Western Kentucky coach Ray Harper shouts instructions during WKU's 97-77 win Saturday over Campbellsville at E.A. Diddle Arena.

From time to time, you catch Ray Harper in a mood where he’s willing to open up on just about any topic.

The Western Kentucky coach was particularly insightful on his radio show Monday about last year’s recruiting class, the transfer epidemic, some of the defensive struggles with this year’s team and the future. He also hit on some important stuff about Phabian Glasco and the Eastern Kentucky and Murray State series. Here are some highlights.

1.) Harper thinks Murray State series could return next season

This isn’t exactly major news if you followed my conversation with Harper in the spring, but he reiterated Monday that Murray State could return to the schedule next year.

Like he said then, Harper said he was hesitant to play the Racers this year because that would have WKU playing Ohio Valley Conference programs Eastern Kentucky, Belmont and Murray State on the road in 2016-17.

The Tops host EKU on Tuesday in the renewal of a series that hasn’t been played since 2007.

“I can say we’ll definitely play them for the next four years,” Harper said of EKU. “Really, we needed a home game this year. We’ve got Belmont on the schedule, another OVC school. We have to go back to Belmont again next year. … It’s kind of the reason the Murray State series didn’t continue, honestly, because we couldn’t play Eastern, Belmont and Murray all on the road, all in the same year. Hopefully we can maybe renew the Murray series next year and start it at our place, and then we’ll have it balanced a little bit.”

2.) Glasco will not be back on court this year

Harper let out a chuckle with his “no” when asked on the radio if junior forward Phabian Glasco would return this year.

He said it’ll be next season before the junior-college transfer is ready to go following a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the preseason.

“I wish he could return right now,” Harper said. “He was a guy that we thought would really shore up our rebounding and toughness around the basket.”

Harper said he’s looking forward to adding Tennessee transfer Willie Carmichael to the mix next season.

He also said 7-foot-2 freshman center Nathan Smith, who’s played sparingly so far, is making rapid improvement.

“You add two really good pieces right there on the inside, and that’s without signing anyone else,” Harper said. “And the guy that I see getting better each and every day, and I still say by the time we get to conference play he’s going to be a factor, is Nathan Smith. He creates problems. He’s our most physical post player.”

3.) Current Tops struggling with adjustments

Harper sighed a couple of times and struggled to figure out how to describe one of the underlying issues with some of early defensive struggles.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to play out over the next two months, but this team, they struggle when you try to make adjustments,” he said. “It can be as minor as you want. Maybe we’re switching how we’re defending this ball screen now, or we’re getting back into this type of zone. I’m still trying to figure out if that’s going to be a problem three weeks from now or if this is just a temporary situation.”

Harper then made a point to say that it won’t be a problem in a few weeks, because he’ll get those players struggling off the court if necessary.

He hinted that the rotation might even begin shrinking against EKU.

“It won’t be a problem because we’re limit the number of guys who will play at that point,” he said. “We’re going to eliminate that problem. It may be by the process of elimination and playing fewer guys – guys that are understanding what we’re doing. We’re probably going to get to a little bit of that tomorrow night.”

4.) Harper: Some of last year’s recruits ‘didn’t take care of some business off the court’

Harper was asked about recruiting to build a program, and he started his response by hitting on last year’s four-player recruiting class.

Only forward Justin Johnson remains of that group. Guards DJ Clayton and Avery Patterson transferred, as did walk-on forward Rob Marberry. 

“We had some guys that I thought talent-wise were exactly what we needed, but unfortunately, they didn’t take care of some business off the court like they needed to, so no longer a part of the program,” Harper said. “It’s unfortunate. You want kids that their primary focus is getting an education, trying to get a degree and winning a championship.”

Harper talked about the national transfer epidemic and was asked if he feels pressure to give playing time to newcomers to keep them around. 

“That doesn’t even help, because it may not be as much as they want to play,” he said. “It depends on their AAU coach. … It’s crazy. But again, it’s part of our culture. Kids want it now and they’re not willing to put in the time and be patient. … It is what it is. You do the best you can, and hopefully you continue to keep guys in your program.

“From time to time, you’re going to have a transfer or two. You just better be prepared for it.”

5.) Harper thinks WKU could be in mix as preseason league favorite next year

WKU will return the bulk of its team next year and add Glasco and Carmichael in the frontcourt.

The Tops also signed three-star guard Tobias Howard in November, and all that has Harper excited for the future.

“We just need to continue to add two or three pieces to that puzzle next year,” he said. “You just think about adding Willie and Phabian to the mix, you’ve got a pretty good nucleus inside. … We’re about one or two pieces away from the puzzle, I think, from maybe being the preseason favorite next year in Conference USA.”

— Zach Greenwell