Trio of Tops earn CUSA honors
Published 2:55 pm Monday, March 9, 2026
Western Kentucky guard Teagan Moore was named to the All-Conference USA First Team, forward Grant Newell was named All-CUSA Honorable Mention and guard Armelo Boone was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team, the league announced Monday afternoon.
Moore averaged 18.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, ranking second in CUSA in scoring and third in field-goal percentage at 53%, while also shooting 42.4% from 3-point range and 80.1% at the free-throw line. He posted double figures in 22 of 26 games, including 21 outings with at least 15 points and 12 performances of 20 or more.
The Dry Ridge native returned from a five-game absence midseason and helped spark a 5-2 stretch for WKU with wins over Middle Tennessee, Delaware, Liberty, New Mexico State and UTEP. Over those seven games, Moore averaged 21.7 points and 4.4 rebounds, shooting 61% from the field, 70% from beyond the arc and 79.7% at the line.
He earned back-to-back CUSA Player of the Week honors after leading the Hilltoppers to a 4-0 run featuring road wins at Delaware and Liberty and home victories over New Mexico State and UTEP. Moore averaged 24 points and four rebounds in the two road triumphs, shooting 60% from the floor and 66.7% from deep. He followed with 23.5 points, six rebounds and two assists per game in the home sweep, connecting on nearly 70% of his shots in the pair of contests.
Newell provided a steady scoring presence for the Hilltoppers, averaging a career-high 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game across 31 appearances. The Chicago native reached double figures in 23 games, including five 20-point performances.
In recent weeks, Newell elevated his play, averaging 17.9 points and five rebounds over the final eight games of the regular season. That stretch included standout outings of 25 points against UTEP, 23 against FIU, 21 at Liberty and 20 against Middle Tennessee. He shot an efficient 52% from the field, 44.2% from 3-point range and 76.9% at the free-throw line over that span.
Earlier in the year, Newell delivered a career-high 28 points against Tulsa, connecting on 8-of-15 shots and 6-of-8 from beyond the arc while pulling down a season-best nine rebounds in 34 minutes.
Boone emerged as one of the league’s most impactful newcomers, tying for a conference-best four CUSA Freshman of the Week honors. He averaged 10.9 points, a team-leading 6.1 rebounds, two assists and 1.3 steals per game in 24.3 minutes.
The Lexington native recorded three double-doubles during his freshman campaign — 16 points and 12 rebounds against Tulsa, 16 and 13 at Sam Houston, and 13 and 13 against Liberty — becoming the first WKU freshman with multiple double-doubles in a season since Charles Bassey (2018–19).
Boone made an immediate impact from his debut, notching four steals in a season-opening win over Tennessee Tech, making him the first WKU freshman ever to record four or more steals in a collegiate debut and the first with at least four steals in any game since Kevin Kaspar in 2011. He followed that with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals in a road win at Eastern Kentucky.
His breakout performance came on the national stage at Battle 4 Atlantis, where he scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 5-of-6 free throws in a 75-70 win over Wichita State.
The No. 3-seeded Hilltoppers turn their attention to the Conference USA Championships in Huntsville, Alabama. WKU will face No. 6-seeded Kennesaw State in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Tipoff at Propst Arena is set for 8 p.m. CT, with the game airing on ESPN+.

