8 run to head into the break, WKU sported a seven-point lead when the buzzer went off, 43-36.

The Hilltoppers rode the wave of Tyrone Marshall Jr in the first half. Marshall’s 17 points and five assists, while shooting 6-9 from the floor and 4-6 from deep, propelled WKU’s explosive offense.

Coming off of an injury, Marquette’s Tyler Kolek was back like he never left. The guard from Cumberland, Rhode Island had 13 points and four rebounds on 5-6 from the field and 2-3 from deep in his first game back.

Team First Half Statistics: 

WKU: 17-36 FG, 6-12 3FG, 3-4 FT | 26 Rebounds: 18 Defensive, eight Offensive.

MARQ: 13-33 FG, 5-19 3FG, 5-12 FT | 17 Rebounds: 10 Defensive, seven Offensive.

The Golden Eagles took it upon themselves to erase the first half work of the Hilltoppers, tying the game up within just the first four minutes of half-two.

From there the climb was just too far for the Hilltoppers.

The Hilltoppers’ performance in the final twenty minutes was more about who wasn’t producing. Brandon Newman, who finished his night scoreless on eight attempts, played a huge role in WKU’s lack of production late in the second.

The second half charge by Marquette was led by Kam Jones. Jones’ 18 points on 7-10 shooting from the field, including 4-7 from deep, propelled the Golden Eagles to the victory, and subsequently, the Round of 32.

With the loss, WKU’s 2023-2024 season comes to an end.

Team Second Half Statistics: 

WKU: 10-27 FG, 1-7 3FG, 17-23 FT | 23 Rebounds: 15 Defensive, eight Offensive.

MARQ: 12-32 FG, 4-12 3FG, 7-10 FT | 20 Rebounds: 13 Defensive, six Offensive.

After a conference championship win over UTEP, the Hilltoppers have danced their way into March Madness for the 24th time in school history.

This will not be the first time these two teams have met in the tournament. In 1976, the Hilltoppers faced the Warriors, now known as the Golden Eagles, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. WKU fell short of a victory in that game, losing 79-60.

The big story for the game is Marquette’s Tyler Kolek. The two-time Big East Player of the Year has missed the team’s last six games with an oblique muscle injury. In those six games, the Golden Eagles are 3-3 with wins against Xavier, Villanova, and Providence, but losses against Creighton and UConn twice.

According to Marquette Head Coach, Shaka Smart, Kolek should be expected to play. In an interview with CBS Sports Network, Smart said that Kolek would make a return with a painless Tuesday practice.

Kolek is one of many players to look out for on this star-studded roster. Throughout the season, Kolek has averaged 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists on nearly 50-40-90 shooting splits.

However, while it is difficult, it is possible to pump the brakes on Kolek’s unreal production. In a January game versus Seton Hall, Kolek was held to four points, two rebounds, and five turnovers. However, he was still credited for 11 assists in that game.

While the Rhode Island native has two of the conference’s most prestigious titles under his belt, he’s only the team’s second-highest scorer.

Marquette’s Kameron Jones is a man with a hot hand. The guard from Cordova, Tennessee averages 16.8 points on nearly 50% shooting from the field and 41.1% from three.

The point of emphasis for WKU is going to have to be an efficient tempo. The Hilltoppers sat at the top of the Adjusted Tempo rating for nearly the entire season, and are likely to slow down for their NCAA Tournament matchup.

Marquette comes into the game in 15th place in all of the tournament teams in AdjT. However, the Achilles heal for WKU is the level of efficiency that the Golden Eagles bring with their speed.

Marquette sits in 20th place in both Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency out of the 362 teams.

The key to success for the Hilltoppers is running through C-USA Tournament MVP, Don McHenry. The guard from Milwaukee, Wisconsin averaged 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in his 33 games for the Hilltoppers.

During the C-USA Tournament championship game, McHenry’s 25 points, five rebounds, and four steals propelled the Hilltoppers to their first C-USA title.

The game tips off at 1:00 pm CST and will be live on TBS.

Selection Sunday has come and gone, and with it, the announcement of the Hilltoppers first-round opponent. On Friday the No. 15 Hilltoppers will face No 2. Marquette in Indianapolis.

