Western Kentucky's Alexis Govan (21) shoots over Kentucky Wesleyan defenders during their exhibition game at E.A. Diddle Arena, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, in Bowling Green, Ky. (Alex Slitz/Daily News)

Western Kentucky guard Alexis Govan tosses her head back as she’s asked an uncomfortable question, and she flashes a hesitant smile.

It’s obvious Govan’s trying to choose her words carefully, but the junior has told it like it is since she arrived on the Hill.

The question: “Was your future at WKU ever in doubt during the coaching change last year?”

“A little, just because you didn’t know,” Govan said. “Talking to my dad, you don’t know if the coach will come in and keep you or not. There’s always that uncertainty – ‘am I going to still be here because of the coach or anything’ – but it worked out.”

That’s a bit of an understatement.

After averaging 6.6 points per game as a freshman, Govan exploded last season under first-year coach Michelle Clark-Heard, averaging 20.3 points to make her the third-highest scoring sophomore in the nation.

She finished 15th in the country in scoring and was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference first team. Her scoring average is the fourth highest in program history, and she’s the second sophomore in WKU basketball history – men’s or women’s – to score 600 points in a season.

Last week, she was named the Sun Belt’s preseason player of the year. She’s the first player from the program to earn the honor since Dominique Duck in 2008-09.

Along with forward Chastity Gooch (16.1 points, 11.3 rebounds in 2012-13), Govan helped WKU improve from nine wins two seasons ago to a 22-11 record last year and a berth in the Women’s NIT.

“Their numbers speak for themselves,” sophomore guard Micah Jones said. “They work hard in practice. They’re great leaders and everybody looks up to them and tries to follow in their footsteps.”

With no seniors and plenty of unfamiliarity last year after Heard took over as coach, Govan was named one of the team’s captains.

The story is frequently told that the 5-foot-10-inch guard from San Antonio was one of the first to take Heard up on her offer to come by her office and get to know her, but Govan says that’s misleading.

“It was definitely a time of uncertainty,” she said. “Didn’t know what to expect, how she was going to be. We always talk about the open-door policy. It took me like two weeks before I was able to get in there.”

Things have been very different for Govan since she stepped through that door.

Admitting to feeling out of place in WKU’s offense as a freshman, she thrived last season in Heard’s up-and-down style of play. The Lady Toppers had plenty of freedom to improvise in their offense, which suited Govan’s abilities to create for herself.

She shot 46.4 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from 3-point range.

“The numbers that they put up last year were incredible, but the next step for them is to continue to get better,” Heard said. “What I’ve tried to do is challenge them in different ways. My biggest thing for Alexis is to continue to get better defensively because she’s so athletic. I think she can add a lot to her game. She shot the ball unbelievable last year – 46 percent, I think, from the field. That is unheard of at the guard position.”

Govan and the rest of the Lady Tops will have to adjust to fewer minutes this year.

With a depleted roster that sometimes fell as short as eight players, Govan averaged 34.1 minutes per game last year. Foul trouble often riddled her and Gooch, which in turn altered their defensive intensity.

Now, they must find ways to do more in less minutes, as Heard put it.

“We’ve got to work on being better leaders, on and off the court,” Govan said. “Defense is one of the things they stress to both of us and helping our teammates, because we were here last year.”

Govan’s outgoing nature has been infectious for some of the younger players. The junior has been one of the main spokeswomen for the team since early in her freshman year, and her screams after a big play can be heard often in E.A. Diddle Arena.

Govan said she’s encouraged freshman point guard Kierra Muhammad to yell at the beginning of practice and be vocal throughout. It doesn’t matter what’s being said, “as long as you’re talking.”

“She’s told me not to get down on myself because when she came in as a freshman, she experienced the same things,” Muhammad said. “She’s told me to be myself out there and be more vocal, so I’ve gotten better at that.”

Govan might not carry as much of the load as she did last year, but the expectations surrounding her haven’t decreased.

WKU and media relations’ Robert Sampson have launched a campaign lauding Govan and Gooch as All-America candidates, although that part makes both junior standouts a little sheepish.

Govan says she’s more concerned about turning around the program that’s become the right fit for her. She’s certain of that now.

“I always tell (Sampson) that Chas is an All-American, and my teammates are the best,” she said. “I hate when he does that stuff for me because I really think it’s about my team. We’ve got some talent this year.”

— Zach Greenwell covers WKU women’s basketball. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/zach_greenwell or visit bgdailynews.com.