It's an uphill battle for the Hilltoppers

Jan. 26—Twenty games into what began as a basketball season of high promise at Western Kentucky, the wheels appear to be slipping off the track for the much- maligned Hilltoppers, who have lost eight of their last 11 games dating back to a 94-83 loss to arguably the worst Louisville team in history on that fateful Dec. 14 in the KFC Yum! Center.

Still devoid of the collective chemistry it takes to win at the highest level as January begins to creep into February, there are far more questions than answers for a disappointing WKU outfit that shoulders a three-game losing streak heading into Thursday's game at Florida International, with a shudder-worthy Saturday encounter looming at streaking No. 21 Florida Atlantic.

The Hilltoppers are trying to bounce back from Saturday's disheartening 75-71 Conference USA loss to middle-of-the-road Charlotte in E.A. Diddle Arena, where Western allowed the 49ers to shoot 61% from the floor in the second half — getting absolutely schooled by Charlotte's disciplined, well-designed half-court sets, which produced one backdoor layup after another down the tell-tale stretch.

The Hilltoppers have devolved into a team of desperation.

Jamarion Sharp, the team's 7-foot-5 center who has led the NCAA in blocked shots for two years running, didn't play against Charlotte due to a hip injury. WKU associate head coach Phil Cunningham expressed surprise and a trace of bewilderment that Sharp — coming off arguably his best all-around game at Louisiana Tech (15 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks) — was unable to play against the 49ers. Cunningham said he expects the big pivot man to be on the court at FIU and FAU. We'll see.

Much more alarming is the news Hilltopper basketball released Monday. Luke Frampton, a 6-foot-5 senior guard and one of the nation's most prolific 3-point shooters, went down early against Charlotte, had to be helped off the court, and did not return. He has been lost for the season due to an ACL tear in his knee that requires surgery. This is a huge blow a fragile WKU squad did not need. Frampton was averaging 9.5 points per game and shooting 46.3% from distance. Beyond his production (which includes leading the team in charges taken), Frampton's innate will to win and tough mindset will be sorely missed.

On top of all this, of course, is the fact that seventh-year head coach Rick Stansbury has missed nine consecutive games due to an undisclosed health issue — last coaching the Hilltoppers on Dec. 22, when Western dropped a 65-57 decision at South Carolina. By all accounts, including those from players, Cunningham has done an admirable job filling in on an interim basis, but the record shows that WKU was 8-3 with Stansbury on the bench and has gone 3-6 (all C-USA games) without him.

Now what?

Well, members of Hilltopper Nation seeking encouragement should avoid glancing at the current C-USA standings. Western (11-9 overall) is currently tied for eighth place with FIU at a shaky 3-6. Front-running FAU (9-0), rival Middle Tennessee (7-3), Rice (5-3), UAB (4-5), Charlotte (4-5), UTEP (4-5) and Louisiana Tech (4-5) are all ahead of Western, which was picked second behind another disappointing team, UAB, in the preseason league poll. Ouch.

It will be interesting to see how the loss of Frampton will be handled. It says here that Dontaie Allen, who transferred from Kentucky, should replace Frampton in the starting lineup and receive the bulk of those minutes. Allen is an angular 6-6 and, like Frampton, capable of getting on a roll beyond the arc. His pedigree includes being a Kentucky Mr. Basketball (Pendleton County, 2019), and the time has come for him to step up and be the collegiate star he was always projected to be.

Hats off to Jordan Rawls, the mercurial 6-2 combo guard who climbed off the bench to score a team-high 25 points versus Charlotte. Rawls, too, is talented enough to start, but he seems to flourish more in a reserve role, and there's no reason to rock the boat in that regard this late in the season.

Know this: WKU has a steep hill to climb if it expects to be a viable contender to win the C-USA Tournament in March. Whether or not this team can live up to the school's nickname remains to be seen.