After pulling out their first Conference-USA Tournament win over the University of Texas El Paso, the Hilltoppers will hit the road to compete in the NCAA tournament for the first time in over a decade. 

The road was not easy for WKU. 

In an opening-round thriller, the No. 3 Hilltoppers defeated No. 6 New Mexico State thanks to the efforts of All Conference-USA Tournament recipient Rodney Howard. Howard’s 20-point, five-rebound and three-block performance propelled WKU over the Aggies in a dominant fashion, securing a 20-point victory.

Before the Hilltoppers even took the floor for the first time during the tournament, No. 2 Louisiana Tech had already fallen to No. 7 Middle Tennessee in a classic David versus Goliath story, slating the Blue Raiders to take on the Hilltoppers for a trip to the Conference Championship on the line.

The Cinderella story ended early for MSTU, as the Hilltoppers defeated the Blue Raiders. An 18-point and four-rebound performance from WKU’s Don McHenry punched the Hilltoppers’ ticket to play on Saturday.

Even though the fairytale story ended early for the Blue Raiders, there was no shortage of surprises on the other side of the bracket. In a shock upset, the No. 5 University of Texas El-Paso Miners slain the No. 1 Sam Houston State, securing their championship run.

In the finale, the Hilltoppers edged out the Miners, thanks to McHenry’s 25 points, five rebounds, and four steals, securing a trip to Indy for WKU.

While recent history hasn’t been too kind, the Hilltoppers aren’t unfamiliar with the NCAA tournament. 

In 2008, No. 12 WKU made their mark with a Sweet Sixteen run, with wins against No. 5 Drake and No. 13 San Diego.

The following season, No. 12 WKU upset No. 5 Illinois in the Round of 64 against No. 5 Illinois, before falling to No. 4 Gonzaga.

With a Final Four appearance in 1971, an Elite Eight run in 1940, and six more appearances in the Sweet Sixteen on their resume, the Hilltoppers are looking to bring their history into their first round matchup.

WKU mens basketball defeated the University of Texas El-Paso Miners Saturday, 78-71, advancing to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013.

Before the game, it was announced that WKU guard Dontaie Allen had been ruled out, having left the team’s win Friday with a knee injury.

However, even without Allen, the Hilltoppers started the first half the way they ended the second half in their previous game against MTSU: Hot.

Opening up the game with a 17-4 run, the Hilltoppers defense shined, grabbing seven turnovers in the first ten minutes. However, the game very quickly shifted gears. 

Although the Miners started the game 0-10 from the field, they converted on nine of their next 11 attempts, bringing the game within just a single point with under five minutes to go.

A once ferocious WKU offense had seemingly gone ice cold. In the span of nine minutes, they were on the receiving end of both a 14-5 and 12-3 run. During these runs, the Hilltoppers shot a lowly 5-14 from the field.

However, with their backs against the wall, facing a one-point deficit with just three minutes to play, a familiar offensive presence took over. WKU ended the first half on a 9-3 run, securing a four-point lead heading into the break.

The first half MVP for the Hilltoppers was junior guard Don McHenry. McHenry’s 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist on 3-5 shooting from the field led both the explosive start and end for the WKU offense.

Yet, the success of the Hilltopper scoring attempts can be attributed to more than just an individual player. WKU’s interior strength and size led to 75% of their first half production coming inside the paint.

UTEP found their production coming from senior guard Zid Powell. Powell tallied 10 points on 3-6 from the field, and 2-3 from beyond the arch. Eight of the guard’s 10 points came during an 80-second span, where Powell scored on three consecutive possessions for the Miners.

Heading into the half, the Hilltoppers squeaked out a 40-36 lead.

Team First Half Statistics: 

WKU: 17-31 FG, 2-9 3FG, 4-4 FT | 17 Rebounds: 14 Defensive, three Offensive.

UTEP: 11-28 FG, 5-12 3FG, 9-12 FT | 16 Rebounds: 11 Defensive, five Offensive.

WKU could not bring their normal high tempo at the start of the second half. Opening up 1-8 from the field, with most of the misses coming off of good looks, the Miners took comfort in the speed of play, capitalizing with a 15-4 run to start the half.

