Record last season

29-7, Sun Belt Conference champions,

NCAA Tournament regional semifinalist

The Low-Down

The Toppers have been severely short-staffed the first few weeks of practice, so much so that they only dressed seven players in their latest exhibition game. Several injuries have hampered the team, including a foot injury to senior forward Japeth Aguliar that will put him out four to six weeks, and seniors Orlando Mendez-Valdez and Mike Walker are also recovering from injuries.

Games to Watch

A three-game stretch from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 that features Southern Illinois, Georgia and Louisville. This will undoubtedly be a baptism by fire for the Toppers, and should be a good barometer as to how the team will fare in Sun Belt Conference play.

They said it

“Our team’s excited about the schedule. But there is a lot that has to happen between now and then for us to even take on the schedule we have,” coach Ken McDonald said. “We are building towards winning our conference and doing some things at the end of the year.”

For Western to be successful New leaders must emerge: With the loss of Courtney Lee, Tyrone Brazelton, Ty Rogers and the other seniors, new players must step into leadership roles. McDonald has already pegged junior guard A.J. Slaughter and junior forward Jeremy Evans to play expanded roles, and is hoping for more role players to improve.

Worth Noting

7.6 points per game. The number of points scored by Slaughter, the team’s leading returning scorer. The Toppers are losing 47.8 points from last year’s squad and will need someone to step up in the scoring category.