Toppers Fall 79–74 to Indiana in Final Preseason Exhibition

Cooper Jaggers | Topper Talk

In his postgame remarks following the Tops’ 65–62 exhibition victory over the Bowling Green Falcons, coach Hank Plona described the Indiana Hoosiers as “one of the best teams in college basketball.” If we hold his word on that, Western might be pretty dang good as well.

Western Kentucky led the Hoosiers by as much as 11 late in the second half, ultimately coming up just short in a five-point loss that, quite frankly, I can’t imagine Hilltopper fans being too upset about.

This is a strong Indiana team in year two under Darian DeVries, with legitimate upside in the Big Ten. Just last Sunday, IU whipped North Carolina 76–58 in Indianapolis. Moral victories don’t exist in this era of college basketball, but this is as close as you’ll get to one.

The obvious bright spot for the Hilltoppers is junior guard Teagan Moore. With 30 points in 30 of the game’s 40 minutes, Moore certainly played this exhibition like it was the real deal. I stated in the season preview that this season could cement his place as a Hilltopper great, and he’s certainly shown that upside in the preseason for the Hilltoppers. Sophomore Armelo Boone looks like a much more complete basketball player compared to last season, finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds.

One statistic that helps explain why Western ultimately fell short was bench points: Indiana outscored Western 57–17. It can’t just be Teagan and Armelo out there the entire season, and I don’t expect it to be. Sharron Young, a transfer from Akron, has shown real upside for the Tops off the bench, as have other newcomers Moussa Konare and Gabe Weis.

Western failed to keep up with the Hoosiers late in the second half, as the game turned into a bit of an attritional war. It just so happened that as Western weakened, Indiana stayed steady. Teagan Moore’s heave at the halftime buzzer gave Western a 37–35 lead, which the Hilltoppers maintained until 2:44 remained in the game. Indiana then took the lead, and Western couldn’t recover.

You never want to lose, and you never enjoy doing it. Coach Plona acknowledged the competitive nature of the game, saying, “We really do coach-speak a little bit going into the games – these exhibitions – because it’s really not about winning and losing, but everybody’s a very, very competitive monster. There’s nobody on this court that wanted to lose.” He went on to emphasize the positives, adding, “obviously a lot of execution we’ve got to get better at, but, man, a lot of guys stepped up, showed they’re not scared, battled, played together and that’s really what you want from these things.”

I think that last piece from Coach Plona’s postgame remarks really encapsulates the feeling I got from this result. Would I have preferred a Western win? Yes, obviously. I go to school here. Would I much rather have a feisty, hard-fought loss with the Toppers punching way above their weight class, hitting a giant in the mouth and falling just short? Compared to the alternative of a blowout and the Tops getting written off? Any day of the week.

Western Kentucky opens the 2026–27 campaign at home next Monday against the Morehead State Eagles, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.