In what was a rollercoaster of a game, the ride did not stop. Following UTEP’s run, they’d go on a five-minute scoring drought, giving the Hilltoppers a seven-point lead, on a 16-2 run for themselves. 

The drive would not stop. With just under five minutes to play, WKU advanced their lead to 10, with help from a 20-4 run.

The Hilltopper offense was once again dominated by McHenry in the second half. The guard’s 15 points, two rebounds, and three steals sealed the WKU victory and conference championship. In total on the night, McHenry had 25 points on 9-16 from the field, 2-8 from three, with four rebounds, and four steals. 

UTEP’s offense was still being led by Powell in half number two. Powell tallied 11 points in the half, giving him 21 points on the night. 

Team Second Half Statistics: 

WKU: 10-27 FG, 1-7 3FG, 17-23 FT | 23 Rebounds: 15 Defensive, eight Offensive.

UTEP: 12-32 FG, 4-12 3FG, 7-10 FT | 20 Rebounds: 13 Defensive, six Offensive.

With the win, the Hilltoppers claim their first C-USA title on their fourth attempt, and Coach Steve Lutz’s third straight conference title win.

WKU men’s basketball will be facing off against the UTEP Miners on Saturday for a shot at the C-USA Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

This is not unknown territory for the Hilltoppers. Just three years ago, WKU came into the C-USA tournament as the one seed, defeating UTSA and UAB for a shot at glory, before falling in overtime to North Texas.

However, this time they have something different. Steve Lutz. As a head coach, Steve Lutz is perfect in conference championship games. Let me rephrase that, in his two years as a head coach, Coach Lutz has never missed a conference championship game, and he’s never lost it once he’s gotten there.

After coming into the tournament as a three-seed, WKU knocked off New Mexico State by a margin of 20, the biggest win of the tournament up to that point, before taking down rival NMSU in a 31-point blowout in the semifinals.

Now, with a chance to clinch their first NCAA Tournament glory since 2013, the Hilltoppers take on UTEP in the C-USA Final.

In the tournament so far, there hasn’t been just one key player for the WKU offense. A driving factor in their two blow out wins is as simple as full team contribution.

In Thursday’s game against New Mexico State, senior forward Rodney Howard came off the bench to deliver a 20-point, five rebound, and three block night. However, Khristian Lander, Enoch Kalambay, Dontaie Allen, and Brandon Newman all contributed with double-digit nights.

On Friday against MTSU, Don McHenry had himself an 18-point and  four-rebound game. At the same time, Babacar Faye, Newman, and Lander all put up more than ten, while freshman guard Teagan Moore had a double-digit number in the rebounds column.

The Hilltoppers are 1-1 against the Miners this year, as they have been against all of their tournament opponents. In their most recent matchup held at Diddle Arena, McHenry and Faye were the go-to guys for WKU’s offense. McHenry’s 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists alongside Faye’s 10 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks led the Hilltoppers to a 10-point win.

For a chance to win with a higher margin, WKU is going to have to attempt a feat that few teams this year have accomplished: minimizing the production of UTEP’s Tae Hardy. 

Hardy averages 15.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 41.5% shooting from the floor. In UTEP’s loss to WKU, Hardy had 19 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. In the Miner’s win, he was even more impressive.

His 27 points, four rebounds, four steals, one assist, and one block, led UTEP to a six-point win. 

The game will tip off at 7:30 CST and will be streaming on CBSSN.

WKU mens basketball defeated Middle Tennessee, 85-54 on Friday, advancing to the Conference Championship for the first time since 2019.

It was buzzer-to-buzzer domination for WKU, as they went into halftime with a near 20-point margin. Don McHenry and Khristian Lander combined for 22 of the Hilltoppers’ 46 points. The duo combined for a 52% field goal percentage, as well as a 50% three-point percentage.

That’s not all the pair were dominating. Behind Enoch Kalambay, Lander and McHenry sat tied for second place on the team in rebounds with three a piece. 

The driving factor in the Hilltoppers’ impressive first-half margin was the turnover battle. WKU forced 12 turnovers compared to their seven, as well as converting 13 points off of their takeaways.

