Hilltoppers to open 2018-19 season at Washington

Western Kentucky will open its 2018-19 men’s basketball season at Washington and will host Tennessee-Martin in its home opener, sources told the Daily News on Monday.

The Hilltoppers and Huskies will start the season Nov. 6 in Seattle. The teams have met just once before, an 86-47 Washington win Nov. 25, 2016, at the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas.

Washington went 21-13 overall and 10-8 in the Pacific 12 Conference last season. The Huskies were a No. 5 seed in the National Invitation Tournament, where they beat Boise State and then lost to Saint Mary’s.

Coach Mike Hopkins’ Washington squad finished last season at No. 98 in the Ken Pomeroy rankings with an adjusted efficiency margin of +7.09. For comparison, WKU finished No. 47 (+14.45).

The Hilltoppers are 5-5 over their last 10 season openers, most recently losing Nov. 10 to Missouri State to start the 2017-18 season.

WKU’s home opener will be Nov. 10 against UT Martin at E.A. Diddle Arena. The contest comes the same day as the Topper football team’s game at Florida Atlantic, which will kick off at 4 p.m. CST in Boca Raton, Fla.

WKU is 2-1 all-time against the Skyhawks. The last meeting was a 70-67 UT Martin win Jan. 26, 1998, in Martin, Tenn.

The Skyhawks went 10-21 overall and 5-13 in Ohio Valley Conference play last season under coach Anthony Stewart, finishing No. 294 (-11.66) in the KenPom rankings.

WKU is 8-2 over its last 10 home openers.

Current 2018-19 WKU men’s basketball schedule

Nov. 6 – at Washington

Nov. 10 – Tennessee-Martin

Nov. 15 – vs. Valparaiso*

Nov. 16 – vs. Monmouth or West Virginia*

Nov. 18 – vs. Cal State Fullerton, Central Florida, Saint Joseph’s or Wake Forest*

Dec. 8 – at Arkansas

Dec. 19 – at Belmont

Dec. 22 – Saint Mary’s

Dec. 29 – Wisconsin

TBA – at Indiana State

TBA – at Missouri State

Jan. 3 – at Charlotte

Jan. 5 – at Old Dominion

Jan. 12 – at Marshall

Jan. 17 – Florida International

Jan. 19 – Florida Atlantic

Jan. 21 – Marshall

Jan. 24 – at Southern Mississippi

Jan. 26 – at Louisiana Tech

Jan. 31 – Texas-San Antonio

Feb. 2 – Texas-El Paso

Feb. 7 – at Rice

Feb. 9 – at North Texas

Feb. 14 – Middle Tennessee

Feb. 16 – Alabama-Birmingham

Feb. 23 – March 9 – Four potential C-USA games

March 13-16 – Conference USA Tournament#

*Myrtle Beach Invitational, HTC Center, Conway, S.C.

#The Star, Frisco, Texas