The buzz that built last week in the Bahamas arrived at E.A. Diddle Arena on Wednesday night.

Western Kentucky’s men’s basketball team, fresh off a jaw-dropping charge through the stacked Battle 4 Atlantis that saw the short-handed Hilltoppers push hard in an eight-point loss to No. 5 Villanova, followed by back-to-back impressive wins over No. 18 Purdue and red-hot SMU, returned to its home floor for the first time since turning more than a few heads with that successful excursion to the tropics.

WKU’s 2-1 showing against high-caliber competition likely helped sell more than a few tickets for Wednesday’s matchup against traditional rival Eastern Kentucky – the announced attendance of 5,532 was the largest at Diddle in more than two years and dwarfed the crowds at WKU’s previous two home games against Kentucky Wesleyan on Nov. 15 (3,844) and Nicholls on Nov. 19 (3,378). A nearly full student section in particular drew Hilltopper coach Rick Stansbury’s attention.

“When you come out, look around and see that place close to being full – that’s a great start,” Stansbury said. “There’s some empty seats yet, though. We’ve got to find a way that there’s no empty seats nowhere.

“And the students – that’s where it starts – the students are the ones that everybody can feed off of in this arena.”

Having an old nemesis like EKU in town probably helped get out a few fans as well – regardless, the Hilltoppers had their fans on the proverbial lot, with an opportunity to make a lasting sale.

WKU did its part to seal that deal against the Colonels with a crushing 83-51 victory that displayed in equal measure both a ruthless efficiency and style points only talent can produce.

Talent the Hilltoppers have, to be sure – man for man, this year’s edition noticeably surpasses last season’s 15-17 team that returned just two players in senior forward Justin Johnson and senior walk-on guard Tyler Miller.

And unlike last season’s disjointed roster that often featured players playing spots ill-matched to their strengths, Stansbury’s latest squad has pieces that seem to fit just right.

It’s a difference all too apparent to Colonels coach Dan McHale, whose squad easily handled the Tops in a 78-59 win last season.

“I think they have great chemistry,” McHale said. “Not taking anything away from last year’s team, I didn’t know that team that well, but I saw guys last year kind of give up and I didn’t see that tonight. I didn’t see that in the Bahamas.

“They’ve got very good guard play. They’ve got older guards. You’ve got a guy like Justin Johnson who understands what it takes to win. And then you surround him with kids like (Lamonte) Bearden and (Taveion) Hollingsworth, being the young guy, and (Darius) Thompson – he’s the straw that makes them go. They’re a good team, and they don’t look over their shoulder.”

Maybe not, but Stansbury keeps working to keep what he calls “that edge” out there on the floor. Even at halftime as his team appeared comfortably in control with a 31-17 lead, Stansbury wasn’t happy – not at all. The Hilltoppers did even more in the second half – this time 52 points while maintaining a stout defensive effort that forced 13 turnovers and held the Colonels to a 36.8 percent shooting night.

The Hilltoppers don’t lack for scorers – all seven scholarship players reached double digits in points against EKU, and a 24-assist night showed just how effectively they share the ball.

If Wednesday functioned as a sales job to some of the WKU fans in attendance lured by curiosity, Stansbury’s team couldn’t have delivered a better pitch to bring them back again for Saturday’s 4 p.m. home matchup against Wright State.

“We need you excited, no matter what,” Stansbury said. “We need you excited in that gym, everybody excited in that gym because it helps us. Those games when we’re not at our peak, that’s when your fans can help you so much, man. But I am happy that we were able to come back and get that edge. Most people out there, I guess that’s a rivalry game for them. So I am happy with that.”

Bearden is looking forward to seeing most, if not all, of those seats filled again Saturday.

“It was a great crowd tonight and I want to thank them for actually coming out,” Bearden said. “It was real good. A crowd like that, it’s exciting. You want to play every night like that.”{&end}