For Middle Tennessee, All-CUSA Second Team recipient Jestin Porter was doing what he could to keep his Blue Raiders in the game. His eight points, on 3-7 shooting, and 2-3 from behind the arch led the charge for MTSU, but they were unable to crack the dominant WKU offense.

Team First Half Statistics: 

WKU: 17-31 FG, 8-13 3FG, 4-4 FT | 17 Rebounds: 15 Defensive, two Offensive.

MTSU: 10-29 FG, 5-14 3FG, 2-5 FT | 17 Rebounds: 12 Defensive, five Offensive.

The second half was more of the same. The Hilltopper offense showed no signs of slowing down, and as a result, picked up the biggest win of their season.

Brandon Newman dominated the second half. His 12 points, one rebound, and one assist on 75% from the field, and a perfect 2-2 from three carried the domination until the final buzzer.

Teagan Moore, a freshman who is still getting his first taste of C-USA tournament action, had eight  rebounds in the second half, doubling his career high in the half alone, to give him 10 on the day. 

The main difference maker was as simple as not being able to knock down shots. The Blue Raiders finished the night going 31% from the field, an 18-58 performance, with most of the lack of performance coming as their 27.6% second half.

When he could, Porter was still making the plays for the Blue Raiders. His six second half points led the team, but an early foul out capped off the game, and subsequently the season for Middle Tennessee State. 

Team Second Half Statistics: 

WKU: 14-33 FG, 3-9 3FG, 8-9 FT | 27 Rebounds: 22 Defensive, five Offensive.

MTSU: 8-29 FG, 2-13 3FG, 9-14 FT | 18 Rebounds: 15 Defensive, three Offensive.

WKU is set to face UTEP in the C-USA final on Saturday. Tip is set for 7:30 pm CT.

In a domination on Thursday, the Hilltoppers defeated the New Mexico State Aggies, 89-69, to claim their spot in the semi-finals, a position that the Blue Raiders secured for themselves on Wednesday. 

The history between these two teams is rich, but very few times has the ‘100 Miles of Hate’ rivalry ever found itself in full effect in March. In fact, this will be the first time since both teams joined Conference USA in 2014 that the teams face off in the conference tournament. 

Coming off the bench for a 20-point performance in Thursday’s game against the Aggies, Hilltopper center Rodney Howard looks to be a driving factor in WKU’s interior-based conference tournament offense.

The C-USA Sixth Man of the Year’s 20-point game was a career-high. However, it was his efficiency from the field and behind the line that made him such a valuable asset.

Howard’s 70% from the field and 86% from the free throw line, as well as his five rebounds, one steal, and three blocks made him a threat on both ends of the court. A threat that the Aggies just couldn’t keep up with.

In maybe the biggest upset in the C-USA season, MTSU defeated La Tech, 70-67, thanks to a 16-point double double from Blue Raider forward, Jared Coleman-Jones. The All-CUSA Third Team recipient had 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

However, while his 16 points don’t rank as a career-high, his 20-point performance against WKU in their previous match-up indicates that Coach Lutz would likely emphasize Jones.

The winner of this game will play the winner of No. 1 Sam Houston State and No. 5 UTEP in the C-USA Championship Game.

This game tips off at 2:00 CST and is available to stream on CBSSN.

The Hilltoppers dominated from buzzer to buzzer in the first half as they headed into the break with an 11-point lead, 40-29.

WKU’s offensive strength came down to a mixture of being able to hit from long range, and converting on their trips to the line. The Hilltoppers finished the first half 6-15 from deep compared to the Aggies 2-11. WKU also had four times the amount of trips to the charity stripe, as they went into the half 12-19 compared to New Mexico State’s 1-5.

Hilltopper big-man Rodney Howard led the team with his must-see interior offensive presence. The Conference-USA 6th Man of the Year made light work out of his bench load. His 12 points on 60% from the field, and 6-7 from three led the team in scoring through his 11 minutes. 

He was doing more than just scoring under the basket. His three offensive rebounds paired with his two defensive rebounds kept the Hilltoppers within one rebound of the Aggies.

The defensive focus for WKU was keeping NMSU’s Christian Cook quiet. His seven points nearly led the team, but was held to 3-10 from the line, while going 1-6 from three.

For New Mexico State, it was Tanahj Pettway who took over the offense for the Aggies. His eight points and five rebounds led the team in each of the statistics, while being one of only two Aggies to knock down a three pointer.

Team First Half Statistics: 

WKU: 11-31 FG, 6-15 3FG, 12-19 FT | 22 Rebounds: 16 Defensive, six Offensive.

NMSU: 13-33 FG, 2-11 3FG, 2-2 FT | 23 Rebounds: 17 Defensive, six Offensive.

Unfortunately for the Aggies, the second half was more of the same domination for the Hilltopper offense. 

Continuing to be led by Howard, the Hilltoppers dominated the paint, scoring 32 of their 49 second half points from underneath the basket. Howard’s eight second half points gives the center a career high 20 points on 7-10 from the field. 

WKU’s attempt to silence Cook in the second half was to no avail. The guard’s 13 second half points, shooting 5-7 from the field and 2-3 from three also gave him a 20 point night, but came up unsuccessful in his attempt to bring his team back from an ever-expanding margin.

Team Second Half Statistics: 

WKU: 18-29 FG, 2-6 3FG, 11-12 FT | 15 Rebounds: 12 Defensive, three Offensive.

NMSU: 15-29 FG, 4-7 3FG, 6-11FT | 13 Rebounds: nine Defensive, four Offensive.

The Hilltoppers will face the Blue Raiders on Friday with the game slated to tip off at 2:00pm.

The 2024 C-USA Men’s Basketball tournament has already been one for the books. No. 9 Florida International took down No. 8 Jacksonville State, followed by No. 7 Middle Tennessee’s shocking upset over No. 2 Louisiana Tech. 

The Hilltoppers come into the game with history on their side. WKU is 10-2 all-time against the Aggies, with their most recent win coming less than a month ago as the Hilltoppers sent NMSU packing after a 14-point win.

With four teams tied at 7-9 through conference play, it took three rounds of tiebreakers for WKU to get their opponent. Liberty, who clinched the No. 5 seed, did so with a win over No. 1 Sam Houston at the end of January. 

UTEP, NMSU, and MTSU each finished their season with an 0-2 record against the conference leader, so a second tiebreaker was enacted. Each of the three teams played Jacksonville State twice, thus allowing the teams to be chosen based on their record versus JSU. 

UTEP and NMSU swept the Gamecocks in the regular season, while MTSU split their series, securing the Blue Raiders their seeding. In the third tiebreaker, the Miners and Aggies’ Rating Percentage Index was evaluated to determine the sixth seed.

This will be New Mexico State’s first taste of C-USA conference play, as they are a part of the new arrivals. However, last season the Aggies still didn’t have a postseason run.

In February 2023, New Mexico State announced that they would be suspending their operations of the Men’s Basketball Team for the remainder of the season, forfeiting their final six games, and not taking part in the Western Atheltic Conference tournament.

However, the year before, the Aggies got a taste of victory, defeating Abilene Christian in the WAC championship to receive a chance to play in the NCAA tournament, where they’d upset No. 5 UConn before falling to No. 4 Arkansas in the Second Round.

The Hilltoppers have not had quite the same success in March. WKU has not reached the C-USA championship since the 2018-2019 season and hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since they defeated Florida Atlantic in the 2012-2013 Sun Belt Championship.

The Hilltoppers are attempting to repeat the success of their decade-old counterparts, with a charge led by junior guard, Don McHenry. McHenry is riding off the back of a C-USA All-Conference selection, as his 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists have played a crucial role in securing the Hilltoppers’ third seed.

However, off the back of a four-game losing streak, it’s been freshman guard, Teagan Moore, who WKU has been relying on. 

Moore’s 12.5 points on 54.8% from the field and 2.7 rebounds per game in the team’s last six games could emphasize the team’s reliance on their All-Conference Freshman player in the playoffs.

The Aggies will look to rely on their dynamic duo of senior guard, Christian Cook, and junior guard, Femi Odukale. Cook’s 11 points and 2.4 rebounds alongside Odukale’s 10.8 points and 6.6 rebounds have been vital in the Aggies’ back-to-back wins in the final two games of the season.

The game will tip off at 8:00 CST on ESPN+.